2. Unit three: Constructions
• Phrases, clauses and sentences are built out of
smaller units according to particular patterns:
The player jumped into the field
NP VP
player = play + er
The player = det + noun
Jumped into the field = verb + PP
Into de field = P + NP
3. Criteria for constructions
Speakers and writers need a variety of
constructions with different functions to use the
language effectively in speaking and writing
Different constructions enable speakers to
signal what they are doing with a particular
structure to perform different speech acts as
assertions, questions, or commands.
4. Types of
constructions
Copula Non-copula
Verb BE, and Other ordinary
linking verbs: verbs (do-
look, seem, et verbs)
c.
5. Active and Passive Constructions
Active constructions focus on the doer of the
action. They can be transitive or intransitive.
Martha bought a car
Passive constructions focus on the object and
they can be built only around transitive verbs.
A new car was bought by Martha
6. 4. Imperative constructions do not
have an overt subject
listen to me
5. The existential construction is used
to introduce new entities in discourse
and has the „explective there‟ in
subject position.
There is a boy in the yard
7. UNIT FOUR:Word Classes:
Nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverb
s, prepositions, etc
Denotation is the relationship
between a given word and the set
of entities to which it can be
applied.
Then we can distinguish between words
that have denotation (express meaning)
and words that do not.
8. Content words
They express meaning. They apply to
people things, places, actions,
states, properties and situations
(noun, verbs, adjectives, adverbs).
Grammatical words
They are also called “function
words”.
They are used as links to join content words.
The definite and indefinite articles, demonstrative
adjectives, auxiliaries, among others belong to
this group.
12. Syntactic criterion
A noun can occur in different
positions (left and right) in relation
to the verb
Nouns allow an article to their left;
but adjectives do not.
Some nouns can be pluralized,
butaAdjectives cannot.
13. Semantic criterion
- It deals with meaning (dictionary and
speaker´s meaning)
- What speakers do with words; it
refers to the principle that „when
speakers perform speech acts, they
also perform actions.
E.G: speakers ask, assert, issue
commands, describe, narrate,
etc.
14. Speech Acts
A speech act is any word or string of words that
expresses meaning
Speakers use „speech acts:
to assert
to refer
to predicate
to issue a command
