This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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Structure and Meaning in Spanish Grammar

Code: 106383 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Spanish Language and Literature OT 3
Spanish Language and Literature OT 4

Contact

Name:
Yolanda Rodríguez Sellés
Email:
yolanda.rodriguez@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

This is a course that tackles interpretative and formal aspects in the scope of Spanish grammar. Therefore, to do it, knowledge about Spanish grammar, compositional semantics and general linguistics is required.


Objectives and Contextualisation

In this course, we tackle one the main subjects that concern to the meaning of complex expressions, that is, their compositional nature. This approach implies the assumption that not all the linguisitic units that form a complex expression contribute in the same way to its interpretation. In addition, it implies the assumption of the
close relation that exists between sintax and semantics. The intention of this course is that the student, at the end of the course, can:

  • Indentify what aspects of meaning compete to compositional semantics.
  • Analize semantically Spanish complex expressions by following the principles of compositional semantics.
  • Master the basic concepts and tools that train for analysis and argumentation in compositional semantics.
  • Recognize the existing links between compositional semantics and other subjects, both linguistic (sintai, lexicology, pragmatics), and not linguistics (filosofy, logic, mathematics).

Competences

    Spanish Language and Literature
  • Advise organisations and institutions on linguistic or literary issues.
  • Analyse the main phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical and semantic properties of the Spanish language, its evolution throughout history and its current structure.
  • Demonstrate a normative knowledge of the Spanish language and a command of it in all its applications in the academic and professional spheres.
  • Develop arguments applicable to the fields of Hispanic literature, literary theory, Spanish language and linguistics, and evaluate their academic relevance.
  • Introduce changes in the methods and processes of the field of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and demands of society.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply and use the appropriate digital media and tools to the teaching of philological contents.
  2. Apply grammatical knowledge to the resolution of exercises.
  3. Characterise linguistic phenomena taking into account the different levels of analysis.
  4. Compare different analyses of the same phenomenon.
  5. Correctly identify linguistic units in the teaching of grammar.
  6. Detect the most common errors in non-native speakers considering their mother tongue.
  7. Determine from a normative point of view the appropriateness of a communicative situation.
  8. Determine the linguistic knowledge appropriate to each level of knowledge.
  9. Distinguish from a grammatical point of view the errors of Spanish as a foreign language according to the learner's native language.
  10. Evaluate their own progress in the acquisition of knowledge of the contents of this subject.
  11. Identify cultural implications in grammar.
  12. Identify situations that need to be changed or improved from a linguistic point of view.
  13. Identify which aspects of meaning are structurally determined.
  14. Infer justified conclusions from observation of data.
  15. Know how to explain grammatical errors to secondary school pupils.
  16. Propose solutions based on linguistic knowledge.
  17. Recognise the relationship between structure and interpretation.
  18. Transmit the literary and linguistic knowledge acquired, adapting it to a specific professional sector.
  19. Use digital tools to obtain, classify, interpret and analyse relevant data related to the study of Spanish language and literature.
  20. Use traditional sources to obtain, classify, interpret and analyse relevant data related to the study of Spanish language and literature.

Content

1. Introduction to Compositional Semantics:

2. The semantics of modification.

3. Determination and quantification.

4. The semantics of time.

5. From the semantics of the sentence to the semantics of the discourse.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Directed activities 42 1.68 2, 1, 10, 3, 4, 8, 19, 20, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18
Type: Supervised      
Supervised activities 20 0.8 2, 1, 10, 3, 4, 8, 19, 20, 13, 14, 16, 17
Type: Autonomous      
Autonomous activities 65 2.6 2, 1, 10, 3, 4, 8, 19, 20, 13, 14, 16, 17

This course will be based on theoretical and practical sessions. The former will deal with the main contents of the program; the latter will be dedicated to the resolution of exercices, to comment the relevant bibliography and to discuss the problems, dubts o difficulties that may come up from the development of the course syllabus. The practical sessions will also train the student in the application of semantic argumentation. The learning of this subject by the students is distributed as follows:

  • Directed activities (35%). These activities are divided into master classes and seminars and classroom practices led by the faculty, in which theoretical explanation is combined with dicussion of all types of texts.
  • Supervised activities (10%). These tutorials are programmed by the teacher, dedicated to correcting and commenting on problems at the different levels of linguistic analysis.
  • Autonomous activities (45%). These activities include both time devoted to individual study and analytical comments written, as well as oral presentations.
  • Assessment activities (10%). The assessment of this subject will be taken by written tests.

 

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Delivery of homework 10% 20 0.8 2, 1, 10, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 19, 20, 5, 11, 13, 12, 14, 16, 17, 15, 18
Exam 1 45% 1.5 0.06 2, 4, 13, 14, 17
Exam 2 45% 1.5 0.06 2, 4, 13, 14, 17

1. Continuous assessment

1.1. Criteria for the grading the course

In order to pass the course, after completing the three assessable activities mentioned above and after applying the percentages indicated above, the student must get a final grade equal or greater than 5. If the final grade is

  • Less than 3.5, the student will get a failing grade.
  • Between 3.5 and 5, the student will be able eligible for re-evaluation.
  • Students will obtain a Not assessed course grade unless the have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.

1.2 Re-evaluation criteria

Students who get a final grade between 3.5 and 5 and who have carried out 2/3 of assessable activities mentioned above will be eligible for re-evaluation of the course on the date set by the Faculty. The activity Delivery of homework is not re-evaluable. If the re-evaluation test is passed, the final grade for the subject will be 5, regardless of the grades obtained before. Students who have passed the course will not be allowed to re-evaluate to increase their grade.

1.3 Evaluation criteria

In order to pass the exam, mastery of the normative is considered essential; therefore, when evaluating the activities mentioned above, spelling errors, incorrect use of punctuation, lexical errors and morphosyntactic errorswill be penalized.

1.4 Programming and review procedure for evaluable evidence

The programming of evaluable activities cannot be modified. Erasmus students requesting changes to the schedule of assessable activities must submit a document from their home university to the professor justifying the request for said change. 

After the publication of the gradingof the evaluable activities mentioned above, the teacher will inform the students through Moodle of the day and time for the review of such activities. 

1.5 Misconduct in assessment activities

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. Evaluation activities in which there have been irregularities are not recoverable. 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.

 

This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade will be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.

 

 2. Single assessment

Assessment activities

Weight

Exam 1

45%

Exam 2

45%

Delivery of homework

10%

The date of the single assessment will be published on CAMPUS VIRTUAL on the first day of class. 

2.1 Re-evaluation criteria

Students who get a final grade between 3.5 and 5 and who have carried out the three assessable activities mentioned above will be eligible for re-evaluation of the course on the date set by the Faculty. The activity Delivery of homework is not re-evaluable. If the re-evaluation test is passed, the final grade for the subject will be 5, regardless of the grades obtained before. Students who have passed the course will not be allowed to re-evaluate to increase their grade. 

Everything established in points 1.1, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 of the previous section is also applicable to the single assessment. The date for the single evaluation will coincide with the date of Exam 2 of the continuous assessment. The teacher will communicate to the studentthe date for the single evaluation through Moodle at the beginning of the course.


Bibliography

Bach, Edmon. (1997): Lecciones básicas de semántica formal, Barcelona, Publicaciones de la UB.
Cann, Ronnie (1993): Formal Semantics: An Introduction, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Escandell, Mª Victoria. (2004): Fundamentos de semántica composicional, Barcelona, Ariel, Cambridge University Press.
Espinal, Mª Teresa. coord. (2014):Semántica, Madrid, Akal.



Software

Does not apply.


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Spanish first semester morning-mixed