Chapter 4
FORMal Words
Chapter 4: Grammar Safari

Find a word you don’t know and can’t
find in the dictionary.



Identify its part of speech (form class)
Tell us how you knew (form or function)
Example:

“In The Peace War Vernor Vinge
introduced the technology of bobbles,
originally used to counter nuclear threat…
A Rose is a Rose…?

What’s the Part of Speech






Bat
Slide
Plate
Home
Throw
Inning
(formal class)
of:
Form & Function (Revisited)

Parts of Speech = Form Classes






_________
_________
_________
_________
Form = Shape = Morphology
Function = Behavior = Role in Sentence
Exercise 4.1
The androokers plurked gribbly along
beside the broofled lumphet.


Identify the nonsense words above as
N, V, Adj, or Adv.
Are you using formal (word level clues) or
functional (sentence level clues) to know?
Nouns

Traditional Definition


Person, place, or thing
Linguistic Definition

Tangible item or intangible concept
Know a Noun when you see it...

Formal Clues


Has noun-making (derivational) morpheme
Takes noun inflection morphemes


_____ or ____
Functional Clues



Appears after articles (may have Adj. before)
Replaceable by a pronoun in a tag question
Fits in the Subject position (test frame sentence)
Noun Test Frame Sentence
(The) ________ seems all right.
Missing Nouns


Fill in the missing nouns…
Identify the nouns that were not deleted…
Slots filled by Nominals

Subject


Direct Object


My wife’s name is Yuan
Object Complement


I gave flowers to my wife on her birthday
Subject complement


I saw my wife this morning
Indirect Object


My wife is Chinese
I consider Yuan my best friend
Object of a preposition

Most anytime the phone rings, it’s for Yuan
(You ID them)
You Tell Me

Subject


Direct Object


Indirect Object


Subject complement


Object Complement


Object of a preposition

To Comma or Not to Comma…

Never put a comma between the:





subject and verb
direct object and object complement
indirect object and direct object
verb and subject complement
verb and direct object

except in direct quotes like:
He said, “I’ll never forget you.”
Exercise 4.2


Which of the following are ‘mainstream’ nouns?
Which criteria apply to each?
Potato
Refusing
Sheep
Glamorous
Degrees of Nounness
F
D
B
A
C
A. Nouns that name people, places & things
E
G
Examples?
________
B. Nouns derived from adjectives
________
C. Nouns derived from verbs
________
D. Adjectives that are also nouns
________
E. Verbs that are also nouns
________
F. Verbs in noun positions
________
G. Prepositions used as nouns
________
Prepositions as a Nouns
Diagramming Nouns
Aunt Blabby
Nouns go on a flat line…
Subjects @ front; Objects @ end
Noun Features
Examples

Count & Non-count
Common & Proper
Animate & Inanimate
Human & Nonhuman
Male & female

Why?? *The king put the crown on herself




________
________
________
________
________
Words that:
• Don’t fit in A-D
≠ Nouns
Count
• Fit only A & B
= Non- count
vs. Non-count • Fit only B, C & D = Count

Test Frame Sentences
He likes ______________.
B. The ________ is good
C. He wants a(n) _________.
D. __________ (e)s are good.
A.
Try these words, then some of your own:
fun
cash
light desk home news chicken
noise ask
lamp amiss dessert
Noun Features
Noun
Common
Countable
Singular
(dog)
Proper
(Chicago)
Non-countable
(homework)
Plural
(people)
Nominal Varieties

Appositives


To watch is boring for me
Nominal Clauses


Watching is boring for me
Infinitives


My wife, Yuan, loves to watch TV
Gerunds


(extra information: use commas)
Why people watch so much TV is a mystery to me
Delayed Subjects

It is amazing what people will watch…
Why Do We Care?

Subject Verb Agreement
Comma Placement

Our writing reflects our intelligence

(in the eyes of those who hold the $$)
Just Do It

Find (& Correct) the Errors




Often a convention held in big public
rooms feel very institutional.
This building and its décor shows that the
outside has been brought inside.
Decorative touches, such as the etched
front window, signals a trend in newly
constructed meeting facilities.
Previously, centers for public gathering,
was four walls and a roof.
Verbs

Traditional Definition


Action & ‘State of Being’ words
Linguistic Definition


Convey action or state of being AND
Carry grammatical information about



tense (pres, past, etc)
person (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
Other… (to be discussed in later chapters)
Know a Verb when you see it...

Formal Clues



Has verb-making morpheme
Can take tense-related morphemes
Functional Clues



Can be made into a command
Can be made negative
Can fit a Verb Frame Sentence
Verb Frame Sentences

They must ___________ (it).

