Re: (In)transitive verbs

--- Andreas Johansson <andjo@...> wrote:
> Quoting Costentin Cornomorus
> <elemtilas@...>:
>
> > --- Andreas Johansson <andjo@...> wrote:
> >
> > > "Regular" and "irregular" merely indicates
> > > conformance and non-conformance,
> > > respectively, to some set of rules.
> >
> > A good reason NOT to use those terms in this
> > context! Sing-sang-sung is perfectly regular.
>
> Not according to the set of rules that says
> that English preterites and
> perfects are formed by adding -ed, period.
That's just the point: those are no more
regularly formed than the strong verbs. The terms
"irregular" and "regular" do not fit the data.

> And if we chose a Germanesque approach to
> classifying English verbs, which I'd
> rather like to, is-was-been is still
> screamingly irregular.
Yes. As I've said. And of course, we can choose
which approach to take. Personally, I do not
follow the "Irregular/Regular" scheme; I use the
"Strong/Weak/Irregular" Germanic scheme. I think
it fits the data better. [Keep in mind that in
scientific endeavour, the theory should fit the
data, not the other way around!] And it also has
more room for important subdivisions of that
data. The other scheme is arbitrary and forces
the data to fit the theory.

There are also psychological factors at work in
the other scheme that can present blocks to
learners. When the word "irregular" is seen, it
connotes oddity, wrongness, deviance; teachers
often use a negative, downward tone and an almost
fearful intonation when they talk about these
verbs. [Doesn't matter what language - we were
subject to this almost subliminal message in
Spanish.] Such teacher incited trepidation could
lead to poorer learning - the students figure
"sheesh, the teacher is so down on these, they
must be impossible! I'll never get it!"

Padraic.


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