SYNTAX

Course outline
1. Structural classes (Parts of speech)
2. Functional classes
3. Positional classes
4. Analyzing by Form, Function, Position
Unit 1. Structural classes: Parts of speech
Unit outline
WORDS
1. Lexical words
a. Noun
b. Adjective
c. Adverb
d. Verb
2. Functional words
a. Auxiliary
b. Pronoun
c. Preposition
d. Conjunction
e. Determiner
WORDS
Words in English can be divided into two main classes:
1. Open classes: consisting of lexical words. Some characteristics of open classes:
• They have lexical meaning / a definable meaning which can be found in the
dictionary.
• They have a very large membership.
• They can have more words added to them as the language grows and
changes.
• They are Nouns, Adjectives, Verbs, and Adverbs.
2. Closed classes: consisting of grammatical / structural or functional words. Some
characteristics of closed classes:
• They do not have lexical meaning. They have grammatical meaning.
• They have a smaller, restricted membership which rarely changes.
• They do not open for new words.
• They are pronouns, auxiliaries, prepositions, conjunctions, determiners.
(Blake, 1993:5)
1. NOUNS
A noun is a word to name a person, place, thing, quality, or idea.
Ex: Tom, Mars, automobile, beauty, justice …
Types of nouns • Collective nouns refer to a group of
members and can take a singular or plural verb.
• Proper nouns name a particular person, place…
(tên riêng) + Singular: used as a unit.
Ex: Family is the basic element of society.
• Common nouns name one or all members of a Danh từ tập hợp Phát âm Ý nghĩa

class. (tên chung người vật) In this case we use it, its, which / that.
Ex: The government wants to improve its
• Concrete nouns name things that readers can
perceive with their senses as desk, table, smoke, image.
student …( có thể nhìn thấy, sờ nắm được, nghe thấy, The crowd which has gathered here is in a
nếm được, ngửi được.) Team /tiːm/

cheerful mood.
Đội

• Abstract nouns name intangible qualities and ideas + Plural: used to mean all the members of the
as liberty, sweetness, love, bravery….. (Lester, group.
Chỉ người

p. 245) Family /ˈfæm.əl.i/

Ex: My family are going to Vung Tau this
Gia đình

• Countable nouns are used for individual things that Class

Committee
/klæs/
/kəˈmɪt̬.i/
weekend.
Lớp
Ủy ban

In this case, we use they, their, who.

Crowd /kraʊd/ Một nhóm người
Crew /kruː/ Đội, phi hành đoàn

can be counted as a chair, a table…

Audience /ˈɑː.di.əns/ Khán giả
Một nhóm tội phạm, nhóm bạn,
Gang /ɡæŋ/
nhóm thanh niên

Thuật ngữ rất chung chung mô tả

Group /ɡruːp/ một nhóm người, địa điểm, động
vật và sự vật

Chỉ một nhóm người làm việc cùng

Staff /stæf/
một nơi
Choir /ˈkwaɪər/ Đội hợp xướng, đồng ca
Orchestra /ˈɔːrkɪstrə/ Dàn nhạc
Panel /ˈpænl/ Chỉ một nhóm chuyên gia

Chỉ một nhóm người, thường là các

Board /bɔːrd/ chuyên gia đảm nhận vai trò cố
vấn

Ex: The teacher staff want to improve their

Chỉ một nhóm diễn viên hoặc
Troupe /truːp/
người nhào lộn
Company /ˈkʌm.pə.ni/ Công ty

Herd /hɝːd/ Chỉ một nhóm động vật ăn cỏ

• Uncountable nouns are used for things that cannot

Chỉ một nhóm động vật có răng
Pack /pæk/
nanh

Chỉ động vật Chỉ một nhóm các loài chim

Flock /flɑːk/ Chỉ một nhóm các động vật có
thân hình nhỏ như dê hoặc cừu

Swarm /swɔːm/ Chỉ một nhóm côn trùng

School /skuːl/ Chỉ một nhóm cá
Troop /truːp/ Chỉ một nhóm khỉ

images.
Chỉ một nhóm nhỏ như chìa khóa,
Bunch /bʌntʃ/
chùm nho, nải chuối, bó hoa

