Grammar, including morphology: the structural patterns and shapes of…

The idea

Grammar is the system of rules and regularities that shapes English from the smallest meaningful units upwards. Morphology examines word structure: free morphemes such as 'book' can stand alone, while bound morphemes such as the plural '-s' or past-tense '-ed' must attach to others, producing 'books' or 'walked'. At phrase level, words group into noun, verb, adjective, adverb and prepositional phrases, each with a head and possible modifiers. At clause level, patterns such as subject–verb–object ('The committee rejected the plan') or subject–verb–complement ('The plan seemed risky') organise meaning. At sentence level, simple, compound and complex sentences combine clauses through coordination or subordination. Analysing authentic texts means labelling these structures and explaining how they create effects, support meanings or position readers, rather than merely spotting them.

What earns the marks

• Accurate identification of morphemes, distinguishing free morphemes such as 'kind' from bound morphemes such as '-ness' in 'kindness'.
• Correct labelling of phrase types by their heads, for example noun phrase 'the noisy crowd', verb phrase 'has been waiting', prepositional phrase 'under the bridge'.
• Recognition of clause patterns, including subject–verb–object, subject–verb–complement and subject–verb–adverbial, with subjects and objects correctly distinguished.
• Classification of sentences as simple, compound, complex or compound-complex, with coordination and subordination accurately explained.
• Explanation of how grammatical choices construct meaning, such as passive voice shifting attention from agent to affected participant.
• Use of consistent terminology when discussing word classes, phrase functions and clause elements within an integrated analysis.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing word class with grammatical function.

  Put it right: Identify the word class from its role in the specific sentence.

• Treating any word ending in '-ing' as a verb.

  Put it right: Check whether the form heads a verb phrase or functions as a modifier.

• Calling every long sentence complex.

  Put it right: Count independent and dependent clauses; a long simple sentence remains simple.

• Mixing up phrases and clauses.

  Put it right: Test for a finite verb before labelling a unit a clause.

Exam tips

• Quote short, precise extracts and label the grammatical feature immediately beside the quotation, then explain its effect in context.
• Build a personal terminology bank covering morphology, phrases, clauses and sentence types, and rehearse applying each term to unseen texts.
• When comparing texts, select grammatical contrasts that illuminate audience, purpose or representation rather than listing every feature you can find.
• Practise writing analytical sentences that move from identification to function, for example naming a passive construction and then explaining what it foregrounds.