English Descriptive Grammar
Code: 103410 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500245 English Studies | FB | 1 | 1 |
| 2501902 English and Catalan | FB | 1 | 1 |
| 2501907 English and Classics | FB | 1 | 1 |
| 2501910 English and Spanish | FB | 1 | 1 |
| 2501913 English and French | FB | 1 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Mireia Llinās Grau
- Email:
- Mireia.Llinas@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- english (eng)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Teachers
- Melissa G Moyer Moyer Greer
- Gonzalo Iturregui Gallardo
- Merce Coll Alfonso
Prerequisites
A B2 (upper-intermediate)/C1 (advanced) level of English of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is required since students will have to read, understand and explain advanced texts about grammar in English.
Objectives and Contextualisation
This subject offers an introduction to the properties of English words, phrases and sentences, both simple and complex. Students will learn linguistic concepts and terminology which will allow them to describe the English language scientifically.
Competences
- English Studies
- Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
- Executing in oral and written form a flexible and effective use of the English language with academic, professional and social purposes.
- Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
- Utilising new technologies in order to capture and organise information in English and other languages, and applying it to the personal continued training and to the problem-solving in the professional or research activity.
- Working in an autonomous and responsible way in a professional or research environment in English or other languages, in order to accomplish the previously set objectives.
- English and Catalan
- Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
- Executing in oral and written form a flexible and effective use of the English language with academic, professional and social purposes.
- Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
- English and Classics
- Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
- Executing in oral and written form a flexible and effective use of the English language with academic, professional and social purposes.
- Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
- English and Spanish
- Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
- Executing in oral and written form a flexible and effective use of the English language with academic, professional and social purposes.
- Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
- English and French
- Describe synchronously the main grammar units, constructions and phenomena of the English language.
- Executing in oral and written form a flexible and effective use of the English language with academic, professional and social purposes.
- Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
Learning Outcomes
- Applying the acquired scientific and work planning methodologies to the research in English.
- Applying the information in English that is available on the Internet, in databases, etc. to the work and/or research environments.
- Demonstrating a general comprehension of the grammatical structures of the current English language.
- Distinguishing between compound and complex sentences in English.
- Distinguishing the notions of form and function of the elements at different levels of linguistic analysis.
- Identifying the basic categories and syntagmas of a simple sentence in English.
- Issue appropriate critical assessments based on the comprehension of relevant information about social, scientific or ethical issues related to linguistics.
- Issuing appropriate critical assessments based on the comprehension of relevant information about social, scientific or ethical issues related to linguistics.
- Locating and organising relevant information in English that is available on the Internet, in databases, etc.
- Recognising the different types of subordinate sentences found in complex sentences in English.
- Using the English language with the appropriate expression (correctness, fluency, pronunciation, communicative strategies) in formal (presentations, debates, formal interactions) and informal contexts (conversation) with a level C1.
- Using the English language with the appropriate expression (correctness, fluency, pronunciation, communicative strategies) in formal (presentations, debates, formal interactions) and informal contexts (conversation) with a level C1.
Content
Unit 1: Words and word classes
Unit 2: Grammatical functions in the sentence
Unit 3: Sentences and clauses
Unit 4: Predicates and arguments
Unit 5: Constituents and phrases
Unit 6: Coordination
Unit 7: Subordination
Methodology
The methodology of this subject is based on lectures, practical exercises and group tutorials.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Exercise discussion | 15 | 0.6 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 |
| Lectures with TLK support | 30 | 1.2 | 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Clearing up doubts | 15 | 0.6 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 |
| Personal feedback on exercises | 10 | 0.4 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Completing exercises | 30 | 1.2 | 1, 2, 9 |
| Reading and summarising texts | 10 | 0.4 | 1, 2, 9, 11 |
| Studying | 34 | 1.36 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 |
Assessment
This subject is assessed by means of a final exam (50%), a set of quizzes (30%) and a set of practical exercises and questions on readings (20%).
The dates of each of the assessment items will be provided at the beginning of the course and published in Moodle. Any changes will also be announced in Moodle.
An exercise or questionnaire not handed in and a quiz or an exam not done will count as a zero, unless it is duly justified.
Students will obtain a Not assessed course mark unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.
Procedure for reviewing grades awarded
On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.
Reassesssment
Reassessment for this subject requires a content-synthesis exam, for which the following conditions are applicable:
Only students who have a 3,5 (o higher) in final average mark will be allowed to sit the reassessment exam.
The reassessment exam will cover all the course contents.
The maximum reassessment mark is a 5.
Evaluation activities excluded from reassessment
Quizzes, exercises and questions on readings.
VERY IMPORTANT: Partial or total plagiarising will immediately result in a FAIL (0) for the plagiarised exercise(first-year subjects) or the WHOLE SUBJECT (second-, third- and fourth-year subjects). PLAGIARISING consists of copying text from unacknowledged sources -whether this is part of a sentence or a whole text- with the intention of passing itoff as the student's own production. It includes cutting and pasting from internet sources, presented unmodified in the student's own text. Plagiarising is a SERIOUS OFFENCE. Students must respect authors' intellectual property, always identifying the sources they may use; they must also be responsible for the originality and authenticity of their own texts.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final exam | 50% | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 3, 4, 8, 6, 10 |
| Practical exercises and questions on readings | 20% | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 12, 11 |
| Topic quizzes | 30% | 2 | 0.08 | 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 |
Bibliography
Aarts, Bas. (2001) English Syntax and Argumentation. 2nd edition. London: Macmillan Press.
Berry, Roger (2012). English Grammar. A resource book for students. New York: Routledge.
Börjars, Kersti and Burridge, Kate (2010). Introducing English Grammar. 2nd edition. London: Arnold.
Capdevila, Montserrat, Curell, Hortènsia & Llinàs, Mireia (2007) An Introduction to English Descriptive Grammar. Volume I. Bellaterra: Servei de Publicacions.
Capdevila, Montserrat, Curell, Hortènsia, Llinàs, Mireia & Cuartero, Néstor (2008) An Introduction to English Descriptive Grammar. Volume II. Bellaterra: Servei de Publicacions.
Huddleston, Rodney & Pullum, Geoffrey (2007) A Student's Introduction to English Grammar, Cambridge: C.U.P.
Miller, Jim (2002) An Introduction to English Syntax. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Nelson, Gerald and Greenbaum, Sidney (2016). An Introduction to English Grammar. 4th Edition. London: Routledge.
Tallerman, Maggie (2011) Understanding Syntax. 3d edition, London: Hodder Education.