Determination strategies in unspecific sentences in Ecuadorian Spanish

Abstract

Introduction.  Nonspecific sentences introduce a Nominal Phrase (SN) interpreted as non-specific or a fact interpreted as habitual. In this typology of sentences, Spanish allows different strategies for determining the direct object such as the brief name, the indefinite article and, although limited, the definite article. Objective. Observe the preferences of native tongue Ecuadorian Spanish speakers regarding the determination of direct objects of nonspecific sentences. Methodology. A multiple-choice questionnaire composed of 32 sentences has been created that suggested a non-specific reading of the direct object. For each sentence, different determination strategies were put as options, such as definite article, indefinite article, and brief name. The 96 participants surveyed had to select the type of determination that they considered most appropriate.  Results.  From the data collected, a wide use of the indefinite article has been observed at the expense of the brief name and a use of the definite article in the embryonic stage.  Conclusions. From the analysis of the results, it can be concluded that, although the Spanish definite article is placed in stage II of the Greenberg cycle, it presents a slight movement towards stage III, represented by a limited grammaticalization in the domain of nonspecific especially in generic sentences interpreted as habitual.  General area of study: Education.  Specific area of study: Linguistics.