Literature ReviewC08英语（3）班赵雁081323327The term morphology was coined by August Schleicher in 1859. In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description of the structure of a given language's morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context . However, English acquisition is a difficult part in English learning, for the vocabulary is very large and it is enlarged continuously with the rapid development of modern society. No matter how large the English vocabulary is, words are formed according to certain word-formation rules. Affix knowledge is considered to be an important aspect of vocabulary knowledge. It plays an important part in vocabulary development and reading. The master of affix is of great importance to both language teaching and language learning. Affix knowledge contributes to determining how well a learner reads new words. Thus, the English learners must master the rules in word-formation so well that they can use and remember the vocabulary fluently. Through two months’ efforts in searching, collecting and reading an abundance of scholars and professors’ literature concerning the usage of negative prefixes in morphological aspects , I made a detail analysis of the morphology and created the following essay which summoned up the essence of the negative prefixes used in the BNC corpus.Morphology by Matthews demonstrates the definition of morphology in the modern social life from many aspects. The paper points out that the morphology has many meanings. Words are usually treated as the basic and minimal units of a language to make sentences, which are combinations of words according to syntactic rules. Structurally, however, a word is not the smallest unit because many words can be separated into even smaller meaningful units. These minimal meaningful units are known as morphemes. Since the morphology can develop the people’s knowledge and good values, it is quite important for the researchers to study on it. In this sense, goodacademic knowledge in the study is a part of the tough task. This paper offers much practical ideas for me to think about the meaning of the research on the negative prefixes. Morphemes vary in functions. Accordingly, we can classify morphemes into several general categories: free versus bound, derivational versus inflectional, and lexical versus grammatical. However, their boundaries are not as clear-cut as they appear to be due to some overlapping. For the sake of discussion, we shall define each type in terms of its characteristics.The negative prefixes that the essay researched here are under the circumstances of morphology. It is quite significant for me to start my paper.English V ocabulary Learning Course by Zhang Weiyou is a book that points out a large number of views on word formation. The word itself is an elusive notion, which needs immediate consideration. The relationship between words and vocabulary, between sound and meaning, and between sound and form demands explanation as well. Language is not a fixed list of words but a growing and developing store, which is quite formidable. However, the huge unstable vocabulary of English can be classified into a few manageable categories by different criteria. This is also part of our concern. The expansion of vocabulary in modern English depends chiefly on word formation. There is a variety of means being at work now. According to Pyles and Algeo, words produced through affixation constitute 30% to 40% of the total number of new words. Affixation is generally defined as the formation of words by adding word-formation or derivational affixes to bases. This process is also known as derivation, by which new words are derived from old or base forms. The words created in this way are called derivatives. According to the positions affixes occupy in words, affixation falls into two subcategories: prefixation and suffixation. Prefixation is the formation of new words by adding prefixes to bases. Prefixes do not generally change the word-class of the base but only modify its meaning. For convenience of study, we shall present prefixes on a semantic basis, that is, we shall group prefixes into semantic sets, each consisting of all the major prefixes that have similar meaning and functions. At the same time, the author exactly gives a complete theory of word-formation. It makes me have a better understanding offormation---- how the prefixes are formed.On Ten Semantic Classifications of English Prefixes by Mao Donghui makes an analysis on semantic meanings of negative prefixes. The richness and abundance of English vocabulary is closely related to its prefixes as they provide semantic meanings to the roots in limitation, modification and supplement. In analyzing and generalizing English prefixes, grammarians are also likely to study them from the angle of their semantic functions, and therefore, in learning and studying affixes, it is critical to be in semantic awareness of English prefixes. They are classified into ten kinds of prefixes. All of them are mentioned as follows: negative prefixes, reversative prefixes, pejorative prefixes, prefixes of degree or size, prefixes of orientation and attitude, locative prefixes, prefixes of time and order, number prefixes, miscellaneous neo-classical prefixes and conversion prefixes. Prefixes are very dynamic in word formation. Actually, word-formation mainly has five types. It is called derivation which is made out by adding affixes. Derivation is the most active way in word-formation. And meanwhile, prefixes play an