Analyzing English Grammar

Thomas P. Klammer and Others

Presented by:

Bilal H. Yaseen GS39550

Hani Shakir GS39584

Rashad Yaqoob GS38704

Presented to

Dr. Helen Tan

Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication

University Putra Malaysia

BASIC SENTENCE

TRANSFORMATIONS

Chapter 9

November 2014

THE INDIRECT OBJECT TRANSFORMATION

• We may ask " if we depend on these five types in order to communicate, how

will our language performance be?

• The answer is: if speakers and writers of English use only these types in Chapter

8, our language performance will not only be “childlike” in its simplicity ,but also

boringly repetitive.

• In addition to that, we need a phenomenon by which we are able to express

complex relationships between ideas, attitudes and differences in emphasize.

• As a result, one sentence can be transformed into another in English to

emphasize information, to ask questions ,to issue imperative ,to negate , etc.

Thus, a phenomenon resulting from the combining of simple structures into more

complex ones is called sentence transformation.

( words may be added, moved or deleted by transformations)

THE INDIRECT OBJECT TRANSFORMATION

● Our ability to move constituents helps to explain

sentence variety.

Examples:

1 - Maria gave a gift to George.

2- Carol picked some flowers for her cousin.

● both sentences contain a transitive verb and belong to the

type: V pattern

Sv = NP1 + MVtr + NP2 + ADVP

● contain a prepositional phrase (with, to or for) following the direct object (that functions as adverbial modifier of the verb)

THE INDIRECT OBJECT TRANSFORMATION

- Maria gave George a gift

- Carol picked her cousin some flowers

● have the same meaning, but different pattern

- SV = NP1 + MVtr +NP2 + NP3

● have a direct object (which was moved and now is NP3)

● have an indirect object( the preposition was deleted) and (the first noun phrase following the transitive verb: NP2)

Structural Formula

●Sv = NP1 + MVtr + NP2 + NP3

IOBJ DOBJ

– Maria gave George a gift

– Carol picked her cousin some flowers

– Subject, indirect object, direct object have different

references (NP1 NP2 NP3) (renumber the NP to clarify the new relationship between George and a gift)

●any time you have a sentence containing a constituent NP2

the verb is transitive

● if there is no other NP constituent of the verb phrase , NP2 is

the direct object

●when you have both NP2 and NP3 the verb is still transitive,

but the sentence contains an indirect object

What - is used to identify a direct object, to/for whom - to

identify indirect object (recipient)

Remember:

• If a sentence contains a constituent NP2, the verb is transitive.

• If there is no other NP constituent of the verb phrase, NP2 is the direct object.

• If there are both NP2 and NP3, the verb is still transitive, but the sentence

contains an indirect object.

– NP2 is the indirect object, NP3 is the direct object.

– to ask what to identify the direct object

– to ask to whom or for whom to identify the indirect object.

– Indirect object can be expressed as an adverbial phrase

– Indirect object can be removed from a sentence, basis action of the verb

remains constant.

OTHER TRANSFORMATIONS

• Enables us to combine sentences of the five basic types.

• Through transformations, we are able to use:

1. Passive

2. Negative

3. Question/ Interrogative

4. Exclamations

5. Command/ Imperative

NEGATIVE SENTENCES

- Presence of word not

• With auxiliary verbs

• With Be

• Without auxiliary verbs or Be

NEGATIVE SENTENCES (cont.)

The addition of the negative marker ‘not’ after the

auxiliary verb in a positive sentence.

a) Peter will not arrive early. (Modal)

b) Frances has not finished her homework. (HAVE)

c) Fred is not painting his room white. (BE)

d) Jane should not have been driving your car. (2 auxi)

e) Betty is not here. (BE)

f) Scott does not think deeply. (dummy auxiliary)

Double negatives

• Other than not, there is other negating markers such as in-, un- or

the use of indefinite pronouns

some – no

any – none

Exp. Her apologies were insincere.

He blamed nobody for the accident.

• Two negatives equal a positive.

He is not treating them unkindly

He didn’t blame nobody

INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES

o Ask questions

• Yes/no question – seeks yes/no answer

Did Mary win the competition?

• Wh-question – Wh- fronting

Who won the competition?

• Yes/no question

1. Move the first auxiliary verb or be to the front of sentence.

Mark has been reading the book.

Has Mark_______ been reading the book?

Shakespeare is Jim’s favorite writer

Is Shakespeare ________ Jim’s favorite writer?

• Yes/no question (cont.)

2. If there is no auxiliary verb or be,

INSERT DO as an auxiliary verb.

He closed the door.

Did he close the door?

- Moved to the front.

- Functions as substitute auxiliary.

- Becomes the carrier of tense.

Sv

NP1

VP

MVPNP2

Aux

YES/ NO Q TENSE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

MVtr

read the book

Mark

Present [HAVE + {-en}][BE + {-ing}]

Sv

AUX

PERFECT

Has

NP1

Mark

VP

MVP NP2

AUXMVtr

PROGRESSIVE

readingbeen

the book

Mark Has been reading book

the

Wh- question Yes/no question

1. Ask for missing information 1. Simple confirmation (YES) or denial of information (NO)

2. Begin with an interrogative word (wh- word) –

who, whom, what, when, where, why, how, which, whose

-

• Wh- question transformation

1. Move 1st auxiliary, or the main verb if there is no auxiliary to the

front.

2. Substitute the appropriate wh- word.

3. Move the wh- word to the front.

Exp. Dan has gone somewhere.

Has Dan ________ gone somewhere.

Has Dan ________ gone somewhere where

Where has Dan gone?

Wh- question transformation (cont.)

Insert the auxiliary DO if

1. the unknown information is not the subject

2. there is no auxiliary or main verb be

Exp. The committee invited someone.

The committee did invite someone.

did the committee ______ invite someone whom

Whom did the committee invite?

Sv

NP1VP

MVP NP2

AUX MVtr

WH-Q TENSE

The

committee

past invite

someon

e

Sv

NP2 AUXNP1 VP

MVP

MVtr

whom did the committee invite

committee

the

did invite Whom

Interrogative determiners

Barbara wore someone’s coat

*Whose did Barbara wear coat?

• Whose coat did Barbara wear _______ ?

Imperative Sentences• Function: Give commands and issue orders in

a blunt way: • E.g. Finish your soup!

• Sit down!

• You is an “understood” subject

Example:Walk faster ! Declarative Imperative

Delete the subject you

●

●

Imperative Sentences

More polite would be to say

Would you like to be seated?

To transform from declarativesentences into imperative:

- Delete the subject you

- You walk faster – Walk faster!

- You are here - *Are here!; You are quiet - *Are quiet!

check if the verb is in its uninflected base form

Be here! Be quiet!

You are here.You are quiet.You are a leader.

*Are here!*Are quiet!*Are a leader!

Be here!Be quiet!Be a leader!

Delete TENSE to leave base verb

form

Delete the subject you

Imperative Transformation

SI

NP VP

MVP ADVP

AUX MVint

TENSE

You walk faster

The End

Thanks