towards an analysis of errors made by university students ... - DSpace

a system in the study of ngps. Sinclair also admits
that
"a grammar is a very complicated network of
systems which cut each other in many different
ways" 6
but the symbols he uses to follow the movement along this
complicated network of systems are very much
simplified.
c) Class: this category is related to each element of
structure considered as exponents. A word may be the exponent
of one of the terms in a systemic choice; thus, the
of a ngp may be a common noun, a class which can be
exponent
considered
as indefinitely
large. In the ngp THE MAN we have THE, which
is the (m) element in the structure of the ngp THE MAN, and
also one exponent of the class of deictics. MAN is the headword
of the ngp THE MAN, and the exponent of the class 'noun 1 .
Komi nal Group Structure
A ngp has three elements: (m)_ h (.q).; but only
the
headword h, is compulsory; moreover, a single word may be
exponent of a ngp. In HE CAME THEN we have three groups:
the
HE,
the exponent of a ngp; CAME, the exponent of a verbal
group;
and THEN, the exponent of an adverbial
group.
A ngp may operate as the exponent of the
«
structural
elements of a clause; in the analysis of the errors made
in
ngps we did not take into account the role that the ngps played
as exponents of the different elements of the clause structure.
An illustration of some ngps as constituents of some structural
elements of a clause may be suitable for the purpose of this,
work.
In JOHN STAYED FIVE MINUTES the underlined parts make