English Syntax

COURSE SYLLABUS
A. Course Identity
Code :
Credit :2
Semester :V
Prerequisite : English Morphology
Lecturers : 1. Dr. Suleman Bouti, M.Hum
2. Dr. Rasuna Talib, M.Hum
3. Indri Wirahmi Bay, S.Pd, MA
4. Sri Widyarti Ali, S.Pd, M.Hum
5. Fahria Malabar, S.Pd, MA
6. Haris Danial, S.Pd, MA
Office Days : Monday – Friday by appointment

B. Course Description
This course aims at providing an overview of the concepts and basic
miscellaneous premises of English syntax. The course covers the knowledge of phrases,
clauses, and sentences constructions of English Language. Syntactic data analysis are
given to analyze in improving students’ ability to the utilization of the language
particularly the syntactically well-formed sentences.
The course consists of 16 meetings including mid-term and final examination, each
of which is set to 100 minutes of class meeting. Students who can enroll this subject are
those who pass English Morphology. This subject is also the prerequisite for the
subsequent course which is Semantics and Pragmatics.

C. Objectives
The aims of the course are:
1. To understand the basic premises of syntax
2. To understand the concept of phrases, clauses, and sentences
3. To understand the pattern of phrase, clause and sentence analysis
4. To understand the development and current issues on Syntax in language teaching.
5. To build positive characters (Discipline, Honesty, and Toughness)

D. Learning indicators:
1. Students are able to explain the basic premises of syntax
2. Students are able to explain the concept of phrases, clauses, and sentences
 3. Students are able to apply the pattern of phrase, clause and sentence analysis
4. Students are able to explain the development and current issues on Syntax in language
teaching

E. Course Outline
Week Date Topics Readings Important dates
1 Learning contract and syllabus
2 Introduction:
- concept of syntax, sentence:
definition, structure of sentence, kinds
of sentences.
3 Introduction to Transformational Analysis of
sentence
4 Phrases:
- Head and modifier
- Noun Phrase
5 Verb Phrases
6 Prepositional Phrase
7 Adjective and Adverb Phrases
8 Midterm
9 Constituents:
- Definition, types of constituents.
- Constituents analysis based on
function and category.
10 Constituents analysis based on constituents’
role
11 Clause: definition of clause, dependent &
independent clauses.
12 Sentence: definition, types of sentence
13 Transformational Analysis of Sentences
14 Constituency: Movement and Substitutions
15 Review (Syntax in Language Teaching)
16 Final Exam

F. Learning Strategies and Instructional Media

The materials are given through explanation, lecture, discussion, presentation,
and assignment. During the process, students should also improve their ability to think
critically and form independent assessment, improve their written and verbal
communication skills, improve their skills on syntactic analysis and their ability to use
non-lectured and non-prescribed materials.
Some readings will be given in advance of a lecture, and will definitely be
required afterwards so as to consolidate the understanding of the material and ideas
presented in the lecture.
 Learning Strategies:
 - Project based learning
- Cooperative learning
 Instructional Media:
- Printing media
- Audio-Visual media
- On-line media

G. Assessment
Proposed assessment component

Component Length Weighting Due

Attendance and n/a 10% Every meeting
participation
Task (Quiz) n/a 20% Week XV
Mid Test 10 pages min 30% Week 8
Final Test
Written Test 40% Week 16

Attendance
The class will be started on schedule so that all students must attend and
participate in the class regularly and punctually. There will be 16 meetings in this
subject. The all meetings cover whole material of this subject in which students own
their right to acquire the knowledge in class meeting, quiz, project, mid test, and final
test.
To pass this subject, students must attend at least 12 class meetings. Students
may miss 4 meetings without penalty. This is intended to allow for absence due to
illness or compassionate circumstances. Students who miss the class more than 4
meetings without any logical and acceptable reasons automatically will get zero for
the final score due to the academic system in UNG.

Participation
The item of participation does not equal to only enrolling and attending the
class for every single meeting. Consequently, students must participate actively and
contribute positively in class by giving opinion, ideas, or even constructive critics in
class discussion or lecture. This means that students cannot only be on silent during
the class to fulfill the item of participation which is 10% in final score.

Quiz
Quiz equals to the 20% of assignment item so that students must attend the
quiz session in meeting XV in order to get the score. There will be no remedial for
quiz session except for students who miss the class due to illness and other logical and
acceptable circumstances. Those students are able to have the second chance of quiz
one week after the day by contacting the lecturer. If the students do not do so
consequently they will get zero for the item of assignment.

Mid Test
The mid test contains 30% of total score. Students must submit their printed
research paper due to mid test. There will be NO RE-EXAM except for those who
miss the test due to illness or other logical and acceptable circumstances. Those
students are able to have the second chance of mid test one week after the deadline by
contacting the lecturer. If the students do not do so consequently they will get zero for
the item of mid test.

