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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
"Take" as a function word
Does the word "take" or "took" operate as a function word in some sentences?
For example, in the sentence "he took the book home", "took" has the actual meaning of transporting something from one location to another. However, in the sentence "he took the book and threw it on the floor", the meaning of "took" is different to that of the former sentence - now it means that he readied the book in order to perform an action on it.
My question is: is "took" operating as what one would call a "function word"?
For example, in the sentence "he took the book home", "took" has the actual meaning of transporting something from one location to another. However, in the sentence "he took the book and threw it on the floor", the meaning of "took" is different to that of the former sentence - now it means that he readied the book in order to perform an action on it.
My question is: is "took" operating as what one would call a "function word"?
Top answer
I think you have your terms a little muddled. Function words are closed-class words with minimal intrinsic meaning; they are used primarily to construct the syntax of an utterance. They include prepositions, conjunctions, pronouns, determiners, auxiliary verbs and particles.
- I think you have your terms a little muddled.
- Function words are closed-class words with minimal intrinsic meaning; they are used primarily to construct the syntax of an utterance.
- They include prepositions, conjunctions, pronouns, determiners, auxiliary verbs and particles.
- Content words are open-class and carry most of the meaning or information in an utterance.
- They include nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
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1 Answers
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I think you have your terms a little muddled.
Function words are closed-class words with minimal intrinsic meaning; they are used primarily to construct the syntax of an utterance. They include prepositions, conjunctions, pronouns, determiners, auxiliary verbs and particles.
Content words are open-class and carry most of the meaning or information in an utterance.
Function words are closed-class words with minimal intrinsic meaning; they are used primarily to construct the syntax of an utterance. They include prepositions, conjunctions, pronouns, determiners, auxiliary verbs and particles.
Content words are open-class and carry most of the meaning or information in an utterance.
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