Functional English Grammar: An Introduction for Second Language Teachers

Functional English Grammar An Introduction for Second Language Teachers Functional English Grammar An Introduction for Second Language Teachers TRUONG VAN ANH Sai Gon Univerity Unit 9 Clause complexes[.]

Functional English Grammar:

An Introduction for Second

Language Teachers

TRUONG VAN ANH Sai Gon Univerity

Unit 9

Clause complexes

Sentences in spoken and written language are different

Independent and dependent clauses

Independent clauses can stand alone Dependent clauses structurally depend on other clauses

Any sentence including more than one ranking clause is called a complex sentence

It is vital that each sentence must contain an

independent clause, except the answer to a

question.

Ex: When he had finished the work, he went home “He went home” is an independent clause

Why are you late? (question)

Because my bike broke down (answer)

Structural relationships between clauses

Linking and binding are two kinds of structural relationships between clauses

Linking

The clauses are in equal relationships Sometimes the clauses can be reversed

Ex: Jack likes music but Kathy likes films

Kathy likes films but Jack likes music

The logical relationship between the message

in linked clauses depends on the chronological sequence

Ex: She went home, took off her coat and began

Binding

In binding, the clauses are in inequal relationships A clause is dependent on another clause A clause may be marked as a dependent clause in a number of ways:

- By a binding conjunction such as when, if, because, although, after, as, etc.

Ex: He walks as if he were sick

- By wh- words such as who, that, which, whose, whom, etc

Ex: I met the man whom you had mentioned

- By word order

Ex: Were he rich, he would buy an Audi now.

- By a nonfinite clause (To V, V, V-ING, V-ED)

Ex: She reads a book, lying on the floor (without marking = unmarked)

When staying in Paris, she met Jack (preceded

by a binding conjunction)

Despite poverty, he won a national prize (with a prepositional phrase)

A dependent clause may be in the front, middle

or back of the independent clause.

Ex: Due to poverty, a student like him can’t study in

Ho Chi Minh City

A student like him can’t study in Ho Chi Minh City, due to poverty

A student like him, due to poverty, can’t study in

Ho Chi Minh City

Because he is poor, a student like him can’t study in

Ho Chi Minh City

A student like him can’t study in Ho Chi Minh City because he is poor

A student like him, because he is poor, can’t study

in Ho Chi Minh City

Clause combining and textual meaning

In linking, the clauses are equal and chronological and do usually not change the position

In binding, the clauses can change their positions The first clause expresses the given information while the other is newsworthy

Ex: She finished her work and went home

She had finished her work before she went home Before she went home, she had finished her work

Learning and teaching linking and binding

Linking independent clauses is relatively easy

by putting two clauses into one sentence by a conjunction However, some ellipses may be seen in linking clauses

Ex: She went to the shop and bought some food (Subject ellipsis)

He is tall and he is handsome

He is tall and handsome (Subject and Finite ellipsis)

Sometimes learners overdo ellipsis:

Ex: He learns excellently and an idol to her

Finite IS has been omitted in the second clause Learners may use Conjunctive Adjunct as if they were linking conjunctions

Ex: She was reading a book meanwhile he was watching a film (while is correct)

Redundant conjunction may be used

Ex: Although she learns well, but she gets low marks

This is affected by Vietnamese learners’ mother tongue (8/12/2020)

Adjuncts may be added to conjunction AND.

Ex: She worked very hard, and meanwhile her husband gambled in a night club

Learners may use prepositions instead of conjunctions

Ex: He went home because of he ran out of money

Learners sometimes write fragments (incomplete sentences)

Ex: He learns English well Though he is poor

In a finite dependent clause both Subject and Verb exist In a nonfinite dependent clause both Subject and Auxiliary Verb disappear

Ex: While he was leaving Paris, he took a coat

While leaving Paris, he took a coat

In this case, intermediate forms may occur

Ex: *While he leaving Paris, he took a coat

*While was leaving Paris, he took a coat

Learners make mistakes in dangling structures

Ex: *While leaving Paris, a storm reached his town (While he was leaving Paris, a storm reached his town.)

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Logical relationships between clauses

According to Halliday, logical relationships can

be classified into three types: elaboration, extension and enhancement

Elaboration

Elaboration can be combined with both linking and binding to make the message in another clause clear with more details, examples, etc

Elaboration and linking

Ex: Jack wanted to sing karaoke and he bought a hifi set

Elaboration and binding with finite dependent

Notes:

- My sister, who trades in building materials, lives in Long An

(I have only one sister)

- My sister who is a doctor lives in Long An

(I have other sisters They are not doctors.)

