AQA GCSE English Language

## Why word classes matter Every word belongs to a **word class**, and a writer's choice of class shapes what a sentence feels like. A passage heavy in verbs moves; a passage heavy in adjectives lingers on how things look. Naming the class is only the first step. What earns credit in analysis is saying what the choice does to the reader: what it suggests, what it makes them picture, how it shifts their attitude. ## The main classes | Class | What it does | Example | |---|---|---| | Noun | Names a person, place, thing or idea | *the harbour*, *loneliness* | | Verb | Shows an action, event or state | *scrambled*, *seemed* | | Adjective | Describes a noun | *brittle*, *vast* | | Adverb | Describes a verb, adjective or another adverb | *slowly*, *strangely* | | Pronoun | Stands in for a noun | *she*, *them*, *our* | | Preposition | Shows position or relation | *beneath*, *across* | | Conjunction | Joins words, phrases or clauses | *but*, *because*, *although* | | Determiner | Points to or quantifies a noun | *the*, *those*, *several* | ### Nouns A **concrete noun** names something you can see or touch (*gravel*, *radiator*), and an **abstract noun** names an idea or feeling (*dread*, *freedom*). A **proper noun** names a particular person or place and takes a capital letter. A **collective noun** names a group (*a crowd*, *the staff*). Abstract nouns often give a text a reflective or serious tone, while a run of concrete nouns builds a physical scene. A writer who describes a…