8
Meanwhile, vocabulary based on oxford dictionary is all the words that a person knows and uses.
3
Another definition comes from Kridalaksana stated that vocabulary is a component of language that contains all of information meaning
and using word in language.
4
Based on the definitions above, the writer would like to summarize about the definition of vocabulary. Vocabulary is not only the word that contains
meaning. It can be said as a number of words that help people to use and to understand the language.
1. Kinds of Vocabulary
There are two kinds of vocabulary according to Finnochiaro, namely active vocabulary and passive vocabulary. Below are the brief description about
active vocabulary and passive vocabulary. a
Active vocabulary Active vocabulary refers to items which the students can use appropriately
in speaking or writing. Active vocabulary can be also called as a productive vocabulary. It means the student has to know how to pronounce it well and the
student has to know and be able to use grammar of the target language. In productive vocabulary, the student has to know about collocation and the student
has to understand the connotation meaning of the word. b
Passsive vocabulary Passive vocabulary refers to language items that can be recognized and
understood in the context of reading and listening. it is also called as receptive vocabulary.
5
Another kinds of vocabulay comes from Fries. He says that vocabulary is of two, namely: function words and content words
6
. The function words are closed-class words, we can not add to the prepositions or auxiliaries or modals or
3
A.S Hornby, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2000,
p. 1506.
4
A.M. Zainuri, Vocabulary I, Fakultas Ilmu Tarbiyah dan Keguruan, Universitas Islam Negeri Jakarta: UIN Jakarta, p. 1.
5
Ibid., p.2.
6
Charles C. Fries, Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language, Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 1945, p. 44.
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any structure words of the language. Function words in English conclude prepositions at, in, of, and between, pronouns he, they, she, determiners the,
much, more, either, neither, conjunctions that, when, while, and, although, auxiliary verbs be: is, am, are, have and particles no, not, nor, as
While, the content words or lexical words are words that carry the content or the meaning of the sentence. It can be called as open-class words. Open classes
accept the addition of new morphemes such process as compounding, derivation, inflection, coining and borrowing. It can be added at any times as new scientific
advances makes new words and communication about new inventions necessary. The content words can be divided into three general classes. Those are:
a Word naming things, ideas,and entitle that we might call them noun
b Word used to describe the qualities of those thing or action called
adjectives and adverbs c
Words naming actions is called by “verbs”.
B. Verbs
Verbs are really needed in learning English language, because when we want to make the sentences, we need one or two more verbs. Here are the brief
explanations of verbs:
1. The Understanding of Verbs
The verb is one of the parts of speech. Based on Brown a verb is a word which expresses action or helps to make a statement.
7
On the other hand, Frank stated that the verb is the most complex part of speech. It is varying arrangement
with nouns determine the different kinds of sentences-statements, questions, commands, and exclamation and like noun, the verb has the grammatical
properties of person and number.
8
Based on the definitions above, the writer would like to summarize about verbs. Verbs are words that described as an action which have meaning to do.
7
Ann Cole Brown, et al. Grammar and Composition, Boston: Houghton Miffin Company, 1984, p. 11.
8
Marcella Frank, Modern English: A Practical Reference Guide, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc, 1972, p. 47.
