Chapter 5
Structure Class Words
Chapter 5: Grammar Safari

Find a ‘real-life’ error involving one of
the structures discussed in the text



Identify the problem
Show us both the problem & correction
Example:

I love deserts, but pie we had was terrible.
P: Definite, countable nouns require articles
C: “… but the pie we had was terrible.”
Form-Class vs. Structure-Class
Form Classes
Structure Classes
(Chapter 4)
Determiners
Auxiliaries
Qualifiers
Prepositions
Conjunctions
Pronouns
Relatives
Interrogatives
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Adverbs
Compare…
Glob ostriches ate larm drank
plonk glob baffled lion.
The androokers plurked and urkled
beside the broofled lumphet.


Which is easier to make sense of?
What does this tell us about
form vs. structure classes?
Articles: Small but Important…
How Many Articles?
A. 2
C. 6
B. 4
D. 8
What do articles do,
grammatically?
Determiners

Traditional Definition


Usually only talk about articles (a, an, the)
Linguistic definition



signals a NOUN is on it’s way
gives grammatical information about the
coming noun
Ø, a, an, the, some, few, much, many,
this, that, these, those, my, Dave’s, etc.
Determiners: Function

I got ______ sand in my shoe.
Ø
some
the
*a


c.f. “Count” vs. “Non-count”
Shift in meaning: this, Joe’s…
Grouping by Meaning…



? Katie went to ? Greenville.
? dogs are good ? pets.
Katie is ? dog.
Try to use:
Ø, a, an, the, some, few, much, many,
this, that, these, those, my, Dave’s, etc.
Which does NOT fit?

Katie is
?
dog.
A. a
B. my
C. some
D. those
- Why?
- What information does
the determiner provide?
? Katie went to ? Greenville…

Determiners tell us about NOUNs




Count vs. non-count
Possession
Quantity
Location relative to speaker


Actual or metaphorical/emotional…
Specific (known) vs. generic (unknown)

AKA: Definite & Indefinite; Old & New
Determiners vs. Adjectives

Determiners




No prefixes/suffixes
Fixed positions with the noun
Rarely added or deleted from a language
Adjectives



(Review from Chpt 4)
Can change form
Occur in attributive or complement positions
Come & go naturally and regularly in language

nerdy, phat, seniorish…
DET // Demonstrative ADJ

This, That, These, Those…

Our Text:


Determiners
Many School Texts:


Demonstrative Adjectives
Answer “which one”
Find the Determiners

The third time someone’s phone rang in
the middle of the night, Herb lost his
temper.
(you should also be able to tell what
information they give about the noun)
Exercise 5.1
How Many Determiners?

The community can’t provide enough water
for more houses on this land.
A. 2
C. 6
B. 4
D. 8
What are they doing
grammatically?
Diagramming Determiners
pi
Just like adjectives…
A Pumpkin Pi Tree
NP
Det
Adj
N
A
pumpkin
pi
Form vs. Structure… Cont’d
Form Class
Structure Class
Lexical Meaning
Grammatical Meaning
Often add Morphemes
Rarely add Morphemes
Open-Class
Closed-Class
(virtually unlimited)
Relatively free
appearance (function)
(relatively few)
Linked with certain
word categories
5.2 & 5.3

Diagrams & Trees




Enough friends
His friends
All my friends
Their only other friends
ESL Awareness…

Subconscious grammar rules ≠ English


Spanglish, Chinglish, etc. may result
Examples:


*Me bought a car red
(≈ Hispanic)
*I bought car from car dealer (≈ Chinese)
What can you infer about Spanish Adj’s?
--- about Chinese articles?
Any Questions…
…before we move on?
Qualifiers



AKA: Intensifiers…
Often treated as a sub-class
of ADV…
http://screencast.com/t/kSOxghl7dqA
Know a Qualifier...

Test frame sentence:


The handsome man seems ___ handsome
Modifies




(increasing or decreasing…)
noun
adjective
adverb
prepositional phrase (only a few qualifiers)
Find the Qualifier
A
(which balloon?)
B
C
D
Qualifier Usage

Dialectal


Informal


Wicked
Really
Formal


Quite
Rather
Are “totally” and “all”
qualifiers in these contexts?
I. Christine is totally mad at her boyfriend
II. … so she was all like “I told you so.”
A. Neither I nor II
B. Only I
C. Only II
D. Both I and II
Qualifiers Warning… Part I

Described by one as used when people:




“…haven’t decided what to say”
“have decided but don’t have the courage to stand
behind it”
“simply feel the need to clear their throat in the
middle of a sentence”
Examples:


