AJ1205 Syntax A

Faculty of Education
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Radek Vogel, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Radek Vogel, Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Supplier department: Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Timetable of Seminar Groups
AJ1205/Kombi01: Fri 20. 9. 8:00–9:50 učebna 11, Fri 4. 10. 8:00–9:50 učebna 11, Fri 18. 10. 8:00–9:50 učebna 11, Fri 1. 11. 8:00–9:50 učebna 11, Fri 15. 11. 8:00–9:50 učebna 11, Fri 29. 11. 8:00–9:50 učebna 11, R. Vogel
AJ1205/Kombi02: Fri 20. 9. 15:00–16:50 učebna 10, Fri 4. 10. 15:00–16:50 učebna 10, Fri 18. 10. 15:00–16:50 učebna 10, Fri 1. 11. 15:00–16:50 učebna 10, Fri 15. 11. 15:00–16:50 učebna 10, Fri 29. 11. 15:00–16:50 učebna 10, R. Vogel
AJ1205/Prez01: Thu 18:00–19:50 učebna 58, R. Vogel
AJ1205/Prez02: Thu 15:00–16:50 učebna 11, R. Vogel
Prerequisites
AJ1102 Practical Language 1B || AJ2102 Practical Language 1B
Students can enroll Seminar to syntax A only after completing successfully all practical language classes in the first year of their study.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 12 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
This course will raise students’ awareness of similarities and differences between English and their native language / mother tongue and thus enables them to identify potentially problematic areas for their future learners. The goal of the course is to master modality including the two types of modality, intrinsic and extrinsic modality, and all kinds of non-finite verb forms, infinitives, gerunds and participles. Students are supposed to become acquainted with the analysis of the simple sentence, especially in contrast to their mother tongue, the Czech language. They also study some cohesive means, notably substitution and ellipsis. An important part of the course is the mastery of the four basic sentence types and their corresponding discourse functions. Finally, students are expected to master the semantics and grammar of adverbials.
Learning outcomes
This course enhances the acquisition of linguistic knowledge and teaching competencies indispensable for the professional development of future teachers of English, in particular communication and interpersonal skills, collaboration and teamwork, flexibility and adaptability (viz Strategic Aim 1, Strategies 2030). The students are expected: 1. to understand linguistic terms from the area of syntax and be able to explain them on concrete examples; 2. to understand the structure of the simple sentence and be able to analyze it; 3. to know how to express modality and condensation in the English sentence; 4. to be able to identify relevant syntactic features in the text and describe them while using appropriate linguistic terms.
Syllabus
  • The simple sentence. Sentence elements and types of phrases. Two types of grammatical notation: tree diagrams and bracketing. The semantics and grammar of adverbials (four criteria for their classification). Four grammatical functions of adverbials (adjuncts, subjuncts, disjuncts and conjuncts). Sentence types and discourse functions. Pro-forms and ellipsis. Introduction to modal verbs. Two kinds of modality. Ability, permission, and possibility. Past activity, habit, refusal, etc. Expectation, assumption, and conclusion. Obligation, absence of obligation. Duty and arrangement, with non-fulfilment. Use of should for suggestions, opinions, feelings, etc. The infinitive. Types of infinitive. The -ing form as a gerund. Verbs taking a full infinitive or -ing (gerund). Verbs taking the infinitive or -ing (participle) according to meaning.
Literature
    required literature
  • YULE, George. Oxford practice grammar : with answers. Updated edition first publis. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019, vii, 274. ISBN 9780194214766. info
  • BIBER, Douglas and CONRAD SUSAN. Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English. 1st ed. London: Pearson Education / Longman, 2002, 487 pp. info
  • GETHIN, Hugh. Grammar in context :proficiency level English. New edition. Harlow: Longman, 1996, 235 s. ISBN 0-17-556420-5. info
  • GREENBAUM, Sidney and Randolph QUIRK. A student's grammar of the English language. First published. Harlow: Longman, 1990, 490 stran. ISBN 0582059712. info
  • CHALKER, Sylvia. A student's English grammar : workbook. First published. Harlow: Longman, 1992, 186 stran. ISBN 0582088194. info
    recommended literature
  • LEECH, Geoffrey N., M. (Margaret) DEUCHAR and Robert HOOGENRAAD. English grammar for today : a new introduction. London: Macmillan, 1982, xvi, 224 p. ISBN 0-333-30643-0. info
  • POVOLNÁ, Renata. Grammar. 1. dotisk 1. vydání. Brno: Masarykova univerzita v Brně, 2002, 99 stran. ISBN 8021023112. info
  • DUŠKOVÁ, Libuše. Mluvnice současné angličtiny na pozadí češtiny. 2. vyd. Praha: Academia, 1994, 673 s. ISBN 8020004866. info
Teaching methods
Mode of teaching: seminar The methods used in classes are mainly presentations of new and/or problematic grammatical issues by the teacher, followed by class discussions and questions from students, and various types of exercises from compulsory and recommended textbooks.
As for homework, students are supposed to study in advance relevant chapters from their textbooks and translate sentences from Czech into English. Apart from that, students have to do various on-line tasks including quizzes designed particularly for their course.
Assessment methods
Students have to write a mid-term test and a seminar translation (10 sentences) during the term and a final test at the end of the course to get the credit from Seminar to syntax A. They are expected to attend classes on a regular basis and score at least 70 per cent with all the tests. If absent more than three times, students will be tested also orally, i.e. they will be asked theoretical questions by their teacher.
Language of instruction
English
Follow-Up Courses
Study support
https://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=3722
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: kombinované studium: výuka v blocích.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
Teacher's information
https://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=3722
Full-time students: Moodle course (Vogel´s groups 01 and 02) available at http://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=3721

Combined and lifelong students: Moodle course (Vogel´s Friday groups) available at http://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=3722

The course can be completed if the student is spending the semester abroad as part of the Erasmus Programme. Attendance is not required, but working with the Moodlinka course is obligatory. Both tests (mid-term and final) must be taken in the exam period.


In the course, the use of AI is permitted for learning but not for cheating. It is acceptable to use AI for brainstorming ideas, basic proofreading, and suggestions for improvement. It is unacceptable to have a text generated, translated or reformulated. Remember to acknowledge all innovative ideas that are not yours. For generated ideas, use in-text citations. At the end of each assignment, state how you worked/did not work with AI. When in doubt, consult your teacher.

The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019, autumn 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023.
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