A Study of the English Grammar Used in Comic Strips A Term Paper

Transcription

A Study of the English Grammar Used in Comic Strips
A Term Paper Presented to the Faculty of Liberal Arts in Partial
Fulfillment of the Degree of Bachelor of Arts
ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
BY
TACHAPUN PETANAN (472494)
OCTOBER 2008
Certificate of Approval
Date _____________________
The research paper attached hereto entitled, “A Study of the English Grammar
Used in Comic Strips”, prepared and submitted by Tachapun Petanan in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (English) is hereby
accepted.
______________________________
MRS. ROSEMARIE BERGADO
Advisor
_______________________________
MR. NAKONTHEP TIPAYASUPARAD
Head, English Language Department
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Acknowledgement
I would like to acknowledge the support of my adviser, Aj. Rosemarie
Bergado. She has helped me in giving suggestions and checking information and
contents of my research paper. This term paper would not have been completed
without her useful comments.
Special thanks to my beloved family and friends who have given me their
support, time, and help in bringing this study into completion.
Finally, thanks to the teachers at the English Department, Faculty of Liberal
Arts, Rangsit University and the librarians at Rangsit University Library who
helped me find the information I needed.
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Abstract
Understanding English grammar will give better communication and thinking
skills, making a person a better listener, speaker, reader, and writer. Understanding
grammar will also allow a leaner to develop a unique personal style of
communicating, which can lead to a rewarding career as a speaker or writer.
Knowledge of grammar will also enable a learner to communicate effectively in any
situation, to form more successful and meaningful relationships with co-workers,
friends, and family. Indeed, learning grammar can improve one’s life and becoming
you a better person in several ways.
The researcher aims to present a study of comic strips from The Nation
and Bangkok Post from July 11-22, 2008. The data were analyzed based on the seven
grammar points selected.
This term paper will be useful for everyone who wants to learn about English
grammar in newspaper, particularly from the comic strips. Moreover, students can
also practice and enjoy reading this section of the newspaper at the same time.
Contents
Page
Acknowledgements
ii
Abstract
iii
1. Introduction
1
2. Review of Literature
3
Newspaper
3
Definitions of Newspaper
3
Kinds of Newspaper
4
Origin of Newspaper
8
Modern Newspaper
9
The First Newspaper
10
The Newspaper Industry Today
12
Comic books
14
Definition and Comics
15
Comic strips
16
Newspaper Comic Strips
19
3. Methodology
29
Material
Research Instruments
29
Procedures
29
Data Collection
30
4. Result and discussion
31
5. Conclusion and Recommendations
71
References
72
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Chapter 1
Introduction
Most of everyday communication depends on language skills: reading,
writing, listening and speaking. All four are important; however a person who cannot
hear or see clearly does not have abilities different from a non-disabled person but
they use finger language and Braille to replace each other. Thai is the main language
of Thai people but English language is important because it is the major language of
the media. We can see everything presented in the English language. Nowadays the
influence of foreign mass media has affected Thai people attitude much more than
before because Thai people have opened up to more ideas.
The major sources of communication through the mass media are: television,
radio, magazine, journal, internet, newspaper and so on. The newspaper is still
important today although people have other sources to get information. There are a lot
of reasons such as price and convenience that many people still prefer the newspaper.
In Thailand, there are many Thai newspapers such as the Daily News, the Thai-Rath,
the Mathichon, the Khao-Sod, etc. Furthermore, Thailand also publishes English
newspaper, namely The Nation and The Bangkok Post. There are many general
sections: Political news, Crime news, Business news, Art/Entertainment news,
Society news and Sport news. The other sections a newspaper may include are
advertising, weather news and forecasts, an advice column, critic reviews of movies,
editorial opinions, gossip column, humor column, food column and comic strips.
The comic strips is a humorous column. Each comic strip includes typically
from four to six panels and arranged horizontally. This column is popular because
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everybody has a favorite comic strip to read. The comics are presented by short
conversation that made them easier to read and understand English language. In
addition, to its entertainment value, readers can also learn English grammar.
In this study, the researcher is going to analyze the English grammar used in
the comic strips. The researcher will focus on the analysis of English grammar from
the comic strips in The Nation and The Bangkok Post. Finally, the researcher hopes
that English students will have interest in reading comic strips from newspaper.
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Chapter 2
Review of Literature
In this section, the researcher presents about background knowledge of this
term paper. The researcher divides the contents into 2 main parts, which can be
separated as follows:
1. The newspaper
2. Data about comic strips
NEWSPAPER
This part is about the definitions and the general of newspapers.
Definitions of Newspaper
a. A newspaper is a publication printed and distributed at regular stated intervals
containing news, opinion, advertisements, entertainment, and other matter (Collier’s
Encyclopedia Volume 17).
b. A newspaper, in a broad sense, is an unbound publication issued at regular
intervals that seeks to inform, analyze, influence, and entertain. It can be published at
various intervals but usually appears weekly or daily. The place of the newspaper in
the overall journalistic enterprise is describes in journalism (Grolier Encyclopedia of
Knowledge Volume 13).
c. A newspaper is a written publication containing news, information and
advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called newsprint. General-interest
newspapers often feature articles on political events, crime, business,
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art/entertainment, society and sports. Most traditional papers also feature an editorial
page containing columns which express the personal opinions of writers.
Supplementary sections may contain advertisements, comics, coupons, and other
printed media. Newspapers are most often published on a daily or weekly basis, and
they usually focus on one particular geographic area where most of their readers live.
Despite recent setbacks in circulation and profits, newspapers are still the most iconic
outlet for news and other types of written journalism (www.wikipedia.org).
d. A publication containing news and comment on current events, together with
features and advertisements, that usually appears daily or weekly and is printed on
large sheets of paper that are folded together (Encarta Dictionaries 2008).
e. Newspaper, publication usually issued on a daily or weekly basis, the main
function of which is to report news. Many newspapers also furnish special
information to readers, such as weather reports, television schedules, and listings of
stock prices. They provide commentary on politics, economics, and arts and culture,
and sometimes include entertainment features, such as comics and crossword puzzles.
In nearly all cases and in varying degrees, newspapers depend on commercial
advertising for their income (Microsoft Encarta 2008).
Kinds of Newspaper
Most newspapers are printed on grainy, lightweight paper, called newsprint,
which comes in one of two sizes. Broadsheet newspaper pages measure 33 cm by 55
cm (13 in by 21.5 in). The pages of tabloid newspapers measure about 25 cm by 37
cm (10 in by 14.5 in). The term tabloid is sometimes used to refer to newspapers that
carry stories about celebrities, crime, or scandal under sensationalized headlines.
However, any kind of newspaper can be printed on tabloid-sized pages.
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Newspapers publish with varying frequency. Some come out every day or
even twice a day. Other newspapers print once a week, once a month, four times a
year, or even less often. Newspapers also differ in focus. General-circulation
newspapers print news of interest to a broad audience, while special-interest papers
target a more specific audience (ibid).
A. Daily Newspapers
Daily newspapers print at least one edition every weekday. Morning editions,
printed in the predawn hours, cover newsworthy events of the previous day. Evening
editions are printed in the afternoon and include information about events that
happened earlier that day. Most dailies also offer a larger weekend edition. In Canada,
weekend editions generally come out on Saturdays. In the United States, Sunday
editions are typical.
Stories featured in dailies generally cover a wide range of issues that appeal to
an audience in a specific geographic region, such as a particular metropolitan area.
Daily general-circulation newspapers average about 65 pages during the week and
more than 200 pages in the weekend edition. Commercial advertising takes up about
two-thirds of both weekday and weekend editions, and news and features fill the
remaining third.
Most daily newspapers divide their content into separately folded sections.
Newspapers typically have sections for local news, sports, arts and entertainment,
business, and classified advertising. The newspapers’ front page features eye-catching
headlines and photographs that pique readers’ interests and direct them to stories
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featured in the inner sections. The first page of each section follows the same general
model to entice readers to explore that section’s contents.
In the United States in 2000, about 1,500 daily newspapers printed a total of
56 million copies, and on average, each copy was read by at least 2 people. Canada,
which has just over one-tenth of the American population, had about one-tenth the
numbers of daily papers. In 2001, 105 Canadian daily newspapers printed a total of
more than 5 million copies each day.
The newspaper with the largest circulation in the United States is USA Today,
with a national circulation of about 2.3 million. Other newspapers with large
circulation are the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. The Toronto Star is
Canada’s most widely read daily newspaper, followed by the National Globe and
Mail.
Many large daily newspapers publish regional editions that cater to the
population of a smaller geographical area. For example, each weekday the Wall Street
Journal publishes five different editions—three national regional editions, an edition
in Europe, and an edition in Asia. Dailies in large metropolitan areas may publish a
city edition as well as suburban editions to circulate among readers who live outside
the city. Dailies in large urban areas also may publish two or more city editions, each
delivering news and advertisements directed at different neighborhoods or boroughs.