He’s like twenty
Manning is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL
Yagoda, 2007
Word Search…

A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Count the determiners, auxiliary verbs
and qualifiers below
Perhaps if you had not killed off the
hero so quickly in the first chapter,
you would have found it easier to
continue with your novel…
Exercise 5.6
Any Questions…
…before we move on?
Prepositions
“Prepositions are the nerves and
ligaments of all discourse”
The English Accidence qtd in Yagoda, 2007
Prepositions on YouTube…
Grammar Rock: Prepositions (simplified, but nostalgic)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4jIC5HLBdM
Some Professor Dude… (NOT ME… Accurate, detailed, & boring…)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlGJ6FsnhDQ&feature=related
Prepositions

It was Mr. Plum





(& prepositional phrases)
After supper
In the library
With the hammer
For the sweet revenge
Think about it…


How do prepositions appear in sentences?
What purpose(s) do they serve?
Prepositions

Sets up a phrase with a nominal


with a friend, on the couch,
throughout the summer, etc
Tells location of a nominal

with, on, after, by, against, etc

Physically, Metaphorically or Temporally …


…Squirrel & Hollow Log
…Bird & a Cloud…
Preposition Puppy
Preposition or Adverb?
I.
II.
He walked along the road.
They all sang along.
(Hint: If there is no object, it can’t be a preposition)
A.
B.
C.
D.
I = Adv… II = Preposition
I & II - Both Adverbs
I & II - Both Prepositions
I = Preposition… II = Adv
Diagramming Prepositions
road
Remember:
Nouns go on flat lines
Words that modify go on slanted lines…
Tree-ing
PP
Prep
along
NP
Det
N
the
road
Prepositional Phrases As…






Our visitors had a dog with big teeth.
A dog with a hungry look in his eyes.
They strolled along the river.
They went after sunset.
Without fear, they wandered about
listening to music.
The band was out of this world!
More Diagramming
dog
look
eyes
Nouns go on flat lines
Words that modify go on slanted lines…
FYI
Even More Diagramming
The band was out of this world.
_world_
band was \
Use Pedestals for phrases that fill a main slot: Subj, Verb, Obj…
ID the Prepositional Phrase
Adj or Adv?
Adj
B. Adv
C. Neither
D. Both
A.
Dangling Preposition…
MYTH: Never end a sentence
with a preposition.
 The company of which he was the president
 The company he was president of.
 Dance with the partner you came with
 Dance with the partner with whom you came
What makes the difference?
Compare These



Roppolo could not find any conclusive
evidence to the first usage of the word
blue with this meaning. We do not
know from where it comes.
The word wicked usually has different
meanings because of where we come
from.
Focus on final preposition…
Other Prepositional Dangers

The challenges of adapting a highly
read novel into a film successfully is
difficult to do in two hours of screen
time.
Subject-Verb agreement – likely caused by intervening prepositional phrases…
Grammar Guide Suggestion


Target 10% prepositions in your writing
To reduce prepositions:

Delete:


Simplify


…vice president of the corporation
… is the owner of…
Replace


… did it with style
the coat of the model
Any Questions…
…before we move on?
Phrasal Verbs

AKA: Two word verbs





Idioms
“Combination of words that cannot be
predicted from the meaning of their parts”
Look up a word in the dictionary…
Sit out this round…
Verbal Particles: up, out, etc.
Verb Particles or Prepositions?



Oscar looked up the road
before he turned into his driveway.
Oscar looked up the spelling of a word
before he turned in his paper.
Tests:


Meaning
Moveability (particle can often be moved)
Phrasal Verbs: Diagrams & Trees
Oscar
looked up spelling…
S
NP
Oscar
V
NP
looked up
…
Phrasal verbs are just verbs…
Phrasal Verb?
A. Yes
B. No
How many phrasal verbs?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Choosing Verbs


Why should we care about verbs?
What about phrasal verbs?



The legislature turned down the proposal
The legislature rejected the proposal
What about common verbs?

Be, have, do, say, make,
go, take, come, see , get…
Any Questions…
… before we move on?
How many of the
following are here?
A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
D. 5
Pronoun, Preposition, Adverb or Particle?


