Ilya Magid

Basis of Grammar
(First draft)

Introduction
I. Parts of Speech (Grammar Units)
II. Syntax (Syntax Units)
III. Connections between Syntax and Grammar Units

With appreciation to volunteers: Attorney and CPA Steven Siegel and English teacher Lucille Mc Mahon for discussing and checking this article.

Boston

2002

Ilya,
I think you should leave explanation about grammar to professional language experts.
I think your job is to write stories and essays and try to continue to improve your grammar by writing and speaking a lot.
`
Teacher

I show him only outlines 'SYNTAX'

About me

On April 25, 1991 our family (my wife and I) came to my daughter in America from the Soviet Union. Right now I am 78 years old.

We began to study English in different colleges (1991-1995): Hebrew College, Bunker Hill Community College, Roxbury Community College. I have been studying English with the help of a handsome volunteer, attorney Steven Siegel once a week from 1993. In our building I have been attending English class with the teacher Daniel Smollens, a very famous teacher from Roxbury Community College, once a week since 1994.

We, my wife and I, try to attend many religious classes. We try to connect ourselves to Judaism and go to the synagogue each Shabbat and other religious holidays.

I try to write my stories in English, but my English is poor. I speak poorly and my pronunciation is the same.

I like to write in English because it is a very strong language, the same as mathematics. If I would write my stories in Russian I think they would not be so interesting. Also I want to inform Americans about the Soviet Jews. Those themes were forbidden in the Soviet Union. I also write about life in the Soviet Union under the condition of dictatorship across the life of different people, and other stories.

I study some American grammar in college courses on the Internet:

Bibliography
1. Modern English Grammar, English 126, Daniel Kies, College of Du Page
2. Guide to Grammar and Writing
3. English Grammar: Patterns and Choices
and many other books.

Preface

I know parts of Speech (grammar unit): Noun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Pronoun, Preposition, Conjunction, Gerund, Participle, Infinitive, and Prepositional phrase.

I know about the syntactic function of words in sentences (syntactic units): Subject, and Predicate, and Complement: Direct Object, Indirect Object, Subject Complement. I know about different kinds of Modifiers.

I know that the syntactic unit could be the different parts of speech but the Predicate is always a Verb. In this division of Syntax we try to use only syntax conception (terms) and did not use grammar conception as Noun, Adjective, Adverb, etc.

There are considered the right American sentences. For simplicity there are considered only complex declarative sentences.

Introduction

The article Basis of Grammar is not traditional and is three chapters long.
In the first chapter, the parts of speech, we consider (grammar units) nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. In this chapter we don't refer to syntactic units such as subject, predicate, complement, or modifier. Sentences are considered consisting of only grammar units.

In the second chapter, syntax, we consider the syntactic functions of words in sentences such as subject, predicates, complements, modifiers or modifier of modifier. In this chapter we don't refer to any grammar units. These are considered the correct English sentences for simplicity, only complex declarative sentences.

In the sentences we create a question for each syntactic unit (each syntactic unit required a definite question) to connect the syntactic units in the sentences.

In the third chapter we are going to consider a connection between syntactic units and grammar units. That chapter is not written right now. But in the second Chapter, Syntax, you can see syntax units connected with different kinds of Grammar units (see Patterns 1-22).

But the Predicate is always a Verb. There are three types of Verbs: Intransitive, Transitive and Linking and respectively we have Intransitive, Transitive and Linking Predicates. For each of them there is three types of sentence).

We thought when 'Part of Speech' and 'Syntax' are constructed in that way, they would be mathematically more rigid and handsome. In that condition we would be open to a new possibility in studying Grammar.

I changed some grammar definition, but we will explain in the text. Certainly I bear only one responsibility for possible mistakes in that article.

The new view on grammar shown in this article would be helpful for improving the reading and writing of adult ESL student. They could find syntactic structure while reading and use it while writing.

3. Derivative Words

The end of chapter I.

