Complex Noun Groups Prepositions revision Post modifiers Nominalisation
- Slides: 11
Complex Noun Groups – Prepositions (revision) Post modifiers Nominalisation References Humphrey, S. , Love, K. , & Droga, L. (2011). Working Grammar: An introduction for secondary English teachers. Victoria: Pearson. Wyldeck, K. (2003). All You Need to Know About Grammar: Years 7 -10. Glebe: Pascal Press.
Prepositions (Wyldeck, 2003. p. 28) Prepositions are relating words: • They relate a noun or pronoun in the first part of a sentence with one in the second part. • They often refer to position. • Prepositions are almost always followed by a noun or pronoun – called the ‘object of the preposition’. e. g. in, out, up, over, under, beside, beyond, between, below, among, to, at, with, for.
Exercise (verbal) Identify the prepositions in the following sentences: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The old, spooky house crouched beneath the dark treetops. He leapt joyfully over the fence. Fergus, the dog, sat on Jake’s foot. She looked in the cupboard for her clothes. The baby crawled behind his mother.
Post-modifiers (Humphrey et al. , pp. 62 -63) The information that comes after the main noun groups can be expressed by a variety of grammatical functions that include adjectival phrases or adjectival clauses. Adjectival phrases Consist of a preposition plus a noun group (prepositions in bold): • the hope of a better day • a generation past slavery • despair in the dust bowl • depression across the land Adjectival clauses Contain a verb in a clause that functions to moderate or elaborate on the meaning of the main noun (prepositions in bold): • a place where all things are possible • a woman who cast her ballot in America • a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky
Exercise: Pre- and post-modifiers for noun groups (Humphrey et al. , 2011, p. 63) In the five sentences below, the noun groups are underlined. Put the pre- and post-modifying words in the correct column in the table on the next slide. Boxes not needed have been blacked out. The first sentence is done for you. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. This was to prevent the more powerful world of Immundis leaking into Momundis. Refugee children in the detention centre could often be heard crying. Timothy is a caring, understanding, compassionate old man with a heart of gold. They turned a blind eye to the abominations that were being carried out in their name. The writer uses a narrative style which is typical of this genre. (Table on next slide)
Pre- and post-modifiers exercise Determiner 1 the 2 3 4 5 Quantity Adjective Describing Adjective more powerful Classifer Main Noun Postmodifying Phrase world of Immundis Postmodifying Clause
Table - ANSWERS Determi ner 1 the Quant ity Adjec tive Describing Adjective more powerful 2 Classifer Main Noun Post-modifying Phrase world of Immundis refugee children 3 a 4 the 5 a caring, understanding, compassionate, old man abmonin ations narrativ style e Postmodifying Clause in the detention centre with a heart of gold that were being carried out in their name which is typical of this genre
Further uses for complex noun groups: pre- and post-modifiers (Humphrey et al. , 2011, p. 64) Writers’ and speakers’ selection of adjectival elements in noun groups varies according to their purposes: In a more technical description, a writer will usually use more classifying than describing adjectives. e. g. specialised theatrical techniques an environmental issue In genres such as exposition (including essays) and narrative, describing adjectives which carry evaluative meanings or explicitly express personal opinion will usually be seen. e. g. extremely dark and menacing sorcerers outrageous, self-interested behaviour
Exercise (written) Choose three nouns from the list below (or create your own). Ø For each noun, create: 1. a noun group that uses classifying adjectives 2. a noun group that uses describing adjectives that express evaluative meanings or personal opinions Ø Discuss the different effects created for each of your nouns. mountain sunrise baby apple football field book movie camera dog kitten snake spider car rose handbag mirror crane Noun group – classifying adjectives (for TECHNICAL description) Noun group – describing adjectives (for EXPOSITION or NARRATIVE) e. g. cat the short-haired, pedigree Burmese cat the sleek, soft, wellgroomed, appealing and friendly cat 1. 2. 3.
Nominalisation (Humphrey et al. , 2011, pp. 64 -65) Nominalisation works by turning words that are not normally nouns into nouns, often creating abstract or technical concepts. This can help compress information so that more detail can be packed into a sentence. e. g. The answer will become known. The answer(noun group) will become known(verb group) The knowledge (Transforms the verb group ‘will become known’ into the single noun ‘knowledge’) In this process of nominalisation: 1. The process of ‘becoming known’ is no longer arguable (you can’t debate ‘yes’ or ‘no’). As a noun, it is now accepted as real. 2. The text becomes more compressed. 3. The text is more abstract and technical. 4. More information can now be packed into the clause, using the capacities of noun groups to express information – as the process of ‘becoming known’ is now represented as a noun.
Exercise – reflection/class Read the passage below. All the noun groups have been underlined and the nominalisations have been put in bold. The most important reason for phasing out logging is its destructive impact on the environment. Logging affects the rainforest ecosystem in a number of ways. First, the loss of rainforest means the loss of large quantities of unique plant and animal species. Despite their diminishing area, the rainforests of eastern Australia still retain the greatest number of flowering plant species in the world…Extinction of species will result in radically altered ecosystems which are unable to recover easily from environmental stress. • • Most of the noun groups contain nominalisations. All these are examples of how a process, represented by a verb, has been transformed into a noun, thus increasing the degree of abstraction and technicality of the text. • (Humphrey et al. , 2011, p. 65) Reflection: • Verbally re-construct one sentence that contains at least one nominalisation (change the noun into a verb or adjective). Is your constructed sentence longer and more rambling than the given example with the nominalisation(s)? • Can you see how compacted the information in this report is? What is the effect of this?
