Modifier : Complement and Adjunct

It's been very long time I do not write anything in English. And now I'll try to write something about syntax. Hope you can get some lesson from my writing :)

Many books write these three terms with different meaning. Some only differ between modifier and complement. But some differ between adjunct and complement.

I will write about these terms based on two books written by Jim Miller and Gerald P. Delahunty.

Delahunty did not use the term of Adjunct in his book. He just used the term of Modification and Complementation but they have same reference as complement and adjunct. Miller used the term adjunct and complementation and explained that they are two kinds of modifiers.

I, having read this two books, prefer to use terms used by Miller because it can help me to differ them from modifer which can be appeared before and after the head of a phrase.

Miller (2002: 4) wrote that modifier has two classes. The first is the complementary modifier or complement and second is optional modifier or adjunct. The word ‘complementary’ shows that complement is a must modifier in a phrase or a sentence. Complement is required by the grammar os the sentence. For example, the sentence used transitive verb requires noun as the object.

The girl wore a pink shirt.

On the sentence above, ‘a pink shirt’ is the complement because ‘wore’ is transitive verb. Also, in that sentence ‘a pink shirt’ is commonly called as object.

1. Direct and Indirect Object
When you write a sentence using bitransitive verb, you must (yes, a must) write two objects after the verb.
My mother bought me a birthday gift.

‘me’ is the Indirect object and ‘a birthday gift’ is a direct object.

2. Subject Complement
As it’s name, this complement modify the Subject of the sentence.
The old man seems tired

The one who is ‘tired’ is the old man (subject). So ‘tired’ is the subject complement. Verbs require subject complement are commonly called linking verb.

3. Object complement
Different from subject complement, object complement modifies the Object of a sentence.
I consider him weird

The one who is ‘weird’ is ‘him’ (object), not I (subject). Not all verbs requires object compelemnt. So, becareful in writing sentence with this complement.

4. Prepositional Phrase complement
Prepositional Phrase is recognized by the preposition.
Marry flew from Surabaya to Makassar in 2 hours

The prepositional phrase above shows the source and goal of Marry flight. This complement is a little bit tricky because not all prepositional phrase is complement.

Consider the example of the sentence below:
I bought my sister a book in Jeany’s shop yesterday.

‘In Jeany’s shop’ contains a preosition but it’s not a complement. Verbs of motion are the common verbs which require complement.

Different from complement, adjunct is optional. When it’s elminated from a sentence, the meaning of the sentence will not be changed; the meaning is still complete.

I bought my sister a book in Jeany’s shop yesterday.

The sentence above using bitransitive verb which requires object. The place (in Jeany’s shop) and time expressions (yesterday) are added to the sentence as additioal description, but they are not required.

Reference:
1. Delahunty, Gerald P. 2010. The English Language from Sound to Sense.

2. grammarpedia

3. Miller, Jim. 2002. Introduction to Syntax. Edinburgh University Press

Kata 'Haram' buat Seorang Guru

Ada satu kata yang sangat HARAM diucapkan oleh seorang Guru. BODOH. Ya, kata ini sebisa mungkin jangan sampai terlontar dari mulut mereka yang menganggap diri mereka guru. Bahkan, jika mendengar ada diantara siswanya yang mengatai siswa lain dengan BODOH, seorang guru harus segera bereaksi agar hal tersebut tidak terulangi.

Siapa sih yang mau menjadi orang BODOH? Lalu apakah jika anak itu kita anggap bodoh, maka dia sama sekali tidak punya harapan? Tentu tidak. Mungkin di mata pelajaran yang kita ajarkan dia katakanlah 'kurang' (agak lambat dalam memahami pelajaran). Tapi tidak berarti dia bodoh di mata pelajaran lain kan?

Saya punya pengalaman dengan tiga siswa SD yang privat dengan saya. Salah satu diantaranya lumayan lambat dalam menangkap pelajaran sehingga saya harus mengulangi penjelasan saya-terkadanga sampai 3 kali-baru kemudian dia mengerti. Mungki karena saking bosan mendengar saya mengulang hal yang sama, salahs seorang temannya lalu mengatai anak itu dengan 'BODOH'. Tentu saja, itu menjadi hal yang tidak mengenakkan. Bukan saja bagi anak itu, tapi juga buat saya.

Sebenarnya anak yang dikatai 'bodoh' itu tidaklah sebodoh yang temannya aggap. Karena ternyata dia adalah anak yang perlu pemahaman mendalam sebelum bisa mengerti akan sesuatu. Dan hasilnya, di saat saya mengulang pelajaran sebelumnya justru dia lah yang masih mengingat apa pernah dia pelajari, sementara kedua temannya tadi lupa.

