LanGYM — Verb Patterns (1)

Section 1 — Context Listening

First language learning — a lecture

You are going to listen to part of an introductory lecture in a course on first language learning. Do you know what your first words were? Or the first words of a child you know?

1.1 The lecturer tells the students about the first five lectures in the course. Here are the titles of these lectures. Listen and number them in the order they will take place.

🎧 Listen:

Language learning problems: what and why?
Listening and learning: the interrelationships
Early communication: parents and play
Patterns of communication: learned behaviour?
Private conversations: talking to toys

1.2 Listen again and fill in the gaps.

Recording 12 — Transcript

Lecturer: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to what I hope will be an exciting and stimulating course on first language learning. My name is Dr Clarke and I'll be running this course for the first half of the term. Let me introduce myself. I'd like to talk about what I call 'private' conversations — children talking to themselves. But first, let me tell you what we'll be doing in our first five lectures.

I recently bought my two-year-old daughter a cuddly elephant and it has become the 'person' she talks to each morning lying in bed. And so, our first lecture will be on early communication — between parents and children, and between children themselves through play.

The first stage of interactive play might be a child giving a toy to their mother or offering her some food. A broken toy handed to a parent with an 'Aaa' might mean 'Mend this for me'. Reading stories for young children is a similarly important part of this process of listening and understanding.

Many parents play 'follow the instructions' games with their children when they first become mobile, saying things like 'Go to the toybox and find the car for me' or 'Fetch me your hat'. Reading stories for young children is a similarly important part of this process of listening and understanding. But even when children are not being actively encouraged to listen, they will be seeking to make sense of the language they hear.

Interactions between infants will often copy parental speech and behaviour. Two small children at a nursery school might hug each other when they meet each morning. Most parents at some time hear their child say something and ask themselves the question: 'Did they copy that from us?'

A final subject I will examine during the course is that of problems in language acquisition. We might consider first-language learning natural, a normal process that everyone goes through, and Dr Jackman will be describing this process to you in detail in later talks.

1 I recently a cuddly elephant.

2 The first stage of interactive play might be a child .giving a toy to their mother

3 … or .offering her some food

4 A broken toy handed to a parent with an 'Aaa' might mean .Mend this for me

5 is a similarly important part of this process of listening and understanding.Reading stories for young children

6 Dr Jackman will be in detail in later talks.describing this process to you

1.3 Which of the following patterns do the phrases you have written have?

bought my two-year-old daughter a cuddly elephant

giving a toy to their mother

offering her some food

Mend this for me

Reading stories for young children

describing this process to you

Section 2 — Grammar

How verb patterns work

2.1Verbs with two objects

Start Point

I recently bought my two-year-old daughter a cuddly elephant. (verb + indirect object + direct object)

A child might offer their mother some food. (verb + indirect object + direct object)

After many verbs with two objects, we can reverse the order if we put for or to before the indirect object. Use for with verbs like build, find, get, mend; use to with verbs like give, offer, show, describe, explain. Some verbs (e.g. ask, guarantee, refuse) cannot be reversed.

She gave a toy to me. → She gave me a toy.

Mend this for me. → cannot be reversed (*Mend me this.)

Most parents ask themselves the question. (cannot be reversed)

Dr Jackman will be describing this process to you. (cannot be reversed)

2.2Verb + object + adjective / Verb + reflexive pronoun

Start Point

We might consider first language learning natural. (verb + object + adjective)

Let me introduce myself. I'd like to talk about children talking to themselves. (reflexive pronoun as object)

Some verbs can be followed by object + adjective (e.g. believe, consider, find, prove). Use a reflexive pronoun when subject and object refer to the same person. Some verbs rarely take reflexive pronouns in English: complain, concentrate, get up, lie down, meet, relax, sit down, wake up.

She found herself unable to sing.

Children appear to be busying themselves with their toys.

Two small children at a nursery school might hug each other when they meet.

