What is Lexis?

Lexis is the total word-stock or lexicon that has lexical items rather than lexical meaning (grammar). It has several characteristics such as it is formulaic (it relies on partially fixed expressions and highly probable words combinations), idiomatic (it follows conventions and patterns for usage), metaphoric (concepts such as time and money, business and sex, systems and water all share a large portion of the same vocabulary), grammatical (it uses rules based on sampling of the Lexicon and register-specific (it uses the same word differently and or less frequently in different contexts). 

Types of Lexis

1. Lexical Chunks  

A lexical chunk is a group of words that are commonly found together. Lexical chunks include collocations but these usually just involve content words, not grammar.

Example

In this dialogue there are five possible chunks:

- Did you stay long at the party?

- No, I got out of there as soon as they ran out of food.

Lexical chunks are the common coinage of English. They’re the bread and butter, the everyday and the mundane. They’re the reliable standards around which we can hang poetic and emotive language.

Focusing on lexical chunks is a useful way to look at language and to extend learners' control of it. For example, learners can spend a little time at the end of a reading comprehension exercise identifying chunks in the text and analyzing them, or identifying other contexts they might be found in.

2. Collocation 

Collocations are words that habitually or typically occur together. There are verb + adverb collocations like wave frantically (not wave hecticly). There are adjective + noun collocations like regular exercise (not steady exercise). There are adverb + adjective collocations like completely or wholly satisfied (not utterly satisfied). And there are verb + noun or verb + object collocations like follow someone's example (not pursue someone's example).

Example 

1. the fast train

2. fast food

3. a quick shower

4. a quick meal

5. I took him to the hospital 

6. Take plenty of warm sweaters

3. Idioms

An idiom is a group of two or more words which we have to treat as a unit in learning a language. We cannot arrive at the meaning of the idiom just by adding together the meaning of the words inside it. [to carry out = execute]

Example 

1. A hot potato

2. A penny for your thoughts

3. Actions speak louder than words

4. Add insult to injury

5. An arm and a leg

6. At the drop of a hat

4. Simile

A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things. Unlike a metaphor, a simile draws resemblance with the help of the words “like” or “as”. Therefore, it is a direct comparison. 

We can find simile examples in our daily speech. We often hear comments like “John is as slow as a snail.” Snails are notorious for their slow pace and here the slowness of John is compared to that of a snail. The use of “as” in the example helps to draw the resemblance. Some more examples of common similes are given below.

Examples

Our soldiers are as brave as lions.

Her cheeks are red like a rose.

He is as funny as a monkey.

The water well was as dry as a bone.

He is as cunning as a fox.

5. Connective 

Connectives are sometimes known as conjunctions. The word 'connective' just explains more simply that these words link or connect other words, phrases or clauses.

There are 2 types of connective 

1. Co-coordinating connectives

These link words, phrases or clauses which are of equal importance. These connectives include words such as 'but', 'and','so'. 

2. Subordinating connectives

These link a main clause with a subordinate (or dependent) clause.These connectives include words such as 'if', 'although', 'when', 'while', 'since', 'because'.

6. A Conversational Gambit

A conversational gambit is a opening used to start a conversation with someone you don't know. Often this is called, "chatting up" or maybe "hitting on" someone; but sometimes it's just wanting to talk.

Common conversational gambits are:

Talking about the weather. ("Hot enough for you?")

Talking about sports. ("How 'bout them Cowboys?")

Talking about movies. ("Did you see the new Star Wars movie?")

Talking about jobs. ("So, what do you do?")

Talking about college majors. ("What's your major?")