VOA日常语法2023--Grammar and Trees

Grammar and Trees

Comparisons are a useful tool for learning new information. They help us make connections and increase our enjoyment¹ of learning.

In this week's Everyday Grammar, we will use a comparison to teach you some important ideas about English grammar and words.

We will use trees – yes, those plants consisting of roots, a trunk, branches and leaves – as our point of comparison.

You will learn about how trees and English sentences have much in common. We will also compare trees to individual words.

Visualization², English sentences

Let's take a moment to do a visualization.

Imagine an image of a tree. It could be a small tree, a large tree, or a colorful tree.

Note the trunk, the branches, and leaves or flowers.

Now let's compare our tree to English sentences.

English 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.

The subject and predicate are like the roots and trunk of the sentence. They provide stability³ and strength. They are the basis for the sentence.

Then 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.

Consider this sentence:

The students consider the class a challenge.

Let's start by identifying the subject and predicate of the sentence.

We start with the noun phrase, "the students." Then we have the predicate, which begins with the verb "consider."

Sentences 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 defined⁴ as having roots and a trunk.

In 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.

When 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.

Learning to identify these sentence patterns is much like learning to identify different tree species⁵.

Different species

Let's take an example.

At the beginning of this report, you heard the following line:

Imagine an image of a tree.

Note that the subject of this sentence does not appear. In imperative⁶ sentences such as this, we generally leave out the subject. The subject is suggested but not stated.

If 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.

Roots at the level of words

Up until now, we have compared trees to English sentences. But we can also compare trees to individual words.

Language, 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.

We 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.

Many etymology⁷ – 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.

When 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.

Closing thoughts

The 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.

Language learning can be like exploring unknown territory. But a few important skills – recognizing patterns and making connections - can help you on your path.

Words in This Story

phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express an idea but do not form a complete sentence

stability -- 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

basis -- n. something from which another thing develops or can develop

pattern – n. a system based on the relationship of individual parts

species -- n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

imperative – n. the form that a verb or sentence has when it is expressing a command or directions

decoration -- n. something that is added to something else to make it more attractive

1 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

2 visualization   

n.想像，设想

参考例句：

• In 2D visualization and drawing applications, vertical and horizontal scrolling are common. 在二维的可视化及绘图应用中，垂直和水平滚动非常普遍。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Ophthalmoscopy affords the only opportunity for direct visualization of blood vessels. 检眼镜检查法提供直接观察血管的唯一机会。

3 stability   

n.稳定，稳固

参考例句：

• The situation is tending towards stability.局势趋于稳定。
• She lacks emotional stability.她的情绪不稳定。

4 defined   

adj 定义的; 清晰的

参考例句：

• These categories are not well defined. 这些类别划分得不太明确。
• The powers of a judge are defined by law. 法官的权限是由法律规定的。

5 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

6 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

7 etymology   

n.语源；字源学

参考例句：

• The hippies' etymology is contentious.关于嬉皮士的语源是有争议的。
• The origin of OK became the Holy Grail of etymology.OK的出典成了词源学梦寐以求的圣杯。