2.3. Classification of parts of speech

Characteristics of words/parts of speech

Categorematic words/parts of speech

Syntacategorematic parts of speech

1) Language units/elements that have lexical meanings, denotes references (elements of reality).

For example:

*Table, joy (nouns that denote a thing and a phenomenon);

*To bring, to create (verbs that denote actions);

*Big, happy (adjectives that denote qualities);

*Soon, well (adverbs that denote time and manner)

2) They can take a definite syntactic position and serve the functions of members of a sentence.

For example:

*The Noun can serve the function of the Subject (first position) or the one of the Object (the position after the Predicate), or the one of the Predicative (a part of the Predicate);

*The Verb serves the function of the Predicate (the position after the Subject) or a part of that which is the Complement (a part of the Predicate);

*The Adjective – the Attribute (before the Subject or the Object) or the Predicative;

*The Pronoun – the Subject or the Attribute;

*The Adverb – the Adverbial Modifier (in the beginning of a sentence – before the Subject, between the Subject and the Predicate, inside of the Predicate – between auxiliary and notional verbs or at the end of a sentence), etc.

1) Language elements that do not have independent Lexical Meaning.

For example:

*She is waiting for him (does not have an independent Lexical Meaning, though in that position it points at the object).

2) They are not objects of Thinking.

For example:

Such words as of, since, the, a, and, etc. can not denote definite things, objects, phenomena.

3) They have mainly grammar functions.

For example:

*A book of mine (shows possession);

*A trip to Kiev (direction)

4) They are phonetically weak, are not stressed with intonation.

For example:

*#1, 2, 3

Their functions are:

a) to show definite relations between Categorematic parts of speech

For example:

*#1, 3

b) to specify Grammar Meaning of the Categorematic parts of speech

For example:

*A boy and the girls (boy, girl have the Grammar Meaning of the Noun).

Refer to the Categorematic words/parts of speech

But under certain conditions loose their lexical content and keep only grammar function

For example:

I have a new book (as a Categorematic word, means to possess).

I have bought a new book (as a Syntacategorematic ne, has only a grammar function – refers to the Present Perfect of the notional verb to bring).

9 Categorematic:

4 Syntacategorematic:

1. The Noun (denotes objects, things, phenomena): man, world, life, rain, spring, etc.

2. The Verb (expresses actions): to run, to think, to develop, to enjoy, etc.

3. The Adjective (names signs, qualities and characteristics of objects and things): beautiful, ridiculous, magnificent, strange, smart, etc.

4. The Adverb (denotes reason, purpose, circumstances, place, time, manner, etc. of an action): yesterday, soon, quickly, occasionally, etc.

5. The Numeral (shows number or quantity of something): one, 2003, twelve, first, second, etc.

6. The Pronoun (substitutes the noun in accordance to the lexical gender the latter expresses): he, she, anything, all, etc.

7. Words of the category of state and condition (express a definite state of an object; they all play syntactic function of the Predicative in a sentence): afraid, asleep, aware, etc.

8. Modal Words (show different attitudes to reality; express probability of an action): probably, perhaps, eventually, likely, etc.

9. Interjections (present emotional reaction of a speaker): wow! (amazed), oh! (surprised), oops! (puzzled, embarrassed), etc.

1. Conjunctions (show definite combinations of semantic parts in a sentence): and (addition), but (contrast), or (alternative), because (cause), when (time), etc. (which, that)

2. Prepositions (express different relations between main and dependent words in an expression or in a sentence): a book is on the shelf, to go to Chicago, to marry in spring, to speak about him, to look at people, to meet on Monday, to dream of better future, etc.

3. Particles (help other words to express different semantic shades of their meanings): to be in (to be in a certain place), to be on/off (ex.: lights are turned on/off), to be over (finished, completed), to look at (direction), to look for (to search), to look after (to take care of / to resemble), etc.

4. Articles (are certain determiners of the Noun; can determine the Number, can show if a noun names a certain concrete thing or some abstract phenomenon, etc.): a student should clean the class-board (any/one student; one concrete class-board), __ students are very funny people (all students like a class of people; not some definite students), etc.