Function Words vs Content Words

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<p>Prepositional phrase (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>To add to the meaning of a basic sentence (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Function words express relationships between other words.

A content word carries real-world meaning; it refers to things, qualities, or actions. 'Prepared' is an example.

A phrase is a group of related words lacking a subject or predicate.

In 'I fell on the sidewalk,' 'on the sidewalk' acts as a prepositional phrase modifying where the action occurred.

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Phrases add detail and complexity to basic sentences, enriching their meaning.

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Function words express grammatical relationships and have little meaning on their own, their main use is to provide structural and organizational information in a sentence.

Examples of content words include nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, which carry the primary meaning of a message.
'Run' in the sentence 'I will run to the store' is an example of a content word.

'On the sidewalk' in the sentence 'I fell on the sidewalk' is an example of a prepositional phrase, which begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun that is the object of the preposition.

The primary function of phrases in language processing is to provide units of meaning that can be combined to form larger units of meaning, facilitating the comprehension and production of sentences.