Syntactic Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Syntactic Alternations in Learner Language Corpora TGrep2 Research Steps First Results Julia Krivanek Universit¨ at T¨ ubingen References SFB 833, Project A4 Second T¨ ubingen-Berlin Meeting on Analyzing Learner Language T¨ ubingen, 5./6. Dezember 2011 SFB 833 1 / 18
Syntactic Overview Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora TGrep2 Levin Classification Research Steps First Results References The Setup Corpora TGrep2 Research Steps First Results SFB 833 2 / 18
Syntactic Correspondence between verbal meaning and Alternations in Learner Language syntax Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora TGrep2 ◮ Diathesis alternations - alternations in the realization of Research Steps verbs’ argument structure (Levin 1993) First Results ◮ Verbs with the same diathesis alternations References ◮ share certain meaning components ⇒ form a semantically coherent class ◮ The knowledge about verbs’ meaning enables speakers of English to make subtle judgements about syntactical behaviour of a verb SFB 833 3 / 18
Syntactic Examples Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification (1) a. Martha carved a toy for the baby. The Setup Corpora b. Martha carved baby a toy. TGrep2 Research Steps (2) a. Carmen bought a dress for Mary. First Results b. Carmen bought Mary a dress. References (3) a. She was named press secretary. b. * She was named as press secretary. (4) a. The president appointed her Head of the Commitee. b. The president appointed her as Head of the Commitee. SFB 833 4 / 18
Syntactic Alternations in Learner Language Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora ◮ The meaning of a verb enables native speakers of TGrep2 Research Steps English to build grammatically correct utterances with First Results the given verb. References ◮ What about non-native English speakers ? ◮ Native speakers vs. learner English: ◮ Distribution of alternations ◮ Ungrammatical sentences SFB 833 5 / 18
Syntactic Motivation Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora TGrep2 Research Steps ◮ Error detection in learner texts First Results ◮ Recognition of native and non-native learner texts References ◮ Recognition of learner texts’ levels ◮ Recognition of the mother tongue SFB 833 6 / 18
Syntactic Levin Classification Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora TGrep2 Research Steps First Results ◮ Alternations References ◮ Verb classes SFB 833 7 / 18
Syntactic International Corpus of Learner English (ICLE) Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora TGrep2 Research Steps ◮ Argumentative essays each 500-1000 words long First Results ◮ Higher intermediate to advanced learners of English References ◮ 3.7 million words ◮ 16 mother tongue backgrounds SFB 833 8 / 18
Syntactic Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays Alternations in Learner Language (LOCNESS) Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora TGrep2 Research Steps ◮ Essays written by English and American university First Results References students ◮ 300000 words ◮ Topics: transport, the parliamentary system, fox hunting, boxing, the National Lottery, etc. SFB 833 9 / 18
Syntactic TGrep2 Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora TGrep2 Research Steps ◮ Unix-based tool to search syntactically and First Results POS-annotated corpora References ◮ Query Example: ′ VP << ( / ∧ VB ∗ / $ . ( NP $ . ( PP < ( IN < as ) < NP )) ′ SFB 833 10 / 18
Syntactic Research Steps Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora TGrep2 1. Parse ICLE and LOCNESS with Berkeley Parser Research Steps 2. Add Lemma Information to the parsed corpora (from First Results TreeTagger) References 3. Choose verbs and their alternations 4. Create TGrep2-queries 5. Count alternations for each verb in ICLE and LOCNESS SFB 833 11 / 18
Syntactic Verb Selection Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora ◮ Frequency - more than 100 occurrences TGrep2 Research Steps ◮ Ambiguity - verbs belonging only to one class First Results ◮ Relationship between selected verbs References ◮ buy vs. sell ◮ talk vs. say ◮ Selected verbs: agree, assume, name, sell, buy, search, talk, say SFB 833 12 / 18
Syntactic Alternation Selection Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora TGrep2 Research Steps ◮ Patterns are limited to those which can be found by First Results using syntactic information References ◮ Selected alternations: dative, benefective, as alternation, etc. SFB 833 13 / 18
Syntactic Agree Alternations in Learner Language ◮ Class: Correspond Verbs Julia Krivanek ◮ Frequency: 1119 times in the ICLEv2 corpus Introduction Levin Classification Num. Pattern Occur. Example The Setup Corpora 1. Bill agreed that ... 256 Even a brilliant scientist will agree TGrep2 that this is the key to the mystery Research Steps of life. First Results 2. Bill agreed with 201 Yeah , I agree with her . References Kathy. 3. Bill and Kathy 0 agreed 4. *Bill agreed Kathy 3 Also , women who are under 16 and their parents agree them to take abortion too . 5. *Bill agreed 1 You may not agree but technology has to do with that apathy in people, with that total alienation. SFB 833 Table: Syntactic patterns for the verb agree and their frequency in the ICLEv2 corpus 14 / 18
Syntactic Agree: Alternations Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup ◮ Collective NP Subject (patterns 3 and 5) Corpora TGrep2 ◮ Simple Reciprocal Alternation: allow both ’NP1 V [P Research Steps NP2]’ and [NP1 and NP2] V’ frames First Results (patterns 2 and 3) References ◮ *Understood Reciprocal Object Alternation: ◮ The intransitive verb agree (pattern 3) cannot be paraphrased by its transitive variant when it takes th reciprocal each other as object (pattern 4). ◮ * With Preposition Drop Alternation (patterns 2 and 4) SFB 833 15 / 18
Syntactic Name Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek ◮ Class: Dub Verbs Introduction ◮ Frequency: 145 times in the ICLE corpus Levin Classification The Setup Corpora Num. Pattern Occur. Example TGrep2 Research Steps 1. He named the ship 7 We name it multimedia . First Results Seafarer 2. *He named the ship 9 We might name the other class as References as Seafarer the inventions in communication. 3. *He named him to 0 be Seafahrer Table: Syntactic patterns for the verb name and their frequency in the ICLEv2 corpus ◮ Alternations: ◮ *As Alternation SFB 833 ◮ *Infinitival Copular Clause 16 / 18
Syntactic Difficulties Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora TGrep2 Research Steps ◮ The size of LOCNESS First Results References ◮ Parsing errors → Difficult to get precise matches ⇒ Search for patterns, not for alternations SFB 833 17 / 18
Syntactic References I Alternations in Learner Language Julia Krivanek Introduction Levin Classification The Setup Corpora TGrep2 Research Steps First Results Levin, B. (1993). English verb classes and alternations : a References preliminary investigation . Univ. of Chicago Press. SFB 833 18 / 18
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