Dear readers,
In my previous post I explained Question Tag Rule No 1 . In the present post I am going to discuss Rule No 2 which can be stated as follows:
The subject of the question tag is always a pronoun and the verb (operator) always agrees with it .
As you know, a Question Tag or a Tag Question is always attached to a statement and the statement has a subject of its own .
When the subject of a statement is a proper noun , the subject of the question tag should be its corresponding pronoun .
Examples:
Tom is a clever boy, isn't he ?
Sita is a nice girl, isn't she ?
Tom and Sita are students, aren't they?
Cochin is a big city, isn't it ?
The Nile is the longest river in the world, isn't it?
When the subject of the statement is the sex-neutral pronoun everybody , nobody ,etc its corresponding pronoun is they, and the operator agrees with it . , even though it is plural!
Examples:
Everybody makes mistakes, don't they?
Nobody is above law, are they?
Please note that when the first person pronoun I is the subject of a positive statement, the tag is aren't I , and NOT amn't I . But am I ? is perfectly OK!
Examples:
Iam your guardian , aren't I ?
I am not your slave, am I ?
Dear readers, I will discuss the remaining rules in my next post
Thank you for visiting!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Question Tags : Rule No 1
Dear readers,
In my previous post I discussed question tags and gave 4 rules for their correct use . I think that these rules have to be discussed one by one in some more detail for the benefit of ESL learners .In this post I am going to discuss Rule No 1 .
QUESTION TAG RULE NO 1
When the statement is positive the tag is negative : and when the statement is negative the tag is positive
What is a positive statement ? Well, it may be defined as a declarative sentence noted for the absence of negative words like no , not etc .Examples
1. This apple is a good one, isn't it?
2 Everyone is liable to make mistakes, aren't they?
3 He is a good boy, isn't he ?
4 He is playing cricket, isn't he ?
5 There is a tea stall in front of rhe college , isn't there?
6 She used to work with him , didn't she?
7 She is used to living in luxury, isn't she ?
8 Honesty is the best policy, isn't it ?
9 She will be sixteen next year, won't she ?
10 I am your wife , aren't I ?
In the examples given above I have tried to include a few rare cases which deserve special attention .
1. When everyone is the subject ,the tag has they as the subject and the verb agrees with it .
2 Please note that sentences 3 & 4 have the same tag .( see my previous post for the structure of the tags)
3 '"There" in existential sentences can be used as subject of tags
4 In sentences 6&7 used to has two different meanings and hence two different tags .
5 Amn't I is not used in standard English .
The second part of Rule No 1 says that negative statements have positive tags . There are negative words besides no and not which can make statements negative
. See these examples
1 She hardly ever attends parties these days , does she ?
2 He never tells lies , does he ?
3 She has never gone abroad , has she ?
4 He scarcely talks sense , does he ?
5 We seldom see good movies these days, do we ?
6 She is seldom late for the show , is she?
7 This train hag only few stops , does it ?
8 There are only few mangoes in the basket, are there?
9 She does not play well , does she ?
10 It isn't true, is it ?
Dear readers , I will discuss the second rule in detail in my next post
THANK YOU FOR VISITING !
In my previous post I discussed question tags and gave 4 rules for their correct use . I think that these rules have to be discussed one by one in some more detail for the benefit of ESL learners .In this post I am going to discuss Rule No 1 .
QUESTION TAG RULE NO 1
When the statement is positive the tag is negative : and when the statement is negative the tag is positive
What is a positive statement ? Well, it may be defined as a declarative sentence noted for the absence of negative words like no , not etc .Examples
1. This apple is a good one, isn't it?
2 Everyone is liable to make mistakes, aren't they?
3 He is a good boy, isn't he ?
4 He is playing cricket, isn't he ?
5 There is a tea stall in front of rhe college , isn't there?
6 She used to work with him , didn't she?
7 She is used to living in luxury, isn't she ?
8 Honesty is the best policy, isn't it ?
9 She will be sixteen next year, won't she ?
10 I am your wife , aren't I ?
In the examples given above I have tried to include a few rare cases which deserve special attention .
