When is a Sentence not a Sentence?

1. UNIT 9 When is a Sentence not a Sentence?

2. Which one do you like best? A sentence is … • A group of words that expresses a complete thought • A grammatical structure that begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop • A grammatical structure that contains a finite verb • A grammatical structure that has a subject and a predicate

3. Sentence structure • A group of words that contains a finite verb is called a major sentence: I live in Singapore. • A group of words without a finite verb is called a minor sentence: Wet suits for hire!

4. Sentence word order

5. Simple sentences Subject Predicate (includes main verb) The house is empty. The boy fell off his bike.

6. Inversion • In asking questions: • Are you well? • After neither, nor and so: • I hate opera. So do I • After negative adv. expression and adv expression beginning with only: • Under no circumstance will I leave • Only then did she see him truly

7. Inversion • In descriptive writing: • On the bed lay a beautiful princess. • For poetic effect: • Much have I travelled in the realms of gold …

8. Direct and indirect objects Direct: He hugged the woman. Indirect: He gave the woman a hug. or He gave a hug to the woman. Personal pronouns Direct object first: Give it to me.

9. Verbs Intransitive appear fall go wait Transitive assess chase inform organise grow park eat smoke

10. Four kinds of sentence • Declarative – convey information • Interrogative – ask a question • Exclamatory – make an exclamation • Imperative – give a command

11. Negative sentences • add the negative word after the first auxiliary • if there is no auxiliary use ‘do’ before the negative word e.g. Present: I do not … She does not … Past: We did not ...

12. Questions • Yes/no questions: Have you eaten? Do you eat meat? • Wh- questions: Who was calling? Where has he been? What did he mean?

13. Tag questions Your parents don’t like him, do they? He’s been smoking, hasn’t he? It isn’t yours, is it? We are early, aren’t we? form = declarative + tag the Subject is always present in the tag as a pronoun, so to find out what the Subject is, add a tag

14. jokingly... A: Sir, you’ve put too many stamps on this letter. B: Oh dear, it won’t go further than I want it to, _____________?

15. A: Doctor, come quickly! B: What’s the problem? A: We can’t get into our house. B: That’s not really a job for a doctor, ________? A: My baby swallowed our house key.

16. My doctor says I can’t play tennis. • Oh, so she’s played with you too, _________?

17. “Sir,” said the young man, • “I’d like to marry your daughter.” • “So,” replied the father, “You want to become my son-in-law, __________?” • “Not really, but I don’t have much choice, _________?

18. Task b - Text 1 • Text type: School report • Major sentence: declarative, giving information • Audience: parents • Purpose: to inform • Tone: formal

19. Text 2 • Text type: Recipe • Major sentences: imperative • Audience: people who want to cook • Purpose: to give instructions • Tone: brisk/direct to reader

20. Text 3 • Text type: oral sports commentary • Major & minor sentences: declarative / exclamative • Audience: sports fans • Purpose: listeners’ information /enjoyment • Tone: informal

21. Text 4 • Text type: questionnaire/health leaflet • Major sentence type: interrogative • Audience: reader interested in healthy living or healthcare patient • Purpose: seek information • Tone: formal

22. Text 5 • Text type: Holiday advertisement • Sentences: declarative, • Audience: prospective holiday-maker • Purpose: persuasion • Tone: informal

23. RoundRobin • Each person speaks one at a time, going around the group. • Topic 1: Was there anything in today’s unit that you want to remember for your own English? Please be very specific • Topic 2: What is one thing from this unit that you want to remember to teach your pupils? Please be very specific.