INTRODUCTION
Grammatical units are the building blocks of language that convey meaning and
enable communication. They are essential components of sentences and can be
categorized into different types based on their functions and structures. Here are
five grammatical units.
Here's a conceptual breakdown:
1. Hierarchy and Function:
Grammatical units exist in a hierarchy, with smaller units forming the foundation
for larger ones.
Each unit has a specific function within a sentence, contributing to its overall
meaning and structure.
2. Arbitrariness and Convention:
The specific forms and functions of grammatical units can vary greatly across
languages.
There's no inherent logical reason why a particular sound sequence represents a
noun or a verb; it's a matter of convention within a language community.
3. Levels of Meaning:
Morphemes are the smallest units with meaning, like prefixes, suffixes, or roots.
Words have a more complete meaning, formed by combining morphemes.
Phrases and clauses express even more complex ideas by combining words in
specific ways.
Sentences are the largest units, expressing a complete thought and utilizing all
the other grammatical units.
4. Flexibility and Creativity:
While grammar provides structure, it also allows for flexibility.
We can combine grammatical units in various ways to create new and nuanced
sentences.
This flexibility allows for creativity in language use.
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5. Universality and Variation:
Despite language differences, there are some universal concepts in grammar.
All languages have ways to express basic ideas like subjects, objects, actions,
and modifiers.
TYPES OF GRAMMATICAL UNITS:
1. Words
2. Phrases
3. Clauses
4. Sentences
5. Paragraphs
1. WORD
A word is a basic element of language that carries meaning, can be used on
its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often
have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no consensus among
linguists on its definition and numerous attempts to find specific criteria of
the concept remain controversial.
 Nouns are words for a person, place, thing, or idea. They can be singular
or plural, concrete or abstract. Nouns show possession by adding‘s and
can function in various roles within a sentence.
 Verbs express action or being in a sentence. There is usually a main
verb along with one or more helping verbs. Verbs must agree with their
subjects in number and take different forms to express tense.
 Adjectives modify or describe nouns or pronouns by answering
questions like which one, what kind, or how many. Articles (a, an, the)
are often classified as adjectives.
 Adverbs describe or modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs but
never nouns. They answer questions about when, where, how, why,
under what conditions, or to what degree.
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 In addition to these major word classes, there are other word classes
such as prepositions, pronouns, determiners, conjunctions, and
interjections, each serving specific functions in sentences.
2. PHRASES
In grammar, a phrase—called expression in some contexts—is a group of
words or singular word acting as a grammatical unit. For instance, the
English expression "the very happy squirrel" is a noun phrase which
contains the adjective phrase "very happy". Phrases can consist of a single
word or a complete sentence. In theoretical linguistics, phrases are often
analyzed as units of syntactic structure such as a constituent. There is a
difference between the common use of the term phrase and its technical
use in linguistics.
TYPES OF PHRASES:
 Noun Phrase
A noun phrase is a group of words that have a noun or pronoun. It is
used to modify the noun and can function as a subject, an object, or a
complement in a sentence.
 Adjective Phrase
An adjective phrase consists of a group of words that includes an
adjective. It complements the adjective and provides more information
about the noun or pronoun in a sentence.
 Adverb Phrase
An adverb phrase includes an adverb and other modifiers, performing
all the functions of an adverb in a sentence. It can be placed anywhere
in the sentence.
 Verb Phrase
A verb phrase can be used like a verb and consists of a main verb and
auxiliary verbs.
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 Prepositional Phrase
A prepositional phrase comprises a preposition and an object, working
like an adjective or adverb to relate the subject and verb in a sentence.
3. CLAUSES
A clause is a constituent that comprises a semantic predict and (expressed
or not) and a semantic predicate. A typical clause consists of a subject and
a syntactic predicate, the latter typically a verb phrase composed of a verb
with any objects and other modifiers. However, the subject is sometimes
unvoiced if it is retrievable from context, especially in null-subject
language but also in other languages, including English instances of the
imperative mood.
TYPES OF CLAUSES
There are two main types of clauses based on how they function in a sentence:
 Main Clause or Independent Clause: A main clause is a group of
words that contains a subject and a verb, forming a complete thought
that can stand alone as a sentence. It is also known as an independent
clause.
 Subordinate Clause or Dependent Clause: A subordinate clause is a
group of words that includes a subject, a verb, and either a subordinating
conjunction or a relative pronoun. Unlike main clauses, subordinate
clauses cannot stand alone as complete sentences and rely on the rest of
the sentence for context. They are also referred to as dependent clauses.
4. SENTENCES
A sentence is a linguistic expression, such as the English example "The
quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." In traditional grammar, it is
typically defined as a string of words that expresses a complete thought, or
as a unit consisting of a subject and predicate. In non-functional linguistics
it is typically defined as a maximal unit of syntactic structure such as a
constituent. In functional linguistics, it is defined as a unit of written texts
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delimited by graphological features such as upper-case letters and markers
such as periods, question marks, and exclamation marks.
 Declarative Sentences: Declarative sentences make statements or
express facts. They end with a period and are the most common type of
sentence used in writing and speaking. For example: “She sings
beautifully.”
 Interrogative Sentences: Interrogative sentences ask questions and
end with a question mark. They seek information or clarification. For
example: “Are you coming to the party?”
 Imperative Sentences: Imperative sentences give commands or
instructions. They can be direct commands or requests. Imperative
sentences typically end with a period but can also end with an
exclamation point for stronger emphasis. For example: “Please pass the
salt.”
 Exclamatory Sentences: Exclamatory sentences convey strong
emotions or excitement. They end with an exclamation point to
emphasize the emotion being expressed. For example: “What a
beautiful day!”
5. PARAGRAPHS
Paragraph is a self-contained unit of discourse in writing dealing with a
particular point or idea. Though not required by the orthographic
conventions of any language with a writing system, paragraphs are a
conventional means of organizing extended segments of prose.
TYPE OF PARAGRAPHS:
 Expository Paragraph: An expository paragraph aims to provide
information or explanations about a topic. It typically consists of an
opening sentence introducing the topic, body sentences with specific
details and explanations, and a closing sentence that summarizes the
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topic. Expository paragraphs help readers better understand the subject
matter through clear and informative writing.
 Persuasive Paragraph: The purpose of a persuasive paragraph is to
convince the audience to agree with the writer’s viewpoint. It starts with
an opening sentence stating the topic and the writer’s position, followed
by supporting facts and examples in the body of the paragraph. A
persuasive paragraph often ends with a call to action encouraging
readers to take a specific course of action based on the writer’s
argument.
 Descriptive Paragraph: Descriptive paragraphs use sensory details to
paint a vivid picture for the reader. They appeal to the physical senses
(sight, sound, taste, touch, smell) to create an immersive experience. A
descriptive paragraph begins with an opening sentence introducing the
topic, includes sensory details in the body sentences to describe it
vividly, and ends with a closing sentence that reinforces the overall
description.
 Narrative Paragraph: Narrative paragraphs tell a story or recount an
event. They typically follow a chronological order with clear beginning,
middle, and end sections. Transition words are used to guide readers
through the sequence of events smoothly. Narrative paragraphs can be
personal narratives based on real-life experiences or fictional stories
crafted by the writer.
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