Extension

One clause may be extended by addition (and relationship), variation (instead relationship), and alternation (or relationship)

Addition and linking

Ex: She does not like music, nor does she like dance

Addition and binding with finite dependent

clause

Ex: Math is a natural subject, while English is a social subject

Addition and binding with nonfinite

Variation and linking

Ex: You can go on hunger-strike, but you should drink some water

Alternation and linking

Ex: You should work hard, or you will be sacked

Variation and binding

Ex: You should improve your knowledge by reading books instead of going to events

Alternation and binding

Ex: If you are right, I am wrong

Enhancement

There are many basic categories for one clause

to enhance another clause, including time, space, means, comparison, cause or reason,

Space

Ex: Someone has entered the house – and there

he is! (linking)

However, where the land is low, it is flooded

in the rainy season (binding)

Condition (positive)

Ex: I may fail and I will try again (linking)

If I fail, I will try again (binding)

Although she seems intelligent, she can’t solve

Arriving at the theatre, they found that the play was over (nonfinite)

On arriving at the theatre, they found that the play was over.

On arrival at the theatre, they found that the play was over

Learning and teaching logical relationships between clauses

It is a problem that the same conjunction or preposition may have different meanings in different contexts

Ex: He came late, so he couldn’t take the exam (cause)

He came late so he could avoid her (purpose)

As spring comes, we can enjoy beautiful flowers (time)

As he made mistakes, he lost the marks in the exam (reason)

As a flower shows its beauty, she looks the same (comparison)

Handsome as he is, nobody loves him

(concession)

He walks as he were sick (manner)

She bought the same dress as Mary is wearing (Relative clause)

Learners should be provided with all cases so that they can recognize each category when they meet it

Ex: Food is good

Sometimes a prepositional phrase can replace an

adjective.

Ex: The teacher was in bad mood

Pattern 2: N(S) Be(V) Adv (C)

Ex: The girl is here

The game will be at three o’clock

Pattern 3: N1(S) Be(V) N1(C)

Ex: My brother is a doctor

LINKING/INTENSIVE VERB (Patterns 4 and 5)

Pattern 4: N(S) Vl ADJ(C)

Ex: The acrobat seems young

The screw worked loose

The defendant stood firm

Pattern 5: N1(S) V l N1(C)

Ex: He remains a doctor

She becomes a lecturer

INTRANSITIVE VERB

Pattern 6: N(S) Vi [intransitive]

Ex: The sportsmen cried

The sportsmen were crying in the stadium

TRANSITIVE VERB (Patterns 7,8,9)

Pattern 7: N1(S) Vt N2 (DO) [monotransitive]

Ex: The boy caught a ball

He loved a doctor

Pattern 8: N1(S) Vt N2 (IO) N3 (DO) [ditransitive]

Ex: He gave her some flowers

He gave some flowers to her

She was given some flowers

Some flowers were given to her

a The basketball team chose Charlotte captain

b He considered her brilliant.

c I thought the caller you

NOTES: This is a complex transitive verb

d We supposed him upstairs

e She saw him crying

f I believe him seated

g We considered her in the way

h We thought Chico to be a fine player

i We heard him sing a song (complete action)

(We heard him singing a song) (a part of

action)

In sentences there are four main elements: S, V, O, and C

There are two kinds of objects: direct object (thing) and indirect object (person)

There are two kinds of complements: subject complement and object complement

Two subordinate elements in sentences

Attribute: (định ngữ) modifies nouns It stands before

or after nouns (Noun modifier)

Ex: A full bag; a bag full of gold

The car in front of the building The car stops in front of the building 35

Adverb: (Trạng ngữ) modifies verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, phrases, clauses and sentences (Verb/Adj/Adv/Phrase/clause/ sentence modifier)Ex: She sings beautifully.

He is very tall He runs very fast

The car just in front of the building

Exercises

Re-write the clauses (in a normal order).

1 A musical genius was the Austrian composer Mozart

2 At the age of five He began writing music

3 In the great cities of Europe two years later

his father took him to play at concerts

4 church music, opera and nearly 50 symphonies Mozart wrote

5 At the age of 35 he died very poor

Good luck!