Norms and use in the fi eld of syntax: participial equivalents of opinions

Abstract

Aim of the research. The aim of the research was to check if and how codified norms are used in practice. It was examined whether respondents are able to assess the correctness of a sentence properly and to correct noticed mistakes. The research also analysed if respondents can make syntactic transformations based on the hypothesis that structures with participle clause may be applied in certain cases.
Methodology. The fi ndings of the research were obtained due to the questionnaire surveys, which were conducted among 200 students of the Lublin universities in the last quarter of 2015 . In order to measure the extent to which the chosen educational profile has impact on the level of acquired knowledge as well as of possessed language skills, both, students of humanities as well as technical subjects were examined.
Results. The exercises which checked the command of rules concerning the usage of participle clauses, indicated that the above structure is becoming less and less popular in students’ language. It can be observed that the most important rules of applying participle clauses (a rule of the subject’s identity and a rule of the sequence of tenses) are known and respected by the majority of respondents (regardless of their educational profile). However, following more specifi c rules emerged to be very diffi cult for many of them.