- •Topic 1: General Account of the Grammatical Structure of the English Language under Theoretical Analysis
- •1.2. Basic notions of the grammatical description: grammatical form, grammatical meaning, paradigm, grammatical category
- •1.Pick out the word forms with common grammatical meaning to create appropriate grammatical categories. Do they correspond to the English variants?
- •2.Analyse the following pairs of words. What grammatical devices are used to denote grammatical meanings? Figure out cases in English:
- •3.Which grammatical categories are made up by the paradigm of the given grammatical forms?
- •1.3. Classification of words into parts of speech
- •1.Provide a suitable context to figure out the parts of speech these words belong to:
- •2.Recognize the following words as notional or structural parts of speech. Consider the grammatical form, lexical meaning and syntactical function (make up a phrase):
- •2.1. Categorial meaning, division of nouns into subclasses
- •1.Translate into Russian. Match the nouns with the items in the list: common, proper, abstract, collective, mass:
- •2.Think of the English equivalents to the given nouns. Recognise their subclasses:
- •Revision tasks for self-control
- •2.2. Grammatical categories of the noun: number
- •1.Make up if possible singular and plural of the nouns. Compare them with the corresponding English word forms:
- •2.Supply a predicate in the singular or the plural as appropriate to the nouns used as subjects:
- •2.3. Grammatical categories of the noun: Case
- •1.Point out the grammatical content of the inflectional Genitive; translate into Russian:
- •2.Analyse the meaning of the ‘of-Genitive’. What are the corresponding Russian word forms? Do possible substitutions for ‘s-inflection:
- •3.Choose the correct case form in English. Note appropriate transformations in the translation:
- •Revision tasks for self-control
- •3.1. Categorial meaning, grammatical forms and classes of the Verb
- •1.Point out notional and structural verbs:
- •2.Identify the verbs as stative, dynamic, transitive, intransitive:
- •3.Find phrasal verbs, identifying them as transitive/intransitive, separable/inseparable. Think of both grammatical and lexical differences:
- •4.Match modal verb forms in accordance with the given meanings: ability, possibility, probability, logical assumptions, permission, necessity, obligation, duty, prohibition:
- •Revision tasks for self-control
- •Finite versus non-finite verb forms
- •1.Name the grammatical categories in which the verbals differ:
- •2.Consider different functions of the infinitive:
- •3.Consider different functions of the gerund:
- •4.Consider different functions of the participle:
- •5.Point out verbal constructions:
- •Revision tasks for self-control
- •3.3. Grammatical categories of the verb: tense, taxis, aspect
- •1.What time (present, past, future) does the process denoted by the verb refer to?
- •2.Consider the following oppositions and account for the difference between the verb forms belonging to Continuous / Non-Continuous, Perfect / Non-Perfect:
- •3.Translate into English. Match the verb forms with the meanings indicating:
- •Revision tasks for self-control
- •3.4. Grammatical categories of the verb: voice
- •1.Make as many active – passive transformations as possible:
- •2.Rewrite the following passages into Passive; wherever necessary translate into English:
- •3.Translate into English. Put the Passive voice wherever necessary:
- •3.5. Grammatical categories of the verb: mood
- •1.How do the underlined verbs differ grammatically? Is there difference in person? number? mood? tense? aspect? taxis? voice?
- •2.Match English and Russian verb forms of the Subjunctive in accordance with the given meanings; Work them out in the given sentences:
- •3.Think of possible similarities and differences in the choice of conjunctions:
- •4.Transform the situations by using the sentences with the Subjunctive Mood; recognize unreal meanings:
- •5.Translate into English. Are the verb forms equal? What is preferable in formal and informal speech?
- •Revision tasks for self-control
- •4.1. General remarks on syntactic problems
- •4.2. Syntagmatic connections in word-groups: types of syntactic relations
- •4.3. Syntactic relations and ways of their expression
- •1.Determine the type of syntactic relations between the components of word-phrases. Translate either into Russian or English:
- •2.Distinguish between the phrases; show differences in translation:
- •5.1. Predication, its types and expression
- •5.2. Classification of sentences: structural, semantic, communicative
- •1.Make difference between types of predication: explicit / implicit, single-headed / double-headed:
- •2.Point out structural types of sentences: one-member / two-member, extended / non-extended, complete / incomplete, simple / composite, quasi-sentences:
- •3.Distinguish between communicative types of sentences: declarative, interrogative, negative, exclamatory:
- •4.Consider semantic types of sentences: personal / impersonal, definite / indefinite, actual / relational / statal:
- •5.Look at the one-member Russian sentences and translate them into English:
- •5.3. Division of the sentence: principal vs secondary parts
- •1.Note the way how the predicative centre is formed in the English simple sentence; take care of inversion. Highlight different types of the predicate and the subject.
