Word grammar

1. Word Grammar
Unit 1
By:
Julio Vangel Pérez

2. 1.5 Word Grammar
Hudson (1984), tells us that WG is a
theory of language which touches on
almost all aspects of synchronic
linguistics and unifies them all through
a single general claim.
Hudson (2005), Word Grammar is a
theory of language structure.

3. 1.5 Word Grammar
Grammar has been regarded as
operating principally at the level of the
sentence, with words as simply
options that fit into established
grammatical ‘slots’.
Example:
Students may be taught the Past Continuous using
as an example, John was seeing a movie. Then
they are asked to produce sentences based on
this model, by slotting in these words: Sam,
running, very fast, The Group, taking, a class.

4. 1.5 Word Grammar
Words can be classified according to
the slot that they can go into, this is
also called,
Parts of Speech:
•Nouns
•Verbs
•Pronouns
•Adjectives
•Adverbs
•Prepositions
•Conjunctions
•Interjections

5. Pair work
In pairs define the 8 parts of speech
and give 5 examples of each.
10-15 minutes.

6. Open class words
Word Grammar is more than just parts
of speech, some of these word
classes, such as nouns, verbs, and
adjectives are open classes:
This means that their expansion is
potentially unlimited, some new words
come to mind:
Blog, yuppify and air bag.

7. Closed class words
Other word classes, such as pronouns,
determiners, prepositions, and
conjunctions, are closed classes,
meaning their expansion is limited—in
the case of pronouns, very limited—
and new items cannot just be
invented.

8. Which are grammar words?
Closed class words function as
grammar words, that means, unlike
open class words, they have no
“dictionary” meaning, but serve more
to provide the grammatical “glue” that
holds the content words together.

9. 1.5 Word Grammar
Grammar words are extremely common.
The fifty most common words words in English—apart from said—are
all grammar words. In fact, every second or third word in a text is
likely to be a grammar word.
The Was His They Will
Of On Are Or All
To As From An If
And With Had There Would
A He This Her When
In Be But Were Who
Is I Not We Said
That By Have Their Up
It At Which Been Out
For You She Has Can

10. 100 most frequent words in English
The Was His They Will One Could So More Way
Of On Are Or All What No Did New Years
To As From An If About My Me Should After
And With Had There Would Its Two Only See How
A He This Her When Into Do Your Where Our
In Be But Were Who Him Then These First Many
Is I Not We Said Some Over Any Very Those
That By Have Their Up Them Than May Like Being
It At Which Been Out Other Also Such Just because
For You She Has Can Time Now People BetweenYeah

11. 1.6 Sentence Grammar
Sentence Grammar is the domain of
most grammar teaching, and
essentially involves what is commonly
know as “sentence structure”, or more
technically as syntax.

12. 1.6 Sentence Grammar
Syntax
Has to do with the rules that determine
the way words can be combined to
make well formed sentences. Syntax
explains why My aunt’s pen is on the
table. Is well formed while Aunt’s my
pen the table on is. Is not.

13. 1.6 Sentence Grammar
•Sentence Grammar not only governs the
correctness of sentences, but also this
sentences have express the meaning that
the speaker or writer intends.
•Sentence Grammar, then, is not simply
concerned with putting any words in the
right order, but with putting the right words
in the right order. Therefore tasks with
sentence grammar need to maintain a
balance between form and meaning.

14. Issues in sentence grammar
•The main preoccupation of sentence
grammar has always been with the
verb phrase.
•A verb phrase is a group of one or
more verbs, as in did, was doing, had
done, haven’t done.

15. Issues in sentence grammar
The verb phrase gathers together a great
deal of information about states, actions,
and processes, including the time of
occurrence, likelihood, whether the
situation is finished or not. Knowing how to
construct verb phrases also involves
knowing the rules of morphology, that is the
way words can change their form to convey
different grammatical distinctions, for
example, from is to was, or from work to
working.

16. 1.7 Text Grammar
Just like sentence grammar, text
grammar is a perspective on this
subject that largely deals with the
study of texts and that its functions
and characteristics are properly
understood. Text grammar is also
known as context grammar and to a
larger extent discourse grammar.

17. 1.7 Text Grammar
A lot of grammar is intelligible only in context,
keeping this in mind, it is probably best
studied and practiced only in context.
However, for reasons of convenience and
economy, a great deal of traditional
grammar teaching has been limited to the
study of grammar as single,
decontextualized sentences, despite the
fact that most language in use occurs, not
as sentences, but as a cohesive text.

18. What is a text?
According to Cornbleet and Carter (2001):
“Texts can be used for both written and
spoken language. It usually refers to a
stretch, an extract or complete piece of
writing or speech. Texts generally adhere
to broad conventions and rules which
determine the language and structure used
in particular text types”.
Cornbleet and Carter
The Language of Speech and Writing
(2001, p 3)

19. Characteristics of a text
Thorbury (2005), describes texts as:
•Self-contained.
•Well-formed.
•Hang together.(cohesive)
•Make sense. (coherent)
•Have a clear communicative purpose.
•Are recognisable text types.
•Are appropriate to their contexts of use.