Grammatical functions refers to “what a word, phrase, or clause does.” All languages contain a finite number of language-specific grammatical functions.
The other day I read a tweet that made some claims about adverbs: “The -s in “unawares,” as in “they were caught unawares,” is completely distinct from the pluralizing -s. It’s an adverb suffix, and it’s also in “always” and “nowadays,” and in “nights,” “weekends,” etc., as in “they work nights/weekends.” #FunWithMorphology” The -s in […] More
Are the words yesterday, today, and tomorrow adverbs or nouns? Oxford Living Dictionaries identifies all three words as an adverb first and a noun second. Etymonline lists yesterday as a noun and adverb but today and tomorrow as only adverbs. Wiktionary defines today and tomorrow as adverbs first and nouns second but yesterday as a […] More
Notional grammars define adjectives as “words that describe nouns.” Big, cute, green, small, and wonky are prototypical adjectives. In big bully, The baby is cute, and I painted the wall green, each adjective describes a noun. Big describes the noun bully, cute describes the noun baby, and green describes the noun wall. However, stating that […] More
I recently tweeted my post entitled Using Nouns and Noun Phrases as Indirect Objects. To my tweet, I received a comment that argued that, although the cat in I gave the cat a bath is indeed a recipient, the cat is not an indirect object but rather a direct object. Analyzing the cat as a […] More
Appositives are words, phrases, and clauses that support another word, phrase, or clause by describing or modifying the other word, phrase, or clause. Although nouns and noun phrases most frequently function as appositive in sentences, three grammatical forms can perform the grammatical function of appositive in the English language. The three grammatical forms that can […] More
Adverb phrase modifiers are words and phrases that that modify or describe an adverb or adverb phrase. Only one grammatical form can function as the adverb phrase modifier in English grammar: adverb phrases. Adverb Phrases as Adverb Phrase Modifiers The only grammatical form that can perform the grammatical function of adverb phrase modifier is the […] More
Determiner phrase heads are words that function as the heads of determiner phrases. A determiner phrase consist of two or more determiners plus any p-words and functions as a determinative. Only one grammatical form can perform the function of determiner phrase head in the English language. The one grammatical form that can function as the […] More
Encompassing both prepositional phrase heads and postpositional phrase heads, adpositional phrase heads are words that function as the heads of adpositional phrases. An adpositional phrase consists of an adposition such as a preposition or postposition plus another word, phrase, or clause functioning as an adpositional complement. Two grammatical forms can perform the function of adpositional […] More
Similar to prepositional phrase heads, postpositional phrase heads are words that function as the heads of postpositional phrases. A postpositional phrase consists of a postposition plus another word, phrase, or clause functioning as a postpositional complement. Only one grammatical form can perform the function of postpositional phrase head in the English language. The one grammatical […] More
Postpositional complements are defined as the word, phrase, or clause that directly precedes the postposition and completes the meaning of the postpositional phrase. Postpositional complements are also called objects of postpositions and complements of postpositions. Only one grammatical form can function as the postpositional complement in English grammar: noun phrases. Postpositions are less common than […] More
Passives are words that express the passive voice. Passives function within verb phrases functioning as predicates. Only one grammatical form can perform the function of passive in English. The one grammatical form that can function as the passive is the verb. Only the verb be, sometimes referred to as the passive be, can function as […] More
Progressives are words that express the progressive aspect including the perfect-progressive aspect. Progressives function within verb phrases functioning as predicates. Only one grammatical form can perform the function of progressive in English. The one grammatical form that can function as the progressive is the verb. Only the verb be, sometimes referred to as the progressive […] More