Narrative Language Structures. Toni Morrison. A Mercy MF’s ......past, futures in the past) to...
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Narrative Language Structures. Toni Morrison. A Mercy MF’s C1 course at http://www.talkingpeople.net/tp/ra/c1/ 1 Narrative Language Structures: Writing Workshop from Reading Work: By MF (2019) Dedicated to Toni Morrison Activity based on quotes & passages from Toni Morrison's A Mercy (2008). Teacher's copy (Vintage 2009) About Toni Morrison & C1s I do not think C1 learners can read Toni Morrison's novels or essays, really, not yet, but she is an extraordinary writer in every sense, and I hope some day some of you will. In any case, all of you, for human, language and sociocultural reasons, can enjoy her video interviews on the Net and even plunge into reading her children's stories (which are hard enough to read, for non-natives), which she co-wrote with her son Slade, e.g. The Big Box. Narrative Language Structures Beginning of chapter 2, p. 7 [Someone DID something, doING something IN SOME WAY] 1. The man MOVED through the surf, steppING carefulLY over pebbles and sand to shore. Meaning of "grammar" • Past simple for something done in a point in the past • -ing for a how that is done • adverb for more detail on that how Meaning of textual matters • Cohesion/Coherence: This is the opening line in a chapter. Beginnings are very informative/descriptive, generally establishing the topic of the paragraph. They help us understand the setting, where we are. We begin with a full noun phrase, not with a pronoun. This is (general) good advice for beginning paragraphs (except with "it" as in "It was an unrewarding life. p. 48) Vocabulary, Etymology & Culture • The Surf here, a noun, means 'the tops of the waves on the sea when they are near to the coast or hit against rocks' (Cambridge Dictionary), so we can say it means, 'crashing waves.' • Surf is also a verb meaning 'to ride waves with a surf board'. When you surf, you stand upright on a board and ride over breaking waves into the shore. • A more figurative meaning of surf is 'search casually,' as in "channel surf," click idly between TV stations, or "surf the Net," or navigate the Internet. • The origin of the word is a mystery, though it's thought to have first been used in the 1680s, when Toni Morrison's novel is set, a time when racism was not institutionalized as such. (Sources: vocabulary.com & etymonline.com, adapted & expanded by MF) Let's continue... Imagine. Novels include descriptions, not only narratives. Descriptions portray people, things, landscapes, events... Narratives describe actions, events, too! See? They mingle! [Something WAS and effect on characters for cohesion -- descriptions] 2. Fog, Atlantic and reeking of plant life, BLANKETED the bay and SLOWED him. [Someone COULD ... BUT NOT ... NOR ...] 3. He COULD see his boots sloshing BUT NOT his satchel NOR his hands.
Transcript of Narrative Language Structures. Toni Morrison. A Mercy MF’s ......past, futures in the past) to...
NarrativeLanguageStructures.ToniMorrison.AMercyMF’sC1courseathttp://www.talkingpeople.net/tp/ra/c1/
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NarrativeLanguageStructures:WritingWorkshopfromReadingWork:ByMF(2019)
DedicatedtoToniMorrisonActivitybasedonquotes&passagesfromToniMorrison'sAMercy(2008).
Teacher'scopy(Vintage2009)
AboutToniMorrison&C1sIdonotthinkC1learnerscanreadToniMorrison'snovelsoressays,really,notyet,butsheisanextraordinarywriterineverysense,andIhopesomedaysomeofyouwill.Inanycase,allofyou,forhuman,languageandsocioculturalreasons,canenjoyhervideointerviewsontheNetandevenplungeintoreadingherchildren'sstories(whicharehardenoughtoread,fornon-natives),whichsheco-wrotewithhersonSlade,e.g.TheBigBox.
