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Content and function words

The document explains the distinction between content words, which convey meaning and include nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, and function words, which are essential for grammatical structure but add little meaning. It provides examples of both types of words and includes exercises to help identify and categorize them. The content words provide crucial information, while function words connect and clarify relationships between those words.

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Ornella Broglia
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13 views6 pages

Content and function words

The document explains the distinction between content words, which convey meaning and include nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, and function words, which are essential for grammatical structure but add little meaning. It provides examples of both types of words and includes exercises to help identify and categorize them. The content words provide crucial information, while function words connect and clarify relationships between those words.

Uploaded by

Ornella Broglia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Content and Function

Words
Content Words vs. Function Words
Each word in English belongs to one of the eight parts of speech.
Each word in English is also either a content word or a function
word. Let's think about what these two types mean:
Content = information, meaning
Function = necessary words for grammar
In other words, content words give us the most important
information while function words are used to stitch those words
together.

Content Word Types


Content words are usually nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. A
noun tells us which object, a verb tells us about the action
happening, or the state. Adjectives give us details about objects
and people and adverbs tell us how, when or where something is
done. Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs give us important
information required for understanding.

Noun = person, place or thing


Verb = action, state
Adjective = describes an object, person, place or thing
Adverb = tells us how, where or when something happens

Examples:

Nouns:
house
computer
student
lake
Peter
science

Verbs:
enjoy
purchase
visit
understand
believe
look forward to

Adjectives:
heavy
difficult
careful
expensive
soft
fast

Adverbs:
slowly
carefully
sometimes
often
suddenly

Other Content Words


While nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are the most
important content words there are a few other words that are also
key to understanding. These include negatives no, not and never,
demonstrative pronouns including this, that, these and those, and
question words what, where, when, how and why.
Function Word Types
Function words help us connect important information. Function
words are important for understanding, but they add little in
meaning beyond defining the relationship between two words.
Function words include: auxiliary verbs, prepositions, articles,
conjunctions and pronouns. Auxiliary verbs are used to establish
the tense, prepositions show relationships in time and space,
articles show us something that is specific or one of many, and
pronouns refer to other nouns.

Auxiliary verbs = do, be, have - help with conjugation of tense


Prepositions = show relationships in time and space
Articles = used to indicate specific or non-specific nouns
Conjunctions = words that connect
Pronouns - refer to other nouns

Examples:
Auxiliary Verbs:
do
has
will
is
has been
did

Prepositions:
in
at
through
over
between
under

Articles:
a
an
the

Conjunctions:
and
but
for
so
since
as

Pronouns:
I
you
him
us
ours
she

Exercise 1:

Decide which words are function and content words in the


following sentences.

 Mary has lived in England for ten years.


 He's going to fly to Chicago next week.
 I don't understand this chapter of the book.
 The children will be swimming in the ocean this time next week.
 John had eaten lunch before his colleague arrived.
 The best time to study is early in the morning or late in the
evening.
 The trees along the river are beginning to blossom.
 Our friends called us yesterday and asked if we'd like to visit
them next month.
 You'll be happy to know that she's decided to take the position.
 I won't give away your secret.

Test your understanding of content words and function words


with this content and function word quiz.

Exercise 2:

Each of the following sets of words is made up entirely of


function words or content words, with one exception. There is one
word in each set that does not match the others. Choose one word
in each set that is different from the others

1. table chair and lamp rug


2. head fool shoe run my
3. cold house where red ugly
4. who work but is around
5. over her any think will
6. their sing cat jump climb
7. bush themselves before while as
8. true it false truth sleep
9. full empty cup any bear
10. about between because saw him
11. through heat hit hat ball
12. book light leave justice none
13. rock would writing stone mountain
14. may although honesty across around
15. fish unless riding swimming painting
Exercise 3:

Write F for function word and C for content word for the italicized words in the
sentences below.

1. I would do the same myself if I were in your place.


2. I tried to ride a bicycle but I fell off three times.
3. I shall expect to see you next Wednesday.
4. These apples won't keep, they are too soft.
5. I haven't had enough time to finish what I intended to do.
6. You must leave the country at once.
7. People mustn't fish in this river.
8. The football match will take place tomorrow afternoon.
9. Last night I went to the cinema and saw James Bond's latest film.
10. I was previously employed in a large shop in this city, and my
employers considered me to be very capable.
11. When I get back I'll give you the money I borrowed from you yesterday.
12. I can't do it now, but I expect I can do it next week.
13. By the time we reach the hill, the enemy will have cut us off from the rest
of our men.
14. If you can't type any better than this, you had better not type at all.
15. I waited for you till six o'clock yesterday, but you didn't come.
16. He can come in when I have finished my work.
17. That is the last time I saw him.
18. I have flown about a million kilometers.
19. I am giving a party to all my friends this week.
20. I am trying to find out when her birthday is.

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