HBEL4403_SEM SEPT09/F_AR

PART A

INSTRUCTIONS

Part A contains FIVE questions. Answer ALL questions.

QUESTIONS Marks
1. Briefly describe the difference between prescriptive grammar and descriptive
grammar.
(4)

2. Indicate whether the following words contain a derivational morpheme or an

inflectional morpheme.

Type of morpheme
reluctance _______________
hibernates _______________
eaten _______________
interesting _______________
(4)

3. Define TWO ways that can be used to determine a phrase structure.

(4)

4. Name each of the numbered parts of speech in the following sentence.

She stood uncomfortably in one dark corner of the classroom.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

(4)

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5. Write TWO sentences using adverbial phrases that have the following adverbs as
head of the phrases:
i. circumstantial adverb
ii. process adverb
(4)
(Total: 20)

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PART B

INSTRUCTIONS

Part B contains FIVE questions. Answer THREE ONLY.

QUESTIONS Marks
1. (a) Explain the difference between a restrictive relative clause and a non-
restrictive relative clause. Provide example sentences in your explanation.
(5)
(b) Explain how the use of ‘when’ differ in the pair of sentences below:

i. They were about to leave when a car pulled up beside them.

ii. This is the time when I miss him the most.
(5)
(c) For each phrasal category listed below, write a sentence containing a
relative clause that modifies it:

i. modifying an NP
ii. modifying a clause
iii. modifying an adjective phrase
iv. modifying a prepositional phrase
v. modifying a verb phrase
(10)
(Total: 20)

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2. (a) Draw tree diagram that represent each of the following sentences.

i. The professor was famous for his work on stem cell research.
ii. Saturday was a busy day but Sunday was quiet.
iii. My mom bought me a bag and a shirt which is too big for me.
iv. They could sneak out quietly or they could confess to the host that they
had gate-crashed the party.
(15)
(b) Combine the following sentences to form one long complex sentence.

i. Rani has been ill for quite some time.

ii. Rani found out that her parents are planning to send her to a hospital.
iii. Her parents have been worried about her.
iv. The hospital is in another country.
(5)
(Total: 20)

3. (a) The following sentence contains a verb phrase that is formed through a
combination of tense and aspect. Describe how tense and aspect each
contribute to the meaning of the sentence.

He has been talking on the phone for hours.

(5)
(b) Identify what tenses are used in the following sentences and what time zone
they refer to. Explain your answers.

i. He is going to call me again.

ii. I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee, thank you.
(6)

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(c) Identify the errors in each of the following sentences. Correct the error.
Then describe why they are ungrammatical.

i. Yoon has read the book since 3:30 pm.

ii. Gunung Mulu is containing Asia’s longest cave, Clearwater Cave.
iii. She comes to the meeting last night.
(9)
(Total: 20)
4. a. Explain the difference between the following pair of sentences in terms of
the phrase types in the predicate.

i. The players felt very tired after the game.

ii. Azizah was a beautiful woman in her youth.
(4)
b. Draw a tree diagram for each sentence in Question a. above.
(6)
c. Analyse the following text. All the sentences use the simple sentence
patterns of English. Identify the pattern of each sentence and write the
structural formula for each sentence.

I arrived at my office at 7 am. There was a letter on my desk. I felt a

sudden sense of excitement. It must have arrived yesterday evening. My
name was scribbled neatly in the middle.
(10)
(Total: 20)

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5. (a) Elaborate the meaning of the word ‘metaphor’.

(4)
(b) Analyse the following sentences that illustrate a metaphoric description.
Explain what is being compared in the description and how they compare.

Life is like the times of the day. It is fresh and cool at dawn, bright in the
morning, hot throughout the afternoon, dim and mellow in the evening, and
dark at night.
(8)
(c) Create your own extended metaphor using the concept of ‘life’. Explain the
meaning of your metaphor.
(8)
(Total: 20)

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PART C

INSTRUCTIONS

Part C contains TWO questions. Answer ONE question ONLY.

QUESTIONS Marks
1. Read the passage below. Based on what you have learned about grammar in the
course, answer the questions that follow.

The path up the mountain was rocky. It was steep. Some members of the team were
showing already signs of fatigue. There was another barrier to cross. This was the
Janau Peak. The Janau Peak was about a mile from where we were. We had been
trekking up this stretch of the path for three hours. We decided to stop. We decided
to recharge our energy. This is before attempting the final stretch of our journey to
Janau Peak. I could see clouds forming in the distance. I thought what we might do
if a storm hit us.
I shifted quickly my mind to something less worrying. I thought of my family. At
the same time I took in the beautiful view from the mountain. I wondered what they
were doing then. I wondered if they were thinking of me. It had been three weeks
since I saw them. A sudden gust of wind interrupted my thoughts. I glanced at the
clouds again. I hoped that the day would stay as it was. At least until we reached
Janau Peak. There were shelters there. We would be safe there. If a storm decided to
strike.

(a) Discuss what the main problem with the passage is. Suggest TWO ways how
the passage can be improved.
(8)
(b) Rewrite the passage to make it read better.
(12)
(Total: 20)

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2. The following text contains errors. Read the text and answer the questions that
follow.

Will took up his rucksack and cloak and made his way along the edge of the
lake and up on to the rock Balthamos had pointed out.
Beyond it a little camp had been setting up, with five or six tents and the
remains of cooking fires. Will moved down warily in case there had someone
still alive and hiding.
But the silence was profound, with the insect-scrapings only scratching at the
surface of it. The tents were still, the water were placid, with the ripples still
drifting slowly out from where he had being drinking. A flicker of green
movement near his foot made him start briefly, but it is only a tiny lizard.
The tents were making of camouflage material, which had made them stand out
more among the dull red rocks. He looked at the first and was finding it empty.
So was the second, but in the third he found something valuable: a mess-tin and
a box of matches.
Excerpt adapted from: Pullman, P. (2000: 15).
The Amber Spyglass. London: Scholastic.
(a) In terms of sentence structure, in which part of the sentence are the errors
found?
(2)
(b) Choose SIX errors. Write the correct form for each one. Then explain why
each error is ungrammatical and why the correct structure should be used.
Your explanation should be based on the text.
(18)
(Total: 20)

END OF QUESTION PAPER