Metalanguage is words or symbols for talking about language itself.

The words verb, noun and adjective are all examples of metalanguage. They are all words that
we use to describe other words.

Metalanguage helps us understand the language learning resources. When you look at the new
sentence structure, words or even pronunciation point in a textbook you need to understand
what you are learning. When you understand metalanguage, you can understand English – only
learning resources and that means there will be a much wider range of learning resources
available to you.

Knowing metalanguage helps you understand your teacher better if your teacher introduces
two forms of a word, one noun and one adjective. You need to know what noun and adjective
mean in order to understand where the words will be used.

Being able to explain new English works without using your native language helps you think in
English and avoid translation. Teachers often ask English students to try to think in English. This
is only possible if you have enough English vocabulary to talk about and understand how a
language works in English.

Learning metalanguage is easy too. There are hundreds of English – only grammar books
available online you can use our private to learn about how to talk about how a language works
in English. When it’s that easy what’s stopping you from getting started learning some
metalanguage today?

The LEXICON

Lexicon derives from Greek word λεξικόν (lexikon), neuter of λεξικός (lexikos) meaning 'of or for

words'.

Lexicon is a book containing an alphabetical arrangement of the words in a language and their
definitions.

The lexicon is the bridge between a language and the knowledge expressed in that language.
Every language has a different vocabulary, but every language provides the grammatical
mechanisms for combining its stock of words to express an open-ended range of concepts.

Examples of lexicon are: cat, traffic light, take care of, by the way, and it's raining cats
and dogs.

Lexicon in a sentence:

1. In the first year of law school, we learned a large number of words that became the
basis of our legal lexicon.
2. It is hard to understand what teenagers say because their lexicon is constantly
changing.

The common lexicon means the normal words used in a certain context.
A lexicon is a list of words that belong to a particular language. A dictionary is a list of words
and phrases that are (or were) in common usage, together with their definitions - so a
dictionary is different from a lexicon because a lexicon is a simple list and doesn't define the
words.

THE COPULA AND SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

The Copula

 Structural role of “be” – functions as an auxiliary verb as well as a copula.

The copula links nonverbal predicates with their subjects & carries tense and subject-
verb agreement.

John is a teacher.
Shaq is tall.
They are in Mambusao.

An auxiliary verb - is a verb that adds functional or grammatical meaning to the clause in which

it occurs, so as to express tense, aspect, modality, voice, emphasis, etc. Auxiliary verbs are also
called helping verbs.

Helping verbs (auxiliary verbs) are 23. Am, is, are, was and were, being, been, and be, Have,
has, had, do, does, did, will, would, shall and should. There are five more: may, might, must,
can, could!

There are two types of auxiliary verbs: primary auxiliaries and modal auxiliaries. But there are
three primary auxiliary verbs: 'be', 'have' and 'do'.

AUXILIARY VERB is used with a main verb to help express the main verb's tense, mood, or voice.
The main auxiliary verbs are: to be, to have, and to do. They appear in the following forms: to
be: am, is, are, was, were, being, been, will be.

LINKING VERBS

They are verbs that serve as a connection between a subject and further information about that
subject. They do not show any action; rather, they link the subject with the rest of the
sentence.

All of the sense verbs: look, smell, touch, appear, sound, taste, and feel can be linking verbs.
Action verbs, such as turn, remain, prove, and grow are examples of linking verbs.

She is a lawyer.
I remain silent in the court.
The food tastes delicious.

The verb “to be” has more distinct forms with respect to person, number and tense than any
other verb in English.

Look at the illustration!

 Present tense Past tense

Person Singular Plural Singular Plural

1st I am We are I was We were

2nd You are You are You were You were

3rd He/She/it is They are He/She/it was They were

Walk

Present: walk/walks
Past: walked
Future: will walk

THE PHRASE SENTENCE STRUCTURE

A phrase is a group of words that express a concept and is used as a unit within a sentence.
There are 8 types of phrases: noun, verb, gerund, infinitive, appositive, participial,
prepositional, and absolute.

