1 If Something Is for Someone It Is Intended to Be Given to Them Or Used by Them

1 Dave Willis IATEFL 2008

PATTERN GRAMMAR: HOW TO TACKLE IT SYSTEMATICALLY IN THE CLASSROOM. Sources: 1 For detailed language analysis: 1.1 Cobuild Grammar Patterns 1: Verbs (Gill Francis, Susan Hunston and Elizabeth Manning. Harper Collins 1996) 1.2 Cobuild Grammar Patterns 2: Nouns and Adjectives. (Francis, Hunston and Manning. Harper Collins 1998) 1.3 Any good corpus-based dictionary. (Cobuild; Macmillan; CUP; OUP) 2 For a language summary: 1 Collins Cobuild English Course Level 1 (Jane and Dave Willis. Collins Cobuild 1988) 2 Natural Grammar (Scott Thornbury. OUP 2004) 3 For a pedagogic rationale: Rules, Patterns and Words: Grammar and Lexis in English Language Teaching, Chapter 7: Lexical Phrases and Patterns. (Dave Willis. CUP 2003)

The Collins COBUILD dictionary gives approximately 30 categories of meaning for the preposition for. Here is a summary:

A: An analysis: 1 If something is for someone it is intended to be given to them or used by them. 2 If something is done for someone it is done in order to help or benefit them. Do, cook, prepare. 3 If you act for a particular group or organisation you represent them. Speak, act, play. 4 If you work or do a job for someone you are employed by them. Work, write. 5 You use for when you state or explain the purpose of an object, action or activity. Meet for lunch, treatment for hay fever. 6 You use for after words such as reason or cause or when you say why something happens in a particular way. Apologise, reason, famous. 9 For is the preposition used after some nouns adjectives or verbs in order to introduce more information proposal, reputation, responsible, ready, aim, arrange. 13 If you feel a particular emotion for someone you feel it in relation to them. Pity, contempt, sad, sorry. 15 If you say something lasts or continues for a particular length of time you are saying how long it lasts or continues. Last, live, go on, continue. 16 If you say something lasts or continues for a particular distance you are saying how far it stretches. Stretch, extend. 17 If you give someone something for Christmas, for their birthday or some other occasion you do it on that occasion. 18 If something happens or is planned for a particular date or time it happens or is planned to happen then. 20 If you leave for a particular place you are going there. Leave, set out, sail.

Dave Willis: IATEFL 2008 1 2 Dave Willis IATEFL 2008

21 If something is bought or sold for a particular amount that amount is the price or cost. 25 You use for after words such as argue, case, evidence or vote in order to introduce the thing that is being supported or proved. 26 If something is for sale, hire or use it is available to be sold hired or used. 29 You use for in cross references when you mention information which will be found somewhere else. For further information write to the head office. (Adapted from Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary, 1988)

This is probably a faithful summary of the data, but it is too elaborate for classroom use. Here is a basic summary of the uses of for:

B: A basic summary: 1 How long 1.1 Time: He paused for a moment. They are out for the afternoon. 1.2 Distance: We walked for three miles. 2 Why? She was waiting for a friend. What’s it for? For example. 2.1 Ask/Look for I’m looking for an honest man. 3 Who wants or needs: Can you spell your name for me? I’ll carry your bags for you. 3.1 After good/bad; easy/difficult. Fruit is very good for you. He was late. It was very annoying for everybody. 4 Buying and selling: I bought it for a few pounds. We got it for almost nothing. It’s on sale for £500. (Adapted from Collins Cobuild English Course, Level 1, 1988)

And here is a pedagogic activity based on the summary:

Look at the basic meanings of for. Which group does each of these sentences belong to?

a) Will you do something for me? b) I’m going to be away for a few days. c) It’s nice for children to have plenty of free time d) We were all listening for the telephone. e) He swam for a hundred yards to reach the shore. f) Remember the words that are useful for you. g) This knife is for cutting cheese.

Does the summary help with pattern grammar? Francis et al. (1996) list fifteen categories of verb followed by for. Again this is a faithful presentation of the data, but is probably too complex for classroom presentation. Can we relate these categories to the basic meanings of for?

C From summary to pattern grammar: verbs with for 1 How long 1.1 Time: The ‘LAST’ group: endure, keep, live, last, survive etc. 1.2 Distance: The ‘LAST’ group: extend, go, reach, stretch. 2 Why?

