Understanding Grammar, Syntax, and Morphology
Grammar is the study of the principles that govern the formation and interpretation of words, phrases, and sentences, and how they are put together.
Syntax is concerned with the formation and interpretation of phrases and sentences.
Morphology is a branch of grammar that studies the structure of words. It is also the study of the formation and interpretation of words, and how words are formed.
These are the definitions of grammar, syntax, and morphology according to Radford.
A morpheme is the smallest
Read MoreUnderstanding Grammatical Categories: Nouns, Adjectives, and Verbs
Grammatical Categories: Nouns, Adjectives, and Verbs
Determinants
The determinant is a grammatical category that functions as a noun modifier. It is an important element of cohesion as it agrees in gender and number with the noun.
Demonstrative Determinants
Demonstrative determinants (this, that, these, those) indicate closeness or distance in time or space. Formally, they are variable-unchangeable. Functionally, they are determinants. Semantically, they indicate proximity, remoteness, and anaphoric
Read MoreUnderstanding Vocabulary and Semantics in Linguistics
Vocabulary and Semantics
1.1. The Linguistic Sign
Features:
- The linguistic meaning is arbitrary: The relationship between signifier and signified does not obey any rules. It’s conventional.
- The linguistic sign is immutable: Individual speakers cannot change the signs.
- It is mutable: Some linguistic signs change their meaning over time, and society adopts the new meanings.
Examples:
- Pass:
- Transit
- Not minding
- Roll:
- Cylindrical geometry
- Something boring
- Occasional erotic relationship
1.2. The Word and Its Meaning
Read MoreUnderstanding Verbs, Adverbs, Prepositions, and Conjunctions
The Verb
Definition: From a semantic point of view, verbs constitute a class of words that indicate action, process, or state. From a syntactic point of view, verbs are the core of the verb phrase, which acts as the predicate of the sentence.
Verb Form
Verb form is the morphologically most complex word class, conveying diverse grammatical information. This requires it to take different forms for all these meanings. Verbs have different morphological features:
- Theme or Root: Expresses the semantic or
Core English Grammar Concepts: Structure and Usage
Unit 1: Introduction to Grammar Fundamentals
What does morphology deal with?
Morphology deals with the system of word formation, looking at the structure of words and the rules for word formation. It allows us to divide words into morphemes.
What is the object of study in syntax?
Syntax studies patterns of word arrangement. It involves the ways and rules by which words combine to form grammatical sentences.
Why is grammar controversial in language teaching?
Whether grammar should be taught and how it
Read MoreUnderstanding Predicates, Agreement, and Objects in English Grammar
The Predicate & The Predicative
The predicate is the second main part of the sentence, and it denotes an action, a state, or a quality of the thing expressed by the subject. In certain cases, it agrees with the subject in person, number, and tense.
According to the structure of the predicates, we distinguish two types: simple and compound. According to their morphological realization, they are verbal and nominal. Depending on these two criteria, there are the following types of predicates:
- Simple