Language Functions and Sentence Structure Explained
Language Functions in Communication
Language serves various purposes, and the issuer utilizes it in communicative situations.
- Representative Function: Transmits information. Verbs are typically in the 3rd person. Example: (Paracetamol is on the shelf)
- Expressive and Emotional Function: Expresses opinions and feelings. Verbs are in the 1st person, questions, or exclamations. Lexico is subjective.
- Appellate or Conative Function: Influences the receiver’s behavior or ideas: orders, instructions. Verbs are in the imperative and 2nd person. References to the receiver. Example: (Waiter, bring a juice) and exclamations and questions.
Statements and Sentence Types
Statements are sets of words expressing an idea or feeling. There are two kinds of sentences: sentences or phrases.
Set Method and Intonation
We call the set method the way in which the speaker presents the statement.
- Intonation: Depends on the melody to express the statement.
- Verb Forms: Verbal mode indicates how the speaker conceives the action (indicative, subjunctive, and imperative), certain adverbs of affirmation, negation, or doubt.
Kinds of Sentences by Output
- Sentential: Present an idea or thought as if it were real. They may be affirmative or negative.
- Interrogative: Express a question. Example: “We interviewed: they?”
- Exclamatory: Express feelings.
- Hesitant: Express doubt.
- Optional: Express a wish.
- Hortatory: Express advice, request, command, or prohibitions.
- Possibility: Express supposition or probability.
Forms of Speech
Forms of speech are different modes of expression that a message can take in a text. Descriptions can be objective (scientific) or subjective (advertising).
Parts of a Sentence
- Subject: The group of words that names a person, animal, or thing that says something in a sentence; its nucleus is usually a noun or pronoun. It functions as a noun phrase.
- Predicate: The set of words that express what is said of the subject. This group of words is a verbal phrase whose core is a verb.
Parts of Speech
- Nouns: Words that name persons, animals, things. Function as a noun phrase.
- Articles: Words without inherent meaning that precede nouns to indicate gender and number: the, a, and an. Work as a determinant.
- Adjectives: Variable words that refer to a noun, highlighting its property or limiting its extension. Generally work to supplement or determine.
- Verbs: Words that express actions, states, or processes located at a given time. Core functions as the verb phrase.
- Adverbs: Words that name circumstances of place, manner, time, or quantity or express affirmation, denial, or doubt. They generally function as a complement to a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
- Pronouns: Words of personal significance, possessive, demonstrative, numeral, indefinite, interrogative, or exclamatory referring to the same entities as nouns. Function as a noun phrase.
- Binding Elements: Words that join other words or combinations of words. These are prepositions (to, with, of) and conjunctions (and, or, but, because).