TOPIC OUTLINE

MODULE 11: SYNTAX

1. Phrases
a) Noun Phrase
b) Adjective Phrase
c) Adverbial Phrase
d) Prepositional Phrase
2. Clauses
a) independent
b) Dependent
MODULE 12: Conditionals
a) Real Conditionals and
b) Unreal Conditionals

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR: LIGO, DEBORAH FLORES

 MODULE 11: SYNTAX

At the end of this module, the students should be able to:

a. points out phrases and clauses in varied context; and
b. combines phrases and clauses appropriately to produce sensible sentences.

WHAT ARE PHRASES?

• A phrase is a group of words without both a subject and predicate.
• Phrases combine words into a larger unit that can function as a sentence
element.
For example, a participial phrase can include adjectives, nouns, prepositions and
adverbs; as a single unit, however, it functions as one big adjective modifying a noun (or
noun phrase).

TYPES OF PHRASES
1. VERB PHRASE
❖ The verb phrase can refer to the whole predicate of a sentence
❖ A verb phrases includes the main verb and one or more helping verbs
(I was watching my favorite show yesterday) or just the verb or verb group (was
watching).

Examples:

1. Sammy was born in Miami, Florida.

2. He did live in Austin, Texas’ capital.
3. Have you not seen the owners of this home?

2. PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE

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 ❖ “The food on the table looked
delicious.” A prepositional phrase, which has a preposition as its head, can
function as an adjective, adverb, or even as a noun.
❖ A prepositional phrase will include the preposition, the object of the preposition
and any modifiers that might be included.

Example:

1. They will fish by the river.

• Preposition: By
• Object of the Preposition: River
• Modifier: The
1. The man from Texas is here. (Notice that there is No Modifier in this Prepositional
Phrase.)
2. The mantel was decorated with seven wreaths. (Preposition: With, Object: Wreaths,
Modifier: Seven.)
3. I have already looked in the closet, the bathroom, and the bedroom. (There are three
objects in this sentence within the Prepositional Phrase.
*You will not always have a modifier in the prepositional phrase.
3. NOUN PHRASE

❖ A noun phrase includes a noun—a person, place, or thing—and the modifiers

which distinguish it. Think of it as a phrase that plays the role of a noun.

Example:
1. I like singing in the bath. Vs. I like it.
We know that the underlined portion in the first sentence is a noun phrase, because we
can replace it with a pronoun.
2. I know the back streets. VS. I know them.
3. I’ve met the last remaining chief. VS. I’ve met him.

4. ADJECTIVAL PHRASES
❖ An adjectival phrase is a prepositional phrase that modifies a noun or pronoun. A
prepositional phrase can be used to modify different parts of a sentence, so

Examples:
1. The theme of the story is love. (The adjectival phrase modifies the noun, theme.)
2. The letter from my dad about the trip is funny. (Both adjectival phrases modify
the noun, letter.)
3. Many of the paintings by that artist have been sold. (The first adjectival phrase, of
the paintings, modifies the pronoun, many. The second adjectival phrase, by that
artist, modifies the noun, paintings.) every prepositional phrase is not also a
adjectival phrase.

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 5. PARTICIPIAL PHRASES
❖ An participial phrase is a adjectival phrase that begins with a participle.
❖ *A participle is a verb that is given an ending that turns it into an adjective.

The Verb The Past Participle The Present Participle

To rise The risen sun The rising sun
To cook The cooked fish The cooking fish
To break The broken heart The breaking heart

Examples:
1. Rising out of the sea in front of us, the whale was breathtakingly strong and
majestic. (Rising is the participial. The phrase describes the noun, whale.)
2. Printed on the very first press, the document was highly celebrated.
3. Broken by the stone, the window had to be replaced before the next rain.

6. ABSOLUTE PHRASES
❖ An absolute phrase is a participle, a noun, and any modifiers. Unlike some of the
other phrases, an absolute phrase will modify the entire clause.
Examples:
1. Legs quivering (Legs is the noun and quivering is the participle. Together they
make the absolute phase).

2. Legs quivering, our old dog Gizmo dreamed of chasing squirrels. (The absolute
phrase modifies the entire clause.)

3. Her arms folded across her chest (arms: noun, folded: participle, her/across her
chest: modifiers) *Notice that this is not a complete thought. Therefore, an
absolute phrase is not a sentence itself.

