Content and Function Words

Content Word
 The Noun
What is a noun?
A noun is one of the basic parts of speech. Its
required in just about any complete sentence.
In short, the noun can be either a person,
place, thing or idea.
Examples include:
The boy, the school, the cat or the fear of
something.
The Noun: Common vs. Proper
There are a few different types of nouns. The ones we
are most familiar with are common and proper nouns.
The examples in the last slide are common nouns: boy,
school, cat, fear. Proper nouns are more specific:

Instead of the boy, try the boy, David. Instead of the

school, try the school, West Valley High School.
Instead of the cat, try the cat, Nikki.

As you can see, the main difference between common

and proper nouns are that proper nouns define the noun
more. Theyre usually capitalized and rather specific.
The Noun: Concrete vs. Abstract
There are two more types of nouns: concrete nouns and
abstract nouns. Were more used to concrete nouns. Again,
these would be like the cat, the dog and the school.
Notice that the example, the fear isnt used in this case.
Thats because its abstract. Abstract nouns are differentiated
like so:
Abstract Nouns:
Concrete Nouns:
Usually feelings
Can be touched
Cannot be touched:
Physical things like
Thought, love, fear
clouds and air
Hence the name
abstract"
 The Pronoun
What is a pronoun?
A pronoun is basically a word that is used in
place of one or more nouns Or even
pronouns!
Some common examples are he, she, her, his,
they, and so on and so forth.
The word that a pronoun stands in place of or
refers to is known as the antecedent pronoun.
The Pronoun: The Different Types
There are a few different types of pronouns.
Personal pronouns refer to someone who is
speaking (1st person), the one spoken to (2nd
person) and the one spoken about (3rd
person).
Some examples of personal pronouns:
1st person I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours
2nd person you, your, yours
3rd person he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them,
their, theirs
 ..cont
The Pronoun: The Different Types
Another type of pronoun is known as the
demonstrative pronoun. Demonstrative
pronouns are used to point out specifics, like
people, places, things or ideas. Some
examples are this, that, these or those.

Interrogative pronouns introduce questions.

Some examples are who, whom, which, what
or whose.
 The Pronoun: Examples
Personal pronouns
No matter how hard I tried, she refused to date me.
One day, she might see what she missed out on.
Demonstrative pronouns
That is my computer, so dont touch it!
This uniform for cross country is better than those ones for
the football team.
Interrogative pronouns
To whom is this letter addressed to?
Which of these backpacks belong to me?
 The Adjective
The adjective is probably one of the most vital parts
of speech. An adjective is anything that alters a
noun, defining it more. Words like green, blue and
pretty are all examples of adjectives.
Demonstrative adjectives are adjectives that can be
used both as adjectives and pronouns. They are the
same as demonstrative pronouns. They are
adjectives when they modify nouns/pronouns, but
pronouns when they take the place of
nouns/pronouns.
 Demonstrative Adjective
With these adjectives, you can be sure that the listener
knows that you want to talk about this cat with the
stripes, not that one with the spots.
You can even just use them to emphasize which object
you are talking about: that pie was delicious!
Common demonstrative adjective
Singular Plural
This, that, yonder, yon, These, those
former, latter
 The Verb
A verb is a word that is used to express action
or a state of being. The verb can be classified
in three ways: Helping verbs, action verbs and
transitive verbs.

Helping verbs are verbs that help main verbs

express a state of being.
The Verb: Action vs. Non-Action
Action verbs and non-action verbs (linking verbs) have a
specific distinction: action verbs actually describe what
someone is doing (He was running across the street),
whereas non-action verbs link subjects to the words that
describe them.
Some non-action verbs are:
Be Shall be Should be
Being Will be Would be
Am Has been Can be
Is Have been Could be
Are Had been Should have been
Was Shall have been Would have been
Were Will have been Could have been
 The Verb: Examples
Action verbs:
I felt as if Ms. Leistens treatment of the situation
wasnt helping any.
I loved running so much I joined the cross country
team.

