Task 3 – Exploring Word, Sentence, and Meaning

Student: Daniel Santiago Ferreira Rodriguez

Group: 518017_171

Code: 1023969213

Tutor: Walter Leonardo Martínez Ruiz

Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

UNAD

Introduction to Linguistics

2024
 Step 2

Morpheme: morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in a language. It can be a whole word

or part of a word that cannot be divided into smaller units with meaning. Morphemes can be roots

carrying lexical meaning or affixes providing grammatical information

Examples:

1. In the word "unhappiness," "un-" is a morpheme that indicates negation, and "-ness" is a

morpheme that turns an adjective into a noun.

2. In the word "reread," both "re-" and "-ed" are morphemes. "Re-" indicates repetition, and "-

ed" indicates past tense.

3. In the word "cats," "cat-" is the root morpheme, and "-s" is a morpheme indicating plural.

Monomorphemic refers to the existence of a single form to express a particular meaning,

while polymorphemie implies the presence of multiple forms to express the same meaning. For

example, in some languages, a word can have different forms depending on its grammatical

function, which is known as polymorphemic

 Prefixe: A prefix is a type of affix that is added to the beginning of a word to modify its

meaning. Here are three examples of prefixes in English:

1. "Un-" in the word "unhappy"

2. "Dis-" in the word "disagree"

3. "Re-" in the word "rewrite"

These prefixes change the meaning of the words they are attached to

Suffixies: Suffixes are affixes added to the end of a word to change its meaning or form. Here

are three examples of suffixes in English:

1. "-er" in the word "teacher"

2. "-ful" in the word "beautiful"

3. "-less" in the word "careless"

These suffixes modify the meaning or function of the words they are attached to
 Step 3

Syntax : The study of the principles and rules for constructing sentences in natural languages.

It involves analyzing sentence structure, word order, and the relationships between words to

convey meaning

Subject: subject is a fundamental concept in grammar. It refers to the person, animal, thing, or

idea that is being talked about in a sentence. The subject typically performs the action or is the

main topic of the sentence. In many sentences, the subject is found at the beginning and is

followed by the predicate, which expresses what is being said about the subject. Identifying the

subject is crucial for understanding the structure and meaning of a sentence in any language.

1. "John" likes to play the guitar.

2. "The sun" sets in the west.

3. "We" went to the beach yesterday.

4. "The delicious pizza" was eaten by the children.

5. "She and her friends" are going to the concert.

In each of these sentences, the subject is the noun or pronoun that performs the action or is

described in the sentence.

 Object: The object in grammar refers to the part of the sentence that receives the action of the

verb or is affected by the action of the verb. In other words, the object answers the question

"what?" or "whom?" after the verb in a sentence. For example, in the sentence "John bought

flowers," "flowers" is the direct object, as it receives the action of the purchase. In contrast, in the

sentence "Maria gave a gift to her brother," "a gift" is the direct object and "to her brother" is the

indirect object. Identifying and understanding the object is essential for understanding how words

relate in a sentence.

1. "Peter ate an apple." (Direct object: "an apple")

2. "She is reading a book." (Direct object: "a book")

3. "They sent me a postcard." (Direct object: "a postcard," Indirect object: "me")

4. "The dog chased the cat." (Direct object: "the cat")

5. "I baked a cake for my friend." (Direct object: "a cake," Indirect object: "my friend")

In each of these sentences, the object receives the action of the verb or is affected by it.

Predicate : The predicate is a fundamental part of a sentence in English grammar. It consists

of everything that is not the subject and includes the verb and all the words or phrases that

modify or complete the meaning of the verb. Essentially, the predicate tells what the subject is or

does. For example, in the sentence "The cat is sleeping on the mat," "is sleeping on the mat" is

the predicate, as it describes what the cat is doing. Identifying the predicate is essential for

understanding the complete meaning of a sentence.

1. "Sheila is baking a cake for the party." (Predicate: "is baking a cake for the party")
 2. "The birds were chirping loudly in the morning." (Predicate: "were chirping loudly in the

morning")

3. "My brother fixed the car yesterday." (Predicate: "fixed the car yesterday")

4. "We have been waiting for hours at the airport." (Predicate: "have been waiting for hours at

the airport")

5. "The students are studying hard for their exams." (Predicate: "are studying hard for their

exams")

Step 4

Semantics: Semantics is the study of meaning in language. It focuses on how words, phrases,

signs, and texts convey meanings, as well as on the understanding of those meanings.

Denotation: Denotation refers to the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the

feelings or ideas that the word suggests. It represents the explicit, specific definition found in a

dictionary.

Connotation: Connotation refers to the additional meaning or emotional association that a

word may carry beyond its literal definition. It includes the implied or suggested meanings that

can vary based on cultural, social, or personal experiences. For example, the word "home" may

denote a physical dwelling, but it can also have connotations of warmth, security, and comfort.
Connotations can be positive, negative, or neutral, and they contribute to the richness and

complexity of language by adding layers of meaning beyond the denotative definition of word

Ambiguity: Ambiguity refers to the quality of having more than one possible interpretation or

meaning. In language, ambiguity can arise when a word, phrase, or expression can be understood

in multiple ways, potentially leading to confusion or misunderstanding.

1. "I saw the man with the binoculars." (Does this mean that I saw a man who was carrying

binoculars, or that I saw a man through the lens of my own binoculars?)

2. "They are flying planes." (Are they flying aircraft or wooden objects shaped like airplanes?)

3. "Sarah told Emily that she was going to the store." (Who is going to the store, Sarah or

Emily?)

Idiomatic Expressions:

1. "Kick the bucket" - This expression means to die. It is often used informally to refer to

someone's passing.

2. "Break the ice" - This expression means to initiate a conversation or interaction in a social

setting in order to alleviate tension or awkwardness.

3. "Hit the nail on the head" - This expression means to describe exactly what is causing a

situation or problem, or to do something exactly right.

 Idiomatic expressions are phrases whose meanings are not deducible from the individual

words they contain. They have figurative rather than literal meanings, and are often unique to

specific languages or cultures.

Link to the Infographic

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 References

 Ingo Plag, Maria Braun, Sabine Lappe, & Mareile Schramm. (2009). Introduction to
English Linguistics: Vol. 2nd rev. ed. De Gruyter Mouton.
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rect=true&db=e000xww&AN=390974&lang=es&site=eds-
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