Lecture 16

English 3318: Studies in English Grammar

Basic Sentence Transformation I

Dr. Svetlana Nuernberg

Objectives● Understand the transformation process● Distinguish among transitive, intransitive, and

linking verbs in sentences that have undergone transformation

● Distinguish among subject complements, direct objects, indirect objects and object complements

● Recognize passive sentences and convert them into active sentences

● Recognize the underlying pattern of sentences that have undergone the passive transformation

The Indirect Object Transformation● Our ability to move constituents helps to explain

sentence variety– Maria gave a gift to George– Carol picked some flowers for her cousin

● both sentences contain a transitive verb and belong to the type V pattern - S = NP

1 + MV

tr + NP

2 + ADVP

● contain a prepositional phrase (with to or for) following the direct object (that functions as adverbial modifier of the verb)

– Maria gave George a gift– Carol picked her cousin some flowers

● have the same meaning, but different pattern S = NP1 + MV

tr +

NP2 + NP

3

● have a direct object (which was moved and now is NP3)

● have an indirect object (the first noun phrase following the transitive verb NP

2)

Structural Formula● S

5 = NP

1 + MV

tr + NP

2 + NP

3

IOBJ DOBJ

– Maria gave George a gift– Carol picked her cousin some flowers– Subject, indirect object, direct object have different

references (NP1 NP

2 NP

3)

● any time you have a sentence containing a constituent NP2

the verb is transitive ● if there is no other NP constituent of the verb phrase , NP

2 is

the direct object● when you have both NP

2 and

NP

3the verb is still transitive,

but the sentence contains an indirect object● what - is used to identify a direct object, to/for whom - to

identify indirect object (recipient)

Reed-Kellogg Diagrams● Applying step by step, we can visualize the

transformational relationship in this way:Maria gave a gift to George

– move the object of the preposition to follow the verb– Maria gave George a gift to delete the preposition– Maria gave George a gift

Maria gave gift

Georgeto a

Maria gave gift

George a

Tree DiagramsS

5

NP1

NP2

MVP ADVP

VP

MVtr

Maria gave a gift to GeorgeS

5

NP1

NP2

MVP

VP

MVtr

Maria gave George a gift

NP3

Type V Transitive Verb Sentence with Direct Object and Adverbial Phrase

Type V Transitive Verb Sentence with Direct and Indirect Objects

Indirect Object and Object Complements ● S

5 = NP

1 + MV

tr + NP

2 + NP

3 – indirect object

– Edwin brought Eleanor a jewel

– jewel is a direct object, Eleanor is an indirect object – derived from Edwin bought a jewel to Eleanor

● S5 = NP

1 + MV

tr + NP

2 + NP

2 – object compliment

– Edwin considered Eleanor a jewel

Edwin bought jewel

Eleanor a

Edwin considered Eleanor jewel a

Recognizing Indirect Object

1. Is the verb followed by If yes, the first noun phrasetwo noun phrases, each following the verb is probablywith a referent distinct an indirect object and the from the other and second noun phrase is a from the subject? direct object

2. Can the suspected indirect If yes, then that noun object noun phrase be made phrase is an indirect objectpart of a prepositional phrase

the end of the sentence?

Maria [NP1/Subject] sent

George [NP2/IO] a gift

[NP3/DO]

Maria [NP1/Subject] sent a gift [NP

2/DO] to George

[Obj of Prep]with to or for and moved to

Recognizing Indirect Object

3. Does the verb followed by If yes, then that noun phrasetwo noun phrases include as is likely to be an indirect object “gave” George part of its meaning the action [NP2/IO] a gift [NP3/DO]of giving? Is the suspected indirect object the “recipient ofthe direct object” or “that towhom or for whom the action is performed?

4. If you remove the suspected If yes, you have confirming Maria sent George a gift =indirect object from the evidence that the noun phrase Maria sent a gift.sentence, does the meaning is an indirect objectof the verb phrase remain about the same?

Maria [NP1/Subject]

Exercise 1Some of the following transitive verb sentences have indirect objects,

while others do not. Transform any indirect objects you find into appropriate to and for prepositional phrases. Transform any to and from prepositional phrases into indirect objects, if possible.

● Example: Coach McCall kicked Francis [IO] the soccer ball [DO] Type V. - Coach McCall kicked the soccer ball to Francis.

– Santa brought lots of toys to their children last year.– His parents bought Max a new iPod with lots of memory– Max offered his old iPod to his brother Austin– His parents gave Austin a new game for him Game Boy– Her godparents sent Edie a new princess outfit– Her mother sends the godparents an invitation to Christmas dinner

every year.– She also invited some foreign students to dinner– Max usually sets the table for his mother.

