Introductory Stuff
David W. Marlow
Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics
About the Course
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Linguistically based
Read Syllabus
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Goals
Attendance
Evaluation
Deadlines
Accommodations
Disclaimer
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My role
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Coach
Your responsibility
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Academic Athlete
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Keep up
Keep in touch
Do your best
Technical Enhancements
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My Homepage
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Slides
Course Info
General Links
Blackboard
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(http://faculty.uscupstate.edu/dmarlow)
(http://www.bb.sc.com)
Paper Submission
Discussion
Clickers
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Attendance, Participation, Quizzes
(maybe)
Clicker Test
I am ready for the semester to begin
Understanding Grammar
Chapter 1
Which Sentence Sounds Best?
A. Ring loudly bells the
B. Loudly bells the ring
C. The bells ring loudly
D. Bells the loudly ring
Which Sentence Sounds Best?
A. Ship sails the today
B. Sails the today ship
C. Today sails ship the
D. The ship sails today
Which Sentence Sounds Best?
Mary should stop smoking it; that is clear.
B. That Mary should stop smoking it is clear.
C. It is clear that Mary should stop smoking.
D. Is it clear that Mary should stop smoking?
A.
Already an expert…?
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Native speaker competence
Then why am I here?
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Subconscious  conscious
Better language skills
Better understanding of others
Better able to help others
Why Study Grammar?
“The study of grammar is not just of English
majors or for future teachers: it is for people
in business and industry, in science and
engineering, in law and politics. Every user of
the language, in fact, will benefit from the
consciousness-raising that results from the
study of grammar. The more that speakers
and writers and readers know consciously
about their language, the more power they
have over it and the better they can make it
serve their needs.”
Exercise 1.1
(Tag Questions)
Their car has been fixed,
hasn’t it ?
It’s too warm to light a fire,
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Cathy and Will are coming tonight,
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You should put out some snacks,
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Exercise 1.1
(Tag Questions)
Cathy knows how to get there,
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We had a party here last Christmas,
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Dinner will be ready soon,
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They may bring Cathy’s sister,
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Choose the Best Sentence
We ought to have something for dessert, _____?
A. shouldn’t we?
B. oughtn’t we?
C. don’t you think?
D. None of the above!
(  Be ready to give a better answer… )
Choose the Best Sentence
I am supposed to serve the salad, _____?
A. amn’t I?
B. ain’t I?
C. aren’t I?
D. None of the above!
(  Be ready to give a better answer… )
Any Questions….
… before we move on?
Which is Best?
A. I ain’t got none.
B. I don’t got any.
C. I don’t have any.
D. I ain’t have any.
Which do you say most?
A. I ain’t got none.
B. I don’t got any.
C. I don’t have any.
D. I ain’t have any.
A sentence violates Descriptive rules if
no native speaker of English would say it…
Standard vs. Non- English
1.
2.
I don’t have any.
I ain’t got none.
Prescriptive rules
 “Correct English is the slang of prigs
who write history and essays.”
-George Eliot -
Modern Linguistics
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Prescriptivism
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Dialect / Regionalisms
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More in Chapter 2
Structural Grammar
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≠ I ain’t got none…
Phonology
Morphology
Syntax
Transformational Grammar
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Noam Chomsky
Any Questions….
… before we move on?
What part of speech is it? – I
1. The dog is sleeping.
2. The sleeping dog is brown.
3. Sleeping is the dog’s favorite pastime.
A. Noun
B. Verb
C. Adjective
D. Adverb
Prototype Theory
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If it _____ like a ____, then…
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looks
functions
interacts
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noun
verb
adjective
etc
What part of speech is it? – II
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Did he down his drink?
She looks down on him.
They walked down the street.
He was feeling down…
because he fumbled on fourth down.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Grammatical?
(Answer for each)
“A” = Hacker’s Guide would say it’s OK
“B” = You’ve said or heard it before
“C” = You don’t think anyone would say it
“D” = You aren’t sure enough to make a call
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For green its age my well car runs old.
This is the man I took a picture of.
Somebody left their book on the train.
The secret was kept between him and me.
You should get you a new car to drive.
Emily might could go to the store.
He don’t know nothing about racing.
Exercise 1.2
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Page 8
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Do it now (alone)
Compare answers as a group
Diagramming I
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Diagrams
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Trees
Language Change
[....]g fæder, þu þe on heofonum eardast,
geweorðad wuldres dreame.
1000 AD
Oure fader that art in heuenis halowid be thi name.
1400
Our father which art in heauen, hallowed be thy name.
1611 (KJV)
Our Father in Heaven, let your holy name be known.
1970 (Condon)
Language Change
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Back When
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Tim McGraw
Homework:
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Exercise
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1.3 (page 9)
Read
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Chapter 2