Basics of the English grammar All you need to know about your own language before you start learn another language PART 1: SENTENCE STRUCTURES

A language is more than a random combination of words. What is grammar? The structure of a specific language Each language has different grammatical rules: some languages have tenses, others not. Some languages have masculine and feminine nouns, others not. Because differences in grammar, literal translations usually don’t work. A language is more than a random combination of words.

Two main levels SENTENCE ANALYSIS Here we split the sentence up into different parts and we analyse which function each part has within a sentence. Eg. ‘John is kind.’ ‘I give John a kiss.’ Twice the same word (John), but a different function within each sentence (subject vs indirect object) WORD ANALYSIS Here we look at the name and function of each word as such. On top of the ‘lexical’ meaning of the word, there are also grammatical characteristics for each word type. Eg: play as a verb play as a noun

1. Sentence structures a) What is a sentence? b) Which main parts do we have in a sentence? c) How do we know which part is which?

A the very least, a sentence will contain a) What is a sentence? A sentence is a combination of different sentence parts. A sentence starts with a capital letter and finishes with a full stop, question mark or explanation mark. A the very least, a sentence will contain a verb that goes together with a subject, or an ‘imperative’ (which has an implied subject) a conjugated verb

Some sentences can be very simple. I play. Sit down!

Others can contain ‘mini sentences’ within sentences (we call these ‘clauses’) and they can become very long and complicated: ‘The man I met yesterday at the train station, which is recently renovated, is supposed to be the father of John’s second wife.

This subclause describes ‘the man’ Sentences can be a combination of two clauses who are equal in weight (importance). Eg. ‘I like to play music and I enjoy swimming.’ Or they can contain a subclause in a main clause (a clause is something which contains a verb or ‘doing word’) Eg. ‘I met the man you had talked about.’ Equally important This subclause describes ‘the man’

Unconjugated verbs, loose words etc We must have at least one conjugated verb to have a proper sentence. are not sentences.

Check: Is it a proper sentence? YES! I have played football. We are happy. He has completed his homework. Yesterday, I watched a good film. When I grow up, I would like to become a filmstar. NO! Beautiful children. To play tennis. When I came home. Played. Watching tennis.

b) Which main parts do we have in a sentence? VERB SUBJECT DIRECT OBJECT INDIRECT OBJECT ADVERBIAL (of place, time etc)

c) How do we know which part is which?

Who? What? is connected with the main verb? The subject SUBJECT Conjugated VERB To check whether something is a subject, change the ‘I’ to ‘he’ and see if the verb form changes Who? What? is connected with the main verb?

I am He am He is Conjugated verb SUBJECT

The direct object SUBJECT VERB DIRECT OBJECT To find out which part the direct object is, ask Who/What SUBJECT VERB? WHO or WHAT?

I buy flowers. WHAT DO I BUY? flowers Direct object

The indirect object SUBJECT VERB INDIRECT OBJECT To find out which part the indirect object is, as TO WHOM, SUBJECT (INDIRECT OBJECT) VERB DIRECT OBJECT TO WHOM?

I buy my mother flowers To/for whom do I buy fowers? My mother Indirect object

The adverbial ADVERBIAL Of place, time etc SUBJECT VERB The adverbial gives additional information about where, when etc the action took place. Sometimes it can be as a mini sentence (clause) within a sentence. INDIRECT OBJECT DIRECT OBJECT Where? When? How?

I buy my mother flowers at the market near my house Where do I buy the flowers? At the market near my house Adverbial

I love you. I met him yesterday. We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. In the future, I will become a teacher. They are building a new house. He has taught her everything she needed to know to pass her exam. My mother has recently been promoted at work.

We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. I love you. I met him yesterday. We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. In the future, I will become a teacher. They are building a new house. He has taught her everything she needed to know to pass her exam. My mother has recently been promoted at work. subject

We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. I love you. I met him yesterday. We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. In the future, I will become a teacher. They are building a new house. He has taught her everything she needed to know to pass her exam. My mother has recently been promoted at work. subject direct object

We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. I love you. I met him yesterday. We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. In the future, I will become a teacher. They are building a new house. He has taught her everything she needed to know to pass her exam. My mother has recently been promoted at work. subject direct object adverbial

We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. I love you. I met him yesterday. We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. In the future, I will become a teacher. They are building a new house. He has taught her everything she needed to know to pass her exam. My mother has recently been promoted at work. subject direct object adverbial direct object

We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. I love you. I met him yesterday. We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. In the future, I will become a teacher. They are building a new house. He has taught her everything she needed to know to pass her exam. My mother has recently been promoted at work. subject direct object adverbial direct object subject

We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. I love you. I met him yesterday. We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. In the future, I will become a teacher. They are building a new house. He has taught her everything she needed to know to pass her exam. My mother has recently been promoted at work. subject direct object adverbial direct object subject subject

We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. I love you. I met him yesterday. We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. In the future, I will become a teacher. They are building a new house. He has taught her everything she needed to know to pass her exam. My mother has recently been promoted at work. subject direct object adverbial direct object subject subject direct object

We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. I love you. I met him yesterday. We played football in the park. I want to buy a new jacket. In the future, I will become a teacher. They are building a new house. He has taught her everything she needed to know to pass her exam. My mother has recently been promoted at work. subject direct object adverbial direct object subject subject direct object adverbial

RECAP Do you know what makes up a real sentence? Which main parts can we find in a basic sentence? How do we find the subject within a sentence? Which question do we ask to find the direct object? Which question do we ask to find the indirect object? Which question do we ask to find the adverbial(s)? How will your understanding of sentence structures help you when learning a foreign language (tongue)?