Comprehensive English-Grammar Review

1000 Question-and-Answer flashcards summarising key concepts from the lecture notes on English grammar, clauses, sentence types, tenses, conditionals, connectors, non-finite forms, subjunctive, passive, and more.

1. What is the core unit of grammar?

The clause.

2. Name the two main parts of a clause.

Subject and predicate.

3. What does the predicate always contain?

A verb phrase.

4. Which clause element indicates the doer of an action?

The subject.

5. What do we call a sentence that contains only one main clause?

A simple sentence.

6. How many main clauses are in a compound sentence?

Two or more.

7. What type of sentence contains at least one subordinate clause?

A complex sentence.

8. What kind of conjunction links two clauses of equal status?

A coordinating conjunction.

9. Give two common coordinating conjunctions.

And, but.

10. What kind of conjunction introduces a dependent clause?

A subordinating conjunction.

11. Give two examples of subordinating conjunctions.

When, because.

12. What term is used for words that connect one sentence to previous sentences in discourse?

(Discourse) connectors.

13. Where can discourse connectors appear in a sentence?

Initial, medial or final position.

14. What is an utterance?

A communicatively and pragmatically complete unit in speech.

15. Which is normally the largest unit of grammar: sentence or clause?

The sentence.

16. What are the three broad roles expressed in a clause?

Process, participants, circumstances.

17. What clause type has the force of a statement?

A declarative clause.

18. What clause type typically asks a question?

An interrogative clause.

19. What clause type issues directives without an overt subject?

An imperative clause.

20. What clause type conveys surprise or strong emotion?

An exclamative clause.

21. Which punctuation mark often ends exclamative clauses in writing?

An exclamation mark (!).

22. What is a polar interrogative?

A yes-no question.

23. Give the normal word order for a yes-no question.

Auxiliary/modal + subject + verb + X.

24. Which auxiliary is inserted in questions lacking another auxiliary?

Do / does / did.

25. What are negative yes-no interrogatives typically used for?

Checking or confirming an expected fact.

26. How is a negative yes-no question formed formally?

Auxiliary + subject + not + verb.

27. What interrogative seeks information that cannot be answered with yes or no?

A wh-interrogative.

28. List five common wh-words.

What, when, where, who, why.

29. If the wh-word is the subject, do we use subject-auxiliary inversion?

No.

30. Give an example of a stranded preposition in a wh-question.

Who did you give it to?

31. What type of interrogative ends with a question tag?

A tag question.

32. What is the usual polarity relationship between main clause and tag?

Opposite polarity.

33. What intonation on the tag signals genuine doubt?

Rising tone.

34. What intonation signals expectation of agreement?

Falling tone.

35. What do we call a question that is not intended to be answered?

A rhetorical question.

36. Name two ways yes-no questions are reduced in informal speech.

Elliptical questions and declarative questions.

37. What is the main function of imperative clauses?

To give commands, requests or advice.

38. Which auxiliary forms negative imperatives?

Do + not (Don’t).

39. What special imperative includes the verb let with us?

Let’s + base verb (a first-person plural suggestion).

40. What conditional is also called the zero conditional?

The factual/real conditional.

41. State the basic form of the zero conditional.

If + present (or past) simple, + present (or past) simple.

42. What conditional is called the first conditional?

The predictive conditional.

43. Give the standard pattern for the first conditional.

If + present form, + will/can/may + base verb.

44. How can we make a first-conditional condition sound more remote?

Use happen to or should in the if-clause.

45. Which conditional is labeled the second?

The hypothetical (unreal-present) conditional.

46. Show the pattern of the second conditional.

If + past simple, + would/could/might + base verb.

47. Which auxiliary can replace was in formal second-conditional clauses?

Were (subjunctive were).

48. Which conditional is called the third?

The counterfactual (unreal-past) conditional.

49. State the pattern of the third conditional.

If + past perfect, + would/could/might + perfect infinitive.

50. What is a mixed conditional?

A conditional combining clauses with different time references.

