Grammar

Morphology

Morphology is the study of how words are formed. For example, a noun in its plural form such as apples, is made up of two morphemes, a base or root apple, and an ending or suffix -s. In some words, the root has an element added before it, for example unhealthy has a prefix un- added to its root healthy. Together prefixes and suffixes are known as affixes.

Some affixes have an inflectional function as they show the tense of verbs and the plural form of nouns (for example -s). Others have aderivational function as they help to form a new word by being added to a root (for example un-).

Phrases

Words can be categorised into word classes related to the function they serve and the kinds of characteristics group members display. Moving up the rank scale, these words can form larger structures called phrases.

Noun Phrases

Noun phrases are groups of words centred round a noun that acts as the ‘head’ of the phrase. Other words in the phrase fulfil certain functions in relation to this head.

For example, the noun television can form the larger structure the television, which is a noun phrase with a head word television and adeterminer the. It can also form a longer noun phrase, the expensive television (this time containing a determiner and a pre-modifier,expensive). And, it can form an even longer noun phrase – the expensive television in the corner (this time adding a qualifier that doesn't modify the quality of the television itself but rather gives information as to its location as a post-modifier). Together then a noun phrase's constituent elements are:

• head word (h)
• determiner (d)
• modifier (m)
• qualifier (q).

Verb Phrases

In a similar way to a noun phrase, a verb phrase is built around a head word, the main verb. Verb phrases are generally less complex than noun phrases but can, in addition to main verbs, include auxiliary verbs that help to show either tense (the primary auxiliary verbs be, do and have), or show someone's degree of commitment towards an event or person (the modal auxiliary verbs such as may, could, must).

Clauses

In the same way that words form phrases, phrases form larger structures called clauses. These are groups of words centred round a verb phrase.

Clauses also have constituent elements that we can label and comment on depending on their function.

Constituent element	Description
Subject (S): usually a noun phrase	Acts as the key focus of the clause and is often the focus of a relational verb process or the agent of a material verb process
Object (O): usually a noun phrase	Identifies the entity being acted on by the action of a verb process
Complement (C): usually a noun phrase	Is the attribute of a subject in a relational verb process
Adverbial (A): usually an adverb or prepositional phrase	Identifies the circumstances of a verb process in terms of time, place or manner

Sentences

The terms simple, compound and complex sentences can be used to describe single or multi-clause structures. This fits in with the traditional definition of the sentence as having to contain a verb. Sentences that do not contain a verb, but are recognised as such through the use of a capital letter and full stop are orthographic sentences, and are a common feature in written texts and are often used to give a punchy, emphatic stress to an idea or feeling.

Sentence functions

In use, clauses and sentences have one of four functions:

1. 1forming statements (e.g., I read a ghost story.)
2. 2forming questions (e.g., Did you read that ghost story?)
3. 3giving commands (e.g., Read that ghost story!)
4. 4making exclamations (e.g., What a scary ghost story!)

All information from Cambridge Elevate