The aim of the course is to practice the communicative appproach in the study of English syntax using two strategies: a. the study of grammatical structures at sentence level with regards to their function as statements, questions, directives and exclamatives, b. the study of meaning in connected discourse (utterance level) - linking signals and constructions, word order and emphasis, functional sentence perspective etc.
1. Communicative syntax vs. normative syntax. Language in context. 2. Analysing language structures - giving information and expressing opinion. Functions of language. 3. Analysing language structures - expressing a point of view. Clauses with hypothetical meaning. 4. Analysing language structures - expressing mood and emotion. Discourse functions of sentences. 5. Analysing language structures - modality. Speech acts. The co-operative primciple and the principle of politeness. 6. Analysing language structures - linking signals and constructions. 7. Analysing language structures - referring expressions. Grammatical cohesion. 8. Presenting and focussing information. Spoken vs. written language. 9. Order and emphasis. Fronting. 10. Order and emphasis. Postponement. 11. Register variation - formal vs. informal, polite vs, familiar. 12. Dialect variation.
1. Communicative syntax vs. normative syntax. Language in context. 2. Analysing language structures - giving information and expressing opinion. Functions of language. 3. Analysing language structures - expressing a point of view. Clauses with hypothetical meaning. 4. Analysing language structures - expressing mood and emotion. Discourse functions of sentences. 5. Analysing language structures - modality. Speech acts. The co-operative primciple and the principle of politeness. 6. Analysing language structures - linking signals and constructions. 7. Analysing language structures - referring expressions. Grammatical cohesion. 8. Presenting and focussing information. Spoken vs. written language. 9. Order and emphasis. Fronting. 10. Order and emphasis. Postponement. 11. Register variation - formal vs. informal, polite vs, familiar. 12. Dialect variation.