2. Example
• The article is available at here at THIS LINK.
• This is the annotation:
This news report describes why doctors
consider that a modified HIV drug treatment
has cured a baby. The article explains some
of the questions that scientists have about
the reported findings.
3. Reporting Phrases/Content Phrases
• Reporting : Those phrases designed to
explain/refer to the source of the information:
This news report describes . . .
The article explains . . .
• Content: Those phrases that explain/describe
information found in the source.
. . . why doctors consider that a modified HIV
drug treatment has cured a baby.
. . . some of the questions that scientists have
about the reported findings.
4. Verbs in Reporting Phrases
• Verbs in reporting phrases are generally in the
present tense.
• It is important to choose the correct verb
pattern to use in a reporting phrase.
• Use the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary
English (linked HERE) to find the pattern.
5. Reporting Verbs
• This news report describes why doctors
consider that a modified HIV drug treatment
has cured a baby. The article explains some
of the questions that scientists have about
the reported findings.
6. Verb Patterns
• The standard grammatically accepted
arrangements of words after verbs.
• Most verbs have more than one verb pattern.
• These verb patterns are listed in the
dictionary.
7. Grammar Point for Review
• Clause: A clause is a structure that includes a
complete verb phrase and a subject.
• A complete verb phrase is one that shows
tense and, in the present tense, shows
subject-verb agreement.
8. Examples
• All of the following are clauses. The verb phrases
are in blue and the subjects are in red.
• This news report describes something.
• Doctors consider something.
• A modified HIV drug treatment has cured a
baby.
• The article explains some of the questions.
• Scientists have questions about the reported
findings.
9. Embedded Clauses
• When a clause is used as the object of a verb
in another clause, we say the one being used
as an object is embedded.
• The embedding is shown with a clause marker.
• There are two types of clause markers:
– THAT
– WH-QUESTION WORDS (who, what, when, etc.).
10. Example
1. This news report describes something.
2. Doctors consider something.
3. A modified HIV drug treatment has cured a
baby.
Embed 3 into 2. Use the clause marker “that.”
RESULT: Doctors consider that a modified HIV
drug treatment has cured a baby.
11. Example
1. This news report describes something.
2. Doctors consider that a modified HIV drug
treatment has cured a baby.
Embed 2 into 1. Use the clause marker “why.”
RESULT: This news report describes why doctors
consider that a modified HIV drug treatment has
cured a baby.
12. Getting Help From the Dictionary
• Turn to the dictionary to decide whether your
verb pattern requires “that” or a “wh-
question” word.
13.
14.
15. Example
• The article explains some of the questions
that scientists have about the reported
findings.
1. The article explains some of the questions.
2. Scientists have questions about the reported
findings.
• Combine 1 and 2 with an ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
TO MODIFY THE NOUN PHRASE “THE
QUESTIONS.”
16.
17. ALTERNATELY WITH AN EMBEDDED
CLAUSE
1. The article explains some of the questions.
2. Scientists have questions about the reported
findings.
EMBED: 1 + 2. Use the clause marker “that.”
The article explains that scientists have some
questions about the reported findings.
The article explains why scientists have some
questions about the reported findings.
18. TENSE
• Reporting phrases are usually in the present
tense.
• The content phrases, if they contain a
verb, can be in any appropriate tense.
19. Example
• For example, if the situation is still
true/valid/ongoing at the time that the
information is being reported, use the present
tense.
– The article explains that scientists have some
questions about the reported findings.
• If the information is historical (old/past
dated/even possibly no longer true)at the time
that the information is being reported, use the
past tense.
– The article explains that scientists had some
questions about the reported findings.
