7 wonders of advanced english grammar: phenomena, patterns, pedagogy edward de chazal ucl language...
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7Wonders of advanced
English Grammar: phenomena, patterns,
pedagogy
Edward de ChazalUCL Language Centre
1
discontinuity
children eating like
Work in groups of three.
Put the three words above into as many different sequences as possible; how many is that?
Add words before and after these three-word bundles to build short meaningful sentences.
children eating like children like eating eating like childrenlike eating childrenlike children eating eating children like
I can’t stand children eating like animals.
Most children like eating chocolate.They’re eating like children.Hungry lions like eating children.And I’m like, “children eating – yuk, no
thanks.” While eating, children like to play with
their food.
words: noun verb preposition adverb
I | can’t stand | children eating like animals.
Most children | like |eating chocolate.They|’re eating | like children.Hungry lions | like | eating children.And | I |’m like |, “children eating – |yuk,
no thanks.” While | eating |, children | like to play |
with their food.
at embarrassing like
is over uncles
at embarrassing likeat like embarrassingembarrassing like unclesembarrassing uncles like uncles like embarrassinguncles embarrassing like
is over uncles is uncles overover is unclesover uncles isuncles is over uncles over is
like what… what is what?
It’s clear that the party we’ve been dancing at like embarrassing drunken uncles is over and we have only ourselves to blame for the hangover.
who? what? where? why?
sworn enemies are being buried
burying the hatchet
Hatchets between former sworn enemies are being
buried, and this time not in each other’s
backs.
would’ve used would’ve derived from
the words would’ve used he would’ve derived
from
who would’ve done what?
“The words he would’ve used would’ve derived from a different common ancestral word to the English words that we’re using today.”
who does what how?
The problem of the availability of
skilled personnel worries policy-makers worldwide, who solve it in different ways.
who is attracted by what?
The problem of the availability of skilled personnel worries policy-makers worldwide, who solve it in different ways. Scientific research in the USA depends massively on young scientists from abroad who are attracted by the excellent reputation of US university education and research, and by the chance of finding a well-paid job.
2
modification
phrase upon phrasein Canary Wharf
in the First World Warbetween German and English soldiers of this new solidaritybetween Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachsof the Christmas day fixture
Such is the extent ______ that I half expect someone to organise a football match ______ / ______ reminiscent / ______ /______ / ______.
patterns
prepositional phrases
Such is the extent of this new solidarity that I half expect someone to organise a football match in Canary Wharf / between Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs reminiscent of the Christmas day fixture / in the First World War / between German and English soldiers.
patterns
noun phrases
Such is the extent of this new solidarity that I half expect someone to organise a football match in Canary Wharf between Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs / reminiscent of the Christmas day fixture in the First World War between German and English soldiers.
Such is the extent of this new solidarity that I half expect someone to organise a football match in Canary Wharf between Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs / reminiscent of the Christmas day fixture in the First World War between German and English soldiers.
Such is the extent of this new solidarity that I half expect someone to organise a football match in Canary Wharf / between Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs reminiscent of the Christmas day fixture / in the First World War / between German and English soldiers.
decoding meaning ‘unpacking’ phrases inside phrases [something might happen]
between A and B[which is] reminiscent of C
in D between E
Such is the extent of this new solidarity that I half expect someone to organise a football match in Canary Wharf between Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs reminiscent of the Christmas day fixture in the First World War between German and English soldiers.
noun phrase structure det
.premodificatio
nhead noun
postmodification
adjective participle (-ed / -ing) noun
Clause: finite (relative clause)
non-finite (to…, -ing…, -ed…)
Phrase: prepositional noun (appositive)
■ the extent of this new solidarity■ I ■ someone■ a football match… between Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs reminiscent of the Christmas Day fixture in the First World War between German and English soldiers
noun phrase structure det
.premodificatio
nhead noun
postmodification
adjective participle (-ed / -ing) noun
Clause: finite (relative clause)
non-finite (to…, -ing…, -ed…)
Phrase: prepositional noun (appositive)
the extent of this new solidarity
I
someone
a football match … between Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs reminiscent of the Christmas day fixture in the First World War between German and English soldiers
analysing noun phrases det
.premodification
head noun
postmodificationadjective participle (-ed / -ing) noun
Clause: finite (relative clause) non-finite (to…, -ing…, -ed…) Phrase: prepositional noun (appositive)
■ their computer model■ a different common ancestral word■ a linguistic evolutionary leap■ a rapidly changing word
premodified noun phrases det
.premodification
head noun
postmodificationadjective participle (-ed / -ing) noun
Clause: finite (relative clause) non-finite (to…, -ing…, -ed…) Phrase: prepositional noun (appositive)
their
computer model
a different common ancestral
word
a linguistic evolutionary leap
a rapidly changing word
words, words, words det. pre-
modification head
noun
postmodification
adjective participle (-ed / -ing) noun
Clause: finite (relative clause) non-finite (to…, -ing…, -ed…)
Phrase: prepositional noun (appositive)
lists of words
words that linguists have produced for us
words that tell us if two words in related languages actually derive from a common ancestral word
postmodified noun phrases det. pre-
modification head
noun
postmodification
adjective participle (-ed / -ing) noun
Clause: finite (relative clause) non-finite (to…, -ing…, -ed…)
Phrase: prepositional noun (appositive)
lists of words
words that linguists have produced for us
words that tell us if two words in related languages actually derive from a common ancestral word
lists of words that linguists have produced for us that tell us if two words in related languages actually derive from a common ancestral word
3grammarlexicality
forming new words
education + entertainment = ?
edutainment*
*and what about educause and edutopia…?
