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classifications include nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. In addition, there are pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, articles, and demonstratives which are
typically called function words. The meanings of these words show how we are to determine relations between words in utterances.
The classification will be discussed as follows:
a. Content Words 1 Nouns
In a grammar class, students may have learned that a noun refers to a person, place, or thing. However, nouns based on functional approach can have
some semantics roles such as agents, patients, dative, benefactive, instrumental, recipient, and locative. Nouns as agents mean that they can carry out action. For
instance, “Titik biked to Bahama.” Nouns as patients mean that they can receive actions carried out by others. For example, “Titik crashed her bike.” Nouns can be
dative when nouns affected by state of action. For example, “Titik felt so frustrated.” Noun can be benefactive, for whom something is done. For example,
“I changed the bike tire for Titik.” Nouns can be instrumental in helping to complete an action. For example, “I mended the tire with a patch.” Nouns can be
recipients. For example, “I give the bike to Titik.” Nouns can be locatives. For example, “Bahama is a great place to have a condominium.”
2 Verbs
Verbs are words that denote action. Verbs are also words that denote states and process.
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a Verbs Classifications 1 Activities, Accomplishments, Achievements and States Verbs
Vendler 1967 in Hatch Brown 1995 placed verb into four classes: activities, accomplishments, achievements and states. For example:
activities accomplishments
achievements states
run paint a picture
recognize know
walk draw a triangle
find love
write run a mile
lose have
seek build
hear betall
It will be easy for the children to learn activities and accomplishment verbs because they can implement it in their real activities.
2 Lexical, Modal and Primary Verbs
- Lexical or full verb are those with a meaning that can be clearly and independently identified e.g. in a dictionary such as run, jump, walk, want, etc.
They act as main verbs. - Modal verbs have function as auxiliary verbs. The verbs are: can, could, may,
might, will, would, shall, should, must, ought to, and used to. - Primary verb can function either as main verbs or as auxiliary verbs. The verbs
are: be, have and do. For example: Main verb use: I am sad. She has a cat. They do sums.
Auxiliary verb use: We are going. She has seen it. Do they go?
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3 Finite and Nonfinite Form of Verbs
- The finite forms of a verb are the forms which show tense, person, or number. For example: I go, she goes, and they went.
- The nonfinite verb forms have no person or number, but some types can show tense. For example: to go, going, gone.
4 Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
- Transitive verbs are verbs which require an object. For example: Jane makes a cake. The function of the word Jane in this sentence is subject, the word makes is
transitive verb and the word a cake is object. - Intransitive verbs are verbs which can be used without an object. For example: I
am waiting.
b Verbs for Children
Brown 1957 in Hatch Brown 1995 states that 57 of the verbs used by children are action verbs. In addition, action words are acquired early. The
words allow children to talk about actions in here and now. Transitive actions such as hug and bite and intransitive actions such as sleep, sit serve this purpose.
An –ing form of the verbs e.g. playing, reading is needed to talk the now or ongoing actions, so, the –ing of the present progressive is acquired early.
3 Adjectives
Hatch Brown 1995 state that adjectives are words used to highlight qualities or attributes. An adjective has several criteria:
- An adjective can occur immediately before a noun as in a big car. This is called the adjective’s attributive function.
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- An adjective can occur alone after forms of the verb be: The car was big. This is the adjective’s predicative function.
- An adjective can be immediately preceded by very and other intensifying words as very big, terribly nice.
- An adjective can be compared as in biggerbiggest, moremost beautiful. - Many adjectives permit the addition of –ly to form an adverb. For example:
quiet quietly.
4 Adverbs
Adverbs are similar to adjective in many ways. The difference is that adjectives assign attributes to noun while adverbs assign attributes to verbs,
clauses or entire sentences. Most adverbs are easy to recognize because they are formed by adding an
–ly suffix to an adjective, as in sadly and happily. There are some types of adverb: - Adverbs which have no distinctive element, such as just and soon, or compound
adverbs, somehow and whereby - A few other endings which mark a word as an adverb, used especially in
informal speech: new-style, earthwards, clockwise, and sideways.
b. Function Words 1 Pronouns
