PAPA: Writing Exam

What is a Noun?

person,place or thing.

What is a common noun?

Common nouns name ordinary things that are not specific or important enough to be capitalized. A person,place or thing.

What is a proper noun?

Proper nouns name particular people, places, or things, that are special enough to be always capitalized. EX:President Bush, Sony,Catholic

What is a count noun and what are examples of count nouns.

Count nouns are nouns that can be quantified or counted with a number.

Examples of count nouns are :

Names of things- 6 children, 2 roses,7 bears

Objects with definite shapes- 4 houses, 2 balloons

Units of measurement in a classifcation- a gram, a family, a piece, a lump

Some abstract words-a idea, a scheme, a taboo

What is a mass noun and give examples ?

Mass nouns are uncountable by a number. Mass nouns are quantified by a word that signifies amount.

EX: bread, cotton, oil, english, spanish,french,oxygen,rice

These nouns can not be counted, therefore an amount should not be put before them.

What is a pronoun?

Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. It should always be clear to what or whom the pronoun is referring.

Give examples of both singular and plural personal pronouns.

Also give a sentence example.

-Singular personal pronouns: I, me, you, he, him, she, her, it

-Plural personal pronouns: we, us, you, they, them

Example: John baked a cake for Eileen = He baked it for her.

What is a possessive pronoun? Give examples of both singular and plural possessive pronouns.

Also give a sentence example.

Possessive pronouns are personal pronouns that show ownership or possession.

Examples:

-Singular possessive pronouns: my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its

-Plural possessive pronouns: our, ours, your, yours, their, theirs

Example: I found John's hat = I found his hat.

What is a demonstrative pronoun? Give examples of both singular and plural.

Also give a sentence example.

Demonstrative pronouns call attention to their antecedents. An antecedent is the word or words to which a pronoun refers.

Examples:

-Singular demonstrative pronouns: this, that

-Plural demonstrative pronouns: these, those

Example: The yellow car is his = That is his car.

What is a reflexive pronoun? Give examples of singular and plural forms.

Also give a sentence example.

Reflexive pronouns reflect the action back to the noun or pronoun that has just been named

Examples:

- Singular reflexive pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself

-Plural reflexive pronouns: ourselves, themselves, yourselves

Example: I will find it myself.

What is an antecedent?

An antecedent is the word or words to which a pronoun refers.

A ____ and its _______ are in agreement if they are both singular or both plural.

pronoun, antecedent

What is an indefinite pronoun? What are they?

indefinite pronouns refer to nonspecific persons or things.

They include: any, either, everything, no one, each, anybody, everybody, neither, someone, anyone, everyone, none, something

EX: In class everyone performs at his or her level of ability

What is a generic noun?

Generic nouns represent a typical member or any member of a group, such as a typical student or any lawyer.

EX:Every student must pull all-nighters regularly if he or she wants to excel.

What are some suggestions when working with generic nouns?

-Treat collective nouns as singular unless the meaning is clearly plural. Collective nouns include such words as: jury, committee, crowd, family, audience, couple, troop, team, class.

-Ordinarily the group functions as a unit, so the noun should be considered singular; however, if the members of the group function as individuals, the noun should be treated as plural.

- Example: The O.J. Simpson jury has reached its decision.

Compare: The Illini crowd clapped their hands.

-Compound antecedents connected by "and" should be treated as plural.

-When compound antecedents are connected by "or" or "nor" (or by "either...or" or "neither...nor"), make the pronoun agree with the nearer antecedent.

What are the three ways to correct agreement problems with singular indefinite and generic pronouns?

1. Replace the plural pronoun with he or she or [his or her.]

EX:When someone has been drinking, he or she is probably acting dumb

2.Make the antecedent plural.

EX:When frat boys have been drinking, they are probably acting dumb.

3.Rewrite the sentence so that no problem of agreement exists

EX: A frat boy who has been drinking is probably acting dumb.

What are the three verb tenses?

Present tense (-ing)

Past tense (-ed)

and Past Participle(-ed,-d)

What is the past participle verb tense used as?

It is used as an adjective or modifier.

Example: Since the dishes were washed we left the kitchen.

(usually similar to past tense, uses of -ed)

What is an auxiliary verb? and what a the four basic verb groups? Give examples.

A helping verb that helps to form verb phrases but cannot do so independently .

