Language in Use 95-96
In using language, we are usually more conscious of our freedom to say what
we want to say than of what limits there are upon that freedom. The aim
of this unit is to make pupils aware of how limitations in our choice of language
are imposed by the range of grammatical patterns that it makes available. Noun
phrases are used because these rapidly reveal a pattern of freedom and constraint
which can be successfully explored without the use of grammatical terminology.
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[1] The aim of this session is to reveal how noun phrases can be put together. The class work in small groups and each group has a set of thirty words, prepared so that each word can be used as a counter, independently of any other. Their task is to make tip six noun phrases, each of five words, from the set. When the task is finished, each group's phrases should be written up on the board, so that the class can consider any differences in their make-up as between group and group. The following set of phrases is offered as an example of what is required:
those fourteen lovely elm trees
some very battered old cars
all that remarkably good work
four naughty little rich boys
a dozen rather dangerous drugs
our new reception class teacher
[2] In this session, the procedure of [1] should be repeated with a different set of words. When they have been sorted out, the discussion should now focus much more precisely on the reasons for putting the words in a particular sequence. They should consider whether or not some of the phrases are much easier to reconstruct than others. A suitable set for this session would be:
barrel locking nut swivel clamp
battery hen feed tray pump
Nuffield Foundation science teaching project
Birmingham police vice probe appointment
intergroup conflict research simulation exercise
Council housing queue jump storm
[3] The aim of this session is to show just where freedom and constraint operate in the two sets of phrases already used. The class will need to have in front of them the ten phrases from [1] and [2]. Working in small groups they should try 'a" to see if they can re-arrange any of the groups, (b) to make some of the phrases longer by inserting other words, (c) to pick out sequences of words which cannot be split by the insertion of other words. The class should go on to extend their exploration by trying to work out the kinds of word that can occur in each position before the last in a noun phrase. Write tip the longest phrase made tip in [2] and ask what other words can be substituted in each position, what kind they are, and why other kinds will not do in that place.