English Syntax, Word Classifications and Phrase

Word Classification

WORDS

a.       Class of Words

·   Nouns

·   Verbs

·   Adjectives

·   Adverbs

b.      Function Words

·   Determiners

·   Auxiliaries

·   Intensifiers

·   Preposition

·   Conjunction

·   Question words

The Identification of Part of Speech

a.       Nouns

A word explains something.

Ex:

Man                       book                      foot                       office

Woman                                door                      table                      house

Etc.

b.      Verbs

A word explains action/activity

Verb:     - regular and irregular verb

                -transitive and intransitive

Example:

Go                          sleep                     bring                      break

Keep                     paint                      draw                      meet

Etc.

c.       Adjectives

A word explains the characteristic of something / quality of thing

Example:

Nice                       good                      high                       long

Wide                     kind                       happy                   sad

Etc.

d.      Adverbs

Any word that modifies verbs or any part of speech other than a noun

Example:

Sometimes                         soon                      clearly                   beautifully

Now                                      here                      seldom                 briefly

Etc.

The identification of Function Word

a.       Determiners

Function words that always occur with nouns to form noun phrase. They always occur before noun.

They include articles, numerals, possessive pronouns, and demonstratives.

Example:

Every                     each                      all                            my

Your                       the                         both                      no

Etc.

b.      Auxiliaries

Function words always occur with verb to form verb phrases. They always precede verbs.

Examples:

Might                    will                         did                          can

Was                       had                        etc.

c.       Intensifiers

Function words that always occur with adjective or adverbs to form adjective phrases or adverb phrases.

They function as modifiers of adjective or adverbs, they always precede the adjective or adverbs they modify.

Example:

Very                      awfully                 more

Quite                     too rather           etc.

d.      Preposition

A part of speech placed before other words in composition of syntax. They are commonly followed by nouns or noun phrases to form prepositional phrases or relater-axis phrases.

Example:

At                           for                          to

By                           from                      on

Etc.

e.      Conjunction

A part of speech binding together the discourse and filling gaps in its interpretation.

Examples:

And                        or                            both …. And

But                         not                         either… or

Etc.

f.        Question Words

Function words used as signals of question sentence.

Example:

What                     where                   when                    why                       who                       how

PHRASE

A.      Definition

Phrase is a group of words that fill a slot in sentence level / two or more words.

Examples:

The man                              can study                             may go

Will go                                   should bring                       etc.

B.      Type of Phrase

a.       Endocentric

·   Noun Phrase

·   Verb Phrase

·   Adjective Phrase

·   Adverb Phrase

b.      Exocentric

·   Preposition phrase

·   Appositive phrase

·   Gerund phrase

·   To infinitive phrase

·   Participle phrase (past and present)

·   Absolute phrase

Ø  Endocentric Phrase is a phrase that has a parallel distribution with its head. This means that the whole phrase can be substituted by its head.

Ø  Exocentric phrase is phrase that has a complementary distribution with its elements. This means that no elements can be substitute the whole phrase.

ENDOCENTRIC

-          Noun Phrase

A phrase that noun as its head and determiner as modifier.

Example:

Article           : the man                            demonstrative  : that people

Adjective     : new car                              numeral               : two pens

Possessive : your house      

-          Verb Phrase

A phrase that verbs as its head and adverbs and auxiliaries as modifier.

Example:

Auxiliary       : can stop

Adverb         : study hard

-          Adjective phrase

A phrase that adjective as its head and intensifiers as modifier.

Example:

Very good                  

So nice

-          Adverb Phrase

A phrase that adverb as its head and intensifier as modifier.

Very well                     so lonely                              do nicely

EXOCENTRIC

-          Prepositional phrase is a phrase that is identified by preposition.

Example:

On the way                 in the school                      at home

Etc.

-          Appositive phrase is a phrase consisting of two and only two head slots filled by nouns or noun phrase.

Example:

SYL, the governor of south Sulawesi

Dr. Kisman, the dean of FBS.

-          Gerund phrase

Example:

Sleeping in the night

Having lunch

-          To Infinitive Phrase

Example:

The first man to walk in the moon is…

I forget to make the schedule.

-          Participle phrase

Example:

o   Present= the man sleeping is my friend.

o   Past= the method used in this research is descriptive method.

-          Absolute phrase

Example:

Your favorite as mine.