English Language A level: Word Classes

Concrete noun

A thing you can touch (shoes; street; pathway)

Abstract noun

A thing - but not a thing you can touch (entertainment; sport; hope; dreams; Christmas)

Proper noun

The specific given name of something/someone (Kanye West; Loose Women; Woking)

First person/Possessive

I/My

Plural first person

We/Us

Second person

You/Your

Third person singular

Him/Her; He/She

Third person plural

Them/They/Their

Reflexive pronoun

Myself/Yourself/Themselves

Indefinite pronoun

Someone/thing/body

Anybody/one

Nobody

Everything/one

Impersonal pronoun

It

Adjectives

Always modify nouns

Attributive Adjective

Pre-modify nouns (e.g. it was a good essay)

Predicative Adjective

Post-modify nouns (e.g. the essay was good)

Comparative Adjective

Adjective made comparative with the addition of the suffix "-er" or by the use of the word "more".

(Long-Longer

Happy-Happier-More Happy)

Sometimes irregular e.g. bad-worse

Superlative Adjective

Made superlative with the addition of "est" or "most"

(Long-Longer-Longest

Happy-Happier-Happiest-Most Happy)

Sometimes irregular e.g. bad-worst

Adverbs

Modifying words. ALWAYS modify verbs.

Information on:

Place (go THERE to get a coat)

Time (you must go NOW)

Manner (he was sleeping WELL)

Frequency (I NEVER stay at home)

Often have "-ly" endings (e.g. cautiously; slowly; carefully)

Indefinite Determiner

Indicates a non-specific amount

(all; some; many; few; both; less; fewer; more; every; each; least; several)

Numerical Determiner

Numbers

(one; two; three; four; five; six; seven; eight)

Definite Article

The

Indefinite Article

A/An

Demonstrative Determiner

This; That; These

Auxiliary Verbs

Helping verbs

Primary Auxiliary Verbs

To be (I am; are; was; were)

To have (I have; has; had)

To do (I do; does; did)

Modal Auxiliary Verbs

May/might/must

Would/will

Could/can

Should/shall

Lexical Verbs

Express actions or states of being

(Made; found; wanted; swam; moved; hope; thought; climb)

Dynamic Verbs

Actions

(He CALMED them down; He CONTROLLED them well)

Stative verbs

States of being/To be

(He kept CALM; They were well CONTROLLED)

Regular Verbs

4 forms

Using the word 'walk' as a base:

INFINITIVE - To walk

3RD PERSON - Walks

PAST TENSE - Walked

PRESENT - Walking

Don't have a past participle and have inflection "-ed" in the past tense

Irregular Verbs

5 forms

Using the word 'write' as a base:

INFINITIVE To write

3RD PERSON Writes

PAST TENSE Wrote

PAST PARTICIPLE Have written

PRESENT Writing

Prepositions

PLACE (at; on; opposite; by)

TIME (at; in; before; on)

SOURCE (from; out of)

DIRECTIONS (towards; past; through; out of)

COMPARISON (as; like)

PURPOSE (for)

Co-ordinating Conjunctions

And; Or; But; Nor; Neither

Subordinate Conjunctions