1. When everyone is the subject ,the tag has they as the subject and the verb agrees with it .
2 Please note that sentences 3 & 4 have the same tag .( see my previous post for the structure of the tags)
3 '"There" in existential sentences can be used as subject of tags
4 In sentences 6&7 used to has two different meanings and hence two different tags .
5 Amn't I is not used in standard English .
The second part of Rule No 1 says that negative statements have positive tags . There are negative words besides no and not which can make statements negative
. See these examples
1 She hardly ever attends parties these days , does she ?
2 He never tells lies , does he ?
3 She has never gone abroad , has she ?
4 He scarcely talks sense , does he ?
5 We seldom see good movies these days, do we ?
6 She is seldom late for the show , is she?
7 This train hag only few stops , does it ?
8 There are only few mangoes in the basket, are there?
9 She does not play well , does she ?
10 It isn't true, is it ?
Dear readers , I will discuss the second rule in detail in my next post
THANK YOU FOR VISITING !
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Dear readers.
A question tag ,as you know , is a short question attached to a statement . The purpose of the question tag is (1) to get the listener's concurrence or (2) to elicit the answer yes or no from him .
Example
1. English is a world language, isn't it?
If "isn't it" has a falling intonation ,the speaker expects the listener to agree with him and the listener need not say yes or no . !
2 He is an honest man. isn't he?
If "isn't he " has a rising intonation ,the speaker expects the listener to say yes or no .
There is no end to the trouble that question tags cause to the non-native learners of English .The crux of the problem is that question tag is a set phrase in most languages like n'est-ce pas ? in French .The English question tag is like the chameleon!
I am giving below a few question tag rules
1 )If the statement is positive the tag is negative , and vice-versa .
He is a good boy isn't he?
He is not a clever boy , is he ?
Remember, words like never , hardly, scarcely, seldom etc can make a statement negative .
2) The subject of the tag is always a pronoun If words like everyone nobody no-one etc are used as subjects in the statements . their pronoun is "they" and the verb agrees with it
Everyone makes mistakes , don't they?
3) the structure of the tag is operator +pronoun If the statement has no auxiliary as in the case of simple present and past tenses, the operator is the dummy auxiliary do, does or did
He went to school, didn't he ?
She plays tennis, doesn't she?
4)The tense of the tag should be the same as the tense of the statement .
He will go tomorrow, won't he?
She left yesterday , didn't she ?
He sings well, doesn't he?
What is the tag to the statement "I am a teacher" ?The correct answer is Aren't I " " It is because"am't" is non-standard!
Enough for question-tags .I will continue the discussion in my next post
Thank you for visiting ! !
A question tag ,as you know , is a short question attached to a statement . The purpose of the question tag is (1) to get the listener's concurrence or (2) to elicit the answer yes or no from him .
Example
1. English is a world language, isn't it?
If "isn't it" has a falling intonation ,the speaker expects the listener to agree with him and the listener need not say yes or no . !
2 He is an honest man. isn't he?
If "isn't he " has a rising intonation ,the speaker expects the listener to say yes or no .
There is no end to the trouble that question tags cause to the non-native learners of English .The crux of the problem is that question tag is a set phrase in most languages like n'est-ce pas ? in French .The English question tag is like the chameleon!
I am giving below a few question tag rules
1 )If the statement is positive the tag is negative , and vice-versa .
He is a good boy isn't he?
He is not a clever boy , is he ?
Remember, words like never , hardly, scarcely, seldom etc can make a statement negative .
2) The subject of the tag is always a pronoun If words like everyone nobody no-one etc are used as subjects in the statements . their pronoun is "they" and the verb agrees with it
Everyone makes mistakes , don't they?
3) the structure of the tag is operator +pronoun If the statement has no auxiliary as in the case of simple present and past tenses, the operator is the dummy auxiliary do, does or did
He went to school, didn't he ?
She plays tennis, doesn't she?
4)The tense of the tag should be the same as the tense of the statement .
He will go tomorrow, won't he?
She left yesterday , didn't she ?
He sings well, doesn't he?
What is the tag to the statement "I am a teacher" ?The correct answer is Aren't I " " It is because"am't" is non-standard!
