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Syntax and Morphology: Assignment 1

The Plain English Campaign's mission is to convince the government organisations to use easy to read English in their documents and correspondences. They want the language to be written keeping the reader' ability to process information comfortably in mind. Below is a morphological and syntactical analytical comparison between the texts written by some organisations and the modified versions by the Plain English Campaign.

Morphological Complexity

The both groups use the three types of lexical expression, for example:

are ( strong suppletion)

can (weak suppletion) and

read ( isomorphism).

They do not have much difference in the number of verbs used either. They both have inflected and derived forms of words. However, an analysis shows that there is a significant difference in the way they use derived forms .The use of inflected words also differs. Below are all the inflected and derived words from the both groups:

Pair 1

	inflectional	derivational
Before	environments	Free Root : Learning, precondition, enhancement, ongoing Bound root : Facilitation
After	Schools	Free root: properly

Pair 2

	inflectional	derivational
Before	Points, particulars, details, required	Free root : additional, telephone Bound root : Explanation
After	questions

Pair 3

	inflectional	derivational
Before	Notes, detailed, sections, provided, its	Free root: Information, compound root: overleaf Bound root: Opposite
After	Notes, provided	Bound root: Opposite,

Pair 4

	inflectional	derivational
Before	Posters, leaflets, rights, gives, displayed, issued, bodies, libraries, items, excluded, considered	Free root: supplementary, , information, Bound root: security, disputatious Entrance, central, authoritativeness
After	Posters	Bound root: Permission, entrance, compound root: anyone

The tables above show that the 'before' groups contain many derived forms than the 'after' groups. As the sentences are longer and contain more words , the number of agglutinative inflected forms, for example, 'excluded', 'considered' etc. where a bound morpheme attaches to the end of a word to create a different form of the word, is higher in 'before' group.

The use of modal verb 'shall', instead of 'will' to show authoritativeness is another morphological characteristic of the 'before' group:

We [shall] be glad to furnish such additional details .. (pair 1)

It is important that you [shall] read the notes, advice and information detailed opposite. (pair 2)

Phrase and Sentence Complexity

A characteristic that affects immensely a reader's ability to read is how the hard-to-read group constructs their sentences. By definition a complex sentence consists of one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. An analysis of the texts shows that it is not the complex sentences that make the texts difficult ; it is the complexity of the internal syntactic construction and distribution of dependant clauses that may create high degree of complexity in sentences and affects readability. For example :

[Children need good schools]i [if they are to learn properly]d.

The above sentence from the Plain English group of pair (1) is defined as a complex sentence but easy to read. On the other hand, the text below is also made up of complex sentences but its distribution of clauses has made the text difficult to read:

[Your enquiry about the use of the entrance area at the library for the purpose of displaying posters and leaflets about Welfare and Supplementary Benefit rights, gives rise to the question of the provenance and authoritativeness of the material]S1 [to be displayed]Relative clause. [Posters and leaflets [ issued by the Central Office of Information, the Department of Health and Social Security and other authoritative bodies]Relative clause are usually displayed in libraries,]S1 but [items of a disputatious or polemic kind, [whilst not necessarily excluded,]Relative clause are considered individually]S1.

Complexity is clearly seen in the second sentence where two matrix clauses are connected together by a coordinating conjunction 'but'. Each matrix clause also contains a relative clause which is embedded into the main clause. What makes it difficult is that relating embedded subordinating clauses with their main clauses may delay readers understanding of a text.

Embedding is also seen in pair (2) of 'before' group:

[If [there are any points on which] you require explanation or further particulars] [we shall be glad]S1 [to furnish such additional details [as may be required by telephone]Relative clause]Adverbial clause

Here is a main clause S1 preceded by the non finite 2nd conditional clause which also embeds another dependent clause. Moreover, the main clause is also followed by a non finite adverbial clause embedding a relative clause.

Whereas the Plain English group avoids embedding clauses in their texts, as it shows in pair 1. Another example is in pair 2 (b):

[If you have any questions,]S2 [please ring]S1.