Jim complained bitterly when he
learned that Alice had signed him up for
next week’s log-splitting contest.
Seeing a snake slithering slowly over
the bank out of sight into the
underbrush, I decided to put off going
for a walk in the woods after all.
Pronouns

Traditional Definition


Substitute for a noun
Linguistic Definition

Substitute for any Noun Phrase or nominal
Hobbes’ Definition
How many pronouns are here?
A.
B.
C.
D.
1
2
3
4
Pronouns

May I have that in context, please

Subcategories


Person
1st (I), 2nd (you), 3rd (s/he),
singular
I, you,
plural
we you,
Case
Subject
I, you,
Object
me, you,
Possessive
neuter (it)
h/she
they
s/he
him, her
Fill in the Pronoun Grid
Subject
1st Person
Singular
Plural
2nd Person
Singular
Plural
3rd Person
male
Singular female
neuter
Plural
Object
Possessive Reflexive
Check Your Answers
Subject
1st Person
Singular
Plural
2nd Person
Singular
Plural
3rd Person
male
Singular female
neuter
Plural
Object
Possessive Reflexive
I
me
my
myself
we
us
our
ourselves
your
yourself
(yours)
yourselves
you
you
he
him
his
himself
she
her
her
herself
it
it
its
itself
they
them
their (theirs)
themselves
Do You Object, (pronominally)?

Strategies for finding the ‘SAE’ choice




Rule based: Subject/object
Instinctive: Singularize
Because both he/him and I/me were late for
class, neither of us heard the news.
Our friends in Hickory want Yuan and I/me to
spend the holidays with them.
Exercise 5.8
Is This OK?

Mom bought soda for Kelly and I.
A. Yes
B. No
Common Pronoun Error

Hillary Clinton speaking in Florida:
(5/08)
The people who voted did nothing wrong
and it would be wrong to punish you.
Hint:
The pronoun must agree with its antecedent
Time to Reflect





Myself
Yourself
Himself
Herself
Itself
}
Ourselves
Yourselves
Themselves
The antecedent should appear in the same
sentence as the reflexive pronoun…
Is this OK?
A. Yes
B. No
Other Pronoun Problems
1.
2.
3.
4.
When a student
attends a local college,
they can live happily
and inexpensively at home.
There’s a problem in line:
•
•
•
•
1
2
3
4
Indefinite Pronouns

Examples: one, someone, everyone, anybody, etc
(Dual Roles: any, none, another, etc)
Beware agreement issues:

Somebody always forgets to do their homework.
Sexist Language

Examples:



For a single instance:



* Everyone finished his homework
* A dog is man’s best friend
Everyone finished his/her homework
The cake was great. Everyone finished it!
For multiple occurrences: ______

All the students finished their homework
You Tell Me…
1. Find the Error
2. Explain it
3. Fix it
Mothers are often told to let their children
2. listen to classical music to improve his
3. future learning, so it seems like a possible
4. benefit for those learning a new language.
1.
Hint:


It’s NOT just
the sexist style…
There’s a problem in line:
•
•
•
•
1
2
3
4
Just read this for now… We’ll analyze some of it later…
How Many Pronouns?
A.
B.
C.
D.
6
7
8
9
Pronoun Safari (Part II)
“11 pronouns” Label: S, O, or Possessive
Any Questions…
…before we move on?
Coordinating Conjunctions


And, but, or, nor, so, yet, for *
Join two equal elements

Words


Phrases


Over and under the hill
Over the river and through the woods
Clauses

You come down, for I’m going to your house…
*Typically join sentences…
Find the Conjunctions: What is joined?
Correlative Conjunctions


Also join two equal parts
Join with emphasis…




Both… and
Either… or
Neither… nor
Not only… but also
FYI
Diagramming Conjunctions
Oscar
looked up
and
spelling
meaning
Conjunctions branch the diagram
To Comma or Not to Comma?

Joining units w/ a Coordinating Conjunction
 Two full sentences
 Comma
 Two words or phrases
 NO comma

Three or more words or phrases
 Comma after all before the conjunction
(not a definite rule, but playing it safe)
My aunt McGuillicutty went on a picnic and took:
an apple, a banana, some cherries, a donut, and an egg.
You Tell Me…

1. Find the Error
2. Explain it
3. Fix it
“Sometimes people are just trying to
make their mark. Just like there are
select words that only certain people
you know say.”
Conjunctive Adverbs

Yep, we’ve got some.
Furthermore, you may want to take a look at
pages 133-135 for more info.
In the meantime, we will proceed to
subordinating conjunctions…

Remember,
ADVs that modify full sentences get commas…
Subordinate Clauses



Dependent  S & V, but can’t stand alone
Usually function as Adverbials…
• If
 I never eat cookies
• Since
while I make slides
• Though
though I’d like to…
• Although
Subordinating Conjunctions
• Before
 Create complex sentences
• While…

