Today, we begin our study of grammar. In the classical liberal education, the grammar stage is the initial stage, of acquiring knowledge of the words, terms and rules that govern a subject. These enable you to write clearly, confidently and concisely, especially on complex subjects. Long ago, this was done through studying Latin and Greek, so the scholar would be able to read the ancient classics of European civilisation. However, we shall use the English language in our studies.
Phrases and Sentences
If someone tells us, "I live in the suburbs of Manchester", we understand what he means quite clearly but if he suddenly says, "The suburbs of Manchester", we wait to see if he will say anything else in the hope he will make sense. "I live in Manchester", is a sentence because it makes sense and has a complete meaning in itself. "The suburbs of Manchester" is not a whole statement (i.e. one that makes sense and has a complete meaning in itself) and so it is called a phrase.
Exercise 1
Say which of the following are sentences and which are phrases:
a. Down by the bridge.
b. Peter said nothing.
c. All the day long.
d. The sea is salt.
e. Next to the doctor's surgery.
f. Nelson was wounded.
g. Grass grows.
h. As cold as ice.
i. Up the hill he went.
j. Go to your places.
Nouns and verbs in phrases and sentences
A sentence will always contain a noun and a verb. Nouns are defined by the Oxford English Dictionary thus:
...a word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things (common noun), or to name a particular one of these (proper noun).
Verbs are defined thus:
...a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence, such as hear, become, happen.
In other words, nouns deal with who or what is doing the doing (or whatever has something to be done to it), i.e. with things, while verbs deal with the doing itself, i.e. the act. Nouns deal with things, verbs with doing.
Exercise 2
Identify the nouns and the verbs, if present, in the following phrases and sentences:
a. The Queen woke in the morning.
b. Ships sail.
c. In the suburbs.
d. Awake!
e. Education is a great good.
f. She cycled ten thousand miles.
g. Sir Edmund Hilary climbed Mount Everest because he could.
h. Britain conquered half the world in fit of absent mindedness.
i. To Church!
j. Fish forget.
Dictionary definitions and phrases and sentences
Dictionary definitions are usually given in the form of phrases, e.g.
diadem. A crown.
heart. The blood-pump of the body.
Here, we give the same information in the form of sentences:
A diadem is a crown.
The heart is the blood-pump of the body.
Exercise 3
Look up the following words in a dictionary and define them in full sentences:
a. tarpaulin
b. delta
c. eel
d. borax
e. oboe
f. sky
g. elbow
h. tinfoil
i. whale
j. honey
k. pliers
l. dinosaur
Phrases and Sentences - More Exercises
Exercise 4
Turn these phrases into sentences by making suitable additions:
a. Behind a hedge...
b. On the stroke of twelve...
c. A few days ago...
d. Since yesterday...
e. At the foot of the cliff...
f. In spite of his tiredness...
g. Father along the road...
Exercise 5
Turn these phrases into sentences by putting not less than four words in front of each:
a. ...a most interesting book.
b. ...inside the cave.
c. ...a horse without a rider.
d. ...at the water's edge.
e. ...throughout the day.
f. ...at regular intervals.
Exercise 6
It is possible to remove a phrase from each of the following sentences and leave a complete sentence. Write out the sentences that remain when these phrases are removed and make sure that they convey the main sense of the originals:
Example: He sprang to his feet, blazing with anger.
Answer: He sprang to his feet.
a. She crept into a back seat, late as usual.
b. Delighted at our success, we held a part.
c. With pieces of string he repaired the net.
d. There he stood, hands on hips.
e. The men, fearing an explosion, ran for safety.
f. Each morning, before breakfast, I go for a swim.
Exercise 7
Re-arrange each of these sentences so that the phrase now at the end is moved near the beginning, with commas before and after it. In the first two sentences, the phrases to be moved are printed in italics.
Example: The book is not an easy one, even for adults.
Answer: This book, even for adults, is not an easy one.
a. Every pupil has passed the examination, without exception.
b. The fox walked away in disgust, tired of trying to reach the grapes.
c. No man could move that boulder, however strong.
d. Jim kept one eye open, hoping to see Father Christmas.
e. Mary put her head under the clothes, afraid of the thunder and lightning.
f. The peasant killed the goose that laid the golden eggs, hoping to get rich quickly.
Phrases and Sentences - Bad English
Some writers attempt to appear conversational and informal avoid long sentences in which several phrases are separated by commas. Instead, they put them between full stops as though they were sentences. For example:
The Government should act now. Before it is too late.
This is thoroughly bad English, and you should not use it in your own writing.
Another form of bad English, of which Tony Blair was often guilty, is to leave out the verb, as we sometimes do in conversation. For example:
Quite a good idea.
In the following extracts from newspaper columns, pick out the phrases and parts of sentences that are printed as though they are complete sentences.
a. In Cornwall they order another small, privately-owned bus company to raise its fares. So that it will keep in line with the higher fares of the big undertakings. The Government should make up its mind whether it really wants to bring prices down. Or whether that is just talk.
b. They flocked into central London in their thousands to see the Royal Wedding. East Enders determined to show that they were as loyal as ever. Youngsters for whom this was a new experience. And old-age pensioners who wondered if this might be their last chance. A night in the streets wouldn't stop them!
c. Fifty thousand pounds is to be spent on tests for the hull of a new America's Cup challenger. A lot of money to spend before a yacht is even started. But not too much.
d. From the doctors, good news. Coupled with a warning. Deaths from whooping-cough are down. And still falling. But they could rise again if precautions are relaxed.
e. This man knows what it is like to endure failure and misfortune. Because he has known fame and glory. Ten years ago he was a celebrity. Today he is almost forgotten.
Revision
Once you have completed the exercises, revise the terms given for phrases, sentences, nouns and verbs and memorise them. Then, open a book or a newspaper and try and identify them in the text.
No comments:
Post a Comment