important role in derivation. In many circumstances, prefix and suffix have exactly different functions. Prefix changes the meaning of the roots. But the suffix not only changes its semantic meaning, but also changes its natural characteristic. We can see “in-” and “non-” are part of negative prefixes, but “un-” is part of reversative prefixes. This paper makes me pay more attention to the semantic meanings of negative prefixes.Analyses on Usage of Negative Prefixes “IN-”“UN-”“NON-” by Chen Huanfu discusses the such aspects as prefix’s productivity, origin, distribution and distinctive characteristics in meaning. He also presents a description of three negative prefixes in English, “IN-”, “UN- ” and “NON-”, each of which tends to combine with positive adjectives and the resultant derived adjectives are often lexicalized and assigned negative sense. Being more productive than “IN-”and less productive than “NON-”, “UN-” shows features from both sides, depending on the given stems with which it combines. It also mentions the distinctive semantic features. It contains the difference of concepts and difference of tones. The author also finds out that “NON-”mainly forms the contradictory and complementary opposites. Learning that helps me to havea better understanding in the usage of the negative prefixes.Negative Prefixes and Their Extended Meanings in English by Zhao Chunfeng makes a detail of analysis of their extended meanings. The expansion of vocabulary in modern English depends chiefly on word formation. There are a variety of means being at work now. The most productive are affixation, compounding and conversion. Prefixation is the formation of new words by adding prefixes to bases. Prefixes do not generally change the word-class of the base but only modify its meaning. This essay tries to express the extended meanings of negative prefixes, such as "negative, opposite, and reverse" etc. in the view of word - building of English. The author does not only try to explain these negative prefixes, but to expound their extended meanings as well. We get to know by means of studying them that these prefixes have undergone through a course from their original simple meanings to their various ones of today, which helps us further and better understand English affixes. It struck me again that the negative prefix plays an essential part; therefore, the study of it seems to be significant.A Contrastive Study of the Characteristics of the Lexical Structural Systems Between English and Chinese by Zhang Weiyou gives me a quite comprehensive knowledge of the lexical structural system. English and Chinese have their own conspicuous characteristics in structural systems of lexis, which are reflected in the morphological structures of words and word-formation. The most productive are affixation, compounding and conversion. According to the positions affixes occupy in words, affixation falls into two subcategories: prefixation and suffixation. Prefixes do not generally change the word-class of the base but only modify its meaning. For convenience of study, we shall present prefixes on a semantic basis, that is, we shall group prefixes into semantic sets, each consisting of all the major prefixes that have similar meaning and functions. A contrastive study of the lexical systems of English and Chinese in such respects of morphemes and words, morphemes and affixes, positions of morphemes in words, words and non-words, word-formation and syntax, etc. discloses that there are both similarities and differences in the vocabularies of the two languages, but the differences overwhelm similarities. This paper teaches me howto choose the factors to study and analyze the different concepts and gives me the idea of trying to analyze usage in special ways by the BNC corpus.A Corpus-based Study on Derivational Affixes in English for Science and Technology by Leng Hui gives a comprehensive summarization of negative prefix’s similarities and differences. The study is aimed at finding out the basic similarities and differences among “IN-”, “UN –”and “NON-”. Description of the negative prefix’s productivity, distribution and distinctive characteristics in meaning are also mentioned. This paper briefly analyzes the diachronic study of English word-formation in an attempt to depict English negative prefixes from an etymological perspective. One way to distinguish English synonyms is to detect their origins: “IN-”, and “UN-”are separately attached to word bases that share origins. Studying the word-formation characteristics and semantic features of negative prefix can help us understand its word-formation, semantic features and master the usage features. Thus, we can improve our ability of word-formation, expand vocabulary effectively and improve the ability of reading, listening, writing, speaking and understanding. Thereby we can reduce remembering-vocabulary failure caused by the structures of each word. And the idea leads me to think more about the ways and results the vocabulary differences among words can change by affixes.A Corpus-based Study of Morphological Productivity of Negative Prefixes in English by Du Lifang focuses on the influences of the productivity of negative prefixes. In English, there are at least ten prefixes that denote negative meaning, and it’s often very confusing to English learners as to the subtle differences in their usage. English learners are especially puzzled about the phenomenon that the same base takes different negative prefix to express its negative, like immoral and