Major Components of The Study of Syntax and Grammar Teaching Grammar in Context Jill Kerper Mora San Diego State University
Major Components of The Study of Syntax and Grammar Teaching Grammar in Context Jill Kerper Mora San Diego State University
Major Components of The Study of Syntax and Grammar Teaching Grammar in Context Jill Kerper Mora San Diego State University
Dear Educators,
Teacher credential candidates who are preparing for the RICA exam
should be familiar with these grammatical terms and their definitions.
These concepts are part of RICA Domain IV Content Area 13.1.
2) The points of grammar can be used as the basis for teaching sentence
structure and vocabulary.
Sentence transformation
Sentence recombination
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Click on the hot-text for a discussion of the role of syntactic knowledge
in reading and assessment of grammar in second-language writing.
• Subject
• Verbs and verb phrases
• Direct and indirect object(s)
• Complements with verbs that express
feeling, appearing, being and seeming
• Modifiers
• Clauses
• Phrases
• Simple
• Compound
• Complex
• Basic & variations on basic sentence
patterns
• Sentence structure: Complete, incomplete,
run-on, coordination of verb tenses
4. Verb Usage
• Agreement
• Tense
• Mood
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• Active or passive voice
• Sequence and consistency of tenses
• Modals
• Phrasal verbs
• Idiomatic constructions
• Formulaic expressions
• Use of phrases within sentences
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illustrate the relationship of the structure to other words and/or
parts of the sentence.
2. Expand on it:
5. Make substitutions:
Juan lost his math book. Did Juan lose his science book, too?
Sentence Transformation
Focusing on Specific Points of Grammar
Subject pronouns
Forms of verb to be
"When" clauses
Mr. Black will sit down. Mr. Black will take off his coat.
When Mr. Black sits down, he will take off his coat.
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The girls will arrive at school. The bell will be ringing.
When the girls arrive at school, the bell will be ringing.
Relative Clauses
Negatives
Interrogatives ((Is/Are)
Interrogatives (Do/Does)
Interrogatives (Modals-Can)
Sentence Recombination
Sentence recombination is an effective activity for teaching
sentence structure, paragraph structure, punctuation, transition
and coherence, and parts of speech. Students must also use
critical thinking skills to cluster and organize ideas and
concepts. Sentence recombination exercises are thematic and
can be easily constructed in advance by the teacher or as a
group activity with the students. Here is an example.
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elements. In rewriting, be sure to include introduction and
transition sentences so the passage flows smoothly.
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Follow a recipe or instructions Imperative verb form
from a boxed cake mix to bake a
cake. Present continuous tense
Conditional tense
Forms of verb to do
Indirect object
Forms of verb to be
Idiomatic expressions
Demonstrative adjectives
Explain rules and regulations to Modal verbs: Can, must, should, ought
someone, i.e. rules for the to
school cafeteria; doctor’s
instructions to a sick patient Adverbs of time & frequency
Additional resources:
Click here for a step by step plan for guided story construction
for L2 learners.
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