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ESY611S - ENGLISH SYNTAX - 1ST OPP - NOVOMBER 2025 |
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nAmlBIA unlVERSITY
OF SCI En CE Ano TECH n OLOGY
FACULTY OF COMMERCE, HUMAN SCIENCES AND EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGES
QUALIFICATION: BACHELOR OF ENGLISH AND LINGUISTICS
QUALIFICATION CODE: (07BENL)
LEVEL: 6
COURSE CODE: ESY611S
COURSE NAME: English Syntax
SESSION: NOVEMBER 2025
TIME:
3 HOURS
PAPER : THEORY
MARKS: 100
EXAMINER(S)
FIRST OPPORTUNITY EXAMINATION PAPER
Dr Sylvia N lthindi
MODERATOR: Dr C Sibalatani
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Answer ALL the questions.
2. Read all the questions carefully before answering.
3. Number the answers clearly
THIS QUESTION PAPER CONSISTS OF 5 PAGES, INCLUDING THE COVER PAGE
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QUESTION 1
[20)
1.1 Choose the correct answer by writing only the correct number, e.g (a) i.
(10)
(a) Which of the following BEST defines syntax?
(i) The study of sounds in a language
(ii) The study of meaning in language
(iii) The study of sentence structure and how words combine
(iv) The study of word formation
(b) Grammar is broader than syntax because it includes:
(i)
Only sentence structure
(ii)
Sentence structure, morphology, and rules of word usage
(iii) Rules for sound patterns
(iv) Idiomatic expressions only
(c) Which of the following best describes the difference between structural and systematic
grammar?
(i)
Structural grammar analyses words in isolation, while systematic grammar analyses
them in sentences.
(ii)
They are synonymous terms for the same concept.
(iii) Structural grammar describes the layered structure of phrases and sentences (e.g.,
NP, VP), while systematic grammar refers to the rule-governed, predictable nature
of the syntactic system.
(iv) Systematic grammar is outdated, while structural grammar is the modern approach .
(d) Which word class is considered "grammatical" (or functional) rather than "lexical" ?
(i)
Noun
(ii) Verb
(iii) Conjunction
(iv) Adjective
(e) In syntactic analysis, the phrase "the destruction of the city" is best categorised as a:
(i)
Verb Phrase (VP)
(ii)
Prepositional Phrase (PP)
(iii) Noun Phrase (NP)
(iv) Adjective Phrase (AP)
(f) The key difference between lexical and grammatical words is that:
(i)
Lexical words have meaning, grammatical words do not.
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(ii)
Lexical words are an open class (new ones can be added), while grammatical words
are a closed class (fixed set) .
(iii)
Grammatical words are always longer than lexical words.
(iv)
Lexical words can change form based on tense or number, while grammatical words
cannot.
(g) The words the, a, and an belong to which word class?
(i) Noun
(ii) Adjective
(iii) Determiner
(iv) Adverb
(h) In the sentence "She absolutely loves the incredibly complex puzzles," the word "absolutely"
is a/an:
(i) Adjective
(ii) Adverb
(iii) Preposition
(iv) Interjection
(i) The phrase "above the clouds " in the sentence "The plane flew above the clouds" is best
categorised as a:
(i) Noun Phrase (NP)
(ii) Verb Phrase (VP)
(iii) Prepositional Phrase (PP)
(iv) Adjective Phrase (AP)
(h) In the sentence "The teacher explained the lesson ", what is the head of the verb phrase?
(i) The
(ii) Teacher
(iii) Explained
(iv) Lesson
1.2 Fill in the blanks with the correct term/phrase.
(10)
(a) Words like "run," "write," and "think" belong to the _ _ _ _ word class.
(b) In the sentence "She wore a beautiful dress," the word "beautiful" is a(n)
(c) Words such as book, teacher, and happiness belong to the lexical word class of
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(d) An abrupt remark that expresses emotion, such as oh!, wow!, ouch! is called an
(e) Nouns typically denote people, places, things, or _ _ _ _ (e .g., "happiness").
(f) A phrase that begins with a preposition and ends with its object is called a
_____ phrase.
(g) In the noun phrase the big house, the word big functions as a _ _ _ __
(h) In the noun phrase the house on the hill, the words on the hill function as a
(i) The phrase "Mary's car" is an example of a _ _ _ _ phrase .
(j) In the noun phrase the old man, the head of the phrase is _ _ __
QUESTION 2
[20]
2.1 A tense is a category that expresses time reference. It is a verb form that indicates when an
action, event, or state of being occurred relative to the moment of speaking or a specific point in
time being discussed. Change the following sentence into the tenses indicated below.
(10)
She writes a letter.
(a) Past Continuous Tense
(b) Present Perfect Tense
(c) Present Continuous Tense
(d) Future Perfect Tense
(e) Simple Past Tense
2.2 Analyse the clause structures of the following sentences by identifying S, P, 0, C, and A:
(10)
(a) The teacher explained the lesson clearly.
(b) My sister is a doctor.
(c) The children played in the garden.
QUESTION 3
[20]
3.1 Read the sentences below. Rewrite each sentence in your answer book and underline the phrase
type specified in brackets. Each sentence contains one main type of phrase.
(5)
(a) The tall building collapsed during the storm. (Noun Phrase)
(b) She danced gracefully across the stage . (Verb Phrase)
(c) The cat slept under the warm blanket. (Prepositional Phrase)
(d) The man with a kind smile greeted us. (Adjective Phrase)
(e) They spoke very softly to avoid waking the baby. (Adverb Phrase)
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3.2 Read the paragraph below and identify the parts of speech of the bolded words:
(10)
"Oh! They quickly finished their delicious meal after school, and everyone was happy.
He is a kind teacher who helps students because he cares. The children played softly in the garden,
but the dog barked loudly near the gate."
3.3 Read the sentences below and identify the type of noun underlined in each.
(5)
(a) Namibia is known for its beautiful landscapes.
(b) The teacher explained the lesson clearly.
(c) Honesty is an important 9.!@.![!y in a leader.
(d) Please add some sugar to my tea.
(e) The team won the championship.
QUESTION 4
[20]
4.1 Change the following sentences from active voice into passive voice:
{10)
(a) The,government will implement new policies to address climate change.
(b) The students are writing their final examinations this week.
(c) The manager approved the project proposal yesterday.
(d) Scientists have discovered a new species of bird in the Amazon rainforest.
(e) The teacher was explaining the difficult concept to the class.
4.2 Draw a tree diagram of the following sentence, following the phrase structure rules.
(10)
"Tree structures are very easy" .
QUESTION 5
[20]
5.1 Analyse the sentences below carefully and identify the type of sentence demonstrated by each
one.
(5)
(a) When the sun set, the sky turned orange, and the birds returned to their nests.
(b) The dog barked loudly, and the cat ran up the tree.
(c) Although it was raining, we went for a long walk in the park.
(d) I like reading books.
(e) She finished her homework, but she forgot to submit it, so she had to redo it.
5.2 Write a short essay of approximately 150 words in which you discuss two types of clauses in
English . Clearly differentiate between them and provide your own sentences to illustrate each type.
(15)
Total = 100 Marks
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