EN 1105: Language Structure, Usage and
Linguistics I
Word classes and their grammatical functions
· Open classes:
nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs
· Closed classes:
determiners, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, operator-verbs,
interjections, enumerators.
· Types of
activities: write examples for each word class
· Rationale for word
classes in grammar: Words which belong to one class only can be used in a
particular position in a sentence. Provide examples.
· List the
differences between the two types: e.g. open class-thousands of words. Closed
classes- limited number
· Some words appear
under more than one word class, e.g. ‘play’ as noun and verb, ‘that’ as
determiner and conjunction
· Types of
activities: write sentences to show how the word ‘round’ appears as noun, verb,
adjective, adverb, and preposition.
Elements of grammar
· Units of language:
The sentence-a set
of words standing on their own as a sense unit.
Clause – a kind of mini sentence, a set of words
which makes a sense but may not be concluded by a full stop. A sentence may
have only one clause or 2 or more clauses.
The phrase: A
shorter unit of one or more words e.g. noun phrase
· Parts of a
sentence
Subject (topic),
predicate (everything said about the topic)-give examples
· Sentence elements
- Subject, verb, object, complement, adverbial
- The most common parts of the sentences
- Object may be direct or indirect, the complement
refers to the same thing as the subject,
- Adverbial adds further information (words, phrases
such as, at home, yesterday)
· Activities: make
sentences using the clause elements. Analyse their structure.
The simple sentence
· A sentence
consisting of only one clause
· Clause types: S V,
S V O , S V C, S V O , S V O O , S V O A , (provide examples)
· Activities:
Indicate to which of the clause types the given sentences belong to
The simple sentence: questions, commands,
exclamations, negation
· Questions - 3
major classes according to the type of answer expected
- Yes-no questions- operator is placed before the
subject. If there is no operator, ’do’ is introduced, e.g. Has the boat
left? Does he like Mary?
- Wh- questions:
- Alternative questions-
· Commands: Usually
has no subject. It has an imperative finite verb (the base form) of the verb
· Exclamations:
sentences which have an initial phrase introduced by ‘what’ or ‘how’
e.g. What a noise they are making!
· Negation:
accomplished by inserting ‘not’, n’t ‘between the operator and the predication
Nouns
· Noun classes
· Differences
between count and mass nouns, regular and irregular nouns, abstract and
concrete nouns.
The noun phrase
· Structure of the
noun phrase: head word, pre-modifiers, post modifiers
· Word classes that
can function as pre-modifiers-determiners, enumerators, adjectives, modifying
nouns
· Word classes that
can function as post modifiers-mostly prepositional phrases
· Functions of the
noun phrase-subject, direct object, indirect object, complement, apposition,
adverbial. (provide examples)
· Activities:
analysis of noun phrases, expanding the noun phrase using pre and post
modifiers.
Varieties of English
· Geographical and
national varieties
· Varieties
according to medium: written / spoken
· Varieties
according to attitude: formal / informal
Language learning and language
acquisition
· The difference
between the two in language learning (Krashen’s theory)
· Implications for
the language classroom
