University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1941 Grammatical construction and functions: a comparative study in English French German and Spanish Elaine White The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation White, Elaine, "Grammatical construction and functions: a comparative study in English French German and Spanish" (1941). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 7834. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/7834 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GRAMMATICAL C015STRÜCTI0TT AWD FGRCTIOÎÎSî A COMPARATIVE STUDÏ lu KROLISH, PRERCH, GERMAIT ARD SPAÎTISH by Elftlne White Tîf:r;7»bntahrmtê'Thlwp^^ Presented In partial fnlflllment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts. Montana State University 1941 Approved t Chairman of Board of Examiners I f - Chairman of bommlttèeT on Graduate Study Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EP38635 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT Otaawtxtion UMI EP38635 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code uest* ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 -1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PREFACE It is the purpose of this paper to provide the stu­ dent of several languages with a supplementary reference to which he can turn for comparisons of some major grammatical functions and formations existing in Spanish, French, Ger­ man, and English* Since the task of comparing grammatical points is endless, this paper is far from complete, but it is hoped that it will be beneficial in helping the student having a knowledge of one of tlie languages as he enters the task of learning another* The abstracts of grammar have been arranged as near­ ly as possible in the same order for all languages with the intention of aiding the user to make his own comparisons as they suggest themselves* Due to the fact that the writer has presupposed the user's thorough knowledge of English, those abstracts devoted to that language have been given in more condensed' form than those which deal with the other languages. Definitions of major grammatical terms (those used in this paper as well as others) have been arranged alpha­ betically and have been defined in grammatical terms to apply to all languages, not as they apply to each individ­ ually, , Their meanings are treated. more extensively as they Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ill occur in conjunction with the various languages. The study ot language is a fascinating one and it is thé sincere hope of the writer that this paper will not only be helpful to the language student but that it will also increase his interest in language and languages. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF COSTËHTS CHAPTER PAGE 1$ AGREEUEBT* . 1 EogXlsh # * . # . # 1 Article# 1 r 1 Adjectlve, 1 Adveit #: 4 r. 1 PronoTm# < ► : 1 8oun •: * 4 ,! 1 Verb # . , 1 Pest Partlelplei r. S Preeent Participle ••«•«••#••#• 2 French# *»*#*,##*##.#.#**#.# 2 Article# •••.««•••••«.•#•# 2 Adjective. #»•••*••••••«#•» 2 Adverb • • • « • • • « »• * * . # # * * #' 3 Pronoun# • «•••••'«»•»•*••#*- 4 Bonn # * # * # # #' # #'#'.'# *'* .'*'#'# #' 4 Verb ###.*#*###.# 5 Past Participle# •*••«•••«*••» 6 Present Participle #*,#.#*## 7 German, Article# # # # # # # # # $ # ••#*••# 7 Adjective# • # # •«•«••••••##• 7 Adverb •*»••«••••##»##•#• 6 Pronoun# *••#••#•«•••«•#•* 6 Roun . # #*##.#* # # $ * # # . * # # 9 Verb ••••«#’•#*'##• *•••'*#'•' 10 Past Participle# ,.##*##.#*#*.10 Present Participle #####..## 11 Spanish #.#.,,.#..#####*.. 11 Article# #.*#####*#..### 11 Adjective* # ••##•#•#•••••«#11 Adverb # • # * , #•••*• * ••#«#• 12 Pronoun* ##.###.*..#.###*12 Roun ...,.#,###.*## ....... 13 Verb ,•##.,#.#.#...#...# 13 Past Participle# #*###.#####.14 Present Participle ##.#..##### 15 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHIPTEH PAGE Comparison and Comment# 15 II. TBE ARTICLE# •••#•••••••••*•#• E6 English £6 Definite Article - uses end omission SÔ Indefinite Article - uses and omission 26 Agreement of • #. #. • « • ». #. ». • # ». 