Final Test
Students must attend final test because mid test contains 40% of total score.
Final test covers the material from meeting IX to XIV. There will be NO RE-EXAM
except for students who miss the test due to illness or other logical and acceptable
circumstances. Those students are able to have the second chance of final test one
week after the deadline by contacting the lecturer. If the students do not do so
consequently they will get zero for the item of final test.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Academic integrity means that all work of students is her/his own original
work. All the sources must be fully acknowledgment. Plagiarism is “the use of
another person’s words, ideas as if they were one’s own. It may occur as a lack of
understanding and/in or inexperience about correct way to acknowledge and reference
sources. It may result from poor academic practice, which may include poor note
taking, careless downloading material or failure to take sufficient care in meeting the
required standard. It may also occur as a deliberate misuse of the work others with the
intent to deceive” (Thinking Through the Body Topic guide, WMST2009, Flinders
University)

Submissions, Deadlines, and Extensions

Deadlines exist for a purpose. They allow you to manage your time, and
enable me to manage my time. Assessing your works is time-consuming. Meeting
deadlines will enable me to give constructive feedback on your works so that you can
learn from it for the next time. Consequently, you should submit your works or do the
 exams punctually because extensions will not be granted after the due date except in
extraordinary cases supported by evidence. You also should sign the attendance list
when you submit your works or do the exams as the evidence that you have submitted
your works by the due date or have done the exams. Regarding the requirement on
quiz, mid and final test items, extension are unlikely to be granted for a period of more
than one week.
Computer problems, resource availability, and/or lost materials do not
constitute grounds for an extension.

If you are facing or experiencing any difficulties understanding an assigned

task or meeting a deadline, you are encouraged to consult me as soon as the problem
is apparent. I do understand that personal problems such as illness, works or family
responsibilities usually affect everyone at some extents. If you let me know the
difficulties promptly, I will be able to negotiate a better solution. The best way to
negotiate an extension is in person discussion with me rather than asking your friends
to talk to me about your problems.
In terms of lost or mislaid works, resubmission, and re-exam, I will not
approve a grade for students who claim that their works have been submitted or have
done the exams and subsequently gone astray unless the students have the evidence
that they have submitted their works or have done the exams. Consequently, you must
therefore keep a copy of all works submitted and have the evidence of your
submission (Thinking through the Body Topic guide, WMST2009, Flinders
University).

H. Quality Standard and Grading System

There are a specified number of points available for each assignment and
assessment. The final grade will be determined by the number of points accumulated
in percent as follows:
Participation 10%
Assignment 20%
Midterm Exam 30%
Final Exam 40%

Grades:
A : 100-90%
A- : 89-85%
B+ : 84-80%
B : 79-75%
B- : 74-70%
 B : 79-75%
C : 64-60%
C+ : 69-65%
C- : 59-55% (Fail)
D : Fail
I. References
Learning material will be taken from several sources such as textbook and be
available through internet correspondence. Some texts used in the course:

Aarts, Bas. 2001. English Syntax and Argumentation. England: Palgrave Distribution Ltd.

Bussman, Hadumod. 1998. Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics. London and
New York: Routledge.

Crystal, David. 2008. A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics: Sixth Edition. USA:
Blackwell Publishing.

Downing, Angela and Philip Locke. 2006. English Grammar: A University Course Second
Edition. London and New York: Routledge and Taylor & Francis Group.

Greenbaum, Sidney. 1996. The Oxford English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jackson, H. 2005. Good Grammar for Students. London: Sage Publications.

Miller, Jim. 2002. An Introduction to English Syntax. Edinburgh: Edindurgh University Press.

Newson, Mark. Et al. Basic English Syntax and Exercise. Budapest: Bolcsesz Konzorcium
HEFOP Iroda.

Van Gelderen, Elly. 2010. An Introduction to the Grammar of English: Revised edition.
Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Van Valin Jr, Robert. D. 2004. An Introduction to Syntax. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.

Code of Conduct

1. Everybody is expected to follow the rules of academic conduct.

2. You are expected to come to class on time, or at least 15 minutes after class begins.
3. Turn off/silent your cell phones, i-pods, etc before class begins.
4. When you are absent, you must arrange to do any works or homework that were assigned.
5. It is a good idea to have the phone numbers of few classmates, so that you can call one
person to find out about any assignment or missed class work.
6. If you miss the class due to illness, you must share the information to your lecturer or
classmates promptly by texting or calling them.
7. For those who are absent due to being representative of department or university in
regional, national, or even international program, they must consult the lecturer at least
one day before the meeting so that they will not find any difficulties with the subject.
8. You are forbidden to signing up for someone else on the attendance sheet, “helping”
someone else with quizzes and homework assignments, examinations, cutting and pasting
text from someone else’s work (including websites) without proper citation, or
paraphrasing someone else’s work without crediting the source.
9. It is each student's responsibility to seek information about the assignments, quizzes,
examinations, and the boundaries of appropriately working with others on assignments,
papers, experiments, or examinations.
10. If you wish to consult or work with another student on an assignment and you are not sure
of the course rules, ask the lecturer.
11. The best way to get in touch with me is to talk to me right after class, during my office
hours, or to text or e-mail me. Please use my office hours. Face-to-face interaction is
usually more effective than lengthy e-mail or sms communication. If you send me a text
or an e-mail, make sure you use a professional tone. I will respond promptly.