The features of English grammar:
Building phrases, clauses and utterances:
To talk about “written”€ or spoken”€ language is of course to generalize over a variety of
communication with very different stylistic characteristics. Writing and speech are
produced quite different circumstances. Most speech is interactive and conversation texts
are constructed by speakers and listeners together as they exchange speaking turns,
interrupt, interpolate responses, monitor each other”€™ contributions, add clarifications
and elaborations as necessary, and complete each other”€™ utterances. Writing is a
monologue and a writer receives no immediate feedback, clarify of structure and
expression is consequently, especially important in writing, since any confusion or
ambiguity in a written text will remain unresolved. Spoken English does have a special
grammar, it has own principles, rules and categories which are different from those of the
written language. Therefore, these two types of language should each other have their own
distinct grammatical characteristics.
In spoken, talking is generally still easier for most people even when their writing
vocabulary exceeds their speaking vocabulary as it does for many or for most educated
adults. It related to speed and comfort when building phrases, clauses, and utterances. I do
believe that talking is quicker than writing. One wants to express something in their mind
be in time in a conversation for two or more people. Talking is faster than writing
messages. Although in some cases, writing can be faster and efficient way to communicate
the ideas than talking. When one wants passing notes back during a business meeting, a
class lecture”€¦ In such situation, writing is not more difficult than talking but it takes a
long time to write than to talk. A faster and safer way to get a number of ideas formulated
before one forgets some of them if one takes note and then use them later. Therefore,
writing is often more difficult in building phrases and clauses than talking
In written, as Richard Garlikov(2001) mentioned that writers usually wish their works
having a high level of complexity so they can stop, reflect things in length, revise”€¦
Because of this, writing tends towards “€architectural”€™ structuring, with relatively
dense packaging of information, while speech favors more linear, chain structures, with
information bearing elements more spaced out. Written Noun phrase (NPs) can become
very elaborate, with determiners, adjectives, nouns, and post-modifying structures all
clustering round a head noun. Spoken NPs generally contain few modifiers subjects more
often consists of a single pronoun. Writing often nominolizes elements which in speech
would be expressed in separate clauses or other sequences.
– Writing: “Peter failure to gain a degree, and his subsequent refusal to look forward
caused his parents considerable concern.”€
– Speech: “Peter, you know, he didnt get a degree, and then he wouldnt do anything
about getting a job, and of course, his parents, they got really worried.”€
Written sentences differ enormously in length and complexity, they can exhibit elaborate
hierarchical organization with complex embedding. Such elaboration is less common in
speech. The average length of a spoken clause is around seven words. In formal writing the
average can be doubled this. Speech, in fact, is not easily analyzed into sentences, it is
often better seen as constructed out of linear sequences of phrases and clauses, which are
loosely linked into utterances in an add on fashion than organized into structural
hierarchies. (Micheal Swan,2005)
– “And erm the thing is, I”€tive gotta go to Cambridge on Friday, and Jane, I think shes
out all day, because of the inspection.”€
– “Right”€
– “So theres nobody here, so if you could, if you could come for couple of hours, in case
the gas people come”€.
– “OK”€
– “And then maybe you could pick Pauline up from school, which would really help,
you know.”€
Spoken English also makes use of more than just words – context cues, tone, gestures, eye
contact and body language all play a part in spoken communication, while written English
lacks these. In spoken communication between two people in proximity, they use fewer
words or utterances. Therefore, people in a conversation can point or they can use gesture
or facial expressions to convey their meaning. Because these two ones are at the same
situation and at the same time and place. They understand each other and
misunderstanding can be avoided while in written messages none of those things are
available.
Written English usually uses more jargon, while spoken uses more slang. This is because
written is usually in a more formal register than spoken.
In language, whether spoken or written also need to be structured if they want to connect
together successfully. Looking at language in a small scale is more convenient because it is
expressed in phrases, clauses, or sentences. In contrast, language basically comes in more
substantial texts such as a conversation, a speech, a song, and an advertisement”€¦ There
are aspects of grammar have relation to larger units of language.
Reference and context
In spoken
In constructing text, one important need is to manage reference. Having referred once to a
particular person or thing such as : Red Riding Hood, the Conservative Party Conference,
ones new washing machine, ones job, or whatever it maybe “€“ one may well repeating the
reference in the same form one day, little Red Riding Hood decided to take some goodies
to Little Red Riding Hoods grandmother. Little Red Riding Hood set off through the
forest”€¦ “While languages vary in the extent to which they tolerate lexical repetition, there
is a widespread tendency to handle repeated reference by using Anaphoric (back-referring)
