Form and content
Form is what gives rise to meaning; without form, there can be no meaning. This form refers to aspects of language such as sound, shape, layout and appearance, e.g. two forms of the word please, are pleases and pleased. The form of the sentence, e.g. ‘He pleased himself.’ can be explained by referring to two kinds of structure: that of its individual words (i.e. their individual structure or what is called their morphology) and the way its words relate to each other within the clause or sentence (i.e. what is called their syntax).
Content is the meaning ‘contained’ by a word, phrase, clause or sentence, i.e. its semantic content. This is involved also with its function. The separation of form, function and content is a theoretical way of analysing language to allow the discussion of the effects of each even though all three are inextricably linked. Poetry is a form of literature that relies heavily on form as well as content. If you analyse and discuss, for example, a poem or a play, it will be important to discuss not only content or meaning but also form as it is this that defines these two literary forms.
In grammar, the form of the word is its word class, e.g. noun, adjective. The function of the word is the work it does within its clause or sentence. Grammar is the study of form and function.
