Grammar

Absolute Phrase

Absolute Phrase

A phrase modifying an entire sentence, usually with a noun and participle.

Active Voice

A sentence where the subject performs the action (e.g., "John threw the ball").

Adjective

A word that describes a noun, giving more information about it (e.g., "red," "happy").

Adjectives

Words that describe or modify nouns/pronouns.

Adverb

A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb, showing manner, time, place, or degree.

Affix

A prefix or suffix added to a root word to alter its meaning or function (e.g., "un-," "-ed").

Agreement

The grammatical matching between words in gender, number, or person (e.g., "he runs" vs. "they run").

Allusion

A reference to another text, person, or event, often indirectly (e.g., "an Achilles' heel" for weakness).

Antecedent

The noun to which a pronoun refers (e.g., "The dog lost its bone").

Appositive

A noun or noun phrase that renames another noun next to it (e.g., "My brother, a doctor").

Articles

A type of adjective that defines a noun as specific or unspecific ("a," "an," "the").

Aspect

A grammatical feature that expresses how an action or state extends over time (e.g., progressive, perfect).

Auxiliary Verb

A helping verb that adds meaning to the main verb (e.g., "is," "have," "will").

Capitalization

Using uppercase letters to signify importance or beginning of a sentence.

Cases of Pronouns

Different forms of pronouns depending on their function (nominative, objective, possessive).

Clause

A group of words with a subject and predicate, forming part or all of a sentence.

Collective Noun

A noun that represents a group as a single entity (e.g., "team," "family").

Comparative Adjective

An adjective comparing two items (e.g., "taller," "smarter").

Comparative Degree

Form of an adjective/adverb showing a comparison between two things (e.g., "faster").

Complex Sentence

A sentence with an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.

Compound Noun

A noun made up of two or more words (e.g., "toothpaste," "mother-in-law").

Compound Preposition

A preposition made up of more than one word (e.g., "according to," "in front of").

Compound Sentence

A sentence with two or more independent clauses.

Compound-Complex Sentence

A sentence with multiple independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Conjunction

A word that joins words, phrases, or clauses (e.g., "and," "but," "or").

Conjunctive Adverb

An adverb that connects two clauses, indicating relationship (e.g., "however," "therefore").

Continuous Aspect

Also called the progressive aspect, it shows an ongoing action (e.g., "is running," "was walking").

Coordinating Conjunction

A conjunction that connects words/clauses of equal rank (e.g., "for," "and," "nor").

Declarative Sentence

A sentence stating a fact (e.g., "She loves books.").

Degrees of Comparison

The different forms of adjectives or adverbs to show varying levels (positive, comparative, superlative).

Demonstrative Adjective

An adjective indicating specific items (e.g., "this," "those").

Demonstrative Pronoun

Pronouns that point to specific things (e.g., "this," "that," "these," "those").

Dependent Clause

A clause that cannot stand alone and relies on the main clause.

Determiner

A word that introduces a noun, indicating reference (e.g., "some," "any," "this").

Direct Object

The noun/pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb.

Direct Speech

The exact words spoken by someone (e.g., "She said, 'Hello.'").

Double Negative

Using two negatives to express a positive (e.g., "I don't know nothing").

Ellipsis

A series of dots (...) indicating omitted text.

Exclamatory Sentence

A sentence expressing strong emotion (e.g., "What a beautiful day!").

Future Perfect Tense

Expresses an action that will be completed by a certain future time (e.g., "I will have finished").

Future Progressive Tense

Expresses an ongoing action that will happen in the future (e.g., "I will be walking").

Future Tense

Expresses an action that will happen (e.g., "I will walk").

Gerund

A noun formed from a verb by adding "-ing" (e.g., "Running is fun").

Gerund Phrase

A phrase beginning with a gerund (-ing verb) and including modifiers.

Homonym

Words with the same spelling/pronunciation but different meanings (e.g., "bat" the animal/tool).

Homophone

Words pronounced the same but with different meanings (e.g., "two," "too").

Idiom

A phrase with a figurative meaning different from its literal one (e.g., "break a leg").

Imperative Sentence

A sentence giving a command (e.g., "Close the door.").

Independent Clause

A clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence.

