GST 111 Skills in Eenglish
GST 111 Skills in Eenglish
GST 111 Skills in Eenglish
MAIDUGURI
Maiduguri, Nigeria
CENTRE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING
ARTS
1
COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN ENGLISH 1
DIVISION OF GENERAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF
MAIDUGURI
By
2
STUDY GUIDE
GENERAL INFORMATION
Course Code and Title: GST 111: COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN
ENGLISH
Credit Unit: 2
Year: 2015
Total Hours - 28 hours @ two per Week of Study.
3
Table of Content
1. Cover page
2. Introduction to Course
3. Course objectives
4. Study Sessions:
1. The concept of speech and write
2. The concept of grammar
3. The different parts of speech
4. Different grammatical units in English
5. Sentences types and varieties
6. Question types in English
Introduction
4
English.
This study book is divided into five study sessions and each study
When you have studied this session, you should be able to:
speech is elegant and when we write, the document stands the test
is the study of how words are formed out of smaller units (called
6
is the nature of the grammatical operations by which its
sentence structure?’
language.
7
English words are classified into eight parts of speech according
she, he.
hurray!
The parts of speech can be divided into two: The closed – System
Articles
8
Demonstrative
s Prepositions
Conjunction
s Pronouns
Interjections
are: Noun
Adjectiv
e Adverb
Verb
in English.
phrase, clause and sentence) and these combine to make up all the
9
sentence patterns and structures in the language.
i. Morpheme
stand on their own to make sense (e.g. boy, she, at, etc) while
bound morphemes cannot stand on their own (e.g. il, un, ly, ness,
ii. Word
that they make meanings on their own. Such words are called
wife = housewife etc. words can also be complex when they are
10
e.g. il (bound morpheme) + logic (simple word) + al (bound
iii. Phrase
particular word acts as the ‘head’- i.e the most important word
within the phrase. A phrase is named after the part of speech that
when a noun acts as the head, a verb phrase or a VP, when a verb
English.
above)
phrase)
iv. Clause
11
e.g. a clause is normally made up of a subject and predicate and
independent clause (as is the case with the first two examples. But
v. The Sentence
12
iii. Object: it identifies who or what has been directly
shirt
He ate an apple
e.g.
(subject complement)
1. Major Sentences
13
ii. Multiple sentence: It is a sentence which can be
compound- complex
14
In a compound sentence, the clauses are linked by coordinating (or
linking conjunctions) usually by the coordinators such as and, or, but e.g.
c. The boy will leave today while the girl will arrive tomorrow
It is to be noted that the unit that are joined have the same status in the
and…and (n)either…(n)or
sentences on their own. It needs some other clauses before it can be used,
15
v. Compound - Complex
2. Minor Sentence
These are sentences which are constructed in an irregular way. They use
situations)
noises)
v. Instructions or Commentaries
Such sentences are said to have a declarative structure, e.g. She has
arrived
3.1 Questions – Are sentences which seek information. They fall into three (3)
main types depending on the kind of reply they expect, and how they are
16
constructed. Sentences formed in these ways are said to have an interrogative
structure.
‘no’
(c). Alternative question – This requires a reply which relates to the options
given in the sentences. They always contain the connecting words or.
Tag question expects reply yes or no. Sometimes the interrogative structue is left
17
3.1.3 Exclamatory Question
They express the speaker’s strong feelings and ask the hearer to agree.
They resemble questions in there structure, but they are used as if they were
i. Who cares!
3.2 Directives
These are sentences which instruct someone to do something. There are about
Exclamation: These are sentences whose main role is to express the extent to
which the speakers are impressed or aroused by something. They often take the
form of single words or short phrases (minor sentence). Their first element
18
begins with what or how and is followed by a subject and verb, in that order.
These are only used in dialogue. Their main function is to confirm, question, or
said.
Statements -
Directive -
Exclamation -
NOTE:
to refer to smaller units than the sentence itself. Traditionally, there is a primary
also the part of a sentence that changes its position as we go from statement to
question, e.g.
19
We shall now see how these elements cohere to produce grammaticality.
Conclusion
The above session explains the concept of parts of speech and grammar in
English. The session discusses all the various parts of speech, sentence
a. Knowing grammar
4) English words are classified into eight parts of speech according to their
function in a sentence
5) Parts of speech are further divided into two major class systems:
a. Open system
b. Closed sytem
6) English language has five grammatical units with morpheme as the smallest
meaningful unit, word, phrase, clause and sentence as its highest grammatical
unit.
8) Sentence can be grouped into two on the basis of major and minor sentences.
