AJ2BP_SSYA Syntax Seminar A

Faculty of Education
Autumn 2018
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Renata Povolná, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Olga Dontcheva-Navrátilová, 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
AJ2BP_SSYA/01: Tue 8:00–9:50 učebna 57, R. Povolná
AJ2BP_SSYA/02: Mon 10:00–11:50 respirium (5. nadzemní podlaží), R. Povolná
AJ2BP_SSYA/03: Mon 8:00–9:50 respirium (4. nadzemní podlaží), R. Povolná
AJ2BP_SSYA/04: Mon 12:00–13:50 respirium (5. nadzemní podlaží), R. Povolná
AJ2BP_SSYA/05: Tue 10:00–11:50 učebna 53, R. Povolná
Prerequisites
( AJ2BP_PJ1B Practical Language 1B && AJ2BP_GRAB Grammar B && AJ2BP_CF1B Phonetics Seminar B ) || AJ2BP_SOZK Complex Exam
Students can enroll Seminar to syntax A only after completing successfully the following subjects: Grammar A and Grammar B.
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
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 1. understand basic linguistic terms from the area of syntax and are able to explain them while using concrete examples; 2. understand the structure of the simple sentence and are able to analyse it; 3. know the language means for the expression of different modal meanings and condensation in English; 4. are able to identify concrete syntactic means in the written language and describe them with the help of linguistic terms.
Syllabus
  • The simple sentence. Two types of grammatical notation. Tree diagrams and bracketing. The semantics and grammar of adverbials (fout 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. 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. The -ing form as a gerund. Verbs taking a full infinitive or -ing (gerund). Revision.
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
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 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
Study Materials
The course is taught each semester.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2003, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2019, autumn 2020.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2018, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/ped/autumn2018/AJ2BP_SSYA