Dr SPOCA!!
S = SUBJECT
A Noun Phrase which refers to the entity which is the
topic of the sentence (what the sentence is about), and
if the predicator of the sentence is a dynamic verb,
the subject is the "doer" of the action. Usually comes
first in the sentence, before the Predicator.
My son went to university in Wales.
To perform at Madison Square Gardens was her highest
ambition.
P = PREDICATOR
A Verb Phrase which expresses the action/process or
relationship in the sentence.
The tiny ladybug landed on my arm.
A piece of pepperoni pizza would satisfy his hunger.
O = OBJECT
A Noun Phrase which refers to the entity which is the
recipient of the action/process. Only occurs with transitive
Predicators. Usually comes after the Predicator.
The dog bit the postman.
Fifteen children from the school choir will be
singing African folk songs.
C = COMPLEMENT A Noun Phrase or Adjective Phrase which normally
comes after a linking Predicator and expresses some
attribute or role of the SUBJECT.
 He is the father of three.
 Time is the great healer.
 Those animals were very rare Siberian tigers.
 His client became more and more angry.
 The remaining problem is where to find the money.
Sometimes it expresses an attribute or role of the
OBJECT.
 Everyone thought him an idiot.
 The accusation made me livid.
 The whole town wanted the outlaw dead.
Almost always comes after the Predicator.
Her voice sounds lovely.
The tea tastes foul.
The first thing I did was open all the windows.
A = ADVERBIAL
An Adverbial, Prepositional or Noun Phrase which usually
specifies some condition related to the Predicator, e.g.
when, where or how some action occurred. It is by far the
most mobile of the sentence elements, and can occur in
many different positions in a sentence (the other four
sentence elements are much more fixed). Its most normal
position is at the end of the sentence, however.
Hence the ordering S-P-O-C-A
More explanation can be obtained from: http://www.tesol-direct.com/guide-to-englishgrammar/subjects-and-objects
What phrases will we find in each of the sentence elements?
S
O
P
C




A

Noun Phrase
Noun Phrase
Verb Phrase
Adjective Phrase or
Noun Phrase
Adverb Phrase or
Prepositional Phrase or
Noun Phrase
Analysing some simple sentences using SPOCA analysis
(i) Work out what kind of phrase each constituent is (NP, VP, AdjP, AdvP, PP)
(ii) Show the SPOCA structures of the sentences they occur in.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
John ¦ loves ¦ Mary
Mary ¦ loves ¦ John
John ¦ was ¦ very annoyed
The hungry student ¦ hates ¦ overcooked cabbage
The telephone ¦ rang
The cheerful woman ¦ was kissing ¦ her radiant husband ¦ with great abandon
Mary ¦ lifted ¦ the receiver ¦ angrily ¦ within two seconds
1. John ¦ loves ¦ Mary
Phrase: NP VP NP
SPOCA strucure: SPO
2. Mary ¦ loves ¦ John
Phrase: NP VP NP
SPOCA strucure: SPO
3. John ¦ was ¦ very annoyed.
Phrase: NP VP AdjP
SPOCA strucure: SPC
4. The hungry student ¦ hates ¦ overcooked cabbage
Phrase: NP VP NP
SPOCA strucure: SPO
5. The telephone ¦ rang.
Phrase: NP VP
SPOCA strucure: SP
6. The cheerful woman ¦ was kissing ¦ her radiant husband ¦ with great abandon.
Phrase: NP VP NP PP
SPOCA strucure: SPOA
7. Mary ¦ lifted ¦ the receiver ¦ angrily ¦ within two seconds.
Phrase: NP VP NP AdvP PP
SPOCA strucure: SPOAA
Word Classes and Phrases
So far we have distinguished four major word classes:
NOUN (N), VERB (V), ADJECTIVE (Adj) and ADVERB (Adv).
