THĂNG LONG UNIVERSITY

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

END-OF-GRAMMAR
COURSE
ASSIGNMENT
Tên đề tài:

Lecture: Assoc. Pro. Ngô Hữu Hoàng

Student’s name: Tạ Kiều Phương

Student’s ID number: A31929

List number: 12

Group: 3
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this essay is my own work done with my own knowledge of the
subject. It is not copied, fully or partly. If there is anything plagiaristic, I accept my essay
result to be canceled and retake the test next time with a new class.

Tạ Kiều Phương
TABLE OF CONTENT
I. THEORY
Most English learners know about its structures and grammar. But not
everyone really understand it, about how phrases and clauses are used, and
how widespread English grammar is. This essay will analyze the differences of
phrases and clauses between traditional grammar and Greenbaum’s point os
view.

1. PHRASE:
- Phrase is a group of words acting together as a grammatical unit.
Example: The very happy squirrel (en.m.wikipedia.org)
Example of my own: A good student.
- Phrase in viewpoint of Greenbaum and Quirk:
2. CLAUSE.
+ Traditional definition:
_ Clause is a linguistic unit that larger than a phrase but smaller than a
sentence. A clause has both a subject and a finite verb.
_ A clause is a feature of written English. Put simply, a clause is a group of
words that includes a subject and a verb.
Clauses are what make up a sentence. They are groups of words that contain a
subject and a verb. They can be a main clause, coordinate clause or a
subordinate clause.
It's important that children understand what a clause is because it's one of the
building blocks of written English.
There are two types of clause:
An independent clause: a clause that can stand alone as a sentence.
A dependent clause: a clause that can't stand alone as a sentence, but supports
an independent clause.
An independent clause may also be called a main clause and a dependent
clause may be called a subordinate clause.
(https://www.twinkl.com.mx/teaching-wiki/clause)
Example: I smiled at Jane, who waved back (dictionary.apa.org)
Example of my own: The woman wearing a white skirt is my mother.
+ Clause in Greenbaum and Quirk’s viewpoint: A clause is a sentence-like
construction contained within a sentence
Function of finite clause:
Finite clause can stand alone as an independent clause or cannot stand alone as
a subordinate clause. If a finite clause stands alone, it becomes the main clause
of the sentence. (Book The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language,
p.88)
If it functions as a subordinate clause, there will be 3 main group of functions
as follows:
1. Nominal clauses: have functions similar to those of noun phrases.
Subject: Example of my own: My girlfriend has passed her driving test
successfully
Subject complement: Example of my own: Your exam will be done tomorrow
Direct object: Example of my own: I made my mom a cake
Prepositional complement: She mused about under our bed
(parentingpatch.com)
Example of my own: He loves his wife because she is a rich woman
 2. Modifier clauses: have functions similar to modifiers in phrases whose
common type is relative clause:
Example of my own: The mouse I bought yesterday is lost.
3. Adverbial clauses: have functions similar to adverbial element in sentence
of clause structure:
Example of my own: Although she is very beautiful, she is not an intelligent
student
Non-finite clause:
Non-finite clauses are generally subordinate clauses. Non-finite clauses have a
non-finite verb
There are three types of non-finite clauses, depending on the form of the first
verb in the verb phrase:
1. -ing clauses (or -ing participle clauses)
For example: Just thinking about the final round put him in a combative mood
(An introduction to English grammar, p.111)
Example of my own: Participating to that party, I get a new boyfriend
2. -ed clauses (or -ed participle clauses)
For example: Dressed in street clothes, the patients strolled in the garden. (An
introduction to English grammar, p.111)
Example of my own: Being punched by a wrestler, the thief got down
3. Infinitive clauses
For example: They wanted to pay for their meal. (An introduction to English
grammar, p.111)
Example of my own:

Non-finite clauses can be regarded as reduced clauses, reduced in comparison

with finite clauses. They often lack a subject, and verbless clauses also lack a
verb. However, we can analyze them in terms of sentence elements if we
reconstruct them as finite clauses, supplying the missing parts that we
understand from the rest of the sentence
Non-finite clauses may have their own subject
If they do not have a subject, their subject is generally interpreted as being
identical in its reference with that of the sentence or clause in which they are
embedded.
Non-finite clauses are sometimes introduced by subordinators.
II. PRACTICE
 1. Name the type of underlined phrases in the following passage (from
“The Catch” by Nadine Gordimer) and their functions: (20 pts)
After a few days (1), he began (2) to say, and looking up they (3) found his face ,
a long head with a shining dark (4) dome surrounded with curly hair given a
strong liveliness by the sharp coarse strokes of grey hairs, the beautiful curved
nose handed out (5) so impartially to Indians, dark eyes slightly bloodshot from
the sun (6), a wide muscular mouth smiling on strong uneven teeth that projected
slightly (7) like the good useful teeth of an animal (8). But it was by his legs they
would have known him; the dark, dull-skinned feet with the few black hairs on the
big toe, the long hard shaft of the shin tightly (9) covered with smooth shiny skin,
the pull of the tendons at his ankle like the taut ropes that control (10) the sail of a
ship.
Answer key:
(1) A few days: Noun Phrase
 Function: Prepositional Complement
(2) began: Verb Phrase
 Function: Predicate
(3) they: Pronoun
 Function: Direct object
(4) shining: Adjective
 Function: Pre-modifier of a Noun (dome)
(5) handed out: Verb phrase
 Function: Predicate
(6) from the sun: Prepositional phrase
 Function: Post-modifier of an adjective (bloodshot)
(7) slightly: Adverb
 Function: Modify verb (project)
(8) of an animal: Preposition phrase
 Function: Modify Noun Phrase (the good useful teeth)
(9) tightly: Adverb
 Function: Modify verb (cover)
(10) of a ship: Prepositional phrase
 Function: Modify Noun Phrase (the sail)

