The Word Certain in Advanced Learners Dictionaries - Assignment Example

1. Comparison of the word “certain” as it is used in advanced learners dictionary, Longman dictionary of contemporary English or Collings Cobuild English learner’s a. Grammatical information: The advanced learner’s dictionary clearly denotes that it is an adjective and gives five meaning of the words including the idioms. It also includes all the phrases that can be used with the word as well. The Collings dictionary is more elaborate on the grammatical use of the word as compared to the advanced dictionary in that it gives further details on the possible grammatical combination of words with that particular word but it only shows four meanings and not five. b. Pronunciation information: The advanced learner’s dictionary shows clearly how the word should be pronounced but the Collins dictionary does not show the way the word should be pronounced. c. Usage information: the advanced learner’s dictionary has shown more usage of each of the five meanings of the word clearly and with more examples while the Collins dictionary has indicated less details of the usage of the word. d. Layout: The layout of the word meaning, pronunciation, usage and examples is better displayed by the advanced learner’s dictionary as compared to the Collings dictionary. Section 9 Functional grammar Exercise one “Different Englishes” a) This statement is extracted from a law or a constitution. It differs from the Standard English in the placement of the words and the punctuation. This is because pronoun cannot be followed by a preposition (Evelyn &Robert, 2010). b) This extract is from a computer instruction or a manual. It differs from the Standard English in that it is using capital letters for words within the sentence for emphasizing. c) It originates from a scientific background of words definition. It differs from the Standard English in that it ignores most of the grammatical order of words. d) This extract is from poetry. It differs from Standard English in that it tends to use rhythms and rhymes at the end of the sentences and repetition of words at the beginning. The reason for that is to add rhythm for the purposes of recitation e) This extract is from a novel. It differs from standard English because it uses short forms of words like “em” for “them”, and also the spelling of some word is not correctly done. f) The extract from poetry. This extract is from poetry. It differs from Standard English in that it tends to use rhythms and rhymes at the end of the sentences and also repetition of words at the beginning. The reason for that is to add rhythm for the purposes of recitation g) This extract is possibly from a novel. The difference in Standard English is evidence in the use of grammar, the spelling and use of slang English. This could be because the writer’s first language is not English and it could be due to the intended audience (Evelyn & Robert, 2010). COHENSION Execise 3 a) Text A has a less cohesive than text B. This is because in the text B, the reason for the oath is given and each sentence is further explained by the next sentence. It also explains why it was called a tennis court Oath. In text A, the significance of tennis court Oath is not said to whom it was made for, although it is explained who made the oath. It is also well explained that it was the very first step that was taken to overthrow the monarch of France. In text B, the significance of tennis court oath is well shown by explaining that is was a promise that was made to all the people of France and for the sake of their equality. The circumstances under which it was made is also explained since it was after then group was locked up. This explains further, why they had to meet at the tennis court. Its significance is well shown by the need of the ordinary person desire to be better in all ways (Evelyn &Robert, 2010). b) Text D has more cohesion as compared to text C. in text C, there is no specification of the animal’s habitation unlike in text D where it is said that it lives sandstone around and in country in Sidney. In text C, the specific numbers of human have been named but in text D there is more information given about the animal like the manner in which it kills the small animals and the manners in which it why it cannot kill the big animals. Critical disclosure analysis The use of passive voice, nominalization, abstraction Language can be used in two ways to manipulate the public opinion. The following is a review of an article that appeared on the Editorial | The Landscape, Sunday review, the opinion pages on the issue of abortion (Dorothy, 2011). The writer first captures the attention of the reader by the choice of her words for the topic “WHERE ABORTION RIGHTS ARE DISAPPEARING” The write has used two main features to manipulate the public namely the passive voice and the nominalization. She has taken the subject of abortion very seriously and is trying to capture the attention of the public on the matter of abortion no longer being legal. The use of passive voice: in the first paragraph, she is trying to use her grammar in a passive voice. She emphasizes the woman as having right to make “her” own decisions concerning childbearing process. She also refers to the law makers as “They “who are concerned on the issues of enacting some laws, which will make the possibility of having abortion very slim. By doing this, she tries to express the action of implementing the new laws. She also explains that most fights “are occurring” in the cities. Her choice of passive voice tries to show her state of displeasure with what is happening yet she had nothing to do with it and to show the public the extent effect because of making abortion hard. The use of nominalization refers to the use of a verb, an adverb or adjective for the head of the noun phrase but without a morphological transformation. It involved production of a noun from a statement in a speech by adding derivational affixes. The writer tries has derived “restrictions” from the word restrict to show how abortion has been limited. She has also used the word “unconstitutional” to describe the fact that the laws enacted in the first few months are not right according to the constitution. Compare traditional, structural, transformational-generative and functional grammars Transformational grammar deals with generative grammar and mainly for the natural languages developed in the tradition of chomskyan and it generates into some specified transformational grammar. It deals with the development of rules and principles that accounts for very well constructed expressions of the natural language. Structural grammar focuses on the construction and mechanics of the spoken and written grammar. Traditional grammar is simply the real framework that describes the structure of a particular language in terms of object, subject, nouns, verbs, prepositions and adverbs among other grammatical concepts. Functional grammar deals with the different types of linguistic theories that are in existence and are affiliated with the functionalism of linguistics depending on the origin of the language (Evelyn & Robert 2010). Reference Dorothy. S. (2011). Editorial, The Landscape, Sunday review, the opinion pages: Where Abortion Rights Are Disappearing. Evelyn, P &Robert, M. (2010). English grammar: understanding basics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Read More