English Grammar: Parts of Speech, Sentence Types, and Rhetorical Devices

parts of speech

nouns

verbs

adverbs

conjunctions

prepositions

pronouns

interjections

adjectives

articles

subject of sentence

person, place, thing or idea that the sentence is about

predicate

action taken by the subject

phrases

a group of words which does NOT contain a verb

prepositional phrase

phrase that has prep. its object and modifiers

ex. The Homecoming Dance (in the gym) was great.

appositive phrase

a noun or pronoun that renames a noun or pronoun

verbal phrases

verbs acting as another part of speech

gerund phrase

a verb acting as a noun ending with "ing"

ex. Swimming is a great exercise

participial phrase

a verb form functioning as adj.

ex. The tired boy took a nap

infinitive phrase

verb form beginning with to, plus its modifiers and compliments

ex. To succeed demands a great deal of hard work. (noun)

Clause

a group of words that contains a subject and a verb

independent/main clause

complete thought which can stand on its own

Dependent/Subordinate clause

cannot stand alone as complete sentence

Simple sentence

sentence containing subject and predicate

ex. I go to the river

compound sentence

sentence containing two independent clauses joined by conjunction or semi-colon

complex sentence

sentence containing one independent clause and one or more dependent clause(s)

compound-complex sentence

sentence containing two or more independent clauses and 1 dependent clauses

declarative sentence

sentence that makes a statement

imperative sentence

sentence that gives a command

exclamatory sentence

sentence that makes an exclamation

interrogative sentence

sentence that asks a question

rhetorical question

asks a question without needing an answer or the answer is obvious

natural/basic

sentence with subject prior to predicate

ex. She went to river

inverted

predicate comes before subject

ex. Went to the river she did

loose/back loaded

express subject at or near beginning and adds modifying elements at end

ex. She went to the river on this lovely day in September, but then her van ran out of gas

periodic/front loaded

express subject AFTER modifying elements or expresses subject closer to the PERIOD

ex. On this lovely day in the middle of September, I got in my van

interrupted

sentence with dashes used to set apart subordinate elements

parallel

sentence with structural similarity so that elements of equal importance have equal development

balanced

sentence constructed to emphasize a similarity/difference between TWO parts

isocolon

triple item of equal and parallel length

antithesis

two ideas which are directly opposed; presented in grammatically parallel way for rhetorical balance

juxtaposition

purposely placing things side by side for tone, purpose, effect

ex. frozen heat

paradox

seems self-contradictory on the surface, but upon closer examination, contains an underlying truth

ex) tragic happiness, single excitement for their days

oxymoron

juxtaposes two opposite or contradictory words

listing

series of items in meaningful sequence

transition

rhythmic passage from one subject to the next

ellipsis

omission of one or more words for conciseness and drama

ex. Youth is a blunder; manhood a struggle; old age a regret.

asyndeton

omission of conjunction before the last item in a series

ex. i came, i saw, i conquered

apposition

placing side by side of nouns for clarification

ex. Mr. Mooney, the teacher, read books and watched football all weekend.

parenthesis

a word, clause, or phrase inserted as an afterthought or explanation