CONTRASTIVE

SYNTAX
Final Project

TOPIC: A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF

WH QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH AND
VIETNAMESE LANGUAGES

Teacher: Dr Nguyễn Thị Châu Anh

Student: Nguyễn Thị Cẩm Tiên
Student ID: 22207656

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Ho Chi Minh, 2023
Contents
I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................3
1.1 Research Objectives of the Comparison................................................................3
1.2 Significance of the Comparison.............................................................................3
II. LITERATURE REVIEW........................................................................................4
2.1 WH questions in English.......................................................................................4
2.2 WH questions in Vietnamese.................................................................................5
III. COMPARISON......................................................................................................7
3.1 Distribution of WH questions in English and Vietnamese....................................7
3.2 Comparison of form and structure of WH questions in English and Vietnamese. 8
3.3 Comparison of Syntactic and Semantic Properties of WH Questions in English
and Vietnamese............................................................................................................9
3.4 Analysis of Errors and Difficulties in WH Question Production in English and
Vietnamese.................................................................................................................10
IV. IMPLICATIONS..................................................................................................11
4.1 Implications for Language Learning and Teaching Translation..........................11
4.2 Implications for Language Learning and Teaching Interpretation......................11
V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................12
5.1 Recommendations for Students...........................................................................12
5.2 Recommendations for Teachers...........................................................................12
5.3 Conclusions for the Comparison..........................................................................14
References....................................................................................................................15

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I. INTRODUCTION
As we've known, WH questions frequently clarify the speaker's meaning and maintain
a smooth conversation flow. That is particularly relevant for individuals who use
multiple languages, such as English and Vietnamese, as comparing the two can
highlight similarities and differences. Moreover, such an analysis can serve as a
foundation to enhance my ability to teach the subject of Translation and Interpretation
in the future.

1.1 Research Objectives of the Comparison

Comparing and contrasting the usage of Wh questions in English and Vietnamese

involves examining the structure, form, and function of these questions in both
languages. This investigation aims to highlight the similarities and differences between
how English and Vietnamese speakers utilize Wh questions, which include words like
who, whose, what, why, when, where, and how. Moreover, this research intends to
offer a more profound comprehension of the linguistic and cultural influences that
have shaped the meanings and application of Wh questions. The analysis is composed
in English and Vietnamese and will subsequently dig into the experience of teaching
Translation and Interpretation. Additionally, this study will present some future
recommendations for myself and other teachers and students alike to enhance their
abilities in Translating and Interpreting.

1.2 Significance of the Comparison

By contrasting the usage of WH questions in English and Vietnamese, we can gain

valuable insights into the diverse approaches used by speakers of these languages to
convey similar concepts. This comparison is essential for language Learners and
Teachers to comprehend these languages' grammatical structures and cultural contexts.
Furthermore, the results of this analysis can aid in enhancing language instruction,
translation and interpretation, as well as informing future research on the syntax and
semantics of WH-questions in other languages. The comparison of these two
languages can be explored in several ways, such as:

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 - Cultural understanding: WH questions reflect a specific society's cultural
values and communication styles. An analysis of WH questions in English and
Vietnamese can reveal the cultural differences and similarities that shape how
people ask and respond to inquiries in these languages.
- Language research: An analysis of WH questions in English and Vietnamese
can offer valuable insights into the theoretical aspects of syntax and semantics.
It can help linguists develop a deeper understanding of the fundamental
principles that govern the formation and interpretation of WH questions in
different languages.
- Learning outcomes: A comparative analysis of WH questions in English and
Vietnamese can assist language teachers in creating more effective teaching
materials and techniques. It can help teachers identify areas of difficulty for
language learners and devise strategies to overcome them.

The comparative analysis of WH questions in English and Vietnamese is crucial for

improving our knowledge of these languages, enhancing language education and
learning, promoting cross-cultural communication, and practising translation and
interpretation effectively.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 WH questions in English
The term "wh-clauses" refers to clauses that contain a wh-word, which can be found in
both primary and subordinate clauses. When a wh-word appears in a main clause, it
turns the statement into a wh-question, which differs from yes/no questions. Yes/no
questions ask if something is true, while wh-questions ask about a specific element,
such as the subject or object. This is why they are also referred to as "constituent
questions." The article first explains the main wh-clauses and wh-questions, then
discusses subordinate wh-clauses. WH questions in English are interrogative sentences
that begin with a wh-word. The wh-words in English include who, what, where, when,
why, and how. These questions gather information, clarify meaning, or express
curiosity.

