Ling 131: Language & Style - Topic 2 (Session A)

Session Overview

• (Semi) Automatic poetry
• Introducing word classes
• Manipulating word classes
  • Changing word class via affixation
  • Changing word class via functional conversion
• New words for old
• Word class problems
• Word class checklist

Open Class Words

• Constitute about 90% of personal vocabularies
• New words can be coined
• Examples include:
  • Compound words: blackbox
  • Morpheme combinations: microscope - microchip

Closed Class Words

• Finite in number
• Serve grammatical or functional purposes
• Types include:
  • Determiner (d): the, a, this
  • Pronoun (pn): you, me, she
  • Preposition (p): in, of, on
  • Conjunction (cj): and, but, or
  • Auxiliary Verb (aux): can, will, may
  • Enumerator (e): one, three, first
  • Interjection (ij): oh, ah, ugh

Questions for Identifying Word Class

1. Meaning: What does it refer to or express?
2. Function: Purpose or role in a phrase/sentence
3. Form: Morphological structure

Identifying Open Class Words

Nouns (N)

• Meaning: Refer to concrete or abstract phenomena
• Function: Headword in a noun phrase
• Form: Varied; inflections like singular/plural

Verbs (V)

• Meaning: Actions, processes, states
• Function: Central in a sentence
• Form: Characteristic inflections; regular and irregular forms
  • Forms: Infinitive, Present, Past, Present Participle, Past Participle

Adjectives (Aj)

• Meaning: Quality or property of a noun
• Function: Modifies a noun
• Form: Characteristic inflections; gradable

Adverbs (Av)

• Meaning: Specify circumstances of actions
• Function: Modifies verbs, adjectives
• Form: Often end in '-ly'; can be inflected like adjectives

Identifying Closed Class Words

• Function within phrases/sentences

Types:

• Determiners: Introduce noun phrases
• Pronouns: Stand for nouns
• Prepositions: Express relations
• Conjunctions: Link phrases/clauses
• Auxiliary Verbs: Assist main verbs
• Enumerators: Cardinal and ordinal numbers
• Interjections: Express feelings, attitudes

Further Reading

• English Grammar For Today by Leech, G., M. Deuchar, and R. Hoogenraad (1982)