Chapter II

SYNTAX

OUTLINE

A. Syntactic Unit in the Simple Sentences

1. Subject, Predicate and Complement
1.1 Subject (S) and intransitive Predicate (P)
1.2 Subject and transitive Predicate (P) with Complement: Direct Object and Indirect Object
1.2.1 Subject and Predicate with the Direct Object (DO)
1.2.2 Subject and Predicate with the Direct Object (DO) and the Indirect Object (IO)
1.3 Subject and linking Predicate with Complement: Subject Complement

2. Modifier
2.1 Modifier of Subject (S) or Complement: (Direct Object (DO), Indirect Object (IO), Subject Complement (SC))
2.2 Modifier of Predicate

3. Modifier of Modifier
3.1 Modifier of Modifier Subject (S) or Complement (C)
3.2 Modifier of Modifier Predicate


B. Syntactic Units as Subordinated Clause

1. Subject as Subordinated Clause

2. Complement as Subordinated Clause
2.1 Direct Object
2.2 Direct Object and Indirect Object
2.3 Subject Complement

3. Modifier as Subordinated Clause
3.1 Modifier of Subject or Complement M(S,C)
3.2 Modifier of Predicate M(P)

4. Modifier of Modifier as Subordinated Clause


C. Syntactic Units in Special P* construction

Remarks 1
1. Syntactic Units as entire P* construction
1.1 P* construction as Subject
1.2 P* construction as Modifier S or C

2. Syntactic Units inside P* construction
2.1 Direct Object (DO) inside P* construction
2.2 Subject complement (SC) inside P*constructio
2.3 Modifier P* (M(P*) inside P* construction
2.4 Direct Object (DO) as Subordinated Close inside P* construction

Remarks 2
About one case of Subject Complement (SC)

SYNTAX

A. Syntactic Unit in the Simple Sentences

1. Subject, Predicate and Complement

The Subject always answers the question: Who? or What?
The Predicate is completer of a sentence.
1.1 Subject (S) and intransitive Predicate (P).

1.2 Subject and transitive Predicate with complement: Direct Object and Indirect Object
Complements complement the meaning of the predicate.
1.2.1 Subject and Predicate with the Direct Object (DO)
Predicate shows the action from the doers to Direct Object.
Direct object answers question What? or Who(m)?

Pattern 2 

The object usually refers to some person or thing other than the subject.
1.2.2 Subject and Predicate with the Direct Object (DO) and the Indirect Object (IO).
Predicate shows the action from the doers goes to two objects: usually the Indirect Object (Whom?) and the Direct Object (What?)

Pattern 3

Fragment from Chapter III
[If 'IO' follows 'DO' there appears a preposition 'for' or 'to'.]
The indirect object tells to whom the action is directed or for whom the action is performed.
The indirect object usually refers to a person, but the direct object usually refers to a thing.

1.3. Subject and linking Predicate with Complement: Subject Complement (SC)
In that case the Predicate only renames the Subject.
We will consider subject and linking Predicate together.
The Subject complement answers a question: Who? or What?

The Subject complement refers to the same person or thing as the Subject.

If Linking Predicate is united with the Subject, you can ask a question ('What?' or 'Who?') and receive Subject Complement. We receive a Syntactic Unit, Subject Complement connected with a 'Predicate' ('Subject' and 'Linking Predicate').

If a Linking Predicate is united with a Subject Complement you can ask a question ('What?' or 'Who?') and receive Subject. We receive Syntactic Units, Subject, connected with 'Predicate' Linking Predicate and Subject Complement).

2. Modifier

Modifiers are words or groups of words, which add new ideas to the Subject (S), or Complements (C), (Direct Object, Indirect Object, Subject Complement), or Predicate (P).

2.1 Modifier of Subject (S) or Complement (Direct Object (DO), Indirect Object (ID), Subject Complement (SC))-M(S,C))The Modifier M(S,C) answers the question Whose?, Which one?, What kind?

Remarks concerning Pattern 1-4: In those sentences Subject connected with complement (DO, IO, SC) so they require are entire sentences; to be seen to Patterns 5-8: S or DO or ID or SC connected only with modifier. It is enough to see only part of sentences.

