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Grammar - Everyday Grammar - Popular Culture and Academic Writing |
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| Popular Culture and Academic Writing |
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 Popular
Culture and Academic Writing
The lesson includes an audio program explaining this
grammar topic, the script for the audio program, a words in this story section,
and other important information. |
Audio Program
Listen to the audio program explaining this grammar
topic. Then read the following written information. |
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Popular Culture and Academic
Writing |
Popular culture can teach you about English grammar. You
might be surprised to know that music and films can show
you how to use difficult grammatical structures.
How so?
Consider the song "Capable of Anything" by the American
singer Ben Folds.
"We’re told we are capable of anything
But you don’t seem to think that you are
Capable of anything"
In today's report, we will explore one structure that
you heard twice in the song – an adjective + preposition
combination. The words "capable of" are an example of
this type of structure.
Last week, we discussed common adjective and preposition
combinations in everyday speech.
This week, we will explore such combinations in academic
writing. Even though these structures are most often
used in writing, we will give you fun examples of how
speakers use them in songs and films, too.
But before we give you more specific examples of these
combinations, we need to give you a few definitions.
What are adjective and
preposition combinations?
Adjectives are words that describe nouns. They can come
before a noun or after a non-action verb, sometimes
called a linking verb.
These adjectives sometimes go with specific
prepositions. Together, these adjectives and
prepositions make combinations that have specific
meanings.
When adjectives come before a noun, the adjective is
almost never followed by a preposition. When adjectives
come after a non-action verb, they may be followed by a
preposition.
Here are two examples:
1: The students are happy.
2: The students are happy with the test results.
In the former sentence, the adjective happy describes
the noun students. There is no preposition.
In the latter sentence, the adjective "happy" comes
after the non-action verb BE. After the BE verb and the
adjective "happy," there is a preposition: with. "Happy
with" is one example of an adjective and preposition
combination.
Susan Conrad and Douglas Biber are language experts.
They note that there are six common adjective and
preposition combinations in academic writing.
We will not study all of these combinations today.
Instead, we will study three of them: adjective + of,
adjective + for and adjective + to.
Adj. + of
One common adjective and preposition combination is
adjective + of.
Consider these lines from the 1961 film, Judgment at
Nuremberg:
"My counsel says we were not aware of the extermination
of the millions. He would give you the excuse we were
only aware of the extermination of the hundreds. Does
that make us any the less guilty?"
You will notice that the speaker used "aware of" twice.
"Aware of" is a formal way of saying that someone knows
about the existence or happening of a certain thing.
"Aware of" is one example of an adjective + of
combination.
Other common examples include "independent of" and
"capable of," which you heard at the beginning of our
report.
You might read these types of expressions in academic
books about law, psychology, and so on.
Adj. + for
A second common adjective and preposition combination is
adjective + for.
Once again, lines from the film Judgment at Nuremberg
show you how speakers might use these structures:
"Are we now to find the American industrialists guilty?
No, Your Honor. No! Germany alone is not guilty: The
whole world is as responsible for Hitler's Germany."
You heard the words "responsible for" in the movie clip.
"Responsible for" is one example of an adjective + for
structure.
Other common examples include "essential for" and
"necessary for."
You might read these types of expressions in many types
of academic books – philosophy, politics, and so on.
Adj. + to
Our final common adjective and preposition combination
is adjective + to.
The words from the Beatles' song The End use this
structure.
"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love
you make."
"Equal to" means that something is the same in number,
amount, or quality. Other common examples include
"identical to" and "similar to."
You will often read these types of expressions in
mathematics or physics books.
What can you do?
The next time you are reading a book or watching
television in English, try to look for examples of
adjective + a preposition. Does the writer or speaker
use one of the structures we talked about today? Does
the writer or speaker use different structures?
Learning these adjective + preposition combinations can
be difficult. But if you work hard and practice, you
will be capable of anything.
We are going to end our report with a homework
assignment. Try to use "aware of," "capable of,"
"responsible for," or "equal to" in sentences. Write
your sentences in the comments section of our website.
I'm John Russell.
And I'm Jill Robbins.
John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. Caty
Weaver was the editor. |
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Words in This Story |
- capable
– adj. able to do
something : having the qualities or abilities that
are needed to do something — + of
-
preposition – n.
grammar : a word or group of words that is used with
a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show direction,
location, or time, or to introduce an object
- academic
– adj. of or relating
to schools and education
- specific
– adj. special or
particular
- counsel
– n. law : a lawyer who
represents a person or group in a court of law
- aware
– adj. knowing that
something (such as a situation, condition, or
problem) exists
-
extermination – n.
the act of destroying or killing (a group of
animals, people, etc.)
- formal
– adj. suitable for
serious or official speech and writing
- essential
– adj. extremely
important and necessary
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Grammar Tips |
Can You Catch These Native Speaker Mistakes?
(Beginner - Listening)
An audio lesson to
help with your understanding of common mistakes. The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this
audio program. |
Commonly Confused Words: Part One
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of commonly confused
words.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page. |
Commonly Confused Words: Part One
(Beginner - Listening)
An audio lesson to
help with your understanding of commonly confused
words. The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this
audio program. |
Commonly Confused Words: Part Two
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of commonly confused
words.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page. |
Commonly Confused Words: Part Two
(Beginner - Listening)
An audio lesson to
help with your understanding of commonly confused
words. The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this
audio program. |
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