Viết 1 for first year english major students bùi thị ngọc oanh, nguyễn thị lan anh

[roared and growled at the small foxes loudly = …… predicate] Notes: Subjects and Predicate The subject usually precedes the predicate but not always... Transitive/ Intransitive verbs

Nha Trang University Faculty of Foreign Languages

WRITING 1

Sentences Writing

For first-year English-major students

Compiled by: Bui Thi Ngoc Oanh, MA & Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, MA

Nha Trang, 2013

COURSE OUTLINE

Units of credit 1.5 (22.5 periods)

Suggested self- study 60 periods

Nguyễn Thi ̣ Lan Anh

nguyenlananh.ntu@gmail.com

Textbooks:

1 Charles Miguel Cobb, (1996), Process and Pattern Wadsworth Pulishing Company

2 Alice Oshima (2003), Writing Academic Graw Hill Companies

Reference:

John C.Hodges (1996), College Handbook Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc

Session Topic Periods

4 Common problems in writing

sentences

10

Subject objectives: The specific objectives of this subject are to help students write correct sentences when they understand:

1 Basic sentence structures

2 Types of sentences (simple, compound, complex)

3 Sentence problems

Assessment for all students

- Final test: 50%

- Mid-term test: 50%, including:

• Participation + homework: 20%

• 2 Mid-term tests: 30%

Ways to learn Writing

1 Good vocabulary: broad, deep

- clarity, power & precision

- Look new words up in dictionary, learn 1 word/ day

- Incidental learning in context, direct learning

2 Good grammar:

- Bad grammar  Confuses readers, slow their reading

Lose your respect, influence and credibility

- Learn part of speech (adjective, adv, v, preposition…)

- Active versus Passive

-Punctuation (using “?”, “,”, “;”)

3 Find some useful websites

4 Keep a diary/ journal

5 Combine reading & writing

6 Check your checklist of writing

Session 1: Basic sentence patterns (5 periods)

There are 5 basic sentence structures as followings:

1 SUBJECT +VERB (Intransitive)

2 SUBJECT +VERB (transitive) + OBJECT

3 SUBJECT + VERB + subject COMPLEMENT

4 SUBJECT + VERB + INDIRECT OBJECT + DIRECT OBJECT

5 SUBJECT + VERB + Direct OBJECT + Object COMPLEMENT

A ELEMENTS OF A SENTENCE

1 What is a subject?

• An entity such as a person, a place, an object, or an abstract concept, which acts, is described or is acted upon

• The subject usually answers the question Who/What is the sentence about?

E.g.: Matching the description of the subject with the sentences

• The lion roared

The lion is beautiful

The lion was hunted

• [The subject is acted upon]

[The subjects acts]

[The subject is described]

2 What is A simple subject? A complete subject? A compound subject? A complete compound subject?

……… is the word or group of words acting as a subject

……… is the simple subject and its modifiers

.……… consists of two or more nouns or pronouns, linked by either and or or

…… includes the compound subject and its modifiers

Examples:

The lion roared

[The lion = …… subject]

The big lion roared

[The big lion = …… subject]

The lion and the lioness roared

[The lion and the lioness = …… subject]

The big strong lion and the beautiful lioness roared

[The big strong lion and the beautiful lioness = …… subject]

3 What is a predicate?

• A predicate of a clause gives information on the subject, either describing it or identifying the action it

performs or that is performed upon it (its predicament)

• The predicate contains the verb in the sentence and objects that are affected by the subject's actions It

usually answers the question What happens/ is described?

Examples: What is the function of the predicate in these sentences?

The lion roared

[The predicate tells …… ]

The lion is beautiful

[The predicate describes …….]

The lion was hunted

[The predicate tells …….]

4 What is a simple predicate? A complete predicate? A Compound predicate? A complete

compound predicate?

• …… consists of only the verb

• …… consists of the verb and its modifiers

• …… consists of two or more verbs with or without objects, or a verb with one object or more, linked

by either and or or

• …… includes the compound predicate and its modifiers

Examples:

• The lion roared

[roared = … predicate]

• The lion roared loudly

[roared loudly = …… predicate]

• The lion roared and growled at the foxes

[roared and growled at the foxes = …… predicate]

• The lion roared and growled at the small foxes loudly

[roared and growled at the small foxes loudly = …… predicate]

Notes: Subjects and Predicate

The subject usually precedes the predicate but not always

The lions ran off

[subject precedes predicate]

Off ran the lions

[predicate precedes subject]

Under the tree lay a pride of lions

[predicate precedes subject]

Why did the lions run ?

