Module 3: Tag Questions, Other Question Transforms and Short Responses

Posted by: Carlo A. Sangutan

Sources: English Plus A Communicative Approach by Ida Yap Patron

                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_question

                http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tagquestions.htm

                http://ezinearticles.com/?Accent-Reduction-Techniques---Using-Intonation-Patterns

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This module intends to let the students:

• identify the meaning of statements through intonation patterns;
• agree with or confirm a statement through short responses; and
• construct different question transforms.

Introduction

       People always use different intonations in communicating with others. They do it since intonations help messages which the speakers want to convey to be properly emphasized and be given with the exact meaning.

Language Focused

       A tag question is a grammatical structure in which a declarative statement or an imperative is turned into a question by adding an interrogative fragment (the "tag"). It is a short question added to the end of a positive or negative statement. In most languages, tag questions are more common in colloquial spoken usage than in formal written usage. They can be an indicator of politeness, emphasis, or irony. They may suggest confidence or lack of confidence; they may be confrontational or tentative. In legal settings, tag questions can be found in leading question.

TEAM A Sentences:

       ☺Pope Benedict XVI didn't speak of peace for the world, did he?

       ☺Peace must be rooted in the sounds of men and women, mustn't it?

       ☺People are deaf, aren't they?

Q: What have you observed on the sentences given based on the intonation pattern used?

       Actually, the pattern of intonation used in the above sentences is rising intonation pattern. This pattern is used when a question is asked. It is used because the speaker does not know the answer. When you use rising intonation, it indicates that you are waiting for a reply from the listener.

TEAM B Sentences:

       ☺The Pope emphasizes the need for unity, doesn't he?

       ☺The people just can't believe it, can they?

       ☺Hatred blinds people from seeing the truth, does it?

Q: How about the sentences in TEAM B? What have you observed?

       Rising-falling intonation pattern is the pattern used in the sentences. It is used to simply invite confirmation of something that the speaker already knows.

Q: By the way, how a tag question is transformed?

       The sentences in TEAM A and TEAM B have two parts. The first part is a statement and the second part is a question. The second part which is separated by from the first by a comma is called the tag question. When the first statement is affirmative, the tag phrase is negative and vice versa: when it is negative, the tag phrase is affirmative. If the sentence has a verb phrase for its predicate, the function verb of the helping verb is used in the tag.

Examples:
       ☻The real meaning of peace is not clearly defined, is it?
       ☻My classmates are now very quiet, aren't they?

       If the sentence has a single-verb predicate denoting action, either do, does, or did may be used. Do is used if the subject in the sentence is in the first and second persons, both singular and plural in number and in the third person, plural in number. Does is used if the subject in the sentence is singular in number and in the third person. Do and does are used in the present tense and did is used in the past tense.

Examples:
       ☻Peace springs from within, doesn't it?
       ☻St. Augustine described peace as harmony among men and women, didn't he?
       ☻Good leaders establish laws based on God's laws, don't they?

Note: The pronouns everybody, someone, nobody, and none which are normally considered  singular have a plural pronoun in the tag.

Examples:
       ☻Everybody believes in God's justice, don't they?
       ☻Someone steals her bag, don't they?

Q: How about in imperative sentences?


       Imperatives are followed by the tag will you?

Example:
       ☻Promote peace and justice, will you?

Q: What are other question transforms?

       The affirmative simple questions follow this word order:

       Do (does or did) + subject + simple form of the verb + the rest of the sentence?

Examples:
       ☻Does peace restore human dignity and liberty?
       ☻Do all nations have the same definitions of peace?

       If the function verb do is not contracted with not, the subject is placed between do, does, or did and not.

Examples:
       ☻Did your classmate not help you?
       ☻Do the best things in life not come first?
       ☻Does she not prioritize her studies?

       If the predicate in the statement is a verb phrase, the subject is positioned in between the helping verb and the main verb with the structure of:

       Helping verb + subject + main verb + rest of the sentence?

Examples:
       1. We can contribute to the cause of peace.
              →Can we contribute to the cause of peace?
       2. Everybody will be responsible for building and keeping the peace in the country.
              →Will everybody be responsible for building and keeping the peace in the country?