1.To Be

Progressive Tense

-You are _____<< Verb (Kicking)

-You were ____

-You have been ____

Passive Voice

-You are ____ << Verb with -ed ending (kicked)

-You were ____

-You have been ____

2.To Have

Perfect Tense

-I have ____ Verb<< -ed

-I had____

-I had been___

3. Model Auxiliaries- affect the mood of the verb

Most common modal auxiliaries: will, shall, can, may, need (to), dare, would, should, could, might, must, ought (to)

-Ability: I can run.

-Necessity: I must run.

-Obligation: I ought to run.

-Permission: I may run.

4.To Do -often used in questions, negative or emphatic statements

-Does he drive?

-He drives, doesn't he?

-Despite his flat tire he does drive.

Explain the Present Perfect

- The perfect form is the verb tense used to indicate a completed, or "perfected," action or condition. Verbs can appear in any one of three perfect tenses: present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect.

Verbs in the perfect form use a form of "have" or "had" + the past participle. (It is the form of the helping verb that indicates the tense.)

Present Perfect: I have finished my homework already.

Past Perfect: He had watched TV for an hour before dinner.

Future Perfect: Nancy will have finished by the time her parents return.

Explain the Progressive form of verbs.

The progressive form is a verb tense used to show an ongoing action in progress at some point in time. It shows an action still in progress. Verbs can appear in any one of three progressive tenses: present progressive, past progressive, and future progressive.

The verbs in the progressive form use a form of "to be" + the present participle (an -ing verb). (It is the form of the helping verb that indicates the tense.)

Present Progressive: The cake is baking slowly.

Past Progressive: The trees were waving back and forth.

Future Progressive: The children will be laughing.

Can perfect and progressive forms be combined?

yes.

The indicative mood is used to _______

make factual statements

The imperative mood makes _________

a request or a command

The subjunctive mood can express a doubt or a wish using clauses beginning with ___ or ___; it can also express a ________________________

if, that

request, demand, or proposal in a clause beginning with "that."

What is an adverb used for? and what are some common words people mistake with adjectives?

A simple adverb is used as a simple modifier telling manner, time, place, degree, or number.

Most is an adjective, but almost is an adverb

Easy is an adjective, but easily is an adverb

Good is an adjective, but well is an adverb

What is a comparative and what is its typical ending? Give an example.

the second or middle degree of comparison in adjectives or adverbs

-er ending

Bigger

What is a superlative and what is its typical ending? Give an examples

the third or highest degree of comparison in adjectives or adverbs

-est ending

Biggest

What is a conjunction?

Conjunctions are grammatical connectors that link words, phrases, or clauses. A conjunction can indicate the relationship between the elements that it connects in the sentence. Without these, we would not see the relationship.

What is a conjunctive adverb and what do they require?

A conjunctive adverb is an adverb that connects independent clauses. Some of the most common conjunctive adverbs are: however, moreover, nevertheless and therefore. See below for more on usage, common pitfalls, and flexibility of conjunctive adverbs.

-Semicolon

What are the 9 rules of Subject and Verb agreement?

1. Make the verb agree with the subject, not the word that comes in between the two

2. Treat compound subjects connected by "and" as plural

3.With compound subjects connected by "or or nor", make the verb agree with the subject nearer to it.

*When the parts of a compound subject form a single unit, treat the subject as singular

*When a compound subject is preceded by each or every, treat it as singular

4.Treat indefinite pronouns as singular.

(anyone,each,either,everybody,everyone)

5.Treat collective nouns as singular unless the meaning is clearly plural

(jury,committee,audience,etc.)

*The number- sing.

*A number- plur.

6.Make the verb agree with the subject, even when the subject follows the verb.

7.Make the verb agree with its subject, not with a subject complement

8.Some words that appear plural are usually treated as singular.(physics,mathematics,athletics,news,measles)

*data,criteria,phenomena,media-plural

*criterion,datum,phenomenon,medium- sing.

9.The titles of works and companies are singular

What are the 3 rules of Pronoun-antecedent Agreement?

1.Do not use plural pronouns to refer to singular antecedents

(anybody,everyone,someone)

*Try to avoid sexist pronouns, use "he or she" or a collective noun

2.Treat collective nouns as singular unless the meaning is clearly plural.

* the audience shouted "bravo and stamped their feet.--plural

3.Treat compound antecedents connected by "and" as plural; For those connected by or or either make the pronoun agree with the nearest antecedent.