20
9) The major sentences can be further broken into:
It is assumed that since you have completed this study session 1, you should be
SAQ 1.3 (test learning outcomes 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 1.3.3, 1.3.4and 1.3.5)
- Unfaithfull
- Teachers
21
- Students
- Transportation
- Singers
- ate
clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term
refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes
a capital letter and ends with a full stop. The followings are different
sentences.
22
- Students = student+s = 2 morphemes
- Eat+ ed = 2 morphemes
Introduction
When you have studied this session, you should be able to:
2.4 explain how demonstrative adjectives (this, that, these, those) agree in
2.1 Concord
Therefore, certain rules dictate the agreement. Concord (or agreement) is a way
Therefore, we will now look at the grammatical relationship between subject and
verb, pronoun and its antecedent or a demonstrative adjective and the word it
modifies.
23
2.2 Verbs Agree in Number with their subjects
singular. When the subject is in the plural, the verb must be in the plural, e.g.
and the verb, there is the need to find the subject and make the verb agree
with it. Singular subjects followed by such expressions as with, together with,
ii. The chair, together with the table, has been stolen.
tomorrow
c). Use a plural verb with two or more subject joined by and
ii. The teacher and the students are visiting the king.
24
i. He likes the cap.
e). Use the singular verbs with two or more singular subjects joined by or (or
nor). If the subject differs in number or person, make the verb agree with the
Proximity Concord
plural and the other is singular, the verb agrees with the subject that is nearer to
it: e.g.
Note: The subjects differ in number so the verb must agree with
25
particularly careful to find the subject and make the verb
iv. The government is working hard to feed the nation h). When the
plural.
i). Use a singular verb with nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning,
ii. The news is about brilliant students and their carrier opportunities.
26
2.3 Singular Pronoun is used to refer to a singular Antecedent
neither, etc.
mathematics.
if you are considering the group as a unit, a plural pronoun if you are considering
a unit)
ii. The herd are headed towards different directions (the group as
individuals)
politician.
(c) If two or more antecedents are joint by and, use a plural to refer to them.
27
If two or more singular antecedents are joint by or, or nor use a singular
If one of the two antecedents joined by or, or nor is singular and one
2.5 One of …… refers to only one out of many. It should, therefore, take a
2.6 A subject that contains the phrase the number of …… takes a singular
verb: e.g.
spinsters.
28
2.7 A subject that contains the phrase a number of…. takes a plural verb: e.g.
class
exploitative
English
2. A singular subject agrees with singular verb and a plural verb agrees with
plural verb
that take singular nouns while demonstrative adjectives such as these and
It is assumed that since you have completed this study session 2, you should be
SAQ 2.1 (test learning outcomes 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4)
29
How demonstrative adjectives (this, that, these and those) agree in
iv. The man as well as his wife have been tested positive
iv. The man as well as his wife has been tested positive
Introduction
30
what generates into dialogue, commentaries, stated topics, and letters or in form
of a book. Any set of sentences which cohere in this way is called a text. A text
can be orally generated or in the written form. Many factors interact in pointing
When you have studied this session, you should be able to:
When you have studied this session, you should be able to:
When you have studied this session, you should be able to:
Define Paragraph
Grammatical connectivity
Essay writing
Letter writing
31
3.1 Paragraph Development, Sentence Connection, Essay and Letter
writing
book. Any set of sentences which cohere in this way is called a text. A text can
(i) Unity
(iii) M Development.
3.1.1 Unity
main idea. All examples, details and illustrations must be clearly related
3.1.2 Coherance
element of good writing. You can achieve coherence in three basic ways:
32
- By arranging your material logically;
your material.
3.2
space, paragraphs by a
identifies a word.
33
c The space separates words.
clauses.
34
3.3 Grammatical Connectivity:
frequency).
(frequency)
1. Choice of topic
meaningful discussion.
2. Selection of materials
and aim in mind: this affects both the materials we select for inclusion
and our way of presenting them. These factors combine to affect how far
3. Arrangement of materials
35
way to provide room for the paragraphs to be flowing naturally.
4. Style
This has to do with the language lexical items and the sentence
3.6 Argumentative
view.
ii. Descriptive
give information.
Giving instructions
36
(a) Always start straight away by stating the first thing that has
already.
it occurred.
(d) When you describe two or more events in the same sentence be
37
3.6 Letter Writing
newspapers.
Each kind of letter has its own style and form of salutation. Here
a. Your address.
The full address of the sender should be placed at the top right
hand corner of the page. Do not write your name above the
first, then the name of the month and the figure of the year at the
Airline”
In a formal letter, the name and address of the person to whom the
38
should use his official title not his name. However, if you are
official position of the writer, you will have to use his/her name
Director” etc.
