WORKSHOP 1- English Language Syntax

Student’s name: _Ingry Katerine Celis Cortés______ _ CAU: ___Bogotá____ _

PARTS OF SPEECH

1.

2. Well (interjection), I (pronoun) certainly (adverb) will submit (verb) a (adjective/ article)
résumé (noun) and (conjunction) application (adjective) letter (noun) to (preposition) them
(pronoun).

The previous two examples show ways in which you can make the analysis of a sentence
considering the parts of speech. Select one way to do the activity 1.

Activity 1:
Read the following sentences and name each word according to its corresponding category.

1. The (article) lazy (adjective) man (noun) slept (verb) in (preposition) the (article)
afternoon (noun), and (conjunction) he (pronoun) was (verb to be) very (adverb) tired
(adjective) at night (noun).

2. A (article) red (adjective) car (noun) is dangerous (adjective) for (preposition) policemen
(noun), but (preposition) it (pronoun) is incredibly (adverb) beautiful (adjective).

3. The (article) slim (adjective) dancer (noun) stopped (verb) for (preposition) a (article) cup
(noun) of (preposition) coffee (noun) in the (article) crowded (adjective) diner (noun).

4. Many visitors (noun) go (verb) to India (noun) every year (noun) and (conjunction) attend
(verb) the (article) Festival (noun) of (preposition) Colors (noun) called (verb) Holi (noun).

5. This (adjective) extremely (adverb) hot (adjective) wind (noun) is a (article) menace
(noun) to (preposition) life (noun).
 6. In (preposition) the (article) summer (noun), the (article) happy (adjective) children
(noun) play (verb) enthusiastically (adverb) before they (pronoun) eat (verb) their
(pronoun) dinner (noun).

7. Although (conjunction) it (pronoun) is expensive (adjective), Europe (noun) continuous

(adjective) being (verb) the (article) most (adverb) popular (adjective) tourist destination
(noun).

8. The (article) cute (adjective) puppy (noun) rested (verb) on (preposition) the couch
(noun), and (conjunction) it (noun) was very (adverb) energetic (adjective) in
(preposition) the (article) afternoon (noun).

9. Yesterday (adverb), the (article) secretive (adjective) students (noun) whispered (verb)
softly (adverb) during (preposition) the (article) difficult (adjective) examination (noun).

10. Agh! He (pronoun) had (verb) so (conjunction) much (adjective) to (preposition) do (verb)
that he (pronoun) went (verb) home (noun) before (conjunction) the (article) party (noun)
ended (verb).

Activity 2
How well do you know the parts of speech? This activity will test your mettle! Write 5 sentences
using the parts of speech in the order specified.
If the abbreviations are capitalized, the word in the sentence should be capitalized as well. Here
is the abbreviation code:
n=noun; pro=pronoun; adj=adjective; v=verb; advb=adverb; c=conjunction; prep=preposition;
hv=helping verb1; mv=main verb; pro-adj=pronoun-adjective2 (read below); art =article (a, an, or
the)

Example: N/ v / adj/ c / adj. Example: Marge is tall and intelligent.

1. Pro / hv / mv / art / n / prep / pro. She is preparing the dress in the store.

2. Pro / prep / pro-adj / n / v / adj. He behind your car cleans a big

disaster.
3. MV / pro-adj / n / advb. Being aware of good health.

4. N / conj / N / hv / mv / prep / N. nombre Monday and Thursday will cook at

Tatiana's house.
5. Pro-adj / n / hv / conj / hv / mv / prep / pro- Many people do and have to eat
adj / n. unhealthy food.

Activity 3
This text about the great bell of Big Ben contains 20 errors or ambiguities. Highlight them, and
identify the misunderstandings about parts of speech which may have caused the problems. Find a
minimum of 10 errors and explain what the error is. (2 were done for you)
1
A helping verb assists the main verb in a sentence. There can be more than one helping verb in each sentence. In a
questioning (interrogative) sentence, the helping verb is usually separated from the main verb. The common helping
verbs are am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being, has, had, have, do, does, did, may, might, must, can, could, shall, should,
will, and would.
2
When is a word a pronoun? When is a word an adjective?
● These demonstrative pronouns can be used as adjectives: that, these, this, and those.

● These interrogative pronouns can be used as adjectives: what and which.