Indirect Object

The noun/pronoun that indirectly receives the action of a verb.

Indirect Speech

Reporting what someone said without quoting them exactly.

Infinitive

The base form of a verb, often preceded by "to" (e.g., "to run").

Infinitive Phrase

A phrase with "to" + base verb, often acting as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

Inflection

A change in the form of a word to express different grammatical categories like tense, case, or number.

Intensive Pronoun

Pronouns that add emphasis to a noun/pronoun (e.g., "I did it myself").

Interjection

A word/phrase expressing strong emotion (e.g., "Wow!," "Oh!").

Interrogative Pronoun

Used to ask questions (e.g., "who," "what," "which").

Interrogative Sentence

A sentence asking a question (e.g., "Are you ready?").

Linking Verb

A verb that connects the subject with an adjective or noun that describes it (e.g., "is," "seems").

Modal Verb

An auxiliary verb that expresses ability, permission, or necessity (e.g., "can," "must").

Nominative Pronoun

Pronoun used as the subject of a sentence (e.g., "I," "we," "they").

Noun

A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea (e.g., "dog," "happiness").

Object Complement

A noun or adjective that follows a direct object, renaming or modifying it.

Objective Pronoun

Pronoun used as the object in a sentence (e.g., "me," "us," "them").

Parenthetical Expression

A word/phrase that provides additional information, usually set off by commas.

Participle

A verb form used as an adjective (e.g., "the broken vase").

Participle Phrase

A phrase beginning with a participle, modifying a noun (e.g., "The dog barking loudly...").

Passive Voice

A sentence where the subject receives the action (e.g., "The ball was thrown by John").

Past Participle

The form of a verb typically ending in -ed or irregularly formed, used in perfect tenses (e.g., "eaten").

Past Perfect Tense

Expresses an action completed before another past action (e.g., "I had walked").

Past Progressive Tense

Expresses an ongoing action in the past (e.g., "I was walking").

Past Tense

Expresses an action that has already happened (e.g., "I walked").

Perfect Aspect

Shows an action completed with respect to another action or time (e.g., "I have eaten").

Phrase

A group of words without a subject and predicate, acting as a unit.

Positive Degree

Basic form of an adjective/adverb without comparison (e.g., "fast").

Possessive Adjective

An adjective that shows ownership (e.g., "my," "your").

Possessive Pronoun

Pronoun that shows ownership (e.g., "mine," "yours").

Predicate

The part of a sentence that tells what the subject does or is.

Predicate Adjective

An adjective that follows a linking verb and describes the subject.

Predicate Noun

A noun following a linking verb, renaming the subject.

Preposition

A word showing the relationship between a noun and another word (e.g., "in," "on").

Present Participle

The -ing form of a verb, used in continuous tenses.

Present Perfect Tense

Expresses an action completed at the present moment (e.g., "I have walked").

Present Progressive Tense

Expresses an ongoing action happening now (e.g., "I am walking").

Present Tense

Expresses a current or habitual action (e.g., "I walk").

Pronoun

A word that replaces a noun (e.g., "he," "she," "they").

Proper Adjective

An adjective derived from a proper noun (e.g., "American").

Proper Noun

A specific name of a person, place, or organization (e.g., "John," "Paris").

Reflexive Pronoun

Pronoun that reflects the action back to the subject (e.g., "myself," "herself").

Relative Clause

A dependent clause beginning with a relative pronoun/adverb, modifying a noun.

Relative Pronoun

A pronoun introducing a relative clause (e.g., "who," "which").

Sentence

A set of words expressing a complete thought with a subject and predicate.

Simple Sentence

A sentence with one independent clause.

Subject

The part of a sentence about which something is said.

Subjunctive Mood

A verb mood expressing wishes, hypotheticals, or non-real situations (e.g., "If I were king").

Subordinate Conjunction

A conjunction joining a dependent clause to an independent clause (e.g., "because," "although").

Suffix

A letter/group of letters added at the end of a word to alter its meaning.

Superlative Degree

The form of an adjective/adverb showing the highest degree (e.g., "fastest").

Tense

The form of a verb that shows time of action (e.g., past, present, future).

Transitive Verb

A verb that requires a direct object (e.g., "She reads a book").