_____________________________________a website for new words: www.wordspy.com
free trade in words Countries may struggle with fair and free trade, but languages have no such
problems, at least when it comes to English: it endlessly imports and exports words. Not only does it take in words from other languages, but its users regularly create new words. You can too. Want to talk about the major emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China? Go for an acronym: BRIC. Or just get a letter, e will do, and attach it up: ecommerce, ebusiness, etailing.
Need to describe the new concept of moving your production or service abroad – off your own shores? Put the old word and affix together to build a new word: offshore. Feel like extending this? How about offshore as a verb and offshoring as a noun? And an adjective? That’ll be offshorable. This process can open the floodgates – look out for onshoring, farshoring, nearshoring, even rightshoring. Just don’t ask me what they mean.
Blends are another favourite. Grab zeitgeist words like global and start playing. Globalise and globalisation are old hat now, but what about blending in parts of other words: global and local – glocalise will serve, not forgetting glocalization. Hate globalization? Reach for Greek: globaphobic. Need a noun? Raid an obvious suffix and you’ve got glocality.
Talking of raiding, grab words from other contexts. Feeling dramatic? Don’t just start your meeting, kick it off. Too spiritual for sport? Be a business guru. Love brevity? Go for short and max out your credit card. Like phrasal verbs? ‘Nounize’ them: you used to stop over, now you have a stopover. Poetic and love rhymes? Bricks and mortar is so last millennium, now it’s all clicks and mortar. Like metaphors? We’ve had glass ceiling, what about older employees, prejudice, and the silver ceiling? Or combine two words in a novel combination: swarm businesses.
Who’s to say these words will still be around in 10 or 20 years? That’s not the point. Language is about the here and now. Words are the lifeblood of English. Create them, use them, free trade them. And that’s a verb.
Edward de Chazal, extract from John Allison, Rachel Appleby and Edward de Chazal. 2009.
The Business Advanced Student’s Book. Oxford: Macmillan
1 form acronyms, e.g. BRIC 2 attach a letter, such as “e” for electronic, to
existing words, e.g. ecommerce, 3 combine old words and affixes to create new
words, e.g. offshoring 4 create blends, e.g. globaphobic 5 raid words from other contexts, e.g. guru6 shorten words, e.g. max (from maximum) 7 change the part of speech, such as phrasal
verb to noun, e.g. stopover 8 make rhymes, e.g. clicks and mortar from
bricks and mortar9 combine two words in a novel combination,
e.g. swarm businesses10 produce metaphors, e.g. glass ceiling
4
optionality
The number 700,000 is cited.
questions, questions, questions… why?
what? when? where?
to what extent? in what context?
for what purpose?by whom? / to whom?
how? / how much / many / long / often…?
The number 700,000 is often cited.
The number 700,000 is often cited in articles and editorials about science, politics and economic development.
The number 700,000 is often cited in articles and editorials about science, politics and economic development as an estimate of the number of scientists, technicians and engineers that the European Union will need.
The number 700,000 is often cited in articles and editorials about science, politics and economic development as an estimate of the number of scientists, technicians and engineers that the European Union will need by 2010.
The number 700,000 is often cited in articles and editorials about science, politics and economic development as an estimate of the number of scientists, technicians and engineers that the European Union will need by 2010 to keep up its current rate of growth.
adverbials: forms
prepositional phrases: by 2010; from other countries; akin to focusing on grammar; in my view; such as Singapore
adverbs / adverb phrases: often; also; subsequently; therefore; admittedly; more effectively; worse still
adverbial clauses (finite): once they graduate; if my son gets a degree in science
adverbial clauses (non-finite): to keep up its current rate of growth; compared with those of medical doctors, lawyers or bankers
other: –
adverbials: meaningscircumstance (place, time, process, contingency1, degree, addition,
recipient)
worldwide; in time; massively; by the chance of finding a well-paid job; at a career-counselling event; once; rarely; soon; for the coming decade; because the projected deficit in manpower will ultimately strangle economic development and delay the process of discovery and invention
stance (epistemic, attitude, style)
indeed; in fact; obviously; admittedly; in my view linking (addition, summation, apposition, result, contrast, transition)
also; therefore; subsequently; however; consequently1 contingency includes: cause, reason, purpose, condition, concession, result
adverbials: facts & figuresmeaning
■ 90% of adverbials are circumstanceform
■ 50% of all adverbials are prepositional phrases■ 30% single adverbs; 15% adverbial clauses■ 5% other (noun phrases and adjective phrases)
position ■ circumstance adverbials are mainly in the final
position (except if – & to – purpose clauses)■ stance adverbials are typically medial■ linking adverbials tend to be initial
source: Biber et al. 1999: 766; Biber et al., 2002: 359; Biber et al., 1999: 772
what can words do? noun heads a noun phrase
modifies the head noun in a noun phrase
verb heads a verb phrase builds up parts of a verb phrase
preposition heads a prepositional phrase can form the complement in a prepositional
phrase
adverb modifies other words in phrases: i.e. adjective, adverb, preposition, noun,
determinerheads an adverb phrase
adjective modifies a noun in a noun phraseheads an adjective phrase
what can phrases do?
