A Corpus-based Analysis Of The Primary Verb Be In Chinese Learners' English Compositions

This paper is aimed at revealing the distribution and characteristics of the primary verb be utilized by Chinese learners by comparing the utilization of the primary verb be in Chinese Learner English Corpus (CLEC) with that in Brown. It is a corpus-based study.The results indicate that Chinese learners show many characteristics in using the primary verb be. Firstly, they use much less am and are contraction, and also show much different preference to certain contraction with the variations of subject. Secondly, Chinese learners use much more the copular verb be, but less the auxiliary verb be. Thirdly, they use much more the auxiliary verb be as progressive marker and much less as passive marker. Fourthly, with be as progressive marker, the finite structure be + ing-participle is the most favored and most frequently used by Chinese learners while other patterns are much less frequently utilized by them in comparison with native speakers. Fifthly, Chinese learners use most of the common verbs that are associated with the progressive marker be in the semantic domain activity. Sixthly, with be as passive marker, the finite structure be + ed-participle is the most favored and most frequently used by Chinese learners. Seventhly, the lexical association characteristics of the passive marker be is that Chinese learners use several common verbs much more frequently than natives. Eighthly, full noun phrases are the most common subjects occurring with the copular verb be utilized by Chinese learners. Pronouns are also highly used as subject with the copular verb be in CLEC. Ninthly. with pronouns except demonstrative pronouns as subject, the distribution of complement with the copular verb be shows that the typical pattern be + adjective is the most frequently applied among all patterns in CLEC. Tenthly, with it as subject except as an anticipatory subject, the distribution of complement with the copular verb be shows that the typical pattern be + noun is the most frequently applied among all patterns in CLEC. Moreover, a variety of errors in the primary verb be utilization are researched into. Transfer theory is applied to analyze the errors of the primaryverb be made by Chinese learners.This systematic investigation into the primary verb be has its academic, practical and pedagogical value.