Metalanguage- Word classes, phrases and sentence types

Question 1

‘To be’ forms

Answer 1

be
being
been
is
am
are
was
were

Question 2

How to tell for finiteness

Answer 2

First verb in the verb phrase (careful for omitted verbs) will inflect for tense or person to the subject
NB: modal verbs are finite

Question 3

Verb tense and aspect

Answer 3

One verb= simple
(first) aux ‘to have’= perfect
-ing= progressive

Question 4

Active voice

Answer 4

S + V (+ X)
Places emphasis on the NP responsible for the action

Question 5

Passive voice

Answer 5

subject + verb (+agent - introduced by a ‘by phrase’)
Without an agent turns into the agentless passive voice
Removes the NP responsible - obfuscate/remove blame etc.

Question 6

Bound, derivational morphemes

Answer 6

Changes word class or meaning

Question 7

Bound, inflectional morphemes

Answer 7

Tense -ed
Aspect -ed, -en, -ing
Person -s
Number -s (and others)
Possession -‘s
Comparative -er
Superlative -est
(many can also be derivational so check for context)

Question 8

Compound-complex (structure)

Answer 8

formed by joining at least two main independent clauses and at least 1 subordinate clause

Question 9

simple (structure)

Answer 9

a simple sentence must have 1 subject and 1 verb phrase that agree

Question 10

complex (structure)

Answer 10

formed by joining a main independent clause with at least one subordinate clause with a subordinating conjunction, relative pronoun or a non-finite verb (to infinitive or participle)

Question 11

compound (structure)

Answer 11

formed by joining multiple main (independent) clauses which are joined together by a subordinating conjunction or a sometimes a semi-colon

Question 12

Interrogative (type)

Answer 12

formed by inversion of subject and auxiliary verb that can have a fronted
question word (interrogative pronoun)
Interrogative tags or rising and questioning intonation do not make a sentence interrogative

Question 13

Exclamative (type)

Answer 13

What/How + declarative (no inversion of subject and auxiliary)
There must be a verb present or it is a fragment

Question 14

Imperative (type)

Answer 14

omitted (but implied) second person subject, can include polite forms (e.g. please)
Give direct order or instructions

Question 15

Declarative (types)

Answer 15

Declarative sentences function to provide infomation, observatiosn, statements etc.
Form: S V X

Question 16

Word classes

Answer 16

Open:
N, Adj, V, Int,
Adv (time, manner, place degree, frequency)
Closed:
Aux, Mod, Det, Pro, Conj., Prep