Language level 2: Grammar

Question 1

morphology

Answer 1

the study of word formation

Question 2

syntax

Answer 2

the study of how words form larger structures such as phrases, clauses and sentences

Question 3

descriptive

Answer 3

taking an approach to language study that focuses on how language is actually used

Question 4

prescriptive

Answer 4

taking an approach to language study that focuses on rules and notions of correctness

Question 5

root

Answer 5

a morpheme that can stand on its own and can usually form a word in its own right

Question 6

affix

Answer 6

the overall term for an addition to a root (prefix or suffix) to modify its meaning or create a new word

Question 7

prefix

Answer 7

a morpheme that goes before a root word to modify its meaning

Question 8

suffix

Answer 8

a morpheme that comes after a root word to modify its meaning

Question 9

infix

Answer 9

an affix inserted inside a root word to create a new word or modify its meaning

Question 10

inflectional function

Answer 10

the way that an affix shows a grammatical category such as a verb tense or a plural noun

Question 11

derivational function

Answer 11

the way that an affix helps form a new word by attaching itself to a root

Question 12

noun phrase

Answer 12

a group of words built around a noun

Question 13

verb phrase

Answer 13

a group of words built around a head (main) verb

Question 14

head word

Answer 14

the main noun/verb in the phrase

Question 15

pre-modifier

Answer 15

a word that goes before the head noun to add detail or clarify some aspect of it

Question 16

qualifier

Answer 16

an additional word or phrase that adds some further detail to the noun

Question 17

post-modifier

Answer 17

a word that comes after the head noun to add detail or clarify some aspect of it

Question 18

primary auxiliary verb

Answer 18

an auxiliary verb that joins with a main verb to show tense

Question 19

modal auxiliary verb

Answer 19

an auxiliary verb that joins with a main verb to show the degree of commitment towards an event or person that a speaker holds

Question 20

clause

Answer 20

groups of words centred around a verb phrase

Question 21

subject

Answer 21

acts as the key focus of the clause and is often the focus of a relational verb process or the agent of a material verb process

Question 22

object

Answer 22

identifies the entity being acted on by the action of a verb process

Question 23

complement

Answer 23

is the attribute of a subject in a relational verb process

Question 24

adverbial

Answer 24

identifies the circumstances of a verb process in terms of time, place or manner

Question 25

coordination

Answer 25

the joining of two clauses that gives them equal weighting

Question 26

subordination

Answer 26

the joining of two clauses that gives one clause (the main) clause more weighting than another clause - or clauses (the subordinate clause(s))

Question 27

adverbial clause

Answer 27

a subordinate clause that functions as an adverbial

Question 28

noun clause

Answer 28

a subordinate clause that functions as a subject, object or complement

Question 29

active voice

Answer 29

agent in subject position for prominence; verb phrase in present or past tense

Question 30

passive voice

Answer 30

agent omitted or placed later in the clause using a prepositional phrase; verb phrase changes to a form of ‘to be’ + participle form (verb root +en/ed)

Question 31

orthographic sentence

Answer 31

a ‘sentence’ marked by a capital letter and full stop but containing no verb

Question 32

interrogative

Answer 32

questioning sentence

Question 33

exclamative

Answer 33

exclamation

Question 34

declarative

Answer 34

used to make statements

Question 35

imperative

Answer 35

gives commands or to make requests