Academic Skills Advice Grammar: Verbs and Sentence Structure This workshop will: Refresh your understanding of verbs and clauses Cover problematic verb forms, passive and active voices, and different clause types for speakers of English. Provide an opportunity to practice within the workshop and via follow-on activities for you to be able to continue to improve your grammar Complete register and LHS grid on feedback sheet Is aimed at Level 1 undergraduates Louise Livesey Academic Skills Adviser 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice Today’s Plan Using appropriate verb tenses for academic work Use of passive and active voice What a clause is Different types of clauses and sentences All appear on one 1Basics to warm you up 2Basic parts of a sentence, and how clauses work in sentences 3Passive and active voices 4What to do and what to avoid 5Will ask you later what these are 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 1.Using appropriate word tenses Reporting verbs: Past or present tense used: check with your tutor Present To warn: Boynton (1982, p. 79) warns the reader that ordinary chocolate is “too frail to withstand heat, moisture and proximity to baked beans”. To refute: Some people subscribe to the idea that chocolate is unhealthy, but Boynton’s (1982) book refutes this claim. Past To reason: Smith (2013) reasoned that communication skills are essential to building effective nurse-patient relationships. To endorse: In her study on building effective nurse-student relationships, Brown (2013) endorsed the idea that communication skills are essential. 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 1.Using appropriate word tenses ‘To be’: ‘was’ and ‘were’ I was happy to win tickets to the concert. You were happy to win tickets to the concert. He was happy to win tickets to the concert. We were happy to win tickets to the concert. The twins were happy to win tickets to the concert.   12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 1.Using appropriate word tenses ‘to have’     I have the concert tickets. You have the concert tickets. She has the concert tickets. We have the concert tickets. The twins have the concert tickets 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 2.Use of passive and active voice Active and Passive Voices active voice is used when the subject is placed before the verb passive voice is used when the subject is moved so the object is placed first 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 2.Use of passive and active voice Quick summary of subject-verb-object sentence construction: A sentence must have a subject and a verb connected to it; it may also have an object.   A SUBJECT ‘does’ the ‘doing’ or action of a verb, e.g. The DOG bit the cat – DOG is the subject as it is doing the biting. A VERB is the ‘doing’ part of a sentence, e.g. The dog BIT the cat – BIT is the verb as it is the action An OBJECT is the one that is having the ‘doing’ or action ‘done’ to it, e.g. The dog bit the CAT – CAT is the object as it is the thing that is being bitten. All ACTIVE: object before verb and subject 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 2.Use of passive and active voice Change to passive voice:   The cat was bitten by the dog. The dog is still the subject and the cat is still the object but now they are in a different order. Useful in academic writing as more formal and easier to write in third person. Both active and passive used at university: choose and be consistent 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 3. What a clause is A clause is just a building block of a sentence with each one adding to the overall detail of a sentence. A clause is a group of words that may or may not have a complete meaning on their own. A sentence may contain more than one clause, but must have one main clause. 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 4.Different types of clauses and sentences Main clauses: a sentence must have one a sentence may consist only of one clause Co-ordinated clauses: a sentence may consist of two main clauses that make sense of their own, linked by a conjunction – this is a compound sentence. Other clauses: a sentence may consist of a main clause and one or more other non-main clauses which would not make sense on their own; they may follow one another or one may be within another – this is a complex sentence. Other information: clauses are normally separated by commas a main clause does not does not have to begin a sentence a clause that is not a main clause does not have to have a verb or subject 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 4.Different types of clauses and sentences TALKING POINT The jury system is a central plank of the British legal system. A number of critics of it who say that it is outdated. Many cases too complex for ordinary members of the public. The result they feel that juries should not be used any longer. The jury system is a central plank of the British legal system, although a number of critics of it say that it is outdated with many cases being too complex for ordinary members of the public. Therefore, they feel juries should not be used any longer. Activity 3 A number of reasons why the ruling party might lose the next election. The state of the economy is probably the top one. Many people are losing jobs and businesses are unable to attract investment. A growing loss of faith in the government. There are a number of reasons why the ruling party might lose the next election, with the state of the economy probably being the top one. Many people are losing jobs and businesses are unable to attract investment generating a growing loss of faith in the government.   