INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE FORMACIÓN DOCENTE N°21 DR RICARDO ROJAS

LANGUAGE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION TWO

UNIT 2- STEREOTYPES AND DISCRIMINATION

I HAVE A DREAM by MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

READING COMPREHENSION

1. What is the main point you think King is making in the speech? Use your own words.

2. What does King mean when he talks about "meeting physical force with soul force" (par. 10)?

3. What do you consider the main purpose or purposes of the text? What does King want his
audience to think or feel after hearing him speak? Back up your answer with examples from the
speech.

4. Remove from the text two figures of speech and explain their use in context

COHESION

- One hundred years later, par.3. In this paragraph this phrase is used several times by King.
Describe this device and account for its use.
- Poverty-prosperity , par.3: Indicate relationship
- This (This note) par.4
- It (It is obvious) par.5
- In paragraph 5 find an instance of collocation: remove the lexical field connected with
money and explain the purpose of using these words and expressions
- As (…as we walk) par.12

FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR

- Signed (signed the Emancipation Proclamation) par.2. Account for the use of the simple
past tense
- Had been seared (par. 2) Account for the use of the past perfect
- We´ve come (par.4) Account for the use of the present perfect tense
- Must (par.9) What does this modal verb express? Account making clear reference to the
context

CATEGORY AND FUNCTION

- Remove adverbial clauses from the text and indicate their function
- Given (par.5)
- Make (par. 6)
- Granted (par.8)

KEY

READING COMPREHENSION
INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE FORMACIÓN DOCENTE N°21 DR RICARDO ROJAS
LANGUAGE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION TWO

1. Think of an answer and show it to your teacher for correction.

2. He means that African Americans should avoid physical violence and confront
problems (including physical force) with “dignity and discipline” (par 10)
3. Through determination, fidelity to ideals, integrity and unrelenting nonviolent
struggle to achieve freedom and justice for all people, society can be radically
transformed.
4. A.

The Emancipation Proclamation came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night
of their captivity.

African Americans rejoiced when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed

because it ended a long period of oppression.

B.

America has given the negro people a bad check, a check which has come back
marked ´insufficient funds.´

America has failed to fulfill its promise of civil rights for blacks. America has cheated
blacks of their rightful place in society.

COHESION

- One hundred years later, par.3. In this paragraph this phrase is used several times by King.
Describe this device and account for its use.

This is an instance of lexical cohesion. Repetition of structure. King uses this phrase to
highlight the fact that a long time has passed and they are still devoid of certain
rights.

- Poverty-prosperity , par.3: Indicate relationship

This is an instance of lexical cohesion. Antonyms. Poverty and prosperity are clear
opposites/antonyms in this context. He wants to highlight the condition of black people
being very poor but surrounded by richness.

- This (This note) par.4

It is grammatical cohesion. Anaphoric demonstrative reference. It is a demonstrative

adjective that refers to ´promisory note´, which is mentioned before.

- It (It is obvious) par.5

It is grammatical cohesion. Cataphoric reference. IT refers to “ that America

has…concerned”. It is a personal pronoun functioning as an anticipatory subject.
INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE FORMACIÓN DOCENTE N°21 DR RICARDO ROJAS
LANGUAGE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION TWO

- In paragraph 5 find an instance of collocation: remove the lexical field connected with
money and explain the purpose of using these words and expressions

Insufficient funds, bankrupt, vaults, check.

King uses figurative language (metaphors) to compare the condition of his people
with a banking situation.

- As (…as we walk) par.12

It´s lexico-grammatical cohesion. Temporal conjunction. It expresses time, as in:

While we are walking, we…

FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR

- Signed (signed the Emancipation Proclamation) par.2. Account for the use of the simple
past tense

The past simple tense is used because the action started and finished in the past. It
occurred one hundred years ago. The past time reference is given.

- Had been seared (par. 2) Account for the use of the past perfect

Past perfect is used to indicate that this action happened before another action in the
past. The emancipation proclamation was signed but before this the Negro slaves
had…First, millions of slaves were seared in… and then the Emancipation….was signed

- We´ve come (par.4) Account for the use of the present perfect tense

The present perfect tense describes an action that took place in the recent past and it
shows a consequence in the present: they are here now/today and they have a clear
objective to pursue

- Must (par.9) What does this modal verb express? Account making clear reference to the
context

The modal verb MUST expresses internal/moral obligation. This is what he feels morally
correct to do.

CATEGORY AND FUNCTION

- Remove adverbial clauses from the text and indicate their function
INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE FORMACIÓN DOCENTE N°21 DR RICARDO ROJAS
LANGUAGE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION TWO

Par. 4

When the architects of ourrepublic wrote the magnificent words of the ……Independence
(ADVERBIAL ADJUNCT OF TIME)

Par. 17

Even though we must face the difficulties of today and tomorrow (ADVERBIAL ADJUNCT OF
CONTRAST)

- Given (par.5)

This is a transitive verb of complete predication. It is actually a ditransitive verb because it

takes both a direct and an indirect object, the former being ´a bad check´and the latter
´the Negro people´ The verb does not take a complement

- Make (par. 6)

This is a transitive verb because the object is ´the promises of democracy´. The verb takes a
complement, which is ´real´ so its predication is incomplete.

…make real the promises of democracy OR …make the promises of democracy real.

In both cases ´real´is an objective complement: the promises are real now.

- Granted (par.8)

This is a transitive verb. The verb is passivized so it must be transitive. The active form would
be SB has granted the negro his citizenship rights