E304 Exploring English grammar

TMA 01
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TMA 01
Contents
TMA 01 2
Part 1: Grammatical analysis 2
Part 2: Interpretation 4
Text 1 5
Text 2 6
References 7
TMA 01
TMA 01

TMA 01
Please return your completed assignment to arrive no later than 10 November 2022.

In this assignment you are asked to engage in some grammatical analyses and write up
an interpretation of your findings. The assignment assesses your skills in analysing
English grammar and in interpreting the meaning of lexicogrammatical choices made in a
text. It relates to your study of Block 1 and represents 7.5% of the overall assessment
score (OAS).
Before you start this assignment, refer to the general guidance on writing assignments in
the Assessment Guide, including the marking grid in Appendix 2. All seven marking
criteria apply to TMA 01. While the TMA contains different steps, you will be given a
holistic mark for the assignment.
The TMA consists of two parts, each of which consists of a series of steps.

Please submit your TMA as a single document in .rtf, .doc or .docx format.

● Part 1: Grammatical analysis:

○ Step 1: Reading the texts
○ Step 2: Setting clause boundaries in a text (15 marks)
○ Step 3: Labelling functional parts of a clause (20 marks)
● Part 2: Interpretation
○ Step 1: Identifying relevant lexicogrammatical features (25 marks)
○ Step 2: Writing your interpretation (40 marks)

Part 1: Grammatical analysis

Step 1: Reading the texts

The first step in this TMA is to read the texts in order to gain an idea of the nature of the
two texts you are going to analyse. The texts are provided at the end of this assignment.
Text 1 is an extract from an academic blog, The Conversation, about the legal implications
of installing home surveillance equipment. Text 2 is a transcript of a conversation between
two friends, in which they discuss smart doorbells.

Step 2: Setting clause boundaries in a text

Copy Text 1 (at the end of this TMA) into a Word document. Using the symbol for clause
boundaries (||), divide the final five paragraphs of the text into clauses (i.e. Paragraphs 4,
5, 6, 7 and 8). The first three paragraphs have been done for you as an example and are
provided below. You should submit your clause boundary analysis as part of your TMA.
Remember that conjunctions are usually put in brackets (Book 1, p. 115).

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Text 1: Smart doorbells: how to use them without being fined for infringing a
neighbour’s privacy
Paragraph 1:
|| As any local solicitor will say, || some of the most bitter legal disputes originate from
disagreements between neighbours. || Discussions over property boundaries, loud
music or parking spaces might be minor irritations, || but they can lead to a full-blown
court battle. ||
Paragraph 2:
|| A relatively recent development in neighbour conflicts are clashes about home
surveillance products, such as CCTV cameras and smart doorbells. || These
technologies can capture footage beyond the householder’s property, || which could pit
householders against neighbours || if they feel || their private lives are being unfairly
spied upon. ||
Paragraph 3:
|| Indeed, a UK judge recently ruled || that a man’s home security system invaded his
neighbour’s privacy, || and he now faces a fine of up to £100,000. || So what are the
privacy implications of this technology, || and what do people need to know about smart
doorbells? ||

Step 3: Labelling functional parts of a clause

For each of the clauses in Paragraphs 2 and 3, label all processes, participants,
circumstances and conjunctions, using tables. The clauses in the first paragraph have
been analysed below as an example.

Paragraph 1

Clause 1

As any local can tell you

solicitor
Participant Process Participant

Clause 2

Some of the most bitter legal disputes originate from disagreements between
neighbours
Participant Process Circumstance

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Clause 3

Discussions over property boundaries, loud music or parking might be minor

spaces irritations
Participant Process Participant

Clause 4

(but) they can a full-blown court

lead to battle
(Conjunction) Participant Process Participant

You should start your own labelling from the second paragraph, beginning with: ‘A
relatively recent development in neighbour …’ The last clause you analyse should be ‘and
what do people need to know about smart doorbells?’ in Paragraph 3.
You should submit the tables as part of your TMA.

Part 2: Interpretation

Step 1: Identifying relevant lexicogrammatical features

For this step, you are asked to identify relevant lexicogrammatical features in Text 2 so
that you can compare it with Text 1. In the column for Text 2, and for each register variable
(field, mode and tenor), list two or three lexicogrammatical features along with some
examples from the text that you believe are characteristic of the text and that combine to
construe the text as:

● being about a particular topic or involving a particular activity (field)

● written or spoken (mode)
● being directed at a particular audience or involving different participants (tenor).

Note that you should identify just two or three lexicogrammatical features for each register
variable. You will draw on this analysis when you compare the two texts in Step 2, so it
may help to look out for features in Text 2 that contrast with those that have already been
identified for you in Text 1.
Here is the downloadable Word file of the E304 TMA 01 Part 2 – Table for Step 1. You will
need to save the document to your own computer in order to edit it. When you have
completed the table, copy and paste it into your main TMA 01 file.