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The structure of a WH question in English involves placing the wh-word at the
beginning of the sentence, followed by an auxiliary verb (if necessary), the subject,
and the main verb. For example:

One of the advantages of using WH questions in English is that they encourage

more detailed and informative responses than yes/no questions. By asking open-ended
questions that begin with a wh-word, speakers can prompt their conversational
partners to provide more information and express themselves more fully.

Overall, WH questions are an essential aspect of English grammar and are used
in various social situations, from casual conversations to formal interviews.

2.2 WH questions in Vietnamese

- Câu hỏi chuyên biệt: WH questions in Vietnamese are a crucial aspect of
theVietnamese language used to ask for information or clarification. This kind
of question called: “câu hỏi chuyên biệt”. A specific question is a question
about an element and/or element in a predicate frame. This question asks you to
determine what/what arguments you want to be asked by an indefinite pronoun
or determiner.

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 For example:

Có ai gặp Nam không ?

Ai đã gặp Nam ?

Anh gặp ai ở đó ?

Anh tặng cô ấy cái gì ?

The questions above ask about the elements of the predicate. Except for the
elements in question to determine, the rest of the predicate frame is the
presupposition of the question.

The above questions ask about the prefixes of the predicate. Except for the
element in question, the centre of the frame, the details, and other factors, if
any, are in the presupposition. If one component of the presupposition is unreal,
the question will be null and void. For example: Bao giờ anh Nam đi Nha Trang
với cô ấy đấy?

If Nam has no intention of going to Nha Trang with any woman, the first thing
to do is to refute the "cô ấy" in the presupposition and only answer a question
without "cô ấy".

Indefinite pronouns are also used in a sentence part of a sentence that has a
distinct interrogative colour but has an entirely different function. That is, the
ending features of the ruling include the conjunction and one of the pronouns “
đấy” “ai”, “sao”, “đâu”, “gì” is placed after a part that in terms of form is
entirely like a complete statement.

- Câu hỏi lựa chọn: The concept of multiple-choice questions refers to questions
in which the potential answers are predetermined and fall within a specific
range. The respondent must select one of the offered answer options to answer
the question. To be valid, there must be at least one correct answer among the
choices, or else the question's premise is flawed and has no value.

For example:

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 “(249) a. Anh gặp Nam ở Vinh hay ở Huế?

b. Anh gặp Nam ở đâu, Vinh hay Huế?

c. Anh gặp Nam ở đâu, ở Vinh à ?”

For instance, (249) a, b, and c are multiple-choice questions that limit the
answer options to a certain scope. Questions a and b only permit the listener to
choose between Vinh or Hue, while question c provides a broader range of
choices. If the person did not encounter Nam in Vinh, they may have met him
in another location. This wider range of choices makes it similar to a
specialized question in syntax, with the only difference being that the multiple-
choice question implies that the specific answer provided is of utmost
importance and is highly likely to be correct.

III. COMPARISON
3.1 Distribution of WH questions in English and Vietnamese
WH questions are utilized in both English and Vietnamese to inquire about particular
information. Nevertheless, there exist dissimilarities in how WH questions are
deployed in these languages. In English, WH questions customarily begin with a wh-
word, followed by an auxiliary verb and then the subject and main verb. In
Vietnamese, however, WH questions take a different form. They don't necessitate an
auxiliary verb, and the wh-word is typically positioned at the end of the sentence.
Instead, the Vietnamese employ question particles to denote a question sentence.
Additionally, unlike in English, where the wh-word is often omitted in indirect
questions, in Vietnamese, the question particle must still be employed even in indirect
questions. In English, WH-questions generally start with a WH-word (such as “who,”
what,” “where,” “when,” “why,” or “how”) followed by a verb and the rest of the
sentence. For example, “What time is it?” or “Where is the nearest gas station?”

In Vietnamese, WH-questions often start with the word “nào” or “gì”(meaning “what”
in English) followed by the verb and the rest of the sentence. However, the word order
of Vietnamese sentences can be more flexible, so the subject may come after the verb

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in some cases. For example, “Bạn đang làm gì?” (What are you doing?) or “Bạn học ở
đâu?” (Where do you study?).

In Vietnamese, "gì" means "what" and "nào" means "which," and they modify nouns.
Unlike English, they come after the noun. "sách gì?" means "what kind of books?" and
"sách nào?" means "which book?" When using "gì" to ask a general question, no
classifier is needed. If a noun followed by "nào" requires a classifier, it must be
included.

For examples:

“ (I) Q: Bà ấy là bác sĩ gì? A doctor in what area is she?

(2) A: Bà ấy là bác sĩ mắt. She is an ophtalmologist.”

Additionally, Vietnamese has different question particles that can be used to indicate a
question, such as “không” or “chưa” which can be added to the end of a sentence.
Despite the shared use of WH questions in both languages, how these questions are
structured and distributed differs between English and Vietnamese.

