English WH- question and its Vietnamese equivalence Running head: WH-question English WH- question and its Vietnamese equivalence A contrastive analysis Pham Thi Kim Loan Class 4B.08 HCM University of pedagogy Professor : Bui Nguyen Khanh September 15, 2011 In communicative process in all languages all over the world, question plays an important role in daily life. It going well without asking questions. People may ask for information or for confirmation whether the stateme It is no doubt that questions can not be missed in communication. There are a lot of types of question: yes-no question, tag question… but in this paper I would like to devote all my interest in wh-question in English and to get more understanding of this type of question and I am able to use it more flexibly and fluently. According to Quirk (1976:192), wh-questions are those that expect a reply supplying an item of information. Ex: What is your name? How old are you? The paper also points out and analyses the similarities and differences between English wh-questions and its to make question and interrogative pronouns(Q-words). Then some implications for language teaching and le knowledge and experience, I will go deep into this matter in a hope of assisting to help people who are interes look in two language systems: Vietnamese and English. WH-question in English WH-questions are called information or open questions because the answer to the question requires more than questions are formed with interrogative words or phrases that start with the letters “Wh”, and they usually end (1976:196) points out that Wh-question is formed with the aid of one of the following interrogative pronouns who/whom, whose, why, how, how many, how much, how long, … Question words Function Example What asking for information about something What is your name? When asking about time When did you leave? Where asking about place or position Where do you live? Which asking for information about one of a limited number of things. Which color do you like? Who asking about someone’s identity. Who stole your car? Whom asking about someone’s identity. (object) Whom did you see yesterday? Whose asking about ownership Whose are these books? Why asking for reason Why do you say that? How asking about manner, way or method in which something is done. How does she look like? How many+ countable noun asking about quantity How many books do you have? How much+ uncountable noun How long How much money do you have? asking about length (time or space) Question word (Q-word) + auxiliary verb + verb? How long did you stay in Ha Noi? Form: Foley (2008: 97) presents that when who, what, which function as the subject of clause, we don’t use auxilia the statement. Ex: Who telephoned you last night? What will happen next? Which bus goes to the city center? Moreover, verb be also goes before the subject in questions. Ex: Where is your car? What is that noise? When Wh- question asks about anything in the predicate, insert a wh- word and then manipulate the word ord beginning and moving the operator in front of the subject. Ex: What did you buy? What, which and whose can be followed with or without a noun. Ex: What time is it? = What is the time? Which coat is yours? = Which is your coat? Whose pen is this? = Whose is this pen? Whom can only be used to ask about information of the object of the sentence. Despite using whom would b normally used instead. Ex: "Whom did you see yesterday?" = "Who did you see yesterday?" According to Foley (2008: 97), who, what, which and whose can all be used to ask about information of eith Ex: What made you cry? What did you buy? WH-question equivalence in Vietnamese Vietnamese equivalence of English Wh- question is the kind of question using Q-words. Ban (2002) presents that Vietnamese equivalence of Wh-questions are questions used to ask for the definite p words. In Vietnamese, Wh-question is formed with interrogative pronouns such as: ai (who/ whom), của ai (whose), nào (when), đâu, ở đâu (where), như thế nào, bằng cách nào (how), vì sao, tại sao (why), bao nhiêu (how m Question words Function Example Cái gì asking for information about something Anh tên gì? asking about time Anh đi khi nào? asking about place or position Anh sống ở đâu? Cái nào asking for information about one of a limited number of things. Anh thích màu nào? Ai asking about someone’s identity. Ai lấy cắp xe của anh? Gì Bao giờ Lúc nào Khi nào Ở đâu Chỗ nào Anh gặp ai hôm qua? Của ai asking about ownership Những cuốn sách này của ai? Tại sao asking for reason Tại sao anh nói vậy? asking about manner, way or method in which something is done. Cô ta trông ra sao? Vì sao Thế nào Ra sao Cách nào Bao nhiêu asking about quantity Anh có bao nhiêu cuốn sách? Bao lâu asking about length (time or space) Anh ở Hà Nội bao lâu? T Q-word + V + O? S + V + O + Q-word? o form Wh-question in Vietnamese, two main structures are used: Form: The position of Vietnamese Q-words is very flexible. They can come first, jump in the middle or come at the Ex: Ai đánh anh? Hôm qua sao cậu không gọi tớ? Anh đã đánh ai? Words