guide syntax.pdf

BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA

MINISTERY OF POPULAR POWER FOR EDUCATION

MICROMISION SIMÓN RODRÍGUEZ

Authors:

Clavijo Vanessa

Mourad Rimadibi

Navarro Iram

Silva Luisa

Teacher:

MSC. Iris Normarina Rivas

San Fernando, Octuber, 2015

Theoretical Practical Guide


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ÍNDICE

INTRODUCTION

Parts of the speech………………………………………4

Exercises………………………………………………….6

The phrase………………………………………………..8

Noun phrase……………………………………………...9

Verb phrase……………………………………………….9

Prepositional phrase……………………………………..10

Adverbial phrase………………………………………….11

Adjective phrase…………………………………………..11

Exercises…………………………………………………..12

Clauses…………………………………………………….13

Main clauses……………………………………………….13

Subordinate clauses………………………………………14

Exercises…………………………………………………....14

Types of clauses…………………………………………...14

Exercises……………………………………………………15

Identification of complements…………………………….15

Transitive pattern…………………………………………..16

Copula pattern……………………………………………..16

Ditransitive pattern………………………………………...16

Exercises…………………………………………………...16

Types of sentences……………………………………….17

Compound sentences…………………………………….17

Complex sentences……………………………………….18

ComplexCompound sentences…………………………18

Exercises……………………………………………………19

Exercises……………………………………………………19

Bibliographic references…………………………………..22


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INTRODUCTION

The following guide theoretical and practical, is designed for English

language learners based on lessons from the second quarter of Micro Mision

Simon Rodriguez in the course Syntax. Highlighting its importance, because

this course is based on the set of rules, principles, and processes that govern

the structure of sentences in a language, in this case English language. In

other words, syntax is an important rule to write and speak correctly.

This guide is made of a dynamic, simple way and adapted to the

demands and needs of the English students. Our intention is produce a

practical material for the development of written and reading skills.

This guide contains parts of the speech, types of clauses, type of

phrases and types of sentences.


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PARTS OF SPEECH

Parts of the speech consider the words as the smallest elements that

have distinctive meanings. Therefore it is absolutely necessary to distinguish

them to use the language properly. They can be exemplified for English as

follow:


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Exercises: 1) Identify the noun in the following sentences

This is my dog. He lives in my house. We live in Barquisimeto

N N N

We had a breakfast at a café near the rail station.

N N N2) Identify the pronoun in the following sentences

I helped him carry it.

PronThe teacher told us that we are the best team at Micro Mision

Pron Pron

Danys told her boyfriend be careful when you go out with your friends.

Pron Pron

3) Identify the verbs in the following sentences

English is a web site. I like EnglishClub

V V

We have to know, clearly our values

V V

We will select our career

V


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4) Identify adjectives in the following sentences

She wants a big car for her blue garage

Adj Adj

The pink house at the corner is beautiful

Adj Adj

The quiet students are very intelligent

Adj Adj

5) Identify adverbs in the following sentences

The old man walked slowly

Adv

I go to the gym frecuently

Adv

My dog eats very quickly

Adv


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6) Identify the determiners in the following sentences

That bag is the most beautiful in the store

Det Det Det

This is Juan he is my friend from Calabozo

Det Det

Those cat are his pets

Det Det

7) Identify the prepositions in the following sentences

We went to school on Monday

Prep Prep

There is a mouse underneath the piano.

Prep

The keys are on the table at home

Prep Prep


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8) Identify the conjuctions in the following sentences

I like dogs and I like cats

Conj

He is in diet but he eats ice cream every week

Conj

She bought new shoes because she has a new work

Conj

9) Identify the interjections in the following sentences

Oops! I did it again

Interj

Ouch! That hurts

Interj

Ooh! You are so beautiful today

Interj

The Phrase.

A phrase is two or more words that do not contain the subjectverb pair necessary to form a clause. Phrases can be very short or quite long. Here are two examples:

After lunch

After lunch we´ll go to work.


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Certain phrases have specific names based on the type of word that begins or governs the word group: noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase, adjectives phrase and adverbials phrase.

Noun Phrases

A noun phrase includes a noun—a person, place, or thing—and the modifiers—either before or after—which distinguish it. The pattern looks like this:

Optional Modifier(s) + Noun + Optional Modifier(s)

Here are some examples:

The shoplifted pair of jeans

Pair = noun; the, shoplifted, of jeans = modifiers.

