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DESCRIBING THE GRAMMAR OF SPEECH AND WRITING

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DESCRIBING THE GRAMMAR OF SPEECH AND WRITING 2 This paper has been written in an attempt to compare and contrast spoken and written language. For this purpose two texts, one using spoken language, the other written, have been chosen (Appendix A and B). Their grammar and syntax have then been compared and assessed on the basis of their noun phrases (task one) and other clauses (task two) in addition to a general comparative analysis of the two texts. The first two hundred words of both the texts were sifted through to identify noun phrases in both the texts. The head-nouns have then been underlined and the other slots of the noun phrase: determiner / numerator, pre-modifiers and post-modifiers have also been discussed and analysed. Following are the noun phrases with underlined head nouns from the spoken texts first 200 words (Appendix A).
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. A problem for us The west of honesty The reason for going A lie The concern that weapons of mass destruction The hands of the Saddam Hussein regime A regime that used such weapons The United States and Britain with these weapons of mass destruction The weapons of mass destruction

10. The machine tools 11. The ingredients for his biological weapons 12. The record

13. The library of Congress 14. The premise of your question

DESCRIBING THE GRAMMAR OF SPEECH AND WRITING 3 Listed below are the noun phrases identified in the first 200 words of the second text that represents the written language. The head-nouns have been underlined in a similar pattern. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
The sorrow Innocent civilians The pictures The story of grief. The fifth day The Israelis Besieged Gaza using all kinds of sophisticated weaponry Sophisticated weaponry The Israelis have ever invented.

10. Big countries that are expected to play a pacifying role in conflicts 11. A pacifying role in conflicts 12. The wound 13. The right to defend itself 14. The Gaza people have no rights at all? 15. The current attack 16. A lesson 17. Home-made rockets 18. The same time 19. The influential Hamas commander A al-Jaabari. 20. A balanced war 21. A wrestling match between an elephant and a turtle 22. An elephant 23. A turtle

DESCRIBING THE GRAMMAR OF SPEECH AND WRITING 4 In brief a noun phrase can be defined as that word or group of words which predominantly contain one head noun. In general it contains four elements: determiner / indicator; head noun, pre-modifier and post-modifier. The modifiers can again be a word of a phrase. The other types of phrases such as verb phrase, prepositional phrase, adjective phrase and relative clauses. Any of these may act as a modifier. The tables below elaborate the classification of the modifiers of the noun phrases listed above for text one and text two. Table 1 classifies the noun phrases of the first text that is the text of spoken language. Noun Phrase Determiner /Numerator A problem for us The concern that weapons of mass destruction The machine tools A regime that used such weapons Table 1: Classification of Noun Phrases of Text 1. A That used such weapons The machine The That weapons of mass destruction A Verb Phrase Prepositional Phrase For us Adjective Phrase Relative Clause

DESCRIBING THE GRAMMAR OF SPEECH AND WRITING 5 Noun Phrase Determiner /Numerator The story of grief. The fifth day The Fifth The Verb Phrase Prepositional Adjective Phrase Of grief Phrase Relative Clause

Besieged Gaza using all kinds of sophisticated weaponry Big countries that are expected to play a pacifying role in conflicts

Using all kinds of sophisticated weaponry

Besieged

Big

That are expected to play a pacifying role in conflicts

Table 2: Noun Phrase Classification of Text 2 When we compare the two texts on the basis of the two tables, we deduce that the written language of text two had more variety of elements usage in the noun phrases as well as generally for example the text one contained no verb phrases as modifiers while the text two contain several verb phrases.

DESCRIBING THE GRAMMAR OF SPEECH AND WRITING 6 In the following dialogue taken from the first text, the other various types of phrases and clauses have been indicated with ||while the embedded clauses have been indicated with [[ ]]. PILGER: Isn't there a problem for us in the West of honesty about the reason for |going to war| in Iraq and |that was weapons of [mass destruction]|? FEITH: |I don't think| |that was a lie|. |We went to war| |in [large part] [because of the concern]| |that weapons of [mass destruction]| in the ... in the hands of |[the Saddam Hussein] regime| ... |a regime that [used such weapons]| ... in particular nerve gas... PILGER: ... and |was supplied [by the United States]| and Britain with |these weapons of mass destruction|... FEITH: No, |I don't believe [that's accurate]|. PILGER: Well, yes they were. Most, most of the weapons of mass destruction from Saddam Hussein weren't built by him. |The machine tools| and |the ingredients [for his [biological weapons]]| |all came from other countries|, many of them |from this country and Britain|. FEITH: |I don't think [that's right]|. I think, |I [really think]| that the... PILGER: Well, it's on the record... FEITH: Well... PILGER: ... in the Library of Congress... FEITH: I think that... I think that the premise of your question is wrong. [...] PILGER: Why is it |wrong for dictators and terrorists| to |kill [innocent civilians]|,
|I cant even begin| |[to describe] [what is [going on in Gaza] now]|. |I am lost for words|. No |words can express the sorrow|, sadness and |pain [that have fallen on] [innocent civilians]|, |most of whom [are women and children]|. Just look at |some of the pictures| and |they [tell the [story of grief]]|. These images |speak for themselves|. This is |the fifth day| |the Israelis are shelling| |[besieged Gaza] [using all kinds of [sophisticated weaponry]]| |which the West and the Israelis [have ever invented]|. What hurts more is when |you hear [big countries]| that are expected |to play [a pacifying role]| in conflicts |add salt to the wound|. |Instead of [asking both sides [to stop]]|, they say instead: |Israel has [the right to defend itself]|. Does that mean that |the [Gaza people] have [no rights at all]|? According to the Israelis, |with [the current attack]| |they [want to teach Gaza a lesson| because |previously Hamas and [some its factions [launched [home-made rockets]]]| against the Israelis. But at the same time, |Israel assassinated [the influential Hamas commander Ahmad Al-Jaabari] |. |Excuse me|, |but [this is not [a balanced war]] |. It is like |a wrestling match between an elephant and a turtle|.

