Six Kinds of Phrase

Abstract

We have looked at the classification of words in chapters 3–5 and distinguished lexical words — nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs — from function words — pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions, determiners, modal and primary verbs, and core vocabulary from formal vocabulary. We shall now begin to look more closely at the larger units of the grammar which were introduced in chapter 2 — the rank scale from phrases, through clauses to sentences — and begin with another look at Text 1 from chapter 5.