Grammar Through The Grammar Through The AgesAges

Roger HuntRoger Hunt

International House BarcelonaInternational House Barcelona

StructureStructure

• What is it?What is it?

• Where is it? Where is it?

• Why is it there?Why is it there?

• What is it for?What is it for?

•It is isolated!It is isolated!

StructuralismStructuralism

• Leonard Bloomfield 1887 – 1949Leonard Bloomfield 1887 – 1949• Language 1933Language 1933• ““..definitions used in grammar should ..definitions used in grammar should

be based on the be based on the formsforms of the of the language, not on the language, not on the meaningsmeanings of the of the forms..”forms..”

• Conditionals: zero, first, second, thirdConditionals: zero, first, second, third• ““If you are going to be late you will If you are going to be late you will

call, won’t you?”call, won’t you?”

TensesTenses

• Two, twelve, thirteen???Two, twelve, thirteen???

• Do you live here? No I don’t. I’m just Do you live here? No I don’t. I’m just visiting.visiting.

• Did you go to the party? No, I didn’t Did you go to the party? No, I didn’t in the end. I was too tired.in the end. I was too tired.

Description vs PrescriptionDescription vs Prescription

• Henry Sweet 1845 to 1912Henry Sweet 1845 to 1912

• ““the philosopher pulled the lower jaw the philosopher pulled the lower jaw of the hen”of the hen”

• I and we shall, everybody else willI and we shall, everybody else will

• ““To boldly go…”To boldly go…”

–““Sentences which end with Sentences which end with –prepositions are things up prepositions are things up –with which I can no with which I can no –longer put” (Winston Churchill)longer put” (Winston Churchill)

Function and the Function and the Communicative ApproachCommunicative Approach

• The functional exponentThe functional exponent

• Can you drive?Can you drive?

• The door’s open.The door’s open.

• Well, wellWell, well

SVOCASVOCA

• SUBJECT, VERB, OBJECT, SUBJECT, VERB, OBJECT, COMPLEMENT, ADJUNCTCOMPLEMENT, ADJUNCT

• I LIKE VERY MUCH SWIMMINGI LIKE VERY MUCH SWIMMING

• I LIKE SWIMMING I LIKE SWIMMING VERY MUCHVERY MUCH

• (ADJUNCTS COME AT THE END!)(ADJUNCTS COME AT THE END!)

• The big, fat, mangy, old dog was The big, fat, mangy, old dog was sitting quietly at his master’s feet.sitting quietly at his master’s feet.

Transformational GrammarTransformational Grammar

• Noam ChomskyNoam Chomsky

• Despite the rain we..Despite the rain we..

• Although it was raining..Although it was raining..

• Deep and surface structureDeep and surface structure

• I bought a shirt yesterdayI bought a shirt yesterday

• A shirt was bought by me yesterdayA shirt was bought by me yesterday

Ferdinand de Saussure Ferdinand de Saussure 1857 to 19131857 to 1913

• SemioticsSemiotics

• Syntagmemic grammarSyntagmemic grammar

• The arrangement of clothes on a The arrangement of clothes on a washing linewashing line

• A man saw me with a dogA man saw me with a dog

• A man with a dog saw meA man with a dog saw me

Discourse AnalysisDiscourse Analysis

• Adjacency pairsAdjacency pairs

• CohesionCohesion

• CoherenceCoherence

• Information structureInformation structure

A converstaion between Montague, Withnail A converstaion between Montague, Withnail and ‘I’ (adjacency ‘pairs’?)and ‘I’ (adjacency ‘pairs’?)

• M: Would you like a drink?M: Would you like a drink?• W: SherryW: Sherry• M: (To ‘I’) Sherry?M: (To ‘I’) Sherry?• I: Sherry.I: Sherry.• M: Do you like vegetables?M: Do you like vegetables?

I happen to think the root crop more I happen to think the root crop more beautiful than the rose.beautiful than the rose.Do you grow?Do you grow?

• I: GeraniumsI: Geraniums• M: Little traitors. I think the carrot infinitely more M: Little traitors. I think the carrot infinitely more

fascinating than the geranium.fascinating than the geranium.

Information structureInformation structure

• He lives in a beautiful cottage by the sea He lives in a beautiful cottage by the sea and walks along the beach each morning. and walks along the beach each morning. Newhaven on the south coast of England is Newhaven on the south coast of England is where the cottage is.where the cottage is.

• He lives in a beautiful cottage by the sea He lives in a beautiful cottage by the sea and walks along the beach each morning. and walks along the beach each morning. The cottage is in Newhaven on the south The cottage is in Newhaven on the south coast of England.coast of England.

What’s next??!What’s next??!

• Lexico-grammarLexico-grammar

• He ran up a huge hill/billHe ran up a huge hill/bill

• He accrued……/He ascended…He accrued……/He ascended…

• (Poor) John ran away (poor)(Poor) John ran away (poor)