Questions and Answers
What do lexical word classes function as?
What is a phonologically independent linguistic unit known as?
Word
Grammatical word classes are generally what type?
What is an open word class?
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A particle is a word with a ________.
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What can a noun be the head of?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of closed word classes?
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What does number refer to in nouns?
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What are adjectives characterized by?
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Parts of speech can only be categorized by their meaning.
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What is inflection?
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What do auxiliary verbs convey?
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What does nominative case indicate?
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What is an example of accusative case?
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What is the genitive case used for?
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What typically modifies verbs in a sentence?
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Verbs can occur in any position in relation to auxiliary verbs in a sentence.
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Study Notes
Word Classes Overview
- Lexical word classes serve as the heads of different phrases.
- Grammatical word classes generally express a limited range of meaning and are closed to new additions.
- Open word classes allow for the incorporation of new members through borrowing and word-formation processes.
Definitions of Key Terms
- A word is a phonologically independent unit comprised of one or more morphemes.
- Particles have a single morphological form and function in specific grammatical roles.
Nouns and Their Functions
- Nouns function as the head of a noun phrase and inflect for categories like singular, dual, and plural.
- Nouns can take affixes to indicate grammatical cases, revealing their relationship to verbs in sentences.
Adjectives and Their Characteristics
- Adjectives occur within noun phrases, in comparative/superlative forms, and as complements of a copula.
- They modify nouns, providing attribute information.
Cases in Grammar
- Nominative case marks subjects of verbs.
- Accusative case is used for direct objects in transitive clauses.
- Genitive case indicates possession (e.g., -'s suffix).
- Locative case identifies locations (e.g., "on my brother").
Adverbs and Their Role
- Adverbs modify verbs or entire clauses/sentences, often expressing speaker attitude or evidentiality.
- They do not inflect and usually do not appear within noun phrases.
Verbs and Auxiliary Verbs
- Verbs act as predicates, central to clause structure, and typically follow subjects and precede objects.
- Auxiliary verbs precede main verbs and can initiate questions.
- Examples include: be, can, have, may, must.
Word Class Determination
- Word classes are identified by morphological and syntactic behavior rather than inherent meaning.
- Lexical word classes are usually open, whereas grammatical classes are typically closed.
Modifiers and Dependencies
- Examples of noun phrase dependents include adjectives, articles, and quantified expressions.
- Adjectives can modify nouns or function as complements.
Summarized Rules
- Verbs maintain a fixed position with respect to auxiliary verbs.
- Adjectives have two syntactic positions: modifying nouns or as complements.
- Adverbs are generally not inflected and have specific placement rules in sentences.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the different word classes covered in Chapter 5. This quiz covers lexical categories, grammatical classes, and the distinctions between open and closed classes. Challenge yourself to understand the structure and function of words in English linguistics.
