Word classes Flashcards
Nouns
- plural
- determiner (the ____)
- can be described by adjectives
- person, place, thing, feeling
- common endings -tion, -er, -ism, -ment, -dom, -ance etc.
Verbs (lexical/main)
- tense
- must be one in each clause
- common suffixes -ise, -use
- action, feeling, state
- what is happening in the sentence?
CHECK: not all lexical verbs change tense
Adjectives
- describe nouns (should be able to draw an arrow to the noun it describes)
- common endings -ic, -al, -able, -ful, - y, -ive
- can come before OR after the noun
Adverbs
- time, manner, place, frequency, degree (when, where, how, how much, how often)
- some end -ly
- when in doubt = adverb
Interjections
have emotional meaning that stands outside of the sentence
Which word class can be made plural?
noun
Which word class can change to show tense?
verb
Which word class describes nouns?
adjective
Which word class is used to show how much?
adverb
These are common endings for which word class? -tion, -cian, -sion, -ment, -ance
noun
What are the open class words?
noun, verb, adjective, adverb, interjection
What other name is used for open class words?
content words
Why are they known as open class words?
because they can add new members
List all 11 word classes.
noun, verb, adjective, adverb, interjection, pronoun, preposition, determiner, conjunction, auxiliary verb, modal verb
What are the closed class words?
determiner, pronoun, preposition, conjunction, auxiliary verb, modal verb
What other name is used for closed class words?
function words
Why are they known as closed class words?
they can’t readily or easily accept new members
Why are they known as content words?
they provide ‘real-world’ meaning
Why are they known as function words?
they provide grammatical meaning
What are the golden rules for finding word classes?
- no 100% of the time rules
- always look in context
- apply multiple tests
Determiners
- the / a / an
- come before a noun
- provide grammatical information about the noun
Pronouns
- REPLACE a noun
- often, can draw an arrow to the noun it replaces
Prepositions
- Show relationship between nouns
- Often come before a noun
- Sometimes come after a verb
- Do not change form
Common prepositions
on, in, under, above, through, below, to, of, with, at, for
Conjunctions
join words, phrases, clauses
What are the two types of conjunctions?
- co-ordinating
- subordinating
What are the co-ordinating conjunctions?
For And Nor But Or Yet So
Common subordinating conjunctions
however, if, because, while, although, as
Auxiliary verbs
- helping verbs (must be another verb in the clause)
- to be / to have / to do
Modal verbs
- helping verbs (must be another verb in the clause)
- may, might, must, can, could, will, would, shall, should
Forms of ‘to be’
is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been, to be
THE is always a ____
determiner
IS is always a ____
verb
Relative pronouns
- relate back to the directly preceding noun
- introduce a clause
- who, whom, whose, that, which
What is the difference between a determiner and a pronoun?
A determiner comes BEFORE a noun
A pronoun REPLACES a noun
What is the difference between an adjective and a determiner?
An adjective describes some QUALITY of the noun (i.e. size, shape, colour)
A determiner provides grammatical information about the noun (i.e. number)
What is the most common determiner that you can always rely on?
the
What ‘test’ can you always use when in doubt?
substitution
What is the difference between a preposition and an adverb?
A preposition is usually linked to the noun and shows the relationship
An adverb shows time, manner, place, frequency, degree
Adverbs can describe verbs and which other word classes?
verbs, adjectives, adverbs