[predicate element precedes subject in questions]

5 Object

What is an object? -> Do what? or Do What to Whom?

Example:

The teacher read the story

The teacher read the story to the students

6 Transitive/ Intransitive verbs

 Transitive verbs are verbs that always have an object after those verbs

 Intransitive verbs are verbs that need no object after those verbs

 Give examples?

7 Direct Object

 A direct object is a noun, pronoun or group of words acting as a noun that receives the action of a

transitive verb without a linking preposition

 A direct object answers the question whom? Or what?

Example:

 The teacher read the story

-> The teacher reads what? [the story = direct object]

 He gives me (= whom) the book

8 Indirect Object

 An indirect object is a noun, pronoun or a group of words acting as a noun to mention the receiver

of an action or a noun that answers the question to whom/what ? or for whom/what ?

Example:

 The teacher read the story to the students

[the story = direct object, the students = indirect object]

9 Direct and Indirect Object

 In sentences where the indirect object follows the word to or for, always put the direct object before

the indirect object

 If the indirect object does not follow to or for, put the indirect object before the direct object

Example:

 Yes or No?: The teacher gave an assignment to the students

Yes or No?: The teacher gave to the students an assignment

Yes or No?: The teacher gave the students an assignment

 When a pronoun is used as an indirect object, some verbs require to or for before the pronoun, while

others do not Consult a dictionary if you are unsure (the best place to look this up is in the example sentences within the entry of the verb in the dictionary)

Example:

 The teacher explained the grammar rule to the students

[the verb explain follows only one pattern, with to]

Yes: The teacher explained the grammar rule to them

No: The teacher explained them the grammar rule

No: The teacher explained to them the grammar rule

 The teacher gave an assignment to the students

[The verb give follows both patterns, with and without to]

Yes: The teacher gave an assignment to them

Yes: The teacher gave them an assignment

No: The teacher gave to them an assignment

 When both the direct object and the indirect object are pronouns, put the direct object before the

indirect object and use to or for with the indirect object

Example:

 The teacher gave an assignment to the students

Yes or No?: The teacher gave them it

Yes or No?: The teacher gave it to them

Yes or No?: The teacher gave them an assignment

Yes or No?: The teacher gave to them an assignment

10 Complement

 A complement is an element appearing in the predicate that renames or describes a subject or an object

 A subject complement is a noun, pronoun, or adjective that follows a linking verb (e.g be, look,

appear) Linking verbs: verbs do not show actions, but describe the subjects

 An object complement follows a direct object and either renames or describes it

Example:

 This student is a 12th-grader

[ is = linking verb, a student = ……complement]



 This student refers to himself as "Professor X."

[ refers = verb, himself = direct object, Professor X = … complement]

B SENTENCE STRUCTURES

1 SUBJECT +VERB (Intransitive)

Intransitive verbs are verbs that do not need an object after those verbs For example:

• I run every day I party at night

• He died suddenly

• We arrived at 11

Some other intransitive verbs: ache, arrive, come, faint, go, sit down, sleep, snow, sneeze…

2 SUBJECT +VERB (transitive) + OBJECT

Transitive verbs are verbs that always have an object after those verbs For example:

• Arsenal beat Liverpool (We do not say: Arsenal beat.)

• Joe kicked the ball

• Susan carried the desk into her office today

Some other transitive verbs: beat, contain, enjoy, hit, need, write…

*Notes: Some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive : begin, drop, hurt, open, ring,

win

• Arsenal won the match / Arsenal won

Exercise: Put an object (a pronoun or a noun) after these verbs only when possible

1 The box contains _

2 The train has arrived _

3 The phone rang _

4 Someone is ringing _

5 You need _

6 We sat down _

7 Don‟t hit _

8 Did you beat _

9 Who opened _

10 The door opened _

11 This is a game not one can win _

12 The concert began _ at 7.30

13 I began _

14 It‟s snowing _

15 Quick ! She‟s fainted _

16 Did you enjoy _

17 My head aches _

18 My foot hurts _

3 SUBJECT + VERB (linking verb) + subject COMPLEMENT

• He is ill / She seemed tired

• Your forehead feels hot

• Asian is the King of Narma

Alice is like her father

The meeting is here The meeting is at 2.30

This book is mine

Frank is a clever architect

Frank is an architect

Frank is clever

*Note: Subject Complement could be “Adj”, “Noun”, “Adj + Noun”, “Pronoun”, “Adv of place/ time”,

“Adverbial phrase”

Some linking verbs: be, become, feel, touch, taste, smell, seem, appear, look, sound

