Video Notes: Grammar - Clauses, Phrases, and Sentence Structure

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the notes on clauses, phrases, sentence types, and parts of speech.

Conjunctive adverb

A word used after a semicolon to introduce another independent clause, forming a compound sentence (examples: therefore, however, also, meanwhile, otherwise). Notice punctuation and capitalization after usage.

Independent clause

A group of words that can stand as a sentence on its own; contains a subject and a verb.

Dependent clause

A clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence, typically beginning with a subordinating conjunction.

Simple sentence

A sentence consisting of a single independent clause (IC).

Compound sentence

A sentence containing two or more independent clauses (IC+IC), joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.

Complex sentence

A sentence that combines an independent clause with a dependent clause (IC+DC).

Compound-complex sentence

A sentence with at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause (IC+IC+DC).

Prepositional phrase

A phrase that begins with a preposition and ends with the object of the preposition, showing relationship between words.

Object of the preposition

The noun that a preposition acts on; typically the last word of a prepositional phrase.

Predicate nominative

A noun that follows a linking verb and renames the subject of the sentence.

Subject

The noun or pronoun that directs or performs the action of the sentence or is linked to the predicate.

Predicate

The part of the sentence that tells what the subject is doing or provides information about the subject.

Direct object

The noun or noun phrase that receives the action of the verb (answers 'who' or 'what').

Indirect object

The noun or pronoun that receives the direct object (answers 'to whom/for whom' the action is performed).

Coordinating conjunction

A conjunction that connects two independent clauses to form a compound sentence (FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).

Subordinating conjunction

A conjunction that introduces a dependent clause and links it to an independent clause (common examples: since, while, after, because, if).

Relative clause

A dependent clause that begins with a relative pronoun and acts as an adjective modifying a noun.

Relative pronoun

A pronoun that introduces a relative clause (who, whom, whose, which, that).

Appositive

A noun or noun phrase that renames or explains another noun or pronoun in a sentence.

Participial phrase

A phrase beginning with a participle (a verb used as an adjective) that describes a noun (e.g., 'Known for their sweetness').

Phrase

A group of words that includes a noun or a verb, but never both.

Preposition

A word that shows the relationship between its object and another word in the sentence; prepositional phrases begin with a preposition and end with the object.

Action verb

A verb that shows an action performed by the subject (e.g., run, eat, think).

Helping verb

An auxiliary verb that helps the main verb express tense or mood (e.g., is, have, will).

Linking verb

A verb that connects the subject to a word or phrase that describes or identifies it (e.g., seem, taste, be).