Grammar Flashcards
What does morphology refer to in language study?
Word formation
Morphology involves understanding how words are constructed from morphemes.
What is syntax in the context of English language?
Order and structure within phrases, clauses, and sentences
Syntax examines how words and phrases are arranged to create meaning.
What is the inflectional function of morphemes?
To show tense or number
Inflectional morphemes modify a word to express grammatical relationships.
What is the derivational function of morphemes?
To form new words
Derivational morphemes create new meanings or parts of speech.
How are head words in phrases modified?
To provide more detail about people, places, objects, or events
Modifiers enhance the meaning of the head word in a phrase.
What is the significance of arranging elements in clauses?
To support meaning and achieve different kinds of effects
Arrangement impacts clarity and emphasis in communication.
How can significant patterns and structures be established in a text?
Through the shaping of syntax
Consistent syntax can create rhythm, style, or thematic elements in writing.
How can point of view be grammatically realized?
Through the use of active or passive voice
Different voices can shift focus and responsibility in sentences.
What concepts do English verbs show through tense and aspect?
The concept of time
Tense indicates when an action occurs, while aspect indicates its nature.
What is a multi-clause structure?
Single clauses formed through co-ordination and subordination
Multi-clause structures allow for complex ideas to be conveyed in writing.
What types of sentences can clauses and sentences function to form?
Statements, questions, commands, or exclamations
Each type serves a different communicative purpose.
True or False: The grammar of speech is the same as that of writing.
False
Speech and writing often follow different grammatical conventions.
What is a morpheme?
The smallest grammatical unit.
Morphemes are the building blocks of words.
Define a free morpheme.
A morpheme that can stand on its own as a word.
Examples include ‘cat’, ‘run’, and ‘happy’.
What is an affix (or bound morpheme)?
A morpheme that cannot stand on its own as a word, but combines with others to create a new word.
Examples include prefixes like ‘un-‘ and suffixes like ‘-ing’.
What is a phrase?
A group of words centred around a head word.
Phrases can be noun phrases, verb phrases, etc.
What is a head word?
The central word in a phrase which gives the phrase its name.
E.g., in ‘the big dog’, ‘dog’ is the head word.
What is modification in the context of phrases?
The adding of additional words to provide more detail to a head word in a phrase.
This can occur either before (pre-modification) or after (post-modification) the head word.
Define a clause.
A group of words centred around a verb, which may be either grammatically complete (main clause) or incomplete (subordinate clause).
Clauses are fundamental components of sentences.
What is the active voice?
A clause where the agent (doer) of an action is the subject.
E.g., ‘The dog chased the cat.’
What is the passive voice?
A clause where the patient (the entity affected by an action) is in the subject position, and the agent either follows or is left out.
E.g., ‘The cat was chased by the dog.’
What does tense refer to in grammar?
How the time of an event is marked, usually through verb inflection: past, present & future.
Tense indicates when an action takes place.
Completed and Incompleted in grammar
An element of marking the time of an event by specifying whether they are progressive (ongoing) or perfective (completed).
E.g., ‘I am running’ (progressive) vs. ‘I have run’ (perfective).
What is coordination in grammar?
The joining of two or more independent clauses via co-ordinating conjunctions.
Single words and longer phrases can also be co-ordinated.
Define subordination in the context of clauses.
The joining of two or more clauses where only one is independent (the main clause) and the others are dependent (subordinate clause/clauses).
What constitutes a sentence?
A larger unit of meaning, which may be formed of a single clause (simple sentence) or several clauses (compound or complex sentences). Minor sentences are sentences without a verb.
What are the four sentence functions?
The purpose a sentence fulfills in communication:
* Statement (declarative)
* Question (interrogative)
* Command (imperative)
* Exclamation (exclamative).
What is meant by word class?
The grammatical category into which words can be placed, including:
* Noun
* Adjective
* Verb
* Adverb
* Determiner
* Pronoun
* Preposition
* Conjunction.
True or False: There is a consensus that English has a future tense.
False
There is a debate over whether or not there is a future tense in English.
