Chapter-5
PATTERNS OF GRAMMAR IN A TEXT

Literary terms
i.                   Content words: The words, which are particularly associated with specific discipline or genre or subject for meanings are are normally called content words. Content word more often carry contextual meanings and references. For example, 'software'- related to computing, 'referee' –related to sports. Similarly, driver, pilot, committee, etc. are some examples of context words.
ii.                 Functional or grammatical words: Grammatical or functional words are not with an any particular context but with the grammar of English. Such words hardly have dictionary meanings and less in numbers. Some example of grammatical words are he, she, but, and, him, his, her, we, you, they, them, etc. all grammatical words are not necessary to know. They create sequences, order, references, linkages, etc. among sentences.
iii.              Genres: Genres are the forms of text or writing with specific features and quality. Having particular characteristics, genres bring different subjects to focus. For example, TV is a genre whereas fiction writing and poetry writing are other forms. According to the genres languages, grammar and selection of words are different and specific.



Exercise
5.1 Read the given text and do the question below.
      I cannot understand the time. It is eternity now. I am in the midst of it. It is about me in the sunshine; I am in it, as the butterfly floats in the light-laden air. Nothing has to come; it is now. Now is eternity; now is the immortal life. Here this moment, by by this tumulus, on earth, now; I exist in it. The years, the centuries, the cycles are absolutely nothing; it is only a moment since this tumulus was raised; in a thousand years more, it will still be only a moment. To the soul there is no past and no future; all is and will be ever, is now. For artificial purposes, time is mutually agreed on, but really, there is no such thing. The shadow goes on upon the dial; the index moves round upon the clock, the clock and what is the difference? There may be the time for clock may make time for itself; there is none for me.

a.     How many 'be' words are there all together in the text
['be' = is, am, are, was, were]
There are 20 'be' words in the text altogether. They are 13 'is', 2 'am' and 1 'are'.

b.    Which is the commonest be word?
The commonest be word is 'is'.



c.      My friend and I went up the park then we went on the swings and we saw a dog and the dog was black, and we chased it and the dog went in a big house.

Yesterday, my friend and I went up the park then we went on the swings there was a black dog. When we chased the dog, it went into a big house.