_Syntax

Lexical Categories

This section is concerned with lexical categories or parts of speech. We group words into classes and categories according to the ways that they are used in sentences.

There are eight major word classes in English:

nouns, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions, verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, determiners

The following key terms are closely associated with the category noun: proper noun, common noun (concrete noun, abstract noun, collective noun), number and possession.

The following key terms are closely associated with the category verb: infinitive, main or full lexical verb, copula verb or copulative verb or linking verb, auxiliary verb, modal auxiliary, phrasal verb, prepositional verb tense (present tense, past tense) active voice, passive voice, intransitive or monotransitive, ditransitive, agreement or concord.

The following key terms are closely associated with the category adjective: comparative, superlative.

The following key terms are closely associated with the category adverb: adverbs modifying verbs, adjectives, adverbs and sentences.

The following key terms are closely associated with the category pronoun: personal pronoun, possessive pronoun, reflexive pronoun, demonstrative pronoun, indefinite pronoun, relative pronoun, interrogative pronoun.

The following key terms are closely associated with the category conjunction: coorrdinating conjunction, subordinating conjunction.

The following key terms are closely associated with the category preposition: locative or spatial preposition, temporal preposition, stranded preposition, complex preposition, prepositional adverb adverbial particle.

The following key terms are closely associated with the category determiner: definite article, indefinite article, demonstrative, possessive, interrogative.