Paola Catenaccio Lingua Inglese 1 LIN Lesson 9

Transcription

1 Paola Catenaccio Lingua Inglese 1 LIN Lesson 9

2 Rewrite this passage using examples of fronting The bar exam has often been compared to that of a "rite of passage." This is a very common comparison, but it is not very suitable because the legal profession does not provide the structural supports typically attending a true rite. There is no pairing of an initiate with an elder or coach and, besides this, there is no guided preparation period, and there isn t an investment by the entire legal community in the successful outcome of the "passage. Thus, the definition of "rite of passage has hardly ever been used more inappropriately. It would be much better to define the exam as a ritual - a very specific, highly sophisticated, elaborate ritual, full of technical minutia carefully contrived to test a student's resolve. That resolve must be evident from the beginning of the study period. That it should be strong enough to take a student through the final day of the exam is equally critical. This is the only way in which the bar exam can eventually become less of an ordeal.

3 Rewrite this passage using examples of fronting The bar exam has often been compared to that of a "rite of passage." Common as this comparison is/may be, it is not very suitable because the legal profession does not provide the structural supports typically attending a true rite. Not only is there no pairing of an initiate with an elder or coach, but there is no guided preparation period nor any investment by the entire legal community in the successful outcome of the "passage. Hardly ever, therefore, has the definition of "rite of passage been used more inappropriately. Much better would be to define the exam as a ritual - a very specific, highly sophisticated, elaborate ritual, full of technical minutia carefully contrived to test a student's resolve. That resolve must be evident from the beginning of the study period. Equally critical is that it should be strong enough to take a student through the final day of the exam. Only in this way can the bar exam eventually become less of an ordeal.

4 Write a text on one of the following topics: Getting a good education is important. Getting work experience is crucial.

5 Extraposition of clauses Choose the best option, based on your evaluation of what is New and was is GIVEN, and therefore what should be given special emphasis. 1. None of his staff is very optimistic about his chances of turning the company around. a. It is now readily apparent that his efforts are doomed to fail. b. That his efforts are doomed to fail is now readily apparent. 2. The prosecutor told the court that Knox was killed by a person who considered Know a friend. A Second after the prosecutor spoke, Know rose to tell the court: a. To hurt someone who was kind to me is absurd. What has been said is pure fantasy. It is not the truth, it is not the reality b. It is absurd to hurt someone who was kind to me. What has been said is pure fantasy. It is not the truth, it is not the reality

6 Extraposition of clauses 1. None of his staff is very optimistic about his chances of turning the company around. a. It is now readily apparent that his efforts are doomed to failed. b. *That his efforts are doomed to fail is now readily apparent. 2. The prosecutor told the court that Knox was killed a person who considered Know a friend. A Second after the prosecutor spoke, Knox rose to tell the court: a. To hurt someone who was kind to me is absurd. What has been said is pure fantasy. It is not the truth, it is not the reality b. *It is absurd to hurt someone who was kind to me. What has been said is pure fantasy. It is not the truth, it is not the reality

7 Extraposition It is unfortunate that people should have stopped writing letters in favour of text messaging and ing. *It is unfortunate the disappearance of traditional letter writing in favour of text messaging and ing.

8 anticipatory it it is called 'anticipatory' when it is a place-holder for a subject or an object which is realized as a clause (an infinitive clause or an ing-clause). Anticipatory it functions as anticipatory subject (example 1) or anticipatory object (example 2). In clauses with it as anticipatory subject, it is usually possible to remove the anticipatory it and move the notional subject (the real subject, realized by a clause) to subject position. With an anticipatory object, a similar operation is impossible. (1) It is a pleasure for me to welcome you all to Oslo. (To welcome you all to Oslo is a pleasure for me) (2) I find it amazing that nobody has thought of this before.

9 Anticipatory it typically enables a subject to appear at the end of a clause, thus producing end-focus. It amazes me how open and honest the staff are

10 To say hello to everybody is impossible. To ride a monocycle is not easy. To bake a sponge cake is very difficult. To see a polar bear is very rare. To pass this exam is very hard. To find a shop open this early in the morning is not going to be easy. To summarise our work is impossible.

