Connotations

There are words in the English Language that have similar meanings but have different Connotations and therefore are used in a different context.

Connotations are usually classed as positive and negative and are usually used in different situations and have different object or feelings linked to them.

For example:

• House
• Home
• Property
• Place
• Abode

House; This is a more generalized name for a living area. This is commonly seen (or heard) being used by house buyers, because they have not yet bought the house or made it their own living space it is just a house rather than a home.

Home: This is a very specific term usually used by home owners. For example at the end of the day you don't leave work to go to your property or house you leave work and go home. The word home provokes thoughts of safety, warmth and family. This term is specific to people. Home is also associated with 'Homeland security'. It gives a sense of ownership.

Property: This is more of a professional name usually used by estate agents attempting to sell usually industrial or retail outlet type 'properties' in a more professional capacity. 

Place: Associated with popular culture such as T.V. shows like 'A place in the sun'. 

Abode: Associated with 'No fixed abode'. Abode seems a neutral or a cold term for place. 

Lexis- Word classes

Lexis- Word classes

Content words:

E.G. The Team from Italy were Driving in a Hotel.

• Team, Italy, Driving and Hotel are all content words- these are words that give the meaning to the sentences they don't give it any structure but do set the subject and context to the sentence.

Open word classes:

• Nouns- naming words like people places, objects, materials, animals, ideas, feelings and qualities.
• Verbs- "doing words"- actions, events, states, mental processes and sensations.
• Adjectives- "Describing words"- these are used to modify the noun- the use of these can suggest a lot about the opinion of the writer/ speaker.
• Adverbs- These describe verbs (see above)- words that describe how or the time of the action- they modify adjectives and other adverbs- such as discourse markers like: However, Luckily, Furthermore.

Structural words- closed classes:

• Pronouns- Personal Pronouns like: I, Me, You- Other pronouns include: It, This, That.
• Prepositions- Placed in front of something- noun- links the noun to the rest of the sentence, showing relationships e.g. it, on, over, under, a long, until, by, with and of.
• Conjunctions- And, But, Or, If, Because, When, Although and Until.
• Determiners- Determine the noun you are talking about- e.g. A dog, The dog, My dog or Any dog.
• auxiliaries- Definite article or indefinite article e.g. a/an- used to show outcome or ability- they're also used for grammatical reasons e.g. "She was writing a novel" instead of "She is writing a novel" or "She will be writing a novel".

Model auxiliaries: Must, May, Might and Can. Main auxiliary verbs: Do, Does, Did, Have, Had, Has, Be, Am, Are, Is, Was and Were.

Michael Rosen- Word of mouth - The top 20 words in English

Michael Rosen- Word of Mouth radio documentary- The top 20 words in English

The top few words:

• The
• Be
• Is
• Was
• Were
• To
• Of
• And
• With
• I
• You
• Have

• In this list there aren't any Nouns and there are very few verbs- mainly things known as grammatical words.
• They don't often say "And" in speech it is usually shortened to "nd", "mm", "nm"
• List containing words mostly of Anglo-Saxon origin- This is surprising as most of our language isn't 'Old-English' which sill uses derives from other languages. 
• No "she's"- in built sexism of language?
• Men stuck in facts etc but women talk more about other people - tends to be a difference.

• Grammatical words help explore the relationship between language
• Grammatical lexis can be used to pause and think without others interrupting in spoken language -"Holding the conversational floor with that word"
• People can use words like 'And' to interrupt as well 
• 'And' did not originate for the purpose of conjoining points in speech

• Will is easier to understand- To Will something to happen e.g I will do something- almost carries both meanings
• Most frequent Noun used is: Time, followed by year.
• Human activity and organizing ourselves 

• Verbs in the list: Be, Have, Do- this is at the top because of multiple functions
• Then 'Say'
• 50~% of the English language is Nouns

The Guardian: Update on new rules of written langauge

The Guardian article on new limitations of exclamtion marks in childrens writting: http://www.theguardian.com/education/shortcuts/2016/mar/07/new-exclamation-mark-rules-proof-the-government-wants-to-penalise-enthusiasm

English Language AQA site

AQA As English language homepage:
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/as-and-a-level/english-language-7701-7702