Enough for question-tags .I will continue the discussion in my next post
Thank you for visiting ! !
Monday, October 12, 2009
Passive Voice : When to drop by+agent
Dear readers,
In my previous post I discussed passive voice from the point of view of sentence focus . In the present post I am going to discuss " agent deletion"in passive sentences .
Look at the following sentences
1 Tom is re-painting the car .
2The car is being re-painted by Tom
The meaning of both the sentences is the same .In the passive version the sentence elements, subject and object, are seen from a different perspective . The active subject (Tom)is seen as an agent (instrument) through the action of which the active object is in a certain state (re-painted) , indicated by the past participle of the verb . The past participle has the force of adjectives in passive sentences . That is why suitable forms of the verb be are used before it . Remember, the verb always agrees with the passive subject !
The active subject is expressed as a by + agent phrase But as end-focus is the rule in English ,by+agent is required only when we want to focus on it . Example
By whom is the car re-painted?
It is re-painted by Tom.(focus on Tom )
It follows that by-phrase can be dropped if it does not carry focus!
Generally speaking, by-phrase can be dropped if the agent is unknown or it is too well-known to be worth mentioning . Example
1 He was killed in a drunken brawl .
2 She was murdered and the police are investgating .
3 He was admitted to the hospital yesterday .
$ Obama was elected President.
5 Many American soldiers were killed in Vietnam.
Non-native learners of English may find it difficult to grasp the rationale behind English passive voice This is definitely due to the influence of their first languages .
Dear readers , I will continue the discussion in my next post
Thank you
In my previous post I discussed passive voice from the point of view of sentence focus . In the present post I am going to discuss " agent deletion"in passive sentences .
Look at the following sentences
1 Tom is re-painting the car .
2The car is being re-painted by Tom
The meaning of both the sentences is the same .In the passive version the sentence elements, subject and object, are seen from a different perspective . The active subject (Tom)is seen as an agent (instrument) through the action of which the active object is in a certain state (re-painted) , indicated by the past participle of the verb . The past participle has the force of adjectives in passive sentences . That is why suitable forms of the verb be are used before it . Remember, the verb always agrees with the passive subject !
The active subject is expressed as a by + agent phrase But as end-focus is the rule in English ,by+agent is required only when we want to focus on it . Example
By whom is the car re-painted?
It is re-painted by Tom.(focus on Tom )
It follows that by-phrase can be dropped if it does not carry focus!
Generally speaking, by-phrase can be dropped if the agent is unknown or it is too well-known to be worth mentioning . Example
1 He was killed in a drunken brawl .
2 She was murdered and the police are investgating .
3 He was admitted to the hospital yesterday .
$ Obama was elected President.
5 Many American soldiers were killed in Vietnam.
Non-native learners of English may find it difficult to grasp the rationale behind English passive voice This is definitely due to the influence of their first languages .
Dear readers , I will continue the discussion in my next post
Thank you
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Passive Voice for ESL Learners
Dear readers,
In this post I wish to discuss passive voice from a different perspective Every sentence must have a point of focus . The speaker's or writer's attention or interest is held by a particular element in the clause , and this may be called point of focus. For example, in the sentence
Shakespeare was born at Stratford
the focus could be on any element , depending on the context . If the sentence was answer to the question"Who was born at Stratford?'the focus would be on Shakespeare .Generally speaking, the focus of a normal English sentence is on the last lexical item It carries new information This is known as the Principle of End-Focus. End-Focus is signalled by tonic accent .The last lexical item carries end-focus unless it has to be brought forward by the requirement of the context
Passive Voice & the Principle of End -Focus
In passive construction the clause elements are manipulated in such a way that the active subject receives end-focus .The motivation of the writer who prefers the passive alternative is to confer focus on the active subject by bringing it to the end of the sentence where it can receive end-focus . Look at these sentences
Tom fed the kittens
If Tom is to be given focus ,the writer can use the passive construction
The kittens were fed by Tom
This gives us another perspective on passive voice. It is a syntactic device to give focus on the active subject by bringing it to the end of the sentence where it can receive end-focus .However, in conversational English tonic accent can achieve the same effect in a much more economical way!