Q: So, how are declarative and interrogative sentences differ from each other in terms of structure as observed in these examples?
       Declarative:       Sam waters the plants in his garden daily.
       Interrogative:   Does Sam water the plants in his garden daily?

       Declarative sentences are those that directly give information and they end with a period while interrogative sentences are those that ask for answers and always end with a question mark. The subject in a declarative sentence always comes first (including its article, demonstratives, and modifiers) while in an interrogative sentence, the subject may come as the second word; the first may be the words do, does, did, or other linking verbs.

Q: There are also what we call short responses. What are they?

       Short responses are actually short answers for the interrogative sentences or questions. These can either be an affirmative or a negative short response.

       The affirmative response is basically made up of Yes + a pronoun corresponding to the subject of the question statement while the negative response consists of No + a pronoun corresponding to the subject. Do not is contracted to don't, does not to doesn't and did not to didn't.

Examples:
       ☻We need to avoid persons afflicted with AIDS. (declarative)
       ☻Do we need to avoid persons afflicted with AIDS? (interrogative)
       ☻No, we don't need to. (negative response)
       ☻Yes, we need to. (affirmative response)

Test of Learning

     A. Supply the correct verbs for the tag phrases.

1. Genuine peace is consolidated in sincerity and loyalty, _____ it?
2. It preludes economic and social conditions, _____ it?
3. It will not lead to new conflicts, _____ it?
4. Gloribel helped in donating goods for poor people, _____ she?

     B. Give the correct pronouns to complete the tag phrases.

5. Justice does not give all things to all, does ___?
6. All humans give love to all, don't ___?
7. God will not let us down, will ___?
8. Temporal prosperity can't replace external happiness, can ___?

     C. Write the tag questions for each statement.

9. Greed leads to social disintegration, _______?
10. Personal peace is important, _______?
11. It cannot be achieved without social peace, _______?
12. Nations must be ruled with kindness, _______?

     D. Transform the following statements into simple questions.

Example:
       Darkness has enveloped me.
          answer →Has darkness enveloped me?

13. I must be strong. _______________
14. I have been bloody but unbowed. _______________
15. The menace of the years shall find me unafraid. _______________

Module 2: Information Questions

Posted by:  Carlo A. Sangutan
Sources: English Plus A Communicative Approach by Ida Yap Patron
                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questions

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This module intends to let the students:

• extract information and infer meanings from a given text;
• construct information questions; and
• transform statements into information questions.

Introduction

       In life, there are what we call questions that we need to answer as we go on to our journey. Every person needs questions in order to perform certain things in a nice manner and with the aimed success at the end. Questions really need answers. There are some that need informative answers and there are also questions that need opinions of people as they see the reality of life.

Language Activity

       Before we go to the particular topic, read this selection first:

A Man's Task

by: Robert Louis Stevenson

To be honest; to be kind;

To earn a little and spend less;

To make the whole family happier by his presence;

To renounce all where it is necessary

And not to be embittered;

To keep a few friends but these without capitulation;

Above all, on the same grim conditions

To keep friends and with himself -

Here is a task for all that a

Man has a fortitude and delicacy.

          Guide Questions:

1. What are the tasks of men and women?
2. How can you make these tasks real in your lives?
3. When did you deny yourself something just to make others happy?
4. Who should perform these tasks?
5. What is unconditional love?
6. What can you infer from the selection as the measure of a well-lived life?

Language Focused

       Questions are important in determining the learning of the students on a certain topic. These also help students remember their past learning experiences as of what they learned before the particular topic. These actually used to make a request of information as well as opinions and ideas. 

Q: Which of the introductory words or the underlined words of the questions above requires information as answer?


       Actually, if you are going to answer those questions, all of them require information but only the introductory words "what" and "who" requires direct information. Obviously, these words are called information questions. Based on the book I'd read, there are two types of information questions. The first type requires only a change of the subject of the sentence. Question words that can be used are "who" and "what". Who is used to refer to a person and what to refer to everything else:


Examples:
       Who is the national hero of the Philippines?
       ► Jose Rizal is the national hero of the Philippines.
       What is your name?
       ► James is my name.


       The second type of information question follows a different pattern. It follows these structures:


       A. Question Words + did/do/does + subject + main verb + others


Examples:
       →What did Stevenson say about our tasks on earth?
       →What do you mean by "without getting embittered"?
       →What does a person renounce?


