Structured Sentences, Not Skeleton Sentences; some skeletons with little moldings cannot translate

Skeleton Sentences of amateur Filipino users of English are usually made up of constructed samples of the basic applications of the parts of speech that are generally to be memorized. These can easily be constructed without thorough analysis of their functions except for cursory (hurried, superficial) study and dictionary use, and then applied.

 

Illustrations: 
 

Forms of skeleton words (basic) typically used to construct skeleton sentences:

 

Nouns
surfing
transfiguration
computer
•These and other examples of the
same form need only be memorized
from the dictionary.

 

 

Pronouns

she
he

it
we
they
him
them
her
us
•There are only few of them; hence,
they are easy to familiarize. 

 

 

Basic Auxiliary Verbs
is
was
are

were

will

have

•These are easy to learn and apply.

 

 

One-word Action Verbs

pounce

dance

•These and other examples of the same form need only be memorized

from the dictionary.

 

Adverbs with no varied or special functions

below

underneath

•These and other examples of the

same form need only be memorized  from the dictionary.

 

 

 

Simple, one-word Adjectives

fabulous

great

beautiful

•These and other examples of the

same form need only be memorized

from the dictionary.

 

 

Prepositions in their

primary but limited and

overworked applications

in

for

to

at

•They have extra applications

overlooked by the users, except  for

their overworked uses revealed here.

These extra applications are

necessary for daily articulation.

(see Chapter 4 of our book)

 

 

Examples of skeleton sentence formed with basic skeleton words:

 

• I will give you a nice car tomorrow.
• Beggy boy danced on the floor.Gemma walks slowly.
• Don’t bite it.
• Sleep now.
• Come here.
• Okay. Text me anytime.
• I have a high ambition.
• I want to reach my dream as soon as possible.

 

The above basic skeleton words are easy to frame and set in a sentence without much effort of determining their appropriateness. They are called basic in this book because they do not have complex applications, and understanding them is not difficult. The user’s tendency and concern generally is to look for the basic meanings of these skeleton words, then utilize them.

 

However, skeleton sentences made up of the basic applications of the parts of speech as illustrated above are far from interesting sentences. They do not give very specific information or present some interesting picture. Using terms repeatedly in such format usually make the sentences boring and monotonous.

 

Unlike Skeleton Sentences, Molded Sentences (or shaped/framed sentences) are interesting, clearer, and more organized in thought. They are framed in those samples of the parts of speech with rigid methods of usage requiring deeper understanding and analysis to grasp their complex functions.

 

Illustrations:

 

Forms and usages of words needed for molded sentence:

 

 

 

Prepositions aside from their overworked meanings

with                                other meanings than that indicating togetherness

over                                other uses than that indicating above posture

against                          other than that indicating opposition

alongside of

up against

etcetera

 

 

Non-basic forms of auxiliary verbs aside from is, was, and are
seem

prove to be

etcetera

 

 

Non-basic tenses of verb especially the
participles
have been
had been
have had
had had
will have been
should have been

would have
etcetera

 

 

Adverbial clauses
Adverbial phrases
Infinitives
Phrasal prepositions
Antecedents in subordinate syntax
Coherence and emphasis
Dangling clauses
etcetera

•These are the grammatical principles 

not paid attention to by most users. Studying these

principles is definitely a major factor in learning to

speak English straightly.

 

 

Unlike the skeletal basics, these Molding Parts and the samples of their applications, called Molding Patterns in this book, are not easy to learn and apply.

 

 

 

Examples of molded sentence formed with non-basic molder-words:

 

I have had long years of nostalgia. It would get me into trouble with my imagined happiness.

It would prove to be getting over with it.

We have been laughed out four times over.

Rave up, and then go hopping.

Sing out. Come on.

Make way for him.

 

•Many Filipinos─the beginners especially─are not skilled in framing sentences in these appearances. They do not know how the underlined words function in such sentences.

 

 

 

The above samples of molding parts add to skeleton words to make molded sentence. The user’s task is to understand the rules of their complex functions before using them, aside from familiarizing or memorizing them from the dictionary. A molded sentence conveys a clearer idea. A skeleton sentence is usually a dead idea; it makes up no substance for conversation and dissertation.

 

Indeed, what most users can manage to build up are almost if not exactly skeleton sentences only. They do not havethe complete materials to make their sentences shaped and come out alive. In that case, their thoughts are perched on their tongue, stuck up there.

 

This is because their focus is more confined to familiarizing of the skeletals. In fact we could expect that most students as well as majority professionals largely take to the habit of learning word meanings concentrated on base-nouns, one-word action verbs, simple adjectives, and few adverbs without varied and special functions (the basics). Along the process they may have memorized loads of these stuffs.

 

But get them to speak! There goes the trouble. They now hesitate. And naturally, even if they are armed with thousands of those skeleton chunks, because they failed to get the simple trick secret, which is not an absolute secret at all, because it is just right before them, ready to get their attention. It is the deal to set a necessary focus not only on getting to be masterful in casting the skeleton, but likewise and more importantly, in molding the tissues. These are the non-basic auxiliary verbs, gerunds, non-basic tenses of verbs, subjunctive mood, phrasal prepositions, phrasal terms, participles, adverbial phrases, etc. This is where they failed—their uncloseted omission!

 

Of course, all of these approaches in the study of the English language need focus. Yet I assert that the framing terms have to be the major, say 90 percent, center of familiarizing effort. What is the justification? It is because, as far as translating is concerned, they require much more and painstaking analysis, scrutiny, and thorough understanding; while the skeletals require memorization (generally).

 

Unfortunately, most users especially beginners reverse the system: much more on the memorization of the skeletalsbut less, or hardly ever, on the framers. This is the reason for the users’ deficiency in shaping sentences, supposed to be able to speak and write straightly.

 

This should not be the case. Take note: the skeleton is the foundation, but the tissue is the shaper!

 

Hence, the reader is advised to invert his system of studying and learning according to my technique.

 

I’d like to stress, again, that the factor for our difficulty translating our Filipino expressions and terms is the occurrence of English counterparts in phrases, generally. Let’s call them “phrasalexpressions” in contrast to “basal expressions.” Hence, being in phrases, their chief building blocks of construction are the Shaping, Framing, or Molding Parts.

 

The task of applying them is the strategy discussed in this book. It is where—in his translating exploration—the reader’s focus is drawn to.

 

Particularly, this word-reference clarifies that the method being emphasized here concerns translating or finding translations.

 

Those skeleton and molded sentences are not going to be discussed in this chapter fully. They are being mentioned and illustrated only as a reminder and trigger, to stir the reader-user so that he may realize his omission that is a factor in the objective being set by this wordbook. He is still advised to review the dictionary and grammar references.

 

We need the above-discussed strategies to pluck those thoughts in uncompleted sentences from the tip of our tongue─to start speaking and writing correctly, in English.