noun phrase functions as any clause element except Verb:
i.e. Subject, Object, Complement, Adverbial
follows a preposition in a prepositional phrase
verb phrase functions as the Verbcan function as Subject and Object in a
clause
preposition phrase modifies a noun phrasefunctions as Adverbial
adverb phrase functions as Adverbialmodifies other phrases: adjective,
preposition
adjective phrase modifies the head noun in a noun phrase
functions as Complement in a clause
what can clause elements be comprised of?
Subject noun phrase / gerundwh- / that clause
Verb verb phrase
Object noun phrase / gerundwh- / that clause
Complement adjective phrasenoun phrase / gerundwh- / that clauseprepositional phrase
Adverbial prepositional phraseadverb phraseadverbial clause (finite or non-finite) noun phrase
examplesSubject noun phrase / gerund A related structural problem
wh- / that clause –
Verb verb phrase is
Object noun phrase / gerund a large number of scientists and engineers
wh- / that clause how the figure is reached
Complement adjective phrase necessary to develop a more attractive mix…
noun phrase / gerund a well-defined career pathwh- / that clause that a primary degree in
science… prepositional phrase –
Adverbial prepositional phrase akin to focusing on grammaradverb phrase massively adverbial clause (finite or non-finite) although…noun phrase notably Brazil and Mexico
5
periphrasis
are likely to becomeis thereby likely to representare projected to die out and be
replacedis likely to die outappear to be heading forwould have been usedcan somehow retain
time frames
are likely to become futureis thereby likely to representpresentare projected to die out and be replaced
futureis likely to die out futureappear to be heading forpresentwould have been used pastcan somehow retain present
periphrasis: characteristics
The verb phrases, including other integral material such as adverbs, are 3+ words long
Each structure contains 2+ verbs, including 1+ lexical verb and 1+ auxiliary verb
The structures often contain embedded adjectives (e.g. likely) or adverbs (e.g. thereby, somehow)
Semantically, the structures are used to speculate, with varying degrees of certainty
It is not obvious from the grammar, only the context, what time frame is being referred to – past, present, or future
The ‘stance point’ is the present, as with many future time expressions
may be about to endmight appear bound tomust look (un)likely tocould seem sure tocan set toshall certain toshould due to ought to poised towill destined to would expected to
predicted to
on the point of ending on the verge ofon the brink of
6
ambiguity
!
Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.
Drop your trousers here for best results.
Customers who find our staff rude should see the manager.
noun phrases: spot the head
a bottle of coke a load of rubbish a man of principle a boy of nine a mother of two a whole lot of trouble a letter of congratulation
which is worse?
No system is worse than a bad system.
which is worse?
No system is worse than a bad system.
(a) The lack of any system is even worse than a bad system.
(b) There is no system that is worse than a bad system.
(c) A bad system is the worst kind of system.
’s: determiner, or is?
England’s past for everyone.
take your past
England’s past for everyone.
(a) The past, i.e. history, of England is for everyone.
(b) England is past, i.e. finished, for everyone.
7
phonology
When we speak a foreign language we elide the vowels and grasp at the consonants like a drunk slipping and sliding, trying to hold on to whatever he can.
Malcolm de Chazal
pedagogical ideas: ways forwardbuild up longer sentences clause element by clause
elementisolate problematic parts of texts for pronunciation
focusdictate short dense texts; students write and
punctuaterepeat sentence extracts in varying dramatic waysstudent Cuisenaire rods speak target structuresplay dense language in recordings repeatedly students record themselves and each otherread the text aloud – teacher and student students listen while reading the script play with pitch, length and volumeexaggerate juncture in texts do contrastive stress tasksask lots of questions let the text speak
some of my messages: do you agree?
Phonology underscores written texts. It is one of the keys to unlocking their meaning.
Advanced grammar is not about verb forms, conditionals, modals… It’s about phrases, clause elements, repeated structures and patterns.
Coursebooks omit or scatter about information that is crucial and rightly belongs together.
Language work should arise from texts, not be imposed on them.