When Knowing Grammar Depends on Knowing Vocabulary: Native-Speaker Grammaticality Judgements of Sentences with Real and Unreal Words

This study examined how the presence of real versus unreal words in sentences affected the ability of native English speakers to make accurate grammaticality judgements and forced-choice decisions for sentences with violations in the use of dative alternation and comparatives. Sentences with dative alternation violations contained polysyllabic verbs (*John explained Mary the plan) that were real (e.g., explained), similar (e.g., explunned), and dissimilar (e.g., tidnopped) to real verbs. Sentences with comparative violations contained polysyllabic adjectives (*Robert is demandinger than Allen) that were real (e.g., demanding), similar (e.g., demunding), and dissimilar (e.g., natormunt) to real adjectives. Accuracy of grammaticality judgements was much lower for sentences with unreal words than real words. For sentences with comparatives, accuracy also was higher in sentences with similar words than with dissimilar words, demonstrating a graded effect for partial access. These findings provide support for theoretical accounts that associate knowledge of these structures with knowledge of real words and for instruction oriented toward the development of vocabulary knowledge. Cette étude examine comment la présence de mots réels ou de mots non réels dans une phrase influe sur la capacité d'anglophones de juger correctement de la grammaticalité de celle-ci et de prendre des décisions avec choix forcé pour des phrases contenant des violations liées à l'usage de l'alternation du datif et de comparatifs. Les phrases avec des violations de l'alternation du datif contenaient des verbes polysyllabes (*John explained Mary the plan) qui existent (explained), qui sont semblables (explunned) ou dissemblables (tidnopped) au verbe. Celles avec des violations du comparatif contenaient des adjectifs polysyllabes (*Robert is demandinger than Allen) qui existent (demanding), qui sont semblables (demunding) ou dissemblables (natormunt) à l'adjectif. Les jugements de grammaticalité ont été plus souvent erronés en présence de mots inexistants et, avec les comparatifs, ils ont été plus souvent corrects lorsque les adjectifs étaient semblables au vrai mot que lorsqu'ils étaient dissemblables, ce qui démontre un effet progressif de l'accès partiel. Ces résultats appuient les théories selon lesquelles la connaissance des structures est associée à la connaissance de mots réels, de même que les approches axées sur le développement de la connaissance du vocabulaire.

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