Grammar - Word Classes Flashcards
What is an Adjective?
Adjectives = words that describe something.
List the types of Adjectives.
- Base = ‘normal’ adjectives
- Comparative = adjectives which compare, ends with the suffix “-er”.
- Superlative = adjectives which express an extreme, ends with the suffix “-est”.
- Attributive = pre modifying (comes before the noun)
- Predicative = post modifying (comes after the noun).
What is a Noun?
Noun = a word that names something.
List the types of Nouns.
- Proper = refers to specific people and places.
- Common = all other nouns that aren’t proper nouns. These are subdivided into 3 categories:
a. Concrete = things that exist physically
b. Abstract = things that don’t exist physically (feelings, ideas and qualities)
c. Collective = groups of people, animals or objects
What is a Verb?
Verb = a word used to describe an action, state or an occurrence, and forming the predicate of a sentence.
What are Finite and Non-Finite Verbs?
- Finite = a verb which has a subject and shows tense. They change form according to the subject.
- Non-Finite = a verb which doesn’t show tense and doesn’t change form according to the subject.
What are the 3 types of Non-Finite Verbs?
- Gerunds = verbs that act as nouns. They don’t change forms or show tense.
- Participles = they either form verb tenses with the help of auxiliary verbs, or act as adjectives
- Infinitives = the base form of a verb, usually preceded by the word “to”.
What are Transitive and Intransitive Verbs?
- Transitive = dynamic verbs that require an object
- Intransitive = dynamic verbs that don’t require an object
What are the 2 Lexical Verbs?
- Dynamic = this verb denotes a physical action, usually you can physically see this happening.
- Stative = this verb denotes a state of mind, usually you cannot physically see this happening
What are Auxiliary Verbs?
Auxiliary Verbs = form the tenses, moods and voices of other verbs
What are the 2 Auxiliary Verbs?
- Primary Auxiliary = “be”, “do”, “have”. When they change tense, they become “is”, “had”, “has”.
- Modal Auxiliary = they express necessity or possibility and include: must, shall, will, should, can, may.
What is a Noun Phrase?
Noun Phrase = a phrase based on a noun but it has another word that changes the meaning of a noun.
What are Modifiers?
Modifiers = add to the meaning of a noun (e.g. pre modifiers and post modifiers)
What are Adverbs?
Adverbs = gives us extra information on a verb, typically ends with “-ly”.
What are the 3 Categories of Adverbs?
- Conjuncts = link toa sentence with a point made previously (e.g. also, therefore, next)
- Adjuncts = this is the largest class, which all other adverbs fall into. They add to the meaning of the sentence through adverbials.
- Disjuncts = comment on part of the text and its ideas, and don’t link to a previous sentence
What are Adverbials?
Adverbials = groups of words that modify the main clause of a sentence.
What are the 7 Adverbials?
- Adverbs of TIME = shows when a verb is being done (e.g. yesterday, soon, later)
- Adverbs of MANNER = shows how a verb is being done (e.g. happily, slowly)
- Adverbs of PLACE = shows where a verb is being done (e.g. abroad, outside, in)
- Adverbs of FREQUENCY = shows how often a verb is being done (e.g. generally, never, always)
- Adverbs of DEGREE = shows the extent to which the verb is being done and the intensity of it (e.g. very)
- Adverbs of QUANTITY = shows the amount that the verb is being done (e.g. hardly, just, only)
- Adverbs of EVALUATION = expresses the attitudes of the writer about the information in the clause that follows (e.g. apparently, hopefully, fairly)
What are Pronouns?
Pronouns = it occurs independently without a noun following it because it replaces the noun itself
What are the 7 Types of Pronouns?
- Personal Pronoun = replaces the subject or object in a sentence (e.g. I, we, me, him)
- Reflexive Pronoun = indicate the object of a verb is the same as the subject of a sentence (e.g. they, themselves)
- Indefinite Pronoun = they don’t refer to any specific person or thing (e.g. someone, everyone)
- Demonstrative Pronoun = they tend to point to something (e.g. this, that)
- Possessive Pronoun = shows possession, only when not placed before the noun (e.g. hers, ours, mine)
- Interrogative Pronoun = used when asking a question (e.g. whose, which, what)
- Relative Pronoun = act as linking words in a sentence and are always placed immediately after the noun they refer to (e.g. whom, that, which)
What are Determiners?
Determiners = when a noun follows a word.
List the 5 Types of Determiners.
- Definite Articles = “the”
- Indefinite Articles = “a” or “an”
- Numerical Determiners = e.g. one two three OR first second third
- Quantifiers = show quantity (e.g. few, many, enough)
- Demonstrative Determiners = refers only to specific objects or people (e.g. this, that, these, those)
What are Prepositions?
Prepositions = a word that tells you where or when something is in relation to something else
What do Prepositions express a relationship between?
Prepositions express a relationship between 2 things:
1. Time (e.g. at, after, by, around)
2. Space (e.g. under, to, on, above)
What are Conjunctions?
Conjunctions = words used to connect words, phrases and clauses
What are the 3 Types of Conjunctions?
- Coordinating Conjunctions = they join noun with noun, adjective with adjective. They are FANBOYS.
- Subordinating Conjunctions = they join subordinating clauses to main clauses (e.g. because, since, if, while)
- Correlative Conjunctions = they are used in pairs to join alternatives or equal elements. The most common parts are: either/or, neither/nor, not only/but also.
What is a Main Clause?
Main Clause = the sentence that makes sense on its own
What is a Subordinate Clause?
Subordinate Clause = the less important information which doesn’t make sense on its own.
What are Lexical Word Classes?
Lexical Word Classes carry the main meaning in a sentence, and are also known as “open word classes” as we can add new words within them (e.g. selfie, Google).
THESE FALL UNDER THE LEXICAL WORD CLASS:
1. Nouns
2. Adjectives
3. Verbs
4. Adverbs
What are Grammatical Word Classes?
Grammatical Word Classes = they help build a sentence, and are also known as “function words” or “closed word classes” as we can’t add new words within them.
THESE FALL UNDER THE GRAMMATICAL WORD CLASSES:
1. Determiners
2. Pronouns
3. Prepositions
4. Conjunctions
What are Epistemic Modal Auxiliary Verbs?
Epistemic Modal Auxiliary Verbs = express degrees of possibility or necessity based on evidence, reasoning or beliefs.
What are Deontic Modal Auxiliary Verbs?
Deontic Modal Auxiliary Verbs = express degrees of possibility, necessity or permission based on a set of rules or desires.
