POS and Syntax

POS and Syntax

by Carol Moe

Multiple Choice

We can define the parts of speech using three methods.

What is the method called when we consider the definition of the word (like a noun is a person, place, or thing)?

• Morphologically

  (change in form)

• Semantically or Notionally

  (meaning of word, definition, explanation)

• Syntactically

  (relation of words to others in the sentence or other parts of speech)

Multiple Choice

We can define the parts of speech using three methods.

What is the method called when we consider whether the words can have letters added (like s or en)?

• Morphologically

  (change in form)

• Semantically or Notionally

  (meaning of word, definition, explanation)

• Syntactically

  (relation of words to others in the sentence or other parts of speech)

Multiple Choice

We can define the parts of speech using three methods.

What is the method called when we consider how the word works in a sentence (like this word is the grammatical subject of the sentence)?

• Morphologically

  (change in form)

• Semantically or Notionally

  (meaning of word, definition, explanation)

• Syntactically

  (relation of words to others in the sentence or other parts of speech)

Open Ended

What is an inflection (use verbs if you give an example)?

​Inflections

​Inflection is the change in the form of a word to mark such distinctions as tense, person, number, mood, and voice.

• While inflections take variety of forms they are most often suffixes. 

For example

• The inflection -s at the end of runs shows that the subject is in the third-person singular present tense (he runs). 

• The inflection -ed is often used to indicate the past tense (walk-walked, listen-listened)

Verbs

​In English, the Finite forms of the verbs are

• Base form/ present (same as bare infinitive), example – see

• -s form (3rd p singular conjugation present tense), example – sees

• Past (tense) form/ -d form, example – saw.

​Finite verbs have a time or tense associated with them.

​Non-finite (or infinitives) do not express time.

Multiple Choice

In English we say: "We write the answer, but she writes the answer" because

• There are no inflections on verbs in English.

• In past tense the verbs are usually inflected (with ed).

• In present tense the 3rd p singular subject is inflected (with an s at the end)

• The future tense is an inflection in Spanish but not in English.

Multiple Choice

The verb is found in which part of the sentence or clause?

• Subject

• Adverbial

• Prepositional Phrase

• Predicate

​Tense

​English has only 2 simple (one word) tenses – present and past.

• Present – go, goes

• Past - went

All the other tenses in English are periphrastic (more than one word).

Spanish has 4 simple tenses – presente, preterito imperfecto, preterito indefinido y futuro.

• Presente – voy, vas, va…

• Preterito imperfecto – iba, ibas

• Preterito indefinido – fue, fuiste

• Futuro – ire, iras

Spanish also have periphrastic tenses.

​Aspect

​Aspect is generally included with tense, although technically aspect refers to duration or temporal activity (whether the action is completed, in progress, repeated, etc).

• The difference between comió and comía is one of aspect since the tense of both verbs is past tense.

​Mood

​In English, mood (mode) “reflects the speaker’s attitude toward the action of the verb."

• Indicative – real and factual

• Subjunctive – hypothetical, required, or desired

• Imperative – commanded

In Spanish, there are traditionally 5 moods.

• Indicativo

• Subjuntivo

• Imperativo

• Potencial (conditional)

• Infinitivo – “expresa solamente la acción, sin denotar tiempo, número ni persona”

The Spanish potencial is considered subjunctive by some and indicative by others.

​Moods in English vs Spanish

​Moods shift are obvious in Spanish, especially because they are separate forms of verbs for said subjunctive and imperative moods.

• In English, there are no unique forms for mood. Consider

  • Present – I go

  • Imperative – Go!

  • Subjunctive – It is required that she go.

• Even in the limited circumstances where the English subjunctive is used, the verb does not take on an entirely different form. 

  • I wish I were (were is a past tense form)

​Subjunctive in English

​There are a few different inflections in the English subjunctive.

• No s in 3rd p singular – God save the queen. It is necessary that she go now.

• Be for the to be verbs – The Lord be praised. 

• Do is not used in the negative – It is required that you not show it.

• Has 2 main uses: suggestions, requirements, proposals and fixed expressions (which usually can’t be negated).

  • I suggested that she do it.

  • Heaven help us!

​Mood (past subjunctive and conditional)

​Although past subjunctive verb forms in English are morphologically equivalent to past tense verbs forms, they do not have the same meaning.

• He wishes he were taller.

• I’d rather he did it now.

• The conditional can be considered a mood in English.

  • Uses auxiliary (helping) verb would or less frequently, could, might, should, ought, or must

  • If our team won tomorrow, I would be happy.