A cat that refused to meow

Cat = noun; a, that refused to meow = modifiers.

Yris is great English teacher

Teacher = noun; a, great, English = modifiers.

Verb Phrases

Sometimes a sentence can communicate its meaning with a oneword verb. Other times, however, a sentence will use a verb phrase, a multiword verb, to express more nuanced action or condition. A verb phrase can have up to four parts. The pattern looks like this:

Auxiliary Verb(s) + Main Verb + Verb Ending When Necessary


Had cleaned

Had = auxiliary verb; clean = main verb; ed = verb ending.

Should have been writing


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Should, have, been = auxiliary verbs; write = main verb; ing = verb ending.

Must wash

Must = auxiliary verb; wash = main verb.

Here are the verb phrases in action:

Mom had just cleaned the refrigerator shelves when Lawrence knocked over the pitcher of orange juice.

Sarah should have been writing her research essay, but she couldn't resist another short chapter in her Stephen King novel.

If guests are coming for dinner, we must wash our smelly dog!

Prepositional Phrases

At the minimum, a prepositional phrase will begin with a preposition and end with a noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause, the "object" of the preposition.

The object of the preposition will often have one or more modifiers to describe it. These are the patterns for a prepositional phrase:

Preposition + Noun, Pronoun, Gerund, or Clause

Preposition + Modifier(s) + Noun, Pronoun, Gerund, or Clause


On time

On = preposition; time = noun.

Underneath the sagging yellow couch

Underneath = preposition; the, sagging, yellow = modifiers; couch = noun.

From eating too much

From = preposition; eating = gerund; too, much = modifiers.


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Adverbial phrase

Adverbial phrase is the term for two or more words which play the role of an adverb. Look at these examples:

I will sit quietly.

(normal adverb)

I will sit in silence.

(adverbial phrase)

I will sit like a monk meditates.

(adverbial clause)(When the multiword adverb contains a subject and a verb (like in this example), it is an adverbial clause as opposed to an adverbial phrase.)

In the examples above, all the adverbs tell us how the person will sit. They are all adverbs of manner. When used to modify a verb, an adverb (including an adverbial phrase and an adverbial clause) will usually describe when, where, or how something happens.

Adjective phrase

An adjective phrase (or adjectival phrase) is a phrase that tells us something about the noun it is modifying. The head (principal) word in an adjective phrase will be an adjective. In the examples below, the adjective phrase is shaded and the head word (i.e., the adjective) is in bold:

The nearby motel offers cheap but comfortable rooms.

(In this example, the head adjective starts the adjective phrase.)

These are unbelievably expensive shoes.

(In this example, the head adjective ends the adjective phrase.)

Sarah was fairly bored with you.

(In this example, the head adjective is in the middle of the adjective phrase.)


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Like a normal adjective, an adjective phrase can be used before the noun it is modifying (like in the first two examples above) or after the noun it is modifying (like in the last example).

Exercises:

1. Identify the noun phrase in the following sentences:

The tall boy threw the blue ball with great force.

NP NP NP

Iram forgot Vanessa’s birthday.

NP

2. Identify verb phrase in the following sentences:

I am studying

VP

They are playing Domino

VP

3. Identify prepositional phrase in the following sentences:

The man from Barinas bought a new suit.

P.P

Luisa hid her books under the bed

P.P


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4. Identify adverbial phrase in the following sentences:

In front of the house, the car stopped

Adv P

Vanessa spoke with conviction

Adv P

5. Identify adjective ‘phrase in the following sentences:

The movie was not too terribly long

Adj P

The new outfit was very pricey but really beautiful

Adj P Adj P

ClausesA clause is a group of related words usually containing a subject and a

verb.

E.g. Samuel goes home

Subject Verb

Clauses are classified as main clause (Independent clause) and

subordinate clauses (dependent clause)

Main clause: Express a complete thought and may constitute a

sentence

E.g.: Close the door


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Subordinate clause: It is not complete in itself. It must always be

attached to same element in main clause.

E.g. Close the door when you go out.

Identify the main clause and the subordinate clause in the following sentences:James spoke as though he were a born orator

Main clause – James spoke; subordinate adverb clause – as though he were

a born actor

The few books that were produced in the Middle Ages were written by hand.

Main clause – the few books were written by hand; subordinate adjective

clause – that were produced in the Middle Ages

Type clausesThey are classified as adjective clause, adverb clause and relative

clause.

Adjective clause: follows the noun or pronoun that it modifies. You can

recognize them because it contains who, which or that.