3.2 Comparison of form and structure of WH questions in English and

Vietnamese
English WH questions generally commence with a wh-word, followed by an auxiliary
verb and then the subject and main verb. For instance, “What are you doing?” or
“Where do you live?” On the other hand, Vietnamese WH questions usually possess a
structure where the question word appears at the end of the sentence, and a question
particle is employed to indicate that it's a question sentence. For example, “Bạn ăn gì?”
(What did you eat?) or “Bạn đến từ đâu?” (Where are you from?).

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In contrast, English WH questions often use inversion to generate questions without an
auxiliary verb, as in “Is she coming?” which can be converted into “Is she coming or
not?” without utilizing an auxiliary verb. However, Vietnamese always necessitates a
question particle to form a question sentence.

Furthermore, English employs a range of auxiliary verbs based on the tense or

modality of the sentence, such as “Do you like ice cream?” or “Will you go to the
party?” In Vietnamese, auxiliary verbs are not used in question sentences.

Finally, while English often employs indirect questions, which are statements that pose
a question without using a question word or question particle, such as “He asked me
what I was doing,” Vietnamese always requires using a question particle even in
indirect questions.

Although both English and Vietnamese employ WH questions to ask for information,
their form and structure differ, with English using auxiliary verbs and more diverse
structures and Vietnamese depending on question particles and sentence-final question
words.

3.3 Comparison of Syntactic and Semantic Properties of WH questions in English

and Vietnamese
The way English and Vietnamese form WH questions differs syntactically. English
usually follows a subject-auxiliary inversion pattern, while Vietnamese places the
question word at the end of the sentence with a question particle. Despite this
difference, both languages use WH questions to ask for specific information, though
the types of information sought may vary. English WH questions can ask about the
subject, object, time, place, reason, manner, degree, and more, while Vietnamese WH
questions typically ask about the subject, object, time, place, and origin. The structure
of English WH questions is typically more complex due to the use of auxiliary verbs
and other grammatical structures. Nevertheless, both languages use WH questions to
obtain information, even if the information sought differs based on the language and
context.

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3.4 Analysis of Errors and Difficulties in WH question Production in English and
Vietnamese
Both English and Vietnamese challenges for language learners in producing accurate
and grammatical WH questions. Here are some common errors and difficulties in
producing WH questions in each language:

In English:

- Leaving out the auxiliary verb: Language learners may forget to include the
auxiliary verb in a WH question, making it ungrammatical. For instance, “What
you doing?” instead of “What are you doing?”
- Incorrect word order: Language learners may put the subject before the
auxiliary verb, making the sentence ungrammatical. For example, “What you
are doing?” instead of “What are you doing?”
- Confusing the wh-words: Learners may use the incorrect wh-word, resulting in
an unclear question. For instance, “Where did you eat?” instead of “What did
you eat?”.

In Vietnamese:

- Incorrect word order: Learners may place the question particle before the
subject instead of after the verb, making the sentence ungrammatical. For
example: “ăn không em?” instead of “em ăn không?”
- Omitting the question particle: Learners may forget to include the question
particle, resulting in an ungrammatical sentence. For example, “em làm gì sáng
nay?” instead of “em đã làm gì sáng nay vậy?”.
- Incorrect use of question words: Learners may use the wrong question word,
resulting in an unclear question. For example, “em ăn không?” (asking does she
want to eat?) instead of “em ăn chưa?” (asking have she had breakfast?).

In both languages, learners may also struggle with comprehending the nuances of
different types of WH questions, such as using different auxiliary verbs or question
particles based on the tense or modality of the sentence. In general, producing accurate
and grammatical WH questions in both English and Vietnamese can be challenging for

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language learners and may necessitate focused practice and attention to specific
grammatical structures and rules.

IV. IMPLICATIONS
4.1 Implications for Language Learning and Teaching Translation
The examination of WH questions in English and Vietnamese has important
implications for language learning and teaching translation. To begin with, language
learners must have a strong grasp of the grammatical rules and structures governing
WH questions in both languages. Teachers may offer explicit instruction and practice
tasks that emphasize the correct usage of auxiliary verbs, word order, and question
particles to assist students in generating accurate and grammatically sound questions.

Secondly, learners should also be exposed to a variety of WH questions in context to

improve their ability to understand and generate various types of questions. Teachers
may provide authentic materials and activities that incorporate WH questions in real-
world contexts, such as news articles, conversations, and interviews.

Thirdly, translation activities may be helpful in developing learners' ability to transfer

their knowledge of WH questions from one language to another. Teachers may
provide practice exercises that necessitate the translation of WH questions from
English to Vietnamese and vice versa, emphasizing the importance of conveying the
intended meaning of the question accurately in the target language.