2. Use the correct tense for each verb in parenthesis: (10 pts)
 At a hearing of a Senate committee investigating working conditions in New York
City in 1883, Conrad Carl, a tailor, (testify) (1) that before the Civil War he (be)
(2) “a very still business, very quiet.” Then the sewing machine (appear) (3). “We
(admit) (4) it (stitch) (5) very nicely, nicer than the tailor could do. And the bosses
(say) (6): ‘We want you to use the sewing machine …” “Then he (be) (7) asked
how this innovation (affect) (8) the tailors. Carl replied: “We (work) (9) now in
excitement - in a hurry. It is (hunt) (10); it is not work at all; it is a hunt.”
Answer key:
(1) testified
(2) had been
(3) appeared
(4) admit
(5) stitched
(6) said
(7) was
(8) affected
(9) work
(10) hunting
3. Pay attention to the modal verbs, suggest a plausible speech act for the
following sentences: (10 pts)
1. I’ll help you to carry this heavy luggage to your room.
=> Offering
2. He might have been out when you called him for help.
=> Diving
3. Would you come to my office now for an urgent meeting?
=> Requesting
4. Shall we go for a picnic this weekend?
=> Suggesting
5. I’ll you a gift if you pass the exam.
=> Promising
6. The police will give you a ticket if you drive at a high speed on this road.
=> Warning
7. You mustn’t smoke in the hospital.
=> Prohibiting
8. Hand me all your money or I’ll kill you.
=> Threatening
9. You can come in here now.
=> Permitting
10) Your dog will bark noisily and fiercely when I come.
=> Predicting

4. Analyze these sentences by identifying syntactic factors (Complex or Compound,

types of Subordinate clauses and their functions): (10 pts)
1. Hiding itself in the bush, the hungry jaguar waited for its poor quarry.
=> Complex sentence
=> Subordinate clause: non-finite clause (-ing participle)
=> Function: Adverbial clause
Main clause: the hungry jaguar waited for its poor quarry
Non-finite clause: Hiding itself in the bush

2. What would happen to the young girl if she went out alone at midnight? (complex)
=> Complex sentence
=> Subordinate clause: non-finite clause
=> Function: Adverbial clause
Main clause: What would happen to the young girl
Non-finite clause: if she went out alone at midnight?

3. Mary likes wine but Tom likes soda. (compound)

=> Compound sentence
=> Subordinate clause: Two independent clauses (Mary likes wine, Tom likes soda)
4. While in Paris, you should come to visit the Eiffel Tower. (complex)
=> Complex sentence
=> Subordinate clause: non-finite clause
=> Function: adverbial clause
Main clause: you should come to visit the Eiffel Tower
Subordinate clause: While in Paris

5. Since leaving school, he has travelled round the world. (complex)

=> Complex sentence
=> Subordinate clause: non-finite clause
=> Function: adverbial clause
Main clause: he has travelled round the world
Subordinate clause: since leaving school
6. You should learn as much as possible or you won’t find a job in the future. (complex)
=> Complex sentence
=> Subordinate clause: non-finite clause
=> Function: Conditional sentence
7. What I had read in the book made me crazy about its main female character. (complex)
=> Complex sentence
=> Subordinate clause: WH-interrogative clause
=> Function: subject
8. John had a large sitting room where his friends came to watch football matches on TV
with him. (complex)
=> Complex sentence
=> Subordinate clause: relative clause
=> Function: modifying Noun (sitting room)

9. What is more important, I suddenly felt ashamed of my childishness. (complex)

=> Complex sentence
=> Subordinate clause: non-finite clause
=> Function: adverbial clause
10. Comforted by his mother, the child was even crying more wildly. (complex)
=> Complex sentence
=> Subordinate clause: non-finite clause
=> Function: adverbial clause
Main clause: the child was even crying more wildly
Non-finite clause: Comforted by his mother

THE END