English Language - Word Classes

English Language - Word Classes

1. Verb - actions, events and states

   • Main - actions, events and states; usually followed by objects
   • Copular - not followed by objects, by phrases about subject
   • Auxiliary - come before main verbs
     • Primary auxiliary verb - most used (be, do, have)
   • Modal - describe degree of certainty or necessity
     • Modal verb of necessity - a recommendation
     • Modal verb of obligation - a demand
     • Modal verb of possibility - a suggestion
   • Imperatives - commands
   • Finite - definite relation to subject or noun, main verb, only in past/present tense, can indicate active/passive voice and quantity
   • Non-finite - no relation to subject or noun, no indication of tense, mood or gender, often act as other classes
     • Gerund - verb as noun
     • Infinitive - verb with 'to'
     • Participle - verb as adjective, -ing or -ed ending
   • Dynamic - refers to a physical action or event
   • Intransitive verb - can stand alone
   • Phrasal verb - an action, event or state expressed in a phrase (informal)
   • Progressive verb form - a verb with -ing at the end
   • Transitive verb - requires an object to make sense
   • Simple verb form - a verb by itself
   • Stative verb - refers to a state

2. Noun - Object, Person, Place or Idea

   • Common - everyday, general noun
   • Proper - naming a specific place or thing
   • Concrete - something you can touch or see
   • Abstract - opposite of concrete
   • Countable - with plural
   • Uncountable - no plural
   • Regular - add 's' when plural
   • Irregular - word changes when plural
   • Collective - includes more than one thing
   • Compound - multiple nouns in one word
     • Open
     • Hyphenated
     • Closed
   • Pronoun - referring to a person
     • Personal - only 1st/2nd person Person - all 'persons'
       • 1st person - I, Me, Mine, We , Us Our
       • 2nd person - You, Your
       • Singular
       • Subject - actor in verb process
       • Object - affected by verb process
       • Plural
     • Possessive - demonstrates ownership
     • Reflexive - used when subject and object are the same
     • Demonstrative - identifies objects
     • Relative - Refers to a previously used noun and introduces relative clauses
     • Indefinite - not specifying a person
   • Gerund - verby noun

3. Adjective - describes a noun

   • Pre-modifying - before the noun
   • Post-modifying - after the noun
   • Possessive - describes belonging
   • Qualitative - describes noun's qualities
     • Comparative - compares two or more ideas
     • Superlative - describes something as the most
   • Demonstrative - identifies objects
   • Quantitative - describes quantity

4. Adverb - describes an action, event or state

   • Adverb of degree - describes the extent to which a verb happens
   • Adverb of frequency - describes how often a verb happens
   • Adverb of manner - describes how a verb happens
   • Adverb of place - describes where a verb happens
   • Adverb of time - describes when a verb happens

5. Conjunction - connects clauses or sentences

   • Coordinating - links two equal clauses
     • For
     • And
     • Nor
     • But
     • Or
     • Yet
     • So
   • Subordinating - links dependent and independent clauses

6. Determiner - indicates what a noun is referring to

   • Article - determines specifity
     • Definite - the
     • Indefinite - a, an
   • Quantifier - determines quantity
   • Possessive - determines ownership
   • Demonstrative - the others

7. Preposition - indicates location in time or space