They must ___________ good.
(well)
Find the Verbs
Diagramming Verbs
(you) Play
ball
Verbs go on a flat line
after the subject…
Exercise 4.6

Noun, Verb, Neither, or Both: Why?

Rock

Sob

Pluralize
Adjectives

Traditional Definition


Linguistic Definition


Modify nouns & other adjectives
Modifies a nominal or adjectival
(really close to the traditional definition…)
Modify: To change.
To add information about.
X
Know an Adj when you see it...

Formal Clues



Has adjective-making morpheme
Takes comparative/superlative morphemes
Functional Clues



Can be compared using more or most
Qualifies something
Can fit the Adjective Frame Sentence
Adjective Frame Sentence
“The _________ man is very ________.”
Exercise 4.7

Adjective or Not… Why?

Shiny

Wicker

Calling
Find the Adjectives
(2)
To Comma or Not to Comma

Between two or more adjectives

When the adjectives are “equal”



“and” can be inserted between them
they can be reversed
No comma before the noun
Traditional Rule:
Size  Age  Color

Example:


the crabby old dog (≠ ‘equal’)
the bright, curious child
= the bright and curious child
= the curious, bright child
the big, old, red wagon
* the old red big wagon
* the red old big wagon
Diagramming Adjectives
pi
…it
stays
fetched
Use slanted lines for modifiers…
Adjective Subclasses
Examples

Attributive
________

Predicative
________

Gradable
________
Adjective Subclasses
“The
sour
apple is very
(Attributive)
Post-Nominal:
sour
(Predicative)
It hit me like a ton of bricks.
- (Before or after the verb…)
(There are 3 subclasses…)
.”
Adverbs

Traditional Definition



Modifies verbs, adjectives or adverbs
w/ info about Time, Place, or Manner
Answer: Where, When, Why? How?
Linguistic Definition

Modifies non-nominal items

V, Adj, Adv, phrases, clauses, or sentences
Know an Adv when you see it...

Formal Clues



Has adverb-making morpheme
Takes comparative/superlative morphemes
Functional Clues



Can be compared using more or most
Moveable in sentence
Can fit the Adverb Frame Sentence
Adverb Frame Sentence
“The man told his story _________.”
Exercise 4.9

Prototypically Adverb or Adjective?
Why? Do you see a pattern?

Boldly, shortly, silently, seriously

Earthly, beastly, gentlemanly

Yearly, leisurely (Exceptions…)
Find the Adverbs
(3)
Diagramming Adverbs
Andy
realized
Words that modify go on a slanted line
- Adv’s go under the modified word
even if they are separated…
Adverb Subclasses
Examples







Manner
Time
Place
Degree
Frequency
Duration
Reason
happily,________
quickly, well
now, soon,
next week
________
here, there,
everywhere
________
clearly,
definitely
________
often, ________
seldom, never
always,
still, yet
________
‘to save
money’
________
Identify the Adverbials




After breakfast let’s take the bus to the
shopping center.
To save money, we can take our lunch
and eat in the park next door.
The park is empty this time of year.
If you agree, we can meet at the
corner.
To Comma or Not to Comma

No Comma


When the adverb is next to
the item it modifies
Short phrase beginning a sentence


By noon we were all ready to eat.
Comma


When the adverb has moved away from the word
it modifies.
Long phrase beginning a sentence

Before the dog was able to join his friends again, he was
forced to chase the cat.
More Commas

Sentence initial Infinitive VPs


A cat, however, seems never to work at all
Parenthetical phrases


To find a bone, a dog must work very hard
Interruptions


(function as adverbials)
(comment on whole sentence)
I love pets. Unfortunately, my wife doesn’t feel the
same way.
Ambiguity

During the winter, vacation days are precious.
Adverb Subclasses
Example





Manner
Time
Place
slowly
now
Frequency & Number
Duration
twice
while
there
Analyzing Form & Function

What a word is (Form: N, V, Adj, Adv)
is not always the same as what it does
(Function: nominal, verbal, adjectival, adverbial)



Two fresh flowers
Two spring flowers
Two wilting flowers
Strategy Suggestion:
Use substitution to identify form classes
Exercise 4.13

Form vs. Function: Identify each.

I think Carl has lost his electronic ticket

I think Carl has lost his parking ticket

I think Carl has lost his theater ticket
Exercise 4.14



Page 87
Group work
The Review Exercises on pages 89-91
are also very good…
Think About It…
NOTE:
While many of the exercises are referenced in
this slide show, several are not…
Those not reviewed are intended for you to
cover on your own.
Remember: The answer keys are posted on my site…
(& I’ll be happy to review your work w/you outside class)
Tomorrow

Quiz on Chapter 4

Begin Chapter 5