Noun Phrases

Examples:

1. The bewildered tourist was lost.

2. The lost puppy was a wet and stinky dog.
3. The flu clinic had seen many cases of infectious disease.
4. It was a story as old as time.
5. The sports car drove the long and winding road.

Gerund Phrases

1. Taking my dog for a walk is fun.

2. Walking in the rain can be difficult.
3. Strolling along a beach at sunset is romantic.
4. Getting a promotion is exciting.
5. Signing autographs takes time.

Infinitive Phrases

1. To make lemonade, you have to start with lemons.

2. I tried to see the stage, but I was too short.
3. She organized a boycott to make a statement.
4. He really needs to get his priorities in order.
5. To see Niagara Falls is mind-boggling.
Appositive Phrases

1. My favorite pastime, needlepoint, surprises some people.

2. Her horse, an Arabian, was her pride and joy.
3. My friend, the love of my life, is also my best friend.
4. A cheetah, the fastest land animal, can run 70 miles an hour.
5. My idea, a recycling bin for the office, was accepted by the boss.

Participial Phrases

1. Washed with my clothes, my cell phone no longer worked.

2. Knowing what I know now, I wish I had never come here.
3. I am really excited, considering all the people that will be there.
4. We are looking forward to the movie, having seen the trailer last week.
5. Grinning from ear to ear, she accepted her award.

Prepositional Phrases

1. The book was on the table.

2. We camped by the river.
3. He knew it was over the rainbow.
4. She was lost in the dark of night.
5. I waited for a while.

Absolute Phrases

1. Weather permitting we shall meet in the evening.

2. God willing we shall meet again.
3. The weather being fine, we went out for a picnic.
4. The sun having risen, we set out on our journey.
5. It being a stormy day, we stayed inside the house.

TENSE OF VERB
What is verb tenses and example?

It refers to when the action in a sentence takes place — whether it happened in the past, is
happening in the present, or will happen in the future. Most verbs take a past, present, or
future tense.

In this example, “explained” is the past tense verb.

This means that the verb may change forms (add an ending, change spellings slightly, etc.) to
reflect something that already happened, something that is currently happening or is an
ongoing truth/reality, or something that will happen in the future.

Examples: (3 Basic tenses of verb)

1. Present tense: Poverty exists in the world even to this day.

 2. Past tense: The researcher explained the unusual results.
3. Future tense: This study will challenge entrepreneurs in their views of the current
state of the economy.

THE 12 VERB TENSES IN ENGLISH

1. Present simple verb tense

Examples: 1. I, You, We, They: travel every day.

2. He, She, It: travels every day.

2. Present continuous/progressive verb tense

Examples: 1. I: am traveling right now.

2. You, We, They: are traveling right now.
3. He, She, It: is traveling right now.

3. Present Perfect Verb Tense

Examples: 1. I, You, We, They: have traveled to Boracay.

2. He, She, It: has traveled to Boracay.

4. Present Perfect Continuous/Progressive Verb Tense

Examples: 1. I, You, We, They: have been traveling for a day.

2. He, She, It: has been traveling for a day.

5. Past Simple Verb Tense

Examples: 1. I, You, We, They, He, She, It: traveled to Boracay yesterday.

6. Past Continuous/Progressive Verb Tense

Examples: 1. I, He, She, It: was traveling by bus when the carabao crossed the road.
2. You, We, They: were traveling when the carabao crossed the road.

7. Past Perfect Verb Tense

Examples: 1. I, You, We, They, He, She, It: had traveled by car when the bus arrived.

8. Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive Verb Tense

Examples: 1. I, You, We, They, He, She, It: had been traveling for one hour when the
car broke down.

9. Future Simple Verb Tense

Examples: 1. I, You, We, They, He, She, It: will travel to Boracay tomorrow.

10. Future Continuous/Progressive Verb Tense

 Examples: 1. I, You, We, They, He, She, It: will be traveling when you arrive.

11. Future Perfect Verb Tense

Examples: 1. I, You, We, They, He, She, It: will have traveled to Boaracay by the time
you arrive.

12. Future Perfect Continuous/Progressive Verb Tense

Examples: 1. I, You, We, They, He, She, It: will have been traveling for one hour
when you arrive.