Universidad de Costa Rica
Escuela de Lenguas Modernas
Bachillerato en Inglés y Bachillerato en la Enseñanza del Inglés
Sección de II a IV Año
Course Syllabus
Course: English Grammar IV Requisites: LM-1351, LM-1352, LM-0354 or
LM-1353
Code : LM-0355 Correquisites: None
Credits: 2 Cycle : VI
Synchronous and asynchronous classes Type : Mixed
Level: Third year Modality: 100% virtual
I. Description
The English Grammar IV course is for third-year students of English as a foreign language.
It combines both traditional descriptive grammar with principles of functional grammar to show
how English sentences are constructed taking into account patterns that form units of meaning
units. This course has to do with the formal study of the English syntax paying special attention
to the variety of structures that make up complex sentences in various contexts. The goal of
the course is to improve the students’ understanding of English grammar and their ability to
select certain syntactic patterns in both oral and written communication. The principles of focus
on form are used to show the students different grammatical points important in the discourse
in different contexts.
II. Objectives
General
At the end of the course, the students will be able to talk about the factors that make a sentence
grammatical and appropriate following the principles of syntactic argumentation and analyzing
the elements that constitute a sentence (e.g. subjects, verbs and complements).
Specific
At the end of the course, the students will be able to
A. Apply syntactic argumentation to the analysis of a variety of elements of the English syntax
to determine the correct verb according to its meaning and syntactic category.
B. Use stative verbs and causative verbs in simple and complex sentences correctly.
C. Use phrasal and phrasal prepositional verbs according to their syntactic category (transitive
and intransitive) and semantics (compositional, semi-compositional, and non-
compositional) correctly.
D. Produce complex sentences using various clauses, phrases and sentence patterns
correctly.
E. Produce complex sentences according to the transformations of sentence patterns
correctly.
F. Write a short text on a current event using copulative, transitive, stative, causative, phrasal
and phrasal prepositional verbs correctly.
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III. Contents
1. Types of verbs: copulative, transitive, intransitive, ditransitive and complex transitive
2. Stative verbs and causative verbs
3. Phrasal verbs and phrasal prepositional phrases
a) Phrasal verbs: separable and non separable
b) Phrasal verbs: transitive and intransitive
c) Semantic categories of phrasal verbs
4. The ten basic sentence patterns
5. Transformations of sentence patterns
a) The transformation of interrogative sentences
b) The transformation of imperative sentences
c) The transformation of cleft sentences and expletives
d) Fronting and emphasis of adverbial structures
IV. Methodology
The methodology of this course is based on the presentation of contents by the instructor(s)
and their discussion on synchronous and asynchronous classes. This methodology also
includes the theory and exercises to practice during the sessions or assigned as homework.
The students have to participate actively in the discussion of the subject matter and in the
solution of exercises, either in pairs or in small groups to later share their answers to the rest
of the class.
To develop the class coherently and as part of their homework, the students are expected to
study and read before each synchronous session so that they are ready to have an active
participation and to do the exercises assigned as part of their asynchronous sessions. Students
will be given different texts and assignments that will help them understand the structures in
different contexts of the written and oral discourse. They will also be asked to show their
understanding of the subject matter studied in the production of different texts. Students are
responsible for getting the material of the course and for doing the exercises assigned in their
synchronous and asynchronous sessions. It is recommended that they get a good monolingual
English dictionary. The course will entirely be developed with the help of online platforms and
virtual tools.
V. Evaluation
Quizzes (minimum 3) 30%
Exam 1 30%
Exam 2 30%
Project 10%
Project description: Each instructor will tell his or her students if they will work individually or
in groups (the number of students will be decided by the instructor) to generate a product
based on the course contents. The project will be a written or an audiovisual short text about
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a current event. The instructor will hand in an evaluation scale and the guidelines for the
project accordingly.
Evaluation notes: Notas de Evaluación
1. If a student is absent to a test, he or she must send the corresponding document(s) to his
or her instructor, who will decide if the make-up of the test is viable based on artículo 24 del
Reglamento de Régimen Académico Estudiantil.
3. Instructors have 10 working days to hand in any test or graded assignment according to
article 22 of Régimen Académico Estudiantil.
VI. Bibliography
The course packet of the course includes extracts from the following authors:
Kolln, M. & Funk, R. (2012). Understanding English Grammar (9th Ed.). New York:
Longman.
Kolln, M, & Funk, R. (2012). Exercises for Understanding English Grammar (9th Ed.). New
York: Longman.
Frodesen, J. & Eyring J. (2000). Grammar Dimensions 4 (Platinum Ed.). Boston: Heinle &
Heinle.
Thewlis, S. (2000). Grammar Dimensions 3 (Platinum Ed.). Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Downing, A. & Locke, P. (2006). English Grammar: A University Course. Routledge: New
York.
Lester, M. (2012). English Verb Tenses Up Close. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Additional references:
Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999). The Grammar Book (2nd Ed.). USA:
Heinle & Heinle.
Maurer, J. (2000). Focus on Grammar. New York: Addison Wesley Longman.
Workman, G. (1996). Making Headway: Phrasal Verbs and Idioms, Advanced. Oxford: Oxford
University Pres
Additional information
1. Instructors will inform their students of their office hours.
2. Punctuality to synchronous sessions is recommended not to interrupt the development
of the class.
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TENTATIVE TIMETABLE
WEEK DATE ACTIVITIES
1 August 10-14 Types of verbs: copulative, transitive,
intransitive, ditransitive and complex transitive
2 August 17-21 Types of verbs: copulative, transitive,
intransitive, ditransitive and complex transitive
3 August 24-28 Stative verbs and causative verbs
Quiz 1
4 August 31– September 4 Stative verbs and causative verbs
5 September 7-11 Phrasal verbs and phrasal prepositional verbs
6 September 14-18 Phrasal verbs and phrasal prepositional verbs
Prueba corta 2
7 September 21-25 Phrasal verbs and phrasal prepositional verbs
8 September 28– October 2 Exam 1
9 October 5-9 Basic sentence patterns
10 October 12-16 Basic sentence patterns
Project is assigned.
11 October 19-23 Transformation of interrogative and imperative
sentences
12 October 26-30 Transformation of cleft sentences and expletives
Project is collected.
13 November 2-6 Transformation of cleft sentences and expletives
14 November 9-13 Fronted structures
Quiz 3
15 November 16-20 Fronted structures
16 November 23-27 Exam 2
December 4 Final grades
December 14 Make-up exam
