Assignment: Language Related Task Daniel Clayton

(1) I was going to phone you yesterday Context I say to my friend: Im going to phone you tonight. Later I go home and I fall asleep. The next day, I see my friend, and I remember that I had forgotten to phone her.

Meaning This utterance expresses an unaccomplished future intention from the past. This means the intention was not carried out and can no longer be fulfilled.

Form subject I you past continuous tense of the verb go was going were to-infinitive to phone

Pronunciation /awz gt fnj jestde /

Meaning Focus Is it in the past? Yes Did I plan to phone you yesterday? Yes Did I phone you yesterday? No

(2) She must have gone home. Context I am at a party with some friends. Later I notice one friend isnt here anymore. I ask another friend where she is, but he doesnt know. We look around the house, but we cant find her. We notice that her bag and coat are missing.

Meaning In this utterance, gone home can be interpreted to mean left. The utterance expresses a logical deduction about a past event based on evidence. No other explanation seems appropriate. In this type of construction, the modal auxiliary must expresses certainty on behalf of the speaker. This certainty is based on logic and evidence presented either antecedent to the utterance in question, or in the speakers mind. T he perfect infinitive of the lexical verb is used to situate the event in question in past time in relation to the time of utterance.

Form subject must (modal auxiliary verb) have + past participle (perfect infinitive)

Pronunciation /i: mstv gn hm/

Meaning Focus Was she at the party? Yes Is she at the party now? No Do I think shes gone home? Yes Do I know shes gone home? No Do I think its very likely that shes gone home? Yes Why do I think shes gone home? Because her coat and bag are missing.

(3)

a. embarrassed b. ashamed

Context a. I am walking down the street and Im using my phone to text a friend. I am not looking where I am going, and I walk into a lamp post. Everyone looks at me. I feel stupid. b. I am driving my car and using my phone at the same time. I am not looking at the road. Suddenly I hit a dog. I stop and get out of my car. The dog is at the side of the road and is hurt. I feel really bad, because I know this happened because I was using my phone when I was driving.

Meaning a. Embarrassed carries the meaning of feeling awkward and uncomfortable around other people, following something you have done or said that you believe you shouldnt have said or done. You feel self -conscious and are worried what other people are thinking about you. b. Ashamed, on the other hand, carries the feeling of guilt or disgrace. Whereas embarrassed can be the feeling felt as the result of something comical in nature, ashamed is always the result of something negative in nature.

Form Both are adjectives. Syntactically both can be used predictively (as a predicative complement) and attributively (as a modifier within a noun phrase). To show this to students, the following sentences help to illustrate this: a. The boy was embarrassed. He had an embarrassed look on his face. b. The boy felt ashamed. He had an ashamed look on his face.

Pronunciation a. /mbrst/ b. /emd/

Meaning Focus a. Did I make a mistake? Yes Am I happy about it? No Do I feel comfortable? No b. Did I do something good or bad? Bad Do I feel bad about it? Yes

(4)

a. Shes been living in New York for six years b. He lived in New York for six years

Context a. My Russian friend speaks very good English, because six years ago she moved to New York. Yesterday she moved back to Moscow. [Alternative situation: She still lives there now.] b. From the age of 10 up to the age of 16, my friend lived in New York. He doesnt live there now.

Meaning a. The first sentence expresses a continuative situation which started at a time in the past. There are two interpretations of this sentence. The first is where the situation continues into the future. The second is where the situation has recently come to an end but there is some evidence to show this situation is recent (in this case, she speaks good English). This sentence carries an imperfective interpretation. b. The second sentence expresses a situation located in past time that lasted for a specified amount of time. The actually location in time of these six years is unspecified. This sentence carries a perfective interpretation.

Form a. subject have has been -ing form of verb (e.g. living)

b.

subject

past simple of verb (e.g. lived)

for + period of time (e.g. six years)

Pronunciation a. /i:zbn lvnn nju:j:k fsksjz/ b. /hi: lvdn nju:j:k fsksjz/

Meaning Focus a. When did she start to live in New York? 6 years ago Does she still live in New York? Maybe
2007 Now (2013)

? b. Is it in the past? Yes Does he still live in New York? No

6 years

Now

(5) Im looking forward to working with her again. Context Last year I worked in London with a wonderful girl who helped me a lot with my job. Yesterday she told me that she is coming to work in my company. I am very happy that I will work with her again.

Meaning This construction expresses excitement on behalf of the subject about an anticipated future event.

Form am is are -ing form (e.g. working) noun (e.g. the film)

subject

looking forward to

Pronunciation
/am lkf:wdt w:k whr gen/

Meaning Focus Do I work with her now? No Will I work with her in the future? Yes Do I feel excited about working with her? Yes