Most North American daily newspapers print one edition a day and circulate
fewer than 100,000 copies. In 2000 about 100 newspapers sold more than 100,000
copies per day in the United States, and 10 Canadian papers had daily sales of
100,000 copies or more. Some papers, especially those in small towns or rural areas,
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circulate only a few thousand copies per day (ibid).
B. Weekly newspapers
Weekly newspapers publish once a week. General-circulation weekly papers
often contain news of interest to people in a smaller area than that of a daily paper, an
area such as a small city, town, or neighborhood. They feature less national or
international news, focusing instead on local happenings. High school sporting events,
traffic accidents, and actions by local government frequently make front-page news in
weekly papers.
Many large metropolitan areas also have weekly papers. In urban settings,
weekly papers often provide more detailed analysis of local news and politics than
daily papers do. They may contain in-depth commentary on the local arts scene and
include comprehensive schedules for music and theater productions.
Almost 7,600 weekly newspapers circulated in the United States in 2000, each
selling an average of more than 9,000 copies every week. Canada had about 1,100
weeklies, a number that included many community papers, which publish twice a
week (ibid).
C. Special-interest newspapers
Special-interest newspapers concentrate on news of interest to a particular
group. An ethnic community, for example, may have a newspaper that informs
readers of news and events in that community. Many special-interest newspapers are
printed in a language other than English. Corporations or divisions of corporations
often publish their own newspapers, as do unions and trade organizations, such as
those for woodworkers, airline pilots, and people in the fashion industry. Other
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special-interest papers feature news about a specific topic, such as rock music or
sports.
Special-interest papers may come out daily, weekly, monthly, or even less
frequently. Daily special-interest newspapers cover daily events from the perspective
of members in that group. The Wall Street Journal, for example, contains detailed
financial news that appeals to members of the business community. Ethnic
communities in urban areas may have a daily special-interest paper that examines
local, national, and international news in terms of how it affects their population.
Large universities often have daily papers. Arts newspapers, such as newspapers
devoted to theater or music, often come out weekly. They include critiques of art
exhibits, performances, new music albums, and recently published books. They
typically also publish schedules of upcoming events, such as concerts and poetry
readings (ibid).
Origin of Newspaper
A hand written – epistle, the newsletter, was the first recognizable ancestor of
the modern newspaper. In Rome as early 449 B.C., the Senate deposited official
records of its transactions in the temple of Ceres, where copies might be made for
distribution, particularly to officials and wealthy Romans in the Provinces. Added
later were reports of sporting and gladiatorial combats, political news and gossip in
the Forum. The newsletters were inscribed by educated slaves and had it not been for
abundance of slave labor in Rome, the printing place might not develop at this time.
One of the earliest antecedents of the daily newspaper appeared in 60 B.C, when
Julius Caesar decreed that a daily recording of news be post in the Forum.
The first printed newspaper of which there is record was the Ti Chau (The
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Peking Gazette) in China; it appeared during the T’ang dynasty in the seventh or
eighth century. In Europe, printed news was not introduced until after Johan
Gutenberg’s invention of printing from movable metal type about 1440. In the next
century occasional printed reports of news occurrences began to appear. Among the
first of these were the Notizie scritte (Venice, 1566); the Gazetta (Venice, 1570); and
the Mercurius Gallo- Bellgicus (Cologne, 1594). The first regularly published news
sheets is believed to have been the Avisa Relation order Zeitung , founded in
Germany in 1609. The first English language news sheets were printed in Amsterdam
in 1620 and shipped to England. On Dec 20, 1620, however, George Veseler started
publication in London of a united news sheet, an event that marked the beginning of
newspaper printing in England. The London New Gazette (1665) was the earliest
regularly issued paper in newspaper format. The first English daily newspaper, The
Daily Courant, begun on Mar.11, 1720(Collier’s Encyclopedia Volume 17).
Modern Newspaper
It is estimated that worldwide about 60,000 newspapers exist with a combined
circulation of 500 million. Readership, however, is probably three times that because
newspaper are shared, some are posted, and others are placed in libraries and other
public sites. About 8,000 of these newspapers are dailies.
The newspaper requires well-qualified journalists. It usually has a managing
executive, called the publisher or director, who may own the newspaper or at least is
responsible for its overall success. The content managers, usually called editors,
supervise the preparation of news and other editorial features. Probably the most
familiar newspaper employee is the reporter, who gathers and presents the news and
sometimes writes columns of opinion. There are also photographers, cartoonists and
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other artists, a variety of special writers and editors, and the advertising staffs, who
sell, write, and design advertisements for the newspaper.
Technological advances have greatly changed the procedures of newspaper
production and printing. “Hot metal” printing systems are now generally outmoded,
replaced by offset printing produced by computerized phototypesetting. The
newsroom once depicted in the movies is now more serene, with video-display
terminals in place of the clattering manual typewriters. Layouts are produced with
computers. Electronic technology also enables the Wall Street Journal, for example,
to publish four regional editions daily (Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge Volume
13).
The First Newspaper
Newspapers published under the same name on a regular schedule first
appeared in Venice, Italy, in the 16th century. Handwritten newspapers called avisi, or
gazettes, appeared weekly as early as 1566. They reported news brought to Venice by
traders, such as accounts of wars and politics in other parts of Italy and Europe.
Venetian gazettes established a style of journalism that most early printed newspapers
followed—short sets of news items written under the name of the city they came from
and the date on which they were sent. The oldest surviving copies of European
newspapers are of two weeklies published in German in 1609—one in Strassburg
(now Strasbourg, France) by Johann Carolus, the other in Wolfenbüttel, Germany, by
Lucas Schulte (Microsoft Encarta 2008).
Newspapers spread rapidly throughout Europe. One-page weeklies appeared
in Basel, Switzerland, by 1610; in Frankfurt, Germany, and Vienna, Austria, by 1615;
in Hamburg, Germany, by 1616; in Berlin, Germany, by 1617; and in Amsterdam,
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Netherlands, by 1618. The first newspaper printed in England appeared in 1621, and
France produced a newspaper in 1631. However, printers in Amsterdam, a center of
trade and of political and religious tolerance in the early 17th century, exported
weeklies in French and in English as early as 1620. The first continuously published
English newspaper was the Weekly News, published from 1622 to 1641. Italy's first
printed weekly appeared by 1639, and Spain had one by 1641.
Early English newspapers were generally printed in one of two formats: in the
style of the Dutch papers or in the style of the early German weeklies. Dutch-style
papers compressed news stories onto four or fewer pages, while news in German-style
weeklies covered up to 24 pages. English publishers first used the Dutch style but
switched to the German style by 1622.
English newspapers were among the first in the world to use headlines to
attract readers and woodcuts to illustrate stories. English newspapers also set new
business standards. They hired women as reporters, printed advertisements as a source
of revenue, and paid newsboys, or more commonly, newsgirls, to sell papers in the
streets (ibid).
The fledgling English press faced censorship throughout much of the 17th
century. Early newspapers called diurnals—the predecessors of today’s dailies—
featured news from all over Europe and occasionally America or Asia. However,
government officials discouraged reporting on local matters. In addition, the
government tightly regulated print shops. In England, as in most other European
countries, the government required printers to have licenses to print the news. Printers
could lose their licenses if they published anything offensive to authorities.
The first major change in this arrangement came in the years before the
outbreak of the English Civil War (1642-1648). As Parliament, under the leadership
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of Oliver Cromwell, struggled with King Charles I, national news assumed a new
importance. Newspapers, liberated by the breakdown in the king's authority, began to
feel free enough to discuss domestic politics. The first English newspaper to attempt
to report on national news was the Heads of Several Proceedings in This Present
Parliament, a weekly that appeared in 1641. The public’s appetite for domestic news
grew steadily, and soon a number of papers covered national politics and other
previously censored topics. In 1644 writer John Milton articulated the ideal of
freedom of the press with great eloquence in his essay Areopagitica. However, when
Oliver Cromwell consolidated his power after Charles I was beheaded in 1649, he
cracked down on the press. He allowed only a few authorized newspapers to be
printed.
After the monarchy was restored under King Charles II in 1660, the
government gradually ended licensing provisions and other restrictions. The English
press published in an atmosphere of considerable freedom—as long as it did not
criticize the government. During the upheaval of the Glorious Revolution in 1688
(when Parliament deposed King James II in favor of William of Orange), the English
press burst free of nearly all government restrictions. The law that required printers to
obtain licenses lapsed in 1695. Belief in the right of the press to question and criticize
government eventually took hold in England and migrated to its American colonies.
