Declarative and Interrogative Sentences in The Film “American Sniper”
on
DOI: 10.24843/JH.2018.v22.i04.p16
ISSN: 2302-920X
Jurnal Humanis, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Unud
Vol 22.4 Nopember 2018: 950-955
Declarative and Interrogative Sentences in The Film “American Sniper”
I Gusti Ngurah Agung Tribawa1*, Kt. Alit Ida Setianingsih2 [12]English Department Faculty of Arts - Udayana University 1[email: agungtribawa@gmail.com] 2[email: alit_ida@yahoo.com] *Corresponding Author
Abstract
This paper entitled “Declarative and Interrogative Sentences in the Film “American Sniper” is mainly aimed to identify the kinds and functions of declarative and interrogative sentences used in this film directed by Clint Eastwood. The data of this study is declarative and interrogative sentences taken from film entitled American Sniper. This study was using qualitative and documentary methods. The data were analyzed qualitatively in accordance with some related theories to define the kinds and functions of declarative and interrogative sentences. The theories used in this study are declarative sentence theory “Declarative sentence is a sentence that used to expressing of the statement, it completely formed sentence elements such a subject, verb, object, and another element.” by Quirk (1985) and interrogative sentence theory “Interrogative is a term used in grammar to refer to features that form questions.” by John Eastwood (1994). Then the data were presented descriptively by explaining the process and the result of discussion. The finding in the analysis shows that declarative and interrogative sentences was used in the film American Sniper. The result is: two kinds of declarative sentences, positive and negative declarative sentence, and eight kinds of interrogative sentences: (a) yes-no question; (b) w-h question; (c) suggestion; (d) command; (e) request; (f) greeting; (g) confirmation; (h) offering.
Keyword: declarative, interrogative, yes-no question, w-h question, sentences.
Abstrak
Studi yang berjudul Kalimat Deklaratif dan Interogatif Dalam Film “American Sniper” ini difokuskan pada indetifikasi jenis dan fungsi kalimat deklaratif dan interogatif yang digunakan dalam film ini yang disutradarai oleh Clint Eastwood. Data dalam studi ini yaitu kalimat deklaratif dan interogatif diambil dari film berjudul “American Sniper”. Studi ini menggunakan metode kualitatif dan metode dokumentasi. Data dianalisis secara kualitatif sesuai dengan beberapa teori terkait untuk menentukan jenis dan fungsi kalimat deklaratif dan interogatif. Teori yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah teori kalimat deklaratif “Kalimat deklaratif adalah kalimat yang digunakan untuk mengekspresikan pernyataan, itu sepenuhnya membentuk elemen kalimat seperti subjek, kata kerja, objek, dan elemen lainnya." oleh Quirk (1985) dan teori kalimat interogatif "Interogatif adalah istilah yang digunakan dalam tatabahasa untuk merujuk pada fitur yang membentuk pertanyaan." oleh John Eastwood (1994). Kemudian data dipresentasikan secara deskriptif dengan menjelaskan proses dan hasil pembahasan. Temuan dalam analisis tersebut menunjukkan bahwa kalimat deklaratif dan interogatif digunakan dalam film American Sniper. Hasilnya
adalah: dua macam kalimat deklaratif, kalimat deklaratif positif dan negatif, dan delapan macam kalimat interogatif: (a) pertanyaan ya-tidak ; (b) pertanyaan w-h; (c) saran; (d) perintah; (e) permintaan; (f) salam; (g) konfirmasi; (h) penawaran.
Kata kunci: deklaratif, interogatif, pertanyaan ya-tidak, pertanyaan w-h, kalimat.
Language is the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way. Language is used in almost every daily activity. When described as a system of symbolic communication, language is traditionally seen as consisting of three parts: signs, meanings, and a code connecting signs with their meanings. A sentence can be classified into two types based on function and structure. The sentences that are based on function are; declarative sentence, question or interrogative sentence, imperative sentence, and exclamation sentence. Declarative Sentence is a statement, and Interrogative Sentence is a question. The topic about declarative and interrogative sentences is interesting to be studied. There are many sentences used in conversation every day, and some of those sentences definitely have declarative or interrogative sentences. And sometimes declarative and interrogative sentences have different meaning if the punctuation marks are different too.