4. Her arms folded across her chest; Professor Hill warned the class about the
penalties of plagiarism.

7. ADVERBIAL PHRASES
❖ An adverbial phrase is a prepositional phrase that is used to modify a verb, and
adjective, or an adverb. Make sure to identify the word that the prepositional
phrase modifies or you will get confused on how the prepositional phrase is being
used in a sentence.
Examples:

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 1. Samantha ran to the store. (The
adverbial phrase modifies the verb ran. Ran where?)
2. The pilot is aware of the situation. (The adverbial phrase modifies the adjective,
aware.)
3. Early in the morning she heads her doorbell ring. (The adverbial phrase modifies
the adverb, early.)

CLAUSES
DEFINITION

• Clause is a group of related words that contains at least one subject and one
verb and is used as a sentence or part of a sentence.
• When a clause has complete meaning on its own, it can be used as a sentence.
But when it has incomplete meaning, it is used as part of a sentence. Look at the
examples below.
✓ He is a news reporter. (As a sentence)
✓ She loves music. (As a sentence)
✓ Where he stays (As part of a sentence)
✓ Who lives next to my house (As part of a sentence)

TYPES OF CLAUSES
❖ There are two types of clauses: independent clause (or main clause), and
dependent clause (also called subordinate clause).
• Independent clause – is also called main clause, or principal clause.
• Dependent clause – is also called sub-clause

INDEPENDENT CLAUSES

❖ An independent clause has a subject and a verb, and can stand alone as a
sentence. For examples,
✓ They work in marketing department.
✓ What products are they going to launch this year?
✓ The company didn't perform well last year.
✓ What shall we do?

Dependent Clauses
❖ A dependent clause has a subject and a predicate, but it cannot stand alone as a
sentence.
❖ There are three types of subordinate clauses:
• Noun clauses
• Adjective clauses
• Adverb clauses
Noun clauses

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 ❖ A
noun clause is a subordinate clause used as a noun. For

examples,
1. What you have proposed is acceptable. (Noun clause)
2. Tell me what your marketing strategies are. (Noun clause)

Adjective clauses
❖ An adjective clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun or a pronoun.

For examples,
1. The man who is standing over there is a product development manager.
(Adjective clause)
2. His team has come up with products that have more features for customers.
(Adjective clause

Adverb clauses
❖ An adverb clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, or an
adverb. It tells when, where, how, why, to what extent, or under what conditions.

For examples,
1. If the products are fit for the customers, we will maintain sales increase of 10%.
(Adverb clause)
2. There will be some promotion when the new product are available. (Adverb
clause)

WORKSHEET TASK 1

Directions: Choose whether the highlighted part in red is a phrase or a clause.

Write your answer in space provided.

___________1. Faced with so many problems, I decided to get professional help.

___________2. She arrived to work on time in spite of leaving home so late.
___________3. Before taking any medicine, I always speak to my doctor.
___________4. Mark has lived outside of his country for 14 years.

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 ___________5. In the morning it’s
best to get up early.
___________6. Having always been keen on caring for people, Susan decided to
become a nurse.
___________7. They were annoyed by the baby crying so loudly.
___________8. Although injured, John managed to crawl to safety.

___________9. I will be running for President.

__________10. I like the guy with the green shirt.
Directions: identify what type of phrase the highlighted phrase: write your answer in
space provided.

____________1. I wish the university that I attend would have an annual kite flying
festival in spring time.
____________2. I am pretty sure I have been told that I’m a good listener.
____________3. My hero, the man in the moon, has not yet delivered a TED talk.

____________4. She sang a traditional song called “Over the Hills and Far Away.”
____________5. It all spread by word of mouth.
____________6. The Bill Gates Foundation does much charitable work.

____________7. I wish the university that I attend would have an annual kite flying
festival in spring time.
____________8. Bungee jumping is not a sport that I would try, since it does not seem
entirely safe to me.
____________9. Our lawyer, William Weary, takes care of all of our speeding tickets,
but his bills end up costing just as much.

____________10. To marry him was out of the question.

____________11. Dreaming away, Tristan did not notice that the lights had changed.
____________12. The season ended; the players cleaned out their lockers

____________13. Great pianists know how important it is to practice slowly.

____________14. My most difficult pregnancy was also my first.
____________15. A short distance from our school was a great restaurant.

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR: LIGO, DEBORAH FLORES

 Prepared by:

Ms. Deborah F. Ligo

English Instructor

MODULE 12: Conditionals

At the end of this module, the students should be able to:

a. discusses and illustrate the concept conditionals; and
b. use conditional sentences to describe an idea or image.

Real Conditionals

❖ Real Conditionals are used to express a cause and a result that are likely to
happen.
❖ It means, they are sentences that express a condition and a result which is
possible to occur, that’s why they are called Real conditionals.