The Newspaper Industry Today
The newspaper industry today continues the trends of consolidation and
concentration of ownership first established in the 19th century. But a late-20thcentury phenomena, the Internet, promises to revolutionize the newspaper industry
worldwide (ibid).
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A. Consolidation
The number of newspapers in circulation continues the steady decline that
began at the turn of 20th century. Most U.S. and Canadian cities today have only one
newspaper publisher. In Canada, only 6 cities are served by two or more separately
owned newspapers. In more than 170 American cities, a single publisher produces
both a morning and an evening paper. Fewer than 30 U.S. cities have competing
papers with different ownership.
Many people believe that the lack of competition compromises the integrity of
news coverage in those cities. Without immediate competitive threats to keep them in
check, papers may be less likely to present alternate views of public issues or may
present the views of the publisher or owner not as opinion, but as fact. In some areas,
competition for advertising with radio, television, and magazines may encourage
newspapers to present all points of view. Many newspaper publishers, however, own
radio and television stations, often in the same city where their papers are published.
B. Newspaper Chains
The tendency toward newspaper chains—ownership of a number of
newspapers by a single company—which began with Hearst and Scripps in the United
States in the late 1800s, has also increased worldwide. In Canada about two-thirds of
the total circulation is owned by five large corporations, four of which operated
internationally. The largest newspaper chain is Gannett Co., which owned 94
newspapers with a circulation totaling about 8 million worldwide in 2002.
C. The Internet
The rapid and widespread expansion of the Internet has enabled millions of
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people to read a variety of daily newspapers online, usually free of charge. This trend,
along with the rise of 24-hour cable television news networks, has caused subscription
and circulation rates to decline. The percentage of Americans getting news from the
Internet grew rapidly during the late 1990s. In 2002 some two-thirds of adult
Americans were getting the news online. Roughly one fourth of all Americans get
news from the Internet on an average day.
Today almost all of the world’s major newspapers have online versions. Most
medium- to large-sized daily newspapers in the United States and Canada also publish
on the Internet. These developments have led some media experts to predict that the
printed newspaper will give way to fully electronic information services in the early
decades of the 21st century. But whatever its medium—electronic or print—the
newspaper will likely remain an important feature in modern society (ibid).
Comic books
Most people are familiar with comic books and comic strips. The comic strip
is usually found in daily newspaper. It is made up from three of three or four picture
panels telling a story with one or more characters. Some comic strips tell a different
incident every day. In other comic strips the story continues from day to day until it is
finished, and then a new story begins with the same main characters. The Sunday
newspaper usually includes sections of comic strips in which the story is told in a
greater number of pictures and in color. The comic strips on Sunday often continue
the weekday stories (The New Book of Knowledge Volume 3).
This part also talks about the Definitions of Comics and the general of comic
strips.
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Definitions of Comics
A. Comics, a term applied to a narrative form containing text and picture
arranged in sequential order. The name is derived from the first examples of the term,
which were all of a humorous nature. It has since become a misnomer. Some comics
are humorous but other involves suspense, adventure, and “soap opera” relationships.
The comics include the following elements: a narrative told by a sequence of pictures;
a continuing cast of characters; and the inclusion of dialogue and, or, text within the
frame of the picture (Collier’s Encyclopedia Volume 7).
B. A graphic medium in which images are utilized in order to convey a sequential
narrative. It is the sequential nature of the pictures and the predominance of pictures
over words, which distinguish comics from picture books, though there is some
overlap between the two media. Most comics combine words with images, often
indicating speech in the form of word balloons, but wordless comics, such as The
Little King, are not uncommon. Words other than dialog, captions for example,
usually expand upon the pictures, but sometimes act in counterpoint. Although
historically the form dealt with humorous subject matter, its scope has expanded to
encompass the full range of literary genres. Also see: Comic strip and cartoon.
Comics are typically seen as a low art, although there are a few exceptions, such as
Krazy Kat and Barnaby (www.wikipedia.org).
C. Comics, are series of drawings arranged to tell a story. Most comics also
include some text, which appears as dialogue or captions. Comics typically feature a
continuing cast of characters. The term comic comes from the first examples of the
form, which were all humorous. While many comics remain focused on humor, others
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involve politics, human interest, suspense, adventure, or serious treatments of
relationships (Microsoft Encarta 2008).
The historic roots of the comics are found in the English “cartoonists” of the
18th century, notably William Hogarth, Thomas Rowlandson, and James Gillra. These
artists told stories by means of sequences of pictures (or “cartoons”) and made
extensive use of the “balloon,” a white space issuing from the lips of the characters
used to convey dialogue. No where is technique better exemplified than in the work of
Rowlanson, especially in this Tour of Dr.Syntax (1809) (ibid).
Some of techniques of the English cartoonist spread to the Continent. Europe
in the 19th century was flooded by illustrated narratives. The most talented were by
the Swiss Rodolphe Toppfer, whose Histories en Estampes (1846-1847) reveal an
uncanny ability for graphic narration; the German Wilhelm Busch, whose Max and
Moritz(1865) was to earn him immortal fame; and the French Christophe, whose La
Famille Fenouilllard(1889) is regarded as the direct forerunner of the modern comics.
It seemed that Europe was witnessing the birth of a new art form, but it was the
United States that truly developed the comics (ibid).
Comic strips
Comic strips are a popular art form dating from the 1890s, when they were
introduced into the Sunday color supplements of American newspapers as a means of
promoting readership. A strip usually consists of a series of cartoons depicting
humorous of adventurous incidents and involving a recurring cast of characters
(Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge Volume 5).
James Swinnerton’s cartoon strip “The Little Bears and Tigers,” run by the
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San Francisco Examiner in 1892, was the first newspaper comic strip. The first
successful comic series was Richard Outcault’s “Down in Hogan’s Alley,” which first
appeared on July 7, 1895, in Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World as a single picture or
tableau, of life in a 1880’s urban slum. Its central character, “The Kid,” was a bald,
impish tyke with a knowing grin; when, in 1896, the printer applied yellow ink to his
nightshirt, he became widely know as “The Yellow Kid.” (Ibid)
William Randolph Hearst, publisher of the New York Journal and Pulitzer’s
chief rival, noted the success of “The Yellow Kid” and hired Outcault away from
Pulitzer. Pulitzer retaliated by employing George Luks, later a leading Ashcan School
painter, to carry on the same cartoon; as a result “Hogan’s Alley” appeared in both
papers simultaneously. The term yellow journalism, referring to sensational
journalistic practices, was inspired by this rivalry (Ibid).
The First strip to make regular use of speech balloons was Rudolph Dirks’s
“The Katzenjammer Kids,” which first appeared in 1897. In 1906, the graphic artist
Lyonel Feininger created two strips, “Wee Willie Winkie’s World” and “The Kinder
Kids,” in a style that lay somewhere between Art Nouveau and expressionism. George
Herriman’s “Krazy Kat”(1911), a comic drama of love and rejection in the mannerof
a surreal commedia dell’arte, proved a hit with intellectuals because of its wit and
advanced style. More topical of the cartoonist’s hatched drawing style were Rube
Goldberg’s ingenious mechanical inventions (Ibid).
George McManus pioneered the domestic comic strip in “Newlyweds” (1904)
and “Bringing Up Feather” (1913). In brilliant calligraphic lines he satirized the
pretentious settings and absurd fashions of the newly rich Maggie and Jiggs.
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In 1908, Ham Fisher’s “Mutt and Jeff” became one of the first strips to appear
in a daily paper. After 1914 various syndicates distributed the funnies to papers
throughout the country. New comics abounded, but they lacked some of the inventive
draftsmanship and robust humor of the pioneer cartoonists. Harold Gray’s “Little
Orphan Annie” and Chic Young’s “Blondie” are survivors of that era.
The 1930s depression created a public ready and willing to escape realities.
The freaky characters of Chester Gould’s “Dick Tracy,” begun in 1931, were on a par
with such exotic adventure strips as “Tarzan,” “Terry and the Pirates,” and “Prince
Valiant.” These and the science- fiction series “Buck Rogers” and “Flash Gordon”
created an appetite for further adventure heroes: “Superman,” “Batman,” and
“Wonder Woman.” Super adventure was rendered in a super realistic style, an
approach introduce by cartoonists Harold Foster and Alex Raymond. In another vein
the hillbillies in Al Capp’s “L’il Abner” satirized politics and social conventions.
The violence and eroticism common to many comic strips was attacked in the
1950s, and the industry agreed (1954) to eliminate such material. The new strips were
characterized by a breezy and original drawing style. Walt Kelly had already created
(1949) “Pogo,” a strip in which animals parodied the political scene. Most strips dealt
with less controversial matter. The kids in Charles Schulz’s still popular “Peanuts,”
begun in 1950, spoke to the aspirations and frustrations of adults through the actions
of children, while the satirical Mad magazine (1952) appealed to people of all ages.