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References:
Hopper, Paul J. A Short Course in Grammar. W.W. Norton & Company: New York, 1999. Huddleston, Rodney. Introduction to the Grammar of English. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1984. Kurland, Daniel J. "Complete Reference: The Noun Phrase." How the Language Really Works: The Fundamentals of Critical Reading and Effective Writing. 2003. Critical Reading. 3 Apr. 2009.

Appendix A
Text 1: spoken Transcribed interview between John Pilger and Douglas Feith PILGER: Isn't there a problem for us in the West of honesty about the reason for going to war in Iraq and that was weapons of mass destruction? FEITH: I don't think that was a lie. We went to war in large part because of the concern that weapons of mass destruction in the ... in the hands of the Saddam Hussein regime ... a regime that used such weapons ... in particular nerve gas... PILGER: ... and was supplied by the United States and Britain with these weapons of mass destruction... FEITH: No, I don't believe that's accurate. PILGER: Well, yes they were. Most, most of the weapons of mass destruction from Saddam Hussein weren't built by him. The machine tools and the ingredients for his biological weapons all came from other countries, many of them from this country and Britain. FEITH: I don't think that's right. I think, I really think that the... PILGER: Well, it's on the record... FEITH: Well... PILGER: ... in the Library of Congress... FEITH: I think that... I think that the premise of your question is wrong. [...] PILGER: Why is it wrong for dictators and terrorists to kill innocent civilians, and right or excusable for the United States to do exactly the same. FEITH: Well, the United States doesn't do it, and if we did it, it would be as reprehensible as... as what the terrorists do. PILGER: The United States doesn't kill... innocent civilians? FEITH: No, the United States does not target civilians. PILGER: Hmm. Those of us on the outside who look at September 11, where 3,000 people died in that tragedy, but then look at the thousands who have died since, wonder about double standards here. Could you address that? FEITH: I think that the... I think that the... numbers that you're... talking about are... are questionable, so let's... let's leave aside your... PILGER: Why are they questionable? FEITH: I... I don't accept your assertion that we've killed thousands of... of innocent people. But... let me get... PILGER: There's a lot of... There's a lot of studies... and examination of facts on the ground that suggest indeed thousands. I mean in Iraq at the moment... there are studies that are talking about 10,000. But I don't want to get into numbers, but certainly thousands seems a fair figure. FEITH: I don't... I don't know that that's true, and... and I don't accept the assertion.

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Appendix B:
Text 2: written Jailed and Massacred I cant even begin to describe what is going on in Gaza now. I am lost for words. No words can express the sorrow, sadness and pain that have fallen on innocent civilians, most of whom are women and children. Just look at some of the pictures and they tell the story of grief. These images speak for themselves. This is the fifth day the Israelis are shelling besieged Gaza using all kinds of sophisticated weaponry which the West and the Israelis have ever invented. What hurts more is when you hear big countries that are expected to play a pacifying role in conflicts add salt to the wound. Instead of asking both sides to stop, they say instead: Israel has the right to defend itself. Does that mean that the Gaza people have no rights at all? According to the Israelis, with the current attack they want to teach Gaza a lesson because previously Hamas and some its factions launched home-made rockets against the Israelis. But at the same time, Israel assassinated the influential Hamas commander Ahmad Al-Jaabari. Excuse me, but this is not a balanced war. It is like a wrestling match between an elephant and a turtle. Even Hamas missiles hardly hit anybody. Of how many years you can count any casualties of these rockets on your fingers? Today, in comparison, a strike on Gaza massacred a whole family. First of all, Israel does not exist on its land. It occupied that land in 1948. These people, when they throw simple and trivial missiles, the West and the whole world should ask: Why? On top of that, their land is occupied and they live in constant agony. Most of the politicians have visited Gaza and know the situation there. Gaza has been under siege for ages. Poverty prevails all over. There is no infrastructure or electricity for half the year. There is no proper food or medicine. There are no jobs and no freedom. Gaza is literary a big jail. One day the border crossing Rafah is open and another 10 days later it is closed. Even when it is open, people have to provide millions of documents to pass. It is not a walk in the park. Imagine if you live in such conditions. What will happen to your mind? People who live in big cities and have all luxuries lose it. Put yourselves in Gazas shoes and tell me what would happen? Will you ever come up with the response that Israel has the right to defend itself. Forgive me Gaza, this is the least I could do for you!