alel

An animated description of basic sentence structurewith some notationA collection of interesting variationswith some terminologyA grammatical treasure huntin seven extracts

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Grammar jokeThe Owl and the PussycatOliver Twist Directgov: vehicle taxationA grammarian's funeral (Browning)The Sun: Blues warned off Kaka move Northern Ireland Transcribed Corpus of Speech*

*verbmakenounsubjectnounobjectwordpredicativebabiesparentshappyHas a tenseSTOPverb dependentsmadedependents

A verb with just one word as its subject and no O or P or other dependent.1: He arrives, and, A sentence containing the verb BE three times, with adjective or place adverb as P.6: But signing Kaka is impossible, because he is here at AC Milan and will be here until the end of his career. *

*adverbverbmakenounSnounwordbabiesparentshappyoftenprepositionwithnounsmilesOP

A verb modified by a monosyllabic adverb standing immediately before it.4: Vehicles that are exempt from vehicle tax still need to display a tax disc. A verb with S, O and a following modifier, each of which is just one word.2: So they took it away, and were married next day *

*verbmakenounSnounwordbabiesparentshappyOPadjectiveprepositionhealthywiththe normal range of baby behaviour such as ..

Healthy babies with normal behaviour make parents happy.*SOP

Healthy babies with normal behaviour make parents happy.*SOPphraseclausenoun

Healthy babies with normal behaviour make parents happy.*

A phrase is a group of words that depend on one word.That word is the phrases head.The phrase can be classified according to its heade.g. noun phrase, preposition phraseA phrase headed by a verb is called a clause.

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no + adj + noun + preposition + the + noun3: which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader Nouns contrasted only by their preceding adjectives and by this/that.5: That low man seeks a little thing to do, / Sees it and does it:/ This high man, with a great thing to pursue, / Dies ere he knows it. (x 2)*

*verbmakenounSnounadjectivebabiesparentshappyOPverbcrynounadultsprepositioninto adults

Predicative = a noun modified by a preposition3: it remained a matter of considerable doubt Predicative = a noun modified by an adjective4: If youre a disabled person, *

*seemWeSto havePbeenPtryingPto start PS

A chain of three verbs: verb + not + verb + verb6: Kaka will not be heading to Stamford BridgeA chain of three verbs where the third verb does not have the same subject as the others7: I know I've heard tell, *

Subject-auxiliary inversionAuxiliary contractionTopicalisationSubject delayPostposingExtraposition*

*isSPHeready.heSVerbs like is:BE, HAVE, WILL, CAN, DO, ..But NOT:GET, BECOME, TRY,

Because it could be negative:He ready. he ready?So we focus on truth.Is he ready? = Is it true that hes ready?*Isnt isnt isIs

inverted aux + S = if5: That, has the world here should he need the next,/ Let the world mind him!ungrammatical inverted non-aux + SSo, with the throttling hands of death at strife,/ Ground he at grammar;*

is*SItPmine.sContractable:Most finite (past/present) auxiliariesPurpose: to show lack of formality.

A matter of degree, not all or none.We can contract some contractable auxiliaries without contracting all of them.Project: count contracted auxiliariesas percentage of all contractables.very good for practicing grammatical analysis!Contraction is an issue in students own writing. *

*rainedSItyesterdaytopic

A verb that has two topics2: And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by the light of the moonA topic 29 words long3: Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is *

So do I.No way am I going to Not only did he Only once did he At no point did he

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so + inverted aux + S7: the North Sea's bound to come to an end, sooner or later, and so's the Arab places negative topic + inverted aux + S1: but never once have I heard it asked for *

*saileda neat little yachtinto the harbouritS

A simple adverb + subject delay 5: heres the platform, heres the proper place heres the top-peakA prepositional phrase + subject delay3: in this workhouse was born; on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events; the item of mortality *

Here comes your bus.There are my gloves.In the corner is an old oak tree.In the corner stands an old oak tree.From this observation arises another concern.*formality

*putWeitinto the boxSOa bag a bag of jewels that we had found up the chimney

A postposed O following a preposition phrase2: 'Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling / Your ring?' A postposed O following a simple adverb1: you have brought home the punchline *

*arriveda letterSfrom the bank

An extraposed preposition phrase2: a Piggy-wig stood / With a ring at the end of his nose An extraposed relative clause that 4: A free tax disc is issued that will need to be renewed each year.*

*surprisesthat he came so late SmeItO

Three examples of an extraposed clause after it3: which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning 3: it remained a matter of considerable doubt whether the child would survive 3: it is somewhat more than probable that these memoirs would never have appeared *

Focus on finiteness and truthsubject-auxiliary inversionPut topic early, because its already in the hearers mind.topicalisationPut heavy material late, to give the hearer time to process it.subject delay, postposing, extraposition *

This slideshow is available at:www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/talks.htm#alelFor more on grammar in teaching:www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/education.htm#strategy

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