Word GrammarUnit 1
By:
Julio Vangel Pérez
Word GrammarUnit 1
By:
Julio Vangel Pérez
1.5 Word Grammar
Hudson (1984), tells us that WG is a theory of language which touches on almost all aspects of synchronic linguistics and unifies them all through a single general claim.
Hudson (2005), Word Grammar is a theory of language structure.
1.5 Word Grammar
Grammar has been regarded as operating principally at the level of the sentence, with words as simply options that fit into established grammatical ‘slots’.
Example:
Students may be taught the Past Continuous using as an example, John was seeing a movie. Then they are asked to produce sentences based on this model, by slotting in these words: Sam, running, very fast, The Group, taking, a class.
1.5 Word Grammar
Words can be classified according to the slot that they can go into, this is also called,
Parts of Speech:• Nouns
• Verbs
• Pronouns
• Adjectives
• Adverbs
• Prepositions
• Conjunctions
• Interjections
Pair work
In pairs define the 8 parts of speech and give 5 examples of each.
10-15 minutes.
Open class words
Word Grammar is more than just parts of speech, some of these word classes, such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives are open classes:
This means that their expansion is potentially unlimited, some new words come to mind:
Blog, yuppify and air bag.
Closed class words
Other word classes, such as pronouns, determiners, prepositions, and conjunctions, are closed classes, meaning their expansion is limited—in the case of pronouns, very limited— and new items cannot just be invented.
Which are grammar words?
Closed class words function as grammar words, that means, unlike open class words, they have no “dictionary” meaning, but serve more to provide the grammatical “glue” that holds the content words together.
1.5 Word GrammarGrammar words are extremely common.
The fifty most common words words in English—apart from said—are all grammar words. In fact, every second or third word in a text is likely to be a grammar word.
The Was His They Will
Of On Are Or All
To As From An If
And With Had There Would
A He This Her When
In Be But Were Who
Is I Not We Said
That By Have Their Up
It At Which Been Out
For You She Has Can
100 most frequent words in English
The Was His They Will One Could So More Way
Of On Are Or All What No Did New Years
To As From An If About My Me Should After
And With Had There Would Its Two Only See How
A He This Her When Into Do Your Where Our
In Be But Were Who Him Then These First Many
Is I Not We Said Some Over Any Very Those
That By Have Their Up Them Than May Like Being
It At Which Been Out Other Also Such Just because
For You She Has Can Time Now People Between Yeah
1.6 Sentence Grammar
Sentence Grammar is the domain of most grammar teaching, and
essentially involves what is commonly know as “sentence structure”, or more
technically as syntax.
1.6 Sentence Grammar
Syntax
Has to do with the rules that determine the way words can be combined to make well formed sentences. Syntax explains why My aunt’s pen is on the table. Is well formed while Aunt’s my pen the table on is. Is not.
1.6 Sentence Grammar
• Sentence Grammar not only governs the correctness of sentences, but also this sentences have express the meaning that the speaker or writer intends.
• Sentence Grammar, then, is not simply concerned with putting any words in the right order, but with putting the right words in the right order. Therefore tasks with sentence grammar need to maintain a balance between form and meaning.
Issues in sentence grammar
• The main preoccupation of sentence grammar has always been with the verb phrase.
• A verb phrase is a group of one or more verbs, as in did, was doing, had done, haven’t done.
Issues in sentence grammar
The verb phrase gathers together a great deal of information about states, actions, and processes, including the time of occurrence, likelihood, whether the situation is finished or not. Knowing how to construct verb phrases also involves knowing the rules of morphology, that is the way words can change their form to convey different grammatical distinctions, for example, from is to was, or from work to working.
1.7 Text Grammar
Just like sentence grammar, text grammar is a perspective on this subject that largely deals with the
study of texts and that its functions and characteristics are properly
understood. Text grammar is also known as context grammar and to a
larger extent discourse grammar.
1.7 Text Grammar
A lot of grammar is intelligible only in context, keeping this in mind, it is probably best studied and practiced only in context. However, for reasons of convenience and economy, a great deal of traditional grammar teaching has been limited to the study of grammar as single, decontextualized sentences, despite the fact that most language in use occurs, not as sentences, but as a cohesive text.
What is a text?
According to Cornbleet and Carter (2001):
“Texts can be used for both written and spoken language. It usually refers to a stretch, an extract or complete piece of writing or speech. Texts generally adhere to broad conventions and rules which determine the language and structure used in particular text types”.
Cornbleet and Carter The Language of Speech and Writing
(2001, p 3)
Characteristics of a text
Thorbury (2005), describes texts as:
• Self-contained.• Well-formed.• Hang together.(cohesive)• Make sense. (coherent)• Have a clear communicative purpose.• Are recognisable text types.• Are appropriate to their contexts of use.
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