WORD CLASSIFICATION
DOSEN PENGAMPU : Dr. Dedi Irawan, M.Sc PENULIS : Gebrina Rizkika
PROGRAM STUDI ILMU PEMERINTAHAN FAKULTAS ILMU SOSIAL DAN ILMU POLITIK
UNIVERSITAS RIAU 2023
Words don't only mean something; they also do something. In the English language, words are grouped into word classes based on their function, i.e. what they do in a phrase or sentence. In total, there are nine word classes in English.
Word class meaning and example
All words can be categorised into classes within a language based on their function and purpose.
An example of various word classes is 'The cat ate a cupcake quickly.'
The = a determiner
cat = a noun
ate = a verb
a = determiner
cupcake = noun
quickly = an adverb
Word class function
The function of a word class, also known as a part of speech, is to classify words according to their grammatical properties and the roles they play in sentences. By assigning words to different word classes, we can understand how they should be used in context and how they relate to other words in a sentence.
Each word class has its own unique set of characteristics and rules for usage, and understanding the function of word classes is essential for effective communication in English. Knowing our word classes allows us to create clear and grammatically correct sentences that convey our intended meaning.
Word classes in English
In English, there are four main word classes; nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. These are considered lexical words, and they provide the main meaning of a phrase or sentence.
The other five word classes are; prepositions, pronouns, determiners, conjunctions, and interjections. These are considered functional words, and they provide structural and relational information in a sentence or phrase.
Don't worry if it sounds a bit confusing right now. Read ahead and you'll be a master of the different types of word classes in no time!
All word
classes Definition Examples of word
classification
Noun
A word that represents a person, place,thing, or idea. cat, house, plant
Pronoun
A word that is used in place of a noun toavoid repetition. he, she, they, it
Verb
A word that expresses action, occurrence,or state of being. run, sing, grow
Adjective
A word that describes or modifies a nounor pronoun. blue, tall, happy
Adverb
A word that describes or modifies a verb,adjective, or other adverb. quickly, very
Preposition
A word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence.
in, on, at
Conjunction
A word that connects words, phrases, orclauses. and, or, but
Interjection A word that expresses strong emotions or
feelings. wow, oh, ouch
Determiners
A word that clarifies information about the quantity, location, or ownership of
the noun
Articles like 'the' and 'an', and quantifiers like 'some' and 'all'.
The four main word classes
In the English language, there are four main word classes: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Let's look at all the word classes in detail.
Nouns
Nouns are the words we use to describe people, places, objects, feelings, concepts, etc. Usually, nouns are tangible (touchable) things, such as a table, a person, or a building.
However, we also have abstract nouns, which are things we can feel and describe but can't necessarily see or touch, such as love, honour, or excitement. Proper nouns are the names we give to specific and official people, places, or things, such as England, Claire, or Hoover.
Cat House School
'My sister went to school.'
Verbs
Verbs are words that show action, event, feeling, or state of being. This can be a physical action or event, or it can be a feeling that is experienced.
Lexical verbs are considered one of the four main word classes, and auxiliary verbs are not. Lexical verbs are the main verb in a sentence that shows action, event, feeling, or state of being, such as walk, ran, felt, and want, whereas an auxiliary verb helps the main verb and expresses grammatical meaning, such as has, is, and do.
Run Curse Wish
'She wished for a sunny day.'
Adjectives
Adjectives are words used to modify nouns, usually by describing them. Adjectives describe an attribute, quality, or state of being of the noun.
Long Short Friendly
'The friendly woman wore a beautiful dress.'
Fig 1. Adjectives can describe the woman and the dress
Adverbs
Adverbs are words that work alongside verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They provide further descriptions of how, where, when, and how often something is done.
Quickly Softly Too Loudly
'The music was too loud.'
All of the above examples are lexical word classes and carry most of the meaning in a sentence. They make up the majority of the words in the English language.
The other five word classes
The other five remaining word classes are; prepositions, pronouns, determiners, conjunctions, and interjections. These words are considered functional words and are used to explain grammatical and structural relationships between words.
For example, prepositions can be used to explain where one object is in relation to another.
Prepositions
Prepositions are used to show the relationship between words in terms of place, time, direction, and agency.
In At To By With
'They went through the tunnel.'
Pronouns
Pronouns take the place of a noun or a noun phrase in a sentence. They often refer to a noun that has already been mentioned and are commonly used to avoid repetition.
Chloe (noun) → she (pronoun)
Chloe's dog → her dog (possessive pronoun)
There are several different types of pronouns; let's look at some examples of each.
He, she, it, they - personal pronouns
His, hers, its, theirs, mine, ours - possessive pronouns
Himself, herself, myself, ourselves, themselves - reflexive pronouns
This, that, those, these - demonstrative pronouns
Anyone, somebody, everyone, anything, something - Indefinite pronouns
Which, what, that, who, who - Relative pronouns 'She sat on the chair which was broken.'
Determiners
Determiners work alongside nouns to clarify information about the quantity, location, or ownership of the noun. It 'determines' exactly what is being referred to. Much like pronouns, there are also several different types of determiners.
The, a, an - articles
This, that, those - you might recognise these for demonstrative pronouns are also determiners
One, two, three etc. - cardinal numbers
First, second, third etc. - ordinal numbers
Some, most, all - quantifiers
Other, another - difference words 'The first restaurant is better than the other.'