11 anticipatory object a word - it - which occurs in object position. It carries no independent meaning, but points forward to the notional direct object which is placed later in the sentence. The notional object is always a clause (that-clause or non-finite clause). Anticipatory objects occur only in clauses where there is also either an object predicative or a beneficiary adjunct. In contrast to anticipatory subjects, the anticipatory object cannot be replaced by the notional object, for reasons of end weight. E.g. You owe it to him to reply to the invitation. I find it strange that he hasn't replied to our invitation.

12 Practice 1. Binge-drinking on a regular basis is very bad for your health. It.. 2. To realise that I would never see my childhood friend again was very difficult for me. It 3. To see a full moon eclipse is extremely rare. It

13 4. I have often found saying goodbye difficult. 5. I find his not passing the exam definitely strange. 6. I consider her leaving without saying goodbye very impolite. 7. I found her not eating anything rather rude.

14 Non-referential/presentative/ «existential» there A few years after Google was born, a. there emerged a set of websites called aggregators b. it emerged a set of websites called aggregators c. emerged a set of websites called aggregators

15 Non-referential/presentative/ «existential» there A few years after Google was born, a. there emerged a set of websites called aggregators b. *it emerged a set of websites called aggregators c. *emerged a set of website called aggregators

16 There in subject position Non-referential/presentative there Followed by be/verbs ofexistence/ motion/ appearance Logical subject (usually) indefinite Se c è la Mafia in Italia, è perchè c è la DC If there s a Mafia/*the Mafia, it s because of the DC

17 «Existential there» Existential there makes it possible an optional (and often preferred ) variant of clauses with an indefinite subject. The pattern enables focus to be placed on the subject by locating it in the rheme of the clause instead of its usual position in the theme.

18 Subject raising It seems that he always comes at some unlucky moment. He always seems to come at some unlucky moment It looks as if that s the right place. That looks to be the right place It seems that nobody does anything Nobody seems to do anything.

19 The scheme was found to produce clear benefits. All women in the control group were found to have consumed a minimum of 500 ml of cow s milk daily The proportion of right hemisphere speakers was estimated to be about 9.27 percent of the population.

20 Subject raising 1. Breaking news! a. It was reported this morning that a Pacific blacktip shark gave birth to three healthy pups at Sea World. b. A Pacific blacktip shark was reported to have given birth to three healthy pups at Sea World this morning. c. Witnesses reported this morning that a Pacific blacktip shark had given birth to three healthy pups at Sea World. Officials commented that this marks the first documented birth of the species in captivity. 2. For the first time researchers have found the remains of a mammal that has been entombed in amber. a. They estimate that the remains, including a backbone and ribs, are eighteen million to twenty-nine million years old. b. The remains, including a backbone and ribs, are estimated to be eighteen million to twenty-nine million years old. c. It is estimated that the remains, including a backbone and ribs, are eighteen million to twenty-nine million years old. Discovered in the West Indies, these remains appear to be those of a tiny insect-eating mammal.

21 Subject raising 8. Breaking news! a. It was reported this morning that a Pacific blacktip shark gave birth to three healthy pups at Sea World. b. *A Pacific blacktip shark was reported to have given birth to three healthy pups at Sea World this morning. c. *Witnesses reported this morning that a Pacific blacktip shark had given birth to three healthy pups at Sea World. Officials commented that this marks the first documented birth of the species in captivity. 9. For the first time researchers have found the remains of a mammal that has been entombed in amber. a. *They estimate that the remains, including a backbone and ribs, are eighteen million to twenty-nine million years old. b. The remains, including a backbone and ribs, are estimated to be eighteen million to twenty-nine million years old. c. *It is estimated that the remains, including a backbone and ribs, are eighteen million to twenty-nine million years old. Discovered in the West Indies, these remains appear to be those of a tiny insect-eating mammal.