1

TRANSITIVITY OF ENGLISH VERB IN TANGLED CHILDREN STORY

BY

I GST AG RATIH HARISWARI

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT, FACULTY OF LETTERS

UDAYANA UNIVERSITY

2013

ABSTRAK

Journal ini berjudul Transitivity of English Verb In Tangled Children Story. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengklasifikasikan jenis kata kerja yang ditemukan dalam cerita berjudul Tangled dan mengklasifikasikan dan menganalisa parameter transitivity yang terendah dan tertinggi dari kata kerja dalam cerita. Data dalam penelitian ini langsung diambil dari kalimat pada cerita anak Tangled oleh Alan Menken dan Glenn Slater. Buku ini diterbitkan oleh PT. Gramedia Pustaka Utama (2012) dengan lisensi dari Walt Disney Company. Data yang terkumpul dianalisis dengan menggunakan teori transitivity yang dibuat oleh Hopper dan Thompson (1980), sebagai teori utama dalam penelitian ini. Metode yang digunakan dalam menganalisis penelitian ini adalah metode kualitatif. Pembahasan data di awali dengan membaca buku cerita ini dan mengumpulkan kata-kata yang mengandung kata kerja yang dipilih secara acak. Dan kata kerja tersebut di analisis untuk diketahui index parameternya, mana kata kerja yang index parameternya rendah dan mana kata kerja yang index parameternya tinggi. Hasil dari pembahasan adalah type kata kerja yang mengandung tindakan adalah kata kerja yang paling tinggi index parameternya, sedangkan kata kerja yang tidak mengandung tindakan atau non action adalah kata kerja yang paling rendah index parameternya.

  • 1.    Background

In daily life, there are many ways of expending our vocabulary.

One of them is by reading any literary works such as; novel, children story, poetry, newspaper, magazine, and many other literatures. The property of a sentence or the effectiveness of a verb refers to the transitivity of a verb. Hopper and Thompson (1980:252) stated that

semantically, transitivity is gradable by applying such semantic parameters

as the number of participant, kinesis, aspect, punctuality, volitionality, affirmation, mode, agency, affectedness of O, individuation of O, to identify which verb is higher or lower based on the consideration that by analyzing different verbs can be identified the difference between the parameters of transitivity of the verbs.

  • 2.    Problems of the Study

  • 1.    What are types of verbs found in the children story Tangled by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater and Glenn Slater?

  • 2.    What verbs are the lowest and the highest in parameters of transitivity contained in the children story Tangled by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater ?

  • 3.    Why do those verbs belong to high transitivity and low transitivity?

  • 3.    Aims of the Study

  • 1.    To classify the types of verbs found in the story entitled Tangled .

  • 2.    To classify and to analyze the lowest and the highest the parameters of transitivity of the verbs in the story.

  • 3.    To analyze the low and high transitivity.

  • 4.    Research Method

The research method covers three points; how to obtain, how to

collect and how to analyze the data.

  • 4.1    Data Source

The data in this study were directly taken from the sentences in Tangled children story by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. This book was published by PT. GramediaPustakaUtama (2012) by license of the Walt Disney Company.

  • 4.2    Method and Technique of Analyzing Data

The method in collecting the data in this study was documentation method, using the following techniques:

  • 1.    Reading the sentence or clause which consists of verbs which are appropriated and relevant with the scope of discussion of this study.

  • 2.    Taking note is using whenever the sentence contains the transitivity of verb.

  • 3.    Identifying and classifying the clause structure of text. In this study, the clause or sentence which contains passive verbs are ignored because according to Givon (1984), those kinds of verb tend to have low in transitivity.

  • 4.3    Method and Technique of Analyzing Data

The method used in this research is qualitative and quantitative method. Some steps in analyzing the data of this study are presented as follows:

  • 1.    The data from the short story were analyzed based on Hopper and

Thompson's parameters. The explanation was presented in order to

know whether a verb within a sentence or clause consists of one or two participants, action or non-action, telic or atelic, etc.

  • 2.    The index parameter of each verb within a sentence was counted.

  • 3.    Then, the lowest and the highest index of transitivity among those types of verb found in Alan Menken and Glenn Slater children story were identified.

  • 5.    Analysis of Types of Verbs Found in Tangled and The Parameters of Transitivity in The Story

    • 5.1    Types of Verb

  • 1)    State Verb

A static and non-dynamic verb that may involve the location of a participant, the state or condition of a participant, or an internal experience of a participant is called state verb. State may be either temporary at one extreme or permanent at the other, depending on the relative position along the scale of time stability (Givon, 1984:87).

  • 2)    Action Verb

A verb that can make something happen to the patient or represent a transferred action from an agent to a patient is called action verb, an action is considered an event for which a responsible agent is identified (Givon, 1984:87).

