E304A: Exploring English Grammar I

E304A: Exploring English Grammar I


2017/2018 TMA (First Semester)


Prepared by Course Chair: Dr. Ismail Safieh



Copyright 2017-2018 Arab Open University

TMA
Please return your completed assignment to arrive no later than week 10/11.
In this assignment you are asked to engage in some grammatical analyses and write up an interpretation of your findings. The assignment assesses your skills in analyzing English grammar and in interpreting the meaning of lexicogrammatical choices made in a text. It relates to your study of Block 1 and represents 20% of the overall continuous assessment score (OCAS). As well as assessing your understanding of the grammar covered so far, it is meant to serve as an audit for both you and your tutor to indicate your grasp of some of the essential areas of grammar which underlie the remainder of the module.
Before you start this assignment, refer to the general guidance on writing assignments in the module guide. While the TMA contains different steps, you will be given a holistic mark for the assignment.
The TMA consists of three parts, each of which consists of a series of steps.
Please submit your TMA as a single word document.
Part 1: Choosing two texts
• Step 1: Choosing two texts
• Step 2: Getting the approval of your tutor
Part 2: Grammatical analysis
• Step 1: Reading the texts
• Step 2: Setting clause boundaries in a text
• Step 3: Labelling functional parts of a clause
Part 3: Interpretation
• Step 1: Identifying relevant lexicogrammatical features
• Step 2: Writing up your interpretation


Part 1: Choosing two texts
Step 1: Choosing the texts
Choose two texts by native writers/speakers of English: one written text taken from academic prose register or news/newspaper register about any subject/event. The second text is spoken (TV dialogue, Radio dialogue, interview, etc.) from any source. The two texts must be published recently over the last 2-4 weeks. Each text should be about 200-250 words in length.
You should expect to spend a reasonable amount of time selecting your texts, as your choice of text will potentially affect the quality of your answer. Do not be afraid to reject your initial choice if you come across something better, since you will inevitably have gained insights from the process of selection. However, you need to remember to leave yourself enough time to spend on the analysis of your chosen texts.
Part 2: Grammatical analysis
Step 1: Reading the texts
The first step in this TMA is to read carefully the two texts you chose in order to gain an idea of the nature of the two texts you are going to analyze.
Step 2: Setting clause boundaries in a text
Type the two texts into a Word document. Using the symbol for clause boundaries (||), divide each text into clauses. You should submit your clause boundary analysis as part of your TMA.

Step 3: Labelling functional parts of a clause
For each clause in each text, label all processes, participants and circumstances, using tables. You should submit the tables as part of your TMA.
Part 3: Interpretation
Step 1: Identifying relevant lexicogrammatical features
For this step, you will identify relevant lexicogrammatical features in the two texts. For each register variable (field, mode and tenor), list the lexicogrammatical features along with some examples from the texts that you believe are characteristic of the text and that combine to construe the text as:
• being about a particular topic or involving a particular activity (field)
• written or spoken (mode)
• being directed at a particular audience or involving different participants (tenor).
You will draw on this analysis when you compare the two texts in Step 2, so it may help to look out for features in Text 2 that contrast with those that are Text 1.

Step 2: Writing up your interpretation
Write up an interpretation of the differences between the two texts, as identified in Step 1. This interpretation should be a maximum of 500 words. It should compare the two texts with reference to field, mode and tenor. Support your interpretation with evidence from the lexicogrammatical features you identified in Part 2, Step 1, and any additional features you identify for both texts. Bear in mind, however, that you will need to be selective as 500 words will not allow you to write about all the texts’ lexicogrammatical features. Make sure to provide specific examples from the text of the lexicogrammatical features you identify as well. You may want to consult the example of a register analysis in Book 1, Chapter 4, Activity 6, Table 4.3. You should refer to module – and any other – material where relevant (see the Assessment Guide on referencing).

Important notes:
1. Your chosen texts MUST be approved and signed by your tutor to make sure they are the proper texts for the TMA, otherwise your TMA will not be accepted and will not be marked; your mark will be zero.
2. You should write an introduction to the TMA. You should also write a conclusion to the whole TMA at the end in which you sum up what you have done in the TMA and state your own evaluation and opinion of the TMA.
3. Make sure you use a good number of references for your TMA from any source from which you should use relevant in-text well referenced citations/quotations to support your discussions, explanations and arguments to make your TMA well researched, well argued, and more convincing. This will help you get a better mark.
4. In an appendix attach a photocopy or a printout of the two texts you have used for analysis.


End of TMA Questions