Syntax?

Question 1

Phrase

Answer 1

The smallest group of words that can occupy a grammatical ‘slot’ within a sentence. It is built around a single word (or very similar, i appreciate that phrases are like big words so saying it could be something that acts as a word may not be as helpful).
All parts of it will always work together to create a coherent (probably relatively small) bigger picture.

Question 2

Head Word

Answer 2

It’s the word that the phrase is built around with everything else just modifying that one word in some way.
In the phrase “the unusually strong creature” the word in question would be “creature” with everything else modifying it.

Question 3

Hmm, what kind of phrase is this i wonder?

Answer 3

What is the head word? Noun- noun phrase, Verb- verb phrase, etc.

Question 4

Clause

Answer 4

It consists of 2 or more phrases and forms coherent units of meaning.
It tells about action or state i.e. what a thing is doing or being.
TYPICALLY, it has a noun phrase and a verb phrase. maybe it would help to look for object+ finite verb combos?

Question 5

Predicate

Answer 5

Literally everything said in a sentence or clause about its object.
eg. “The young choir boy < sang every song in the book >”.

Question 6

Independent clause.

Answer 6

When a clause is basically acting like a simple sentence and basically just can work on its own.

Question 7

Dependent/subordinate clause

Answer 7

clause that doesn’t make sense on its own and needs something else to make sense.

Question 8

relative clause

Answer 8

a clause that is attached to something by a relative pronoun

Question 9

bound morpheme

Answer 9

can only exist as part of a word

Question 10

a word that links/connects an independent and a dependent clause.

Answer 10

subordinating conjunction

Question 11

finite verb

Answer 11

It is attached grammaticaly to a subject word. (it has now been limited in what it can possibly mean thus making it finite- this is my inturpretation not strictly its definition)

Question 12

Prepositional phrase

Answer 12

phrase that begins with a preposition and ends with an object such as a noun, pronoun, or noun/pronoun phrase.
They often function as adverbial phrases but can function adjectivally to add detail to a noun by post-modifying it, e.g. “The man with the wonky nose”.

Question 13

how is a noun changed depending on whether it is in the subject or object position?

Answer 13

it isnt

Question 14

how do pronouns change depending on whether it is in subject or object position.

Answer 14

up to the individual pronoun i just wanted to make a point that this happens with pronouns unlike nouns.
eg. subject- she, object- her

Question 15

referent

Answer 15

the word to which a different word is referring. for example when pronouns are used, they will have a referent.

Question 16

link verb

Answer 16

Verbs that link a subject with a word or phrase that tells more about the subject, e.g. be, is, am, seem, appear.

these come under the umbrella of stative verbs (all link are stative but not vice versa)

Question 17

complement

Answer 17

A word, phrase or clause that follows a verb and which simply adds further information concerning, usually, the verb’s subject. eg. “happy” in “he is happy” or “I made him happy”

Question 18

Hmm, what kind of compliment is this i wonder?

Answer 18

uhh basically, i would just look for subject complement or object complement. (what is it complimenting by adding/ modyfing/whatever)

Question 19

Determiner

Answer 19

modifiers that function to pre-modify and specify a particular noun e.g. the, a, some, many, those, these

Question 20

co-ordinating conjunctions

Answer 20

These link equal units. Mostly just the words ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘or’.

Question 21

Subordinating conjunction

Answer 21

They attach a dependent clause that adds detail to a main clause. e.g. however, although, when, because (“He bought the phone even though he knew it was stolen”)

Question 22

Interjection

Answer 22

Are used to suggest sudden emotional outbursts, e.g. ‘Ouch!’, ‘Hey!’

Question 23

Sentence?

Answer 23

A sentence has been described as a group of words whose meaning seems complete in itself; and others have defined a sentence as a group of words that expresses a complete thought.

Question 24

Simple sentence

Answer 24

Composed of a single main clause.
It will contain (not necessarily exclusively) one subject and one finite verb.
eg. “The short-tailed, long-haired Abyssinian pedigree cat with the rather grand name of Arthur of Geneve had been sitting on the Etruscan camel-skin mat in front of the roaring log fire.” (1 noun phrase, 1 verb phrase, 2 adverbial phrases)

Question 25

Fun stylistic notes (?) on simple sentences:

Answer 25

A series of simple sentences can help suggest tension; they can also create a sense of straightforwardness and clarity. Simple sentences are also a major aspect of the register used by and when speaking to the very young or to a learner of English.

Question 26

Compound Sentence

Answer 26

A sentence that contains two or more main clauses linked.
This is often by a coordinating conjunction but can also be done with things like semicolons.

Question 27

Fun stylistic notes (?) on compound sentences:

Answer 27

It is an important grammatical structure as it allows a writer or speaker to use a single sentence that combines and communicates two or more related ideas.
once again, children will eat that shit up.
Compound sentences are also a useful way of adding sentence variety to a text.

Question 28

coordination

Answer 28

the process of linking two ideas (into a sentence?).
This is often done with compound sentences.

Question 29

Complex sentence

Answer 29

1 independent clause and at least 1 dependent clause.

Question 30

Fun stylistic notes (?) on complex sentences:

Answer 30

found less often in speech.
can seem like a more formal register text?

Question 31

minor sentences

Answer 31

technically grammatically incomplete.
often occurs in speech.
if someone asked what you are doing and you replied “just sitting down” that would be one.

Question 32

4 sentence moods/functions

Answer 32

declarative
imperative
interrogative
exclamatory

Question 33

most common sentence structure for declaritive

Answer 33

Subject Verb Object

Question 34

most common sentence structure for interrogative

Answer 34

typically will use an auxillary verb BEFORE the subject. (this means that they aren’t doing that thing where they have all of the verbs next to eachother)
eg. “do you want any?”

Question 35

most common sentence structure for imperitive

Answer 35

they might lack a subject eg. “sit down” (despite this, it is implied that the subject is you)

Question 36

intransitive verb

Answer 36

verb that does not require an object for it to make sense

Question 37

transitive verb

Answer 37

verb that needs an object as it is transferring an action from subject to object

Question 38

direct object

Answer 38

the object that the verb is actually happening to eg. “the guitar” in “she gave her friend the guitar”

Question 39

indirect object

Answer 39

This object is not directly affected by the verb but is the receiver of something from the action. Eg. “her friend” in “she gave her friend the guitar”

Question 40

pre-modification

Answer 40

literally just modification that happens before the head word

Question 41

passive voice construction- how constructed?

Answer 41

object will probably be in what’s typically the subject position