Identifying Lexical Categories

Can be preceded by a determiner (like the, a, this)

Noun

can be preceded by a possessive (my, your, Sam’s)

Noun

can be preceded by adjectives

noun

can take plural morphology

noun

can be preceded by an auxiliary (ex. may, might, will, can, should)

verb

can be given past morphology (-ed)

verb

take progressive morphology  with -ing

verb

can be preceded by degree words (very, quite, super)

adjective AND adverb

can occur in comparative constructions (ex. as X as, X than)

adjective AND adverb

often has suffix -ly

adjective AND adverb

can appear between a determiner and a noun (ex. the happy kid)

adjective

can appear after linking verbs (like seem, am, is, are, was, were)

adjective

can appear in a range of positions in a sentence (before or after verb)

• slowly she walked away

• she slowly walked away

• she walked slowly away

• she walked away slowly

adverb