Word Classes Flashcards
What are nouns?
Naming words; they can be concrete (touchable) or abstract (concepts, thoughts, feelings).
How can you spot a noun?
If you can place “the” or “a” in front of it.
What is a proper noun?
The actual name of something (e.g., “Everest,” “Nandos”), often starting with a capital letter.
What are collective nouns?
Names for groups of things (e.g., flock, herd, team).
What is the difference between countable and non-countable nouns?
Countable nouns can be pluralised (e.g., “girls”), while non-countable nouns cannot (e.g., “furniture”).
What are adjectives?
Describing words that modify nouns, often related to size, colour, etc.
What is the difference between pre-modification and post-modification?
Pre-modification occurs before the noun, while post-modification occurs after.
What are comparative adjectives?
Adjectives that compare one thing to another, often ending in -er (e.g., “faster”).
What are superlative adjectives?
Adjectives that describe something as the best or most, often ending in -est (e.g., “fastest”).
What are pronouns?
Words used to refer to people without using their names (e.g., she, he, they).
What are material verbs?
Actions that can be acted out (e.g., “run,” “jump”).
What are relational verbs?
Verbs that represent a state of being (e.g., “to be,” “to feel”).
What are modal auxiliaries?
Words that express likelihood (e.g., can, could, will, would).
What are adverbs?
Words that describe verbs, often ending in -ly (e.g., “quickly”).
What are adverbials?
Optional extras in a sentence that provide information about time, place, or manner.
What are determiners?
Words that come before nouns (e.g., “the,” “a,” “his”).
How can you tell if a word is a determiner or a pronoun?
If you can replace it with “the” or “a,” it’s a determiner; if not, it’s a pronoun.
What are prepositions?
Words that show the relationship between things (e.g., over, under, before).
What are conjunctions?
Words that join ideas together (e.g., “and,” “but,” “because”).
What does “who” refer to?
People (e.g., “the woman who lives next door”).
What does “which” refer to?
Animals and things (e.g., “the cat which is lying on the floor”).
What does “whose” indicate?
Possession for people, animals, and things (e.g., “the boy whose mother is a nurse”).
What does “whom” refer to?
The object pronoun for people, especially in non-defining relative clauses.
What does “that” refer to?
People, animals, and things in defining relative clauses (e.g., “the table that stands in the kitchen”).