unmoral; inhuman, unhuman and non-human. Although some research has been done in this field as to the application/combination rules concerning the different negative prefixes, e.g. factors that influence the productivity of a particular one, there seems to be a gap as to the quantitative study of productivity of these negative prefixes. So the author would like to make an attempt in this field. In this paper, five commonly-usednegative prefixes in English are selected for the present study :a-，dis-, in- (including its variants il-, ir-, im- )，non- and un-.Scholars have been trying to provide effective ways of accessing the productivity of affixes quantitatively. However, it seems that no one of the measurements is hardly without any objections, either in theoretical point of view or in practical application. However, each measure does reflect a different aspect of productivity. When applying those measures, one should have a clear view in mind about that. In view of theoretical and methodological problems in practical application, and also of its significance of the results for the future, this paper adopts two measures to assess the productivity of negative prefixes in English: one is type frequency, which is to gauge past productivity, that is to make a survey of how many members each of the prefixes has so far generated. It imposes me to enlarge my thinking span.Talking about the English Negative Prefixes by Leng Hui gives me a general and detailed outlook of the English negative prefixes. Among all the English prefixes, the ability of word formation in negative prefixes is very strong. And the words formed by negative prefixes hold a large proportion in amount of the derivation. However, due to its own characters on word-formation and semantic in negative prefixes, it seems to be changeable for the learners who are begin to learn English. Meanwhile, it is difficult for them to remember the new words. Thus, in order to know these negative prefixes well, the learners must learn from two aspects. These are their features of word-formation and the characters of their semantic. The elements that affect the word formation of the negative prefixes can be summarized into three rules, namely homologous rules, collocation rules and assimilation rules. Studying the word-formation characteristics and semantic features of negative prefix can help us understand its word-formation, semantic features and master the usage features. Thus, we can improve our ability of word-formation, expand vocabulary effectively and improve the ability of reading, listening, writing, speaking and understanding. And this paper offers much to the frame of my paper; its idea is beneficial to my paper.Prefixal Negation and Non-prefixal negation of English Adjectives written byHu Youxin and Li Xuzhong gives me a quite comprehensive knowledge of negation of English adjectives.There are various negative prefixes in English word formation. It is essential to grasp the negative features of the prefixes in the study and practice of English. This paper focuses on prefixal negation and non-prefixal negation of English adjectives. The authors begin by discussing the lexical gaps, contextual constraints and semantic differences. They found out that it did have the pragmatic and semantic differences between the prefixal negation and non-prefixal negation, which seem to have the same meaning. The paper aims to find out their situation when to use and factors which are restricted. At the end, they conclude the theory about adjectives by many examples in the sentences with an emphasis on each semantic feature. Results analyzed in the following chapters are meaningful for my paper where is stating the differences in their semantic meanings, and impose me to enlarge my thinking span.Having read the above literature concerning English negative prefixes of their usages, we have no difficulty in finding that we should focus more on the usage of negative prefixes “IN-”, “UN –”and “NON-”. Meanwhile, we also realize the corpus-based research play an important role in the study of linguistics. More and more scholars and professors both at home and abroad are paying more attention to the field of negative prefixes. From the literature, we know some important ideas and information about negative prefixes, how to classify negative prefixes according to different word formations and their natural characters. Teachers of English need also do some experimental research to see how the findings from the study could be used to teach words containing negative prefixes efficiently and effectively. In order to learn English well and communicate with people better, we should learning much about morphology, use them reasonably. Because it is the foundation of learn English. Besides, morphology is useful for us to pursue research into negative prefixes. I hope that I can make some contribution to this field by reading and researching extensively and analyzing the morphology.ReferencesAdams, V. An Introduction to Modern English Word-Formation[M]. Harlow, Essex, UK: Longman Group Ltd, 1973:23-25.Algeo, J. The Voguish Use of non-, American Speech[J]. 1971:87-105.Barber, C. The English Language: A Historical Introduction[M]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993:45-46.Lipka, L. An Outline of English Lexicology: Lexical Structure, Word Semantics and Word-Formation[M]. Tubingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag. 1990:63-65. Mattews. Morphology[M]. 2nd ed. Beijing: Foreign language teaching and research press, 2000.程焕福。