ESL Learners are generally not aware of this aspect of passive voice . They look upon passive construction as an interchange of the positions of the subject and the object. They do not see it in relation to focus
I will continue the discussion in my next post
Thank you
In this post I wish to discuss passive voice from a different perspective Every sentence must have a point of focus . The speaker's or writer's attention or interest is held by a particular element in the clause , and this may be called point of focus. For example, in the sentence
Shakespeare was born at Stratford
the focus could be on any element , depending on the context . If the sentence was answer to the question"Who was born at Stratford?'the focus would be on Shakespeare .Generally speaking, the focus of a normal English sentence is on the last lexical item It carries new information This is known as the Principle of End-Focus. End-Focus is signalled by tonic accent .The last lexical item carries end-focus unless it has to be brought forward by the requirement of the context
Passive Voice & the Principle of End -Focus
In passive construction the clause elements are manipulated in such a way that the active subject receives end-focus .The motivation of the writer who prefers the passive alternative is to confer focus on the active subject by bringing it to the end of the sentence where it can receive end-focus . Look at these sentences
Tom fed the kittens
If Tom is to be given focus ,the writer can use the passive construction
The kittens were fed by Tom
This gives us another perspective on passive voice. It is a syntactic device to give focus on the active subject by bringing it to the end of the sentence where it can receive end-focus .However, in conversational English tonic accent can achieve the same effect in a much more economical way!
ESL Learners are generally not aware of this aspect of passive voice . They look upon passive construction as an interchange of the positions of the subject and the object. They do not see it in relation to focus
I will continue the discussion in my next post
Thank you
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Indefinite Article A/AN
Dear readers,
Today I am going to discuss the indefinite article -a/an.Most of the mistakes made by non-native speakers of English is the omission of the indefinite article ..
ESLlearners seldom fail to use the indefinite article when it is the non-emphatic form of the counting number ONE.Example
I bought a pen for Rs.10.
However, most non-native speakers of English are not aware of several idiomatic uses of a/an because it makes no sense for them.Example
Her mother is a teacher .
The tendency of ESLlearners is to omit a The use of the indefinite article before nouns denoting trade or profession is unknown to speakers of native languages of India. Hence,one of the common errors made by Indian learners of English is the omission if the indefinite article before nouns denoting trade/profession.
The use of a/an before nouns preceded by adjectives is common among native speakers of English .But non-native speakers of English tend to omit a/an due to the influence of their mother tongues Example
Shakespeare had a deep understanding of human nature.
Non-native speakers may find the article unnecessary and omit it
Please note that a/an never takes stress .English is a stressed -timed language .This may explain the native English speakers' fondness for a/an.
Where AN is used
AN is used before nouns having an initial vowel sound Spelling is not always a guide!Example
French ia a European language.
"a European" because the initial sound is a consonant denoted by the IPA symbol/j/
It is a one-time offer>
"a one-time " because the initial sound is not a full vowel It is a semi-vowel denoted by the IPA symbol/w/
He was an honest man
"an honest" because ihe initial sound is a full vowel denoted by the IPA symbol/o/ and h is silent ,though present in spelling
Enough for indefinite article! I will continue the discussion in my next post
Thank you
,
Today I am going to discuss the indefinite article -a/an.Most of the mistakes made by non-native speakers of English is the omission of the indefinite article ..
ESLlearners seldom fail to use the indefinite article when it is the non-emphatic form of the counting number ONE.Example
I bought a pen for Rs.10.
However, most non-native speakers of English are not aware of several idiomatic uses of a/an because it makes no sense for them.Example
Her mother is a teacher .
The tendency of ESLlearners is to omit a The use of the indefinite article before nouns denoting trade or profession is unknown to speakers of native languages of India. Hence,one of the common errors made by Indian learners of English is the omission if the indefinite article before nouns denoting trade/profession.
The use of a/an before nouns preceded by adjectives is common among native speakers of English .But non-native speakers of English tend to omit a/an due to the influence of their mother tongues Example
Shakespeare had a deep understanding of human nature.
Non-native speakers may find the article unnecessary and omit it
Please note that a/an never takes stress .English is a stressed -timed language .This may explain the native English speakers' fondness for a/an.
