As described below
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Aaron Ventura
Abstract
This case study aims to investigate the relevance, as well as the use, of the lexical verb describe in scientific research articles, so as to determine the degree of importance of such a guiding verb within this type of discourse and within the scientific process itself. A detailed exploration of the complementation patterns is also made so as to give account of the environment in which such a verb tends to appear. This linguistic information asserts that in most cases the structure formed by the verb describe and its patterns serve to locate the reader, either spatially or temporally. This guiding function becomes essential for the reader of the scientific paper since it helps him/her process the information provided adequately. Furthermore, a comparison between the use of describe on the one hand, and some delexicalised verbs of ‘receiving’ and ‘giving’ followed by the nominal form description, on the other, is made, showing thereby a clear-cut preference for the use of the verbal form.
Abstract
This case study aims to investigate the relevance, as well as the use, of the lexical verb describe in scientific research articles, so as to determine the degree of importance of such a guiding verb within this type of discourse and within the scientific process itself. A detailed exploration of the complementation patterns is also made so as to give account of the environment in which such a verb tends to appear. This linguistic information asserts that in most cases the structure formed by the verb describe and its patterns serve to locate the reader, either spatially or temporally. This guiding function becomes essential for the reader of the scientific paper since it helps him/her process the information provided adequately. Furthermore, a comparison between the use of describe on the one hand, and some delexicalised verbs of ‘receiving’ and ‘giving’ followed by the nominal form description, on the other, is made, showing thereby a clear-cut preference for the use of the verbal form.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction ix
- Collocations, lexical bundles and SciE-Lex 1
- SciE-Lex 21
- Formal and functional variation of lexical bundles in biomedical English 39
- A corpus-based analysis of the collocational patterning of adjectives with abstract nouns in medical English 55
- As described below 73
- Negation in biomedical English 105
- A cross-disciplinary analysis of personal and impersonal features in English and Spanish scientific writing 121
- Gender assignment in present-day scientific English 145
- The metaphorical basis of discourse structure 165
- Frames, constructions, and metaphors in Spanish FrameNet 185
- Subject index 211
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction ix
- Collocations, lexical bundles and SciE-Lex 1
- SciE-Lex 21
- Formal and functional variation of lexical bundles in biomedical English 39
- A corpus-based analysis of the collocational patterning of adjectives with abstract nouns in medical English 55
- As described below 73
- Negation in biomedical English 105
- A cross-disciplinary analysis of personal and impersonal features in English and Spanish scientific writing 121
- Gender assignment in present-day scientific English 145
- The metaphorical basis of discourse structure 165
- Frames, constructions, and metaphors in Spanish FrameNet 185
- Subject index 211