The youth revolution of the 1960s brought forth the uninhibited
“underground” comics, of which the most popular was by Robert Crumb. At the same
time, the terse style and mechanical quality of comics inspired POP ARTISTS such as
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Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. The blithe political satirizing in Garry Trudeau’s
popular “Doonesbury” (begun 1970) won for its creator the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for
political cartooning (ibid).
Newspaper Comic Strips
The art of cartooning developed in the United States throughout the 19th
century, galvanizing public opinion about important political issues of the day and
even playing a pivotal role in elections. American cartoonists such as Thomas Nast,
Joseph Keppler, and Bernard Gillam became very influential during this period.
Towards the end of the century, comic strips, originally referred to as funnies, first
appeared in the Sunday supplements of major newspapers. Newspaper publishers
William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer were competing furiously for readers
during this time, and they quickly saw comic strips as a valuable feature to attract
more readers (Microsoft of Encarta 2008).
Late 1800s and Early 1900s
The first successful American comic strip was “The Yellow Kid,” drawn by
Richard Outcault. The main character of the strip initially appeared in Outcault’s
earlier cartoon series, “Hogan’s Alley,” first published in 1895 in Pulitzer’s New
York World. Outcault set the action of “Hogan’s Alley” among squalid city tenements
and backyards filled with dogs and cats, tough characters, and ragamuffins. One of the
street urchins was a bald-headed child dressed in a long, dirty nightshirt. Outcault
used the nightshirt as a place to make comments relating to the subject of the cartoon,
and the printers, experimenting with yellow ink, chose the nightshirt as a test area.
The yellow was a success, and so was the Yellow Kid, as the public dubbed the
character (ibid).
In 1896 Hearst hired Outcault away from the World, and Outcault began
20
drawing “The Yellow Kid” series for Hearst’s New York Journal. However, the
World kept “Hogan’s Alley,” and the struggle between the two newspapers over the
publication rights to the Yellow Kid character gave rise to the term yellow journalism.
This term is still used to refer to sensationalistic techniques that publishers use to
draw more readers to their newspapers. Outcault finally won the right to continue his
strip and gradually adopted the panel style and balloon narration that mark “The
Yellow Kid” as the first true comic strip. Other early comics included “Little Bears”
by James Swinnerton, which first appeared in the San Francisco Examiner in 1892,
and “The Katzenjammer Kids” by Rudolph Dirks, which first appeared in The
American Humorist in 1897 (ibid).
The number of American newspaper comics grew rapidly during the first
decade of the 20th century. Successful strips included F. B. Opper’s “Happy
Hooligan” (1900) and “Maud the Mule” (1904), Outcault’s “Buster Brown” (1902),
and Swinnerton’s “Little Jimmy” (1904). With their increased popularity, comics
soon moved into the mainstream of American culture. For example, Buster Brown’s
well-known likeness and name were used to advertise products such as hats,
children’s shoes, buttons, cigars, and whiskey.
One great innovator of the period was American artist Winsor McCay. His
first masterpiece was “The Dream of the Rarebit Fiend” (1904), about the tortured
dreams of a “fiend” obsessed with Welsh rabbit, or rarebit. McCay used the strip to
explore psychological themes revealed through the human unconscious. He pursued
the idea further in “Little Nemo in Slumberland” (1905), which featured the dream
adventures of a young boy. McCay’s comics were especially noted for their artistic
craftsmanship. One of his few artistic rivals was American painter Lyonel Feininger,
whose short-lived comic creations, “The Kin-der Kids” (1906) and “Wee Willie
21
Winkie’s World” (1906), are full of stunning imagery and whimsical humor.
In 1907 Bud Fisher’s comic strip “Mutt and Jeff” debuted. The strip was an
immediate success, depicting the antics of Mutt, a scruffy idler, and his friend Jeff,
who somehow believes that he is the prizefighter Jim Jeffries. “Mutt and Jeff” was the
first successful comic strip to run every day, and it established the form as an
important daily newspaper feature (ibid).
1910s and 1920s
In the second and third decades of the 20th century, comics began to flower as
an art form. Cartoonist George Herriman ushered in a new era in American comics
with “Krazy Kat,” which first appeared on newspaper pages as part of another strip in
1910 and became a separate strip in 1913. The strip revolved around three characters:
Krazy Kat, Ignatz Mouse, and Offissa Pupp (a bulldog). Krazy loved Ignatz, but the
mouse did not return the feelings and threw bricks at Krazy. Offissa Pupp, a police
officer, was constantly putting Ignatz in jail. “Krazy Kat” was especially noted for its
innovative artistic style and its use of shifting, abstract backgrounds.
Many comic strips of this era reflected the social changes of the time. For
example, in 1912, as the women’s suffrage movement gained strength, Cliff Sterrett
created “Polly and Her Pals,” a comic strip about an independent woman. George
McManus’s work reflected immigrant and ethnic themes, such as in “Bringing Up
Father” (1913), which chronicled the life of an Irish immigrant worker and his socialclimbing wife. In 1914 Harry Hershfield created the strip “Abie the Agent,” about a
middle-class Jewish businessman. By appealing to adult readers, these features helped
broaden the audience for comic strips.
Another unique comic of the era that appealed mostly to adults was “The
Inventions of Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts” (1914), created by Rube Goldberg.
22
Goldberg’s work featured wildly complex and ingenious contraptions rigged to fulfill
what were often trivial purposes, such as turning on a light. The phrase “a Rube
Goldberg device” has become a part of the American lexicon, referring to anything
that is unnecessarily intricate or complex (ibid).
The growth of the comic strip industry in the late 1910s was greatly helped by
the syndication of comic strips. In journalism, syndication is the contracting for the
publication of the same piece of work in multiple newspapers. The business practice
was made possible by the formation of newspaper syndicates such as King Features,
founded in 1914. While the major newspaper chains still hired and featured their own
comic strip artists, syndication allowed small-town newspapers to run daily comic
strips relatively inexpensively by purchasing them from the syndicates, who
employed their own cartoonists.
In the 1920s comic strips that focused on families were popular. The editor
most responsible for the trend was Joseph Patterson of the New York News. Under
his guidance Sidney Smith developed “The Gumps” (1917), about the ambitions of a
lower-middle-class family. Another family-oriented News strip was “Gasoline Alley”
(1918), created by Frank King, which mixed humor, domesticity, and small-town
nostalgia as it described the doings of a group of friends and neighbors. One of the
few comic strips to permit its characters to age, “Gasoline Alley” endured through
changing times and continues to be published today (ibid).
A variation on the family theme was provided by so-called daughter-of-thehouse comic strips that focused on the lives of young women, including Martin
Branner’s “Winnie Winkle” (1920) and Russ Westover’s “Tillie the Toiler” (1921).
Also remaining popular were strips that featured groups of children as the main
characters. These had been a staple of the comic strip from the early days, and new
23
creations included Gene Byrnes’s “Reg’lar Fellers” (1917), Ad Carter’s “Just Kids”
(1923), and Percy Crosby’s “Skippy” (1925). Other strips included Billy De Beck’s
“Barney Google” (1919), which followed the misadventures of a born loser; Harold
Gray’s “Little Orphan Annie” (1924), about a girl who is adopted by a millionaire; E.
C. Segar’s “Thimble Theater” (1919); Frank Willard’s “Moon Mullins” (1923); and
Milt Gross’s “Nize Baby” (1927) (ibid).
1930s to Mid-1940s
In the 1930s adventure and action strips dominated the comic strip form. The
first example of this type appeared as early as 1906, with “Hairbreadth Harry,” the
first strip that did not have a distinct ending each week. Instead, the strip introduced a
suspense situation, which forced readers to wait until the next appearance of the strip
to discover how events turned out. The cliffhanger, as the final panel of impending
danger was called, became an essential element of adventure comic strips.
The adventure trend truly began in 1929 when two major comic strips of this
type were introduced. One was “Buck Rogers,” a science-fiction strip about a military
man and his adventures in the 25th century. The other was “Tarzan,” which was based
on the jungle tales of American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs and drawn exceptionally
well by Harold Foster and, later, Burne Hogarth. In 1931 Chester Gould created the
first detective strip, “Dick Tracy,” which became a model for similar comics and
featured hard-hitting stories on contemporary themes such as Prohibition. In 1934
Alex Raymond produced three strips of international renown: “Secret Agent X-9,”
“Jungle Jim,” and “Flash Gordon.” Of these, “Flash Gordon” is perhaps the most
famous, following the adventures of a space traveler as he battles evildoers such as
Ming the Merciless, emperor of the planet Mongo (ibid).
