This document discusses content words and function words, as well as lexical and semi-lexical categories in linguistics. It explains that words belong to lexical categories and can form phrases according to phrase structure rules. Semi-lexical categories include prepositions, which have both lexical and functional properties. Prepositions can introduce complements or modifiers, and their classification depends on whether the prepositional phrase functions as a complement or modifier of the head noun.

1. Content Words &
Functions Words.
Presenter,
Pavitra a/p Mathurai
Ranjini a/p Kunalan
Ras Ameliya Binti Ramli

2. Lexical categories
 In lexical categories (open word & closed word classes) :
 every word is a member of a category.
 a word‟s category type determines the kind of phrase it can form
 a phrase is a word or string of words that functions as a unit in a
sentence, built around a head
 Every language has specific phrase structure rules determining
how phrases can be combined to form sentences

3. Semi-lexical categories
 In semi-lexical categories :
 “Ross (1972, 1973) already argued that the traditional view of
syntactic categories as being discrete elements that can be
rigidly distinguished from one another is incorrect. Instead of a
fixed, discrete inventory of syntactic categories, he proposes a
quasi-continuum, where the distinction between one category
and another one is not discrete, but „squishy,‟ i.e. one of
degree…”
(Corver and van Riemsdijk 2001: 4)

4. Semi-lexical categories
 In semi-lexical categories, prepositions are consider a semi-
lexical which means that it has lexical and functional
properties at once.
a. the book on the table
b. John’s reliance on his own ingenuity
 In (a) the PP on the table functions as modifier of the non-
relational nominal head table; in this construction the
preposition with its own argument structure.
 In (b), PP on his own ingenuity is generally taken to be the
complement of the relational (deverbal) head reliance; in this
construction the prepositions on does not indicate location
and its typically analysed as purely grammatical element,
without argument structure.

5. Semi-lexical categories
 ..prepositions have their own (typically locative) meaning
whereas grammatical prepositions, lacking semantic content,
are determined by the head noun.
(Huddleston & Pullum, 2002:653ff)
 i.e; the prepositions of (which at an early stage lost its
original locative meaning and has since developed a host of
meanings, including geographical origin, possession, part-of,
attribute-of, type-of, quantity-of and depiction-of)
 it is acknowledged that of can introduce both complements
and modifiers.

6. a.
i. the sister of Mary
ii. the house of her former husband
iii. the spire of the cathedral
iv. a glass of water
v. the death of the emperor
vi. the conquest of Persia
b.
i. the wines of France
ii. a man of honour
iii. a girl of a sunny disposition
iv. a boy of sixteen
v. a frame of steel
vi. a matter of no importance
 In (a), of-PPs regarded as complements and in (b), taken to
function as modifiers.