Understanding Grammatical Categories: Nouns, Adjectives, and Verbs
Grammatical Categories: Nouns, Adjectives, and Verbs
Determinants
The determinant is a grammatical category that functions as a noun modifier. It is an important element of cohesion as it agrees in gender and number with the noun.
Demonstrative Determinants
Demonstrative determinants (this, that, these, those) indicate closeness or distance in time or space. Formally, they are variable-unchangeable. Functionally, they are determinants. Semantically, they indicate proximity, remoteness, and anaphoric or cataphoric reference.
Possessive Determinants
Possessive determinants (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) indicate possession. Formally, they are variable-unchangeable and inflect for person. They can be atonic or tonic, and appear in shorter or full forms. Syntactically, they function as determinants. Semantically, they make deictic reference and express value.
Indefinite Determinants
Indefinite determinants (quantitative: many, few, much, more, less; identity: the same, own, such, other; existence: some, any, all) do not specify quantity but refer to existence or identity. Formally, they are variable or invariable. Syntactically, they function as determinants. Semantically, they express quantity, identity, or existence.
Nouns
A noun is a grammatical category used to describe a person, place, thing, or idea.
Formally
- Gender: Every noun belongs to a gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter).
- Significance: Variable-unchangeable.
Meaning
- Motivated: The gender difference relates to a real-world gender difference.
- Unmotivated: The gender is assigned arbitrarily.
Number
Indicates unit or plurality.
- Significant: The plural forms of nouns often end in -s, -es, or have an irregular form.
- Meaning: (single-unit, plural, plurality)
Adjectives
An adjective is a word used to describe qualities or properties of nouns.
Semantically
Adjectives predicate and have meaning, saying something about something. They can be divided into:
- Specified: Limit the extension of the noun’s semantics and usually follow the noun.
- Explanatory: Add semantics that are not necessary to understand the message, simply emphasizing quality. Explanatory adjectives may have an important subjective burden.
Function
Adjectives can autonomously perform the following tasks: adjacent, apposition, and attribute complement of the predicate.
Verbs
The verb is a grammatical category consisting of a token that gives meaning and a morpheme lexicon, which provides grammatical information. Each verb has person, number, time, mode, voice, and belongs to a word class. It consists of a stem, thematic vowel, tense morpheme, aspect morpheme, and number and person morpheme.
Personal Forms
These verb forms inflect for person, number, tense, and mood.
Non-Personal Forms
These verb forms do not inflect for person, including the infinitive, participle, and gerund. They possess characteristics of both verbs and other word classes. The infinitive is similar to a noun, the participle to an adjective, and the gerund to an adverb.
Infinitives and Gerunds
They have simple (imperfective) and compound (perfective) forms. They have a verbal value and can act as a verb or noun, as a core subject or substantive. The gerund can act as an adverb or a verb.
Participle
It is the only form capable of receiving verbal morphemes of gender and number. It has simple and perfect forms. The participle can act as an adjective or a verb. As a verb, it combines with auxiliaries like ‘be’ to form passive constructions, and with ‘have’ to form compound tenses. As an adjective, it can fulfill all functions of an adjective: adjacent, apposition, and attribute complement of the predicate.
Dependent Clauses
Subordination is a procedure for stringing sentences within a text. Unlike coordination, the propositions are contingent on each other, meaning they do not show the same level. Some subordinate clauses meet certain functions of the major functions that are proper nouns, adjectives, and adverbs. Thus, we speak of three types of subordinate clauses:
Substantive Clauses
Function: subject, direct object, indirect object, complement, appositive.
Adjective Clauses
Function: Specify and explanatory, and nexus.
Adverbial Clauses
Function: all functions of the adverb and nexus.