24
Other action-adventure strips became hugely successful during this era. One
long-lasting strip was Foster’s “Prince Valiant” (1937), which incorporated themes of
Arthurian legend and described the exploits of one of the knights of the Round Table.
Other well-known strips of the time included Milton Caniff’s “Terry and the Pirates”
(1934) and Frank Godwin’s “Connie,” which began in 1927 as a conventional
daughter-of-the-house strip but evolved into an adventure strip in the 1930s. Another
adventure strip starring a woman, Dalia (Dale) Messick’s “Brenda Starr” (1940),
featured an intrepid reporter. Two other important action-adventure strips of this
period were created by Lee Falk: “Mandrake the Magician” (1934) and “The
Phantom” (1936).
Despite the dominance of these action strips, popular humorous comics also
appeared in the late 1920s and 1930s. Popeye the Sailor, famous for his reliance on
spinach to make him strong, debuted in “Thimble Theater” in 1929. In 1930 Chic
Young created “Blondie,” which featured a typical American suburban family:
Blondie, her husband Dagwood, and (eventually) their children Alexander and
Cookie. Over time, the changes in “Blondie” have reflected social changes, especially
among women, as Blondie has evolved from a flapper (a term used to describe funloving fashionable women in the 1920s and 1930s) to a housewife to an entrepreneur
with her own business (ibid).
Another successful humor strip was “Li’l Abner,” which Al Capp debuted in
1934. The strip depicted small-town life and featured many memorable characters,
including Li’l Abner himself, his wife Daisy Mae, his parents Mammy and Pappy
Yokum, and the detective Fearless Fosdick. Another character from the strip was
Sadie Hawkins, and from her fictional attempts to catch a husband comes the modern
tradition of Sadie Hawkins Day, when girls take the initiative and ask boys out. The
25
Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse was successfully adapted from the movie
screen to the comics in 1930, and Donald Duck followed in 1936. Another gently
humorous newspaper comic strip that proved popular was “Archie” (1947), which
focused on a group of high school students and their daily lives. The “Archie”
characters first appeared in another format—comic books—beginning in 1941.
During World War II (1939-1945), many comic strip artists created heroes
who served in the armed services, and war themes dominated the stories. The two
most noteworthy strips were Roy Crane’s “Buz Sawyer” (1943) and Frank Robbin’s
“Johnny Hazard” (1944). Another strip that came out shortly after the war, “Steve
Canyon” (1947) by Milton Caniff, starred a United States Air Force colonel (ibid).
Late 1940s and 1950s
After World War II ended, the trend in comics moved toward strips that dealt
thoughtfully with intellectual questions. The forerunner was Walt Kelly’s “Pogo”
(1948), a strip with animals as the main characters, but that nonetheless dealt with
some of the major social, political, and moral questions of the times. Charles Schulz,
whose “Peanuts” strip (1950) became one of the most beloved and successful comics
ever, created such characters as Charlie Brown, his sister Sally, his dog Snoopy, the
bird Woodstock, and friends Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, and Peppermint Patty. These
characters—all of them children or animals—dealt with the trials of life using
penetrating humor and insight, reflecting on issues such as self-worth, unrequited
love, and the pursuit of happiness. “Peanuts” was turned into a series of popular
animated television specials beginning in the 1960s.
Other strips that broadened the editorial voice of the comics included Jules
Feiffer’s eponymous “Feiffer” (1956), a weekly strip featuring a nameless modern
26
dancer who served as the artist’s voice for social and political issues of the times;
Mell Lazarus’s “Miss Peach” (1957), set in a school; and Johnny Hart’s “B.C.”
(1958), which explored human nature with cavemen and cavewomen who have
modern sensibilities(ibid).
Another notable development of this period was the soap-opera strip. Such
comics concentrated on relationships and typically featured more conversation than
action. One of the earliest such strips was “Mary Worth” (1940; begun as “Apple
Mary” in 1934). Later followed soap-opera strips such as “Rex Morgan, M.D.” (1948)
and “On Stage” (1957). Traditional humor also remained popular, with creations such
as Mort Walker’s “Beetle Bailey” (1950), featuring a hapless private in the United
States Army; “Hi and Lois” (1954), also created by Walker, about a traditional
suburban family; and Hank Ketcham’s “Dennis the Menace” (1951), about a young
boy constantly finding his way into trouble.
1960s and 1970s
In the 1960s and early 1970s, fewer comic strips of lasting popularity
appeared, but there were some exceptions. “The Wizard of Id” (1964), by Johnny Hart
and Brant Parker, had a medieval setting and featured an insecure king. “Wee Pals”
(1965) by Morrie Turner, one of the first successful black cartoonists, was a pioneer
in featuring a multicultural cast of characters—in this case, a group of schoolchildren.
“Broom Hilda” (1970), by Russ Myers, used a humorous witch as its main character.
The political turmoil of the 1960s and early 1970s proved fertile ground for a
young cartoonist named Garry Trudeau. His strip “Doonesbury” (1970) focused on a
group of college-aged friends but also provided commentary on real people and
political events. Frequently controversial, “Doonesbury” became the first comic strip
to win a Pulitzer Prize, capturing the 1975 award for editorial cartooning. Other
27
important comics included “Quincy” (1970), by Ted Shearer, starring an interracial
group of children; “Zippy the Pinhead” (1970), an unconventional strip featuring the
skewed observations and catch phrases of a clown. “Hägar the Horrible” (1973), by
Dik Browne, focused on the adventures—both military and domestic—of a rotund
Viking(ibid).
In the late 1970s, there was a strong resurgence of innovative humor strips.
“Cathy” (1976), by Cathy Guisewite, chronicled the challenges that women face in
the modern world. In 1977 the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Jeff
McNelly created “Shoe,” a newsroom satire in which the assorted characters are
different types of birds. In 1978 Jim Davis’s “Garfield,” a strip about a demanding cat
and his befuddled master, made its first appearance. “For Better or for Worse” (1978),
by Canadian Lynn Johnston, focused on the comical aspects of everyday family life.
Unlike most cartoonists, Johnston has allowed the characters of her strip to age and
even die.
1980s to the Present
The decade of the 1980s saw several new comic strips that explored the edges
of the form both editorially and artistically. Berkeley Breathed’s “Bloom County”
(1980) was an unconventional and satiric strip with a bizarre cast of characters,
including Bill, a scrawny, addiction-prone cat; Opus, a lusty, self-obsessed penguin;
Milo, a little boy who is a tabloid-style journalist; Oliver Wendell Jones, a young
scientist and computer hacker; the neurotic Binky; and other assorted quirky animals
and humans. Another very popular strip of the era was Bill Watterson’s “Calvin and
Hobbes” (1985), about a hyperactive six-year-old and his tiger sidekick, a stuffed
animal who only comes alive for the boy. The little boy’s frequent imaginary
28
interactions with space aliens and dinosaurs allowed Watterson to produce extremely
ambitious and creative strips, especially in the larger Sunday format. Other, more
conventional strips that emerged during the decade included “Kudzu” (1981), “Sally
Forth” (1982), and “Mother Goose and Grimm” (1984) (ibid).
As the modern workplace became more technological, few strips reflected this
change. One that did, Scott Adams’s “Dilbert” (1989), examined the trials and travails
of corporate office workers and became a huge success. Another social trend that the
comics slowly began to catch up with during this period was the rise in single-parent
and nontraditional households. The strip “Stone Soup” (1995), by Jan Eliot, followed
the lives of two sisters, one widowed and one divorced, who struggle to raise their
children and maintain their sanity.
The late 1980s and 1990s saw an influx of black artists to the comics page.
The strips “Curtis” (1988), “Herb & Jamaal” (1989), and “Jump Start” (1990) all
emerged within a short time span and feature black characters in a variety of
situations. In 1996 Aaron McGruder debuted “The Boondocks,” a sometimescontroversial comic strip about two black boys who have to adjust when they move
from the city to live with their grandfather in the suburbs.
Other new strips in the 1990s could be construed as designed to fill in
audience slots pertaining to specific family situations. Examples of this included
“Baby Blues” (1990), about new parents; “Zits” (1997), about a teenage boy and his
bewildered parents; and “Nest Heads” (1998), about a couple dealing with their
grown children moving out. Occupying its own niche is “Mutts” (1994), a strip about
two dogs and a cat in the tradition of “Krazy Kat” (ibid).
29
Chapter 3
Methodology
MATERIAL
The researcher is going to analyze the grammar used in comic strips in
The Nation and Bangkok Post of July 11-22, 2008.
RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS
The instruments used in this study were the guidelines for English grammar
analysis in comic strips which were constructed by the researcher are as follow:
1. English Grammar rules were studied from university library books, private
book collection, internet and the Microsoft Encarta 2008 .