       B. Question Words + function word + subject + main verb + others


Examples:
       →What will you sacrifice for your loved ones?
       →How can you make your family happy by your presence?

Test of Learning

       Transform these sentences into information questions making the underlined words/phrases the expected answers.


1. I was embittered by insincere friends.
   ______________________________
2. Humans should draw all the good from this world.
   ______________________________
3. He does not enjoy benevolent friendships.
   ______________________________
4. By then, they will suffer less evil.
   ______________________________
5. Rossy loves to watch movie every Saturday.
   ______________________________


       By the information(words or phrases) given below, answer the following underlined information questions. Just put the letter of your answer in the blank.


___1. How will you spend your summer vacation?
___2. Who is considered as the Pinoy Boxing Champ?
___3. What did you do last week?
___4. Why were you absent in our class last Wednesday?


          a. because of sickness        c. playing with my friends
          b. Manny Pacquiao            d. by having field trips together with my parents

Module 1: Sentences and Fragments

Posted by: Carlo A. Sangutan

Sources:  English Plus A Communicative Approach by Ida Yap Patron

                 www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/fragments.html

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This module intends to let the students:

• identify sentence fragments, run-on sentences and complete sentences;
• correct run-on sentences as well as transform fragments into sensible sentences; and
• construct complete sentences out of the given fragments

Introduction

       Every language has its own grammar. Since we are now tackling English language, we must know how its grammar differs from others and how it works in giving information. As a college student, you should know the English grammar such as identifying sentences and fragments.

Language Focused

        A sentence is a grammatical unit that is composed of one or more clauses. It expresses a complete thought. It has the two parts: the subject and the predicate.

Examples:

       Sheila went to the market.

               ---> Sheila (subject) and went to the market (predicate)

       They buy four boxes for their projects.

                ---> They (subject) and buy four boxes for their projects (predicate)

       Any group of words that is not expressing a complete thought is called sentence fragments. It may only have the subject alone without the predicate or vice versa (the predicate alone without the subject).

Examples:

       The store owner (subject alone)

       Drives the car slowly (predicate alone)

Q: Are phrases sentence fragments?

       Actually, a phrase is a group of words functioning as a single syntax of a sentence. It means that it is only a part of a sentence. A sentence fragment is  also called phrases. Some sentence fragments have both the subject and predicate but they don't have the complete thought like of the phrases.

Q: What makes phrases different from complete sentences?

       Phrases don't express a complete idea. They are only part of the complete sentences. Again, a complete sentence has a subject, a predicate, and expresses a complete thought. It begins with a capital letter and ends with any of the following punctuation marks: a period(.), an exclamation point(!), or a question mark(?). A period is used for declarative and imperative sentences; an exclamation point for an exclamatory sentences and a question mark for an interrogative sentences.

Q: There are also what we call "run-on" sentences. What are they?

       Run-on sentences are sentences consisting two or more sentences written as one sentence.


Example:
       Women during the Spanish times had no voice they were considered second-class citizens.


(The example given consists of two sentences in one statement.)


The sentences are:
       Women during the Spanish times had no voice.
       They were considered second-class citizens.

Test of Learning

      I. Write SF if the given statement is a sentence fragment, RN for a run-on sentence, and CS if it is a complete sentence.


___1. Jusepe Chua was a Chinese from Amoy his wife, Maria Rhodora Rodriguez was a Filipina
___2. Baptized on November 5, 1972 at Holy Trinity Church
___3. The place for converted Chinese
___4. She grew up in Talamban, Cebu City
___5. By helping others in need
___6. It seemed that marriage
___7. The way they lived never caused any gossip
___8. They gave them Christian education they gave them shelter they gave them retreats
___9. They had a special concern for women
___10. I love my pet I also love my parents


    II. Correct the run-on sentences by separating two or more ideas with a period. Make them into complete sentences.


1. The approval became a landmark in the Philippines it is characterized by racial discrimination.
2. The role of women in the past cannot be ignored they were prime movers of social change they also fought for freedom.
3. Rheena is studying in a technological university she is responsible in her studies.
4. The group adopted the name "Highlanders" they frequently visited the church of St. Peter.
5. Frank loves to eat fruits and vegetables he likes to sleep on a soft bed he wants to travel around the world.