Transcript Introduction

English Grammar
By Yang Yan
Foreign Languages College
Luoyang Normal University

Lecture 1 Introduction
What we will go though in this class:
1.
2.
3.
4.
About the class requirements
About the course
About the book
About the suggestions
1. About the course

Why grammar?

Can we learn without it?

How do we learn it?

We take English as a foreign language that
will be seldom used in daily life after school.
So we have no any English language
environment at all.

Thank God we have grammar as a tool or a
short cut.

a Tool to handle difficulties in English
language

A short cut to form logical thought
It is just a useful tool ,a faithful servant
Language
Grammar
2. About the book
Name:
A New English Grammar Coursebook
By:
章振邦
 Almost the best grammar course book
 A little difficult for students of our level
 need to be read 2 times or more
Features of the book:
1.Tense and aspect
2. Means of expressing future time
3. –ing participle and –ed participle
4. non-finite verbs
5. Relative clause instead of attributive
clauses
Time distribution
Further reading:
The book should be appended some
reference books like:
1.《张道真英语语法》（全新版）
《实用英语语法》张道真
2.《高级英语语法》薄冰
3. 《新英语语法教程》何桂金，高纪兰
外语教学与研究出版社
4.《大学英语语法手册》张成韦
上海外语教育出版社
About the suggestions:
•
•
•
•
A note book strongly needed
Pre-reading being extremely essential
Homework being finished in time
Come up with your own problems

What is grammar?
Definition of GRAMMAR
GRAMMAR:
 the structural system of a language.
 the branch of linguistics that deals with
syntax and morphology (and
sometimes also deals with semantics)
Linguistics
Syntax
Grammar
Morphology
Semantics

Grammatical Hierarchy
Five Ranks

The grammar of the English language is
organized into five ranks:
the sentence
the clause
the phrase
the word
the morpheme
Diagram of the five ranks:
Each rank is composed of one or more than one
grammatical unit of the immediate lower rank:
Sentence
Clause
Phrase
Word
Morpheme
A full sentence can generally be segmented rank
by rank down to its smallest constituents---the
morphemes.
Sentence
Clause
Noun Phrase
Determiner Noun
Verb Phrase
Auxiliary Adverb Main Verb
Prepositional Phrase
Preposition Determiner
Noun
These undergraduates are rapidly improving in their writing.
0.1 Morphemes
1.Definition:
 the minimum or smallest grammatical
unit
 the smallest meaningful element of
speech.
2.Classification:
Two categories:
Free Morphemes
Bound Morphemes
1) Free Morphemes
1.Definition:
 has a complete meaning
 can stand by itself as a Simple Word
 Can form Compound Words
 Can form Derivatives
2) Bound Morphemes



are mostly affixes
also meaningful, but the meaning is not
complete in itself unless it is attached to
some other form
cannot stand by itself: it only exists as
an Inflectional or Derivational Affix.
Inflectional Affix






-’s (genitive case)
-s/-es (plural nouns)
-s/-es (the third person singular verbs in simple present)
-ed (past tense verbs)
-ing, -ed (-ing participle, -ed participle form of verbs)
-er, -est (comparative, superlative degree of adjectives/
adverbs)
Derivational Affix
Prefix, Suffix
 (Prefix) + Root + (suffix)
 co-exist
existence co-existence

Free M ＋ Affix
Derivative
Free morpheme
Morpheme
Free M ＋ Free M
Inflectional Affix
Bound morpheme
Compound word
-’s, -s -ing, -ed/-en
-est, -er, -s,-es
Affix
Prefix
Derivational Affix
＋ Root
Suffix
3) Allomorphs
Definition:
 The variants of the same morpheme
are called allomorphs.
Explanation:
 the same morpheme in different
contexts may take different
phonological or orthographical
forms.
Examples:
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


In Orthography:
inimilirinactive
immature illegal
irrational
incoherent
immortal illogical irregular
inexperienced imperfect illegible irrelevant
In phonology:
-s cats dogs houses
0.2 Words



is composed of one or more than one
morpheme.
can be classified in two ways:
in terms of word-formation
grammatical function
1. In terms of Wordformation
a) Simple Word
b) Derivative
c) Compound Word
a) Simple Word:
also called Morpheme Word (free morpheme)
minor but has frequent appearance and
strong derivational ability
the main body of English vocabulary
usually the small word
at
near
take
on
hand
make
down
foot
b) Derivative:
Structure:
unkindness
(prefix) + root +(suffix) :
Prefix Influence the meaning of the root
Suffix Influence the part of speech of the root
Exceptions:
1. be-, en-/em, a- Influence the part of speech
befriend, enable, empower, asleep
2. Some suffixes only change the meaning
Friendship, booklet, idealism
c) Compound Word
Structure:
Free Morpheme + Free Morpheme
Classification:

Compound Noun
Compound Adjective
Compound Verb
Compound Adverb
Compound Pronoun
Compound Conjunction
Compound Preposition
2. In terms of grammatical
function

Closed-class words
Open-class words
Closed-class words

Definition:
Closed-class words refer to those sets
of words whose items are closed or
limited in number and are only
exceptionally extended by the creation
of additional members.
Scope:
All the Function Words:
Preposition
Pronoun
Determiner
Conjunction
Auxiliary
Open-class Words
Definition:
Open-class words refer to those sets of words
whose items are indefinitely extendable.
New items are constantly being created and
old items are giving place to new ones.
Scope:
All the Content Words:
Noun
Adjective
Adverb
Main Verb
NOTE:
Cardinal Numeral, Ordinal
Numeral and Interjection are
between closed and open words.
0.3 Phrases
Definition:



is composed of one or more than one word.
is a group of words organized in a specific way with a
key Word as its Head.
The word class of the Head determines the class of
the phrase and the way in which the words are
organized.
Word Class of Phrase :
Noun Phrase
Verb Phrase
Adjective Phrase
Adverb Phrase
Prepositional Phrase
1) The Noun Phrase:

Structure:
(Determiner) + (Pre-Modifier) + Noun + (Post-Modifier)

all the college
students
Noun as the Pre-Modifier
Determiner
Determiner
Noun as the Head
Prepositional Phrase
His new book on phonology
Post-Modifier
 The girl standing under the tree
 The author’s new novel that will soon come
out
Finite Verb Phrase
Clause
2) The Verb Phrase:
Simple Verb Phrase
Complex Verb Phrase
In terms of
the amount of verbs
Finite Verb Phrase
Non-finite Verb Phrase
In terms of
grammatical form
Simple Verb Phrase:
Structure:
(Modifier) + Main Verb + (Modifier)
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She looks pale.
We utterly detested him.
Complex Verb Phrase:
Structure:
Auxiliary /Auxiliaries + Main Verb +
(Modifier)
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It is getting dark.
She ought to have told him about it.
Joan will certainly object and so will Mary.
Finite Verb Phrase:
A finite verb phrase is initiated by a finite form, that
is, a verb form that changes according to Tense
or Subject.
Person
Number
I loved you.
Love  loved
Number
Tommy loves Lora.
Love  loves
Person
Love  love
Tense
The girls love fairy tales.
Non-finite Verb Phrase:
A non-finite verb phrase is initiated by a non-finite
form, that is, a verb form that does not change
according to Tense or Subject.
We went there to see a film.
Robert seldom goes there to see a film.
Finite
Andrew will go there to see a film.
I usually go there to see a film.
Non-finite
Point out finite and non- finite verb
phrases:
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Having seen the film, we had a discussion.
Painted by a famous artist, the portrait is
invaluable.
Tired from studying all afternoon, she went
for a walk.
Opening the book slowly and tentatively, she
began to read.
3) The Adjective Phrase:
Structure:
(Modifier) + Adjective + (Post modifier /
Complementation)
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
The course is pretty difficult.
I’ll be glad to help you repair the car if
you show me what’s wrong.
4) The Adverb Phrase:
Structure:
(Modifier) + Adverb + (post
Modifier)

He spoke loudly and clearly.
5) The Prepositional
Phrase:
Structure:
(Modifier) + Preposition + Complementation
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The weather has been fine except in the north.
Now their footsteps could be heard directly above
my head.
We are collecting money for the benefit of some
orphans.
0.4 Clauses:
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
is composed of one or more than one
phrase.
A full-fledged clause is structurally a
sequence of phrase and logically a
construction of “Subject + Predicate”.
The producers are able to supply a small part of our needs.
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NP
Subject
Subject
VP
Verb
NP
Object
Predicate
Clause
Sentence
In order to be a clause, a group of
words must meet three criteria:
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
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It must contain a subject;
It must contain a predictive verb;
It must make a complete thought.
Classification:
1) In terms of grammatical function:
Independent clause (IC)
stand by itself
act as a complete utterance
Dependent clause (DC)
forms only part of
another clause or phrase
He knows everything about it.
I don’t think he knows everything about it.
Quiz:

I went to the store. I didn't buy any bread.
IC. IC.

I went to the store; I didn't buy any bread.
IC; IC.

I went to the store, but I didn't buy any bread.
IC, IC.
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I went to the store; however, I didn't buy any bread.
IC; IC.
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When I went to the store, I didn't buy any bread.
DC, IC.
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I didn't buy any bread when I went to the store.
IC DC.
2) Simple and Complex
Clauses
In terms of the “Subject + Predicate”
construction:
Simple Clause
only one
construction of
“subject + predicate”
Complex Clause
comprises
another clause or other clauses
as its element or elements
Examples:
It is not true. Simple
Independent
What you said is not true.
Complex
He said that it was not true.
Simple
Independent
Dependent
He complained that what you said was not true.
Complex
Dependent
3) Main and Subordinate
Clauses

In a complex clause, the clause that takes
another clause as its element is the main
clause, while the clause that forms part of the
main clause is a subordinate clause.
Example:
Main Clause
Subordinate Clause
He complained that what you said was not true.
Subordinate Clause
Main Clause
0.5 Sentences
Features:
 the highest rank of grammatical unit.
 the basic linguistic unit of connected discourse
 Based on one or more than one clause
 can stand alone and perform a function in social
communication.
Definition:
a grammatical unit that can stand by itself
and perform a communicative function.
1) Full and Minor
Sentences
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A minor sentence is only a sentence fragment
which in specific contexts and situations can stand
by itself and perform a communicative function.
Minor sentences are extensively used in informal
discourses.
A: When did he arrive?
B: Last night.
No smoking!
Fire!
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
A Full Sentence is a sentence with an
expressed subject and predicate.
This kind of sentence is mostly used in
formal speech and writing.
Classification of Full
Sentence:


Simple Sentence one independent clause
Compound Sentence
Two or more coordinated independent clauses
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Complex Sentence
an independent clause comprising one or
more dependent clauses as its elements

Compound-complex Sentence
Two or more coordinated independent
clauses with at least one complex clause
Examples:
S. S.
Some students like to study in the mornings.
S. S.
Juan and Arturo play football every afternoon.
S. S.
Alicia goes to the library and studies every day.
I tried to speak Spanish, and
my friend tried to speak English.
Cpd. S.
Cpx. S.
Cpx. S.
We had to go inside when it started raining.
As long as it isn't cold , it doesn't matter if it rains.
Cpd. Cpx. S.
I admire Tim, but he doesn't admire me,
although I try hard to impress him.
Even if you fail, at least you tried, and you're a better person for it.
THANK
YOU!