Thursday, September 16, 2015

Announcements Movie night, Friday September 25, at 6:00 pm. Bring your family and friends. There will be vocabulary review and discussion about the movie Remember the Titans. You should go!

Agenda Grammar review Hand back homework Finish Unit 10 Speaking activity with noun clauses

Noun clauses basics

Grammar Review: Noun Clause Noun clauses are used to replace nouns in sentences. They contain subjects and verbs and can sometimes be replaced with the pronoun (it). Noun clauses are dependent and can be either subject, object, subject and adjective complements. Subject noun clause That you can eat so much food is amazing.

Grammar Review: Noun Clause Object noun clause I don’t know whether he is finished working on the project. Subject complement- this renames the subject The idea is that if everyone cooperates, we will complete the assignment faster. Adjective complement- this describes the noun clause It’s sad that blue whales are becoming extinct.

Grammar Review: Noun clause (note 2) That can be omitted only when it introduces an object noun clause. I think (that) the Red Sox are the best team in the MLB. That cannot be omitted if it introduces a subject noun clause. That you think any other team in the MLB is the best is crazy.

The fact that (note 3) Sometimes you can replace that with the fact that in subject noun clauses. The fact that she is ignoring me is so rude. That she is ignoring me is so rude. The fact that must be used in place of that in noun clauses that are objects of prepositions. I’m not excited about the fact that my enemy will be at the party. *I’m not excited about that my enemy will be at the party.

It’s funny that you should say that (note 3) This is a common expression. When people say this in a conversation, it means that one person has said something unexpected but it is related to what you are talking about. It is an odd coincidence. This expression is used as a transition to what you really want to talk about. In this example, It has no grammatical meaning, just like that when we introduce an object noun clause (pp ).

It’s funny that you should say that. It’s __________ that you should say that. What are other adjectives that you can put here? It’s interesting (that) you should ask that question. What other substitutions can you think of for the noun clause? It’s interesting (that) ____________________________________.

Note 4 Embedded questions Embedded questions are questions that are changed to noun clauses. Also, imbedded questions are more polite than direct questions. We use them when we don’t know the answer, when we are unsure, when we want to say something without being direct. Ex. I’m uncertain if class is cancelled. This is in the form of a statement, but imbedded questions can look just like questions. Can you tell me if she is going to be late to class today? Excuse me, do you know/ could you tell me/ I wonder if you could tell me

Note 4 What are the original sentences in Note 4? What changed? Word order Punctuation Does something disappear? I don’t even know if she’s from around here  Is she from around here? I don’t know who she is  Who is she? I’m not sure what incongruous means.  What does incongruous means. Do you know how far it is to the nearest town?  How far is it to the nearest town?

Your turn Ex. I’m not sure. Who is she? Combine the sentences and make an embedded question. What changed in the question? Word order and punctuation.

Note 5 Wh- questions introduce imbedded questions. Ex. I wonder [how she is able to go on vacation for months at a time]. Ex. Do you know when she arrived? What is the difference between the two sentences? The embedded question is imbedded in a question. [Do you know][when she arrived]?

Note 5 imbedded question Where does he live? Do you know where he lives? When does he finish work? Do you know when he finishes work? Can you make imbedded questions from these examples? What has changed from the original question?

Note 6- Yes/ no embedded question We use if and whether (or not) to introduce embedded yes/ no questions. Do you know if she came to work today? Who knows whether she’s here. Make an embedded question with the following sentence… Is she from around here? I don’t know. I don’t know if she is from around here. What has changed?

Be careful Do not use if to introduce a subject noun clause. Whether or not you agree with my decision doesn’t matter. If you agree with my decision doesn’t matter.

Be careful Do not omit if or whether (or not) in imbedded Yes/ No questions. It is difficult to say if/ whether (or not) his plan will work. It is difficult to say his plan will work. I don’t know if/ whether (or not) the party will be cancelled.

Your turn In pairs, come up with sentences that begin with: Do you know Who knows I have no idea We’re not sure It is difficult to say

Other ways to introduce Could you please tell me… Do you happen to know… It’s hard to say Can you guess I wonder

Practice In pairs, one student come up with a yes or no question. The other student changes the question into an embedded question.

Note 7 Whether… or not can replace whether in all noun clauses. When whether is used, or not can appear in two places. We don’t know whether or not she got the job. We don’t know whether she got the job or not. When if is used, the only position for or not is at the end of the sentence. We don’t know if she got the job or not. We don’t know if or not she got the job. X

Note 7 *Note: If… or not can replace whether in all BUT subject noun clauses. In other words, if… or not cannot be used in subject noun clauses (or at the beginning). Ex. She hasn’t decided if/ whether she will go to college after high school. Whether she goes to college hasn’t been decided. X If she has decided to go to college or not has not been decided

Whether she received it isn’t known. Can or not be added? Yes, but only after whether: Whether or not she received it isn’t known.

Modern Family Family Tree

Grammar Review 5. Wh- questions introduce imbedded questions. Ex. I wonder how she is able to go on vacation for months at a time. 6. Use if/ whether (or not) to introduce embedded yes/ no questions. Ex. Can you tell me if/ whether it will rain tomorrow? Can you tell me whether it will rain tomorrow or not? *Note: do not use if to introduce a subject noun clause. Use whether (or not) instead. *Note: Do not omit if/ whether (or not) in imbedded yes or no questions. 7. Whether… or not can replace whether in all noun clauses. *Note: If… or not can replace whether in all BUT subject noun clauses. In other words, if… or not cannot be used in subject noun clauses. Ex. She hasn’t decided if/ whether she will go to college after high school. Whether she goes to college hasn’t been decided. X If she has decided to go to college or not has not been decided.