● These indefinite pronouns can be used as adjectives: all, another, any, both, each, either, few, many, more,
most, neither, other, several, and some.
Examples:
This problem is difficult. (This is an adjective since it answers the question, which problem?)
This is difficult. (This is a pronoun since it takes the place of a noun and does not modify a noun or a pronoun.)
Some people are very funny. (Some is an adjective since it answers the question, which people?)
Some are funny. (Some is a pronoun since it takes the place of a noun and does not modify a noun or a pronoun.)
 The Great Bell 1. The – definite article. There is only one
A main bell, officially known as the Great Bell, is Great Bell.
the largest Bell in the tower and part of the Great 2. bell – no capital needed as this is not a
Clock of Westminster. The bell is better known proper noun.
from the nickname Big Ben. The originally bell 3. known by – by is a preposition which is
was a 16.3-tonne (16 ton) hour bell, cast on 6 th part of a phrasal verb.
August 1856 in Stockton-on-Tees by John Warner 4. original – this is an adjective, not an
& Sons. To accurately pinpoint the origin of the adverb ending with –ly.
name is difficult, but it could of been named after 5. to pinpoint accurately – split infinitive,
a contemporary heavy weight boxer, Benjamin here it is better not split.
Caunt. The first bell was transported to the tower 6. could have – could of is not an accepted
on trolley drawn by sixteen horse, with crowds written English structure!
cheering its progress. Unfortunately, it cracked 7. heavyweight – all one word (it is a
beyond repair while being tested and a compound adjective)
replacement had to be made. This was pulled 8. by trolley, or on a trolley.
slowly up the two hundred foot belfry, a feat that 9. horses – the plural has been forgotten.
took 18 hours. This new 2.2 metres tall and 2.9 10. it = the bell. It is very unclear here what
metres wide bell first chimed initially in July 1859. the ‘it’ refers to e.g. the trolley, the bell, the
That September, it too cracked. According to the tower, possibly even the crowds
manager of the foundrys, George Mears, the bell and horses. The ‘it’ further down between
caster had used a hammer more than twice the 13. and 14. Also merits attention.
maximum weight specified. For three years Big 11. slowly is redundant – we already know
Ben was decommissioned and the hours were it takes 18 hours to go 200 feet!
struck into the lowest of the ¼ bells until the main 12. 2.2 metre tall and 2.9 metre wide – here
bell was reinstalled. To make the repair, the we have to drop the plural as this is an
square piece of metal was chipped out from the adjective, not a noun.
rim around the crack, and the bell given an eighth 13. initially is redundant as we have
of a turn so the new hammer strike in a different already said “first chimed”
place. Big Ben has chimed with a odd twang ever 14. foundries – these plural changes y to
since, and is still in use today completely with the ies.
crack 15. on – strike on if you want to make a
noise!
16. quarter – do not use numbers instead of
words, especially when the number is
expressed as a common word.
17. a not the – we have not met this metal
before, so it is indefinite article.
18. struck – the rest of the sentence is in
the past tense.
19. an – before odd we need an as odd
 starts with a vowel.
20. complete – this is not an adverb!

Activity 4:

Write down a 10-lines paragraph about how and why you decided to become an English
language teacher. In this paragraph, you are going to indicate ALL the parts of speech you use
with a color convention as follows.
You must indicate: (nouns, subject pronouns, determiners, verbs, adjectives, adverbs,
and prepositions). If you use other parts of speech, you don’t need to highlight them.
TIPS: Remember:
1. It is a paragraph not a list of sentences.
2. Do not try to write as in Spanish.
3. Use short and concrete sentences in your paragraph.
4. Use punctuation to connect the sentences in your paragraph.

Title of the text

MICKEY AND ALEX'S ROUTINES
The story is about Mickey and Alex's routines because they do the same activity every day.
Mickey goes to work every day, and Alex goes to school. And at the same time, Mickey is working
very hard, similarly Alex. Just one day, Alex gets bored of the same thing every day, in the same
way, Mickey gets bored of doing the same thing in his job, and Alex does not like the routine,
although Mickey does different activities to change his life. On the other hand, Mickey
understands that his son is boring, so he tries to change his life and do different things.
Moreover, Alex is a good student, he needs different kinds of activities. Nevertheless, Mickey
likes his life, in addition, Alex has a problem, he thinks differently, and he feels unmotivated.
However, everyone needs a change, it is true, routine is necessary sometimes, but it is not the
only option for you.

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