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This presentation covers the basics of studying and analysing the word classes in the English language. Topics covered: nouns, verbs, adjectives, active / passive voice, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions, and determiners. The presentation covers the basic points as well as teaching more advanced information on word classes. The simple explanations will clarify any misunderstandings, with the help of clear bullet points, concise definitions, and examples. The presentation is perfect for English Language A Level at both AS and A2.
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Word Classe
s
Nouns Nouns are often called naming words. They are the names we give to people, places, objects etc.
They can usually be used in answer to the question ‘what name do you give this?’
Types of noun
Nouns
Proper
Common
Concrete
Abstract
Collective
• Proper nounsusually begin with a capital
letter, referring to specific people and places: Charlie, Paris
• Common nounsless specific and usually refer to types of people, places, feelings etc. Most nouns are common and they can be divided further into…
• Concrete nounsthings that exist physically, things
that we can see and feel: computer, hand, house
• Abstract nounsthings that do not exist physically, for example feelings, ideas and qualities: friendship, sadness, democracy
• Collective nounsrefer to groups of people, animals or objects: team, community, flock
Don’t forget! Count nouns are nouns that can be pluralised, e.g. birds, trees.Non-count nouns have no plural form because they cannot be counted, e.g. courage, rugby
Adjectives …are describing words. They are used to describe nouns.
Comparatives make a comparison, usually ending in –er (e.g. colder, faster)Superlatives indicate the highest degree, usually ending in –est (e.g. coldest, fastest)
Comparatives and Superlatives
Comparatives can also be made by putting more in front of the adjectiveSuperlatives can also be formed by putting most in front of the adjective
Verbs Verbs are often known as doing words, but they can also refer to ‘mental actions’ e.g.
think, anticipate, and to states e.g. the house stands on a hill
Verbs tell you what the subject is doing or being
Infinitives
• To be is an example of an infinitive (or base form)
• All verbs have an infinitive from which all other forms of the verb are derived
• They also include to: to run, to decide, to fly
Verbs • Verbs which refer to physical actions are
called dynamic verbs
• Verbs which refer to states or conditions are called stative verbs
• Verbs which have an object are called transitive verbs
• Verbs which do not have an object are called intransitive verbs
Main verbs and auxiliary verbs
• The main verb is a single verb that expresses the main meaning
• Auxiliary verbs (aka helping verbs) are verbs that are placed in front of the main verbs:
I must have been thinking about something else
• Auxiliary verbs are of two types: primary verbs and modal verbs…
Primary verbsBe
HaveDo
• They can indicate when something happened, add emphasis, be used to construct questions and negatives.
Modal auxiliaries
• These are only ever used in conjunction with a main verb
Can Will Shall May MustCould Woul
dShould
Might
Active voice• This is used when the subject acts
or does something• An active sentence tells us what the
subject didRachel clipped her nailsThe car hit the fawn
• The subject performs the action to the object
Passive voice• This is used where the subject has
something done to it, or is the receiver of the action. The subject does not act here
• A passive sentence tells us what was done to the subject:
Rachel’s toenails were clippedThe fawn was hit by the car
• The subject has the action done to it
+ T
he p
ass
ive v
oic
e c
an m
ake
the s
ubje
ct s
eem
pow
erl
ess
and a
vic
tim
Adverbs• These usually give us more
information about verbs
• They describe verbs in the same way adjectives describe nouns
• Mostly they are formed by adding –ly to the ends of adjectives
Pronouns These are words that take the place
of nouns
There are 7 main types of pronoun…
Personal pronouns
• These replace the subject or object of the subject, for example me and him which refer to the object
I drove him homeHe thanked me for the lift
Possessive pronouns
• These show possession
• Instead of saying ‘this is Sarah’s wedding’ we might say ‘this is hers’
Reflexive pronouns• These indicate that the object of a
verb is the same as its subject:He congratulated himself
• They end in –self or –selves
Personal pronouns Possessive pronouns
Reflexive pronouns
Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
First person
I, me We, us Mine Ours Myself Ourselves
Second person
You You Yours Yours Yourself Yourself
Third person
He, she, it, him, her
They, them
His, hers, its
Theirs Himself, herself, itself
Themselves
Demonstrative pronouns
• These have a sense of pointing at something or someone:
this, that, these, thoseThose shoes are ugly
I wish I knew that
Indefinite pronouns
• These do not refer to specific persons or things
For example:someone, anything, no one, everything
Relative pronouns• These act as linking words in a
sentence• They are always placed
immediately after the noun they refer to:
A city that has many tourist attractions
• The relative pronouns are who, whom and whose (referring to people) and which and that (referring to things)
Interrogative pronouns
• These are used when asking a question
who, whose, which, what
Conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions• These include the
words and, but and or
• They are used when the parts of a sentence to be joined are of equal value:
• I went to the party and met Tony there
Subordinating conjunctions• These connect a
subordinate clause to a main clause
• Examples include because, although, unless, until
These are joining words. They join together the different parts of a sentence
Prepositions • These usually indicate in some way how one
thing is related to something else
• Examples include prepositions relating to position (at, on, opposite), direction (into, past, to) and time (before, during, after)
• A preposition shows the relationship between the noun that comes after it and something else in the sentence
I spoke to the man at the reception desk
Determiners • These words precede nouns and refer directly
to them• The most common determiners are the (known as
the definite article) and a/an (known as the indefinite article)
• Other determiners include possessive determiners (my, our, you, his, her, its, their) and demonstrative determiners (this, that, these, those)
• Determiners can also refer to quantity – either specifically (one, two, three) or more vaguely (some, few, many)
TIP: determiners precede nouns, pronouns replace nouns