Transcript Word Classes - Wyke College

Word Classes
This is a basic introduction to the way
words are categorised by linguists.
Make brief notes, please!
Nouns
Refer to a person, place, or object:
There’s John!
Could you pass me the stethoscope, please?
It’s not the first time that giraffe has
interrupted my afternoon nap.
I am Luxembourg’s new president.
Abstract Nouns
Or even an abstract idea:
More than anything else,
happiness is important to me.
Music was his first love.
He approached the task and
immediately noticed a
problem.
Verbs
Express an action:
I’ll walk to college.
She hurt her back reaching for
the shelf.
Go and get me a cup of tea.
Adjectives
Describe nouns:
The lazy fish slept all afternoon.
The smudgy wristwatch was useless
to her.
She was driven to distraction by his
gormless expression.
Adjectives
Can you make this description of a holiday
destination sound more attractive by
adding some adjectives?
“Then I arrived in Venice. I looked at a
building which had ivy climbing up its wall
and a feeling entered my heart. The place
was…”
Adverbs
Describe verbs:
I really love the opera.
The dog barked annoyingly all night.
And adjectives:
That wall colour’s quite lovely.
How mesmerisingly dull that man is!
You should have notes about
• Nouns
• Abstract nouns
• Verbs
• Adjectives
• Adverbs
If your teacher says, “What is ‘love’?”, they are
probably asking you what word class it is.