Finally, it is critical for learners to cultivate their metalinguistic awareness, or their

capacity to examine and analyze the grammatical structures of language. Teachers may
encourage learners to actively reflect on their own errors and difficulties in generating
WH questions, and provide feedback and guidance on how to improve their language
proficiency.

4.2 Implications for Language Learning and Teaching Interpretation

The study of WH questions in English and Vietnamese has significant implications for
translation, language learning, and teaching interpretation. Accurately understanding
and interpreting the meaning of WH questions is crucial for effective communication

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in many contexts, and interpreters must have a deep understanding of the differences
in their usage and the context in which they are used.

For language learners, it is crucial to examine the syntactic structure of WH questions

in the source language and express their meaning precisely in the target language. To
facilitate this process, educators may offer teaching and training activities that
concentrate on the composition and significance of WH questions in both languages.
Moreover, listening exercises that involve WH questions in genuine settings can assist
learners in improving their aptitude to comprehend and interpret spoken language.

Having cultural awareness and comprehending the conventions of language use are
crucial for precise interpretation. Teachers may give instruction and training exercises
that underscore cultural disparities in WH questions, such as indirect questions or
politeness markers. It is also essential to possess critical thinking abilities, such as
examining a question's context and deciding how to express its meaning in the target
language, to improve interpretation.

In summary, proficiency in interpreting WH questions in English and Vietnamese

requires a combination of instruction, listening practice, cultural awareness, and
critical thinking skills. Teachers play a vital role in supporting learners in this process
by providing the necessary skills and knowledge to interpret WH questions in various
contexts accurately.

V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Recommendations for Students
Based on the research, it is recommended that students concentrate on the differences
and similarities of WH questions in English and Vietnamese, particularly in terms of
their form, structure, and function, to enhance their language abilities. They can boost
their competency by practicing creating and translating WH questions in both
languages and soliciting feedback from teachers and classmates. The following tips are
given to assist students:

- Practice producing WH questions in both languages, starting with simple ones

and gradually moving to more complex ones.

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 - Use authentic materials, such as news articles, conversations, and interviews, to
practice producing questions in context.
- Develop listening skills by listening to spoken language and extracting meaning
from WH questions.
- Practice listening to various sources, such as news broadcasts, interviews, and
conversations.
- Study both languages' cultural context and language use conventions, including
indirect questions or politeness markers.
- Develop critical thinking skills by analyzing the meaning of a question in
context and making decisions about how to convey its importance in the target
language.
- Practice interpreting WH questions in various contexts, such as news articles,
speeches, and interviews.
- Look for opportunities to practice language skills with native speakers or other
learners, such as joining language exchange groups or conversation classes.
- Remember that improving proficiency in producing and interpreting WH
questions in English and Vietnamese requires time and practice.

And finally, students should be patient and persistent in working on language skills to
communicate effectively in both languages.
5.2 Recommendations for Teachers
It is crucial to bear in mind that enhancing the ability to create and comprehend WH
questions in English and Vietnamese requires time and repetition. Therefore, to
facilitate this process, teachers should create teaching materials that concentrate on
both languages' similarities and differences in WH questions, and deliver efficient
guidance and intervention to tackle learners' errors and obstacles. The following
suggestions are offered for teachers:

- Give clear and detailed explanations of the grammatical rules and structures
governing WH questions in English and Vietnamese.
- Use sample questions and practice exercises to help students comprehend the
word order, auxiliary verbs, and question particles used in each language.

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 - Offer genuine materials that involve WH questions in practical settings to give
students a sense of how these questions are used in real-life situations.
- Create listening exercises that feature WH questions in real-world contexts to
help students enhance their comprehension skills.
- Pay attention to the cultural differences in how WH questions are used and
provide teaching and training activities that help students understand these
differences.
- Provide opportunities for students to practice generating and interpreting WH
questions in both English and Vietnamese.
- Encourage students to develop critical thinking skills.
- Provide opportunities for students to practice their language skills with native
speakers or other learners.

Finally, teachers should help students set achievable language learning goals and track
their progress toward these goals. This can provide motivation and help students stay
on track.

5.3 Conclusions for the Comparison

In summary, after examining WH questions in English and Vietnamese, it has been
determined that there are a number of similarities and differences in their form,
structure, syntax, and meaning. This analysis has important implications for language
education and acquisition. Teachers may utilize the likenesses and distinctions
between the two languages to offer specific guidance, real-life materials, and
occasions for practice and assessment to assist pupils in advancing their ability to
generate and understand WH questions in both English and Vietnamese. Meanwhile,
students can make use of this information to direct their language learning approaches
and exercises to boost their WH question proficiency.

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