The English Language System

Lesson
Syntax: Sentence Patterns
6

Objectives

At the end of the lesson, you can:

1. identify the different types of phrases, clauses and sentences;
2. draw tree diagrams showing the syntactic structures of
sentences;
3. explain the need to identify syntactic relation; and;
4. make remarks on similarities and differences between
morphology and syntax.

Introduction
Languages have rules. The rules of a language are called the grammar. The
reason for these rules is that a person needs to be able to speak an indeterminately
large number of sentences in a lifetime. The effort would be impossibly great if each
sentence had to be learnt separately. Look and observe the sets of sentences below
and explain how finite rules govern to create an infinite number of sentences.

Activity 28: Analyze the sentences!

Directions:
1. Find two other companions.
2. Analyze the sets of sentences below and on the next
page.
3. Describe how any speaker of any human language can
produce and understand an infinite number of sentences.
4. Write your analysis on the sheet provided.
5. Finish this task in 15 minutes.

1. The kindhearted boy had many girlfriends.

The kindhearted, intelligent boy had many girlfriends.
The kindhearted, intelligent, handsome boy had many girlfriends.
.
.
.

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2. John found a book in the library.
John found a book in the library in the stacks.
John found a book in the library in the stacks on the fourth floor.
.
.
.
3. The cat chased the mouse.
The cat chased the mouse that ate the cheese.
The cat chased the mouse that ate the cheese that came from the cow.
The cat chased the mouse that ate the cheese that came from the cow that
grazed in the field.

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The part of grammar that represents a speaker’s

knowledge of sentences and their structures is called syntax.
The rules of syntax combine words into phrases and
phrases into sentences. Among other things, the rules
specify the correct word order for a language. For example,
English is a Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) language.

Key Concepts of Syntax

1. Openness

Syntax is concerned with the means available in

languages for putting words together in sequences. It
provides additional means of ‘opening’ the grammatical
system for the expression of new meanings, nuances of
meanings, precision in meaning and links between ideas; it
provides means for speakers to go beyond the limitations of the morphology and
lexicon. Syntax enhances creativity of expression in language (McGregor, 2009).

2. Grammaticality

Grammaticality denotes that the usage conforms to the rules that native
speakers follow or that native speakers would find acceptable in a given situation
(Funk & Kolln, 2013).
A sentence made up of a string of words that observe the syntactic patterns
of a language is grammatical; otherwise it is an ungrammatical string. Study of
ungrammatical strings, and comparison with ungrammatical sentences, can yield
insights into syntax of a language (McGregor, 2009).

3. Hierarchical Structure

Hierarchical structure refers to the fact that linguistic units and clumps tend to
“nest” within one another (Payne, 2010).
The structure of sentence is hierarchical. Words in a sentence go together to
form groups of intermediate sizes—clauses and phrases—identified by criteria of
movability, contractibility and ambiguity. The hierarchical structure of sentences into
clauses, phrases, words and morphemes can be represented in tree diagrams, the
nodes of which are labeled according to the type of unit (McGregor, 2009).

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Activity 29: Does grammar matter?

Directions:
1. Concepts
We will beofwatching
Syntaxa video from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn_eBrIDUuc and
try to understand why we need to have rules that
govern language.
2. Write your individual reflection from the video and on
the key concepts of syntax on the sheet provided.
3. Do it in 10 minutes.
4. Afterwards, you might be asked to share your thoughts.
So, get ready!

Activity 30: Dyad

Directions:
1. Find a partner and do the following tasks.
A. Identify the different types of phrases.
B. Determine the function of the highlighted dependent
clause in each of the following passages. Remember
that a noun clause answers questions like "who(m)?"
or "what?"; an adjective clause answers questions
like "which (one)?"; and an adverb clause answers
questions like "when?", "where?", "why?", "with what
goal/result?", and "under what conditions?".
C. Identify the different kinds of sentences according to
its construction.
2. Write your answers of the sheets provided on the next
page.
3. Accomplish this task in 15 minutes.
4. Break a leg!

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A.
1. the shoplifted pair of jeans
2. should have been writing
3. at the check-out desk
4. to slurp spaghetti
5. flexing his muscles in front of the bathroom mirror
6. holding the slippery trout
7. the very beautiful creature
8. very lively
9. because of the road accident
10. (run) very fast

B.
1. Many people hope that Canada can resolve its economic problems.
2. Which one is the person who stole your car?
3. The books which the professor assigned were very expensive.
4. Unless the crown can make a better case, the accused murderer will not be
convicted.
5. That is the place where Wolfe's and Montcalm's armies fought.
C.
1. One-third of the eligible population tends not to vote in national elections.
2. She is the only professor who does what it takes to help her students learn
joyfully.
3. My gift for walking and talking simultaneously did not go unnoticed.
4. Look before you leap.
5. I paint and he writes.

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Phrase Structure Rules

A language also contains specific rules for properly connecting syntactic
atoms to form sentences, these are called phrase structure rules.

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These rules are taken from Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman (2004), The grammar book.

Activity 30: Triad

Directions:

1. With your partner and another companion, do these tasks:

A. Draw tree diagrams and provide rewriting rules of the
given sentences
B. Determine in what ways these given expressions are
structurally ambiguous. Draw tree diagrams.
2. Use separate sheets for your answers.
3. Finish the tasks in 15 minutes.

A. Draw tree diagrams and provide rewrite rules for the following:
1. The boy devoured the sandwich.
2. The girl placed the keys on the table.
3. McNulty abandoned the investigation.

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4. John looked up the road.
5. The killer left the car outside the house.

B. In what ways are these expressions structurally ambiguous? Draw

diagrams!

1. A Swedish history professor

2. Old men and women
3. Nicole saw the people with binoculars.

Activity 31: Syntactic Relations

Directions:

1. We will be watching a video from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGO2ZN3OFQo.
2. Explain the need to identify syntactic relation.
3. Write your reflection in a paragraph with a maximum of
five (5) sentences on the sheet provided.
4. Complete this task in 15 minutes.
5. You might be asked to present your word. Be prepared.

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Activity 32: Venn Diagram

Directions:

1. Find other four (4) companions and determine

the similarities and differences between
morphology and syntax.
2. Do the comparison using a Venn diagram and
draw it on ¼ illustration board. The sample is
given below but you can modify it through your
creativity.
3. Submit it on the next time we meet.
4. You will be asked to present your work so select
a representative to explain your output.

Morphology Syntax

References
Text books:

Celce-Murcia, M., Larsen-Freeman, D., & Williams, H. A. (1983). The grammar

book:
An ESL/EFL teacher's course (p. 299). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

Funk, R., & Kolln, M. (2013). Understanding English Grammar. Pearson Education,

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Inc.

Kim, J. B., & Sells, P. (2008). English syntax: An introduction. CSLI publications.

McGregor, W. B. (2009). Linguistics: an introduction. Continuum International

Publishing Group.

Miller, J. (2002). An Introduction to English Syntax. Edinburgh University Press.

Payne, T. E. (2010). Understanding English grammar: a linguistic

introduction. Cambridge University Press.

Online Sources:

Calude, A.S. (2016, April 12). Does grammar matter? [TED-Ed] Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn_eBrIDUuc

Ling Toduction (2016, October 8). Syntax #1-Constituents and Sentence Structures.
[Ling Troduction] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=AGO2ZN3OFQo

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