TWO TYPES REAL CONDITIONALS

a) Zero Conditional
b) First Conditional
A. Zero Conditional

❖ This type of conditional is used to express a general truth, it means; it expresses

a cause and its result that will always be the same.
❖ Zero conditional sentences can be used to communicate scientific facts.

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 example!
IF YOU HEAT WAX, IT MELTS.

Cause Consequence

Based on this example, we can see that zero conditional sentences consist of two (2)
sentences; one that expresses the cause and the other the consequence.

B. Zero Conditional
If you heat wax, it melts.
Cause Consequence

Now, according to the tenses, we can see that, in zero conditional sentences both
clauses (main clause and if clause) are in same tense that is, simple present tense.
However, you can use simple past in both sentences to express conditions in the past
that used to happen in the same way all the time.
Let’s take a look at more examples:

Sentence
If you cut your finger, you bleed.
If there is no air, wood doesn’t burn.
If you put water in the refrigerator, it
freezes.
Meaning
Every time that you cut your finger or any
part of your body, blood comes out of it.
This is a scientific fact — wood needs air
in order to burn.
When you put any liquid into a freezer it
becomes in ice.

First Conditional.
❖ This type of conditional expresses conditions and their possible results whether
be in the present or in the future.

Let’s take a look of an example!

If you save money, you will be able to buy the car.

Cause Consequence
According to this example, first conditional sentences are formed by the main clause in
simple future tense and the “if” clause in simple present tense.

First Conditional.
If + subj + verb + comp, Subj + will + verb++comp

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 Zero
Conditional.
Let’s take a look at more examples:

Sentence Meaning
If it doesn’t rain, we will go out tonight. It is very possible to not rain.
If Marie studies really hard, she will pass There is an option that Marie studies for
the exam. the exam.
If the students arrive late to classes There is a chance that they be out of
today, they will get suspended. time.

UNREAL CONDITIONALS:
Unreal Conditional Sentences

❖ Are complex sentence that we to express a imaginary or impossible situation.

There are Two types of unreal conditional sentence

A. Second Conditional
B. Third Conditional

A. Second Conditional
➢ Second conditional sentences are used to talk about things which are unreal -not
true or not possible- (in the present or the future) things which don’t or won’t
happen.
Example:
If I had a super power, it would be flying

Cause Consequence
In second conditional sentence the “simple past” form is slightly different from usual in
the case of the verb BE. Whatever the subject the verb form is “were”, not “was’
If I were a king, I would live in a palace.

Cause Consequence
As you can see, second conditional is form by the subordinate clause in simple past and
the main clause with would or another modal verb + verb.

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 The THIRD CONDITIONAL:

➢ Is used to talk about unreal situation in past. It means, that the third conditional is
used to talk about things which did not happen in the past.

If it had not rain, we could have gone to the beach

Cause Consequence

This type of conditional is more complex that the others, because it uses more complex
tenses, but don’t worry once you’ve practiced, it becomes easier for you to us it.
If I had saved money, I would have bought the car.

Cause Consequence
The if clause is made in past perfect tense while the main clause with would ( or another
modal verb) + present perfect tense.

SENTENCE
If you had driven more carefully, you not
have had an accident.
If we had played a little better, we could
have won the gave
If I had arrived earlier, I wouldn’t have
missed the plane.
If my mother had spoiled me, I would
have turn into a bad person.
MEANING
You had an accident because you didn’t
drive carefully enough.
We didn’t play well, so we lost the game.
I arrived later, so the plane left ne.
My mother raised me well, so I am a good
person.

WORKSHEET TASK 2

Directions: Choose a letter of best answer.

1. What would you do if it ________ on your wedding day?

a) rained
b) will rain
c) would rain

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR: LIGO, DEBORAH FLORES

 2. If
she comes, I _____ call you.

a) will
b) would
c) would have

3. If I eat peanut butter, I ________ sick.

a) would have gotten
b) would get
c) get
4. What will you do if you ________ the history exam?
a) would fail
b) will fail
c) fail
5. If they had not _____ the car, I would have driven you.

a) take
b) taken
c) would take

6. If it snows, ________ still drive to the coast?

a) will you
b) would you
c) would you have
7. "He would have gone with you if you had asked him." Which conditional is this?

a) first
b) second
c) third

8. "If I won a million dollars, I would buy my own airplane." Which conditional is this?
a) zero
b) first
c) second
9. "If I forget her birthday, Andrea gets upset." Which conditional is this?
a) zero
b) first
c) second
10. "What will she do if she misses the bus?" Which conditional is this?

a) first
b) second
c) third

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR: LIGO, DEBORAH FLORES

 Prepared by:

Ms. Deborah F. Ligo, LPT

English Instructor

MODULE 13: SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES

At the end of this module, the students should be able to:

a. tells the importance of syntax; and
b. describes syntactic structure

SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES
SYNTAX

The part of the grammar

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 that represents a speaker’s
knowledge of sentences and
their structure

Syntactic Structure – WORD ORDER

Example: She has what a man wants.

