Particle
Particles unite the functional words of specifying and limiting meaning. To this series, alongside other specifying words (such as only, also, too, negative particle not, and the infinitive marker ‘to’) [Kirvalidze, 93].
Even though up, off, down, over, and along look like prepositions, they are traditionally categorised as particles. A characteristic of particles is that they can appear in a position after the direct object [Burton-Roberts, 94-95].
A particle is a unit of speech that expresses some general aspect of meaning and includes the articles, most prepositions and conjunctions, and some interjections and adverbs [3].
A particle has a grammatical role but doesn't fit into the main parts of speech. Particles do not change [4].
We can break particles down into these categories:
1. Grammatical particles – the infinitive marker to.
2. Adverb particles – prepositions that combine with verbs to form phrasal verbs.
3. Discourse particles – words that are used like interjections (now, well).
4. Negative particle – the word 'not' [5].
⠀ 1. Nino Kirvalidze. (2013). Theoretical Course of English Grammar. Tbilisi: Ilia State University.
⠀ 2. Noel Burton-Roberts. (2011). Analysing sentences: An Introduction to English Syntax. London: Routledge.
⠀ 3. Retrieved from: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/particle].
⠀ 4. Retrieved from: The British Council [https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/particle].
⠀ 5. Retrieved from: Ginger Software https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/particle-grammar/