test 1

Question 1

Define Grammar

Answer 1

word choice and arrangement appropriate for the rhetorical task.

Question 2

Explain Prescriptive Grammar. Give example

Answer 2

Prescriptive - how grammar should be used, arbitrary rules established by an authority.
Ex: “Then Mark ran over the hill.” We know that “Mark” is a noun because it is capitalized and not the first word of the sentence

Question 3

Explain Descriptive Grammar. Give example.

Answer 3

Descriptive - how grammar is actually used, daily use.

Semantic and Syntactic

ex. (syntactic) The word “Brad’s” is a noun because it possesses an inflectional morpheme correlative with a possessive noun: (‘s)

Question 4

Define rhetoric

Answer 4

Rhetoric- a technique of using language effectively and persuasively in spoken or written form

Question 5

Definite syntax

Answer 5

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences

Question 6

Define morpheme, and explain the three categories by which we analyze morphemes. Use an example to illustrate each of the two part in each of the categories.

Answer 6

Morpheme - smallest unit of sound that carries meaning

1. ) prefix
2. ) base
3. ) suffix

ex.

Question 7

How many morphemes are in the word universal?

Answer 7

uni/vers/al

Question 8

What is an allomorph?

Answer 8

variations on morphemes determined by environment

ex. bug and bugs (sounds like “z”)

Question 9

Name the form class parts of speech and give an example

Answer 9

Noun- Tree
Adjective- small
verb- run
adverb- quickly

Question 10

Provide a syntactic definition for a noun

Answer 10

Brian ran up a hill.

“hill” is a noun because it is preceded by the determiner “the”

Question 11

Discuss the difference between inflectional and derivational suffix categories, listing all of the inflectional suffixes and examples of derivational suffixes. which is an open class?

Answer 11

Inflectional suffixes: 8 suffixes specific to NAVA

Noun-

• –(s) Plural
• –(‘s) Possessive

Verbs-

• –(s) 3rd person present tense
• –(ed) past tense
• –(ing) continuous aspect
• –(en) perfect aspect

Adjectives/adverbs

• –(er) comparative
• –(est) superlative

Derivational suffixes- arbitrary because the meaning of the word isn’t fixed with the morpheme

ex. -able -ize

derivational morphemes are open class

Question 12

Discuss the rules for inflicting nouns for possession

Answer 12

Add an apostrophe + s to most singular nouns and to plural nouns that do not end in s

Add an apostrophe only to plural nouns that already end in s.

Ex. (singular) Dr. Johns -> Dr. Johns’s

  (Plural) Classes --> Classes'

Question 13

Name the tenses of English and provide an example of each

Answer 13

Past= He jumped

Present= He runs

Question 14

Discuss aspect of verb

Answer 14

determines whether or not a verb has been completed

• ing ex. running (Continuous Aspect)
• en ex. broken (Perfect Aspect)

Question 15

What form class is the most moveable and therefore less easily identified?

Answer 15

Adverb

Question 16

Why is the structure class more difficult to for grammarians to agree upon?

Answer 16

structure words generally accompany specific form classes. Structured words are open for debate.

Question 17

Name the four structure class category of words, give an example of each

Answer 17

determiners (signal nouns): a, an (particles)

Auxilaries (immediately connected with verbs, change the verbs meaning) : am, is, are, was, “was going to act” “are running late”

Qualifiers (signal adjectives and adverbs, alter their meanings) : very, quite

Preposition (placed before a noun phrase, shows location) : over, under

Question 18

Give a descriptive grammar definition for noun using a structured class

Answer 18

They camped beside the lake.

“lake” is a noun because is is the object of the preposition.

Question 19

Define Preposition and discuss why it must have an OP

Answer 19

Preposition- placed before a noun phrase or other nominal, shows location

Prepositions must have an OP because a preposition must be followed by a noun or pronoun in order to make sense, and the OP is always in Objective Case

Question 20

Define Conjunction and name three kinds, giving an example of each

Answer 20

Conjunction- used to connect

Coordinating- FANBOYS

Correlative- (in pairs, always two) either, or neither, nor

Subordinating- (anytime you hook one onto a clause, it becomes dependent) Because, after,

Question 21

Define Pronoun and name three kinds, giving an example of each

Answer 21

Pronoun- stands in the place of a noun

Personal- (30 of them) I, We, Our, His, Her, Them

Reflexive Pronouns- (Formed by adding -self or -selves) Himself, themselves

Interrogative pronouns- (pronouns that set up “wh” questions, MUST BE USED PROPERLY)
—-“who did it?” “which one?”

Question 22

why should reflexive pronouns never occur in the subject position?

Answer 22

A reflexive pronoun must have a referent in the subject position so you know who you are talking about.

Question 23

explain the controversy concerning the lack of third person singular gender neutral pronoun in english

Answer 23

In english, there is no distinct third person singular pronoun for female and male. There is only “it” which cannot be used in reference to a person, so it has become accepted to use they, when gender is unknown or neutral.

Question 24

explain what we mean by modal verbs. give examples

Answer 24

Modals modulate on the likelihood or probability of the verb being done.

“might go” “could go” “should go”

Question 25

name another auxiliary beside modals

Answer 25

passive auxiliary- used to form passive constructions

“the film WAS produced in hollywood