ISSN: 2302-920X

Jurnal Humanis, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Unud

Vol 17.1 Oktober 2016: 112 - 117

The Use Of Preposition “With” With Reference To The Corpus Of Contemporary American English

I Wayan Budi Juni Ardana1*, I Gede Budiasa2, I Nengah Sudipa3 123English Department Faculty Of Arts, Udayana University 1[budi.juni@yahoo.co.id] 2[budiasa.igede@yahoo.com] 3[nengahsudipa@yahoo.co.id]

Corresponding Author

Abstrak

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi bentuk frasa, menganalisa hubungan makna dan menjelaskan fungsi dan makna dari preposisi “with”. Data yang dikumpulkan dari bank kata (corpus) yang bisa diakses melalui internet. Data dikategorikan berdasarkan teori yang dikemukakan oleh Quirk (1985), dan dianalisis secara deskriptif dengan metode kuantitatif. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa bentuk suatu frasa bisa diawali oleh “with” dan diikuti oleh objek preposisi dan kata keterangan. Hubungan makna antara “with” dengan elemen lainnya menunjukkan kelakuan, sarana dan prasarana. Fungsi yang ditunjukan hanyalah fungsi “adjunct”, “disjunct” dan “postmodifier”. Sementara makna yang ditunjukan hanyalah makna dari “accompaniment”, “pervasive”, “manner”, “means and instrument”, “support and opposition” dan “having”

Kata kunci: preposisi, bentuk, semantic, fungsi, makna

  • 1.    Background of the study

Prepositions introduce prepositional phrases, and express the relation of position, place, time, possession, manner, etc. Many prepositional phrases seem adverbial in meaning. However, the same prepositional phrases may be used as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns. Furthermore, the preposition is the part of grammar in English. Mostly the sentences use the preposition inside to make overt the covert meaning.

  • 2.    Problem of the study

The problems discussed in this present study are:

  • 1)    What forms of prepositional phrase with preposition “with” are used in the

Corpus of Contemporary American English?

  • 2)    How the semantic relations occur between the preposition “with” and other elements found in the Corpus of Contemporary American English?

  • 3)    What are functions and meanings of the preposition “with” used in the Corpus of Contemporary American English?

  • 3.    Aims of the study

The aims of this study are:

  • 1)    To describe the forms of prepositional phrase with preposition “with” that are used with reference to the Corpus of Contemporary American English.

  • 2)    To analyze the semantic relations between the preposition “with” and other elements found in the Corpus of Contemporary American English.

  • 3)    To explain the function and meanings of English prepositions “with” that is found in the Corpus of Contemporary American English.

  • 4.    Research method

The data was taken from Corpus of Contemporary American English. The Corpus of Contemporary American English is chosen as the data source because it contains the data related to this study and the content was taken from many literary works in 1990-2012. Furthermore, at least 1000 examples were taken from the data source in order to strengthen the result.

This study used documentation method, including downloading, and note-taking technique in order to collect the data. Furthermore, the quantitative method was applied to analyze the collected data. The technique was furthermore analyzed descriptively and quantitatively, because of the nature of the research question. The data was analyzed based on the theory proposed by Quirk (1985) and the result was presented descriptively.

  • 5.    Result and Discussion

    5.1    The Form of Preposition "with"

The form of prepositional phrases containing the preposition “with” has some characteristics. According to the data source, the prepositional phrase will begin with the preposition “with” and is followed by modifier or no modifier and a noun phrase or clause as the object of the preposition.

(5-1) She was on her feet, working next to people with bad feet, … (5-2) Individuals with higher sexual compulsivity scores reported …

  • 5.2    Semantic Relations between Preposition "with" and the Other Element

The meaning of preposition “with” is influenced by other elements in the sentence, such as the verb and the object of preposition. As one of the prepositions, “with” has no meaning without other elements. According to Quirk (1985), the preposition “with” only indicates the semantic role of process showing the semantic relation of process between the preposition and other elements, including manner, means and instrument.

  • (5-3) ... a lot of run on morphine," Madonna says with a laugh.

  • (5-4) …; (b) circumferential; (c) circumferential with crosshatching.

  • (5-5) Teachers were provided with a wireless microphone to enable the researchers…

  • 5.3    The Function of Preposition "with"

The function of preposition is divided into five categories. They are postmodifier in nounphrase, adjunct, disjunct, subjunct and conjunct. The preposition “with” indicates the function of postmodifier in the nounphrase, adjunct and disjunct in the sentence.

