Chelsea Fedora ENG 4430 February 25, 2011 Short Paper Assig !

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"ethods to #es$ribe Se te $e Stru$ture %ith the !a y di&&ere t 'ays i 'hi$h a perso !ay be taught ho' E glish se te $e stru$ture 'or(s, it !ay be di&&i$ult to $hoose o e !ethod o)er the others* +i(e 'ith a yo e lear i g a se$o d la guage, gra!!ar rules a d stru$ture are the !ost di&&i$ult to tea$h a d lear * ,ut i& tea$hi g E glish as a se$o d la guage to a group o& stude ts, the best $hoi$e 'ould be to use traditio al gra!!ar* %hile traditio al gra!!ar 'as de)eloped $e turies ago, it still re!ai s a (ey part i tea$hi g stude ts E glish gra!!ar i the se se o& 'hat is $o sidered -proper*. /hat traditio al gra!!ar is still taught i !oder ti!es is a testa!e t to its use&ul ess e)e i& it !ay be outdated* 0t 'ould be the best $hoi$e i tea$hi g stude ts E glish gra!!ar be$ause it details the )arious parts o& spee$h a d their &u $tio s &or ho' they &or! together to $reate se te $es* 0& &ollo'i g the rules o& traditio al gra!!ar, 1Gi)e the gra)y to Gar&ield2 but ot 1Gi)e the gra)y Gar&ield2 $a be see as $orre$t be$ause the 'ord -Gar&ield. re3uires a prepositio , su$h as -to,. i order to li ( it to the 'ord -gra)y*. /he approa$h o& stru$tural4des$ripti)is!, at its !ost basi$, does ot &o$us o stru$ture at all but i stead &o$uses o pho ology, !orphology, a d sy ta5* 0 this 'ay, stru$tural4

des$ripti)is! is the !ost di&&ere t &ro! traditio al gra!!ar a d tra s&or!atio al4ge erati)e gra!!ar* As dis$ussed by +yda E* +aPalo!bara i An Introduction to Grammar, this !ethod to

tea$h &oreig la guage 3ui$(ly 'as su$$ess&ul duri g %orld %ar 00* 0& stru$tural4des$ripti)is! 'ere to be used to tea$h E glish as a se$o d la guage, part o& the &o$us 'ould be upo the &our $lasses o& parts o& spee$h alo g 'ith &i&tee groups o& &u $tio 'ords, ot o the 'ord !ea i gs* /here&ore, i& it 'as used to e5plai 'hy 1Gi)e Gar&ield the gra)y2 a d 1Gi)e the gra)y to Gar&ield2 are $orre$t but ot 1Gi)e the gra)y Gar&ield,2 it 'ould be largely based upo the repetiti)e pro$ess that tea$hes people the stru$ture* 1Gi)e the gra)y Gar&ield2 is ot brought up as a )iable se te $e so there&ore it is i $orre$t* Noa! Cho!s(y.s tra s&or!atio al4ge erati)e gra!!ar 'as ot de)eloped to be used as a tea$hi g !ethod, but 'ith it se te $e stru$ture o& the E glish la guage is better u derstood* %ith Cho!s(y.s tree diagra!s, people $a !ap out se te $es to better u dersta d the &or!ulai$ pro$ess that $o!es 'ith se te $e stru$ture* %ith the basi$s o& tra s&or!atio al4ge erati)e gra!!ar, it is !ore di&&i$ult to !a(e tree diagra!s out o& the three se te $es 1Gi)e Gar&ield the gra)y,2 1Gi)e the gra)y to Gar&ield,2 a d 1Gi)e the gra)y Gar&ield2 tha i& o e 'ere to tea$h stude ts se te $e stru$ture usi g the other t'o !ethods 6& the three approa$hes to gra!!ar, traditio al gra!!ar 'ould be the !ost su$$ess&ul i a $lassroo! setti g be$ause it pro)ides the si!plest &or! o& e5pla atio 'hile also pro)idi g !ea i g to the 'ords bei g used* %hile stru$tural4des$ripti)is! has its !erits, it re!ai s 'ea( i the areas o& sy ta5 o stude ts 'ould .t ha)e as $lear a u dersta di g o& 'hy so!e stru$tures 'or( a d others do .t* /hough Cho!s(ia tree diagra!!i g a d tra s&or!atio al4ge erati)e gra!!ar has !ade great progress i u dersta di g 'hy se te $es are stru$tured o e 'ay a d ot a other, it 'as e)er de)eloped as a tea$hi g tool*