NarrativeLanguageStructuresBeginningofchapter2,p.7
[SomeoneDIDsomething,doINGsomethingINSOMEWAY]
1. ThemanMOVEDthroughthesurf,steppINGcarefulLYoverpebblesandsandtoshore.
Meaningof"grammar"• Pastsimpleforsomethingdoneinapointinthepast• -ingforahowthatisdone• adverbformoredetailonthathowMeaningoftextualmatters• Cohesion/Coherence:Thisistheopeninglineinachapter.Beginningsarevery
informative/descriptive,generallyestablishingthetopicoftheparagraph.Theyhelpusunderstandthesetting,whereweare.Webeginwithafullnounphrase,notwithapronoun.Thisis(general)goodadviceforbeginningparagraphs(exceptwith"it"asin"Itwasanunrewardinglife.p.48)
Vocabulary,Etymology&Culture• TheSurfhere,anoun,means'thetopsofthewavesontheseawhentheyareneartothe
coastorhitagainstrocks'(CambridgeDictionary),sowecansayitmeans,'crashingwaves.'• Surfisalsoaverbmeaning'toridewaveswithasurfboard'.Whenyousurf,youstand
uprightonaboardandrideoverbreakingwavesintotheshore.• Amorefigurativemeaningofsurfis'searchcasually,'asin"channelsurf,"clickidly
betweenTVstations,or"surftheNet,"ornavigatetheInternet.• Theoriginofthewordisamystery,thoughit'sthoughttohavefirstbeenusedinthe1680s,
whenToniMorrison'snovelisset,atimewhenracismwasnotinstitutionalizedassuch.(Sources:vocabulary.com&etymonline.com,adapted&expandedbyMF)
Let'scontinue...Imagine.Novelsincludedescriptions,notonlynarratives.Descriptionsportraypeople,things,landscapes,events...Narrativesdescribeactions,events,too!See?Theymingle![SomethingWASandeffectoncharactersforcohesion--descriptions]
2. Fog,Atlanticandreekingofplantlife,BLANKETEDthebayandSLOWEDhim.
[SomeoneCOULD...BUTNOT...NOR...]
3. HeCOULDseehisbootssloshingBUTNOThissatchelNORhishands.
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[WHENsthHAPPENED,sbDIDsth+BUTBECAUSE*sthHADHAPPENED,sbCOULDNOT...]>WHEN+PAST+BUTBECAUSE+PASTPERFECT+COULD(NOT)Note:Makingourverbalrangericher!Includingdifferenttensesandmodals!
4. WHENthesurfWASbehindhimandhissolesSANKinmud,heTURNEDtowavetothesloopmen,BUTBECAUSEthemastHADDISAPPEAREDinthefogheCOULDNOTtellwhethertheyremainedanchoredorriskedsailingon--huggingtheshoreandapproximatingthelocationofwharvesanddocks.
Noteonalternativestructure:wecouldalsohave"BUTBECAUSEOFthewind,"forinstance(withanoun,insteadofaS+V.Findyourexamples!
Noticehownarrativesusethepast(pastsimple,pastcontinuous,pastperfect,modalsinthepast,futuresinthepast)tolearntocheckyourtenseswhenyoufinishwritinganarrativeforclass,workorexams!Sometimesyourmistakeisyouswitchtousingthepresent!Thisispossible,butforareason,likeinSpanish.Soyouneedtomonitorthisduringthecourse.
Syntax&Meaning.Readallthesentencesagainandtrytosimplifystructureusingboxessoyouknowwhicharethemainstructuresorboxes.Letmeshowyou.I'musingboldforkeywordsanditalicsforkeylinkingdevices.Thisexerciseisaboutsyntax,andsyntaxiscrucialfororderingourthoughtsandgrammar,aswellasforunderstandingifit'sproblematicwhetherweknowordon'tknowwhatthemeaningofthisorthatwordis.1. Themanmovedthroughthesurf,steppingcarefullyoverpebblesandsandtoshore.
2. Fog,Atlanticandreekingofplantlife,blanketedthebayandslowedhim.
3. Hecouldseehisbootssloshingbutnothissatchelnorhishands.
4. Whenthesurfwasbehindhimandhissolessankinmud,heturnedtowavetothesloopmen,
butbecausethemasthaddisappearedinthefoghecouldnottellwhethertheyremainedanchoredorriskedsailingon--huggingtheshoreandapproximatingthelocationofwharvesanddocks.
