The role of nominalized expressions in syntactic restructuring of Vietnamese sentences: A cognitive perspective

Abstract

This article explores the role of nominalized expressions in the syntactic restructuring of Vietnamese sentences from the perspectives of Cognitive Grammar and Relevance Theory. It classifies these structures into two groups based on the cognitive roles of nominalized expressions: backgrounded nominalizations and profiled nominalizations (which foreground information). A detailed analysis is provided for the group of backgrounded nominalizations, while a preliminary overview of profiled nominalizations is offered, highlighting the latter as a promising focus for future research. The findings reveal that nominalized expressions contribute significantly to adjusting the speaker's viewpoint, enhancing objectivity, and optimizing communicative effectiveness. The paper also addresses some common errors that occur during restructuring processes, emphasizing these as essential areas requiring further investigation.