Theoretical Grammar of Modern English for the Juniors

Theoretical Grammar of Modern English for the juniors

2017-2018 a.y.

Seminar 1

The theme: “The Scientific Study of Human Language. The Theory of Grammar. The Mental Representation of Linguistic Knowledge.”

I. The issues to be discussed:

1    Types of Grammar and their leaders.

• Transformational Grammar (T.G.)
• Generative Grammar (G.G.)
• Transformational-Generative Grammar (T.G.G.)
• Prescriptive Grammar
• Pedagogical Grammar

2.Interface (interaction) of the Morphology with other Modules of Linguistics.

•         Morphology and Syntax
•         Morphology and Lexicon
•         Morphology and Phonetics /Phonology

3. The main grammatical notions.

•     Grammatical meaning
•     Grammatical form
•     Grammatical category
•    Their interrelations

II. Practical Task:

1. Make a Map of the Development of Grammar .

2. Make a report on the interface of the Theoretical Grammar in  

    general and Morphology in particular with other Modules of Linguistics.

IV. Glossaries to be learned and used during the activity:

1. Grammar
2. Descriptive
3. Transformational
4. Eliminate errors
5. Grammatical form
6. Grammatical category
7. Interface of linguistic modules
8. Modules of grammar: morphology and syntax
9. “ the doctrine of correctness”

References:

• Absolute Must

1. Block M.Y.“A Course in Theoretical English Grammar” Moscow, 1994  p.p.6-18
2. Iofik L. L. “Readings in the theory of English Grammar” Leningrad ,1972 p.p.5-43
3. Ilyish B.A. “The Structure of Modern English” Leningrad, 1971 p.p.5-18
4. Shershneva T.Yu. “Digest of Theoretical English Grammar” Almaty,2000 p.p.4-8.

• Further Reading

1. Иванова И.П., Бурлакова В.В., Почепцов Г.Г. «Теоретическая грамматика современного английского языка» Москва, 1981 стр.11-14
2. Жигадло В.Н., Иванова И.П., Иофик Л.Л. Москва, 1956 стр. 7-10
3. Смирницкий А.И. «Морфология английского языка» Москва, 1959  стр. 5-11

Reading to brush up the back-ground knowledge of English Grammar: 

III   .R.V. Reznik, T.S. Sorokina , T.A. Kazaritskaya

“A Grammar of Modern English Usage” M. 1998, p. 680

               Worked out by Tuyakaeva D.Sh., dotcent 

Theoretical Grammar of Modern English

2017-2018 a.y.

Seminar 2

I. The Theme: Introduction to Word-Structure.

                          Morphemes: the smallest units of meaning.

The issues to be discussed:

1.What is a word? Difficulties in clarifying the nature of the word.

2. Morphemes: the smallest meaningful units of language. The

    difference between Morphemes, Morphs and Allomorphs.

3. Types of Morphemes: Roots, Affixes, Stems and Bases.

4. The Hierarchical Structure of Words. Different approaches to  

     the analysis of the Morpheme structure of the word.

     a) Tree Diagram

     b) Labeled Bracketing

     c) According to the Traditional Grammar (view with a critical

         eye the advantages  and disadvantages each of the technique).

II. Practical Tasks:

 1. Represent the relationship between morphemes, allomorphs and  morphs using a diagram.

     Commissioned,    prepared,     sprawled

     Stresses ,   watches,    steps,    eyes,    horses,    rocks

2. Make the syllabic and morphemic segments of the following     underlined words (lexemes) and prove the difference.

     Swimming costume,   looked sympathetically 

     Good nourishment,   nuclear disarmament     

    (It is important to avoid confusing morphemes with syllables.)

3. Point out haplology in the following underlined words

     Students’ books

     Horses’ dealers

There was a confused tramping of horses’ feet outside.

Both girls’ dresses were worn out.

4. Make a ‘Tree Diagram’ of the following words

   a) unrestfulness     b) unforgettable

   c) illegitimatize     (also –ise) (vt)

5. Analyze the following words according to the traditional

    approach (Block M. Y.)

 e.g. immediately,  shameful,   unconditioned,

        playground,  women’s washing,  remembered

Exercise: 1.

a) Make a list of ten words containing the suffix ‘ic, as in ‘magnetic’ and ‘allergic’.

b) What word- classes do the bases to which- ic is added belong?

c) What is the word- class of the resulting word?

d) Is-ic an flectional or derivational suffix? What is in your evidence?

Exercise: 2. Study the examples below and, with help of a dictionary,  

 answer the questions below.

Monoism                                      Unique

Monologue                                   Unilateral