This book presents 14 essays on the topic of "E-Prime," a variant of the English language that eliminates the verbs of the "to be" family. Essays in the book claim that some of the benefits of using E-Prime in speech and writing are lively, concise writing and speaking; clearer, more critical thinking; better communication,…

It is proposed that explicit explanations of grammar concepts in the first language can be useful in teaching the related structures in a second language. The example used is that of the subjunctive mood, taught first in English and then in Spanish. Specific procedures for presenting the concept in English are outlined, including a set of…

A guidebook, accompanied by a companion book, directed toward English-speaking students learning Spanish and Spanish teachers, presents a step-by-step approach to learning/teaching the formation and uses of all subjunctive tenses in Spanish. The author assumes that students are already familiar with some grammatical concepts and terminology such…

As part of a research program investigating the interlanguage lexicon of Kenyan learners of English, based on the lexical field of locomotion, a card sorting task was used to produce raw similarity measure data. This was subjected to cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling (MDS). This paper suggests that cluster analysis/MDS of perceived…

A discussion of English native-language vocabulary acquisition in children takes a closer look at the assumption that vocabulary is learned by common association of word with event, focusing on the acquisition of verb meanings. The intuitive power of the view that words are learned by noticing real-world contingencies for their use is…

The expression of modal meanings presents a difficulty even for advanced speakers of a foreign language and it has been shown that beginning and intermediate learners produce few modal auxiliaries. To investigate the phenomenon, a functional/semantic framework was used to determine what forms these students use to convey a particular meaning. The…

A method is proposed for formalizing the basic meanings underlying the forms of verbs which contain future reference. The method proposed is intended as a contribution to pedagogical grammar rather than theoretical linguistics. See FL 508 197 for availability. (Author/RM)

Underlying structures in English sentences containing the verbs "order" and "tell" are compared. (Available from Studia Anglica Posnaniensia, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland) (RM)

This article discusses Nass-Gitksan, a native language of northern British Columbia. The basic syntactic structures of the language are presented, along with arguments to show that Nass-Gitskan is an ergative language both at the deep and the surface syntactic levels. (CLK)

Explains techniques used in teaching the process of nominalization to foreign students at the Universite de Paris VIII, in reaction to common usage in the press. The techniques specifically do not use a generative grammar approach but apply principles of transformation for syntactical description. (Text is in French.) (MSE)

It is possible to construct a case for the child's interpretation of "of" in "must of been" as the preposition "of" in the process of language acquisition. Assuming the familiar concept that linguists should construct the simplest analysis compatible with a phenomenon, it is suggested that some children construct a…

Intended for use by students at any level above grade 4, this practice book sharpens students' knowledge of basic grammar skills. The book emphasizes combining and expanding sentences as well as checking written sentences for correct use of various parts of speech. The book includes a section on capitalization and punctuation. The book is…

Intended for use by students at any level above grade 5, this practice book helps students master fundamental grammar concepts and avoid grammar errors commonly made in speaking and writing. The book emphasizes correct sentence structure and clarity of expression. The book includes editing and proofreading exercises and a section on capitalization…

In a study of very young children's pronunciation of nouns and verbs, ten children aged 20 to 25 months were exposed to experimental nouns and verbs, which had not yet been comprehended or produced by the children. Each of the objects and actions was given an experimental name based on phonemes in the children's speech. These objects and actions…

This book of supplemental exercises is one of a series of books designed to provide educational materials in addition to the instructional texts in the Adult Learning Skills Program. Exercises in this intermediate level book are for the English subject area. Course numbers and exercise topics are: 501 (nouns and articles, plurals, and nouns,…