- •2.Point out the forms of secondary parts of a sentence, with a special focus on possible Russian equivalents:
- •6.1. Features of a composite sentence
- •6.2. Complex sentence
- •6.3. Semi-complex sentence
- •6.4. Compound sentence
- •6.5. Semi-compound sentence
- •1.Pay attention to the form of a subject and a predicate in clauses of composite sentences, highlighting logic focus on them. Translate into Russian:
- •2.In the given below semi-composite sentences point out cases of secondary predication, performing objective, attributive and adverbial function. Think of possible corresponding Russian variants:
- •3.Express the syntactic positions of subject, predicate, object, attribute and adverbial modifier by corresponding clauses, wherever possible:
- •4.Complete the structure of the semi-composite sentences, translating from Russian into English:
- •5.Translate into English; justify the choice either of a clause or a verbal construction:
- •Recommended literature
- •I. Engagement and comprehension activities:
- •1. Making predictions
- •2. Setting up expectations about the theme of the text
- •3. Making guesses about the author’s tone and intention
- •4. Deducing meaning and ideas
- •5. Making cross-cultural comparison
- •6. Vocabulary development
- •II. Activate activities:
- •2. Setting up expectations about thematic formation of the text
- •1. Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
- •2. Reassemble sequences of lines to provide cohesion and coherence of the text in the form of a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h:
- •3. Scan the text for keywords and phrases essential to your understanding of the theme?
- •4. The author recognizes the fact that
- •5. Which of the sentences best summarizes what the text is about?
- •5. Making cross-cultural comparison
- •1. Think of the associations you have with the word ‘stress’.
- •2. Do the following statements reflect the author’s attitude to gender differences in stress response:
- •3. Make cross-cultural connections:
- •Indicating purpose:
- •III. Summarizing statements on the given reading passage :
- •IV. Conclusive remarks:
- •1.Pick out the word forms with common grammatical meaning to create appropriate grammatical categories. Do they correspond to the English variants?
- •2.Analyse the following pairs of words. What grammatical devices are used to denote grammatical meanings? Figure out cases in English:
- •3.Which grammatical categories are made up by the paradigm of the given grammatical forms?
- •1.Provide a suitable context to figure out the parts of speech these words belong to:
- •2.Recognize the following words as notional or structural parts of speech. Consider the grammatical form, lexical meaning and syntactical function (make up a phrase):
- •1.Translate into Russian. Match the nouns with the items in the list: common, proper, abstract, collective, mass:
- •2.Think of the English equivalents to the given nouns. Recognise their subclasses:
- •1.Make up if possible singular and plural of the nouns. Compare them with the corresponding English word forms:
- •2.Supply a predicate in the singular or the plural as appropriate to the nouns used as subjects:
- •1.Point out the grammatical content of the inflectional Genitive; translate into Russian:
- •2.Analyse the meaning of the ‘of-Genitive’. What are the corresponding Russian word forms? Do possible substitutions for ‘s-inflection:
- •3.Choose the correct case form in English. Note appropriate transformations in the translation:
- •Topic 3: Morphological Features of the Verb as Part of speech
- •1.Point out notional and structural verbs:
- •2.Identify the verbs as stative, dynamic, transitive, intransitive:
- •3.Find phrasal verbs, identifying them as transitive/intransitive, separable/inseparable. Think of both grammatical and lexical differences:
- •4.Match modal verb forms in accordance with the given meanings: ability, possibility, probability, logical assumptions, permission, necessity, obligation, duty, prohibition:
- •1.Name the grammatical categories in which the verbals differ:
- •2.Consider different functions of the infinitive:
- •3.Consider different functions of the gerund:
- •4.Consider different functions of the participle:
- •5.Point out verbal constructions:
- •1.What time (present, past, future) does the process denoted by the verb refer to?
- •2.Consider the following oppositions and account for the difference between the verb forms belonging to Continuous / Non-Continuous, Perfect / Non-Perfect:
- •3.Translate into English. Match the verb forms with the meanings indicating:
- •1.Make as many active – passive transformations as possible:
- •2.Rewrite the following passages into Passive; wherever necessary translate into English:
- •3.Translate into English. Put the Passive voice wherever necessary:
- •1.How do the underlined verbs differ grammatically? Is there difference in person? number? mood? tense? aspect? taxis? voice?
