Students are expected to acquire analytical skills in the domains of complex sentence grammar, language change and the history of English. The exercises should also permit students to obtain at least level C1 for receptive skills, and B2 for productive skills, as defined by the Council of Europe in its Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
To complete and further develop the study of English grammar started in the Linguistics course (LANGB101) via a study of complex sentences, and then, in a second part, to complement this overview with a study of the history of English and of linguistic change (how and why?) more generally.
In terms of linguistic skills, the goal is to attain (or exceed) proficiency levels C1 for receptive skills, and B2 for productive skills, as defined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
The first module of the course studies a number of complex sentence types in present-day English, viz. coordinated structures, subordinated clauses of various subtypes (covering the area traditionally referred to as 'adverbial' clauses), and reported speech and thought complement clauses, adopting a usage-based and broadly functional-cognitive perspective.
The second module focuses on processes of language change in general, including grammaticalization and (inter)subjectification phenomena, and the history of English in particular, and includes case studies relating the second module to the first in looking at the diachrony of a number of complex sentence constructions.
Table of contents of the course notes:
Part 1. Coordination and types of subordination
1.1 Parameters of interpersonal grammar relevant to clause combining
1.1.1 Modality: Construing a position
1.1.2 Speech function: Assigning responsibility
1.1.3 Focus and scope: Delineating a domain
1.1.4 Combining the parameters
1.2 Defining four types of clause combining on interpersonal grounds
1.2.1 Operationalizing the interpersonal parameters
1.2.2 Coordination and three types of subordination
1.2.3 Polysemous conjunctions
1.3 Grammatical reflexes of the interpersonal parameters
1.3.1 [- Speech function] & [- Scope]: Preposability of the secondary clause
1.3.2 [+ Scope]: Clefting and wh-questioning
1.3.3 [+ Modality]: Discursive main clause phenomena
1.4 The semantics of coordinating and subordinating constructions
1.4.1 The constructional polysemy of conjunctions
1.4.2 Argumentative vs. non-argumentative coordination
1.4.3 Temporal vs. non-temporal free/bound subordination
1.4.4 Content-related vs. speaker-related interpretations
1.5 Special cases
1.5.1 Narrative temporal clauses
1.5.2 Non-finite clauses
1.5.3 An odd one out: Insubordinated constructions
Part 2. Represented speech and thought constructions
2.1 Preliminary questions
2.1.1 Delineating the construction types considered
2.1.2 Terminology and basic concepts
2.1.3 Does represented speech or thought represent speech or thought?
2.1.4 ‘Quotation’ as demonstration
2.2 Direct and indirect speech or thought
2.2.1 The main features of direct speech or thought
2.2.2 The main features of indirect speech or thought
2.2.3 Mixed quotation
2.2.4 The structural integration of reporting and reported clauses
2.2.5 Some recent developments in the quotative system of English
2.3 Free indirect speech or thought
2.3.1 The structure of free indirect speech/thought
2.3.2 The deixis of free indirect speech/thought
2.3.3 The viewpoint expressed in free indirect speech/thought
2.4 Distancing indirect speech or thought
2.4.1 Distinguishing distancing from free indirect speech/thought
2.4.2 Current speaker attitudes expressed in DIST
2.4.3 A note on diachrony
2.5 Subjectified forms of speech and thought representation
2.6 Fact constructions
The exercises explore further facets of topics explored in the two theoretical modules, as well as offering practice on language skills. Thus, the theory on complex sentences is complemented by exercises on connectives, paragraph and essay writing, the different strategies of speech vs. writing, and different verbal complementation patterns (-ing vs. to-infinitive). The part on language change and the history of English is complemented by listening and speaking exercises on language attitudes, youth language, and language change in various audio and video broadcasts (e.g. Grumpy old women, Fry's English Delight, Jean Aitchison's Reith lectures, etc.).
Lectures (with sample analyses carried out in class), and exercises.
Taking part in any activities organised by the department (whether intra muros or extra muros) as part of this course is considered to be part and parcel of the learning experience and is obligatory.
Written exam in January at the end of the theoretical course; and oral exam on the exercises dealing with attitudes towards linguistic change. Written and oral exam in June on the exercises which are organized across the whole year.
Use of AI tools to produce texts or content in either the formative or summative assessment phases will not be tolerated, unless explicitly stated.
Weighting of the different course components:
| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Modern Languages and Literatures: German, Dutch and English | Standard | 0 | 5 | |
| Bachelor in Modern Languages and Literatures: German, Dutch and English | Standard | 2 | 5 |