  • 3)    Process Verb

The verbs such as write, read, carry, and so on, are classified

into process verb Process verb is the verb which is characterized by the

verb that denotes a much slower process of change. Moreover, it may pertain to event, which changes over time, either from an initial and a final state, if the event is bounded or changes in the process of occurring and if the event is not constructed as bounded (Givon, 1984: 87).

  • 5.2    Transitivity

This section discusses the concept of transitivity according to Hopper and Thompson (1980) theory. Besides, this section also involves some theories which are related to the parameters of transitivity. According to Frawley (1992:12) transitivity has close relationship with the grammatical structure of a language. It is supported by Hopper and Thompson’s statement which is said that transitivity is a crucial relationship in language having a number universally predictable consequence in grammar (1980:251).

  • 5.1.2    State Verb

According to the data obtained, from twenty eight verbs they are found out ten state verbs. Those are want, feel, see, look, like, share, expect, cure, refuse, and choose.

  • 1.    Rapunzel desperately wanted to see them (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 7 )

  • 2.    Rapunzel felt the lanterns were somehow meant for her (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 7)

  • 3.    I will take you to see the lanterns (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 12)

  • 4.    The men liked her (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 14)

  • 5.    She looked at her painting on the tower walls (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 :27)

  • 6.    They shared their dreams too (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 14)

  • 7.    When the Queen was expecting baby. (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012:1)

  • 8.    The Queen was cured (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 1)

  • 9.    Mother Gothelrefused (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 8)

  • 10.    Flynn had no choise(Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 12)

  • 5.1.3    Action Verb

There are ten action verbs found in the story. Those verbs are the verbs chase, climb up, knock out, kidnap, set off, swim, eat, give, run and close.

  • 1.    The royal guards were chasing him (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 9)

  • 2.    He climbedup the outside, thinking he’d found the perfect place (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. 2012 : 10)

  • 3.    Rapunzel knocked out Flynn with a frying pan (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater 2012 :11)

  • 4.    She kidnapped her (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater 2012 : 2)

  • 5.    Mother Gothelset off to bring back Rapunzel (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 :15)

  • 6.    They dove down and swam toward an opening (Alan Menken and Glenn

Slater, 2012 :17)

  • 7.    They ate cake .(Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 :22)

  • 8.    He gave the crown to the brother. (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 :

24)

  • 9.    She ran into the forest. (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 25)

  • 10.    Flynn closed his eyes. (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 28)

  • 5.1.4 Process Verb

There are eight process verb found in this story. Those verbs are raise, found, grow, arrive, escape, follow, try and seacrh.

  • 1.    Mother Gothelraised her in a tower (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 3)

  • 2.    She found the stolen crown and WANTED poster of Flynn (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 :15)

  • 3.    Rapunzel’s hair grew so long that Mother Gothel used it to come and go from tower (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 :4)

  • 4.    Meanwhile, palace Guards and Maximus suddenly arrived at the pub (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 16)

  • 5.    They escaped at the last minute (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 :

18)

  • 6.    She had followedRapunzel (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 : 20)

  • 7.    The brother tried to get Rapuzel (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 :25)

  • 8.    The King’s men searched far and wide until they found a magical golden flower. (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, 2012 :1)

  • 6.    Conclusion

Based on the foregoing analysis, it can be concluded that there are three types of verbs found in the story. Those are state verb, action verb, process verb. Ten verbs were considered as state verb. They werewant, refuse, feel, see, like, look, share, expect, cure and choose.There are also obtained ten action verbs; chase, climb up, knock out, set off, swim, eat, give, close, kidnap, and run.And eight process verbs; raise, grow, found, arrive, escape, follow, search, and try.

  • 7.    Bibliography

Andari, DewaAyuAgung Tri. 2012. Transitivity of English Verb In Pinocchio By Carlo Colody.S1 Thesis.Denpasar :Udayana University

Dewi, SagungAyuPrami. 2003. Transitivity Analysis on Different Text. S1 Thesis.Denpasar :Udayana University.

Folley, W. A. and R.D. Van Valin. 1984. Functional Syntax and Universal Grammar.Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.

Frawley, W 1992.Linguistics Semantics. New Jersey: Lawrence

Earlbaum Associates.

Givon, T. 1984. Syntax :A Functional – Typological Introduction Volume I & II. Amsterdam/Philadelphia : John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Hopper, P.J, and Sandra A Thompson. 1980. Transitivity in Grammar and Discourse : Language, 56,251-299.

Pascarani, Ni NyomanDewi. 2004. Transitivity of English Act verb. S1

Thesis Denpasar: Udayana University.

Rice, Sally. 1987. Transitivity and Lexicon 78,911-1015 available

from: http://crl.ucsd.edu/newsletter/o0/2-2.pdf.

Tsunoda, Tasaku. 1981. Split Case Marking Pattern in Verbs Types. Tense Aspect Mood.Mounton Publisher.