Descriptive Grammar: Clauses (Definition, Structure, Classification)

Descriptive Grammar Teacher: Mónica Bisso Study Guide – Unit 2 2007

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Unit 2 :Sections + contents
1. Introduction
Check what you know.

2. The lesson
A) Clauses: Definition Clause structure: grammatical relations B) Classification of clauses: 1) According to complementation: Transitive, intransitive, etc. 2) Main vs dependent clauses: Embedded and subordinateclauses. 3) According to the verb element: Finite and nonfinite clauses. 4) According to function: Nominal, adjectival, etc. C) Simple, compound and complex clauses. Ingresar al Campus

3. Figure it Out!
1. Grammatical relations. (Answer). 2. Propositional content. (Answer). 3. Simple, compound, complex. 4. Phrases vs clauses.

4. Theory revision
Activity: Miscellaneous. (True / false)

5.Practice
Activities from Jacobs.

6. Further practice
Activities in the Extra Practice File.

7. Bibliography

INTRODUCTION: OVERVIEW + CHECK WHAT YOU KNOW NTRODUCTION: OVERVIEW + CHECK WHAT YOU KNOW

After presenting words and word classes in unit one we will now, on the one hand, resume1 phrases and, on the other hand, move on to clauses and sentences …. Do you know what these are? ANSWERAlso in unit 1, we referred to argument roles in deep structure. In unit 2, we will switch to grammatical relations 2 in surface structure. What do you remember being said about them? You can check your knowledge of the above issues by doing the three activities below: ACTIVITY 1: Are the following constructions phrases, clauses or sentences? Sharon KEY
“Resume = to start doing something againafter stopping or being interrupted: She hopes to resume work after the baby is born.” (From the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. New ed. 2003). Pronunciation / rI´zju:m / 2 Grammatical relations = syntactic functions.
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Descriptive Grammar Teacher: Mónica Bisso Study Guide – Unit 2 2007

INSTITUTO LENGUAS VIVAS

Sharon´s car Sharon´s car broke down.
that Sharon´scar broke down.
I know that Sharon´s car broke down.

ACTIVITY 2: Are grammatical relations established in deep structure or surface structure?

KEY ACTIVITY 3: Identify the syntactic functions of the boxed constituents below: (Help: subject, verb, object, modifier, subject or object complement, etc.)
(1) He shares our enthusiasm for jazz .
(2) Witnesses showed the police

KEY In thepresent unit, apart from discussing phrases and clauses, as well as grammatical relations or syntactic functions (Part A), we will classify clauses according to different criteria: complementation, dependency, the verb element and function (Part B) – maybe you recall sentence parsing3 from secondary school … Boring? Or did you enjoy it? Finally, we will refer to simple, compound and complexsentences (Part C). the exact location of the accident .

(3) The defendant remained impassive as the judge described him as evil and a menace to society.

THE LESSON
A) CLAUSES. DEFINITION

“Clauses are constructions with one phrase constituent, typically a noun phrase4, that bears the subject relation and another constituent, the verb phrase, bearing the predicate relation.” (JACOBS: 49)Examples: (4) You are attending Descriptive Grammar. (5) that you are attending Descriptive Grammar. (6) for you to attend Descriptive Grammar. (7) because you are attending Descriptive Grammar. (8) after you attend Descriptive Grammar. The subject / predicate patterns of the sentences above are as follows: PREDICATE PHRASE SUBJECT (ie, VERB + OTHER CONSTITUENTS) (4) You are attending DescriptiveGrammar. Independent clause (5) that you are attending Descriptive Grammar. Dependent clause (6) for you to attend Descriptive Grammar. Dependent clause (7) because you are attending Descriptive Grammar. Dependent clause (Subordinate) (8) after you attend Descriptive Grammar. Dependent clause (Subordinate) The first example is an independent clause, that is, a clause that can stand on its own as a...