Helping verbs:
I can run 3.1 miles in about 23 minutes.
One day, I will be able to run it in about 18 minutes.
 The Adverb
An adverb is like the adjective for a verb. It
basically describes a verb, adjective or another
adverb.
Adverbs modifying verbs:
Where? When?
We lived there. May we go tomorrow?
Please step up. Water the plant weekly.
I have the ticket here. Well see you later.
Put that down. He arrived early.
 ..cont
The Adverb
Adverbs modifying adjectives:
Examples Beth did an exceptionally fine job.
He is an especially talented chef

Adverbs modifying adverbs:

Examples Calvin was almost never there.
Well meet shortly afterward.
FUNCTION word
 Look at the following:
Carol works in Guayama.
She drives car work morning.
She parks it in front of her job.
At five oclock, she leaves.
She takes keys, gets car, drives home.
Carol drives quickly she is tired
Which of the above are sentences?
 What is wrong with these phrases ?

She drives car work morning.

She drives her car to work in the morning.
She takes keys, gets car, drives home.
She takes the keys, gets in the car, and
drives home.
Carol drives quickly she is tired.
Carol drives quickly because she is tired.
 So.
In addition to the content words in a
sentence, there can also be other words.
These other words are function words.
Function words show a kind of
connecting relationship between the
different content words.
 Function words can be:
Determiners
Prepositions
Conjunctions
 Determiners
These are words that modify a noun. They
come before a noun or noun phrase.
Examples:
The university is an important educational
institution.
My four brothers enjoy playing many
sports.
 Determiners can be:
articles: the, a, an
quantifiers: some, any, much, most,
each, every, neither
demonstratives: this, that, these, those
possessives: my, its, his, Johns, the
dogs
cardinal and ordinal numbers: one, two,
first, second..
 Prepositions
These are words that indicate relationships such
as time, place, direction, or movement.
A preposition signals that a noun or noun
structure follows it.
Examples:
Im going to the Student Center.
The store is near the restaurant.
The English class is on Tuesday at 10:30.
 Conjunctions
These are words that connect a word with a
word, a phrase with a phrase, or a clause with
a clause.
Examples:
Dewi is cute and beautiful.
I can buy the green silk blouse or the orange
cotton sweater.
She is tall, but I am short.
I cant go because Im sick.
 Types of Conjunctions
Coordinating join equal grammatical
units (two or more nouns, verbs, or
independent clauses)
The coordinating conjunctions are:
and, but, for, so, or, yet, and nor
 ..cont
Types of Conjunction
Subordinating- used to introduce a clause
that depends on another clause for its
meaning.
Some subordinating conjunctions are
because, if, then, after, and while.
Example:
What tine we leaving? What time are we leaving?
What time the soccer game star?
What time does the soccer game start?
I cant not find the keys.
I cannot find the keys. -OR- I cant find the keys.
I eating cause I hungry.
I am eating because I am OR- Im hungry.
Anyone wanna play with me?
Does anyone want to play with me?
I wouldnt have touched that button if I were you.
I wouldnt have touched that button if I were you.
If I was president I will make health care more afoardable.
If I were president, I would make healthcare more affordable.
Spot my dog is the faster runner in the hole neighborhood.
Spot, my dog, is the fastest runner in the whole (or entire) neighborhood.
What grade you got on the test?
What grade did you get on the test?
When I am three years old I can tie my shoes.
When I was three years old, I could tie my shoes.
If you not their I wait for you.
If you are not there, I will wait for you.
When are we going to play baseball?
When are we going to play baseball?
We flied in an airplane this morning.
We flew on an airplane this morning.
Arturo like vanilla but he like chocolate more.
Arturo like vanilla but he likes chocolate more.
if he try hard enouhg, Bill can become an actor some days.
If he tries hard enough, Bill could become an actor some day.
I gonna get five oranges six apple and ten peach in the store.

I am going to get five oranges, six apples, and ten peaches at the store.
Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the moon.
Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the moon.
me and my friend are gonna go to the beach next weekend.
My friend and I are going to go to the beach next weekend.
Sophia said, Get out of the rain!
Sophia said, Get out of the rain!
Once the train arrives we will be on are way.
Once the train arrives, we will be on our way.