Simple sentence in structural grammar

1). Comment on sentence patterns singled out by Roberts. How many are they, what symbols are used in the patterns, what patterns would you add and why?

2). Give an example of the “Chinese boxes”.

3). What are the drawbacks of the method of Bracketing?

4). Draw the candelabra scheme of the following sentence:

Many happy students were going to take an exam in English Grammar.

5). Name the key points of the IC-model of the sentence. What are its drawbacks?

6). What are the main constituents of the tagmemic model of the sentence?

Some practice on sentence structure analysis

1. Write down the tagmemic models of the following sentences:

   1. The natives around here are handsome

   2. Something is rotten is the state of Denmark

   3. The asparagus in our garden grows really fast during June

   4. Down the hill, John ran very fast

   5. The children are in the garden

   6. My friends were out

   7. I can’t believe that he’s gone

   8. The children grew very tired

   9. They seemed clever

   10. The cake was in the oven for half an hour.

2. Draw the IC-models of the following phrases and sentences:

   1. our oil supply from the Middle East

   2. an unforgettable impression of the day

   3. has been reading it for three hours

   4. touchy and pleasant days

   5. across the field and the river

   6. Evelin came and stopped it

   7. If you like, take this

   8. What is more, he’s a raven

   9. Give it to me whenever you find it

   10. A man who hates cats usually likes dogs

   11. since the first night

   12. the essential difficulty of their relationship

   13. now their lives were woven together

   14. was a trembling bell of fate

   15. Bart stood looking at the crowd seeing them all

   16. They were his people and he was coming home with massive support and considerable extra investments

   17. The speaker of the New South Wales State Legislative Assembly.

The communicative and semantic structures of the sentence

1. Speak on the theme-rheme model of the sentence (functional sentence perspective, actual division of the sentence). Name the main means of marking the thematic and rhematic elements.

2. Comment upon Case Grammar principles (name the cases, give examples paying special attention to animateness\inanimateness).

Define the cases in:

1. A very nice dog will be sleeping in this kennel one day.

2. The composition was written by the boy.

3. Do, please, buy this bag for me!

4. My friend is playing the guitar in the hall.

5. I’m trying to paint a picture.

6. At last I’ve done it.

7. Look at me!

8. The computer is on the table.

3. Name the types of the Composite sentence. What kind of relations are they based on?

Practical task:

1). Analyse the types and the structures of the following sentences:

1. If this plan is to bring confidence to the population of the island, it must be adequately thoughy over and discussed.

2. If the conference is to be a success, if the tests are to be sropped, public opinion must take itself felt.

3. They have at the same time drawn attention to what they regard an reasonable delay in dealing with their claim for a 15 per cent increase in wages.

4. My room is more fantastic than usual. It has all the appearance of having been at some time a corridor, though possibly it is really a section of what was once an immense drawing-room.

5. The republicans are already cashing in what seems to them certain victory.

6. He didn’t sing it as I thought he should.

7. He made more than necessary.

8. He will be here by 8 o’clock unless he has a car trouble.

9. Since I love music I’m always ready to go the Opera house.

10. Now that you’ve got a new car, your girl-friend is very assured.

11. It is strange that he hasn’t gone to Italy.

12. Our idea is that everything might happen.

13. It smelled as if something was rotten.

14. The question is how the matter was to be kept quiet.

15. What we need is what we are deprived of.

16. He went on asking why he was in such a hurry.

17. They became aware that television had robbed the cinema of its former popularity.

18. He was the most remarkable-looking man that I had ever seen.

19. It was as if these men and women had matured.

20. Should you have some time, call on me, sweetie.