Now,ifyouunderstandthis,doesitreallymatteryouunderstandsomeofthewordsthatarenothighlighted?,likereeking,sloshing,satchel,sloopmen,orwharves?Doyouthinkbasingyourcomprehensiononsyntaxyoucouldworkoutwhatthesesentencesdescribeinspiteofnotknowingallthewords?Youneedtopracticethisonceinawhilewithyourreadingathome.Usingsyntaxtounderstandmeaningisveryhelpful,notonlyforclozetests.Anditiswhatnativesdowhentheyreadbooksandfindwordstheydon'tunderstand.Youknowitasanativespeaker,too!ReadingAloud&Punctuation.Tohelpyoulearnsyntax,remembertoreadaloud.Ithelpsalot.Intonationandpunctuationhelpalot.Soyouwillalsobeimprovinginspeaking(stressandintonation)andwriting(punctuation)!Wecanhavesmallerboxesinsidelargerboxes,yes!
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HOWTOACHIEVEVARIEDSENTENCESTRUCTURE(Richlanguagerange)Connectorsandtransitions(understoodherearepartsofasentence,notwholesentences)canhelpyoudothat,whilecaringforcohesion&coherence!❤Sonoticethisissueaswemoveon.NounphrasesasAppositives5. Aquickthinker,heflushedwithpleasurewhenacrisis,largeorsmall,neededinventionandfastaction(p.10)Prepositionalphrases6. Onthewayhesawamanbeatingahorsetoitsknees(p.26)7. BymoonlightIamhappytofindahollowlog,butitiswavywithants(p.65)-alsoTimephrase8. Withinminutestheywerebackinthewagonsteepedinanticipationofafreshbountifullife(p.84)Timeclausesassentenceinitiatorsandtypicaltransitionsopeningparagraphs,too,becauseoftheirpowertoofferasettingwecanpartfrom!9. WhenIarrivehereIbelieveitistheplacehewarnsagainst(p.6)+endingprepositions10. Oncebeyondthewarmgoldofthebay,hesawforestsuntouchedsinceNoah,shorelines
beautifulenoughtobringtears,wildfoodforthetaking(p.10)11. Uponlandingtheymadenopretenseofmeetingagain(p.83)12. Beforehecouldknock,thedoorwasopenedbyasmall,contradictoryman(p.13)13. Afteraleisurelymealofoysters,veal,pigeon,parsnipsandsuetpuddingrestoredhis
tastebuds,hereservedbedspacewithjustonemaninitand,strollingoutside,thoughtaboutthedisappointingdayandthehumiliationofhavingacceptedthegirlaspartpayment.(p.30)
14. Sinceyourleaving*withnogoodbye,summerpasses,thenautumn,andwiththewaningofwinterthesicknesscomesback(p.34)
15. Asthesonsdiedandtheyearspassed,Jacobbecameconvincedthefarmwassustainablebutnotprofitable(p.85)
Participleclauses(pastparticiple&presentparticiple)tostartdescriptivesentencesTypicalinnarrativesandreviews!Please,findexamplesinyourReadingathome&bringtoclass!Participleclausesareaformofadverbialclausewhichenablesustosayinformationinamoreeconomicalway.Wecanusethemwhentheverbwecanuseintheparticipleandtheverbinthemainclausehavethesamesubject.
16. Seatedatatableclutteredwiththeremainsofearliermeals,helistenedtothetalkaroundhim,whichwasmostlysugar,whichwastosay,rum(p.27)
17. Reassured,shewentbackintothesickroomwheresheheardMistressmumbling.(p.64)18. Comparedtothat,deathbyshipwreckortomahawkpaled.(p.74)
19. PickINGhiswaywithgrowingconfidence,hearrivedintheramshacklevillagesleepingbetweentwohugeriversideplantations(p.8)
• Mainsentence:Hearrivedin....Hepickedhisway...=S+V.S+V• Transformation:Wemergethetwosentencesintoone(oneS+V)!turningoneoftheS+VintoanING
verb!ThenewsentencewillbeaHow?phrase(sintagmaadverbialdecómo)intheglobalsyntaxofthemainsentenceHE=SubjectARRIVED=Verb+alltherestasitsaccompanyingpredicate.