- •2.Match English and Russian verb forms of the Subjunctive in accordance with the given meanings; Work them out in the given sentences:
- •3.Think of possible similarities and differences in the choice of conjunctions:
- •4.Transform the situations by using the sentences with the Subjunctive Mood; recognize unreal meanings:
- •5.Translate into English. Are the verb forms equal? What is preferable in formal and informal speech?
- •4.2. Syntagmatic connections in word-groups: types of syntactic relations.
- •1.Determine the type of syntactic relations between the components of word-phrases. Translate either into Russian or English:
- •2.Distinguish between the phrases; show differences in translation:
- •Topic 5: Sentence as a predicative unit: structural, semantic, communicative aspects
- •Practical assignments
- •1.Make difference between types of predication: explicit / implicit, single-headed / double-headed:
- •2.Point out structural types of sentences: one-member / two-member, extended / non-extended, complete / incomplete, simple / composite, quasi-sentences:
- •3.Distinguish between communicative types of sentences: declarative, interrogative, negative, exclamatory:
- •4.Consider semantic types of sentences: personal / impersonal, definite / indefinite, actual / relational / statal:
- •5.Look at the one-member Russian sentences and translate them into English:
- •1.Note the way how the predicative centre is formed in the English simple sentence; take care of inversion. Highlight different types of the predicate and the subject;
- •2.Point out the forms of secondary parts of a sentence, with a special focus on possible Russian equivalents:
- •Topic 6: Composite sentence: types, clauses, connectors
- •1.Pay attention to the form of a subject and a predicate in clauses of composite sentences, highlighting logic focus on them. Translate into Russian:
- •2.In the given below semi-composite sentences point out cases of secondary predication, performing objective, attributive and adverbial function. Think of possible corresponding Russian variants:
- •3.Express the syntactic positions of subject, predicate, object, attribute and adverbial modifier by corresponding clauses, wherever possible:
- •4.Complete the structure of the semi-composite sentences, translating from Russian into English:
- •5.Translate into English; justify the choice either of a clause or a verbal construction:
- •Recommended literature
3. Making guesses about the author’s tone and intention
Produced by socially situated writers, texts induce meanings, which come about through the complex interaction between the author’s intention and the reader’s ability to decode it. In most cases, users of language bring with them different dispositions toward language; it follows that the text you read is written from a particular point of view, which shapes or influences possible responses. Sometimes the narrator’s opinion will be made clear in a direct address to the reader with an objective and omniscient voice; sometimes it will emerge through the tone of the narrative, its attitude to the given subject (tone can be viewed as an expression of attitude). In any case, the key items in the making of tone are the following: who it is who tells the story, from what perspective, with what sense of distance or closeness, with what possibilities of knowledge, and with what interest.
Writers purposefully use tone to express the message or the point of the excerpt. It suffices to look at the sentence structure (syntax) and word choice (diction) in order to figure out whether the passage is neutral (objective, explanatory, detached) or opinionated and emotional (subjective). If the text is clearly subjective, it is possible to decide if the author is positive (approving, sympathetic) about the subject matter or negative (disapproving) about it. The author’s tone tends to be biased in many ways; it suggests his predisposition to influence the reader through emotional appeal and\or slanted presentation material. Bias may also be revealed through highly emotional statements, name-calling, stereotyping or over generalization, faulty assumption based on weak or inaccurate information, and contradiction.
The arrangement of the textual segments in the written text is determined by the author’s intention seen as a specific junction of the writer’s psychological, linguistic and stylistic potentials, based on a direct rendering or veiled address to the reader. This kind of address is a synthesized product of the author’s attitude to the described events and immediate inclusion of the reader into the presented situation, exerting most effective emotional influence on the reader’s logical and sensuous potentials.
Follow up tasks:
How do the author’s intention and the reader’s ability to decode interrelate?
How can the tone be revealed in a text?
Expand on the author’s tone being neutral, opinionated, emotional; positive, negative, biased.
In what way are the reader’s logical and emotional responses triggered?
Reading strategies:
Look at the title (headings and subheadings) and make sure that you see the purpose of the text.
Make guesses to work out intention of the writer.
Locate particular factual information.
Locate opinionated information.
Focus on the words that express the author’s idea explicitly or implicitly.
Decide whether the information contained is biased or unbiased.
Find proper clues in the first and last paragraphs to support your guesses about the author’s intention.
Remember that it is important to figure out the author’s tone so as to understand subtleties of meaning.
Keep in mind the writer may not mean you take all the words literally, but may be using the figuratively.
Study skills:
- identify explicit conclusions;
- trace the development of argument for the issue presented;
- recognize the attitudes, opinions and emotions of the writer;
- understand structural and lexical appropriacy in terms of genre and register;
- identify biased language.