Here the complex sentence consists of a dependent clause and a finite second conditional clause.

Another feature that affects the readability of the 'before' group is the use of long complicated constituents. In the example below, constituents in the parentheses are large constituents consisting of several phrases embedded in them :

[Your enquiry about the use of the entrance area at the library for the purpose of displaying posters and leaflets about Welfare and Supplementary Benefit rights]DP1 [INFL[gives rise to [the question of the provenance and authoritativeness of the material to be displayed]DP2]VP]IP1.[Posters and leaflets issued by the Central Office of Information, the Department of Health and Social Security and other authoritative bodies]NP1 are usually displayed in libraries , but items of a disputatious or polemic kind, whilst not necessarily excluded, are considered individually.

DP2 is a constituent embedded in constituent IP1. All these phrases are constituents because they function as a single word in the sentences above. For example, Substituting the DP1 and NP1 by two single pronouns:

[This] DP1 gives rise to the question of the provenance and authoritativeness of the material to be displayed. [They]NP1 are usually displayed in libraries , but items of a disputatious or polemic kind, whilst not necessarily excluded, are considered individually.

By substituting DP2 with a single word:

[Your enquiry about the use of the entrance area at the library for the purpose of displaying posters and leaflets about Welfare and Supplementary Benefit rights]DP1 gives rise to [questions]DP2.

By asking 'Wh' questions:

Q. What gives rise to the question of the provenance and authoritativeness of the material to be displayed?

Ans. [Your enquiry about the use of the entrance area at the library for the purpose of displaying posters and leaflets about Welfare and Supplementary Benefit rights]DP1

Q. What does your enquiry about the use of the entrance area at the library for the purpose of displaying posters and leaflets about Welfare and Supplementary Benefit, give rise to?

Ans. [the question of the provenance and authoritativeness of the material to be displayed]DP2

Q. What are usually displayed in libraries?

Ans. [Posters and leaflets issued by the Central Office of Information, the Department of Health and Social Security and other authoritative bodies]NP

To show the IP1 as a constituent ,'so does' can be used:

So does my enquiry (my enquiry gives rise to the question too)

Other meaningful IPs could be coordinated with IP1:

For example, [This] DP1 [gives rise ...] IP1 and [makes us aware.......]

As shown above, constituents can sometimes be consisted of many phrases affecting the readability of a text as the reader has to process the string of information as a clump.

The plain Campaign group has modified the sentence to make the constituents relatively shorter :

Thank you for [your letter asking permission to put up posters in the entrance area of the library]DP. Before we can give you an answer we will need to see a copy of the posters to make sure they won't offend anyone.

The constituent above can be replaced by 'this':

Thank you for [this]DP.

A grammatically correct reply can be received by asking a 'Wh' question :

Q. Thank you for what?

Ans. [your letter asking permission to put up posters in the entrance area of the library]DP

The hard-to-read also tends to provide a lot of information by using prepositional phrases. Every prepositional phrase gives information that needs to be noticed before getting the full understanding of the text:

[Your enquiry [about the use [of the entrance area]PP7 [at the library ]PP6[for the purpose [[of displaying posters and leaflets]PP5 [about Welfare and Supplementary Benefit rights]PP4]PP3]PP2]PP1 , gives rise to [the question [of the provenance and authoritativeness [of the material]PP9]PP8 to be displayed]DP. Posters and leaflets issued [by the Central Office of Information, the Department of Health and Social Security and other authoritative bodies]PP10 are usually displayed [in libraries]PP11 , but items [of a disputatious or polemic kind]PP12, whilst not necessarily excluded are considered individually.

The modified group contains only four PPs:

Thank you [for your letter asking permission to put up posters [in the entrance area [of the library] PP3] PP2]PP1. Before we can give you an answer we will need to see a copy [of the posters] PP4 to make sure they won't offend anyone.

