1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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
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Academic Skills Advice

8. 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

9. 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.
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Academic Skills Advice

10. 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

11. 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

12. Academic Skills Advice
References
Clip art: microphone/questions Australian Catholic University. (2010) Reporting verbs. North Sydney, Australian Catholic University. Accessed 16 July Cottrell, S. (2008) The study skills handbook. 3rd ed. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. Eastern Institute of Technology. (2014) Reporting verbs. Napier, Eastern Institute of Technology. [Accessed 16 July Gould, S. (2011) 3.06 Active/passive verbs. Birmingham, Birmingham City University Accessed 4 July Jakeman, M., Harrison, V. and Paterson K. (2012) Improve your grammar. Basingstoke, Palgrave MacMillan.
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Academic Skills Advice

13. Academic Skills Advice
References
Kelly +. (2010) Weird but effective beauty tips. Froodee. Accessed 18 June Massey University (2012) 1st vs. 3rd person. Palmerston North, Massey University. Accessed 18 June Pet care tips; advice and information (2012) Cat bitten by dog. Accessed 18 June Ricci, V. (2012) What are the five reasons for using passive voice? Tokyo. Accessed 7 July Rouse, A. (2012) Battle for her Heart. London. Rex Features. Accessed 18 June 2014.
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Academic Skills Advice

14. Academic Skills Advice
References
Seely, J. (2004) Improve your English in seven days. Oxford, OUP. Sharpling, G. (2014) Reporting verbs. Coventry, University of Warwick. Accessed 16 July Shaw, D. (2014) Change the sentences below to the passive (or) active voice. Accessed 19 June Velliaris, D. and Miller, J. (2009) Reporting verbs. York, University of York. Accessed 16 July 2014.
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Academic Skills Advice

15. 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? Telephone:
12/05/2019
Academic Skills Advice

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

17. International Student Barometer (ISB)
Launches Monday 26 October 2015
Eligible students have been sent an with a survey link from
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.