word classes
Open and Closed Word Classes
Some word classes are OPEN, that is, new words can be added to the class as the need arises. The class of nouns, for instance, is potentially infinite, since it is continually being expanded as new scientific discoveries are made, new products are developed, and new ideas are explored. In the late twentieth century, for example, developments in computer technology have given rise to many new nouns:
Internet, website, URL, CD-ROM, email, newsgroup, bitmap, modem, multimedia
New verbs have also been introduced: download, upload, reboot, right-click, double-click
The adjective and adverb classes can also be expanded by the addition of new words, though less prolifically.
On the other hand, we never invent new prepositions, determiners, or conjunctions. These classes include words like of, the, and but. They are called CLOSED word classes because they are made up of finite sets of words which are never expanded (though their members may change their spelling, for example, over long periods of time). The subclass of pronouns, within the open noun class, is also closed.
Words in an open class are known as open-class items. Words in a closed class are known as closed-class items.
In the pages which follow, we will look in detail at each of the seven major word classes.
Open vs. close –class words – English editing.
Open class words, commonly referred as content words, are those belonging to the major part of speech like noun, verbs, adjective and adverbs. These words include brother, run, tall, quickly etc.
In contrast, closed class words are those belonging to grammatical, or function, classes like articles, demonstrative, quantifiers, conjunctions and prepositions. It tends to include a small number of fixed elements. Function words in English include conjunction like (and, or), articles (a, the), demonstrators (this, that), quantifiers (most, few) or prepositions (to, after) etc.
The difference between open class
Some word classes are OPEN, that is, new words can be added to the class as the need arises. The class of nouns, for instance, is potentially infinite, since it is continually being expanded as new scientific discoveries are made, new products are developed, and new ideas are explored. In the late twentieth century, for example, developments in computer technology have given rise to many new nouns:
Internet, website, URL, CD-ROM, email, newsgroup, bitmap, modem, multimedia
New verbs have also been introduced: download, upload, reboot, right-click, double-click
The adjective and adverb classes can also be expanded by the addition of new words, though less prolifically.
On the other hand, we never invent new prepositions, determiners, or conjunctions. These classes include words like of, the, and but. They are called CLOSED word classes because they are made up of finite sets of words which are never expanded (though their members may change their spelling, for example, over long periods of time). The subclass of pronouns, within the open noun class, is also closed.
Words in an open class are known as open-class items. Words in a closed class are known as closed-class items.
In the pages which follow, we will look in detail at each of the seven major word classes.
Open vs. close –class words – English editing.
Open class words, commonly referred as content words, are those belonging to the major part of speech like noun, verbs, adjective and adverbs. These words include brother, run, tall, quickly etc.
In contrast, closed class words are those belonging to grammatical, or function, classes like articles, demonstrative, quantifiers, conjunctions and prepositions. It tends to include a small number of fixed elements. Function words in English include conjunction like (and, or), articles (a, the), demonstrators (this, that), quantifiers (most, few) or prepositions (to, after) etc.
The difference between open class