AJc214 Syntax A

Faculty of Education
Autumn 2018
Extent and Intensity
0/0/2. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Radek Vogel, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Světlana Hanušová, Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Supplier department: Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Timetable of Seminar Groups
AJc214/01: Fri 21. 9. 13:00–14:50 učebna 59, Fri 12. 10. 13:00–14:50 učebna 59, Fri 26. 10. 13:00–14:50 učebna 59, Fri 9. 11. 13:00–14:50 učebna 59, Fri 23. 11. 13:00–14:50 učebna 59, Fri 7. 12. 13:00–14:50 učebna 59, R. Vogel
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
Course objectives
The goal of the course is to master modality including the two types of modality - intrinsic and extrinsic - 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
The student will be able to:
understand linguistic terms in the field of syntax and explain them on practical examples;
understand the syntax of a simple sentence and analyse it;
know the means for expressing modality and condensation in an English sentence;
identify syntactic phenomena in a written text and describe them using linguistic terms.
Syllabus
  • 1. The simple sentence. Grammatical notation. Tree diagrams and bracketing.
  • 2. The semantics and grammar of adverbials.
  • 3. Sentence types and discourse functions.
  • 4. Pro-forms and ellipsis.
  • 5. Introduction to modal verbs. Ability, permission, and possibility.
  • 6. Past activity, habit, refusal, etc.
  • 7. Expectation, assumption, and conclusion.
  • 8. Obligation, absence of obligation.
  • 9. Duty and arrangement, with non-fulfilment.
  • 10. Use of "should" for suggestions, opinions, feelings, etc.
  • 11. Ways of teaching modality in classes at different levels according to CERR (application of findings from obervations done at schools).
  • 12. Revision.
Literature
    required literature
  • GETHIN, Hugh. Grammar in context : proficiency level English. New edition. Harlow: Longman, 1996, 235 s. ISBN 0175564205. info
  • QUIRK, Randolph and Sidney GREENBAUM. A Student s Grammar of the English Language. 1. vyd. London: Longman, 1990, 490 s. ISBN 0-582-07569-6. info
  • CHALKER, Sylvia. A student's English grammar : workbook. First published. Harlow: Longman, 1992, 186 stran. ISBN 0582088194. info
    recommended literature
  • DUŠKOVÁ, Libuše. Mluvnice současné angličtiny na pozadí češtiny. 2. vyd. Praha: Academia, 1994, 673 s. ISBN 8020004866. info
  • POVOLNÁ, Renata. Grammar I., Supplementary grammar exercises for students of English. 2. vydaní. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2007, 99 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-4428-9. info
  • LEECH, Geoffrey N., M. DEUCHAR and Robert HOOGENRAAD. English grammar for today : a new introduction. London: Macmillan, 1982, xvi, 224. ISBN 0333306449. 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 textbooks, including drills. 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 interactive moodle modules including quizzes designed particularly for their course. Experience from teaching practice/observations is employed in seminar discussions.
Assessment methods
Tests: Students have to take one midterm test in November, and one final test and translation (from Czech into English) in the credit week to get a credit from Seminar to Syntax A. Pass mark in each part of continuous assessment: 70%. Online quizzes: there are interactive self-check quizzes available in the Moodle course, and students have to do them all by the dates specified. Attendance: Regular attendance will not be checked; however, once a student attends the class, they are expected to participate in an active way: asking questions, answering when called on, listening to questions and answers, taking notes. Homework: It is required that students do all the homework assignments, by the dates specified.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 24 hodin.
Teacher's information
http://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=2803
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2017, Autumn 2019, autumn 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2018, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/ped/autumn2018/AJc214