E.g. She is a person who likes expensive things

Main clause Adjective clause

Adverb Clause: appears just before or just after the main clause.

E.g. If you page your bills, you will have a good credit score

Adverb clause Main clause


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Identify the type of clause in the following sentences.

Since I don't have the book, I could not do the report.

S.C M.C

The wellknown poet, who was immortalized, is Edgar Allen Poe.

M.C S.C

Iris, who is a girl in room 18, will run for representative.

S.C M.C

Identification of complementsMany verbs require complements to make sense:

Jose made…

Gabriela y Valeria are…

These verbs need something more that answer the question what?

And this is known like complements.

E.g. Jose made the lunch

Gabriela y Valeria are beautiful

Intransitive pattern: do not have an object receiving the action.

E.g. Maria walk

S + V

Subject Verb


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Transitive pattern: are action verbs that have an object (Direct object)

to receive that action.

E.g. He took the train

S + V + O.D

Subject Verb Complement

Coppula pattern (liking verbs): it tells what something is, was, will be. It

can describe and to show an attribute of the subject.

E.g. Vanessa is Intelligent

S + V + CS / S + V + Adj.

Subject verb Adj.

Ditransitive pattern: It has two objects: Indirect object and direct object.

E.g. He told a story to his mother

Subject verb O.D. O.I.

Identify the type of the verbs and its objects in the following sentences.

Rima passed (T) the book (OD) to Iram.

Luisa and Vanessa sang (I) at the school concert.

She looks (LV) fine

Iris found Dany (OI) an out of shoe store (OD)


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Types of sentences

Compound sentencesA compound sentence is a sentence that has at least two independent

clauses joined by a comma, semicolon or conjunction. An independent

clause is a clause that has a subject and verb and forms a complete thought.

An example of a compound sentence is, 'This house is too expensive,

and that house is too small.' This sentence is a compound sentence because

it has two independent clauses, 'This house is too expensive' and 'that house

is too small' separated by a comma and the conjunction 'and.'

When independent clauses are joined with coordinators (also called

coordinating conjunctions) commas and semicolons, they do more than just

join the clauses. They add meaning and flow to your writing. First let's look at

the coordinators you can use to join independent clauses. They are:

For

And

Nor

But

Or

Yet

So

Note that they form the handy mnemonic FANBOYS. The three you will use

most often are 'and,' 'but' and 'or.'

E.X: “I love chocolate, and I love eating chocolate.” Two or more independent clauses.


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Complex sentence

A complex sentence is a sentence that combines one independent

clause with at least one dependent clause. A clause is a group of words that

has both a subject and a verb. An independent clause forms a complete

thought. A dependent clause, also called a subordinating clause, does not

form a complete thought and is dependent upon an independent clause for

meaning.

E.X: “I love chocolate because it’s decadent.” One independent clause and

one or more dependent clauses

Complex Compound sentence

A compoundcomplex sentence combines the compound and the

complex sentence. The 'compound' part means that it has two or more

complete sentences. The 'complex' part means that it has at least one

incomplete sentence.

E.X: “I love chocolate because it’s decadent, and I love eating

chocolate because it’s delicious.” Two or more independent clauses and one

or more dependent clauses.

Identify de types of sentence in the following sentences:

Although I like to go camping, I haven't had the time to go lately, and I

M.C I.C

haven't found anyone to go with. (CompoundComplex Sentece)

I.C Everyone was busy, so I went to the movie alone. (Compound Sentence)

M.C M.C

Because my coffee was too cold, I heated it in the microwave. (Complex

Sentence)


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I.C M.C

Now, put the learned in practice. Identify parts of the speech, type of phrases, type of the clause and kind of verbs and its objects if they have in the following sentences.

1) Vanessa has a car S

Subj. Pred.

NP VP

Noun

Vanessa V(T) OD

has NP

Det. N

a car

2) I helped my nephew with his homework S


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Subj. Pred.

NP VP

Pron

I V (DT) OI OD

helped NP PP

Det. N P NP

my nephew with

Det. N

his homework

3) Luisa is happy S

Subj. Pred. NP VP Proper N Luisa V(LV) CS is A happy

4) Rima brings us food S


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Subj Pred NP VP

V(DT) OI OD Brings Pron N us food

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES


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http://www.learnamericanenglishonline.com/

http://study.com/

https://learningnerd.wordpress.com/

http://www.englishgrammar.org/clausesexercise/

guide syntax.pdf

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