Each PP consists of a Head which is a preposition followed by a DP which is the complement of the phrase. For example:

[of] Head[the entrance area]Complement

The before group chooses to add many modifying phrases in a simple clause which may affect a reader's ability to process information quickly. Following is a simple sentence from pair 1 (a) :

[High-quality learning]AdjP environments]NP are a [[necessary]AP precondition]NP for [facilitation and enhancement]NP of the [[ongoing learning]AdjP process]NP.

Also a chain of abstract nouns such as facilitation and enhancement, which are not needed to use in daily conversation, have been used by the group.

In contrast to that, pair 1(b) uses only two simple modifying phrases in the whole sentence.

Children need [good]AdjP schools if they are to learn [properly]AdvP.

The use of constituents functioning as adverb phrases can also make a text complex. The following example is taken from pair 3(a) :

It is important that you shall read the notes, advice and information detailed opposite then complete the form overleaf (all sections)[ prior to its immediate return to the Council by way of the envelope provided]AdvP.

The whole phrase can be deleted or moved to the front without affecting the grammatical structure of the sentence.

Range of Sentence Types

The differences in their pragmatically marked construction of the sentences to show speech act or mood are quite evident. The hard group uses subject-verb-(object) order in most cases which is the typical structure of a declarative sentence. However, The purpose of the sentence type is not always to declare or state information. For example, pair 3 (a) has used sentences that are written in both declarative (d) and imperative (i) style but only to provide instructions:

[[It]S [is]V [important that you shall read the notes, advice and information detailed opposite]O]d [then [complete]V[ the form overleaf]O (all sections) prior to its immediate return to the Council by way of the envelope provided.]i

In the same pair 3 (b) the form agrees with the function. To express a request, it has used the imperative form which typically begins with the base form of the verb followed by object/s. Subjects are normally omitted:

Please [read]V [the notes]O opposite before you fill in the form.

Then [send]V [it]O back to us as soon as possible in the envelope provided.

In the above sentence 'please' is used to show politeness and is not a part of S-V-(O) construction.

Pair 4 (a) is syntactically marked to be declarative. It also functions to express information:

[Your enquiry about the use of the entrance area at the library for the purpose of displaying posters and leaflets about Welfare and Supplementary Benefit rights]S, [gives]Tran V rise to the question of the provenance and authoritativeness of the material to be displayed. [Posters and leaflets issued by the Central Office of Information, the Department of Health and Social Security and other authoritative bodies]S [are]Aux usually [displayed]V in libraries, but [items of a disputatious or polemic kind, whilst not necessarily excluded]S, [are]Aux [considered]V individually.

Another distinctive feature of the 'before' group is, as it clearly shows in pair 3 (a) and 4 (a) above, the group tend to use passive voice by avoiding the use of first person nominative cases. The other group, on the other hand, uses first person nominative cases. Pair 3(b) has an example:

Then send it back to [us]as soon as possible in the envelope provided.

Use of Phrasal Verbs

Use of phrasal verbs is very common in conversational English but less common in formal written English. As shown above, the Plain English group is trying to change the traditional way of writing and their another approach is to use phrasal verbs to make the language more natural. For example, in pair 3(b):

Please read the notes opposite before you [[fill]V [in]particle] the form.

In pair 4 (b):

Thank you for your letter asking permission to [[put]v [up]particle] posters ....

In contrast to that the hard-to-group texts do not have any phrasal verbs.

The plain English Campaign endeavours to minimise sentence complexity. They keep their writings short, simple and straight to the point by cutting all redundant words and phrases. They try to use words that are being used in everyday conversation to make texts easy to read. As Payne says in his 'Understanding of English Grammar', it is the frequency that allows people to habitualize complex behaviour. The group focuses on the behaviour that has already been habitualized .

Bibliography

Burton-Roberts, N. (1997) Analysing Sentences: An Introduction to English Syntax 2nd edition, London: Longman

Payne, T.E. (2011)Understanding English Grammar CUP

Graddol, D. Cheshire, J. & Swann, J. (1994) Describing Language

2nd edition, OUP

Thomas, L. (1993) Beginning Syntax Oxford: Blackwell Publisher Ltd

6 Syntax and Morphology by Tahmina Haque