WORD CLASSES

Two Categories of Word Classes:

Major- carries most of the content or meaning of a sentence (i.e. nouns, verbs,
adjectives, and adverbs).
Minor-plays a more structural role in a sentence (i.e. pronouns, prepositions,
conjunctions, and determiners)
To contrast the two categories, notice the diference between the following two
sentences:
ith the function words (content words deleted):
The !!!!! for !!!!! the !!!!! in the !!!!!.
ith the content words (function words deleted):
!!!!! broom !!!!! sweeping !!!!! "oor belongs !!!!! closet.
NOUNS
# name of person, thing or place.
$ouns have endings or derivational morphemes that formally indicate that a
word is a noun.
%ave grammatical morphemes or in"ections for plural and possessive.
$ouns serve functionally as subjects of verbs.
Three Types of $ouns
&ommon $ouns- referring to a 'ind of person, thing, or idea.
Two subcategories of &ommon $ouns
&ount $ouns which ta'e the plural in"ection (e.g. farmers)
(ass or $oncount $ouns which don)t (e.g. air)

*roper $ouns names for uni+ue individuals or places (e.g. ,evin- (anila)- can
be singular or plural (e.g. ,evin .mith /s. the .miths)
&ollective $ouns small number of nouns that refers to a group- too' the
singular or plural form depending on the interpretation given to the noun (The
family is together again) or as a collection of individuals (The family are all coming
for the wee'end).
VERBS
# word that denotes an action or state of being.
0unctionally, adding a verb to a noun is enough to complete a sentence:
Pauline snores.
0our 1n"ections can be used with 2nglish verbs:
3s of third person singular present tense verbs: Sue jogs every day.
-ed of past tense verbs: She jogged yesterday.
-en of the past participle: He has seen the movie three times already.
-ing of the present participle: I am teaching three courses this term.
1n terms of their position, verbs follow nouns and maybe followed in turn by
adjectives, adverbs, or other nouns, as depicted in the following sentences:
4 !!!!! cautious.
The authorities 4 !!!!! carefully.
4 !!!!! the plan.
#ccording to &hal'er (5678), there are si9 types of verbs:
Intransitive verbs, which ta'e no following object: Mavis smokes.
Transitive verbs, which re+uire an object: Doug raises llamas.
Ditransitive verbs, which ta'e two objects (indirect and direct): I handed Flo the
a!.
"inking verbs, where what follows the verb relates bac' to the subject: #e are
teachers.
$om%le! transitive verbs, where what follows the object relates to the object:
They considered the %roject a &aste o time.
Pre%ositional verbs, which re+uire a prepositional phrase to be complete: Steve
glanced at the headlines.
Two :ualities /erbs:
Tense refers to the time of an event)s occurrence (hence the present, past and
future tenses) (e.g. ;ohn has &ritten term paper.)
#spect distinction denotes whether or not the event has occurred earlier
(present aspect) or is still in progress (progressive aspect) (e.g. $ow he is studying
for his <nal e9ams.
ADECT!VES
=escribe or denote the +ualities of something.
#ccording to &hal'er (5678) many adjective have no typical form but certain
derivational morphemes are associated with adjectives (i.e. 3able (li'eable),
-ish (childish), -ful (thoughtul) and 3y (la>y).
1n"ectional morphemes for comparative and superlative forms (i.e. happy,
happier, happiest)
Two #djectives Types:
#ttributive, which precede nouns, The old bucket s%rang a leak.
*redicative, which follow lin'ing verbs, He became angry at the very thought.
ADVERBS
(odify verbs and contribute meaning of various sorts to sentences.
=irection: 'im %ointed there.
?ocation: Isabel sho%s locally.
(anner: The choir sang joyully at the ordination
Time: Soon (achel &ill retire.
0re+uency: #e visit our riends in Detroit occasionally.
(anner #dverbs are the only ones with distinctive in"ections- they usually
ta'e the 3ly ending.
The primary function of adverbs is to modify verbs.
#dverbs of degree, which modify adjectives and other adverbs- such modi<ers
are called Intensi)ers because they signal the degree of intensity of the following
word.
1t is too early to plant a garden.
@en was very late to school.
#dverbials are multiword constructions. 0or e9ample:
=irection: 'im %ointed at the constellation Pisces.
?ocation: Isabel sho%s at the mall.
(anner: The choir sang as i it &as es%ecially ins%ired.
Time: *e!t +ear (achel &ill retire.
0re+uency: #e visit our riends in Detroit every once in a &hile.
"RONOUNS
Aefer to a replace nouns and noun phrases within a te9t (e.g. ,my aunt, she
-.. or as direct reference to an outside situation (e.g. in response to a
sudden loud noise, 1 can say ,#hat &as that/B)
=iferent ,inds of *ronouns
.ubject: 1, you, he, she, it, we, they
Cbject: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
Ae"e9ive: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves
*ossessive: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs
=emonstrative: this, that, these, those
DETERM!NERS
Aefer to a special class of words that limit the nouns that follow them.
#rticle: the, aDan
=emonstratives: this, that, these. Those
*ossessives: my, yours, his, hers, its, ours, their
They positioned directly in front of a noun
1 put my bac'pac' on the front porch and now 1 can)t <nd it.
"RE"OS!T!ONS
&onnect words to other parts of a sentence and have a close relationship with
the words that follows, which is usually a noun.
Esually one word (in, to, at., but sometimes can be two or three (out o, on
to% o.
.ignal spatial relationship but certain prepositions can also signal the
grammatical category of case: depicts the role relationship between words.
=ative case: (arge gave a donation to charity. (The preposition to mar's
the dative (FreceiverB) function of charity.
#blative case: The charity received a donation rom (arge. (The
preposition rom mar's the ablative (FsourceB) function of Marge)
CONUNCT!ONS
ords that join
Types of &onjunctions
&oordinating: and, but, or (e.g. (arianne and =iane wrote this boo')
.ubordinating (adverbial subordinators): because, although (e.g. 1t was hard to
write a boo' together because they live so far apart.)