20. WalkINGinthewarmnightair,hewentasfaraspossible(p.32)+placingadjectives&comparisons21. GallopINGalong,hewassweatingsoheavilyhiseyessaltedandhishairmattedonhisshoulders(p.9)• [-ing...,S+Vinpast:washappening+SO+adv+(that)+S+Vinpast:happened]• Rephrasing:Ashewasgalloping,hewassweating...=S+V,S+V22. BarelylisteningtoD'Ortega'spatter,sly,indirect,insteadofstraightandmanly,Jacobneared
thecookhouseandsawawomanstandinginthedoorwaywithtwochildren.(p.21)
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Rephrase...
23. WatchINGthecouple,Jacobnoticedthathusbandandwifeneverlookedateachother,exceptforastolenglancewhentheotherlookedelsewhere.(p.17)
24. RockINGinthepoorlymadesaddle,hefacedforwardwhilehiseyessweptthesurroundings(p.10)
INGNOUNSareNOTthesamecase...
25. PenetratING[thefog]waslikestrugglingthroughadream
ThisisanINGnounoperatingasthesubject!Nowmyownexamples...26. Litteringisnotallowed27. Lookingatphotosforhoursonendistoomuch!28. Waitingforpeople,whentheweatherisbad,particularlyifit'swindy,issomethingIhate.
Question.Nowanalyze...What'sthis?
29. Seededresentmentnowbloomed.(p.15)30. Breathingtheairofaworldsonew,almostalarminginrawnessandtemptation,neverfailed
toinvigoratehim(p.10)31. Seatedatasmalltablesurroundedbygravenidols,thewindowsclosedtotheboilingair,he
dranksassafrasbeeradagreedwithhishostabouttheweather(p.14)32. Farawaytotheright,beyondtheironfencesenclosingthepropertyandsoftenedbymist,
hesawrowsofquarters,quiet,empty.(p.12)33. Turningprofitintouselessbaubles,unembarrassedbysumptuary,silkstockingsandan
overdressedwife,wastingcandlesinmidday,hewouldalwaysbeunabletorideoutanysetback,whetheritbelostshiporruinedcrop.(p.17)
SomeotherC1languageitemsyoumightwanttohuntexamplesof!(UsefulLanguage)34. UNLIKEtheEnglishfoghehadknownsincehecouldwalk,orthosewaynorthwherehelived
now,thisonewassunfired,turningtheworldintothick,hotgold.(p.7)Thisstructureisgreatforcomparisons!Tryadrillingexercisetolearntousethestructurelikethis:35. Unlikemymother,Iwasshy.36. Unlikelifeinthecity,rurallifeisslow-pacedandeasy-going.37. Inspiteofhisdirtyhandsandsweat-limphair,Jacobpresseddownhisannoyanceandchose
tofocusonthefood(p.15)cf.Despite38. Yethecontinuedtofeeladisturbingpulseofpityfororphansandstrays,rememberingwelltheirand
hisownsadteeminginthemarkets,lanes,alleywaysandportsofeveryregionhetraveled(p.31)39. Still,atthishost'sinsistence,hetrailedhimtothelittleshedswhereD'Ortegainterrupted
theirhalfday'srestandorderedsometwodozenormoretoassembleinastraightline,includingtheboywhohadwateredRegina(p.20)
40. Probablybecausehisdreamswereofagrandhouseofmanyroomsrisingonahillabovethefog(p.33)41. Whateveritwas,hecouldn'tstaytheresurroundedbyapasselofslaveswhosesilencemade
himimagineanavalancheseenfromagreatdistance(p.20)
InversionQuestions42. Nowherehewas,arattyorphanbecomelandowner,makingaplaceoutofnoplace,a
temperatelivingfromrawlife(p.10)43. Notonlybecauseonehadtoholdtheheadwhiletheothertiedthetrotters.Mostlybecause
neitherknewpreciselywhattheyweredoingorhow.(p.51)-??
