Mastering the Grammar of Past Tense Counterfactual Sentences: A Pilot Study of Adolescents Attending Low-Income Schools

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Marilyn A. Nippold ◽  
Kristin Shinham ◽  
Scott LaFavre
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Main Clause ◽  
Past Tense ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Past Participle ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Descriptive Grammar ◽  
The Past ◽  
Significant Difference

<b><i>Background/Aim:</i></b> This pilot study was designed to determine if adolescents had mastered the grammar of past tense counterfactual (PTCF) sentences (e.g., “If Julie had done all of the track workouts, she might have won the state meet”). Of interest was their ability to use the modal, auxiliary, and past participle verbs correctly in the main clause of a PTCF sentence. Prior research had indicated that PTCF sentences were challenging to older children. Hence, we wished to determine if PTCF sentences would continue to challenge adolescents. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The participants were two groups of adolescents, who were aged 13 and 16 years, and a control group of young adults having a mean age of 22 years (<i>n</i> = 40 per group). Each participant read a set of four fables and completed a PTCF sentence based on the story. Each incomplete sentence contained a subordinate clause that employed the past perfect verb form (e.g., “If the fox <i>had been</i> able to jump higher…”). The participant’s task was to complete the sentence in writing, generating a grammatically correct main clause that contained the present perfect verb form (e.g., “he <i>would have been</i> able to reach the delicious grapes.”). <b><i>Results:</i></b> On the PTCF sentences task, the 16-year-olds earned a higher mean raw score than the 13-year-olds, but the two groups did not show a statistically significant difference. However, the 22-year-olds performed significantly better than the 13-year-olds. It was also found that using the correct form of the past participle verb was the most difficult aspect of the task for all three groups, and that mastering the grammar of PTCF sentences continued into adulthood. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> The PTCF sentence is a late linguistic attainment, perhaps due to its infrequent occurrence in spoken language. The study offers implications for the concept of grammatical mastery and for the distinction between prescriptive and descriptive grammar.

The Effect of Reflexology on Lactation in Women Who Had Cesarean Section: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Sevde Aksu ◽  
Pelin Palas Karaca
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Cesarean Section ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Breast Pain ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Right ◽  
Documentation Tool ◽  
And Control

<b><i>Aim:</i></b> The research was conducted as a randomized controlled pilot study to evaluate the effects of reflexology on lactation in mothers who delivered by cesarean section (CS). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A single-blind randomized controlled experimental study was conducted with a total of 60 postpartum women in the reflexology application (<i>n</i> = 30) and control groups (<i>n</i> = 30). After the CS, the mothers in the control group were given approximately 3-h routine nursing care after recovering from the effects of anesthesia; the introductory information form was applied, and the Breastfeeding Charting System and Documentation Tool (LATCH) and visual analog scale (VAS) for the signs of the onset of lactation were implemented on the first and second days. Reflexology was applied to the women in the intervention group after an average of 3 h following the mother’s condition had become stable and she had recovered from the effects of anesthesia. Reflexology was applied a total of 20 min – 10 min for the right foot, 10 min for the left foot – twice a day with 8-h intervals on the first and second days after CS. After the last reflexology application, the LATCH and VAS for the signs of the onset of lactation were applied. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of the women, 70% breastfed their babies within 60 min after delivery; 46.7% of the mothers received breastfeeding training and 81.7% needed support for breastfeeding after the CS. The LATCH breastfeeding scores of the women in the intervention group on both days were significantly higher compared to those of the women in the control group (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). On the first day after the CS, apart from breast pain, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of breast heat and breast tension (<i>p</i> &#x3e; 0.05). On the second day after the CS, apart from breast tension, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of breast heat and breast pain (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). In the study, women in the intervention group were found to have higher scores in terms of all three symptoms compared to the control group (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> In the study, it was determined that LATCH scores and signs of the onset of breastfeeding increased in the mothers who received reflexology after CS.

Why is this happened? Passive morphology and unaccusativity

1997 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Balcom
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Past Participle ◽  
Production Task ◽  
Syntactic Rule ◽  
English Writing ◽  
The Past ◽  
Linguistic Representations ◽  
Unaccusative Verbs

Zobl discussed inappropriate passive morphology (‘be’ and the past participle) in the English writing of L2 learners, linking its occurrence to the class of unaccusative verbs and proposing that learners subsume unaccusatives under the syntactic rule for passive formation. The research reported here supports and amplifies Zobl' proposal, based on a grammaticality judgement task and a controlled production task containing verbs from a variety of subclasses of unaccusatives. The tasks were administered to Chinese L1 learners of English and a control group of English native speakers. Results show that subjects both used and judged as grammatical inappropriate passive morphology with all verbs falling under the rubric of unaccusativity. The article concludes with linguistic representations which maintain Zobl’s insights but are consistent with current theories of argument structure.

