The following questions are based on your study of Chapter 7 ‘Basic and Derived Structures’ taken
from English Grammar for Today by Leech et al. (1982)


Answer the following questions:

1. What is the difference between basic and derived order of clause elements? While explaining the
difference, put down some examples!


2. Why are tag questions a rather eccentric feature of English in comparison with other languages?


3. Put down one example of a clauses constituent split into two parts by an ‘intrusive element’!


4. Put down one example of a catenative construction!


5. What is the differemce between fronting and postponement? Apart from the explanation, add one
example of each!


6. Form four different cleft sentences from the following sentence:

Jane was wearing a new pink dress at the party last night.


7. What is extraposition? Apply it to the following sentence:

What you say to them doesn‘t matter.


8. What functions as a subject in an existential sentence?


9. When transforming an active clause into a passive one, the object of the active clause becomes
the subject of the passive clause. What happens with the subject of the active clause? Which
sentence element does it become? Use your own example!



10. Analyse the following underlined comparative structures:

Ann can type letters faster than Tom can type letters.

Ann can type letters faster than Tom.