VCE English Language - What is lexicology? Revision of word classes or parts of speech.

1. English Language Unit 1English Language Unit 1
glamour(n)
A word from the Middle Ages, when it
was an alternative for the word
grammar! The possession of learning,
or grammar, was seen as magical and
mysterious. Glamour today means
mysteriously exciting or alluring.

2. Learning intention:
Develop understanding of lexicology and
knowledge of word classes.
Success criteria:
Able to identify:
-nouns,
-verbs,
-adjectives, and
-adverbs

3. GKR
How much do you
know about word
classes? Do
question 4.2.5
(booklet p16) and
find out.

4. Lexicology
Lexicographer
Lexicon
Compiles
Dictionaries
Etymology
Word class
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Conjunctions
Determiners
Prepositions
Pronouns
Key Vocabulary:

5. Lexicology - the study of wordsLexicology - the study of words
We all have a lexicon. It is your
vocabulary (all the words you know).
A lexicon can also refer to the words in a
branch of learning, e.g.: engineering, law
A lexicographer studies the words in a
language and compiles dictionaries.

6. Lexicology - the study of wordsLexicology - the study of words
A dictionary is a collection of all the
words of a particular language.
There are various types of dictionaries,
e.g. general (most of the words in a
language), visual, etymology (incorporates
the history of the word), children’s, etc.
An visual dictionary is different from a
graphical dictionary

7. Word Classes (or parts of speech)Word Classes (or parts of speech)
The categories that words belong to
based on their formal similarities, e.g.: a
noun is defined partly by the fact that it
can take a plural ending
Which in the following list is not a noun?
◦ cars, houses, voices, peoples, horses, cats,
jumps, trains
◦ peoples, jumps

8. Classes of WordsClasses of Words
Two broad classes of words -
Open (admits new members)
Closed (does NOT admit new members
– the glue that holds all the other words
together)
Open Closed
Nouns Conjunctions (FANBOY)
Verbs Determiners (a, an, any, the)
Adjectives Prepositions (over, under, through,
etc)
Adverbs Pronouns (he, she, you, me, I, etc.)

9. Did You Know?Did You Know?
A newly coined word/term is called a
NEOLOGISM
◦ Examples include:
 Google
 Noob
 Troll (not a new word but a new usage)

10. Open Class – NounsOpen Class – Nouns
How to identify nouns:
◦ they typically name things or concepts;
◦ all nouns take the same kind of inflections,
e.g. +s;
◦ they are words that could be used to answer
a question;
◦ they usually makes sense when ‘the’ is put in
front of them; and
◦ they can be singular and plural

11. Open Class – NounsOpen Class – Nouns
Types - Proper and Common
◦ Proper
 refers to specific places and people
 usually begins with a capital letter
◦ Common
 refers to types of people, feelings, etc.
 can be subdivided into concrete, abstract and
collective

12. Open Class – NounsOpen Class – Nouns
Types - Proper and Common
◦ Proper
 refers to specific places and people
 usually begins with a capital letter
◦ Common
 refers to types of people, feelings, etc.
 can be subdivided into concrete, abstract and
collective

13. Open Class – Common NounsOpen Class – Common Nouns
◦ Concrete – names
things you can touch
◦ Abstract – names things
that do not exist
physically
◦ Collective – names
groups of people,
animals or objects

14. ActivityActivity
Exam practice – Handout 1 – Identifying
word classes

15. Open Class - AdjectivesOpen Class - Adjectives
describe nouns
Types of Adjectives
◦ Comparatives - used to make comparisons
◦ Superlatives – expresses the highest or a very
high degree of quality
hotter bigger wiser
hottest biggest wisest

16. ActivityActivity
Handout 2 – Identifying adjectives

17. Open Class - VerbsOpen Class - Verbs
How to identify verbs:
◦ they can describe physical and mental
actions(dynamic verbs); or
◦ they can describe conditions or states
(stative verbs);
◦ all verbs take the same kind of inflections, e.g.
+ed, +ing;
◦ in a sentence they tell what the subject is
doing / being

18. Open Class - VerbsOpen Class - Verbs
Infinitive verbs
◦ all verbs have an infinitive
◦ the infinitive of the verb always includes ‘to’
Examples
◦ to be (and its forms – is, are, was, were, etc.)
◦ to think
◦ to sing

19. Open Class - VerbsOpen Class - Verbs
Types – Main and Auxiliary
◦ Main
 a single verb that expresses the main meaning of
the sentence
◦ Auxilliary (helping verbs) are always placed in
front of the main verb
 Primary
 Modal

20. Open Class – Auxiliary VerbsOpen Class – Auxiliary Verbs
Types
◦ Primary
◦ Modal

21. Open Class –Open Class –
Primary Auxiliary VerbsPrimary Auxiliary Verbs
There are 3 primary auxiliary verbs
NB: These verbs can also be main verbs. They are the only auxiliary verbs
that can do this.
They can:
◦indicate when something has happened;
◦provide emphasis;
◦be used to construct questions; and
◦be used to construct negatives.
be have do

22. Open Class –Open Class –
Modal Auxiliary VerbsModal Auxiliary Verbs
Modal auxiliary verbs:
◦ are only ever used with a main verb
◦ can significantly alter the tone / meaning
The modal auxiliary verbs are:
can will shall may must
could would should might

23. Open Class - VerbsOpen Class - Verbs
Tense
◦ two tenses – past and present
He is walking; He has walked
◦ a variety of constructions are used to create
the future
He shall walk.

24. Open Class – VerbsOpen Class – Verbs
Active and Passive
◦ Active voice
 the subject (person or thing performing the action)
is emphasised
◦ Passive voice
 the order of the sentence is reversed
 the object (person or thing to which something is
being done) is emphasised

25. Open Class - AdverbsOpen Class - Adverbs
How to identify adverbs:
◦ they usually give more information about the
verb (think ad + verb)
◦ they describe the verb like an adjective
describes a noun
◦ many adverbs are formed by adding –ly to the
end of the word
happily, sadly, joyfully, gratefully, wildly

26. HomeworkHomework
Langquiz, Questions 1-6 (booklet p 17)
(NB: you will need a dictionary!)
Complete all Word Class Handouts

27. 1) List the open
word classes
2) Explain what
open class means
3) Name a learning
strategy you
used today

28. Word ClassesWord Classes
 Open class words
◦ Nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs
 Closed class words
◦ Prepositions, conjunctions, determiners, pronouns
 Activity 4.2.5 page 21
 Identifying adjectives worksheet
 Adverbs activity