English modal verbs constitute a problem for the student of English as a foreign language. This study presents a methodology for a systematic presentation of the meaning of modal verbs. The modals "can,""may,""must," and "have to" are studied. (SW)

Four categories of statements are isolated in an attempt to analyze relationships between voice, tense and use of auxiliaries in French. The deep structure theory of generative grammar is questioned and a theory of semantic distinctions operating within the forms of a language is proposed. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

The modal system in English is unique among verbs and constitutes a considerable learning burden for ESL learners. Problems may be reduced by careful delineation of semantic functions for individual modals and understanding of semantic coverage of perfect constructions compared to simple forms. Instruction of modal perfects is discussed. (CHK)

Describes the use of commercial advertisements in an exercise in semantics in the French classroom. (Text is in French.) (AM)

Usage of the German "doch" is explained as an aid to teaching. (CHK)

This article discusses the nature of translation as a linguistic phenomenon, and the pros and cons of its application to second language instruction. (CLK)

Discusses the problems involved in teaching Italian students the English equivalents of the verb "dovere." (CFM)

Considers two aspects of contemporary Russian language usage: (1) synonymity of prepositions, and (2) semantic and stylistic differences arising when certain verbs govern nouns in different cases. Material is excerpted from "Stilistik der russischen Sprache" (Russian Language Style) by Rosental and M. Telenkowa. (Text is in German.) (FB)

Investigates the acquisition of the unaccusative-unergative distinction in second language Japanese by English learners. Aims to establish whether learners of Japanese are sensitive to the lexical-semantic characteristics of verbs in similar ways as learners of Romance languages who were found to follow the split intransitivity hierarchy.…

Examines the semantic/pragmatic constraints on null objects spoken in Brazilian Portuguese (BP) in detail, and situates BP null objects in the broader crosslinguistic perspective of differential object marking. Demonstrates that semantic/pragmatic dimensions of animacy and specificity, and in particular their interaction, must be taken into…

Presents the results of a cross-linguistic study of the role of scope phenomena in untutored second language acquisition, or how adult learners in different source and target language settings acquire the means to express which part of an utterance is semantically affected by scope-bearing elements such scope particles or negation. (Author/VWL)

Examines the proposition that second language (L2) lexical forms are often mapped to the existing semantic content of their first language translations rather than to new semantic specifications of their own. Native and Nonnative English speakers were asked to perform two semantic judgment tasks in which they had to determine the degree of…

Analyzes the "easy to be V" structure in terms of the semantic features of sentences with this structure. These sentences can be classified into types, ranging from the "prototype" with the most features contributing to its transparency, to the "peripheral" with the fewest of such features. (Author/CB)

Argues that publishers of simplified versions of literary texts accessible to the language learner give inadequate guidance to their simplifiers regarding grammatical simplification, leaving them to rely on their intuitive feel. The article outlines and demonstrates a system of grammatical simplification based on fundamental syntactic…