Join UNEQUAL elements
To Comma or Not to Comma…

Comma



If the subordinate clause comes at the
beginning of a sentence
Though I’d like to, I never eat cookies
while I make slides.
No Comma

If the subordinate clause comes later

I never eat cookies while I make slides.
Subordination in Action…
A
B
C
D
Preposition
or Subordinating Conjunction?
(5.10)
I.
Since you insist,
I’ll let you do four papers…
II.
Pavarotti drank lemon tea
before each concert.
A.
B.
C.
D.
I = Prep … II = Subj. Conjunct.
I & II – Both Subj. Conjunct.
I & II - Both Prepositions
I = Subj. Conjunct… II = Prep.
Get Some More Exercise

List and identify the conjunctions:

(5.11)
Although Joe liked the pizza, he picked off
all the broccoli and olives.
How Many Conjunctions?

We warned Alice against painting her living
room black, but she insisted it would look
dramatic. When she couldn’t stand it
anymore, we helped her repaint it in a
lighter color even though she hadn’t
listened to our warnings.
A.
B.
C.
D.
1
2
3
4
Even More Exercise!

Find and Correct errors:



(5.12)
Joe’s car had a flat tire, a policeman
stopped and helped him change it.
He wondered if police help is under
publicized.
Joe typically stayed away from the police
he had heard some horror stories before.
Any Questions…
…before we move on?
Relatives



Connect dependent clauses…
Require antecedents…
Relative Pronouns:



Relative Adverbials:


Who, whom, whose, which, that
Usually function as Adjectivals
Where, when, why
The student who scores the highest gets
more than 100% on a test or quiz.
Get Some Exercise

(5.14)
Underline the relatives
Circle the antecedents


There will come a time when you look back
on all of this and laugh.
I know someone who has written a book
on the Yoruba language.
To Comma or Not to Comma

No Comma

If the relative clause is crucial to the main
message of the sentence


I know someone who has written a book on the Yoruba
language.
Comma

If the relative clause adds ‘extra’ information we
could live without

Desire, whose father is king of his tribe, has written a
book on his native Yoruba language
To Comma or Not to Comma

Since the word wicked has so many
different meanings it can be used in any
part of speech.
A. Yes
B. No
Interrogatives




Who, which, what, where,
why, when, & how
Begin questions (direct and indirect)
No antecedents
May substitute for




Subject
Determiner
Adverb
Adjective (etc.)
Exercise
(5.15)
Underline the interrogatives and double
underline the relatives & associated phrases.
Circle the antecedent of each relative.



Whoever owns that Jaguar, which has been
sitting there for weeks, ought to move it!
For whom did you make the pie that is on the
table?
Lois is one of those people who can never
remember where they put their keys.
Find the Error
A.
B.
A Chinese woman looks
at a street art
installation on display in
Beijing, China, Thursday,
Oct. 5, 2006.
China's art scene is
becoming popular
among foreign art
collectors push prices
ever higher.
Now Identify these Clauses:
Overly Claused…

In this ever changing world
in which we live in
Paul McCartney
Any Questions…
…before we move on…
(to the last section in 252!)
Participial Phrases




A participle (-ing or -en form of the verb w/o an auxiliary)
and all its modifiers
Often looks like a reduced relative clause
Often functions as an adjectival
Examples


A rolling stone gathers no moss
The students studying for the exam are hungry.
Participial Problems


The subject of the sentence should be the subject of the
participial phrase (If it’s not, you have a ‘dangling participle’…)
Bad Examples:



*Having worked hard all weekend, the project was finished.
(the project worked hard)
*Eating an apple, a worm stuck its head out.
(the worm is eating the apple)
Good Example:

Named outstanding grammar student of the year, Jane Doe
accepted the award.
(Jane was the outstanding student & accepted the award)
Participial in Action…
The participial here is:
• Adjectival
• Adverbial
(Choose one…)
To Comma or Not to Comma

Participials are like Relatives:

Comma:


If the participial comes at the beginning
If the participial is unnecessary


“My daughter, complaining bitterly, went to bed.”
No comma:

If the participial is necessary

(prev. slide)
“The girl wearing red is my daughter.”
Tree Structures & Diagrams
S
NP
Art N
VP
V
Students
Adv
The students are upstairs
You tell me…
 Why use Trees? Why use diagrams?
 What are some similarities between them?
are__
Review Exercises
Really good stuff
on pages 146 – 148
& don’t ignore the regular exercises even though we
brushed through several in these slides…