2. Related website.
PROCEDURES
The methodologies that the researcher has used in this study are as follows:
1. The researcher collected the comic strips of The Nation and Bangkok Post
newspapers.
2. The researcher selected the comic strips and then studied the grammar used in
sections.
3. The researcher selects the appropriate comic strips that show English grammar
using from The Nation and Bangkok Post.
4. The researcher analyzes the data.
5. The researcher presents the results.
6. The researcher makes a conclusion and recommendation.
30
DATA COLLECTION
1. The researcher selected the comic strips from The Nation and Bangkok Post.
2. The researcher chose comic strips from The Nation and Bangkok Post.
3. The researcher analyzes the data in grammar rules and also give more
explanation of them.
4. The results were presented by description.
31
Chapter 4
Result and Discussion
From the comic strips, there are many English Grammar points that are used in
composition but in this research, the researcher analyzed only seven common
grammar points that are very important for everybody to know. These are tenses,
active and passive voice, compound and complex sentences, word building:
prefixes and suffixes, adjective participial clause, subordinate clauses and
interjection. They are used in our everyday life not only for reading books but also
for speaking with other people.
The language in comic strips almost used spoken language so we cannot
expect about formal grammar.
The first grammar used a lot in comic strips is tense especially present simple
tense. It highly appears in all of the comic strips. Other tenses are found in comic
strips, too.
1. Tense
1.1Present Simple Tense
Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb
do
base
There are three important exceptions:
1. For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary.
2. For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es to
the auxiliary.
3. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and
negatives.
32
Look at these examples with the main verb like:
subject
+
-
?
auxiliary verb
main verb
I, you, we, they
like
coffee.
He, she, it
likes
coffee.
I, you, we, they do
not
like
coffee.
He, she, it
does
not
like
coffee.
Do
I, you, we, they
like
coffee?
Does
he, she, it
like
coffee?
Look at these examples with the main verb be. Notice that there is no auxiliary:
+
-
?
subject
main verb
I
am
French.
You, we, they
are
French.
He, she, it
is
French.
I
am
not
old.
You, we, they
are
not
old.
He, she, it
is
not
old.
Am
I
late?
Are
you, we, they
late?
Is
he, she, it
late?
The present simple tense is used to express:
•
The action is general.
•
The action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future.
•
The action is not only happening now.
•
The statement is always true.
33
Example 1: Animal Crackers from the Bangkok Post of July 19, 2008
Sentence
Grammar
A: Zeke, you’re just an old softie!
+
subject
main verb
You
are
Present Simple Tense
just
an old softie
“You’re just an old softie!” is a present simple tense because:
“you” is a subject.
“are” is verb.
“just” is adverb.
“an old softie” is an object.
34
1.2 Past Simple Tense
Past Simple Tense is sometimes called the preterite tense. We can use several
tenses to talk about the past, but the simple past tense is the one we use most often.
Here you can see examples of the past form and base form for irregular verbs
and regular verbs:
V1
base
V2
past
V3
past participle
regular
verb
work
worked
explode exploded
like
liked
worked
exploded
liked
The past form for
all regular verbs
ends in -ed.
irregular
verb
go
see
sing
gone
seen
sung
The past form for
irregular verbs is
variable. You need
to learn it by heart.
went
saw
sang
You do not need the past
participle form to make the
simple past tense. It is shown
here for completeness only.
The structure for positive sentences in the simple past tense is:
subject + main verb
past
The structure for negative sentences in the simple past tense is:
subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb
did
base
The structure for question sentences in the simple past tense is:
auxiliary verb + subject + main verb
did
base
The auxiliary verb did is not conjugated. It is the same for all persons (I did,
you did, he did etc). And the base form and past form do not change. Look at these
35
examples with the main verbs go and work:
subject
+
-
?
auxiliary verb
main verb
I
went
to school.
You
worked
very hard.
She
did
not
go
with me.
We
did
not
work
yesterday.
Did
you
go
to London?
Did
they
work
at home?
The verb to be is different. We conjugate the verb to be (I was,
you were, he/she/it was, we were, they were); and we do not use an auxiliary for
negative and question sentences. To make a question, we exchange the subject and
verb. Look at these examples:
+
-
?
subject
main verb
I, he/she/it
was
here.
You, we, they
were
in London.
I, he/she/it
was
not
there.
You, we, they
were
not
happy.
Was
I, he/she/it
right?
Were
you, we, they
late?
We use the simple past tense to talk about an action or a situation - an event –
in the past. The event can be short or long.
•
The event is in the past.
•
The event is completely finished.
•
We say (or understand) the time and/or place of the event.
36
Example 2: Hagar the Horrible from the Nation of July 15, 2008
Sentence
A: Ever since I was a kid. I never liked
Grammar
Past Simple Tense
being the center of attention.
subject
main verb
+
I
was
a kid
-
I
liked
being the center of attention
never
“I was a kid” is a past simple because:
“I” is a subject.
“was” is a verb.
“a kid” is an object.
and
“I never liked being the center of attention” is a past simple tense because:
“I” is a subject,
“liked” is verb and
“being the center of attention” is a subordinate.
37
1.3 Future Simple Tense
The simple future tense is often called will, because we make the simple future
tense with the modal auxiliary will.
The structure of the simple future tense is:
subject +
auxiliary verb WILL +
main verb
invariable
base
will
V1
For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we insert not between the
auxiliary verb and main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and
auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the simple future tense:
subject auxiliary verb
main verb
+
I
will
open
the door.
+
You
will
finish
before me.
-
She
will
not be
at school tomorrow.
-
We
will
not leave
yet.
?
Will
you
arrive
on time?
?
Will
they
want
dinner?
When we use the simple future tense in speaking, we often contract the subject
and auxiliary verb:
I will
I'll
you will
you'll
38
he will
she will
it will
he'll
she'll
it'll
we will
we'll
they will
they'll
For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we contract with won't, like this:
I will not
I won't
you will not
you won't
he will not
she will not
it will not
he won't
she won't
it won't
we will not
we won't
they will not
they won't
We use the simple future tense when there is no plan or decision to do something
before we speak. We make the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking.
39
Example 3: Pooch Cafe from the Nation of July 11, 2008
Sentence
A: Knavish cupid! I will roar you as
Grammar
Future Simple Tense
gently as any sucking dove…!
+
main verb
object
I
roar
you
will
“I will roar you” is a future simple tense because:
“I” is a subject,
“will roar” is a verb.
“you” is an object.
40
1.4 Present Perfect Continuous Tense
The structure of the present perfect continuous tense is:
subject + auxiliary verb + auxiliary verb + main verb
have
been
base + ing
has
Here are some examples of the present perfect continuous tense:
subject
auxiliary verb
auxiliary verb
main verb
+
I
have
been
waiting
for one hour.
+
You
have
been
talking
too much.
-
It
has
not
been
raining.
-
We
have
not been
playing
football.
?
Have
you
been
seeing
her?
?
Have
they
been
doing
their homework?
Contractions
When we use the present perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often
contract the subject and the first auxiliary. We also sometimes do this in informal
writing.
I have been
I've been
You have been
You've been
He has been
She has been
It has been
John has been
The car has been
He's been
She's been
It's been
John's been
The car's been
We have been
We've been
41
They have been
They've been
This tense is called the present perfect continuous tense. There is usually a
connection with the present or now. There are basically two uses for the present
perfect continuous tense:
1. An action that has just stopped or recently stopped
We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started
in the past and stopped recently. There is usually a result now.
2. An action continuing up to now
We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started
in the past and is continuing now. This is often used with for or since.
42
Example 4: The wizard of ID from the Bangkok Post of July 19, 2008
Sentence
Grammar
A: You’ve been sending me mixed signals Present Perfect Conti.
all night.
+
Tense
auxiliary verb
main verb
you
been
sending
have
me
“You’ve been sending me” is a present Perfect Continuous tense because
“you” is a subject
“have been sending” is a verb .
“me” is an object.
43
2. Active and Passive voice
The second grammar found in the comic strips is active and passive voice.
Since of sentence were written in simple patterns of sentence, active voice, the second
major English grammar, usually found in every comic strip. Passive vice can found in
some comic strips.
2.1 The active voice
The active voice is the "normal" voice. This is the voice that we use most of
the time. You are probably already familiar with the active voice. In the active voice,
the object receives the action of the verb:
subject
verb object
active
>
Cats
eat
fish.
Example 1: Shoe from the Bangkok Post of July 15, 2008
Sentence
A: My wife always nagged me while I
was driving, so I divorced her.
Grammar
Active Voice
44
subject
verb
object
>
I
divorced
her
“I divorced her” is an active voice because:
“divorced” is a verb.
“her” is an object.
The subject “I” use an active verb “divorced” to say what the subject does.
