Content Words vs. Function Words

Content Words

Definition:

Content words are the words that carry the core meaning of a sentence. They tell us what is happening, who is involved, and describe objects, actions, and ideas.

They include:

Nouns (dog, city)

Main verbs (eat, travel)

Adjectives (blue, angry)

Adverbs (silently, often)

Examples:

I'm sorry that people are so jealous of me. → "Jealous" is an adjective (content word).

She doesn't even go here. → "Go" and "here" are content words (verb and adverb).

Function Words

Definition:

Function words do not carry main meaning, but they are essential for grammar and help connect content words. They show relationships between words and help form correct sentence structure.

They include:

Prepositions (in, on)

Articles (a, the)

Pronouns (he, they)

Auxiliary verbs (is, have)

Conjunctions (and, but)

Determiners (this, some)

Examples:

On Wednesdays, we wear pink. → "On" and "we" are function words (preposition and pronoun).

That's why her hair is so big – it's full of secrets. → "That's" and "why" are function words (contraction of "that is" and conjunction).