Form Analysis Exercise

Language Sample from Class Activity
STUDENT: Good job. You are very smart. What are we going to do today?
CHILD:  Play play-dough. (1)
STUDENT: Okay. Well what do you want to make first?
CHILD:  Uh uh a snowman. (2) A black snowman. (3)
STUDENT: A black snowman?
CHILD:  Yes. (4)
STUDENT: Okay, can you help me make it?
CHILD:  Yes yes, I can help. (5)


STUDENT: Okay. CHILD:  I want to help. (6)
STUDENT: Okay, what do we need to make the snowman?
CHILD:  Uh, first we have to make a oval. (7)
STUDENT: An oval?
CHILD:  Yes, a oval for the snowman. (8)
STUDENT: Alright, I will roll it and you get some to roll too.
CHILD:  You have (9)…Uh,uh I can’t roll. (10)
STUDENT: You can’t roll it?
CHILD:  No I’m too little.  (11)
STUDENT: Alright, well here’s one. How many ovals do we need?
CHILD:  This oval looks like a grape. (12)
STUDENT: Yes it does. How many ovals do we need to make the snowman?
CHILD:  You need three ovals. (13)
STUDENT: Okay. Here’s another one. Where do we need to put it?
CHILD:  On top of the other one. (14) That’s his belly. (15)

Leave a comment with an answer to one of the following questions, your own question or comments.

1. Identify what grammatical morphemes are highlighted . 
2. Utterance (1) is transitive.  The direct object is play dough.  Find another transitive utterance.
3. Utterance (5) is intransitive.  There is no direct object.  Find another intransitive utterance.
4. Utterance (11) is equative.  Find another equative utterance.