Fragment from Chapter III
[S or DO or IO or SC is Noun, Pronouns, etc. Their Modifier M(S,C), answers question: Whose?, Which one? They are adjectives and some other phrases. They can't modifier Predicate.]


2.2 Modifier of Predicate

Answered question: How many?, How?, Where? When?, How often?, To what extent?

About Pattern 6b: sometime 'be' and other similar words are not linking Predicate but that 'linking Predicate' have only Modifier M(P). In that case we also consider Subject and 'Linking Predicate' together.

Fragment from Chapter III
[Auxiliary Verbs are not syntaxes unit; they included in the Chapter I .3.2 'Complex verbs']

3. Modifier of Modifier

Modifier of Modifier M(M(S,C)) or M(M(P)) used to Modifier M(S,C) or M(P) accordingly.
They answered the question: How many? How?. It is similar to M(P) and that question is a modifier M(M(S,C)) and M(M(P)) so

M(M(S,C))=M(M(P))=M(M)

3.1 Modifier of Modifier of Subject or Complement

Fragment from Chapter III
[M(M) modifier M(S,C) answered question How many? How? are Adverbs, Adverb Phrase.]

Fragment from Chapter III
[Exempla: He is very nice man.
He is (who? man- Subject Complement (SC) (noun),
man (which?) nice-Modifier Subject Complement (MC) (adjective)
nice (how?) very-Modifier Modifier M(M(C)=M(M) (adverb).]

3.2 Modifier of Modifier Predicate

Fragment from Chapter III
[M(P) modifier P answer question how? How many?, How often? are Adverb, Adverb phrase;
M(M) modifier M(P), answer question: How? How many? are Adverb and other similar phrase.]

B. Syntactic Units as Subordinated Clause*
_______________________________________________________

* (Each clause could be investigated the same way as simple sentences)
________________________________________________________

1. Subject as Subordinated Clouse

In Pattern 9 in the first 3 lines we consider Linking Predicate and Subject Complement together

2. Complement as Subordinated Clause

2.1 Direct Object

Pattern 10

2.2 Direct Object and Indirect Object

Pattern 11

2.3 Subject Complement

Pattern 12

In this case Subject and Linking Predicate consider together.

3. Modifier as Subordinated Clause

3.1 Modifier Subject or Complement M(S,C)

Pattern 13

* Complements 'C' are 'DO' or'IO' or 'SC'

My remarks
When M(S,C) answer question Which?, etc. it connected with S or C. There don't consider whole sentences.

3.2 Modifier of Predicate M(P)

My remarks: When M(P) answer question When?, Why? it connected with P

4 Modifier of Modifier (M(M)) as Subordinated Clause

Pattern 15

C. Syntactic Units in Special P* construction

Remark 1

Some words express action or state of being but they are not Predicates. We will be named (P*). They could have complements (DO, IO, SC), modifier (MP*) and subordinated clauses. But entirely construction in the sentences could use as Subject (S), Direct Object (DO), Indirect Object (IO) and Subject Complement (SC)
1. Syntactic Units as entire P*construction
Here are some examples when P* construction acts as a syntactic unit in the sentences
1.1 P* construction as Subject

In pattern 16 in the last 3 lines we consider P and SC together
.

1.2 P* construction as Modifier S or C

2. Syntactic Units Inside P* Construction
There are some examples when P* construction have syntactic units inside.
2.1 Direct Object (DO) inside P* construction

Pattern 18

2.2 Subject Complement (SC) inside P* construction

Pattern 19

2.3 Modifier P* (M(P*) inside P* constraction)

Pattern 20

2.4 Direct Object (DO as subordinated close inside P* construction)

Pattern 21

Remark 2

About one case of Subject Complement (SC)

Sometimes Subject Complement exist only by default

Fragment from Chapter III
[1. Subject Complement can be a noun
Tuesday is my birthday.
2. Subject Complement can be a pronoun
He is one of the best players.
3. Subject Complement exists by default
The apple tastes sour [apple]]


The end of Chapter II

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