She wants what a man has.

PHRASAL CATEGORIES: THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE
Phrasal categories: a group of words that have a canonical structure and form a
constituent.
Head: the word the phrase is built around, gives the phrase its name and usually
contributes the principal meaning of the phrase

[the greedy politician] NP

Specifier: word or phrase that marks a boundary for the
phrase; typically functions to further refine the meaning of phrase.
[this apple] NP
Complement: phrases that follow the head and typically provide further information
about the entities or location implied by head.

[take a picture] VP
NOUN PHRASE: [(Det) (Adjective) Noun]
NPs: the wise man, fancy dinner, rain

1. The couple had a fancy dinner.

2. A fancy dinner is definitely expensive.
3. *[At fancy] many couples eat dinner.

Use phrasal categories to account for the natural groupings.

VERB PHRASE: [(Qual) Verb (NP)]

VPs: always visit(s), filled the cup, clean

4. Sheryl always visits her grandmother at the nursing home.
5. The queen filled the cup of the prime minister.
6. Please, clean your room.
ADJECTIVE PHRASE: [(Deg) Adjective (PP)
APs: so pretty, too deep in thought, busy

1. Oscar is so pretty.
2. She is too deep in thought to notice.
3. The chairman is busy right now.

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 PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE: [(Deg) Preposition (NP)]

PPs: so, into your subject, beyond the sea

1. Gary is so into your subject.
2. My father lives beyond the sea.

STRUCTURE OF PREDICATION
❖ In structure of predication, we are concerned with the properties or features of
the verb which acts as the predicate and with the features of the noun which
serves as the subject of the sentence.

English verbs have seven distinctive properties:

PERSON
Common – present (verb base form) used with plural
subjects and I and you

Third singular – takes on the [verb+s] form (know-knows) used with singular
subjects and he, she, it; this agreement in number subject and verb is called
concord.

TENSE
❖ Common – present (usually in the verb base form although it may be marked
with –[s] morpheme depending on its agreement with the subject; past (takes on
the past tense-marking bound morpheme (know-knew).
PHASE

❖ Simple – the verb base form or the past tense

❖ Perfect – takes the various forms of [have + past participle]
❖ Resultative – made up of [he + past participle of intransitive verb]

ASPECT
❖ Simple – verb base – with or without the {-s} inflectional morpheme
❖ Durative – [verb to be + ing verb]
❖ Inchoative – [get + ing verb]
MODAL
❖ modals (can, may, must…) which are followed by the verb base as well as the
periphrastic modals (ought to, have to, used to) which are also followed by verb
base

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 VOICE
❖ Normal or active voice – made up of the verb base, its past, perfect or durative
forms
❖ Passive voice – the get passive (get is used instead of the verb to be
STATUS
❖ Affirmative – have the subject coming before the verb
❖ Interrogative – the subject comes after the helping verb or the do form (this
inverted form is generally used in questions)
❖ Negative – the negative marker not is placed between the helping verb and the
main verb
❖ Negative interrogative – the auxiliary in the sentence initial position plus the
negative marker coming before the main verb or attached to the auxiliary if the
contraction of not is used.
STRUCTURE OF MODIFICATION
❖ The structure of modification is made up of two components: a head or main
word and a modifier which serves to qualify, broaden, specify or in some way
affect the meaning of the head.

In single word modifiers, some order of arrangement is involved

• these four little ginger kittens

[pronoun, number, size, color]

• a cheap black plastic bag

[article, cost, color, material]

• the first three eager applicants

[article, ordinal, cardinal, quality]

• many hand-crafted wooden jewel cases

[quantity, verbal adjective, nominalized adjective, material]

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 In adjectival structure of modification, the head is a noun and its modifiers are
considered adjectives. W. Nelson Francis however, points out that any part of speech or
form class may act as head and as modifier.

EXERCISE 1.
Directions: make a sentence into the ramble word using the SYNTACTIC
STRUCTURES ( GIVE ATLEAST 3 sentences)

older used to walk

sisters every morning
my around the park
briskly by themselves
three in the past

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 People young in their twenties
nowadays jogging who are
figure conscious
often go whenever they can
many

STRUCTURE OF COMPLEMENTATION

❖ The structure of complementation refers to the different complements that linking

and transitive predicate verbs may take to complete the comment that they make
about the subject.