A Pilot Study of a Culturally Grounded Breastfeeding Intervention for Pregnant, Low-Income African American Women

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 478-484
Author(s):  
Rebecca Reno
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
American Women ◽  
Significant Difference

Background: Increasing breastfeeding rates among low-income African American women may work toward the achievement of health equity. The dynamic breastfeeding assessment process (D-BAP) is a community-grounded, equity-focused intervention designed to increase prenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy. Research aim: The aims of the pilot study were (a) to determine the effect of the D-BAP on breastfeeding self-efficacy among pregnant, low-income African American women, (b) to examine the findings among women with no previous breastfeeding experience, and (c) to compare the findings between women with prior breastfeeding experience and those without it. Methods: A pre/post, paired-samples design was utilized. Convenience sampling was used to recruit pregnant, low-income African American women ( N = 25). Participants completed the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form prior to and following the D-BAP. Results: The Wilcoxon signed rank test indicated that participation in the D-BAP had a statistically significant influence on breastfeeding self-efficacy ( z = −2.01, p = .04). Among a subsample of participants with no previous breastfeeding experience ( n = 12), completion of the D-BAP resulted in a statistically significant increase in breastfeeding self-efficacy ( z = −2.36, p = .02). There was no statistically significant difference between those with prior breastfeeding experience and those without it. Conclusion: Breastfeeding among low-income African American women is a health equity issue for which culturally responsive, effective breastfeeding interventions are needed. This research demonstrates an association between completion of the D-BAP and an increase in prenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy.

scholarly journals Oral Hygiene in a Sample of Children/Adolescents Living in Family-Homes from the Province of Milan (Italy): A Pilot Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Nota ◽  
Floriana Bosco ◽  
Shideh Ehsani ◽  
Francesca Giugliano ◽  
Giulia Moreo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Oral Hygiene ◽  
Clinical Results ◽  
Plaque Index ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trial ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Oral Hygiene Instructions

Objective: This pilot study is a prospective controlled clinical trial, designed to evaluate the short-term clinical results (the plaque index) of an educational/motivational program for home oral hygiene, directed to children and adolescents who live in family-homes. Methods: The setting of the project was the province of Milan (Italy), where two family-homes were selected. The study group included 26 children (16 females and 10 males) aged between 7 and 15 years, of Italian nationality, from the family-home communities. The control group included 26 children (15 females and 11 males, aged between 7 and 15 years) of Italian nationality, matched for age and gender distribution with the study group, that were not in a socially disadvantaged condition. Collection of the plaque index (PI) was performed at t0. Then, all basic oral hygiene instructions were given to all children/adolescents and their educators. Education and motivation were repeated in the same way after 4–7 weeks (T1), and after 10–12 weeks (T2). The PI was taken also at T1 and T2. Results: An improvement in the PI was generally found in both groups, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups over time. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed a statistically significant effect of time [F (1, 52) = 90.73, p < 0.001], regardless of the assignment group, in consequence of which the plaque index presented a moderate and significant improvement. Conclusion: The present data confirm the validity of the educational/motivational program to improve oral hygiene in children/adolescents, regardless of the assignment group.

Vestibular rehabilitation using video gaming in adults with dizziness: a pilot study

2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
J S Phillips ◽  
J Fitzgerald ◽  
D Phillis ◽  
A Underwood ◽  
I Nunney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Vestibular Rehabilitation ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Rehabilitation Protocol ◽  
Wii Fit ◽  
Significant Difference

AbstractObjective:To determine the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation using the Wii Fit balance platform, in adults with dizziness.Methods:A single-site prospective clinical trial was conducted in a university hospital in the UK. Forty patients with dizziness, who would normally be candidates for vestibular rehabilitation, were identified and considered as potential participants. Participants were randomised into either the treatment group (the Wii Fit group) or the control group (standard customised vestibular rehabilitation protocol). Participants were assessed over a 16-week period using several balance and quality of life questionnaires.Results:Both exercise regimes resulted in a reduction of dizziness and an improvement in quality of life scores over time, but no statistically significant difference between the two interventions was identified.Conclusion:This pilot study demonstrated that use of the Wii Fit balance platform resulted in a statistically significant improvement in balance function and quality of life. Furthermore, outcomes were comparable to a similar group of individuals following a standard customised vestibular rehabilitation protocol. The study provides useful information to inform the design and execution of a larger clinical trial.

Telepsychiatry: Psychiatric Consultation through two-way television. A controlled study.

1986 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dongier ◽  
R. Tempier ◽  
M. Lalinec-Michaud ◽  
D. Meunier
Keyword(s):  
Interactive Television ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Psychiatric Consultation ◽  
Point Scale ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Past ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Control Study ◽  
Diagnosis Age

Telepsychiatry (consultation carried out through 2-way interactive television) has been the object of a number of trials in the past twenty years, but to our knowledge there is no previous control study which compares CCTV and face-to-face interviews. Various aspects of the interviews carried out on CCTV were rated on a 5-point scale in questionnaires filled out by: (a) patients; (b) consultees and; (c) consultants. No significant difference was elicited with control interviews in respect to patients’ diagnosis, age and sex. CCTV interview ratings by consultee and consultant were rated only slightly below those of the control group. Such findings should encourage a broader application of interactive CCTV, particularly as a complement to live consultations in distant areas.