The Passive Transformation● The subject of the sentence is often an actor, or agent,

performing the action of the verb - active voice– basic Type V Transitive Verbs sentences

● John hit Bill● A dog chews up my newspaper every day● The clerk thanked my mother

● The subject of the sentence is passively undergoing the action of the verb – passive voice– deemphasize the importance of the performer of the action

● Bill was hit by John● My newspaper is chewed up by a dog everyday● My mother was thanked by the clerk

– the original subject (agent) is moved into an adverbial prepositional phrase (becoming the object of the preposition by)

Active Voice TreeS

V

NP1

VP

MVP NP2

AUX MVtr

TENSE

past eat the pieMonica

Monica ate the pie

Type V Transitive Verb Sentence, Active Voice

Systematic Relationships● Active and passive pair of sentences creates systematic

relationship – series of transformational steps Monica [past + eat] the pie [past + eat] the pie by Monica

1. The subject Monica, moves to a position at the end of the sentence, and the preposition by is inserted preceding it – the original subject becomes the object of preposition by

the pie [past + eat] by Monica

2. The original direct object, the pie, moves from its slot following the verb to the beginning of the sentence, becoming a new subject

The pie [past + BE + {-en} + eat] by Monica3. The passive form of the verb is created by adding the passive marker

BE + {-en} to the AUX, immediately preceding the main verbThe pie was eaten by Monica

Passive Voice TreeS

NP1

VP

MVP ADVP

AUX MVtr

TENSE

past eat by MonicaThe pie

The pie was eaten by Monica

PASSIVE MARKER

BE + {-en}

Type V Transitive Verb Sentence, Passive Voice

Exercise 2– This item below appears in an advertisement. First, find the

passive verb phrases. Then, consider what might be the purposes and effects of using the passive voice and removing the agent/actor in each

● Reflective home address will be painted on the curbs along your street tomorrow. Your home will be included only with your permission. It is strongly recommended that you take advantage of this opportunity to have your home address professionally painted in large, easy-to-see REFLECTIVE numbers on the curb in front of your house. This service is provided to assure you that in an emergency situation, Police, Fire Dept., and Paramedic personnel can find your home with a minimum amount of delay.... Your cost for this service is only 5$.

Direct and Indirect Object● Some active sentences can be transformed into

two different passive sentences● Diane gave Pablo some flowers.● Some flowers were given [to] Pablo by Diane.

– direct object becomes subject● Pablo was given some flowers by Diane.

– indirect object becomes subject● When a Type V sentence in the active voice

includes both a direct object (some flowers) and an indirect object (Pablo), then either the direct object or the indirect object can be moved to subject position to form a passive sentence.

Exercise 3 (A)● The sentences are in the active voice. Convert

each into the passive voice, keeping the same tense (present/past) and aspect (if perfect or progressive)

1. Several people presented a proposal for casual dress on Fridays to Mr. Green.

2. Mr. Green has passed the proposal on to his boss, Ms. Brown.

3. Ms. Brown is taking the proposal “under advisement.”

4. We had heard nothing from her since then.

Exercise 3 (B)● The sentences are in the passive voice. Convert them

into active voice, keeping the same tense (present/past) and aspect (if perfect or progressive)– As a result, business suites are still expected for both men

and women.– However, Casual Fridays have been adopted by business

all over town.– A pair of jeans can be seen with a suit jacket in the office

on Friday.– So far, nothing is being said about the relaxed dress code.– The responsibility for enforcing formal business dress

during working hours was not given to anyone.– Perhaps a second proposal will be prepared for Mr.

Green.

Uses and Misuses of the Passive● The topic of the sentence can be misleading

– the subject of the first sentence (people) is an indefinite and unimportant – it could be omitted

● People have criticized the town council for lack of concern with the appearance of our city. But look what they have achieved in the past few weeks. Sidewalks have been repaired on Valley Avenue. Trees have been planted along the median strip of Ocean Boulevard. Attractive new street lights have been installed in front of the library. And flowers have been planted in the borders at City Park.

– they, in the second sentence is ambiguous: it could refer either to the people or to the council

– the remaining sentences have been made passive and their agents have been deleted

– removing agents - weakens the assertion

Uses and Misuses of the Passive

● The previous paragraph lacks of following – active and passive have been reversed

● The town council has been criticized for lack of concern with the appearance of our city, but look at what they have achieved in the past few weeks. They have repaired sidewalks on Valley Avenue. They have planted trees along the median strip of the Ocean Boulevard. They have installed attractive new street lights in front of the library. And they have planted flowers in the borders at City Park.

– the focus is clearly on the town council– a focus emphasized even more forcefully by the

repetition of they in each of the four active sentences

The Varieties of Be● Be as a main verb

– Type II: Jesse is outside– Type III: The sky is cloudy– Type IV: Those men are brutes

● Be as an auxiliary verb in the progressive aspect– Jerry is planting vegetables – present + BE + {-ing} + plant– Monica was eating the pie – past + BE + {-ing} + eat

● Be as an auxiliary in the passive voice– The pie was eaten by Monica – past + BE + {-en} + eat– Our pet iguana is adored by everyone – present + BE +

{-en} + adore● Existential be (equivalent to exist)

– Let it be! Let there be light! To be, or not to be: that is the question... There is/are (a) broken glass/es on the floor.

Other Transformations

● We create sentences with an incredibly rich and complex array of structures– positive sentences (five (limited) types) – to express

ideas– negative sentences – to express ideas– declarative sentences – to make a statement– imperative sentences – to issue a command– interrogative sentences - to ask a question

Exercise 4● Consider each pair of sentences below. First, what,

if any, is the difference in meaning between the two members of each pair? Then, what grammatically signals that difference in meaning?a) Ally dressed up as Tinker Bell on Halloween.b) Ally did not dress up Tinker Bell on Halloween.a) Max had eaten all his candy by the next day.b) Had Max eaten all his candy by the next day?a) You show me your costume.b) Show me your costume!a) Amanda saved the best candy for her.b) Amanda saved the bet candy for herself.