(5-6) A vast pond with ducks and geese is great to circumnavigate … (5-7) …education of young children with severe physical impairment … (5-8) With his head bowed, he took the path past the store …

  • 5.4    The Meaning of Preposition "with"

According to Quirk (1985; 673), mostly the preposition “with” indicate the meaning of means spectrum. The means spectrum can be divided into six categories. They are manner, means and instrument, agentive, support and opposition, stimulus, and accompaniment. However, some examples indicate another meaning, including the meaning of having.

  • 5.4.1    Preposition "with" Denoting Pervasive

According to Hornby (2005: 1094), pervasive has the meaning of something spreading widely throughout an area. Based on data source, the preposition “with” is rarely denoting the pervasive meaning. There are two examples or 0,2 % of 1000 examples are taken from the Corpus of Contemporary American English. Therefore, the meaning of the pervasive meaning is rarely conveyed by the preposition “with” in the sentence.

(5-9) Staff cell phones buzz all day with questions sent by text …

  • 5.4.2    Preposition "with" Denoting Manner

Based on the data source, the example of preposition “with” denoting the manner is sixty examples. Around 1000 examples are taken from the corpus and 6 % of all the examples are denoting the meaning of manner. Therefore, the meaning of the manner is sometimes conveyed by the preposition “with” in the sentence.

(5-10) ... a lot of run on morphine," Madonna says with a laugh.

  • 5.4.3    Preposition "with" Denoting Means and instrument

The preposition "with" followed by instrument will indicate the meaning of instrument. The existence of prepositional phrase denoting the instrument meaning can be omitted according to the context. Around 1000 examples are taken from the corpus and 15, 2 % of all the examples are denoting the meaning of means and instrument. (5-11) Teachers were provided with a wireless microphone to … (5-12) …; (b) circumferential; (c) circumferential with crosshatching.

  • 5.4.4    Preposition "with" Denoting Accompaniment

The preposition "with" denoting the meaning of accompaniment helps the readers to expand the focus or describes other objects related to the sentence. Around 1000 examples are taken from the corpus and 74, 5 % of all the examples are denoting the accompaniment.

(5-13) On television, he worked with Art Carney and Red Buttons ...

  • 5.4.5    Preposition "with" Denoting Support and Opposition

Quirk (1985: 702) explained that the preposition "with" denoting support indicated the solidarity or movement of sympathy. The preposition "with" denoting opposition conveys the idea of opposition between people. The keyword of opposition is 'fight with', 'quarrel with', and 'argue with'. Around 1000 examples are taken from the corpus and 1, 8 % of all the examples are denoting the meaning of support and opposition.

  • (5-14) Let's let people who disagree with it come and testify…

  • (5-15) Mr. BASHEER: I agree with Dr. Abu Jaber, that every time…

  • 5.4.6 Preposition "with" Denoting Support and Opposition

According to Quirk (1985: 704), the notion of 'having' is more generally expressed by preposition "with", especially with concrete attributes. Around 1000 examples are taken from the corpus and 1, 4 % of all the examples are denoting the meaning of having.

  • (5-16) About 80 percent of people with asthma find that exercise can cause...

  • 6.    Conclusion

The form of prepositional phrases containing the preposition “with” has some characteristics. According to the data source, the prepositional phrase will begin with the preposition “with” and is followed by modifier or no modifier and a noun phrase or clause as the object of the preposition. The preposition “with” only indicates the semantic role of process showing the semantic relation of process between the

preposition and other elements, including manner, means and instrument. The preposition “with” indicates the function of postmodifier in noun phrase, adjunct and disjunct in the sentence. According to the examples in the data source, the preposition “with” indicates the meaning of agentive spectrum, including pervasive, accompaniment, manner, means and instrument, support and opposition, and having.

  • 7.    Bibliography

Hornby, A.S. 2005. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary: 7th Edition. London: Oxford University Press.

House, H.C. & Harman, S.E. (1950). Descriptive English Grammar. New Jersey: Practice Hall, Inc.

Hudleston, R. 2002. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Quirk, R. 1985. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. New York: Longman Group Limited.

Yule, G. 1998. Explaining English Grammar. New York: Oxford University Press.

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