Negative and Interrogative Transformations in English and Puma Rai

Abstract

This is a research study entitled ‘Negative and Interrogative Transformation in English and Puma Rai’. This thesis attempts to compare and contrast the processes of negative and interrogative transformation in English and Puma Rai. The tool of this study is structured interview. The data were collected from primary and secondary sources. The native speakers of the Puma Rai language in Diplung and Mauwabote VDCs of Khotang district were the primary sources of data and different books, journals, papers, magazines and theses were used as the secondary sources of data. The sample population was 60 native speakers of the Puma Rai language. The researcher used the stratified random sampling procedure to sample the population. After the analysis and interpretation of data some findings were derived. The assertive negative markers in the Puma language are six in numbers and there is another negative marker ‘men-’ that is used with imperative sentence. The Puma negative markers are attached to the verb rather than an independent word ‘not’ in English. Puma question words follow the subject and precede the verb whereas English question words exist in initial position. Similarly, Puma yes/no questions are only intonation questions but English yes/no questions take subject-verb inversion. This thesis includes four chapters. Chapter one discuses the introduction parts i.e. general background, review of the related literature, objectives of the study and significance of the study. Chapter two deals with the methodology of the study. It encompasses sources of data, sampling procedure, research tools and process of data collection and limitations of the study. Chapter three includes the analysis and interpretation of the data. Chapter four consists of findings, recommendations and pedagogical implications of the study. The major findings of the research study are listed thoroughly and some pedagogical implications are given in this chapter.