English syntax ii

ENGLISH SYNTAX II:

1. REVIEW OF SYNTAX I CONCEPTS. REVIEW OF EXERCISES ON MORPHO SYNTACTIC CATEGORIES AND PRHASES AND SENTENCE FUNCTIONS. TYPES OF LEXICAL VERBS ACCORDING TO THEIR COMPLEMENTS AND THEIS LEXICAL ASPECT. CLAUSES AND SENTENCES: TYPES. COORDINATION, SUBORDINATION AND EMBEDDING. (chapters 2-5).

A. FORM:

2.1. SUBJECT AND PREDICATE:

* Subject: The subjectof a sentence is the constituent that tells us who performs the action denoted by the verb as well as tells us what is this sentence about.

* Predicate: The unit in a sentence whose function Is to specify what the subject is engaged in doing. In any given sentence the predicate is everything in a sentence except the subject.

Sometimes we can find what is called a “non-referential it” inthe subject, as in sentences like “It is raining in England” or “it was hot yesterday” (weather “it”). Other times we find a referential “it”. There are as well two types of “there”, the first one is the existential there because it is used with propositions that have to do with existence (“there were three lions in the cage). Locative there specifies a location (I saw the cat a minute ago. Thereit is!). Both “there” and “it” fill the subject slot.

2.2.1. Characteristics of subjects:

1. Subjects denote a person, an animal, a group of people, an institution or a thing.
2. Subjects are usually noun phrases (NPs).
3. Subjects are obligatory.
4. Subjects determine the form of the verb, sentences agree with the subjects, but it is only visible through the –sending of the verbs (She never writes home).
5. In yes/no questions the subject changes position: the verb is then in the initial slot of the sentence and the subject is in the second slot.
6. We can identify the subject of a sentence by adding a tag-question. (This teacher is a genious, isn´t she?)

Predicator:
The function of predicator is to specify the main action or processdenoted by the verb. The predicator in a predicate is the verb.

2.2. DIRECT OBJECT:
Direct Object is the constituent that refers to entities that undergo the activity or process denoted by the verb.
* They are often noun phrases
* Their position use to be after the main verb
* They have a strong relationship with the verb that precedes them
* There are some verbs thatrequire the presence of a DO to be meaningful, those verbs are called TRANSITIVE VERBS (His girlfriend bought….This silly fool broke….My sister found….). There are as well intransitive verbs, that are verbs that don’t need a constituent to complete their meaning (James blushed, Mary dreamt, Doris jumped).
* Sometimes verbs seem to be both transitive and intransitive (My sister was eating asandwich / My sister was eating).
* Direct Objects in active sentences convert themselves in the subjects of the passive sentences (We drank a bottle of wine A bottle of wine was drunk by us)

2.3. INDIRECT OBJECT:
Indirect Objects use to play the role of beneficiary or receiver. Verbs that take a direct object and an indirect object are called ditransitive verbs.
* They areusually noun phrases.
* They cannot occur without a following Direct Object.
* Indirect Objects always precede Direct Objects.
* They can become the Subjects of passive sentences like DO (The boys were given the CDs by us)

2.4. ADJUNCTS:
Adjuncts have the function of telling us about the how, when, where or why. Adjuncts are always optional and express peripheral information.More than one of them can appear in a sentence. They are mobile.

B. CLAUSES AND SENTENCES:
A sentence may contain several clauses, a matrix clause (coextensive with the overall sentence) and a subordinate clause. Clauses consist of a subject and a predicate. Matrix clauses are superordinate clauses which are not themselves subordinate to anything else.
* Finite clauses: Clauses that...