ASSIGNMENT

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HBEL4403
MORPHOLOGY,SYNTAX AND SEMANTICS
JANUARY 2017 SEMESTER
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INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS

1. This assignment contains only ONE (1) question that is set in the language of the printed module for the
course.

2. Answer in English.

3. Learners are to submit assignment only in MS-WORD format unless specified otherwise. Please refrain
from converting text/phrases into picture format such as .gif / .jpeg / print screen / etc.

4. Download the language version of the assignment template concerned from the myINSPIRE for
preparation and submission of your assignment. Your assignment should be typed using 12 point Times
New Roman font and 1.5 line spacing.

5. Your assignment should be between 2500 to 3000 words excluding references. Do not copy the
assignment question and instructions to your answer. Only assignment answer developed within the
approximate word limit will be assessed. The number of words should be shown at the end of your
assignment.

6. You must submit your assignment ONLINE via the myINSPIRE . Refer to the portal for instructions on
the procedures to submit your assignment online. You are advised to keep a copy of your submitted
assignment and proof of the submission for personal reference.

7. You can submit your assignment ONCE only in a SINGLE file.

8. Your assignment must be submitted between 6th March 19th March 2017. Submission after 19th March
2017 will NOT be accepted.

9. Your assignment should be prepared individually. You should not copy another persons assignment. You
should also not plagiarise another persons work as your own.

10. Please take note that PENALTY will be imposed on late submission of assignment as specified in the
Registrars Office circular 6/2012 (Refer to Registrars Announcement in myVLE).

11. Please ensure that you keep the RECEIPT issued upon submisson of your assignment as proof of
submission. Your assignment is considered as NOT submitted if you fail to produce the submission receipt
in any dispute arises concerning assignment submission.

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EVALUATION

This assignment accounts for 40% of the total marks for the course and shall be assessed
based on the Rubrics or Answer Scheme attached.

You would be given feedback on the assignment before the Final Semester Examination
commences.

PLAGIARISM: MARKS DEDUCTION

Warning: The submitted assignment will automatically undergo a similarity check. If

plagiarism is detected, marks would be deducted as follows:

No. Similarity Percentage (%) Marks Deduction (%)

1. 0 30 120 0
2. 30.01 50 122 5
3. 50.01 70 124 10
4. 70.01 - 100 126 100

Assignments found to have similarities under any of the categories above; will not be entitled
to apply for appeal. For learners who fall into the 70.01-100 similarities group, the access for
online appeal for assignment remarking of the subject will be disabled from the appeal
options.

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 ASSIGNMENT QUESTION

INTRODUCTION: TEXT ANALYSIS PARTS OF SPEECH

Using the article on procrastination given below, you are required to complete all the tasks in
Parts I and II.

What is Procrastination?
By Andrew Dobson
Procrastination is the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to
more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable
ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time. In order for a
behavior to be classified as procrastination: it must be counterproductive,
needless, and delaying. Similarly, it is to voluntarily delay an intended course
of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay.
People experience the effects of wasting time and not meeting deadlines is
devastating at both the business and personal levels. Procrastination may result
in stress, a sense of guilt and crisis, severe loss of personal productivity, as well
as business and social disapproval for not meeting responsibilities or
commitments. These feelings can combine and may create further
procrastination.
For some the anxiety and stress caused by procrastinating does, end up being a
motivating force to initiate action for various tasks however this is usually
followed by attempts to justify the delay which further reinforces the same type
of behavior from the individual. While it is regarded as normal for people to
procrastinate to some degree, for those wanting to stop procrastinating need to
raise themselves above any attempts to justify or minimize procrastination
being acceptable in any form.
There is, in counseling psychological circles those who see people who exhibit
chronic procrastination as a sign of an underlying psychological disorder. Yet
others who regard procrastination as a useful way of identifying what is
important to us personally as it is rare to procrastinate when one truly values
the task at hand.
The procrastinator however, must learn to raise the value of certain priorities
even if they do not truly enjoy doing them in order to continue to be
productive in all aspects of their lives. The public perception of those who
procrastinate is the belief that task-aversion is accompanied by laziness, low
willpower, irresponsibility and low ambition. While this is not the attitude of
those who research or treat procrastination in a psychological or clinical area
it is how the general public (your friends, boss, clients) see you.
In Clinical Psychology (counseling), there appears to be a connection with
issues of anxiety, low sense of self-worth, and a self-defeating mentality.
However the overwhelming majority of studies on Procrastination among
populations not in need of psychological services shows No or at best an
extremely weak connection with procrastination. Instead, procrastination is

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strongly connected with lack of self-confidence (e.g., low self-efficacy, or learned
helplessness) or disliking the task (e.g., boredom and apathy).

The strongest connection to procrastination, however, is impulsiveness. These

characteristics are often used as measures of the personality trait
conscientiousness, whereas anxiety and irrational beliefs (such as
perfectionism) are aspects of the personality trait neuroticism. Being a
perfectionist has no direct links to procrastination and that any relationship is
fully compensated by conscientiousness.