be counted as bravery, furniture …

Chỉ một nhóm đồ vật được xếp
Pile /paɪl/
chồng lên nhau tạo thành một đống

Heap /hiːp/ Thường dùng cho đất, cát, ụ đá

Chỉ đồ vật

Chỉ một nhóm đồ vật phù hợp như

quần áo, bát đĩa
Set /set/
Chỉ một nhóm quy định
Chỉ một tổ chức xã hội

Mô tả một cuốn sách, bộ phim có

Series /ˈsɪriːz/ nhiều phần hoặc chuỗi sự kiện nối
tiếp nhau

+ Many nouns can be used as either count or My family, who have just come back from
uncountable nouns with usually a change in DL, are going to VT this weekend.
 điểm, động vật và sự
vật
Chỉ một nhóm người
Staff /stæf/ làm việc cùng một
nơi
Đội hợp xướng, đồng
Choir /ˈkwaɪər/
ca
Orche
/ˈɔːrkɪstrə/ Dàn nhạc
stra
Chỉ một nhóm
Panel /ˈpænl/
chuyên gia
Chỉ một nhóm người,
thường là các chuyên
Board /bɔːrd/
gia đảm nhận vai trò
cố vấn
Chỉ một nhóm diễn
Troup
/truːp/ viên hoặc người nhào
e
lộn
Comp /
Công ty
any ˈkʌm.pə.ni/
Chỉ một nhóm động
Herd /hɝːd/
vật ăn cỏ
Chỉ một nhóm động
Pack /pæk/
vật có răng nanh
2. ADJECTIVES 3. ADVERBS
Adjectives Adverbs
• describes the quality, feeling, state of a • shows or clarifies time, place, manner, and
noun. degree. They also affirm or deny. Usually
• by position & function: they answer the question when, why,
+ modifier when it goes right after or before where, how, what for…
• An adverb modifies verbs, adjectives,
a noun adverbs, phrases, clauses, and sentences.
+ complement when it goes with a linking Ex: +He sings beautifully. (beautifully
verb. modifies
Ex: She is a beautiful girl; I have never seen sings)
a + Severely punished by his father, the
dragon alive. (modifier) boy
The girl is beautiful and she appears ran away from home
very + The boy sitting alone in the corner of
happy (complement) the
class is a new student.
She is extremely nice.
He drove very quickly.
Coming home, he went straight to bed.
Luckily, he did not die.
4. VERBS

A verb shows either action (process, feeling, movement) or a state of being.

A. Forms
1. Finite verbs agree with the subject.
Ex: The boy goes to school by bus; you are a student.
A clause must contain a finite verb.

2. Non-finite verbs do not agree with the subject.

They do not form a clause (only a phrase): infinitive, gerund, participle
Ex: The boy sitting near the window is a new student.
Present participle
B. Types of verb

1. Auxiliary
• Primary or semi-auxiliaries: the ones that can act as auxiliary or main verb e.g. be, have, do
khi be, have, do ở 1 mình = main verb
Ex: I am a teacher (main verb)
I am teaching English. (auxiliary)
My friend has a beautiful car. (main verb)
He has just bought it from a friend (auxiliary)
• Modal auxiliaries: modal verbs; they are always auxiliaries e.g. can, could, may, might, shall,
should…
• Semi-modal auxiliaries: they may be a modal or main verb: need, dare.
• Some compound auxiliaries: have to; have got to; had better; be to; be able to; be about to;

be supposed to; be expected to; be due to …

 2. Main verbs
1. Linking verbs express the quality, feeling, or
state of being.
Ex: be; seem; appear; taste; smell; feel ...
A linking verb
+ describes the subject (How?)
Ex: The soup tastes good; the river is running dry.
+ identify the subject (What?)
Ex: She is a singer (she = singer; both refer to the same
person)
A fruit cake makes a nice gift. (a fruit cake = a nice gift)
+ can be replaced by ‘be’, ‘become’, remain…
Ex: The screw worked loose => the screw became /
was loose.
Note: After a linking verb, we usually have a subject
complement (if there is a subject).
• Linking verb: seem, appear, become, prove, grow,
remain, stay, look, smell, taste,
• Come, go, get: phụ thuộc
2. Action verbs express an action.
a. Transitive verbs cannot stand alone; they require a
direct object or a complement to be complete.
Ex: I want a beer (want what?); I have a car (have
what?)
• Posessive V: V – CoV. Ex: I have a car (CoV: no passive)
• Mono-transitive: V – DO. Ex: I met a beautiful girl
• Di-transitive: V – DO – IO /IO – DO. Ex: I bought her a
car
• Complex V: V – DO – OC. Ex: We chose John leader
• Prepositional V: V – PO. Ex: I am waiting for her
• Phrasal V: V – O. Ex: I am looking for her
b. Intransitive verbs: self-sufficient verbs.
They do not need an object or complement.
Ex: He is laughing; He died years ago.
THE END
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