Exercise: Complete these sentences using a different complement for each sentence

1 My neighbour is very _

2 My neighbour is _

3 This apple tastes _

4 The children are _

5 The meeting is _

6 Whose is this ? It‟s _

7 John looks _

8 That music seems _

9 Your mother seems _

10 I want to be _ when I leave school

(4) SUBJECT + VERB + INDIRECT OBJECT + DIRECT OBJECT

• Show me that photo

• My friend bought me a very strange gift

• Jennifer brings me joy

• Please order me a meal

Some verbs require both direct object and indirect object: show, give, write, bring, order, find, buy, pass,

do, order, …

Exercise: Write suitable polite requests using “it”, “them”, or “one”

1 Where are my shoes ? (find) Please _

2 John needs a new coat (buy) Please _

3 I can‟t reach that cup (pass) Please _

4 Ann wants to see our flat (show) Please _

5 I can‟t do the shopping (do) Please

6 I‟d like a copy of that book (order) Please

(5) SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT + object COMPLEMENT

• The class elected Amy president

• I left the door open

• His sister called him a genius

• His sister called him brilliant

• They made me secretary

• Vacationers found the year-round residents antagonistic

Verbs + obj Complement: elect, make, call, leave, consider, ………

Exercise: Translate into English the following sentences:

1 Voi làm cho lũ trẻ vui

2 Lời tâng bốc của cô ấy làm anh ấy bối rối

3 những cư dân địa phương gọi những người du lịch là kẻ xâm phạm

4 Hầu hết các nước làm cho quốc kỳ của họ mang tính thẩm mỹ và tính tượng trưng

5 Các chuyên gia xem chính sách về môi trường của tổng thống là một thảm họa

C PHRASES AND CLAUSES

Decide whether they are phrases or clauses Write (P) for a phrase and (C) for a clause Explain the difference between phrase and clause

1 leaving behind the dog

2 because she smiled at him

3 smashing into a fence

4 before the first test

5 when the saints go marching in

6 after the devastation

7 between ignorance and intelligence

8 because of her glittering smile

9 since she laughs at different men

10 broken into thousands of pieces

11 I despise individuals of low character

How many kinds of clauses are there? 2 kinds: Independent clause, and Dependent clause

Independent clause:

- Subj + Verb + (C)

- A complete thought, can stand alone

e.g.:

Students normally spend 4 years in college

I will declare my major now, but I may change it

later

Dependence clause

- Subordinator + Subj + Verb + (C)

- Incomplete thought, can not stand alone

- Subordinator: when, while, if, that, who…

e.g.:

….although students normally spend 4 years in

college…

…when they come to the US…

1 What is phrase?

• A phrase is a group of words that does not contain both a subject and a predicate

and therefore cannot stand alone

Give examples?

• There are a few kinds of phrases What are they?

2 A noun phrase functions as a noun in a sentence

Find some noun phrases in the examples and say what its function is:

- The old Berlin zoo was established back in 1844

- During my last visit to Berlin, I liked the Berlin zoo the best

3 Verb phrase functions as the verb in a sentence

Find some verb phrases in the examples:

- The old Berlin zoo was established back in 1844

- During my last visit to Berlin, I couldn't stop admiring the Berlin zoo the best

4 A prepositional phrase always starts with a preposition and functions as a modifier

Find some prepositional phrases in the examples and say what its function is:

- During my last visit to Berlin in 2002, I took the train to the Berlin zoo

5 An absolute phrase usually contains a noun or pronoun and a present or past

participle It modifies the entire sentence that it is in

Rewrite these sentences without changing the meaning:

- Zoos being top city attractions, the Berlin zoo is not to be missed

[absolute phrase contains …? participle]

- Our trip nearly finished, we decided to spend our last day at the Berlin zoo

[absolute phrase contains …? participle]

6 A verbal phrase contains a verb part that functions not as a verb, but rather as a

modifier to modify a part of a sentence

Verbals are either infinitives, present participles, or past participles (non - finite verb forms)

As opposed to absolute phrases, verbal phrases modify part of a sentence but not the whole sentence

Finding verbal phrases in these sentences:

- We used the last day of our trip to visit the Berlin zoo

- Visiting the Berlin zoo, we were amazed by the beauty of the exotically

designed animal enclosures

[present participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying we]

- The children, amazed by the animal exhibits, didn't want to leave the Berlin zoo

[past participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying the children]

- Modifying phrases: After we write a noun or verb in a sentence, we often add other

words or phrases that describe, or modify, those words

A modifying phrase will always be very close to the word it modifies