Example 2: Dilbert from the Nation of July 15, 2008
Sentence
A: My doctor says everything is fine
Grammar
Active Voice
except for the part of my brain that
controls morality.
B: GASP! The management prophesies
are true. You must be the one they call…
Active Voice
45
subject
verb
object
>
Everything
is
fine
The management prophesies
are
true
You
must be
the one
“everything is fine”, “The management prophesies are true” and “You must be
the one” are active voice because:
“everything” is a subject.
“is” is a verb.
“fine” is an adjective.
The subject “everything” uses an active verb “is” to say what the subject does.
“The management prophesies” is a subject.
“are” is a verb.
“true” is an adjective.
The subject “The management prophesies” uses an active verb “are” to
say what the subject does.
“you” is a subject.
“must be” is a verb.
“the one” is an object.
The subject “you” uses an active verb “must be” to say what the subject does.
46
2.2 The passive voice
The passive voice is less usual than the active voice. The active voice is the
"normal" voice. But sometimes we need the passive voice. In this lesson we look at
how to construct the passive voice, when to use it and how to conjugate it.
Construction of the Passive Voice
The structure of the passive voice is very simple:
subject + auxiliary verb (be) + main verb (past participle)
The main verb is always in its past participle form.
Look at these examples:
subject
auxiliary verb (to be)
main verb (past
participle)
Water
is
drunk
by everyone.
100 people
are
employed
by this company.
I
am
paid
in euro.
We
are
paid
in dollars.
Are
they
paid
in yen?
not
Use of the Passive Voice
We use the passive when:
•
We want to make the active object more important.
•
We do not know the active subject.
Conjugation for the Passive Voice
We can form the passive in any tense. In fact, conjugation of verbs in the passive
tense is rather easy, as the main verb is always in past participle form and the
auxiliary verb is always be. To form the required tense, we conjugate the auxiliary
verb.
47
Example 3: Pooch Café from the Nation of July 11, 2008
Sentence
Grammar
A: I’m supposed to be saving that cat, but
I’m a tad nervous up here.
Passive Voice
subject auxiliary verb (to be)
main verb
(past participle)
I
supposed
am
to be saving the cat
“I’m supposed” is a passive voice because:
“am” is auxiliary verb.
“supposed” is a main verb that is a past participle.
The verb “am supposed” to say what happen to the subject “I”.
48
Sentence
A: I though we had a little moment of true
feeling there, and that maybe cheese
wouldn’t be required this time around.
subject
auxiliary verb (to be)
cheese
Would
Grammar
Passive Voice
main verb
(past participle)
not be required
this time around
“maybe cheese wouldn’t be required this time around” is a passive voice
because:
“cheese” is a subject.
“wouldn’t be required” is verb.
The verb “wouldn’t be required” to say what happen to the subject “cheese”.
49
3. Compound and complex sentences
The third grammar found in the comic strips is compound sentences and
complex sentences. Sentence structure is a potent tool to help you create both interest
and meaning in sentences.
3.1 Compound sentences
A compound sentence structure shows that two thoughts are connected and of
equal importance
There are four important characteristics of compound sentences:
1. A compound sentence is like a set of twins; each is a separate person, yet each
is connected to the other with the same biological "make-up." That is, each has a
subject, a verb, and words to complete the thought. Although they are joined by a
linking word, each sentence of the compound is complete in itself and can stand
alone.
2. The two parts of the compound sentence need to be linked correctly, with a
comma and then a linking word at the place where one sentence ends and the other
begins. (Otherwise you will have a sentence error called a run-on sentence. Run-on
sentences are typically compound sentences without the proper punctuation and/or
linking word.)
3. Because there are two complete sentences in a compound sentence, each has
equal weight in terms of the ideas being presented. That is, you may want to link
sentences into a compound to show that their ideas are equally important.
4. The linking word shows the relationship between the ideas:
and = the 2nd sentence contains the same type of idea
but = the 2nd sentence contains an equal but opposite idea
or = the 2nd sentence contains an equal choice
50
so = the 2nd sentence contains an equally important outcome or result
Sentence
A: I’m supposed to be saving that cat, but
Grammar
Compound sentence
I’m a tad nervous up here.
“I’m supposed to be saving that cat, but I’m a tad nervous up here” is a
compound sentence because:
The first sentence is “I’m supposed to be saving that cat”.
The second sentence is “I’m a tad nervous up here”.
So, each sentence contains two independent clauses, and they are joined by a
coordinator with a comma preceding it.
51
Example 2: Andy Capp from the Bangkok Post of July 22, 2008
Sentence
A: Then she slapped me and called me “A
Grammar
Compound sentence
Lazy good-for-nothing”.
“she slapped me and called me “A Lazy good-for-nothing”” is compound
sentence because:
The first sentence is “she slapped me”.
The second sentence is “she called me “A Lazy good-for-nothing”.
So, each sentence contains two independent clauses, and they are joined by a
coordinator with a comma preceding it.
52
3.2 Complex sentences
Think of a complex sentence as a family. Although the children contribute to
the family, they cannot survive on their own without the base of the family--the
parents.
A complex sentence has a base of a complete sentence with a subject, verb,
and words to complete the thought (the complete "couple" or "parents"). A complex
sentence also adds additional information in separate phrases (the "children"). The
information in the phrases depends upon the information in the complete sentence
base; it cannot stand alone.
Certain words traditionally start off the subordinate, or dependent, parts of the
complex sentence:
before.....while.....if.....where
after.....because.....whether.....whereas
though.....since.....unless.....as
although.....when.....because.....as if
The complex sentence is an effective way to show that one idea takes
precedence over another. The idea in the complete sentence base is more important
than the idea in the dependent phrase.
.
53
Example 3: The Born Loser from the Bangkok Post of July 19, 2008
Sentence
A: He’s so loaded, when he gets a doggie
Grammar
Complex sentence
bag from a fancy restaurant…
“He’s so loaded, when he gets a doggie bag from a fancy restaurant” is a
complex sentence because:
The sentence begins with the dependent clause and the subordinators in the
middle is following “when”.
54
Sentence
A: You see, when a male cat and a female
Grammar
Complex sentence
cat like each other, they kiss.
“You see, when a male cat and a female cat like each other, they kiss” is a
complex sentence because:
This sentence begins with a subordinator “a male cat and a female cat like
each other” which followed “when” and the dependent clause “they kiss” which is
followed by a comma.
55
4. Word building
The fourth grammar found in the comic strips is word building, prefixes and
suffixes. The readers can use in comic strips their knowledge of reading skills in
guessing the meaning.
Prefixes and suffixes are grammatical and lingual "affixes." Prefixes are
affixed before and suffixes after a base word or word stem to add information. For
example, with the word "prehistoric," the prefix is "pre-" meaning "before," the base
word is "history" meaning "recorded events and knowledge", and the suffix is "-ic"
meaning "relating to the science of."
In other words, "prefix" simply refers to an attachment before or in front of, in
this case, a shorter word or stem. In lingual terms, a "stem" is the main part of a word
to which prefixes and suffixes can be added and may not necessarily be a word itself,
such as "dod" in "doddle."
Similarly, "suffix" refers to an attachment after the end of an existing word or
stem, serving to form a new word or functioning as an inflectional ending, for
example, “s” or “es” to make for plurality.
56
Example 1: Calvin and Hobbes from the Nation of July 11, 2008
Sentence
A: Of course, my grip could weaken, or I
Grammar
prefix
could get sucked into a jet intake.
Intake ( prefix = in-, root = take)
“In-” is a prefix means in, into, toward, within.
“Take” is verb means to carry, to remove, to steal or to capture.
So, “intake” is noun and the meaning can guess an amount taken in or
consumed.
Sentence
A: That’s one of the remarkable things
Grammar
Prefix and Suffix
about life. It’s never so bad that it can’t
get worse
remarkable ( prefix = re-, root = mark, suffix = -able)
“Re-”is a prefix means again, anew.11
“Mark” is noun means a recognizable sign or symbol used to indicate.12
“-able” is suffix means capable of or fit for.13
So, “remarkable” is adjective and the meaning can guess a worth noticing or
commenting on or unusual or exceptional, and attracting attention because of this.14
57
Example 2: Non Sequitur from the Nation of July 15, 2008
Sentence
A: Maine Department of homeland
Grammar
suffix
security… may I help you?
department (root = depart, suffix = -ment)
“Depart” is verb means to leave, especially at the beginning of a journey.
“-ment” is suffix means action, process.
So, “department” is noun and the meaning can guess a division of a large
organization such as a university or store that has its own function.
58
Example 3: Monty from the Bangkok Post of July 15, 2008
Sentence
A: Apparently I have yet to fully recover
Grammar
Suffix
from my tour of duty in the android wars.
apparently (root = apparent, suffix = -ly)
“-ly” is a suffix means having a qualities.
