2. Scope of analysis
• Only the first three paragraphs of the speech
is considered
• Not every grammatical feature that can
possibly be analyzed is examined
• Just sentence types, sentence complexity and
clause structure are featured in this
presentation
3. Grammatical Parameters
• Sentence types:
Declarative,Interrogative,imperative
• Sentence Complexities: Simple vs. Complex,
Average sentence length, Ratio of dependent
to independent clause
• Clause structure: Frequency of objects,
complement, adverbials
4. First Paragraph
I(S) am (V) happy (Cs) to join with you today in what will go down in history as the
greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation (A).
• There is just one sentence constituting it.
• It is 27 words long
• It is a simple and declarative sentence
• Its structure: Subject+verb+
complement(subject)+ adverbial (reason)
5. Second Paragraph
Five score years ago (A), a great American(S), in whose symbolic shadow we stand
today (A), signed (V) the Emancipation Proclamation (Od).This momentous
decree(S) came (V) as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who
had been seared in the flames of withering injustice (A).It (S) came (V) as a joyous
daybreak to end the long night of their captivity (A).
• There are three sentences constituting it
• They are 18,26,14 words long respectively
• All three are declarative sentences
• The sentence structures are:
Adverbial + Subject+verb+Object
Subject +verb+Adverbial
Subject+verb+Adverbial
6. Third Paragraph
But one hundred years later (A), the Negro (S)still(A) is not (V) free (Cs). One
hundred years later (A), the life of the Negro (S) is (V) still sadly crippled by
the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination (A). One
hundred years later (A), the Negro(S) lives (V) on a lonely island of poverty in
the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity (A). One hundred years later
(A), the Negro(S) is (V) still languishing in the corners of American society and
finds himself an exile in his own land (A). So we(S) have come (V) here
today(A) to dramatize a shameful condition (A).
• There are five sentences in the paragraph
• The sentences are 11,23,23,24,11 words long
respectively
• Five declarative sentences,five simple sentences
• Sentence structure:
Adverbial+Subject+verb+Complement
Adverbial +Subject +verb + Adverbial
8. Observations
• The number of sentences in each paragraph is
different, and it seems to be increasing as the
speaker moves from one paragraph to the
other.
• Virtually all these sentences are simple, except
for one.
• There are more adverbials than complements,
and they are longer
9. Interpretation
• The use of simple sentence through out the
first three paragraphs suggests the directness
and simplicity of the message and the
messenger.
• The prevalent adverbials in the sentence
structures are the main conveyor of the
context and emotions in the paragraphs.
10. Interpretation (Contd)
• The predominant use of declarative sentences
in the three paragraph indicates an
assuredness of the purpose of the speech. It
adds force to the directness, simplicity, and
purposefulness of the message.
