Identity / Classification
What is it? Who is who?
Signification
A relation that identifies, names, classifies, or equates one participant with another role, class, or label.
Comment le repérer
Ask whether the sentence says that X is Y or belongs to a class.
Exemples
doctor|teacher|friend|problem
my brother is a doctor|this is a mistake
She is a doctor.
Visual guide
Identity/class frame: X = Y She = a doctor person = class/role Meaning: X belongs to Y
Same link, different marking: [She] [is] [a doctor] [She] [doctor] zero BE [She] [doctor-CASE] Marking changes; X = Y stays.
Vue par langue
Dans votre langue maternelle
Identity often uses être; professions may appear without an indefinite article after être.
Elle est médecin.
She is doctor.
Dans votre langue d’apprentissage
En anglais, l’identité et la classification utilisent souvent be. Avec un nom dénombrable singulier, on met souvent un article comme a ou an.
She is a doctor.
is a doctor = classification : elle appartient à la catégorie « doctor ».
Les apprenants peuvent dire She doctor ou oublier l’article dans She is a doctor.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.