My Big Fat Grammar Project
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Transcript of My Big Fat Grammar Project
My Big Fat Grammar Project
To the Teacher:Welcome to “My Big Fat Grammar Project.” The BFGP takes
students through the patterns of sentences in the English language. As you’ll see, each of the patterns is explained and expanded. The patterns are also diagrammed. Your job is to present ONE pattern at a time. The student’s job is to create a book, booklet, binder, or poster that demonstrates understanding of each pattern. They do this by composing 3 sentences for each of the patterns. To make the BFGP interesting, attractive, and fun, they should choose a theme, the quirkier the better (giraffes, earthworms, ice cream). The BFGP is a work of art: Each sentence should take up a full page (or sizable portion of a poster) and be illustrated with either original drawings, cut-outs from magazines, or clip art.
The patterns are shown on the next screen.
To the Teacher:We have three action verb patterns:
1. The intransitive verb pattern: Noun + verb2. The transitive verb pattern: Noun + verb + noun (direct object)3. The complex transitive pattern: Noun + Noun (indirect object) + verb + direct object
And we have thee linking verb patterns:1. Noun + BE + Subject complement (The subject complement can be adverbial information, adjectival information, or nominal information)
2. Noun + OTHER LINKING VERB + Subject complement (same as above, except that some “other linking verbs” do not need a
subject complement, ex: Sometiimes, sneakers smell. Fear not! All of this will be explained and illustrated in the screens that follow.
NB: This is a simplified version of sentence pattern taxonomy, representing only the most common patterns. I usedthe BFGB for ninth grade students, but it can be used just as well with other levels.
To the Teacher:Do the math: The student ends up with 12 sentences, each
carefully written, illustrated, categorized, analyzed, and diagrammed, on a particular theme.
Twelve sentences may not seem like a lot, but once students understand the major sentence patterns of English, they are ready to hang all kinds of information on sturdy frames.
The terminology for the BFGP: sentence, subject, predicate, slots, noun, verb; direct object, indirect object, transitive verb, complex transitive verb, intransitive verb; linking verb, helping verb, passive voice, progressive action, subject complement, adverbial, adjectival, nominal
Fear not! All of this will be explained and illustrated in the screens that follow.
NB: This is a simplified version of sentence pattern taxonomy, representing only the most common patterns. I usedthe BFGB for ninth grade students, but it can be used just as well with other levels.
The Action Verb Patterns
• Intransitives• Transitives
Noun + VerbThe Intransitive Verb
Pattern
Katherine laughed.
This sentence has two slots: Subject + Verb
An intransitive verb is an action verb that allows for completeness,
needing no other words in the sentence.
Katherine Laughed.
This sentence has two required slots.
Subject Verb
An intransitive verb is an action verb that allows for completeness,
needing no other words in the sentence.
Katherine Laughed.
This sentence has two required slots.
Subject Verb
Queen
thethethe
circus
Elephants
five purplethe
movies.
atlaughs is laughing
has laughed
was laughing
will laugh
Make 3 Sentences in the Noun + Verb
Pattern
Noun + Verb + NounTransitive Verb +
Direct Object
Everybody loves Raymond
Subj.
This sentence has three slots: Subject + Verb + Direct Object
Verb (transtive) Direct ObjectSubj.
Noun + Verb + NounTransitive Verb + Direct Object
Everybody loves Raymond.
Raymond.
This sentence has three slots: Subject + Verb + Direct Object
Direct ObjectSubj. Verb
(transtive)
Loves whom
or what?
Everybody loves
TransitivesTransitive verbs take direct objects. Direct objects answer “whom” or
“what” to the (action) verbs.
Make 3 Sentences in the Noun + Verb + Noun (direct object)
Pattern
TransitivesComplex transitive verbs take
objects as well as direct objects.
indirect
Indirect objects answer “to whom,” “for whom,” “to what,” “for what” to the direct object.
Verb (transtive) DirectSubj.
Sentences having indirect objects:
Claudia gave Ramon an eyebrow stud.
Claudia gave stud
Ramon
indirect object
Object
aneyebrow
Verb (transtive) Direct ObjectSubj.
Sentences having indirect objects:
Verbs about giving and verbs about showing like to take indirect objects.
Indirect Object
I am sending
you
money.
Make 3 Sentences in the Noun + Noun (indrect
object) Verb+ Noun (direct object) Pattern
Let’s learn about BE:
ISAMAREWASWEREBEBEINGBEEN
Now, we come to the LINKING VERB patterns:
Three Uses of BE:• As a main verb, to express
existence:
My teacher is a werewolf.
Three Uses of BE:• As a helping verb, to expressprogressive action:
My teacher was turning into a werewolf.
Three Uses of BE:• As a helping verb,to form the
passive voice:
Many students were attacked at night.
Pattern : BE + nominalA nominal is a word or group of words that does the
work of a noun (a noun and its modifiers). A nominal may be a single word, a phrase, or a clause. You can tell where a nominal begins and ends by replacing it with a pronoun. Whatever words the pronoun “eats up” would be one nominal. (Another test is to use the word “something” to replace a nominal.)
A ferret is a type of weasel.
A ferret is a type of weasel.
is
(Something) is (something). (Something) = (something).Subject item = Subject complement itemSame referents on both sides of the verb
This clause has three slots.
ferret
A
type
ofweasel
a
Pattern: BE + Adjectival
BE + a subject complement that is an adjectival
An adjectival is to an adjective what a nominal is to a noun: a single word, a phrase, or a clause that does the work of an adjective, ie. to answer Which one? What kind? or How many?
Pattern : BE + AdjectivalA ferret is furry.
A ferret is furry.
furry.
Note that this clause can be expressed in the form of a phrase: the furry ferret.
NP (noun phrase)Subject
BE verb singular present tense
Adjectival Subj. Complement
This sentence has three slots.
ferret
A
is
A ferret is furry and funny.
Note that this clause can be expressed in the form of a phrase: the furry ferret.
NP (noun phrase)Subject
BE verb singular present tense
Adjectival Subj. Complement
This sentence has three slots.
isferret
a
an
d
furry
funny
The BE PatternsBE + Adverbial Information
BE + Adverbial (An adverbial is to an adverb what an adjectival
is to an adjective and what a nominal is to a noun, ie. a single word, phrase, or clause that answers the questions that adverbs answer: after linking verbs, adverbials usually answer
where? or when?)
A ferret is in the garage.
A ferret is in the garage.
is
(Something) is (somewhere).(Something) is (happening at some time).
This clause has three slots.
ferret
A
in
garage
the
My birthday was yesterday.
was
(Something) is (somewhere).(Something) is (happening at some time).
This clause has three slots.
yesterday
birthday
my
Make 3 Sentences in BE Patterns
THE OTHER LINKING VERB PATTERNS
Sense verbs:Look, sound, smell,
taste, feel
Seem, become, grow…
Pattern: Linking Verb + Adjective
Linking Verb + Predicate Adjective
This ice cream tastes delicious.
This ice cream tastes delicious.
tastes delicious
This sentence has three slots.
Note: In a Pattern 4 sentence, the subject complement Is an adjective, not an adverb. Hence: I feel bad (not badly).
NPSubj
Subject complement
Predicate Adj.
ice cream
This (linking) verb
Linking Verb + Noun Pattern :
Linking Verb + Noun
She became a famous doctor..
She became
Subj.
Subject complementPredicate noun.
(linking) verb
doctor.
a
famous
Make 3 Sentencesin Other Linking Verb Patterns