1.[Subject + Linking Verb + Subjective Complement].

2.[Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct Object]
3.[Subject + Transitive Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object]

4.[Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct Object + Objective Complement]

5. [Subject + Linking Verb + Subjective Complement]
a) Today is her birthday. (noun)
b) Today is all there is. (function word)
c) Today is dark and gloomy. (adjective)
d) Today is almost over. (adverb)
e) Her plan today is to settle unfinished business.
f) (verb{infinitive})
g) Today has been quite taxing. (verb {present participle})
h) Today will remain imprinted in our memory. (verb {past participle})
i) Today seems of little consequence. (prepositional phrase)
j) Today can become whatever you want to be. (clause)

[Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct Object]

• He sees something. (single word indefinite pronoun)

• He sees the object. (single word – noun)
• He loves to open the presents. (infinitive verb phrase)
• He loves opening the presents. (gerund)
• He knows what I’m doing. (clause)

[Subject + Transitive Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object]

• The committee awarded him first prize.

• Grandfather left my mother an inheritance.
•

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 [Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct
Object + Object of Preposition]

• The committee awarded the first prize to him.

• Grandfather left an inheritance to my mother.
[Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct Object + Objective Complement]

• Everybody considers him very lucky.

• They named the dog Natalie

WHAT ABOUT INTRANSITIVE VERB

Intransitive verbs? do not need an object to complete its meaning. It can stand by itself
as predicate of the sentence. Those three types of verbs may be differentiated one from
the other as follows:

Intransitive verbs: Has neither complement nor passive

Transitive verbs: Has both complement and passive
Linking verbs: Has complement but no passive

Since the intransitive verb requires no complement, then the sentence pattern would be:

EXERCISE. Identify the type of verb used (LV, TV, IV) and the syntactic structure of
complementation in the following sentences:

_____1. He got sick.

_____2. I will get him some medicine.
_____3. The fish got away.

_____4. He doesn’t feel well.

_____5. I feel his pain, too.
_____6. I felt him move.

_____7. I will not stay there.

_____8. You should stay calm.

STRUCTURE OF COORDINATION
This structure consists of two or more syntactically equivalent units by connectors to
form a structure which acts as a single unit.
1.Coordinators - appear between elements that they join and so do the phrasal
connectors although the latter may also occur in split constructions

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 and,
but, nor, not, or, phrases such as rather than, as well as, together with, and along
with.
2. Correlatives – appear in two parts; the first part appears at the beginning of the
structure whereas the second part comes between the last two components being
joined.
not (only), but (also), either…or, neither…nor and both…and.

With coordinators as connectors

Function words: over and above, in not out
Adjectives: young but terrible
Verbs: to stay put or to leave
Nouns: books nor magazines

With phrasal connectors

Function words: up rather than down
Adjectives: intelligent as well as good natured

Nouns: good looks together with good breeding

With correlatives
Nouns: not only books but also magazines
Clauses: Either you do this or

Directions: Read the sentences below and identify if its —correct or incorrect.
1. After a long day, Jack comes home and relaxes for a while.

A. correct b. incorrect
2. He is usually very talkative, but rather tired.
A. correct b. incorrect

3. He talks about his activities constantly and in detail.

A. correct b. incorrect
4. He never asks about my day, nor my problems.
A. correct b. incorrect
5. Then he asks for a glass of water or for a cold soda.

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 A.
correct b. incorrect

6. I tell him he can get it himself or do me a favor in the future.

A. correct b. incorrect
7. He laughs and I tell him I'm serious.

A. correct b. incorrect
8. He tells me that I'm a nerd, and so I tell him that I am leaving.
A. correct b. incorrect

9. I tell him that but I get him his soda anyway.

A. correct b. incorrect
10. I'm fourteen now, and yet my big brother treats me like a little kid.

A. correct b. incorrect

Directions: Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.

1. While Ray is usually on time, _____________

a) he doesn't even wear a watch.
b) Rena is usually late.
2. Although Ray doesn't wear a watch, _____________

a) he's usually late.

b) he's usually on time.
3. In spite of the fact of the fact that Rena starts her homework early, _________
a) Ray finishes first.
b) she doesn't always finish it.
4. Whereas Rena starts her homework early, __________

a) Ray starts his late.

b) she doesn't always finish it.
5. ay and Rena are taking the same class, yet _________________

a) they don't study together.

b) they study together

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