AJ2205 Syntax A

Faculty of Education
autumn 2020
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Martin Adam, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
doc. PhDr. Renata Povolná, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Renata Povolná, 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
AJ2205/01: Tue 13:00–14:50 učebna 58, R. Povolná
AJ2205/02: Tue 10:00–11:50 učebna 41, R. Povolná
AJ2205/03: Tue 17:00–18:50 učebna 57, R. Povolná
AJ2205/05: Thu 15:00–16:50 učebna 6, M. Adam
Prerequisites
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 also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 7 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
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
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 concrete 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
  • CHALKER, Sylvia. A student's English grammar : workbook. First published. Harlow: Longman, 1992, 186 stran. ISBN 0582088194. 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
    recommended literature
  • DUŠKOVÁ, Libuše. Mluvnice současné angličtiny na pozadí češtiny. 2. vyd. Praha: Academia, 1994, 673 s. ISBN 8020004866. info
  • POVOLNÁ, Renata. Grammar. 1. dotisk 1. vydání. Brno: Masarykova univerzita v Brně, 2002, 99 stran. ISBN 8021023112. info
  • 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
  • YULE, George. Oxford practice grammar : supplementary exercises with answers. First published. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009, v, 132. ISBN 9780194579872. info
  • YULE, George. Oxford practice grammar : with answer. First published. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, ix, 280. ISBN 9780194579827. 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 one test and one translation (10 sentences) during the term and one final test at the end of the course to get a 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. In case of more than three absences they will be tested also orally, i.e. they will be asked some theoretical questions by their teacher.
Language of instruction
English
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught each semester.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
Teacher's information
https://is.muni.cz/auth/ucitel/warp_predmet_vyber?fakulta=1441;obdobi=7763;zuv=807981;uvodnik=a
FOR ONLINE SEMESTER: Students are requested to secure good internet connection in order to participate in online lessons as indicated in the schedule. Students must attend these meetings with both the sound and camera on.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (autumn 2020, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/ped/autumn2020/AJ2205