We can use these word classes to define four of the five kinds of phrases which occur in English
sentences:
(1) NOUN
A phrase (a group of words) which has a NOUN as its
PHRASE (NP)
head:
a student; the charming student; that grotty little first
year English student; that grotty little English student
with green hair; a pint of Boddingtons
(2) VERB
A phrase which has a VERB as its head:
PHRASE (VP)
guzzle; has guzzled; has been guzzling; is; might
have been; yawned; had been yawning
(3) ADJECTIVAL A phrase with an ADJECTIVE as its head:
PHRASE (AdjP)
despicable; absolutely despicable; as despicable as
possible
(4) ADVERBIAL
A phrase with an ADVERB as its head:
PHRASE (AdvP)
quickly; too quickly; too quickly for comfort
In addition, we need one more phrase type:
(5)
A phrase which consists of a preposition with a Noun
PREPOSITIONAL Phrase joined to it:
PHRASE (PP)
up the road; down his throat; round the grotty
student's ear
The Internet Grammar of English (www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/home.htm) has an explanation of phrase structure
that you may find useful, as well as exercises for practising analysis
A. Noun Phrase (NP)
Slippers are the new stilettos.
Power made him crazy.
Stephen found mould behind the bath.
Premodifiers in NP
a. determiners (articles, demonstratives, possessives)
These slippers are the new stilettos.
His power made him crazy.
Stephen found the mould behind the bath.
b. quantifiers and enumerators
c. adjectives
Postmodifiers in NP
a. prepositional phrase
The dictionary in the book cupboard.
The cakes for those tree readers.
The dictionary in the book cupboard is huge.
The cakes for those tree readers are nearly ready.
You should consult the dictionary in the book cupboard.
Don’t eat the cakes for those tree readers.
b. relative clause
The trifle that Susan made for the party.
The thief who stole my car.
The ground where Australia lost the Ashes.
The trifle that Susan made for the party was delicious.
The thief who stole my car has been caught by the police.
The ground where Australia lost the Ashes will be remembered.
To summarise, the noun phrase in English is made up of three functional elements, of which only
the head is compulsory: Premodification, head, postmodification.
Find the noun phrases in the sentences below:
1.
2.
3.
The People's Palace is in the Queen's Building.
The teacher told the students to be quiet.
The James Mason Lecture Theatre is in the Francis Bancroft building.
The Cultural and Social Anthropology Department deal with the many aspects
of the social lives of people around the world.
5. The English for Academic Purposes Modules run by the highly qualified teachers
in the language and learning unit, are available to all students of Queen Mary
University of London.
6. Science and Engineering degrees are run by the school of Science and
Engineering.
4.
"This is the house that Jack built..."
by Mother Goose
This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that
Jack built.
This is the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.
B. Verb Phrase (NP)
It fulfils the role of predicator in the clause and effectively introduces a process (action, event
and so on).
The party started about 9 o’clock.
My brother always sings in the bath.
You bring us bad luck!
She has broken the glass.
I had cooked the dinner.
This book is the best I have ever read.
The boy was playing football.
C. Adjective phrase
The majority of adjective phrases in English are very simple; usually an adjective on its own,
or premodified by an intensifying adverb:
She is pretty.
Your house is incredibly untidy.
(She is) sad about her friend’s illness (prepositional).
(They are) likely to come to the party (clausal).
D. Adverb phrase
The adverb phrase is the simplest of all English phrases, being made up of only an adverb
and any premodifying intensifiers that are also part of the adverb class:
. . . very closely.
. . . right slowly.
. . . amazingly subtly.
E. Prepositional phrase
It is made up of a preposition and a noun phrase
In a moment or two the cortege will emerge from the Abbey . . .
Those children with the expensive trainers . . .
For more notes on phrases, check out the following links:
http://www.grammatics.com/iel/unit6_basic%20grammar.htm
http://aeo.sllf.qmul.ac.uk/Files/NounPhrases/Noun%20Phrases.html
Each of the following sentences, adapted from Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Five Orange
Pips can be divided into components such as S, P, C, O and A. Your task is to identify the major
divisions. Do not attempt to divide up components which you find inside the major components.
