A
something added to something else ... In grammar, a word or string of words added to a noun to describe or define it. Some grammarians say adjectives "qualify" a noun. Others say they "modify" a noun. In the hands of unsteady writers, the family of adjectives can become profuse and cumbersome, or lush and ponderous, or exuberant and doleful. Oops! [see interjection]
A
Adverbs can be perplexing things. A modified adjective comes immediately to mind — just attach -ly to the tail end of the word, stick it after a verb, and be done with it. That's simply awesome! But what about here and there and everywhere? Adverbs can assume odd and mysterious forms in the parser's universe. They modify and qualify, tell us when, or where, or how. For the sake of consensus, we'll quote the company line: "An adverb is a word used to modify a verb, adjective, participle, or adverb." (Harvey 1880)
A
The part of speech indicating the imminent arrival of a noun. Indefinite articles are a and an The definite article is the.
C
peas and beans… conjoin, or join together, words or parts of sentences. FANBOYS ⇒ for • and • nor • but • or • yet • so
G
A noun derived from a verb, usually ending in -ing when used as a noun, as in dancing.
I
"... the verb in its primitive state," Cobbett (1848) writes … to march, for example, is infinitive "because it is without bounds or limit." The action of marching occurs without the constraint of person, number, or time. "The little word to makes, in fact, a part of the verb," the 19th century grammarian writes. "This word to is, of itself, a preposition; but, as prefixed to verbs, it is merely a sign of the Infinitive Mode." March, then, is a verb transformed through usage to function as noun.
I
inter = between + jectio = thrown, as in something thrown between. Ah! Oh! Alas! Is an interjection really a part of speech? Some say No! — as in No Way! Emoticons could be a new form of interjection.
:--) Lions and tigers and bears Oh My!
N
Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla. Nullam id dolor id nibh ultricies vehicula ut id elit.
N
If a thing exists anywhere in the world — a thing to touch and see and hear … animal, mineral, vegetable … a thing in your mind or your heart … truth, lie, conscience, sobriety — then it is expressed in language by a noun.
nomen ⇒ name ⇒ noun
O
Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla. Nullam id dolor id nibh ultricies vehicula ut id elit. Nullam id dolor id nibh ultricies vehicula ut id elit.
P
It's mine!
P
These little words go before nouns and pronouns to help impose order on a sentence. They indicate relationships between words, especially in time and place. The English Club tells us there are about 150 prepositions in the language with to, of and in ranking among the ten most frequently used words in speech and writing. Our favorites include betwixt and between, amid and amidst, and over and under.
P
he, she, them, we, us, I, thee, thou, you, & … Pronouns, writes Cobbett (1848), "prevent the repetition of Nouns, and make speaking and writing more rapid and less encumbered with words." At court in Grammar Land, Mr. Pronoun bowed before Judge Grammar and said, "Pro means instead of, so pronoun means instead of noun, and my words are called pronouns because they stand instead of nouns. Mr. Noun, though he is so rich, does not like to have his words used over and over again — he says it wears them out ; so to save trouble I put in my little words, which do just as well." (Nesbitt 1878)
V
A simple concept on the surface, indicating action, existence, state: I write, I am, tonight I shall sleep. Beneath the surface of the action word is an arcane treasure trove for grammarians, replete with esoteric gems for the academically inclined: person and number, time and mode … transitive and intransitive … indicative, imperative, infinitive … interrogative, suppositive, precative … present, past, future and several states in-between. Can you conjugate? the master asked. Yes, of course! the pupil replied, but I think singing is a prettier and easier name for it! ♥ Don't you just love grammar! ♥
Struc tures
of
American English
a
World-wide Website
devoted to the
Practice, Theory, and Pedagogy
of
American English Grammar,
Intended for the Use of Teachers ;
rs
with
Useful and Proven Methods
to Help Identify and Analyze
Common Errors of English Learners ;
rs
and also with
Topical Ideas and Concepts
related to
Research Trends and Issues
in the Field of Grammar Studies.
R 8 T
created and directed
by
Freddie Elizabeth Bowles, Ph.D.
Associate Professer of Foreign Language Education,
Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
The University of Arkansas
R 8 T
Published in the Ozark Highlands
by
Planet Gnosis
for
CornDancer.com
2014
Monday, September 22, 2014
A Welcoming Message from the Professor's Desk
Greetings, students and grammar aficionados. Welcome to a new sphere in the Planet Gnosis constellation! We're just getting started with a project we hope to nurture and cultivate over the coming seasons.
CIED 5543, Structures of American English, is a required course for the Master of Education in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. CIED 5543 is also a new course offered for the first time this fall on our lovely campus in the Ozark Mountains. This website is new, too. We're pleased you've come to visit and hope you'll come back often.
Twelve amazing, future ESL/EFL teachers are enrolled in the Structures class, representing eight countries and several languages including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, and Spanish. What more could a teacher ask for?
Join us as we begin to explore the intricacies of teaching American English grammar this semester. You are invited to take a spin on the new web. You'll find links to resources sprinkled here and there like little beacons on the page. Let us know what you think. Our return address is hidden in the winged horse just below — so please write if you find the time. But hurry. This opening message will be gone in a jiffy!
[ "find the time" ⇔ "gone in a jiffy"
How would you teach those phrases
to an English language learner?
We'll be watching Pegasus for your solution. ]