From the background described above, there are several problems that can be formulated in this writing. Those problems are:
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a. What kinds of declarative and
interrogative sentences found in the film “American Sniper”?
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b. What functions are declarative and interrogative sentences issued in the film “American Sniper”?
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a. To find the kinds of declarative and interrogative sentences in the film “American Sniper”.
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b. To identify the functions of declarative and interrogative sentences in film “American Sniper”.
The primary data in this undergraduate paper were obtained from the film “American Sniper” directed by Clint Eastwood and based on memoir American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (2012) by Chris Kyle, with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. The method and technique used in collecting data was the documentary and qualitative method.
This part deals with the result and discussion of the data. The data are divided into two parts: analysis of declarative sentence, and interrogative sentence.
Declarative sentence in the conversation is used to express a statement for someone.
Chris Kyle : “Hold on. I got a woman and a kid, 200 yards out. Moving towards the convoy. Her arms aren’t swinging. She’s carrying something. Yes, she’s got grenade. She’s got an RKG Russian grenade she just handed to the kid.” Soldier : “You say a woman and a
kid?”
Chris Kyle : “You got eyes on this? Can you confirm?”
Soldier : “Negative, you know the R.O.E. your call.”
Form : She’s got an RKG Russian grenade she just handed to the kid.
Context : The sentence starts with a subject She, followed by the verb got, after that inserting an object RKG Russian grenade, and ends with a period mark (.)
Function : To give information for someone. In the film: Chris Kyle tries to give information to his friends in the army camp.
An interrogative sentence is a type of sentence that asks a question. The interrogative sentence ends with a question mark (?).
Taya : “What do you do for work? You’re obviously military.”
Chris Kyle : “I polish dolphins. They’re in captivity. What I do is just sort of scrape off the crustaceans.”
Taya : “Do I look stupid to you?” Chris Kyle : “No, honestly, you look a little sad.”
Form : Do I look stupid to you?
Context : Starting with the auxiliary verb Do, followed by the subject I, after that inserting an object you and ends with a question mark (?).
Function : Functioning to ask a question for a confirmation. In the film: Taya seriously asked a question about Chris Kyle job, but he answered the question with a joking answer. Taya felt she was fooled by him, so she wanted a confirmation.
The sentence is used to give a suggestion to someone.
Navy Recruiter: “So, you’re from Texas.” Chris Kyle : “Yes, sir.”
Navy Recruiter: “You’re a patriot.”
Chris Kyle : “Yes, sir.”
Navy Recruiter: “And you’re pissed off.” Chris Kyle : “I’m looking to be of service.”
Navy Recruiter: “You like to fight?”
Chris Kyle : “Yes, sir.”
Navy Recruiter: “You like to fight. Okay. Well… Why don’t you meet the warrior elite?”
Chris Kyle : “SEALs.”
Navy Recruiter: “Yep. Sea, air, and land.”
Form : Why don’t you meet the
warrior elite?
Context : Starting with a w-h
question words Why, followed by the verb do + inserting negative affixes contraction n-t. After that the sentence is continued with the subject you, And then the object the warrior elite is added. And in the end of sentence a question mark is used (?)
Function : Functioning as an
interrogative sentence to give a suggestion to someone. In the film: Chris Kyle watched news how terrorist exploded the U.S. embassies, and then he decided to come to a career centre. In the career centre office, Navy recruiter suggested him to join Navy SEALs, after he asked some questions to Chris Kyle.
Interrogative sentence functions to give an instruction to someone.
Taya : “Kenna’s gonna lose that tooth, and I’m so worried she’s gonna swallow it. Like, in her sleep or something. And she said she’d let you pull it, but only you. Would you do that?”
Form : Would you do that?
Context : Starting with the question word Would, after that inserting the subject you, then followed by the auxiliary verb do,the object that is added. And in the end of sentence there is a question mark (?).