  • Would is sometimes the past tense of will

    • I said, “I will go.”

    • I said I would go.

Multiple Choice

Indicate the Mood of the following sentence:

Get out of here, fast!!!!

• conditional

  potencial (condicional)

• Imperative

  (imperativo)

• Indicative

  (indicativo)

• Infinitive

  (infinitivo)

• Subjunctive

  (subjuntivo)

Multiple Choice

Indicate the Mood of the following sentence:

To be or not to be

• conditional

  potencial (condicional)

• Imperative

  (imperativo)

• Indicative

  (indicativo)

• Infinitive

  (infinitivo)

• Subjunctive

  (subjuntivo)

Multiple Choice

Indicate the Mood of the following sentence:

Si fuera cierto.

• conditional

  potencial (condicional)

• Imperative

  (imperativo)

• Indicative

  (indicativo)

• Infinitive

  (infinitivo)

• Subjunctive

  (subjuntivo)

Multiple Choice

Indicate the Mood of the following sentence:

No saldría con él.

• conditional

  potencial (condicional)

• Imperative

  (imperativo)

• Indicative

  (indicativo)

• Infinitive

  (infinitivo)

• Subjunctive

  (subjuntivo)

Multiple Choice

Indicate the Mood of the following sentence:

Is it raining today?

• conditional

  potencial (condicional)

• Imperative

  (imperativo)

• Indicative

  (indicativo)

• Infinitive

  (infinitivo)

• Subjunctive

  (subjuntivo)

​More practice for mood

​Government of Canada. Verb Moods 1. https://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/en/quiz/jeu-quiz-verb-moods-1-eng

​

​English Practice. Verbs and Moods Exercises. https://www.englishpractice.com/improve/verbs-moods-exercise/

​

Griffin, E. (n.d.). Verb moods. Quizizz.Com. Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/56d06fb03db845c367a21ddf/verb-moods

​

​More practice exercise suggestions can be found in the Verbs slide pg 50

​Verb Differences

​Note the different uses of tense, aspect, and mood in the translations.

Open Ended

What is a difference you have noticed between verb tenses and aspect in Spanish versus English (you can discuss a translation of a specific example if you like)?

​Spanish - English verb differences

​Erichsen, Gerald. (2020, August 26). Ways in Which Spanish and English Verb Tenses Differ. Retrieved from 

https://www.thoughtco.com/ways-spanish-english-verb-tenses-differ-3079929

Multiple Choice

What kind of sentence is the following?

When he asks her, she will say yes.

• Simple

• Compound

• Complex

• Compound-Complex

Multiple Choice

What kind of sentence is the following?

Since I don't have enough money, I won't be able to buy them toys.

• Simple

• Compound

• Complex

• Compound-Complex

Multiple Choice

What kind of sentence is the following?

My family is going to the park tomorrow.

• Simple

• Compound

• Complex

• Compound-Complex

Multiple Choice

What kind of sentence is the following?

My family is going to the park tomorrow, but it might be delayed due to a heavy rainstorm.

• Simple

• Compound

• Complex

• Compound-Complex

Multiple Choice

What kind of sentence is the following?

A hamburger combo costs 8 dollars, so I might go buy one. 

• Simple

• Compound

• Complex

• Compound-Complex

Multiple Choice

What kind of sentence is the following?

If you see me tomorrow, we can try to talk, but the teacher always comes to class on time.

• Simple

• Compound

• Complex

• Compound-Complex

​More practice with simple, compound, complex

​Combining Sentences and Sentence Types. https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5ac24bc8537b07001b7b3ea8

​

​Zoeller, Fiona. Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences. https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5f54fa031ce1bc001bc55f62

Open Ended

What are prepositions?

Open Ended

What are adverbs?

Open Ended

What are conjunctions?

Multiple Choice

The word before in -- Before the party, I will be at home.

• Adverb

• Conjunction

• Preposition

Multiple Choice

The word before in -- Before you go, answer my question.

• Adverb

• Conjunction

• Preposition

Multiple Choice

The word before in -- She has never been here before.

• Adverb

• Conjunction

• Preposition

​More practice

​Adverb, Preposition, or Conjunction

​

​Random Idea English. Is it a Preposition? Is it a Conjunction? Or is it an Adverb? http://random-idea-english.blogspot.com/2011/05/is-it-proposition-is-it-conjunction-or.html

Open Ended

Write a question you think might be on the test that you can answer correctly.

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