asking for reasons are usually put at the beginning of the sentences, have adverbial functions: Ex: Em đi làm khi nào? Words asking for means are usually located at the end of the sentences. Ex: Anh đi học bằng phương tiện gì? Words asking for possession are usually placed at the end of the sentences. Ex: Cuốn sách này là của ai? Words asking for things are often at the end. Ex: Mẹ anh viết gì? Words asking about the manner, characteristics are at the end. Ex: Lan là người thế nào? Thiem (2004) presents in his book “Nghien cuu doi chieu cac ngon ngu” that in the questions asking about tim prepositions to express the moment or the starting time. Ex: Vào lúc nào thì bộ phim bắt đầu? Anh ta chơi bóng chuyền từ khi nào? Anh yêu em từ bao giờ? The similarities and differences between Vietnamese and English Wh-question The similarity of the Q-words between English and Vietnamese is quite high. In English, Wh-questions are formed with who(m), what, when, where, why, which, how,… while Vietnam their equivalence: ai, cái gì, khi nào, ở đâu, tại sao, cái nào,như thế nào,... W Q-word + V + O? hen Q-word operates in function of subject, structure of Wh-question in both languages, English and Vietnam Form: Ex: Who loves you? Ai yêu anh? What made you angry? Điều gì làm anh giận? Within this paper, I also would like to discuss the contrast between English and Vietnamese Wh-question in two aspects: structures and Q-words. The first difference accounts for the position of Q-words when Q-words isn’t the subject of the sentence any Vietnamese interrogative words are located in the place of the word, which it replaces in the statement. It is n of the sentence like in English. Ex: Anh là ai? – Tôi là bạn của Mai. Anh cần gì? – Tôi cần gặp Mai. Who are you? – I’m Mai’s friend. What do you need? – I need to see Mai. In some cases, the interrogative word is inverted to the beginning of the sentence, or the word, which the inte statement, is also inverted to the beginning of the sentence to emphasize. Secondly, Vietnamese interrogative words asking about time (bao giờ, khi nào, ngày nào, hôm nào, lúc nào past tense when placed at the end of questions and indicate the present or future tense when put at the beginni at the beginning of the sentence regardless its tense. Ex: Bao giờ anh ấy đến? (When will he arrive?) Ngày mai Anh ấy đến bao giờ? (When did he arrive?) Hôm qua Thirdly, in English, how is used to ask about the transportation; however in Vietnamese we use bằng gì (by w Ex: How did you go HaNoi? Anh đã HaNoi bằng gì? Fourthly, this kind of question in English is not merely a means of requesting information, it has much more with “why” in negative question. It can be a suggestion, a complaint or a surprise.This kind of question can b the interrogative pronouns “tại sao”, “vì sao ( mà)”, “tại làm sao”, “tại vì sao” “thế nào (mà)”, “bởi vì sao” nào”. These words can combine with “vì, do, tại, bởi” to show reasons. Ex: Why don’t we go fishing now? (suggestion) Why don’t they give her a lift? (Surprise) Why didn’t you tell me about that problem? (Complaint) Finally, in Vietnamese questions, we usually use particles “nhỉ, hả, sao, ư, ạ…” at the end of the questions to speaker and the addressee or to express our attitude towards something. But in English, they can use intonatio way that Vietnamese uses particles at the end of the questions. They also have intonation and stress patterns f Ex: Bác tên gì ạ? Bao giờ anh về nhỉ? Teaching implications To some people, teaching and learning English is an easy task, but to others, it is really a hard-solving proble these people encounter can be various, maybe they lack a “natural ability” to learn English or they do not hav learning. Generally speaking, English Wh- questions are not the same as its Vietnamese equivalences, so for structures as well as know how to use English Wh-question for different purposes. Therefore they need to pra effective in using English. Moreover, mistakes are inevitable during the learning process. Therefore, making thing is that students can find the causes of those mistakes to correct them and try their best to avoid them. The responsibilities of language teachers are to give lectures and help students to understand and use the lang type of lessons, teachers can apply different teaching methods. Teachers should focus on structures and lexica Wh-questions to Vietnamese learners. Moreover, teachers should not worry about the mistakes their students their students know that the mistakes are common and unavoidable. Because no one can master everything, s correct the mistakes is more important and helpful. However, in order to achieve the success, it is necessary t learners. In conclusion, English Wh-questions and its Vietnamese equivalence have some similarities and differences. negative transfers for English learners. However, I has suggested some implications for teaching and learning Vietnamese with the hope that this paper will help the high school students much for further exploration in th language teachers with some helpful ideas for their teaching career.
