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 Ling 131: Language & Style		  
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 Topic 7 (session A) - The grammar of complex sentences > SPOCA Review > Task A

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Session Overview
SPOCA Review
Grammar made easy - the basic principles
Linking, listing and nesting clauses
More nesting
Text effects
Linking, listing & nesting checksheet
Complex SPOCA self test
Topic 7 'tool' summary
 
Useful Links
Readings

SPOCA Review- the grammar of simple sentences and clauses

Task A - Identifying SPOCA elements

(S1)

A

Suddenly |

S

the young lecturer |

P

grabbed |

O

the little grey-haired professor with big ideas |

A

by the bowtie.

Suddenly = one-word Adverb Phrase (AdvP)

the young lecturer = Noun Phrase (NP)

grapped = one-word Verb Phrase (VP)

the little grey-haired professor with big ideas = NP ('professor = head noun and the rest of the phrase modifies that head nolun)

by the bowtie = Prepositional Phrase (PP[ = 'by' + NP])

(S2)

S

The long-suffering first-year students |

P

were getting |

C

very impatient.

The long-suffering first-year students = NP

were getting = VP

very impatient = AdjP

(S3)

S

They |

P

laughed |

A

politely |

A

at the ongoing farce |

A

every Monday and Thursday.

They = NP (pronoun)

laughed = one-word VP

politely = one-word AdvP

at the ongoing farce = PP

every Monday and Thursday = NP

 

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