TV watchers could not believe how many people the protest attracted. Despite one of the wettest days of the year. On every street in the city centre, hundreds of protestors. Carrying slogans and denounced the government’s policies. TV watchers could not believe how many people the protest attracted, despite it being held on one of the wettest days of the year. On every street in the city centre, hundreds of protestors carried slogans and denounced the government’s policies. Click for each question and each answer 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice References Clip art: microphone/questions Australian Catholic University. (2010) Reporting verbs. North Sydney, Australian Catholic University. http://students.acu.edu.au/office_of_student_success/academic_skills_unit_asu/academic_referencing/reporting_verbs Accessed 16 July 2014. Cottrell, S. (2008) The study skills handbook. 3rd ed. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. Eastern Institute of Technology. (2014) Reporting verbs. Napier, Eastern Institute of Technology. http://www2.eit.ac.nz/library/ls_guides_reportingverbs.html [Accessed 16 July 2014. Gould, S. (2011) 3.06 Active/passive verbs. Birmingham, Birmingham City University http://library.bcu.ac.uk/learner/Grammar%20Guides/3.06%20Active-Passive.htm Accessed 4 July 2014. Jakeman, M., Harrison, V. and Paterson K. (2012) Improve your grammar. Basingstoke, Palgrave MacMillan. 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice References Kelly +. (2010) Weird but effective beauty tips. Froodee. http://www.froodee.com/lifestyle/weird-but-effective-beauty-tips/ Accessed 18 June 2014. Massey University (2012) 1st vs. 3rd person. Palmerston North, Massey University. http://owll.massey.ac.nz/academic-writing/1st-vs-3rd-person.php Accessed 18 June 2014. Pet care tips; advice and information (2012) Cat bitten by dog. http://www.petcaregt.com/blog/cat-bitten-by-dog.html Accessed 18 June 2014. Ricci, V. (2012) What are the five reasons for using passive voice? Tokyo. http://techwritingtodai.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/passive-voice.html Accessed 7 July 2014. Rouse, A. (2012) Battle for her Heart. London. Rex Features. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2195158/Stop-giving-runaround-Incredible-pictures-capture-moment-male-hare-gives-chase-chosen-mate.html Accessed 18 June 2014. 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice References Seely, J. (2004) Improve your English in seven days. Oxford, OUP. Sharpling, G. (2014) Reporting verbs. Coventry, University of Warwick. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/learning_english/leap/grammar/reportingverbs/ Accessed 16 July 2014. Shaw, D. (2014) Change the sentences below to the passive (or) active voice. http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/qwrtcntr/resources/handouts/activepassive.htm Accessed 19 June 2014. Velliaris, D. and Miller, J. (2009) Reporting verbs. York, University of York. http://www.york.ac.uk/rop/documents/reportingverbs.pdf Accessed 16 July 2014. 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice Service Where are we? Chesham Building B0.23. Give us a call or come speak to us Monday-Thursday 10am-12pm and 1pm-4pm Who am I? Louise, the dedicated workshop adviser. Who can help me with study and writing skills? Lucy and Russell run Instant Study Skills Advice sessions Monday-Thursday and Writing Skills Clinics twice a week. You can also access self-help resources on our webpage. Who can give me maths advice? Helen and Michael specialise in Maths support for students though clinics and pre-booked appointments. How do I get in touch? Email: academic-skills@brad.ac.uk Telephone: 01274 236849 http://www.brad.ac.uk/academic-skills/induction/ 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice Any questions? Produced by Louise Livesey May 2014 23 12/05/2019 Academic Skills Advice

International Student Barometer (ISB) Launches Monday 26 October 2015 Eligible students have been sent an email with a survey link from International-office@bradford.ac.uk ISB helps the University to: understand the international student experience; make improvements for you as students and; understand what we are doing well. But! We need students to fill out the survey: more students = better data = better experience You could win an iPad Mini 2 or a year’s gym membership with Unique Fitness for filling it out.