Assignment: Analysis of Major

Instructions:

1) Analyze the underlined words in the contexts of the sentences below. Use your LING 210 textbook, your class notes, and any resources provided by your instructor, to determine the word class categories of the underlined words. A list of the major categories to be used is provided below; some may occur more than once, and some may not appear at all.

2) In the space provided, type in the word class category of each word and the morphological or syntactic justification for your choice (2 to 4 sentences). Do not use semantic, i.e., meaning based, criteria.

3) When you are finished section 3, answer the concluding questions at the bottom of page 3.

Noun verb adjective preposition

? While heavy1 rains have reached2 the Mid-Valley, we haven't seen the worst of it yet, according to the most recent3 report from4 the National Weather Service.

? An increase5 in winds6 will cause7 heavy gusts8 up to 55 mph this afternoon, meteorologist Tyree Wilde said.

? Two flood warnings9 have been issued10 for the Luckiamute River in Benton county.

1. category: ___________ justification:

2. category: ___________ justification:

3. category: ___________ justification:

4. category: ___________ justification:

5. category: ___________ justification:

6. category: ___________ justification:

7. category: ___________ justification:

8. category: ___________ justification:

9. category: ___________ justification:

10. category: __________ justification:

Concluding Questions

Using examples from your answers, (1) why are morphological and syntactic criteria the most important considerations when determining word class categories, (2) how are these criteria different from the traditional "person, place, thing" or "action word" criteria you are familiar with.