Word Classes and Grammatical Categories

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Questions and Answers

What is a word?

A combination of sounds/letters that communicates a meaning.

What does the morphological viewpoint of words involve?

Analysis into morphemes and grouping according to functions and meaning.

What are word classes?

Sets of words with the same properties, including inflections and distribution.

What are the main criteria for establishing word classes?

Semantic Signup and view all the answers

What are morphological criteria?

Word-internal structure and typical features of each word class. Signup and view all the answers

What does semantic criteria refer to in word classes?

Typical meaning of words, including actions, states, and names. Signup and view all the answers

What are syntactic criteria?

Typical distribution of words in sentences and their syntactic relations. Signup and view all the answers

What are phonological criteria?

A minor criterion related to stress patterns in words. Signup and view all the answers

What are open classes in linguistics?

Classes of words where new items can be added, including nouns and verbs. Signup and view all the answers

What are closed classes in linguistics?

Classes of words where new items cannot typically be added, such as pronouns and prepositions. Signup and view all the answers

What do nouns refer to?

People, objects, places, abstract ideas, and can be common or proper. Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of verbs in language?

To refer to actions or states and serve as central parts of clauses. Signup and view all the answers

What do adjectives describe?

Qualities of nouns. Signup and view all the answers

What do adverbs provide information about?

Actions and events, or express a degree. Signup and view all the answers

What do pronouns do?

They replace and refer to nouns. Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of determiners?

To refer to nouns in a specific or general way. Signup and view all the answers

What role do auxiliary verbs play?

Used with lexical verbs to express grammatical categories/functions. Signup and view all the answers

What do numerals denote?

Number or amount, including cardinals and ordinals. Signup and view all the answers

What are prepositions used for?

To relate nouns to time, place, or circumstances. Signup and view all the answers

What do conjunctions connect?

Words and clauses. Signup and view all the answers

What are particles in linguistics?

Invariable items with grammatical function, often adverb particles. Signup and view all the answers

What are the grammatical categories of English nouns based on?

Morphology and semantics. Signup and view all the answers

What do morphological devices include?

Case, countability and number, gender, determination. Signup and view all the answers

What does 'case' refer to in grammar?

Genitive/possessive as the only morphological case of English nouns. Signup and view all the answers

What does countability refer to?

Countable and uncountable nouns, singular and plural forms. Signup and view all the answers

What is gender in linguistic terms?

Related to animacy: animate or inanimate, feminine, masculine, or neuter. Signup and view all the answers

What does determination involve?

Reference to nouns in a specific or general way, including articles and possessives. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Word Definitions and Classes

Word: A combination of sounds or letters that conveys meaning.
Morphological Viewpoint: Words can be analyzed into morphemes, classified by function and meaning into word classes.
Word Classes (Parts of Speech): Groups of words sharing similar properties, including inflection and distribution.

Establishing Word Classes

Main Criteria: Includes morphological, semantic, syntactic, and phonological criteria for classification.
Morphological Criteria: Examines internal word structures; includes features like inflection (e.g., "ask-ed") and derivation (e.g., "legal-ise").
Semantic Criteria: Focuses on typical meanings; for instance, verbs indicate actions, while nouns denote names of people, objects, or ideas.
Syntactic Criteria: Looks at how words function in sentences; nouns typically serve as subjects or objects, while verbs act as predicates.
Phonological Criteria: A minor classification criterion based on stress patterns (e.g., 'import' as noun vs. im'port' as verb).

Types of Word Classes

Open Classes: Include nouns, lexical verbs, adjectives, and adverbs; flexible for new additions, convey meaning, and typically stressed.
Closed Classes: Include function words like pronouns, auxiliary verbs, prepositions, and conjunctions; generally do not allow new additions, usually unstressed, and inflectionally simple.

Specific Word Classes

Nouns: Refer to entities like people and objects; may be common or proper, inflected for plural and possessive forms.
Heads of Noun Phrases: Function predominantly as subjects or objects within sentences.
Verbs: Indicate actions or states; inflected to reflect tense and aspects, serving as central components of predicates.
Adjectives: Describe characteristics of nouns and can inflect for comparative (i.e., -er) and superlative (i.e., -est) forms.
Adverbs: Modify verbs, adjectives, or entire clauses, often taking -ly suffixes; can indicate manner, time, or degree.
Pronouns: Substitute for nouns, aiding in referential coherence.
Determiners: Specify nouns as definite or indefinite, including articles and possessive forms.
Auxiliary Verbs: Assist lexical verbs in expressing grammar; include primary forms (be, do, have) and modals (can, may, must).
Numerals: Indicate quantity or sequence, categorized into cardinals (one, two) and ordinals (first, second).
Prepositions: Link nouns with other words, denoting relationships of time, place, or circumstance.
Conjunctions: Connect words and clauses, indicating grammatical relationships; can be coordinating or subordinating.
Particles: Function words that don’t change form, often used in combination with verbs to alter meaning.

Grammatical Categories of English Nouns

Formed Based on Morphology and Semantics: Noun properties dictated by structural and meaning-related aspects.
Morphological Devices: Elements include case, countability, gender, and determination.
Case: The only morphological case in English is genitive/possessive, distinguishing it from nominative, dative, and accusative forms.
Countability and Number: Differentiates between countable/unaccountable nouns and singular/plural forms.
Gender: Classifies nouns as animate or inanimate, and can be categorized as masculine, feminine, or neuter.
Determination: Refers to how nouns are identified, using definite, indefinite, and zero articles, along with possessive and demonstrative adjectives.

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This quiz focuses on word classes and grammatical categories, providing flashcards that define key terms and concepts. Learn about the morphological viewpoint of words and how they are categorized based on their functions and meanings. Enhance your understanding of the foundational elements of grammar through this interactive tool.