UNIT 4:

How do we help our planet?

Content words vs Function

words
Content Words

These are the words that convey

the primary meaning in a
sentence, such as nouns, verbs,
adjectives, and adverbs. They
provide the substance and core
information of the message.
Function Words

These are the words that connect

and structure the language, such
as articles, prepositions,
conjunctions, and pronouns. They
help to create grammatical
relationships and facilitate the
flow of communication.
Parts of speech

nouns prepositions

pronouns conjunctions

verbs interjections

adjectives determiners

adverbs articles
Parts of speech

nouns prepositions

pronouns conjunctions

verbs interjections

adjectives determiners

adverbs articles
Content words
Nouns
Used to name people, animals, things, places or ideas.

Common Proper nouns Abstract Collective

nouns nouns nouns

ballet Lionel butterfly

dancer Messi

Eiffel Tower

flock of apple teamwork

sheep
Verbs
Doing or action words, including ‘to be’ and ‘to have’.
Past tense Present tense Future tense
simple I played They I play They play I will play They will
tennis. played tennis. tennis. tennis. play
tennis. tennis.
progressiv I was They I am They are I will be They will
e playing were playing playing playing be
tennis. playing tennis. tennis. tennis. playing
tennis. tennis.
perfect I had They had I have They I will They will
played played played have have have
tennis. tennis. tennis. played played played
tennis. tennis. tennis.
perfect I had They had I have They I will They will
progressiv been been been have have have
e playing playing playing been been been
tennis. tennis. tennis. playing playing playing
Verbs carry Verbstennis.
tennis. can be tennis.
tense singular or
plural
Verbs
Doing or action words, including ‘to be’ and ‘to have’.

might/might not Modal verbs

Modal verbs have many
may/may not
uses. In most cases, they
could/could not work with another verb to
describe the possibility of
will/will not something happening or
to describe what degree of
should/should certainty something is
not known.
would/would not
Examples of how modal verbs are used
ought/ought not in this way:
The netball team might win the
shall/shall not tournament.
must/must not Humpty Dumpty could fall off the wall.

can/cannot
Adjectives
Describe nouns or pronouns by giving more information.

Descriptive Adjectives Comparative Proper

adjectives of quantity and adjectives
superlative
adjectives

handso shiny August round pink

me

sparkling several two loud prettier

honest many prettiest Roman

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Descriptive Adjectives

Descriptive adjectives can be used:

• Before a noun they are describing,

e.g.
The honest/intelligent/creative
child.

• After the verb ‘to be’ when

describing a noun, e.g. The child
was
honest/intelligent/creative.
honest bright handso
me
young long sparkling
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adjectives
Adjectives of Quantity
Adjectives of quantity describe an amount or quantity of a noun.

two many several

few some most

each every neither

Examples of how adjectives of quantity can

be used:
There were ten clues to find.
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I will only take some of the clothes back to the adjectives
shop.
Adverbs
Modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.
They can make a sentence more interesting by telling us how,
when, where, how often or how much.

How How
How? When? Where? much?
often?
nervously today always above complete
She got ly
The shapes
quickly
dressed soon annually downstai werepartially
partially
quickly. He would go rs
The Easter buried in the
hungrily to the park
tomorrow never eggs were
outside totally
sand.
tomorrow. They hidden
safely never regularlyate outside.
regularly wherever almost
fish and chips.

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Prepositions
Link nouns, pronouns and phrases and are used to show the
location, time or movement of nouns or pronouns.

Prepositions Prepositions Prepositions

of location of time of
movement

The sand is in No talking during The pig jumped

the bucket. the performance. into the pond.

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Function words
 Prepositions of Location
Prepositions of location show the place or position of a noun
or pronoun.

beside between

in front behind
of
near far

above below

inside outside

Examples of how prepositions of location can

be used:
The tools were inside the garden shed. Return to
Harry sat under the shady tree. prepositions
 Prepositions of Time
Words that show and signal time.
The three most commonly used time prepositions are at, on and
in.
at during

on until

in past

since by

before after

Examples of how prepositions of time can

be used:
At the weekend, I am going to the cinema. Return to
I go to swimming lessons on Thursdays. prepositions
Prepositions of Movement
Words that show movement or direction.

down into along across on

up out of through towards off

Examples of how prepositions of movement can

be used:
I took them to the fair. Return to
The penguin waddled towards the sea. prepositions
Conjunctions
Connecting words that join two or more sentences or clauses
into a single sentence.

Co- Subordinatin Conjunctions Conjunctions

ordinating g of time of cause and
conjunction conjunctions effect
s

and because although as a since

result

therefore for but yet so

I like chocolate and ice cream,

but I should not eat too much of
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Co-ordinating Conjunctions

for yet

and so nor

or but

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conjunctions
Subordinating Conjunctions

if as

since although

until while

after before

when because

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conjunctions
Conjunctions of Time

after as before since

during until when while

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conjunctions
Conjunctions of Cause and
Effect

for this
reason
because since therefore

hence thus so

as a result

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conjunctions
Interjections
Express emotions, feelings or a reaction.
Anyone for
a brussle
sprout Eww! Aah
cake?
Oh Eh! Gosh!
no!
Wow! Hey!

Oi! Yuck! Ouch!

Yuck! Eek! Boo!

No
thanks!

Interjections are often followed by an exclamation mark.

 Determiners
Go before a noun to clarify which particular example of the noun
you are referring to.

a one their

twent which
y
what hers his

my those

the many whose

Can you give me those
all sever bananas?
al The boy sat on a chair
some
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 Articles
Usually precede nouns or adjectives.

Definite article ⇨ the Indefinite article ⇨ a/an

Refers to something Refers to something non-
specific or definite, e.g. specific or indefinite, e.g. a
the shoe, the short ladder. pencil or an onion

a is used for words beginning

a with consonant sounds, e.g.
a harbour
an
an is used for words with open
vowel sounds,
the
e.g. an hour or an apple

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