Grammatical hierarchy

​​In a nutshell

When it comes to language, understanding grammar means understanding its very structure. Language can be structured as a hierarchy to depict the building blocks of grammar. This summary will help you understand grammar in its simplest form.

A rank scale, from the smallest to the largest

For the purpose of understanding, many linguists break down language into a rank scale, from the smallest to the largest. This will help you get a general idea of what makes up language.

Morpheme

A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning.

Example

foxes

'fox' and 'es' are two separate morphemes; the 'es' makes the morpheme 'fox' plural.

Word

A word consists of one or more morphemes

Example

sun

The word 'sun' is a single morpheme.

Phrase

A phrase is usually made up of more than one word.

Example

in the sun

Clause

A clause is a complete grammatical unit that is made up of words and phrases. 

Example

Every day before we eat lunch,

This is an example of a subordinate clause.

Sentence

A sentence is a complete grammatical unit that can stand on its own.

Example

Every day before we eat lunch, we see foxes playing in the sun.

Sentences often contain more than one clause.

Discourse

Discourse is longer than a sentence and is the communication of thought. It describes the way in which an entire text is organised and has some kind of structure based on the type of text (or context).

Example

​Every day before we eat lunch, we see foxes playing in the sun. My friend always turns to me and says "Don't they make you think of evulpo?"