Function : Functioning as an interrogative sentence to give a command to someone. In the film: Taya daughter would lose her first tooth. So, she gave a command to Chris Kyle to pull it, before it swallowed or something bad happened to her children.
Interrogative sentence has a function to gives an order or make a request to someone.
Chris Kyle : “Hey, can you wait a second?”
Martin : “All right. Hurry up.”
Form : Can you wait a second?
Context : Starting with the auxiliary verb can, and then followed by the subject you. After that the object a second is added. And in the end of the sentence there is a question mark (?)
Function : Functioning as an interrogative sentence to make a request to someone. In the film: Chris Kyle looked at the soldiers who were walking going to the plane. And in that team, he saw his brother. So, Chris Kyle made a request to his
captain for catching his brother before he headed back to U.S.
Interrogative sentence has a function to greet people when meeting at the first time or whom we have already known before and to ask someone’s feeling.
Man : “Hello.”
Taya : “Hi.”
Man : “How are you doing?”
Taya : “Good. Thank you.”
Form : How are you doing?
Context : Starting with the question
word How, and then followed by the auxiliary verb are, after that the subject you is inserted, and in the end there is a question mark (?).
Function : Functioning as an
interrogative sentence to ask a person how his/her feeling is or how the status of their health is. In the film: Taya sat alone at the bar. And then a stranger came and wanted to start a conversation with her. In this situation, the stranger wanted to know how Taya felt.
Interrogative sentence has a function to make sure something or confirmation. It is like a tag-question.
Goat Winston : “It’s a f**king hotbox. Man, the f**king dirt here tastes like dog sh*t.”
Chris Kyle : “Oh, well. You’d know, wouldn’t you?”
Goat Winston : “Shut the f**k up.”
Form : You’d know, wouldn’t
you?
Context : Starting with the subject
You, and then followed by the auxiliary verb would, and in the end of the sentence a question mark (?) is added.
Function : Functioning as an
interrogative sentence to ask a person to get a confirmation. In the film: Goat Winston grumbling about weather in Iraq. With the joke intonation, Chris Kyle asked a question to get confirmation of what Goat Winston had said before.
Interrogative sentence has a function to offer something to someone.
Man : “Can I get you a drink?”
Taya : “Will a drink make you six
inches taller and charming? Will it make you not married?”
Man : “I’m not….”
Taya : “Yeah. I just watched you
take your ring off. Okay? Don’t be a scumbag. Go home”
Form : Can I get you a drink?
Context : Starting with the modal
verb can, after that inserting the subject I, and then followed by the object drink, and in the end a question mark (?) is added.
Function : Functioning as an
interrogative sentence to presentt or offer (something) for (someone) to accept or reject as desired. In the film: A stranger was trying to get close to Taya. And then he offered to buy some drink for her, but Taya rejected it.
Based on the analysis in the previous chapter, 15 examples were found
as declarative sentences and 25 examples as interrogative sentences. There were 3 declarative sentences, 6 positive
declarative sentences, and 6 negative declarative sentences, 6 yes-no questions, 8 w-h questions, 3 interrogative sentences as suggestions, 1 interrogative sentence as command, 2 interrogative sentences as requests, 2 interrogative sentences as greetings, 2 interrogative sentences as confirmations, and 1 interrogative
sentence as an offering.
The function of declarative and interrogative sentences found in the film “American Sniper” is: Positive declarative sentence was used to declare statement to someone. Negative declarative sentence was used to express negative statement. Yes-no questions function to ask a question and always expect Yes or No answer. W-h question functions to ask a question that always starts with the words: who, what, which, when, where, how, and why. Interrogative sentence as a suggestion is used to give a suggestion to someone. Interrogative sentence as a command functions to give an instruction or an order to someone. Interrogative sentence as a request functions to ask a question to ask someone to do something. Interrogative sentence as a greeting functions to ask a question to someone that we meet at the first time. Interrogative sentence as a confirmation functions to ask a question is used to ask for agreement. Interrogative sentence as an offering functions to offer something or some help for someone.
Cobuild, Collins. 1990. English Grammar.
Collins Birmingham University: International Language.
Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G., and
Svartvik, J. 1985. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language,
London: Longman Litd.
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