27 Repetition of. ». ». «. * *, • « • • * 27 French* 27 Definite Article - uses and omission 27 Indefinite Article uses and omission 29 Partitive Article uses and omission 29 Agreement of 50 Repetition of, »•••#•.•«•• SO German* 30 Definite Article * uses and omission 30 Indefinite Article uses and omission 31 Agreement of . , • • • » • « *. , . 52 Repetition of. • • » ». » . , . » , » 32 Gpanish 32 Definite Article uses and omission » # 32 Indefinite Article t uses and ooULssion #. 34 Reuter M ^ uses •»,,«*« * 34 Agreement of , # . * . % 34 Repetition of* *•*,.,«« M Comparison and Comment, ••,#*«••,* , 35 III. GEBDER 39 English 39 Rules for determining* *,***..** 39 Ey meaning, ****.*,.*,*#39 By form *,*******,**** B9 By.derivation **,**.*.#, 39 Rouns of double gender* *•»*,* 39 Compound nouns* *.,.,... 39 Formation of feminine from masculine 40 Formation in other ways *...*• 40 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Ti. CBAPTSB PAGE Prenoh 4' + ' 4 0 Roles for determlolog* * 40 > By meaningê « è • i ##'&*##!' 40 By form , • i * * . 42 • By derivation * • ♦ • i è 42 Double gender • « • • •••■•• 42 Compound nouns* w « " # * k # » : 42 formation of feminine from masculine 43 •Formation in other frays i è • ï « « 43 German* '• t ë » 'è '• 'è '» '& *;& '* "• «’•*#«» 43 Rules for determining* &*****#*# 44 By meaning* #*#*****#**# 44 By form .#*,*...*** 45 By derivation *»&#***#&## 46 Double gender » • « * * * * . • * « 46 Compound nouns* #**.*4 **& * 46 Formation of feminine from masoullne 46 Formation In other ways t $ i t * . - 46 Spanish ••••••••«•*•• À ••• * 4 47 Rules for determining# * é . ****** 47 By meaning. * . ** * .*.* 47 By form ************* 46 By derivation «•••»;*****48 Double gender *********** 48 Compound nouns* •••••*•••* 49 Formation of feminine from masculine 49 Formation in other ways •«»••• 49 Reuter gender* • * 4 ;••*•••*« • 59 Comparison and Comment4 , * 4 4 4 * * # * * 4 59 17* XSFLECTIOB .**.**.4.44.4.4 54 Charts * * # * •'« « *''*'*''*'*'*'*'* # * * *' 54 English* •*•••**•••*••**. 54 French *4******#**4*4#4 4 56 German .*«*4 * * * 4.•***•*44 57 Spanish* •*•••••4444***44 59 English ****.*#..*#*444444 61 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Til. CHAPtia PAGB tn g lU h 61 Article. ........ .... 61 Definite. 61 Indefinite. •.••**••«••• 61 GubstantlTee 62 Prcnonne. 62 Personal 62 Demonstratire* 62 InterrogatlTe. ....... 62 Indefinite .......... 62 ReletlTe ........... 62 PoeseeslTe 63 Reflexive. 63 Reciprocal 63 Roun. 63 Gender 63 Rumber *.**,*.#..«. 63 ■ Case 64 Formation of ......... 63 DlAlnutlvee. 63 Adjective 63 Gender 63 Ruttber 65 Case ............ 65 Demonstrative, ...... 63 Possessive ........ 65 Indefinite ........ 65 Interrogative. 66 Degrees. .......... 66 Comparative 66 Superlative #..... 63 Irregular 66 Substitutes for • • « • « 66 Rumerals 66 Cardinal. ....... 66 Ordinal ........ Formation of • 66 Adverb. 66 Degree 66 Comparative 68 Superlative ...... 66 Irregular •••••«.. 66 Substitutes for . * • • « 66 Formation of..,..., 66 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Till* CHAPTER PAGE Verb, 67 Principal parts* *«•••» 67 Formation of tense froa princi­ pal part# ••»••*#«# 67 Sumber o f conjugations * # * 67 Weak conjugation .,#«#* 67 Formation of principal, ' parts* # * »#'*** f- 67 Indicative tenses « • * 67 Strong conjugation * » * * * 68 Formation of principal parts » # ' # * * #‘ r »■ p- 68 Indicative tenses * * * 69 Subjunctive mood .**,»# 69 Imperative mood, •••*,* 69 Passive voice* 69 Reflexive verbs* ,*,,*, 69 Reciprocal verbs •«**,, 70 Irregular verbs* •*••** 70 Impersonal verbs •••,*• 70 Past Participle* * * , , * • 70 Present Participle * * , * . 70 Compound verbs ******* 70 French* 71 Article* * « * ***,-*,**,#(* 71 Definite - declension and contrac- tlon * * , • *»•««*•<•*• 71 Indefinite - declension and con- traction #*##**,'**** 71 Partitive declension and contrac tlon * • 71 Substantives • 72 Pronoun , * * 72 Personal - conjunctive and disjunctive ,•»•*»*« 72 Demonstrative. •*•»•« • 72 Interrogative* * * * * * * • 73 ' Indefinite ,*»**••**» 73 Relative * # «