See?! Memang tidak mudah menjadi seorang guru. Apalagi dengan jumlah siswa yang banyak dan tingkat kemampuan untuk menyerap pelajaran yang berbeda. Walau begitu, janganlah dan cegahlah agar kata BODOH itu tidak keluar dari mulut Anda atau pun siswa Anda.

Noun Clause dan Peringkasannya

Noun Clause adalah Clause yang berfungsi sama dengan Noun, hanya saja berbentuk kalimat. Jadi posisinya di dalam kalimat sama dengan posisi Noun. Dia bisa menjadi Subjek atau Objek sebuah kalimat.

Noun = I like the doll
Noun Clause = I like that you buy me a doll

Peringkasannya
1. Omitting
--> The man said (that*) he would come the following week

*Hanya conjunction THAT yang berfungsi sebagai Object of Verb yang boleh dihilangkan. Umumnya bermakna BAHWA

2. Abridgement
Peringkasan ini memiliki pola : Conjunction + to Inf (dimana conjunctionya adalah kata tanya 5W1H)
--> I know what I should do menjadi I know what to do

Artikel terkati: Klausa dan Peringkasannya, Adjective Clause dan Peringkasannya, Adverbial Clause dan Peringkasannya

Who is Native Speaker?

The first time I learn English, the term native speaker is familiar to me. At that time, what I know about a native speaker of English is he/she who was born in that language. But, after reading McKay's book I found that it is not that simple.

Someone is called native speaker not only because he/she was born in that society. Davies (1991) mentioned that a native language is the first language learned in which he/she achieve high degree of competence and linguistic intuition. However, related to competence, someone who was born in a certain language may not attain a high level of proficiency. In addition, someone who comes from Outer Circle can achieve a high level of proficiency through personal motivation and effort.

According to Rampton (1990), some features of native speaker are:
- it is inherited, through genetic or birth into specific social group
- can speak it well
- it is or not the mother tongue
- having comprehensive grasp of a language
- being a citizen in one country

However, an individual can belong to more than one social and it means he/she can acquire more than one languages in her/his childhood. An individual who moves from one group to another group may also change his/her native language.

Then, Rampton suggested to change the term 'native' into 'expertise'. There are some advantages in his view, such as:
- Experts don't have to feel close to what they expert about. It is different form identification
- It is learned, not innate
- It is relative, you can be an expert on something which another person's fool.
- It is partial
- To be called an expert, an individual should go through certification judged by other people.

However, it also raises question. What are the basis that is used to get the certification? How to access the expert?

Cook (1999), then, suggested the term 'L2 user' to distinct from L2 learner. Pakir (1999a) had same idea. He preferred to call they who use English alongside with another language as 'English-knowing bilinguals'. It emphasized the idea that they are not in the process of learning.

Well, what are you? Can we call ourselves as bilingual user of English? Or bilingual teacher of English?

Urban and Rural Students

As a teacher, you might have had a class where urban and rural students sit together. Do you find problem in teaching problem? I do.

First let's see the difference between them.
Urban Students
- confident
- familiar to the culture
- better interaction
- using Indonesia language

Rural students
- not confident
- culturally shocked
- poor interaction
- using local language

Those differences are in general. But sometimes you will find certain rural students with excellent skills.

The differences between them have created a gap during teaching-learning process. Mostly, the urban students will more active in the class. Rural students also don't want to express their opinion or ask questions, they prefer being silence. Then, what we as a teacher can do to solve this kind of problem?

In my class discussion, we conclude some ways. The ways are:
-Motivate the students to express their idea, no need to be shy or afraid of be embarrassed
- Using U-shape to raise discussion.
- Grouping
- Reinforcement
- Giving same opportunity and also attention
- Reviewing methodology

You may add if you have more ideas.

Curriculum vs Syllabus

For those who active as teachers or still studying about education should be familiar with this two terms. But what actually the differences between them?

Below are the lists of some differences that I got when I attended my class related to Curriculum and Syllabus.

Curriculum:
1. depend on the government or university policy
2. more general in terms of the goals, indicators, materials, competence, etc
3. longer time duration
4. covering all subjects
5. cannot be compromised

Syllabus:
1. depend on the teachers, therefore, it will need the teacher's creativity
2. more specific
3. shorter time period, usually only in one semester
4. covering only one single subject
5. more flexible because depend only on the teacher
6. it helps to generate lesson plan

Besides the differences, they also have similarities such as:
1. having goals, indicator, etc
2. in the form of official document so you can read them
3. need designer

Those are some differences and similarities between curriculum and syllabus. If you have any other ideas, just give your comment. Thanks