ACES English Grammar

Gerund

“-ing”

Ex: eating

Essential Appositive

noun/noun phrase next to another noun to explain, rename, or identify it. No commas

Ex: My mom Tina likes them

Nonessential Appositive

noun/noun phrase next to another noun to explain, rename, or identify it. No commas. The noun is separated by commas

Ex: His teacher, Nina, hates them

Advervial Phrase

A group of words acting as an adverb by answering how, when, where, and why.

Usually with prepositional, infinitive, or adverbs.

Ex: in the state of mourning/in a strange place

Definite Article

Ex: The

Indefinite Article

Ex: An, A

Misplaced Modifiers

Descriptive words far away from what they’re modifying

Ex: She found the book on the table that was torn (sounds like the table was torn)

Dangling Modifier

Modifier which lacks a clear subject

Ex: Having read the book, the film will be great (modifier has no subject in reference at all, it seems to be the film)

Coordinating Conjunctions

Ex: FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

Correlative Conjunctions

Ex: both… and, neither… nor, either… or, not only… but also, whether… or, as… as, no sooner… than

Passive Voice

Past tense, already happened

Active Voice

Present Tense, happening now

Perfect Tense

Comes in all time forms.

Have [verb]

Ex: I have walked, you will have drank it, she had went to the store

Continuous Tense

“is/are” type sentences

Ex: He is walking there now

Past Simple

“-ed” words

Subjunctive Mood

Wish, desire, hypothetical

Indicative Mood

Stating a fact/something that has occurred

Adjective Phrase

Group of words functioning like adjectives

Past Participle

had eaten, been made

Conjunctive Adverb

Transition words in Spanish

However, therefore, moreover, furthermore

Determiner

Determines the kind of reference a noun/noun group has

Ex: a, the, every

Relative Pronoun

Ex: who, whom, whoever, whomever, that, which, whose

Demonstrative Pronoun

Pronoun used as an example

Ex: this, that, those, these

Indefinite Pronoun

Vague pronoun

Ex: anything, something, anyone, everyone

Noun Adjunct

A noun used as an adjective to another

Example: chicken soup

Progressive Tense

Uses -ing verbs (gerund)

Postmodifier

Words/clause/phrase following the noun and adding more details

Verbal Phrase

when verb is infinitive of gerund and acts as an adverb, noun, or adjective

Ex: The running man fled from the scene

Limiting Modifier

Limits noun

Ex: only, merely, just, hardly, almost