51. What connective adds an essential condition and triggers inversion in the main clause?

Only if.

52. Which connective emphasises that something happens regardless of the condition?

Even if.

53. Which linker contrasts a real or past situation that did not affect the main clause?

Even though.

54. Which formal linker means ‘in case’?

Lest.

55. What preposition phrase is often used on warning notices for real conditions?

In case of + noun.

56. Give two informal synonyms for provided that.

As long as, so long as.

57. What verb phrase is used to express a wish about the present?

If only + past simple.

58. What verb form follows It’s high time?

Past simple (subjunctive).

59. Name the three non-tensed (non-finite) verb forms.

Infinitive, gerund, participle.

60. What is the difference between bare and full infinitives?

The full infinitive includes to; the bare infinitive does not.

61. Give one context in which the bare infinitive follows a verb of perception.

I saw her cross the street.

62. Which modals are typically followed by the bare infinitive?

Can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would.

63. Which semi-modal verbs can take a bare infinitive?

Need, dare (in negative/interrogative).

64. Provide an example of a bare infinitive after make.

She made me laugh.

65. How does make change in the passive?

Be made to + infinitive.

66. Which form of the infinitive expresses a completed earlier action?

The perfect infinitive (to have + past participle).

67. Which infinitive expresses an action in progress?

The continuous infinitive (to be + -ing).

68. How do we form the passive infinitive?

To be + past participle.

69. When two coordinated infinitives share the same to, can the second to be omitted?

Yes, if both infinitives share the same subject and are short.

70. What non-finite form can act as a noun, adjective or verb?

The gerund (-ing form).

71. After which type of word do gerunds always follow?

Prepositions.

72. Name three verbs that always take a gerund object.

Enjoy, avoid, deny.

73. What is the difference between try + gerund and try + infinitive?

Try + gerund = experiment; try + infinitive = attempt/effort.

74. Which construction with need expresses a passive idea in British English?

Need + gerund (The car needs washing).

75. What is a perfect gerund?

Having + past participle.

76. Give one use of the present participle as an adjective.

The crying baby kept us awake.

77. Provide a reduced relative clause using a present participle.

Students waiting outside should come in.

78. How do you reduce a passive relative clause?

Use a past participle: The books written by her are famous.

79. What is an absolute construction?

A noun + participle phrase providing extra information.

80. Give an example of an absolute construction.

The weather being warm, we went swimming.

81. What is the subjunctive mood used to express?

Wishes, hypotheticals, or imposition of will.

82. Which form of be is traditional in the subjunctive?

Were (If I were you).

83. Name a verb that signals mandative subjunctive in a that-clause.

Insist (I insist that he leave).

84. Which modal is often used putatively in subjunctive clauses?

Should (I suggest that he should go).

85. What sentence starter means the same as wish but is stronger?

If only.

86. Complete the pattern: It’s (high/about) time + ____ + clause.

Past simple (subjunctive).

87. What structure expresses preference imposed on another person?

Would rather + subject + past simple.

88. Give an example of would sooner in the subjunctive.

I’d sooner you stayed here.

89. Which five set expressions use the mandative subjunctive with may?

May I…, May God bless you, May God save the King, Long live the King, Rest in peace.

90. What is the central passive construction?

Be + past participle.

91. Which informal passive uses get?

Get + past participle (He got arrested).

92. When two objects follow a verb, which becomes the subject in a passive?

Usually the one nearer the verb.

93. Can by-phrases be omitted in passives?

Yes, when the agent is unknown, obvious or unimportant.

94. What is an ergative verb?

A verb that can be used transitively or intransitively with passive meaning (The door opened).

95. Give a passive infinitive example.

She expects to be promoted.

96. What is a phrasal-modal passive?

Be going to / have to + be + past participle.

97. Provide a passive reporting structure using there.

There are said to be problems.

98. Name three verbs commonly followed by a that-clause in the passive when reporting.

Say, believe, report.

99. What tense expresses an action completed before another past action?

Past perfect.

100. Give the form of the past perfect continuous.

Had been + -ing.