Module 1 – Grammar

Lexical set 
A group of words or phrases that are about the same topic, e.g. weather – storm, to rain, wind, cloudy etc. 
Lexis 
Individual words or sets of words, e.g. homework, study, whiteboard, get dressed, be on time. 
Multi-word verb: see phrasal verb. 
Part(s) of speech 
A description of the function of a word or a phrase in a sentence, e.g. noun, verb, adjective. 
Phrasal verb, multi-word verb 
A verb which is made up of more than one word (e.g. a verb + adverb particle or preposition) which has a different 
meaning from each individual word, e.g. look after – A mother looks after her children.  
Prefix: see affix. 
 
Suffix: see affix. 
Synonym 
A word which has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word, e.g. nice is a synonym of pleasant. 
PHONOLOGY
Connected speech 
Spoken language in which the words join to form a connected stream of sounds. 
Consonant 
Any letter of the English alphabet except the vowels a, e, i, o u and sometimes y. See vowel. 
 

---

______________________________________________________________________________________________
© 
UCLES 
Cambridge 
ESOL 
2005
7
Contraction 
A shorter form of a word or words, e.g. you have = you’ve; it is = it’s. 
 
Diphthong 
A vowel combination usually involving a quick but smooth movement from one vowel to another, e.g. / 
a
/ as in my.