Semantic (COCA)

Davis Haniel Ibrahim/ 1701304481

Frans Edwin/1701324395
Roberto/1701311612
Introduction to COCA
There are 3 areas in the COCA that we have to give attention. First is the left area
where we input the data and determine how our data will be displayed. The second is at the
top part of the screen where the words list or charts will be displayed. The third is at the
bottom of the page where the explanation of the result is displayed. The first thing that were
taught is about the word search. Its in the left area where therere a space for us to type the
words we want to search. We can write a word, and then the results will be displayed. The
result is where the word can be used. The result is called Keyword In Context (KWIC). But
this is too general, there is another way to find information from the word more specific. We
can also find information like what words most frequently occurred before a word. For this
feature, we can use asterisk (*) as our helper in finding that information. For example, if we
want to find out the words that occurred before a word some , we can type like this in the
search box : * some (* space some). By using space, its mean a word before some. We can
also try it without space. It will be like this : *some . with that, many other word will be
displayed. The examples are handsome, awesome,troublesome, etc. We can also find
information about prefix and suffix here. For example, if we want to find prefixes that
compatible with a suffix, such as gia (suffix). The results will be words that are used with
the suffix gia. In this case, the answers are nostalgia, euralgia, mytalgia, cephalalgia etc.
from this results, we can also see the context of the word. If we click on one of the word (I
give example when I click the cephalalgia word). The page will show us when and where the
words is used. In this word, we can get 3 source that ever used this word. The first is
cosmopolitan (magazine), Practice Nurse (academic), and Earnosethroat (academic). There
are 5 section or context that can be found in this result.

There are spoken,fiction,magazine,newspaper and academic context. In this result, we can see
the magazine example for the word cephalalgia. Another function of coca is the chart. We can

see the context of the word used from the chart. Its easier than the list feature. Were going

back to use some word as example. The difference is, we are using chart as the result
display right now. this feature can be found in the top left of the web.
Take a look at the picture. It showed us about the result of the word data of some. The word
some is most common in spoken section and miss common in fiction. This chart shows us
the section that the word is most being used. The right side is about the result in every 5

years. The freq number above is about the raw data about how the word being used. And the
numbers at the per mil section is the amount of the word used every million words.

This is another way of how using COCA. We can even find out about more specific section
about section/area which used this word. By click the section column above, the result below
will be displayed, and we will know that the word some is most frequently used in religion.
For this example, I clicked on the magazine section. And then the result is like the picture
above.
There is also another feature in this COCA. Its using bracket to limiting our research. If we
type a word eat, the web will display all of the result with the word eat. But, if we give a
bracket in the word that we want to find, the results will be different. If we type [eat] in the
words-search-box, then the results will give you any results that related to eat such as eat,
ate,eaten,eatingetc. Its will give wider area of data for us to get. Its called lemmatizing our
research.

Using Part of Speech in COCA

We know that many words in English that can have many meaning. How we differentiate a
fish (noun) and fish (verb) in our research by using coca ?this also one of the feature of
COCA. We can make COCA search for only the word that we want by using []. The first step
is to click the POS at the left side of the COCA. There are some options to choose. If we want
to find fish (verb), we can choose verb all. After we choose it, we can type in the search box
using []. [fish].[*v]. [*v] here means verb. Itll be like this :

The results here will be all the fish that related to the verb. But, when we change the verb all
into the noun all, it will give us the different result.

This is the result if we change it to the noun all. When we look at the results, it will also give
us another result such as fish tank, fish food, and another noun available that related to fish.
In short, the results that displayed will be changed into the noun only. If we change it into
chart, we will know that both fish (verb and noun) are most frequently occurred in magazine,
especially in the sport magazine.

Collocation in COCA

In collocation, it helps us to understand about structure & syntax, pragmatics & semantic
prosody, and sociolinguistics & discourse analysis. First lets discuss about structure &
syntax.If we want to know about preposition which followed by a particular word you can
use [i*]. For example, if we type close [i*] in the search box, it will show us result of the
most frequent preposition collocated.And the result is to, the most frequent preposition
collocate is to and the second most frequent preposition collocated is on. We can also
look the data by click on the result,I will look data of close to

Here is the data. From the data, it shows us the most frequent collocate and all indicates
almost reach climax.Lets back to search box, type close to and then use collocates option in
COCA.

In the collocates box type noun symbol [nn*] to know what kind of nouns collocate with the
phrase that we type in the box above. Then determine the range, the first is to determine word
that we want to search to the left of close to and the second is to determine word that we want
to search to the right of close to. I will try nouns that collocate 0 word to the left and 2 words
to the right of close to. And the result is death, tears, midnight and so on, all indicates almost
reach climax.

In pragmatics & semantic prosody, we can find 2 words put together, it can be negative or
positive. Lets try what kind of nouns collocate with become in COCA. In the search box type
[different] and use collocates option in COCA, type for all noun symbol in collocates box

and

the

range

to

the

left

and

to

the

right.

Because you have to be careful in semantic to avoid miscommunication, you can refine your
search by change the range scale.

You

can

also

look

for

the

use

of

the

word

over

the

time

I will type [different] in the search box and I will type types in collocations box then
change
the
display
from
list
into
chart

Here is the result

Sociolinguistic and discourse analysis

If we want to know noun which followed by a particular word(adjective) we can use [j*]. For
example, If we type Child [j*]. The result will show the most frequent adjective. And the
most frequent adjective is Young And second,the most frequent adjective is Other.

If we type [j*] [children] the result will be different the result will be for example Young
Children Other ChildrenOnly Children . It is a combination of [j*]= adjective and
followed by word Child