(c ) Salutation.
the direction (if there is one). In all kinds of letters the salutation
you must state the post you are applying for (and where you saw it
39
responsibility you held (or still holding). Give the names and addresses
letter (with date). If the letter has a reference number, be sure to quote it,
e.g. your letter Ref. UM/FAG I/Vol. II of 20th May, 2001” or with
reference to your letter dated 20th July, 2001, Ref. UM/FAG. I/Vol. II
This is written at the bottom towards the right hand side of the
intimate wordings.
6.2 Signature
a. In a personal (or friendly) letter, use your first name only. In an informal
40
your surname, and in a formal letter, write your initial(s) and surname, (below the
signature)
put the word “Mrs” in bracket after her name if she is entitled to this
1. Simple English
margin .
periods etc.
people out side the organization, memos to people within (the organization). What
The range of memos is just as wide as the range of letters. A memo can be anything
41
multiple page memorandums on official stationery. Below is the layout of a memo.
i. TO: This usually gives the recipient’s full name and titles.
ii. FROM: Formal memos specify the senders full name titles; less formal
iii. DATE: The month is spelled out before day (followed by a comma) and
iv. SUBJECT: (Sometimes RE) Information on this line should be brief and
specific.
paragraphs.
report largely depends on knowing what the readers want. Some of the principles
ii. Connect Initial request, describe the problem and give the recommendation
42
(c) You should look at similar reports.
The length of the report largely depends on the report’s complexity and the
organization’s style in any case. A report can be in any of the following form.
Memo
(e) Complex report needs navigation tools like a table of contents, sections,
1. A paragraph contains one central idea. The idea summaries the central idea
of the paragraph
2. The topic sentence can come first or last sentence of the paragraph followed
development
and sentences
43
Narrative essays
10. Report writing are documents prepared to accomplish precise goals and the
It is assumed that since you have completed this study session 3, you should be able
SAQ 3.1 (test learning outcomes 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4)
sentences that together develop one central idea. The main sentence in a
44
how to punctuate with parentheses. Use a hyphen for compound adjectives.
i. Argumentative Essay
7. The difference between the two concepts of writing is that when writing a
letter you use simple English and paragraphing each new paragraph begins
with a little to the right of the margin capital letter and layout while report
45
Study Session 4 Word Formation Processes in English
Introduction
This section discusses how words are formed in English. Thus, this session
When you have studied this session, you should be able to:
4.5.1 Affixation
4.5.2 Conversion
4.5.3 Compounding
4.1 Morpheme
Ogungbe and Bossan (2008) define morpheme as the smallest meaningful unit of
Ogungbe and Bossan (2008) identify two types of morphemes in English language.
Free morphemes: These are morphemes that can stand on their own and can be
meaningful. Free morphemes are qualified or called simple words. They are root
46
words to which affixes are attached.Examples: talk, go, joy, fight, house etc.
Bound morphemes: These are morphemes that cannot stand on their own and be
meaningful. They are affixes. They can either be inflectional i.e, -s, -ed, -ing or
One thing that is important in deciding how many morphemes a word contains is
meaning. Examples:
Note that morpheme is not the same thing as syllable. Syllable is the smallest
pronounceable unit of a language. For example, the word came has one syllable
7. It is assumed that since you have completed this study session 4, you should
47
8. SAQ 4.1 (test learning outcomes 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4)
unit are called free morphemes while morphemes that are attached to the
3. There are three basic word formation process in English these are:
1. Affixation
2. Compounding
3. conversion
Introduction
Characteristics of pronouns
Pronouns can express or denote person, gender, number and case in English
SINGULAR PLURAL
I We
Me Us
He/she/ it They
48
5.2 Pronouns denote gender: e.g.
I am a farmer
He is a farmer
I me my/ mine
We us our/ours
He him his
Functions of Pronouns
1.1 Subject
49
She ate the food
Mary slapped me
They want him to contest for the post of chairman of his local
government area.
Her paper
His car
50
The chair is your
-Person
-gender
-number
-case
1. It is assumed that since you have completed this study session 5, you should
Define pronoun
51
The three types of cases and their functions in English
1. Pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. She, herself, it, and this
the sentence e.g. “Please give the present to Karen” it would read
1. Person (first, second or third; first is viewed right from the eyeballs,
3 Pronouns that are subjective can only function as subject of a sentence i.e.
I, We, They and He while pronouns that are objective can only function at the
object position of a sentence that is after the main verb i.e. us, them, me while
genitive or possessive pronouns can only show possession in English i.e. our, his
their, mine.
References
Ahmed, S.B. et al., (1999). Essential English for school certificate, Ibadan:
Spectrum
Crystal, D., (1995). A First dictionary of linguistics and phonetics London: Andre
Deutch.
52
Halliday, M.A.K. (1985) Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Edward
Arnold.
Darling Kindsley.
53
54
55