Noun phrase complexity in English integrated writing placement test responses
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Research has shown that the use of noun phrases has become a salient characteristic favored in academic writing (Biber & Gray, 2011; Biber et al., 2011; Parkinson & Musgrave, 2014). Although studies have been conducted to examine structures of noun phrases, more research is needed to provide more information on noun phrase complexity and inform instructional contents of academic writing courses. In response to this need and the call for more empirical evidence for the developmental stages for complexity features proposed by Biber et al. (2011), this study aimed to investigate the differences in the use of noun modifiers among second learners of English from different proficiency levels. A corpus consisting of 286 essays, written by international students in response to an English integrated writing placement test, were analyzed for grammatical structures of noun phrases. Results indicated that more proficient writers employed significantly more attributive adjectives, prepositional phrases, finite relative clauses with non-animate head nouns, and nonfinite relative clauses, supporting previous research on the relationship between writing proficiency and the utilization of noun modifiers. Implications were drawn for academic writing instruction and the development of criteria for writing assessment.
Author: Phuong Nguyen
Institution: University of Chicago
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,500
OpenAlex ID: W4403633005