Grammar and Trees
2023-05-05
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1Comparisons are a useful tool for learning new information.
2They help us make connections and increase our enjoyment of learning.
3In this week's Everyday Grammar, we will use a comparison to teach you some important ideas about English grammar and words.
4We will use trees - yes, those plants consisting of roots, a trunk, branches and leaves - as our point of comparison.
5You will learn about how trees and English sentences have much in common. We will also compare trees to individual words.
6Let's take a moment to do a visualization.
7Imagine an image of a tree.
8It could be a small tree, a large tree, or a colorful tree.
9Note the trunk, the branches, and leaves or flowers.
10Now let's compare our tree to English sentences.
11English sentences consist of a subject and a predicate.
12The subject is generally a noun phrase, and the predicate - the part of the sentence that says something about the subject - generally begins with some kind of verb phrase.
13The subject and predicate are like the roots and trunk of the sentence.
14They provide stability and strength.
15They are the basis for the sentence.
16Then we move out to branches, leaves, or flowers on the tree.
17These are like different kinds of modifiers - adjectives, adverbs, adverbial phrases, and so on.
18Consider this sentence:
19The students consider the class a challenge.
20Let's start by identifying the subject and predicate of the sentence.
21We start with the noun phrase, "the students."
22Then we have the predicate, which begins with the verb "consider."
23Sentences can become more complex than our example.
24We have different kinds of sentences, structures, adjectives, and adverbial phrases.
25But the basic material of a sentence is the subject and predicate relationship - just as a tree is defined as having roots and a trunk.
26In fact, English grammar books sometimes use special drawings to break apart sentences into their individual parts.
27These drawings, known as sentence diagrams, often look like trees that are turned on their sides.
28When you get better at recognizing subject and predicate relationships, you will notice how English sentences fit into patterns.
29There are around ten very common sentence patterns that form the base of all kinds of sentences.
30Learning to identify these sentence patterns is much like learning to identify different tree species.
31Let's take an example.
32At the beginning of this report, you heard the following line:
33Imagine an image of a tree.
34Note that the subject of this sentence does not appear.
35In imperative sentences such as this, we generally leave out the subject.
36The subject is suggested but not stated.
37If we were to compare this kind of sentence to a tree, we might say that it is like a tree that has been cut down and placed somewhere for decoration.
38You might say that something important - such as the roots - are missing.
39Up until now, we have compared trees to English sentences.
40But we can also compare trees to individual words.
41Language, much like a tree, is a result of growth and change over time.
42When we learn new words, we can look up the ancient beginnings, or roots of the words.
43We can also study how words are connected to each other - just like the branches of a tree are connected to the trunk of a tree.
44Many etymology - or word history - websites are available.
45These dictionaries explain the ancient roots of words.
46They sometimes also give examples of how words were used in different ways in the past.
47When we look at words this way, it is much like exploring tree rings.
48Tree rings can show age and give information about the environment over time.
49In the same way, we can look deeply into the history of words.
50This activity helps us form connections and gives us rich information about language over time.
51The aim of today's report was not to teach you about small details of English grammar.
52Rather, the goal was to make you consider language from a larger point of view.
53Language learning can be like exploring unknown territory.
54But a few important skills - recognizing patterns and making connections - can help you on your path.
55I'm John Russell.
1Comparisons are a useful tool for learning new information. They help us make connections and increase our enjoyment of learning. 2In this week's Everyday Grammar, we will use a comparison to teach you some important ideas about English grammar and words. 3We will use trees - yes, those plants consisting of roots, a trunk, branches and leaves - as our point of comparison. 4You will learn about how trees and English sentences have much in common. We will also compare trees to individual words. 5Visualization, English sentences 6Let's take a moment to do a visualization. 7Imagine an image of a tree. It could be a small tree, a large tree, or a colorful tree. 8Note the trunk, the branches, and leaves or flowers. 9Now let's compare our tree to English sentences. 10English sentences consist of a subject and a predicate. The subject is generally a noun phrase, and the predicate - the part of the sentence that says something about the subject - generally begins with some kind of verb phrase. 11The subject and predicate are like the roots and trunk of the sentence. They provide stability and strength. They are the basis for the sentence. 12Then we move out to branches, leaves, or flowers on the tree. These are like different kinds of modifiers - adjectives, adverbs, adverbial phrases, and so on. 13Consider this sentence: 14The students consider the class a challenge. 15Let's start by identifying the subject and predicate of the sentence. 16We start with the noun phrase, "the students." Then we have the predicate, which begins with the verb "consider." 17Sentences can become more complex than our example. We have different kinds of sentences, structures, adjectives, and adverbial phrases. But the basic material of a sentence is the subject and predicate relationship - just as a tree is defined as having roots and a trunk. 18In fact, English grammar books sometimes use special drawings to break apart sentences into their individual parts. These drawings, known as sentence diagrams, often look like trees that are turned on their sides. 19When you get better at recognizing subject and predicate relationships, you will notice how English sentences fit into patterns. There are around ten very common sentence patterns that form the base of all kinds of sentences. 20Learning to identify these sentence patterns is much like learning to identify different tree species. 21Different species 22Let's take an example. 23At the beginning of this report, you heard the following line: 24Imagine an image of a tree. 25Note that the subject of this sentence does not appear. In imperative sentences such as this, we generally leave out the subject. The subject is suggested but not stated. 26If we were to compare this kind of sentence to a tree, we might say that it is like a tree that has been cut down and placed somewhere for decoration. You might say that something important - such as the roots - are missing. 27Roots at the level of words 28Up until now, we have compared trees to English sentences. But we can also compare trees to individual words. 29Language, much like a tree, is a result of growth and change over time. When we learn new words, we can look up the ancient beginnings, or roots of the words. 30We can also study how words are connected to each other - just like the branches of a tree are connected to the trunk of a tree. 31Many etymology - or word history - websites are available. These dictionaries explain the ancient roots of words. They sometimes also give examples of how words were used in different ways in the past. 32When we look at words this way, it is much like exploring tree rings. Tree rings can show age and give information about the environment over time. In the same way, we can look deeply into the history of words. This activity helps us form connections and gives us rich information about language over time. 33Closing thoughts 34The aim of today's report was not to teach you about small details of English grammar. Rather, the goal was to make you consider language from a larger point of view. 35Language learning can be like exploring unknown territory. But a few important skills - recognizing patterns and making connections - can help you on your path. 36I'm John Russell. 37John Russell wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 38_________________________________________________________________ 39Words in This Story 40phrase - n. a group of two or more words that express an idea but do not form a complete sentence 41stability -- n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change; the quality or state of something that is not easily moved 42basis -- n. something from which another thing develops or can develop 43pattern - n. a system based on the relationship of individual parts 44species -- n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants 45imperative - n. the form that a verb or sentence has when it is expressing a command or directions 46decoration -- n. something that is added to something else to make it more attractive