“apparent” is an adjective means easy to see or understand.
So, “apparently” is an adverb and the meaning can guess a mental focus,
serious consideration, or concentration.
59
5. Adjective participial clause
The fifth grammar found in the comic strips is adjective participial clause. The
adjective participial clause in comic strips always used in.
We saw in an earlier section that many adjectives can be identified by their
endings. Another major subclass of adjectives can also be formally distinguished by
endings, this time by -ed or -ing endings:
-ed
form
computerized, determined, excited, misunderstood, renowned, selfcentred, talented, unknown
-ing
form
annoying, exasperating, frightening, gratifying, misleading,
thrilling, time-consuming, worrying
Example 1: Adam from the Nation of July 11, 2008
Sentence
A: it’s so hot… Starbuck’s Lattes come
Grammar
-ed
with evaporated milk.
“evaporated” is a past participles adjectives clause that describe “milk” that
is receiving the effects of an action.
So, the word “evaporated milk” is meaning milk that has been thickened by
removing some of the water by evaporation.
60
Example 2: Calvin and Hobbes from the Nation of July 11, 2008
Sentence
A: I’ve been telling him about it all week.
Grammar
-ed
He’s so excited.
“excited” is a adjective participial clause that receipt of the feeling.
61
Sentence
A: A Nun, a CEO, a scientist are in a
Grammar
-ing
burning building. You can only save one
of them. Which one do you save?
B: Is there time for a bidding war?
“burning” is a present participle adjective that describe “a building” that that
So, the word “a burning building” is meaning a building on fire.
“bidding” is a present participle adjective that describe “a war” that that
So, the word “a bidding war” is meaning a situation in which buyers compete
by offering higher and higher bids for the purchase of something such as a company
or a house.
62
6. Subordinate clause
The sixth grammar found in the comic strips is subordinate clause.
Subordinate clause is important grammar divided into relative clause, and if-clause.
They are used to support the main clause.
A subordinate clause—also called a dependent clause—will begin with a
subordinate conjunction or a relative pronoun and will contain both a subject and a
verb. This combination of words will not form a complete sentence. It will instead
make a reader want additional information to finish the thought.
Here is a list of subordinate conjunctions:
once
until
after
provided that when
although
rather than whenever
as
where
since
because
whereas
so that
before
wherever
than
even if
whether
even though that
while
though
if
why
in order that unless
Here are your relative pronouns:
that
who
whose
which
whoever whosever
whichever whom whomever
The important point is a subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence
because it does not provide a complete thought. The reader is left wondering,
"So what happened?" A word group that begins with a capital letter and ends with a
period must contain at least one main clause. Otherwise, you will have written a
fragment, a major error.
63
Sentence
A: I can’t put you on the management fast
Grammar
Time Clause
track until I confirm that your moral
compass is broken.
“until” is a subordinate conjunction of Time Clause.
“I can’t put you on the management fast track” is a main clause.
So, the subordinate “until I confirm” is extend the sentence “I can’t put you on
the management fast track” and “that your moral compass is broken” is a subordinate
extend “confirm.”
64
Sentence
A: Ever since I was a kid I never liked
Grammar
Time Clause
being the center of attention!!
“since” is a adverb clause of time of Time Clause.
“I never liked being the center of attention” is a main clause.
“since I was a kid” is a subordinate that extend to the sentence “I never liked
being the center of attention”.
65
Sentence
A: So the next time we come through,
Grammar
Purpose clause
we’ll know to skip this one!
“so” is a subordinate conjunction of purpose clause.
“we’ll know to skip this one” is a main clause.
“So the next time we come through” is a subordinate that extend to the
sentence “we’ll know to skip this one”.
66
Example 4: Blondie from the Bangkok Post of July 19, 2008
Sentence
A: I’ve been from my barber shop ‘til I
Grammar
Time Clause
switch to a less potent aftershave.
“’til” is a subordinate conjunction of Time Clause. (Until)
“I’ve been from my barber shop” is a main clause.
“’til I switch to a less potent aftershave” is a subordinate that extend to the
sentence “I’ve been from my barber shop”.
67
7. Interjection
The last grammar found in the comic strips is interjection. Interjection often
used ironically to signal that something should be obvious and we also use it to
introduce a sentence more interesting.
Interjection is a big name for a little word. Interjections are short exclamations
like Oh!, Um or Ah! They have no real grammatical value but we use them quite
often, usually more in speaking than in writing. When interjections are inserted into a
sentence, they have no grammatical connection to the sentence. An interjection is
sometimes followed by an exclamation mark (!) when written.
Example 1: The wizard of ID from the Bangkok Post of July 19, 2008
Sentence
A: Oh, do you like that?
“oh…” is interjection expressing surprise.
Grammar
Interjection
68
Example 2: The Buckets from the Nation of July 15, 2008
Sentence
A: um…no I should go my cell phone’s
Grammar
Interjection
ring…
“um…” is interjection expressing hesitation.
Example 3: Andy Capp from the Bangkok Post of July 19, 2008
Sentence
A: …and, well, I probably don’t say this
often enough…
“well” is interjection introducing a remark.
Grammar
Interjection
69
Example 4: Non Sequitur1 from the Nation of July 21, 2008
Sentence
A: Uh… what kind of breach?
Grammar
Interjection
“uh…” is interjection expressing hesitation.
Example 5: Monty from the Bangkok Post of July 19, 2008
Sentence
A: Say… where’s your mom? Where’s..?
Grammar
Interjection
Uh…Hey… what’s that..? Is that a comic
book or something?
“uh…” is interjection expressing hesitation.
“hey…” is interjection calling attention.
1
Non Sequitur translated from Latin as "it does not follow" is a comic strip created by
Wiley Miller.
70
Through, the analysis of some English grammar points in the comic strip, the
researcher found that the comic strips were good for studying of English grammar and
spoken language, especially for children and teenagers. The sentence structures found
in the selected comic strips should be considered useful resources for sentence
composition teaching.
In term of tenses, various tenses are used to tell stories. The stories were told
by using tenses especially present simple tense. The students will understand tenses
better after reading the comic strips and they can apply in spoken language.
Beside the past tense, present continuous tense, present future tense, present perfect
tense and so on are also used.
In term of voices, the comic strip is effective to teach the structure of active
voice and passive voice. The study shows that the verb patterns are widely available
in various patterns. That is good for using the contextual property of comic strips as a
tool for giving examples of verb patterns to study in class. Compound and complex
sentences are important for students to learn how to write and how to use them.
The comic strips are suitable for students to read because they are easy to
understand and they are entertaining. Moreover, the comic strips also have other
benefits for students to study English grammar. Depending on the age of students, the
comic strips can be use to teach some grammar points such as tense, compound and
complex sentence, word building, adjective participial clause, subordinate clause and
interjection. Moreover, comic strips can be used in everyday speaking because they
have many situations that are applicable to real life.
71
Chapter 5
Conclusion and Recommendations
Over the years, English language has become one of our principal assets in
getting a global leadership for the mass media. Especially, American English is
particularly influential, due to the USA's dominance of cinema, television, popular
music, trade, technology and including the internet. . But there are many other
varieties of English around the world, including for example Australian English, New
Zealand English, Canadian English, South African English, Indian English and
Caribbean English. Even though, English have many varieties, English grammar is
fixed. So, it’s essential to learn English grammar.
The comic strip is a good way for a learner who likes to learn English
grammar. Besides English grammar, the learner can apply the sentences of comic
strips to use in lifestyle. Moreover, when they read the comic strip, they can be
entertained by them.
Recommendation
After I have studied the comic strips, I would like to make the
recommendations as follows:
1. The comic strip can be used as one media in teaching and learning English
because the readers can have fun and enjoy learning English at the same time.
2. From this paper, I would like to suggest all the readers of comic strips to
beware that there might be some confusion when they are not able to understand the
joke. Therefore the readers should read them carefully and apply learning from
English classes to help them enjoy reading comic strips and be able to understand
correctly.
72
Reference
Collier’s Encyclopedia Volume 17
Microsoft of Encarta 2008
Encarta Dictionaries 2008
Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge Volume 13
The New Book of Knowledge Volume 3
Collier’s Encyclopedia Volume 7
Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge Volume 5
http://www.englishclub.com
http://www.eslbee.com
http://www.chompchomp.com
http://www.esc.edu
http://www.studyenglishtoday.net
http://www.wikipedia.org
Samranj Kamying (สําราญ คํายิ่ง). Advance English Grammar for High Learners.
กรุงเทพฯ: หางหุนสวนจํากีด วี.เจ พริ้นติ้ง , 2550
73
Yule, George. Oxford Practice Grammar.
Oxford University Press.

A Study of the English Grammar Used in Comic Strips A Term Paper

Transcription

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