Scarica English syntax notes with exercices e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! Sorting out Syntax Every word has one or more meanings: FAIR light-skinned, light-eyed & light-haired beautiful, lovely right or just a thematic, temporary exhibition Some Swedes are fair. Your daughter looks quite fair in that dress. It isn't fair to judge a book by its cover. We went to the fun fair. The animal fair was fun! Every word can function as one or more parts of speech. MAP noun verb I'm looking for Ruanda on a map of Africa. Can you map out your progress in English? Syntax determines where each word must be located in order to function as a particular part of speech in a sentence. Write different versions of the following sentence puzzle making no morphological changes: map maps her progress through She the Amazon Rainforest of South America that she carries with her on the "map" could be understood as: "una carta geografica" (singular noun) "tracciare il tuo percorso su di una mappa”, o “tracciare la mappa stessa" (verb) "maps" could be understood as: "carte geografiche" (plural noun) "egli traccia una mappa" (verb) She maps her progress through the Amazon Rainforest of South America on the map that she carries with her. She maps her progress through the Amazon Rainforest on the map of South America that she carries with her. On the map of South America that she carries with her, she maps her progress through the Amazon Rainforest. Through the Amazon Rainforest, she maps her progress on the map of South America that she carries with her. Could you say the following? She carries the map of South America with her on through the Amazon Rainforest; she maps her progress on that. The answer is yes…but only if you change the punctuation. The meaning of select words such as “that” changes as well: In the relative clause “that she carries with her.” “that” = the relative pronoun “che”. In the independent clause “she maps her progress on that” “that” = demonstrative pronoun essa/quella (la mappa) This is all fine and dandy when you compose a sentence from scratch. But do you understand how to order the parts of speech in English? The core of the structure is: Imperative Verb Go! Subject + Intransitive Verb (invert for questions) You were sleeping. Were you sleeping? Subject + Transitive Verb + Object(s) Direct or Indirect I drank some water. Dad will drive me to training. Time references are always in the wings: they come first, or they come last Now go now! When I called you, you were sleeping when I called you. At ten o'clock last Sunday, were you sleeping at ten o'clock last Sunday? Five minutes ago, I drank some water five minutes ago. This afternoon, dad will drive me to training this afternoon. Note the changes in punctuation! A last recommendation: when sorting out syntax, in the event of a transitive verb, ask yourself what information is most important, in view of the nature of the verb itself: We went We ate We helped We told We said Sentence Fragments to re-organize A) Highlight each subject, lines 1-20. B) Circle each verb, lines 1-20. C) Underline each direct object, lines 1-20. D) On each line, number all of the fragments in the order in which they must appear to construct an affirmation. 1 I an am too Italian 2 you pencils 300 need more 3 fried he fish likes and chips 4 I please some white coffee would like 5 today is raining it heavily 6 we world were long ago champions 7 joking were you it about 8 they had to emigrate to Canada 9 on the lawn will meet the President outside we 10 my mother looks after me I’m ill when 11 your girlfriend dog Sammy’s bit badly 12 was theirs the best ever party 13 sent a postcard to them from Ibiza I 14 to brought flowers Anne Daniel 15 a big corporation our small company become may one day 16 ate my classmates before lunch the cookies all 17 our headmaster will the presentation enjoy thoroughly 18 to The Bahamas are going next month with friends we 19 her problems her mind lose her will make 20 children their parents expected to obey are Homework: re-write each sentence, twice: 20 negations + 20 questions. Be prepared to read your work in class next week!