Sara and Noel blamed each other when their daughter broke her arm. (= each said it was the other's fault)

Section 3 — Grammar Exercises

Practice

3.1 Describe each situation using They + verb + (with) + each other. Choose from the verbs in the box: agree, blame, compete, disagree, miss, resemble, respect, trust.

1

‘We look alike.’ →

2

‘You were right!’ → They agreed with each other.

3

‘I always like to be better than you!’ → They always compete with each other.

4

‘I admire your character.’ → They respect each other.

5

‘I believe that you’re honest.’ → They trust each other.

6

‘I’m sorry you’re not here.’ → They miss each other.

7

‘It was your fault.’ → They blamed each other.

8

‘You were wrong!’ → They disagreed with each other.

3.2 Complete the sentences using the pairs of objects in the box. Give all possible word orders, adding prepositions where necessary. (Use the model answer reveal for this open exercise.)

Objects to use: seat / me (1) · myself some chocolate (2) · those letters / you (3) · some apples / me (4) · you a favour (5) · your car / you (6) · the mistake / the manager, me a £10 gift voucher (7) · me your glass, some water / you (8)

1

I’ll be a bit late getting to the concert tonight. Can you save ?

2

I’m on a diet, so I’m trying to cut down on sweets, although I do allow after dinner.myself some chocolate

3

I have to go past the postbox on my way home. I’ll post , if you like.those letters for you (them for you also possible)

4

I haven’t eaten any fruit all week. Can you buy when you’re at the supermarket? I’ll pay when you get back.some apples for me / me some apples; you for them

5

A: Can I ask ? B: Of course. A: Can you show ?you a favour (a favour of you also possible); me how to print out a document

6

I’m sure they could repair at Smallwood’s garage. They’re very good there, but it would probably cost .your car for you; you a lot

7

In my local supermarket I noticed a sign saying ‘Two for the price of one!’ I pointed out and a week later she sent to say ‘thank you’.the mistake to the manager; me a £10 gift voucher / a £10 gift voucher to me

8

A: I’m so thirsty. B: Give and I’ll pour .me your glass / your glass to me; some water for you / you some water

3.3 Complete the sentences by adding an appropriate personal or reflexive pronoun, an adjective from box A and an ending from box B.

Box A: guilty, incapable, independent, lucky, responsible, unable Box B: of maintaining order, of the Soviet Union, responsible for its collapse, to play again, to sing, to be alive

1

After undergoing a minor operation on her throat, she found

2

Although the police didn’t have hard evidence against Karl Stevens, they still believed .him guilty of the murder

3

The police officers lacked experience in crowd control and proved .(themselves) incapable of maintaining order

4

After all his injury troubles, Marcuson has now pronounced .himself fit to play again

5

When I looked at the damage to my car in the crash, I considered .myself lucky to be alive

6

Mary Wallis had been the company’s CEO for five years and the board of directors held .her responsible for its collapse

7

In 1991, Estonia declared .itself independent of the Soviet Union

3.4 Complete the sentences with a personal pronoun, a reflexive pronoun or a reflexive pronoun + preposition. Write the reflexive pronoun in brackets if it can be omitted.

1

When the police came to arrest him, Thomson hid under the floorboards until they had gone.

2

He had always prided his physical fitness, so it surprised him when he found it so difficult to acclimatise walking in the mountains.himself on; (himself) to

3

Sarah came in carrying a big box of chocolates. At first I thought they were for me, but she said she’d bought them for because she’d had such a bad day at work. So I had to content a couple of rather boring biscuits.herself; myself with

4

I tried to prepare the interview by looking at the company’s website and familiarising their range of products.(myself) for; myself with

5

Thanks for taking the children to the zoo last week. They enjoyed enormously. I’m looking forward to having lunch with you on Thursday. Shall I meet outside the restaurant at about 12.30?themselves; you

6

My father had broken his arm and couldn’t shave , so I had to do it for him. I found it really difficult and had to concentrate hard.(himself); — (no pronoun needed for concentrate)