Content and function words with examples

Every word in English refers to one of eight parts of speech . Each word is also either meaningful or functional. Let’s think about what these two types mean: Here we will explain the Content and function semantic unit of a text. In other words with examples.

Content words versus function words

• Content = information, meaning
• Function = necessary words for grammar

In other words, meaningful words give us the most important information, and control words are used to combine these words.

Content word types

Content words are usually nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. A noun tells us which object, a verb tells us about an action or state that is taking place. Adjectives give us detailed information about objects and people, and adverbs tell us how, when and where something is done. Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs give us important information we need to understand.

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

Other words of content

While nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are the most important words in the content, there are several other words that are also key to understanding. These include negatives such as “no,” “no,” and “never”; demonstrative pronouns, including this, that, and those; and question words such as what, where, when, how, and why.

Types of function words

Functional words help us connect important information. Functional words are important to understand, but they add no meaning other than defining the relationship between two words.

Functional words include

1.  auxiliary verbs,
2. prepositions,
3. articles,
4. conjunctions,
5. and pronouns. 

Auxiliary verbs are used to indicate time, prepositions show relationships in time and space, articles show us something specific or one of many, and pronouns refer to other nouns.

1. Auxiliary verbs = to do, to be, to have (helps with tense conjugation )
2. Prepositions = show relationships in time and space
3. Determiners/Articles = are used to refer to specific or non-specific nouns
4. Conjunctions = words that connect
5. Pronouns = refer to other nouns

Examples

1. Prepositions:
   of, at, in, without, between
2. Pronouns:
   he, they, anybody, it, one
3. Determiners/Articles:
   the, a, that, my, more, much, either,
   neither
4. Conjunctions:
   and, that, when, while, although, or
5. Auxiliary verbs :
   verbs be (is, am, are), have, got, do

We hope that you have understood the Content and function words.