Rather the consensus is that the predominant reason we procrastinate is a

breakdown in our self control. You know what you ought to do and youre not
able to bring yourself to do it. Its that gap between intention and action.

The type of person who has a high level of impulsive behavior and lacks Self
Control and Discipline is likely to find themselves procrastinating more than
those who have a higher level of trait development in this area. Typically we will
engage some form of ego control and deny responsibility, by making
justifications (excuses) for delaying what we should have done. It is critical to
understand that these justifications serve a very important purpose they allow
us to continue to procrastinate by minimizing the perceived effects of our
actions, and allow us to continue to feel good about who we are as a person.

Your self confidence is an extremely important aspect of your success in both

your personal and business life, and this is where some difficulty can arise in a
detached self assessment of what actions need to be taken to be able to stop
procrastinating. Your understanding of the ways in which we minimize and
excuse our lack of taking action is important, so that you can identify the
process and consciously with intention challenge your feelings and behavior.

Individual coping responses to procrastination are often emotional or avoidance

oriented rather than task or problem-solving oriented. Emotion coping is
designed to reduce stress associated with putting off intended and important
personal goals. This type of justification provides immediate pleasure and allows
us to draw attention away from the consequences of our procrastination.

Procrastination is not so much an effect of laziness it is a higher trait influence

of being impulsive and avoiding what we consider boredom. Most of us can

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 recognize when we are procrastinating, we are able to reflect on what we need
or intend to do and then justify to ourselves why we are not taking action.
Procrastination is more likely to occur when we fail to have control on our
impulsive behavior and lack the discipline to get ourselves back at the tasks at
hand.
At the fundamental core, we procrastinate when we allow ourselves the
emotional pleasures of the moment to have more influence on our motivations
than the perceived unpleasant emotional payoff of the task at hand. It is
possible to learn new ways of manipulating the emotional intensity of the
importance of our goals, and systems of strategies to increase compliance to the
plans we have made for ourselves.
Adapted from: http://www.mindfithypnosis.com/what-is-procrastination/

INSTRUCTIONS:

PART I Classifying Parts of Speech

Classify ALL the words in the article What is Procrastination? using the chart given below:
Sentence

Form Classes (Content Words) Structure Classes (Function Words)

Determiners

Pronouns
Nouns

Verbs

Adjectives

Adverbs

Auxiliaries

Qualifiers

Prepositions

Conjunctions

Relatives

Interrogatives

1 Procrastination, is, carrying urgent, the more, less of, in, to or, and, thus ones ---
practice, tasks, things, out, doing, pleasurable,
preference, place, time putting off impending, later

(20 marks)

PART II Reflection and Discussion

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Why do you think it is important for English language learners to understand and be able to
classify the various parts of speech?

What are the difficulties that you faced when analysing the text and classifying the words?
How did you solve the problems?

Support your discussion with specific examples and relevant ideas taken from at least TWO
related theories of/studies on grammar.
(750 words) 20 marks

**You MUST attach a copy of ALL journal articles cited in this assignment.**

[Total: 40 marks]

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 Assignment Rubrics

Missing
Low Fair Above average Excellent
Item Max
Criteria Weight
0 1 2 3 4 Marks
PART I 5.0 The chart could be plagiarized. The chart is The chart is The chart is The chart is 20
incomplete, and/or complete, but with complete, with complete, with less
Inappropriate/irrelevant answer. with more than 80% about 60% of the about 30% of the than 10% of the
of the words wrongly words wrongly words wrongly words wrongly
No attempt to complete the classified. classified. classified classified.
task.

PART II 5.0 Content could be plagiarized. Discussion does not Discussion reflects Discussion reflects Discussion reflects 20
Inappropriate/irrelevant answer. reflect any critical very little critical some critical good critical
thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking and
No attempt to complete the originality with very originality with originality with originality with
task. limited or no limited reference some appropriate appropriate
reference to related to related literature reference to related reference to related
literature and and highlight only literature and literature and
highlight only one part of the highlight most of highlight all of the
or two of the following points: the following following points:
following points: points:

A direct and A direct and A direct and A direct and

appropriate appropriate appropriate appropriate
response to the response to the response to the response to the
question question question question

At least two At least two At least two At least two

logical reasons to logical reasons logical reasons logical reasons
support the to support the to support the to support the
response. response. response. response.
 Missing
Low Fair Above average Excellent
Item Max
Criteria Weight
0 1 2 3 4 Marks

At least two At least two At least two At least two

difficulties difficulties difficulties difficulties
identified and identified and identified and identified and
fully discussed. fully fully discussed. fully discussed.
discussed.
Discussion is Discussion is Discussion is
supported with Discussion is supported with supported with
suitable examples supported with suitable suitable
drawn from the suitable examples drawn examples drawn
process of examples from the from the process
classifying the drawn from the process of of classifying the
words; and process of classifying the words; and
relevant ideas classifying the words; and relevant ideas
taken from at words; and relevant ideas taken from at
least TWO relevant ideas taken from at least TWO
related theories taken from at least TWO related theories
of/studies on least TWO related theories of/studies on
grammar. related theories of/studies on grammar.
of/studies on grammar.
grammar.

TOTAL MARKS 40