The ‘WAIT’ group: wait, wait in, wait up, stand by. The ‘PLAN’ group: plan, arrange, provide. The ‘PREPARE’ group: study, train, practise, rehearse. The ‘COMPENSATE’ group: pay, answer, apologise. The ‘VOLUNTEER’ group: report, sign on, show up, enrol. 2.1 Ask/Look for The ‘SEARCH’ group: hunt, look, shop, listen The ‘ASK’ group: beg, send, shout, call 3 Who wants or needs: The ‘WORK’ group: act, fight, play, speak The ‘DEPUTISE’ group: stand in, substitute The ‘ARGUE’ group: argue, pray, speak up, vote The ‘CARE’ group: feel, grieve 4 The ‘HEAD’ group: depart, leave, set off 5 The ‘BUY’ group: buy, sell, go

Use these phrases to complete the sentences below: applied for – fight for – hoping for – leaving for – listen for – looking for – play for – sent away for – stand up for – trying for – working for – selling for

a) Any professional sportsman would love to ______his country. b) My father is ______Mercedes, but he’s just ______a job with BMW. c) I’ve just ______the latest DVD. d) You should ______your friends when they are in trouble. e) My sister is ______a scholarship to University. f) I’m ______my keys. I don’t know where I left them g) We are ______London tomorrow. h) Everyone should ______the things they believe in. i) I can ______the baby and phone you if she wakes up. j) We are ______a good attendance. k) You can buy one at the supermarket. They are ______around £250.

How would you translate these sentences into your language?

We can put these words into groups: A Doing something for someone: play for, work for, write for B Supporting or helping someone or something: stick up for, fight for. C Trying to find something or get something: apply for, look for, listen for, send (away) for, try for.

What groups do you think these phrases belong to? a) We are collecting for the National Society for the Blind. b) Where is it? I’ve hunted everywhere for it. c) She’s hoping for a job in television.

d) I’m going to vote for Peter Jackson. e) Look out for Michelle when you’re at school. f) The church should speak for the poor.

So in the case of for it is possible to make a useful pedagogic summary. Let us now look at a more complex word, of. Francis et al. (1998) allocate no8uns followed by of to almost 40 categories:

A An analysis: Noun of noun

(The classification and most of the examples are taken from Francis, Hunston and Manning 1998)

1 Communication, thought or knowledge + subject of communication:

a low opinion of the British tabloid press. the story of my life. a comparison of prices.

2 An action or process + object of action or process:

the abolition of the monarchy. the construction of a tunnel.

3 Attitudes or feelings + object of feeling:

She has inherited her father’s love of sport. People live in fear of losing their homes.

4 Diagram/drawing + what is represented:

a portrait of a lady a diagram of the body.

5 Sign, proof or symbol + what is shown or represented.

a sign of goodwill a badge of honour

6 Cause or result + what is caused:

an agent of change the causes of crime

7 The occurrence, beginning or ending of something/someone + something or someone involved:

the evolution of computers the collapse of apartheid

8 Movement or travel + what is travelling:

the arrival of visitors the spread of disease

9 Help or support + person/people supporting:

the support of her colleagues the help of my friends

10 General noun + specification:

the field of education the burden of taxation

11 Something which can be expressed as an amount or figure + an amount, quantity or figure:

at the age of ten a height of three metres

12 Place + name of place:

the city of Exeter the kingdom of Fife

13 How someone looks or what they say + feeling expressed:

a look of horror a cry of delight

14 A period or point of time + what happened at that time:

the age of innocence the century of discovery

15 Quantity + substance:

a drop of whisky

a splash of water

16 Group or quantity of people or things + people or things involved:

a chain of shops a gang of youths

17 Container + what is contained:

a box of chocolates a cup of tea

18 Unit of measurement + what is measured:

an acre of land the last kilometre of the journey

19 A very small amount of something + what is measured:

a trace of cyanide a hint of suspicion

20 A portion of a larger thing or group + the thing or group concerned:

the majority of people a share of the proceeds

21 An individual item + the type of thing concerned:

a loaf of bread an act of mercy

22 A sample of something + the thing involved:

a good example of a pattern a sample of the food

23 An event or occurrence of something, usually bad + the thing involved:

an attack of gout an episode of depression

24 A part of something + the thing concerned:

the foot of the bed the palm of my hand

26 An extreme state or situation + the feeling or quality concerned:

the depths of despair

the heights of ecstasy

27 A person who does or makes something + what is done or made:

the inventor of the internet a student of psychology a giant of advertising

28 A characteristic or feature + what has that feature:

the smell of the sea the sound of children

29 An attitude or feeling + who has the feeling:

the mood of the country the will of the people

30 An aim or function + who has the aim or function:

the aim of this book the object of this exercise

31 A place + what occurs there:

the field of dreams the scene of the action

32 A noise + what makes the noise:

the sound of running water the thunder of hooves

33 Chance or likelihood of happening + what might happen:

the probability of rain the danger of infection

34 A shortage or lack + what is lacking:

a lack of experience a shortage of funds

35 A type or form of something + the thing concerned:

the sort of people that kind of thing

36 A mixture + what is involved:

a blend of experience a combination of youth and experience

37 A way of doing something + what is to be done:

a means of communication a way of handing the problem

38 A noun describing something + what is described:

a giant of a man a gem of a student

Is it possible to reduce these forty categories to a useful pedagogic summary? Here is a proposal:

B A basic summary:

1 Quantity: e.g. 15

2 Part. e.g. 24

3 Subject of a verbal noun: e.g. 9

4 Object of a verbal noun: e.g. 2

5 Specification: e.g. 13

How many of the other categories can you fit into this classification?

For my suggested classification go to www.willis-elt.co.uk

Dave Willis: IATEFL 2008 9