Inflection and Derivation

2019 ◽  
pp. 241-261
Author(s):  
Andrew Spencer
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Past Tense ◽  
Personal Pronoun ◽  
Past Participle ◽  
Double Object ◽  
Completely Regular ◽  
Auxiliary Verbs ◽  
The Past ◽  
Irregular Verbs ◽  
Categorial Status

The chapter presents an overview of phenomena which pose important problems of description and analysis. I focus on the inflectional system, which has undergone severe attrition and shows idiosyncrasies typical of such systems. For nominals I describe the personal pronoun paradigm and the ‘possessive -s’ clitic/phrasal affix. The controversial categorial status of adverbs in -ly is discussed, while for verbs, all the subcategories prove to be highly problematical. For instance, only 50 irregular verbs distinguish past tense from past participle (e.g. wrote/written), so it is not even clear whether the past participle category is a highly restricted subcategory, with the vast majority of verbs showing past tense/past participle syncretism, or whether this is a case of ‘overdifferentiation’, like the forms am, are, were of the verb BE. On the other hand, the polyfunctionality of the completely regular -ing suffix, which derives verb, noun, and adjective forms, also poses serious unresolved problems. Auxiliary verbs and related phenomena alternate between periphrastic, clitic, and genuinely morphological (affixal) constructions. The chapter concludes with consideration of those aspects of derivational morphology which seem to be indisputably productive, hence part of the grammar, including (certain types of) event nominalization, some cases of double object alternation, and morphosemantic mismatches of the kind electrical engineering ⇒ electrical engineer.

Regional variation in the English verb qualifier system

2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Sampson
Keyword(s):  
Regional Variation ◽  
Spontaneous Speech ◽  
Past Tense ◽  
Past Participle ◽  
Standard Language ◽  
The Past ◽  
Redundant Data ◽  
Irregular Verbs ◽  
Past Tenses ◽  
English Verb

Nonstandard dialects often use the same form for the past tense and past participle of irregular verbs for which the standard language has distinct forms. One possible reason would be that some speakers have a nonstandard system of verb qualifiers (tense, mood, and aspect markers) in which the past tense/past participle distinction is functionally redundant. Data on spontaneous speech in Britain in the 1990s partly supports this by showing marked regional variation in the use of the Perfect construction. However, some nonstandard past tenses cannot be explained in terms of a nonstandard qualifier system.

Dexamethasone Addition to Popliteal Nerve Blocks: Effects on Duration of Analgesia and Incidence of Postoperative Nerve Complication

2020 ◽  
pp. 193864001989722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naudereh Noori ◽  
Kapil Anand ◽  
Glenn Pfeffer ◽  
David Thordarson
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Nerve Blocks ◽  
Level Ii ◽  
Ankle Surgery ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Randomized Control ◽  
Double Blinded ◽  
Effective Adjunct

Background. The purpose of this prospective, double-blinded randomized control pilot study was to evaluate the effect of adjunctive dexamethasone on analgesia duration and the incidence of postoperative neuropathic complication. Peripheral nerve blocks are an effective adjunct to decrease postoperative pain in foot and ankle surgery, and any possible modalities to augment their efficacy is of clinical utility. Methods. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 25) receiving nerve blocks of bupivacaine and epinephrine or an experimental group (n = 24) with an adjunctive 8 mg dexamethasone. The patients, surgeons, and anesthesiologists were all blinded to allocation. Patients had a minimum 1 year postoperative follow-up. Results. Forty-nine patients completed the protocol. There was no statistically significant difference in analgesia duration ( P = .38) or postoperative neuropathic complication incidence ( P = .67) between the 2 groups. Conclusions. The addition of dexamethasone to popliteal nerve blocks does not appear to affect analgesia duration or incidence of postoperative neuropathic complications. However, our study was underpowered, and we recommend a larger scale prospective study for validation. Levels of Evidence: Level II: Prospective, randomized control pilot study

scholarly journals Floating affixes in Polish

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berthold Crysmann
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
General Treatment ◽  
Past Tense ◽  
Past Participle ◽  
The Past ◽  
Considerable Debate ◽  
Inflectional Features

The morphosyntactic status of Polish past tense agreement markers has been a matter of considerable debate in recent years (Spencer 1991, Borsley & Rivero 1994, Borsley 1999, Bański 2000, Kupść 2000, Kupść & Tseng 2005). Past tense agreement is expressed by a set of bound forms that either attach to the past participle, or else float off to a host further to the left. Despite this relative freedom of attachment, it is often noted in the literature, e.g., Borsley 1999, Kupść & Tseng 2005, that the combination of verbal host and agreement marker forms a word-like unit. In this paper I will argue that these agreement markers are best analysed as affixes uniformly introduced on the verb whose inflectional features they realise. Building on the linearisation-based theory of morphology-syntax interaction proposed in Crysmann 2003, syntactic mobility of morphologically introduced material will be captured by mapping phonological contributions to multiple lexically introduced domain objects. It will be shown that this is sufficient to capture the relevant data, and connect the placement of floating affixes to the general treatment of Polish word order Kupść 2000.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document