Words and their grammatical categories: syntactic categories and inflection

Exercises

Nouns

Mark the words that you think are nouns; they will appear in the box below.

The major thoroughfares were already lit by the new gas, but this was not the
bright and even glare of the late Victorian period: the light flared and
diminished, casting a flickering light across the streets and lending to the
houses and pedestrians a faintly unreal or even theatrical quality.

Determiners

In each of the following sentences, indicate whether the highlighted word is a numeral or
a determiner:

1. Five twos are ten.  Numeral

 Determiner
2. Seven is my lucky number.  Numeral
 Determiner
3. Each team consists of eleven players.  Numeral
 Determiner
4. They've invited me to a second interview.  Numeral
 Determiner
5. He was the last to arrive, as usual.  Numeral
 Determiner

Verbs

Identify all the verbs in the following extract.

Her pace slowed and an ache spread from between her shoulders. Vapours
swirled and banked; the light of on-coming headlights drained out of the car.
[...] Sodium street lamps burned phosphorescent holes in the fog, but as she
turned off Main Street to the cottage she noticed the one which illuminated
the alley was out.
Adjectives

In the following sentences, the highlighted words are adjectives. Tick the adjective
features (a-c) that each exhibits.

1. His new car was stolen.

 a. It has a typical adjective shape.
 b. It is gradable.
 c. It can undergo comparison.

2. Something smells good.

 a. It has a typical adjective shape.
 b. It is gradable.
 c. It can undergo comparison.

3. Their restaurant is very successful.

 a. It has a typical adjective shape.
 b. It is gradable.
 c. It can undergo comparison.

4. What an unbelievable story!

 a. It has a typical adjective shape.
 b. It is gradable.
 c. It can undergo comparison.

5. My uncle is an atomic scientist.

 a. It has a typical adjective shape.
 b. It is gradable.
 c. It can undergo comparison.
Adverbs

In each of the following pairs, indicate whether the highlighted word is an adverb or an
adjective:

1a. My train arrived late, as usual  Adverb

 Adjective
1b. I'm watching the late film  Adverb
 Adjective
2a. My brother loves fast cars  Adverb
 Adjective
2b. He drives too fast  Adverb
 Adjective
3a. This exercise is harder than I thought  Adverb
 Adjective
3b. I hope you'll try harder in future  Adverb
 Adjective
4a. The Times is published daily  Adverb
 Adjective
4b. The Times is a daily newspaper  Adverb
 Adjective
5a. You've just ruined my best shirt  Adverb
 Adjective
5b. Computers work best if you kick them  Adverb
 Adjective
Prepositions

Identify all the prepositions in the following extract.

Dorothy Gilman attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 1940
to 1945, the University of Pennsylvania, the Moore Institute of Art, and the
Arts Students' League from 1963 to 1964. She worked as an instructor of
drawing in adult evening school for two years at the Samuel Fleisher Art
Memorial. She has also worked as a switchboard operator for the American
Bell Telephone Company, and as an instructor in creative writing at Cherry
Lawn School, Darien, Connecticut, from 1969 to 1970.

Conjunctions

In each of the following sentences a conjunction is highlighted. Is it a coordinator or a

subordinator?

1. The proposal could not have been considered  Coordinator

further unless it had been signed by all the  Subordinator
members back in May.
2. Last year we visited Venice and Pisa.  Coordinator
 Subordinator
3. Have there been any developments since  Coordinator
we last met?  Subordinator
4. Conversation used to be entertainment,  Coordinator
whereas now it's a means of exchanging  Subordinator
information.
5. Meg will drink red or white wine.  Coordinator
 Subordinator
6. I find it very difficult to forgive, although I  Coordinator
do eventually.  Subordinator
7. Karen's definitely coming but I don't think  Coordinator
Pete can make it.  Subordinator