Step 2: Writing up your interpretation

Write up an interpretation of the differences between the two texts, as identified in Step 1.
This interpretation should be a maximum of 500 words. It should compare the two texts
with reference to field, mode and tenor. Support your interpretation with evidence from the

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TMA 01
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lexicogrammatical features you identified in Part 2, Step 1, and any additional features
you identify for both texts.
Bear in mind, however, that you will need to be selective as 500 words will not allow you to
write about all the texts’ lexicogrammatical features and your in-text references are part of
the word count. Make sure you also provide specific examples from the texts of the
lexicogrammatical features you identify; line and paragraph references alone are
insufficient. You may want to consult the example of a register analysis in Book 1,
Chapter 4, Activity 7, Table 4.3. You should refer to module – and any other – material
where relevant (see the Assessment Guide on referencing).
It is good academic practice to write in a concise way so please do stick to the given word
limit. Please note that there is no 10% leeway for the word limit for TMAs on E304. Your
tutor will not mark beyond the word limit so may not read your last few points if you write
over the limit.

Text 1

Smart doorbells: how to use them without being fined for

infringing a neighbour’s privacy
By Andrew Charlesworth, Professor of Law, University of Bristol, for The
Conversation
Published 25 October 2021
Paragraph 1.
As any local solicitor will say, some of the most bitter legal disputes originate
from disagreements between neighbours. Discussions over property bound-
aries, loud music or parking spaces might be minor irritations, but they can lead
to a full-blown court battle.
Paragraph 2.
A relatively recent development in neighbour conflicts are clashes about home
surveillance products, such as CCTV cameras and smart doorbells. These
technologies can capture footage beyond the householder’s property, which
could pit householders against neighbours if they feel their private lives are
being unfairly spied upon.
Paragraph 3.
Indeed, a UK judge recently ruled that a man’s home security system invaded
his neighbour’s privacy, and he now faces a fine of up to £100,000. So what are
the privacy implications of this technology, and what do people need to know
about smart doorbells?
Paragraph 4.
The use of surveillance technologies is governed by a range of measures. For
example, the surveillance camera code of practice provides advice and
guidance, which sets out principles for operators to follow. Others outline legal
requirements, such as the rules for collection and processing of personal data
under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR).

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Paragraph 5.
These measures aim to ensure that any use of surveillance technologies is for
legitimate purposes and that they are proportionate and compliant with relevant
legal obligations. A key concern is that surveillance should be with the informed
consent of those surveilled.
Paragraph 6.
Purely “domestic use” of personal data by a private individual is exempted from
the data protection legislation – for example an individual can hold a list of
addresses for sending Christmas cards. But it is well established that home
surveillance systems, including CCTV and smart doorbells, are subject to UK
data protection legislation.
Paragraph 7.
The case of Fairhurst vs Woodard in the English County Court in October 2021
reinforces the view that the courts are likely to take a dim view of those who fail
to use home surveillance equipment in a way that respects the rights of other
people.
Paragraph 8.
Woodard installed CCTV cameras and a smart doorbell for home security
purposes, but these could record video and audio well beyond the boundaries
of his property. He then actively misled his neighbour, Fairhurst, as to how and
when the cameras operated. The court found Woodard had breached his data
protection obligation to process data in a lawful and transparent way, and to
have collected personal data without a specified or lawful purpose
(Adapted from Charlesworth, 2021)

Text 2
A conversation between friends (identified as A and B) in which they discuss smart
doorbells. (Created for E304 22J.)

Note: Each turn is identified by a number for ease of reference. However, when you are
providing evidence in a table or in your discussion, turn numbers alone are insufficient and
should be supported by specific examples.

1 A I’m thinking of getting one of those doorbells, (…) you know, the ones with cameras in
them.
2 B Really?
3 A Yeah. Have you got one?
4 B Me? No. But loads of people have them round where we live.
5 A D’you think they’re a good idea?
6 B I don’t know if I like them, I dunno, hmmm, I don’t know if I like the idea of being filmed
as I just walk down road. D’you know what I mean?

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References

7 A Yeah. (…) I know what you mean, but I’m not going to be watching people as they walk
past. It’d be so I can see who’s at the door before I answer it. [I think they’re amazing.]
8 B [Hmmm]
9 A Really I want to test one out for my parents. (…) You know, being older, I don’t like the
idea of them answering the door before they know who’s there.
10 B It is a good idea for security, [I suppose].
11 A [Exactly,] especially in the evening, I really think it helps with security.
12 B To be honest, I don’t really know how they work.
13 A Well you connect the thing. I have no idea how they actually work obviously, I’d need to
work it out, but anyway, you get it installed and it connects to your phone.
14 B What?
15 A You can see who’s at the door from an app on your phone.
16 B Wow! [That’s good!]
17 A [Yeah.] I think, I think I will order one. From what I’ve heard it’s not that complicated to
install.
18 B Well, let me know how it goes!

Transcription
key:
(...) Short pause
[] overlapping
talk

References
Charlesworth, A. (2021) ‘Smart doorbells: how to use them without being fined for
infringing a neighbour’s privacy’. The Conversation, October 2021 [Online]. Available at
https://theconversation.com/smart-doorbells-how-to-use-them-without-infringing-a-neigh-
bours-privacy-170180
Hewings, A. and Painter, C. (2015) ‘Form and function in English’, in Hultgren, A.K. (ed.)
Grammar, context and meaning. Hampshire: The Open University.
E304 Book 1, Chapter 4.

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References

3.1

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