Understanding English Word Classes for Language Learners

1. Word Classes http://homepage.mac.com/caluianudaniela/index.htm

2. Classify • purple, eat, draw, triangle, song, grass, amazing, fast, dance, water, here, she, nice, shape, girl, three, under, there, who, wide, gold, discussion, Mary, end, begin,

3. Classes • A: girl, goat, Mary, triangle, song, grass, water, shape, gold, discussion • B: eat, draw, begin, • C: purple, amazing, nice, wide • D: fast, here, there, • E: she, who, • F: three, • G: under.

4. Criteria 1: Meaning • A. things—nouns; • B. activities – verbs; • C. qualities – adjectives • D. manner, place, time, cause: adverbs • E.replacements: pronouns • F. numbers: numerals • G. space relations: prepositions • Problem: • triangle, triangular, kindness, singing, surround

5. Criteria 2: Form • girl/ girls • dance/ dances/ danced • nice/ nicer/ nicest • Problem: the same form has different functions. • girls/ dances/ Mary’s • danced/ tired • nicer/ teacher

6. Criteria 3: Distribution • The___ • girl, triangle, water, song • *eat, *three,* who, *under • I can ________ • eat, draw, begin • *girl, *triangle, *three, *who • It is very ____ • interesting, nice • * girl, *eat, *she

7. Criteria 4: Function • Can be predicate by itself. • eat, dance • *girl, *nice, * three • Can modify a verb • fast • *girl, *nice, *three • Can replace a noun. • she, who, three • *eat, *fast, *nice

8. English Word Classes • Nouns: cat, idea, dance, singing • Verbs: eat, dance, be • Adjectives: nice, square, present • Adverbs: fast, nicely, here, where, very, therefore, unfortunately • Pronouns: I, he, my, myself, each, all, who, which, somebody, this • Prepositions: on, under • Articles: a, the • Numerals: one, first • Connectors: and, but, if, because • Interjections: oh, wow

9. Word classes • Nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. do not exist independently. • Word classes are the result of applying several criteria to words.

10. Prototypes and Word Classes • Not all words fit equally well into their Word Class. • What is walk, noun or verb? • Which are adjectives and which are not? • A nice girl/ the girls present • Very nice, nicer/ *very present/ *more present • A red wall/ a stone wall

11. Some benefits • Knowledge about word classes can help non-native speakers: • Guess the meaning of new words. • Use words correctly.

12. Things to think about • What differences are between English and Japanese with respect to Word Classes? • What difficulties do the differences create for language learners? • Are the difficulties the same for English speakers learning Japanese and Japanese speakers learning English?

13. Adjectives • The nice cat. -- The cat is nice. • The alleged victim. -- *The victim was alleged. • The students are present. • all the present students ; all the students present

14. Pronouns and determiners • Each book costs over $100 (dependent) • Each costs over $100 (independent) • Personal pronouns: I saw him yesterday • Possessive pronouns: Consider my books yours • Relative pronoun: I know the guy whom you met • Interrogative pronouns: Whose book is that? • Demonstrative pronouns: Did you see that? • Reflexive pronouns: He speaks only about himself. • Indefinite pronouns: Nobody has everything. • So: I asked you to leave. Please do so now! (pro-V)

15. Articles and numerals • Numerals • Cardinal: one two, three • Ordinal: first, second, third • Articles • Definite: the • Indefinite: a, an

16. Adverbs • Time and place adverbs: here, home, there, yesterday, now • Interrogative adverbs: where, when • Where does he live? (I) • I don’t know where he lives (I) • Degree adverbs: very, completely, rather • Sentence adverbs: obviously, fortunately • Conjunctive adverbs: therefore, however • Relative adverb: where, when • Do you remember the place where we met last week. (R)

17. Connectors 1 • Coordinators • Coordinate conjunctions: and, or, but • Correlative conjunctions: both….and, either…or, neither…nor • Conjunctive adverb: however, nonetheless

18. Connectors 2 • Can have a double function: subordinating, some role in the clause • The type of subordinate clause determines the function of the subordinator • Constituent clauses (subject, complement): subordinator may have double unction • I don’t know when he will arrive (double) • I don’t know if he comes alone (simple) • Adverbial clauses: Subordinator does not have double function • When he arrived, he was really tired. • Relative clauses: subordinator always has double function • I don’t know the people who are coming.

19. Prepositions • Simple: in, on, at, about, of • Multi-word: by way of, in addition to, apart from

20. Interjections • Express speaker’s attitude: oh, wow, alas