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In:Time in Languages, Languages in Time
Edited by Anna Čermáková, Thomas Egan, Hilde Hasselgård and Sylvi Rørvik
[Studies in Corpus Linguistics 101] 2021
► pp. 255–282

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Cross-disciplinary and cross-linguistic uses of tensed verb phrases in the methods sections of master’s theses

 | Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
Published online: 17 September 2021
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https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.101.11ror
Abstract
This study examines the distribution and functions of tensed verb phrases in the methods sections of master’s theses produced at Norwegian universities. The material comprises texts written in both English and Norwegian within the disciplines of chemistry, linguistics, and sociology. The method involved manual identification of tensed verb phrases, as well as a more detailed investigation of their rhetorical functions. The findings indicate that there are cross-linguistic and cross-disciplinary differences in both distribution and function, in line with findings from previous studies of student and professional academic writing. These findings have implications for the teaching of academic writing, which should reflect the conventions of the disciplinary communities of which the student writers are aspiring members.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Previous research
    • 2.1Disciplinary variation in student academic writing
    • 2.2The distribution and functions of tensed verb phrases
      • 2.2.1Tense distribution and verb-phrase form
      • 2.2.2Rhetorical functions of the present and past tense
  • 3.Material and method
    • 3.1Corpus compilation and sampling
    • 3.2Analytical approach
      • 3.2.1Identification of tensed verb phrases
      • 3.2.2Identification of VP form and rhetorical function
  • 4.Results and discussion
    • 4.1Tense distribution
    • 4.2Verb-phrase form and rhetorical function
      • 4.2.1Verb-phrase form
      • 4.2.2Rhetorical function of clauses
  • 5.Concluding remarks
  • Notes
  • References
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