1. Sherlock Holmes was wrong.
Sherlock Holmes ¦ was ¦ wrong
SPC
2. The man who entered was young.
The man who entered ¦ was ¦ young
SPC
3. I have brought some traces of the storm and rain into your snug chamber.
I ¦ have brought ¦ some traces of the storm and rain ¦ into your snug chamber.
SPOA
4. He rummaged in his coat pocket.
He ¦ rummaged ¦ in his coat pocket
SPA
5. The vessel in which the man or men are is a sailing ship.
The vessel in which the man or men are ¦ is ¦ a sailing ship
SPC
6. Holmes turned over the leaves of the book upon his knee.
Holmes ¦ turned over ¦ the leaves of the book upon his knee.
SPO
7. You must put this piece of paper which you have shown us into the brass box which you have
described.
You ¦ must put ¦ this piece of paper which you have shown us ¦ into the brass box which you have
described
SPOA
8. His extreme love of solitude in England suggests the idea that he was in fear of something or
someone.
His extreme love of solitude in England ¦ suggests ¦ the idea that he was in fear of something or
someone
SPO
9. My eye rested upon a heading which sent a chill to my heart.
My eye ¦ rested ¦ upon a heading which sent a chill to my heart
SPA
10. That is all which we shall ever know of the fate of the Lone Star.
That ¦ is ¦ all which we shall ever know of the fate of the Lone Star
SPC
What phrases will we find in each of the sentence elements?
S
O
P
C




A

Noun Phrase
Noun Phrase
Verb Phrase
Adjective Phrase or
Noun Phrase
Adverb Phrase or
Prepositional Phrase or
Noun Phrase
MORE PRACTICE
Q1. What is the Subject of the sentence 'The man with the green skin comes from Mars'?
Answer: the man with the green skin
Q2. In 'The man with the green skin comes from Mars', what kind of a phrase is 'from Mars'?
Answer: prepositional phrase
Q3. Which phrase is the Complement in the sentence 'In spite of his green skin the man from
Mars seems rather fiery'?
Answer: rather fiery
Q4. What is the SPOCA structure of 'On Tuesday the professor with the bow-tie was sillier than
usual'?
Answer: ASPC
Q5. What is the SPOCA structure of 'Mary plonked a wet kiss on the end of Mick's nose'?
Answer: SPOA
Q6. What is the SPOCA structure of 'On Monday the students elected Language and Style the
craziest course of the year'?
Answer: ASPOC
Q7. What is the SPOCA structure of 'The tutors stupidly gave the students the answers to the
quiz'?
Answer: SAPOO
Q8. What is the SPOCA structure of 'On the last Monday of term the students with chips on their
shoulders had given a rather wooden response to the annoncement of a course bonfire' ?
Answer: ASPOA
Q9. What is the SPOCA structure of 'At the end of the SPOCA self-test most students with good
marks retired to the bar for a celebratory drink'?
Answer: ASPAA
Q10. What is the SPOCA structure of 'Obviously, in celebration the students with the highest
marks in the SPOCA self-test will want their tutors' approval in the form of free drinks for the
night'?
Answer: AASPO
RECAP....
(i) There are five kinds of phrases in English [noun phrase (NP), verb phrase
(VP), adjective phrase (AdjP), adverb phrase (AdvP) and prepositional phrase
(PP)], and
(ii) These five kinds of phrases can be combined together to make simple
sentences or clauses by filling up the SPOCA [Subject, Predicator, Object,
Complement, Adverbial] slots in those sentences or clauses.
Next topic:
THE GRAMMAR OF COMPLEX SENTENCES
This topic will be conducted through SCL.
Please go to:
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/projects/stylistics/topic7/begin7.htm
You should know the following by the end of the activity:
1. Simple, compound, and complex sentences
2. Linking, listing and nesting
3. How to identify examples of linking, listing and nesting in texts – this includes applying
SPOCA analysis to the text
4. Effects of linking, listing and nesting
HOMEWORK:
1. Find 2 examples of linking, listing and nesting each from any literary texts (please provide the
source of your examples)
2. Carry out SPOCA analysis on the linking and nesting examples
SUBMISSION: 17 April 2013 (Week 8)