Where AN is used
AN is used before nouns having an initial vowel sound Spelling is not always a guide!Example
French ia a European language.
"a European" because the initial sound is a consonant denoted by the IPA symbol/j/
It is a one-time offer>
"a one-time " because the initial sound is not a full vowel It is a semi-vowel denoted by the IPA symbol/w/
He was an honest man
"an honest" because ihe initial sound is a full vowel denoted by the IPA symbol/o/ and h is silent ,though present in spelling
Enough for indefinite article! I will continue the discussion in my next post
Thank you
,
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Definite Article '"THE"
Dear Readers,
As you know, the definite article "the" is the most frequently used word in the English language Therefore, every learner ought to know how to use the definite article . Remember, this short word has tremendous significance from the point of view of discourse !
'The" coming before a noun indicates an anaphoric reference . In other words , after introducing an object with an indefinite article a/an ,we can refer to the same object later in the discourse in an economical way by simply putting "the" before the object .
Look at this passage
"I bought a necklace at Cochin . I brought it home and showed it to my cousin. She took a fancy to the necklace and wanted to buy a necklace like the one I had bought . I told her that she didn"t need to buy one .I had bought the necklace as a wedding gift to her ! "
The use of "the" has an anaphoric reference and it saves us the labor of repeating "which I had bought at Cochin" as a post-modifier after the noun "necklace"
Sometimes "the" before a noun shows that it is the only one of its kind known to or understood by the speaker/listener.. An important thing to bear in mind in this connection is that language is a system based on context and shared conventions between the speaker and the listener.
Look at this sentence
"The Queen is not receiving visitors today "
Both the speaker and the listener know the identity of the queen,. Other examples
*The key is missing .
*The telephone is ringing .
*Where is the thermometer?
The use of "the" based on conventions (not on hard-and-fast rules)
"The" is conventionally used before the names of
rivers(the Nile)
mountain ranges (the Himalayas)
oceans ( the Atlantic )
deserts (the Sahara )and
seas (the Arabian sea )
It is used before the official names of countries (theUnited States of America ) It is omitted before proper nouns, that is , the names of particular persons and places But it can be used when proper nouns are used as common nouns ! examples
Martin Luther King is the Gandhi of America .
Alleppey is the Venice of the East .
Enough for definite article ! I will continue the discussion ti my next entry
Thank You!
As you know, the definite article "the" is the most frequently used word in the English language Therefore, every learner ought to know how to use the definite article . Remember, this short word has tremendous significance from the point of view of discourse !
'The" coming before a noun indicates an anaphoric reference . In other words , after introducing an object with an indefinite article a/an ,we can refer to the same object later in the discourse in an economical way by simply putting "the" before the object .
Look at this passage
"I bought a necklace at Cochin . I brought it home and showed it to my cousin. She took a fancy to the necklace and wanted to buy a necklace like the one I had bought . I told her that she didn"t need to buy one .I had bought the necklace as a wedding gift to her ! "
The use of "the" has an anaphoric reference and it saves us the labor of repeating "which I had bought at Cochin" as a post-modifier after the noun "necklace"
Sometimes "the" before a noun shows that it is the only one of its kind known to or understood by the speaker/listener.. An important thing to bear in mind in this connection is that language is a system based on context and shared conventions between the speaker and the listener.
Look at this sentence
"The Queen is not receiving visitors today "
Both the speaker and the listener know the identity of the queen,. Other examples
*The key is missing .
*The telephone is ringing .
*Where is the thermometer?
The use of "the" based on conventions (not on hard-and-fast rules)
"The" is conventionally used before the names of
rivers(the Nile)
mountain ranges (the Himalayas)
oceans ( the Atlantic )
deserts (the Sahara )and
seas (the Arabian sea )
It is used before the official names of countries (theUnited States of America ) It is omitted before proper nouns, that is , the names of particular persons and places But it can be used when proper nouns are used as common nouns ! examples
Martin Luther King is the Gandhi of America .
Alleppey is the Venice of the East .
Enough for definite article ! I will continue the discussion ti my next entry
Thank You!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
