Word Level Category Syntax

Posted on
There are two kinds of word level category. They are content word (CW) and function word (FW). The explanation as follows:

Content word / CW (lexical words)

Noun: table, book
Verb: write, love
Adj: sad, white
Preposition: in, at, of
Adverb: slowly, carefully

Function words / FW

Determiner: a, an, the, these
Degree word: more, than
Qualifier: seldom, perhaps, (frequency)
Auxiliary: will, would, have to
Conjunction: however, than
Quantifier: (hitungan), one, many.

Differences between content word & function word

Lexical meaning (lexical: dictionary word)

CW: have clear lexical meaning
FW: don’t have clear lexical meaning

Great in number

CW: very great in number
FW: very limited in number

Frequency occurrence

CW: low frequency occurrence
FW: high frequency of occurrence

Identifiable by their formal markers

Derivation: the process of adding affixes. it changing the word and change class of word with suffix process and prefix process.
Ex: final ->finder.
At last: derivational isn’t always change class of word if it is prefix. 
Ex: happy –> unhappy = adj -> adj.
Inflexinal: changing the words without change class of word, it must suffix.
Ex: child – children, book – books, high – higher (comparative degree).
Adj phrase: handsome –> more handsome = isn’t inflexional because isn’t one word.
CW: identifiable by their formal markers.
FW: don’t have formal markers.
Open classes
CW: open class: it can add new word: Ex: internet, software, etc.
FW: close class: isn’t add new word.
The method to separate CW & FW (membedakan)
Of the meaning
Ex. I need water = noun: CW I want to water flower: Verb of inflexi
Ex. He watches He still
Of distribution
Ex. Determiner + NAux + VDeterminer + adj + N

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *