Özet:

This study was an attempt to examine the tendency and criteria of native speakers of English to choose between ergative and passive structures. Five sample verbs with the possibility of occuring in active, passive and ergative constructions (change, grow, develop, increase, decrease) were selected and their ergative uses in sentences were extracted from the Webster American dictionary. These verbs occur more frequently in academic context (according to COCA), except for the verb grow that is mostly used in magazines. The sentences were paired with their passive equivalents, making total ten sentences. Four native (American) English speakers were asked to determine which sentence in each pair sounded natural to them and what distinguishes them from the other. The findings revealed that all the participants chose the ergative one and they clarified that these actions are not caused by any external factor and the action happens automatically without an intentional intervention from outside. Although this study was carried out in small scales, it can have instructional implications for English teachers. Future studies can apply the research on greater number of verbs and different varieties of English native speakers.

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