Part of Speech : positional classes

8th meeting

Nominal and Verbal

Three Modes of Classification

1.Classification by function(S,V,DO,IO,SC,OC,O.prep)

2. Classification by form (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, non-suffixing words)

3. Classification by position (nominal, verbal, adjectival, adverbial)

ex: The prettiest sat in the center.

nominal

Positional Classes

1. NominalNominal position is occupied by any words, phrases, or even clauses that function as S,SC,DO,IO,OC,OP in a sentence.ex: The rich live on the bay.In this sentence the word rich is an adjective by form but it’s called a nominal because it occupies the subject position in the sentence.

He hated starving.In this sentence the word starving is a verb by form but it’s called a nominal because it occupies the direct object position in the sentence.

2. VerbalVerbal are those forms that occupy verb positions. The verb by form is a verbal by position.ex: The golf team may play tomorrow.

verbalThe verbal position is occupied only by the main verb, so the aux verb may is not included in the verbal.

Finite Verbs

Finite verbs are the verb forms that are capable of full assertion in a sentence and of changing their form to indicate person, number, or tense.

ex: the verb choose(look in page 254)

Nonfinite verbsThe verb forms which don’t assert fully and do not

change their form to indicate person, number, or tense.There are only three forms of nonfinite forms which are present participle(-ING vb), past participle(-D pp), and the infinitive(to)+ verb stem.ex: Shaking his fist

Having stayed calmTo stop this nonsense

3. Adjectivals

Adjectivals are those words from any forms that fill in the adjective position in the sentence.

There are 4 characterictics of adjectival positions:

1. Between the determiner(words such as a, the, this, that, these, those, his, her, our, their, Johny’s) and noun

ex: That joyful freshman

det adjectival noun

2. The third slot in the pattern 2

ex: Those boys are young.

NP LV AJ

3. After the noun.It accepts adjectives, adverbs, verbs(participles), non-suffixing words, and word groups.

ex: The waitress, old and weary, sat heavily down.

4. At the beginning of a sentence before the subject.

Angry and upset, the applicant slammed the door.

4. AdverbialAdverbial are those words or even group of words

that can fill in adverb position in a sentence. We limit the position of adverbial into 5 positions:

1. Before the pattern, with or without junctureReally, you should know better.Now it’s time to go.

2. After the subject and before the auxiliary or verb.She often would forget her keys.He actually expects to marry her.

3. After the auxiliary or the first auxiliary.He would seldom make the effort.They could easily have made the touchdown.

4. After the verb in pattern 1 and after be in pattern 2 and 3.

He drove recklessly.Her brother is always a gentleman.She is outside.

5. After the complement of the verb (SC,DO,OC)

Hoskins will be quarterback tomorrow. SC

Hoskins will play football tomorrow.DO

They may choose Hoskins captain tomorrow.

OC

Verb-Adverbial Composites

• A verb-adverbial composite is a group of word consists of a verb and adverbial ( Or in practice, u know it as phrasal verb).The meaning of a verb adverbial composite is different from the meaning of its verb and adverbial itself, therefore it produces a new meaning.ex; He turned up at seven o’clock.

There are two kinds of Verb-adverbial composites;1. Intransitive Verb-Adverbial Composite (VAC)

ex; The car broke down.2. Transitive Verb-Adverbial Composite (VAC + O)

ex; He turned down the offer.