Grammar and Writing 1 - Week 1: Word Classes and Course Overview

Vocabulary flashcards covering core linguistic definitions and concepts introduced in Week 1 of Grammar and Writing 1, including major word classes, noun and verb categories, and grammatical contrasts.

Lexical words

Things you can see: verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs

Grammatical words

Function words, you can’t think of what it is: pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, articles, auxiliary verb

Verb (semantic definition)

A doing word, used to say that someone does something or something happens

Verb (grammatical definition)

A word class characterized by showing agreement with the subject of the clause, having an -ing form, and having a basic form preceded by "to".

Verb phrase

All the verb forms in one single clause, composed of a lexical verb plus any accompanying auxiliary verbs.

Adverb

A word that describes or provides additional information about a verb, adjective, phrase, or another adverb.

Lexical verb

A verb that conveys the main meaning in a clause and can stand alone, distinguishing it from auxiliary verbs that support the main verb

Verb tense

time: past or present tense: walks vs walked

Verb aspect

duration: simple or progressive: rains vs is raining

Verb voice

active or passive voice: he bought tickets vs. tickets were bought (by him)

Verb mood

indicative, imperative or subjunctive mood: he had to leave vs. leave vs. I insisted that he leave

Auxiliary verb

A verb used with a main verb to express tense, mood, or voice

Verb phrase

All verb forms in one clause = lexical verb + possible auxiliaries

Concrete noun

car, boy, girl

Abstract noun

truth, democracy, arrogance

Noun

a person, place, object, event, substance, idea, feeling, or quality

Common or proper noun

woman, country vs. Anna, Great Britain

Count or noncount noun

house, pen, plan vs. wine, advice, research

Noun phrase

single noun + associated words

Adjective

a word that describes a noun or pronoun

Attributive adjective

“Its an interesting book”

Predicative adjective

“The book is interesting”

Direct object

Subject + verb + what/whom = direct object. Only follows transitive verbs

Indirect Object

Always appears in a sentence that has a direct object. Subject + verb + Indirect object + Direct object

Subject complement

a word or phrase that follows a linking verb and renames, identifies, or describes the subject of the sentence.

Object complement

a noun, pronoun, adjective, or phrase that follows a direct object to rename, describe, or state its condition

Adverbial

any word, phrase, or clause that functions like an adverb by modifying a verb, an adjective, another verb, or an entire sentence

All patterns…

have a SUBJECT and a VERB

You can only have an INDIRECT OBJECT if

there’s a DIRECT OBJECT

There can only be an OBJECT COMPLEMENT if

there’s a DIRECT OBJECT

Prepositional phrases

a group that begins with a preposition and ends with its object (noun, pronoun, gerund, or noun clause)

Clause

a verb phrase + its complements

Present simple tense

a verb tense used to describe habits, permanent truths, general truths, time words indicating frequency

Past simple tense

a verb tense used to describe actions, events, or states that began and ended in the past

Present perfect tense

a verb tense used to describe an action or state that happened at an unspecified time in the past and continues into the present moment

Past perfect tense

a verb tense used to describe an action that was completed before another past event or a specific time in the past

Active voice

the subject of the sentence performs the action stated by the verb

Passive voice

the subject receives the action of the verb rather than performing it

Verb phrase

all verb forms in one clause = lexical verb + possible auxiliaries

Perfect verb phrase

to have + past participle: I have walked

Progressive verb phrase

to be + ing participle: I am walking

Passive verb phrase

to be + past participle: the tickets were bought

Modal auxiliaries

a type of helping verb used with a main verb to express attitude, mood or modality. Can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must (ought to).

What does the N in NICE properties stand for

Auxiliaries are NEGATED by not without the use of do (i.e. I shouldn’t observe him)

What does the I in NICE properties stand for

In questions, auxiliaries go to INITIAL position without using do (i.e. Should I observe him?)

What does the C in NICE properties stand for

In follow-up clauses auxiliaries CODE the entire verb phrase (i.e. He may have been being observed, and so may you)

What does the E in NICE properties stand for

EMPHASIS can be given to clauses by accenting the auxiliary without using do (i.e. You cannot observe him! Oh, but I CAN

Clause

contains its own subject and verb

Independent or main clause

complete and can stand on it’s own

Dependent or subclause

cannot stand on its own and is less important (grammatically)

Finite verb

present/past tense

Non-finite verb

Infinitive, present participle (-ing), past participle

Finite clause

a clause with at least one finite verb

Non-finite clause

a clause with only non-finite verbs

Main clauses

must be finite

Subclauses

Can be either finite or non-finite