Grammar terminology

Clauses and voice

-if you modify a verb its called a verb phrase

                -auxiliary verb-helps out the main verb

                -Primary auxiliary (be,do,have,was,has,atc…)=these often help distinguish tense. Eg he WAS running

                -modal auxiliary (may,could,might,will,can.should,etc…= these often shows possibility or necessity

Clauses

In the same way that words form phrases, phrases form larger structure.

A clause will include;       -the subject (acts as the key focus-generally the actor /agency)

                                                -the verb (this included adverbs and auxiliaries)

                                                -the object(identifies the object being acted on by the verb)

Co-ordinated clauses

-when two clauses are joined together by a conjuction

-the two clauses should make sense individually

ie.           I sat down and started my work

                I sat down

                I started my work

                I went shopping because I was bored

                I went shopping

                I was bored

Subordinate clause- there will be a main clause (a unit when it stands alone and makes sense) and a phrase that is linked to the main clause

Ie. I still went to work , althought I wish I hadn’t.

Activie voice-  the actor/agency are responsible for carrying out the verb is places in the subject position

-ie. Beastly fox injuries baby – the beastly fox is the subject in which the verb ‘ injures’ the baby

Passive voice     -its used when we don’t know the subject

                                -we don’t want the talk about the subject

                                -the subject is not the focus of the story

Passive: John Lennon shot dead

                John Lennon shot dead by twisted fan

Active : Twisted fan shot John Lennon Dead

Passive:500  killed by storm/ 500 killed and many dead

Active: Storm kills 500 people

Passive:Taxes to rise after riots

Active:local council raises taxes after riots

Verbs

Base form of verbs:

Infinitives

To sing , to think

 

Main verbs                                                                                                      auxiliary verbs

Tell you the action which                                                                              gives extra information about the

Is taking place                                                                                              main verb and can affect its meaning

 

                                                                                                Primary auxiliaries                             modal auxiliaries

(do,have and be)                                  (can ,                                                    

                                                                                                                                                             could,will,must,may,

                   shall,should)

Deontic-certianity, ie. Must , can ,will.

Epistemic- freedom ie . may , might.

Imperative-command

Verb phrases

Verb phrase is built around a head work, the main verb.

-modal auxiliaries can be placed along a continuum to show the degrees of strength

Present tense- base form+-s inflections (signs)

Past tense- base form+-ed inflection (jumped) or sing =sung

Future tense- modal auxiliary ; will or shall +base form (will sing)

‘Ing’ can be used in all three depending on the modifier before.

Verbs

A verb is a doing word.

An Adjective is a describing word

An Adverb which modifies or describes another verb

A noun is a naming word of a class of people , place and thing.

ie. Amy arrived. 

My friend Amy arrived early so we went straight to the beach.

Nouns- house , street , gas , pedestrians , light.

Common- somethingwith ‘the’ before it of.

Proper- nouns for individuals,events, places, London , Mr Clifford , v fest

Concrete- things we can see, hear, feel ,taste,smell

Noun phrase- a noun and any word that modifies that noun

                                -determiner , adjectives , propositions etc.

                                -changes the meaning

Ie. A plane crash/a horrible plane crash

                The sun/the brightest sun ever!

Adjectives

Adjectives-word/phrase describing nouns or pronouns

-the weary painter took off his blue ,green and white overalls and ate a day old Chinese meal because he felt ravenous.

3 functions          - describing word (attribute , preicative)

                                -function (evaluation , emotive , descriptive)