can, and it used when someone wants to make an offers or a request seem more polite and respectful.
20
Examples: Can I carry your bag? Offers
Could I give you a dinner one of these days? Offers Can you come here a minute, please? Request
Could you help me with this letter? Request
f. Question Tag
Imperatives may be accompanied by certain other features either singly or in combination: some form of address a vocative, e.g., a proper
noun, the pronoun you, or one of pronouns like everybody or somebody, or in the negative, certain negative indefinite pronouns like anybody or
anyone: an introductory let’s or let followed by a noun phrase; a word like
please; and either positive or negative question tags like will you? Or why don’t you? Less frequently the person find tags like can you? Can’t you?,
and so on. Another possible interpretation of these “tagged” commands is
that they are reordered questions so that speak up, can’t you? Derives from
can’t you speak up?
21
Examples: Sit down, will you?
Sit down, won’t you?
20
Michael Swan, Practical English Usage …, p. 132.
21
Ronald, Wardhaugh, Understanding English Grammar: a Linguistic Approach, United Kingdom: Blackwell Publishing, 2003, p. 128.
These are the following points according to Ronald Wardhaugh in his book to make imperative sentence more variety is suitable with the
function of the imperative it’s self. A command has a characteristic imperative sentence form: lack subject and the verb is the uninflected base
forms:
22
Examples: Sit down
Tell me your name. They can be made more emphatic with introductory do:
Do sit down Do tell me your name.
In the negative, as prohibitions of some kind, they are prefaced by don’t.
Examples: Don’t sit down
Don’t tell me your name.
The imperative does not normally have a subject, but we can use a noun or pronoun to make it clear who are speaking to.
23
Examples: Andrew shut the door, please.
Have some more coffee, Kate. Sit down, everybody.
22
Ronald Wardhaugh, Understanding English Grammar: a Linguistic Approach …, p.
128.
23
Digby Beaumont and Colin Granger, English Grammar …, p.52.
B. Total Physical Response TPR
1. Definition of TPR
According to Richard and Rodgers in their book, total physical response TPR is a language teaching method built around the coordination
of speech and action; it attempts to teach language through physical motor activity. Developed by James Asher, a professor of psychology at San Jose
State University, California, it draws on several traditions, including developmental psychology, learning theory, and humanistic pedagogy, as
well as on language teaching procedures proposed by Harold and Dorothy Palmer in 1925.
24
“Total physical response method was developed in order to reduce the stress people feel when studying foreign languages and thereby
encourage students to persist in their study beyond a beginning level of proficiency
”.
25
Furthermore “many people believe that total physical response is
only appropriate for children since the method relies on imperatives. However, Ashers believe that the method can be used to teach any foreign
language not only to children but also adults ”.
26
On the basis of his research, “Asher reasoned that the fastest, least stressful way to achieve understanding
of any target language is to follow directions uttered by the instructor without native language translation
”.
27
“Total physical response TPR consists basically of obeying commands given by the instructor that involve
on overt physical response. The instructor, for example, says “stand up” and
the classes stand up. The commands become more complex as the class
24
Jack C. Richard and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches’ and Methods in Language
Teaching, Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1992, p. 87.
25
Diane Larsen Freeman, Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching, New York: Oxford University Press, 2000, p. 113.
26
Ag. Bambang Setiyadi, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu, 2006, p. 126.
27
Diane Larsen Freeman, Techniques and Principles …, p. 108.
