UNIT 1 Language
Part 8: Understanding the grammar points Task 13: Read the following text to learn about word classes.
You may already be familiar with ‘word classes’ (also known as ‘parts of speech’). Understanding how different word classes work is important, because each word class has a particular job to perform. Word classes are the building blocks of English; they are what make up phrases, and phrases make up clauses, and clauses make up sentences. To be understood in English, it is necessary to understand the function of each type of word, and how the different word classes relate to one another. There are eight main word classes in English. These are outlined below, along with a brief explanation of what they do.
• Nouns are people, places, things and ideas. • Verbs are doing or action words which describe what is happening in a sentence. • Adjectives give more information about nouns and pronouns. • Adverbs give more information about verbs and adjectives. • Pronouns replace nouns. • Prepositions show the relationship between other word classes (e.g., time, place). • Conjunctions show the relationship between clauses (e.g., cause, transition, time). • Determiners appear at the beginning of noun phrases and indicate whether the information is new or familiar, or how much of something there is.
Task 14: The following phrases are all taken from the text. The different word classes appear in different colours. Complete the sentences which follow, according to which word class they are.
• although this may sound a lot • the end of the century • within the next 85 years • which has clearly become the world’s lingua franca • because it will not help them get a job • to a certain extent
1. The words in red are all 2. The words in blue are all 3. The words in black are all 4. The words in pink are all 5. The words in green are all 6. The words in purple are all 7. The words in grey are all 8. The words in brown are all
Task 15: Discuss these questions.
1. Do you have the same word classes in your language? If not, what are the differences? 2. Which of the word classes do you find most difficult to use? Why?
Task 16: Discuss these questions about word order.
1. In your language, does it matter what order words come in? 2. Do words have to come in a particular order in English?
Task 17: Read the following information about word order in English. 13 . . . . . . . .
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