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English
Appendix
64
English
Undergraduate 1
05/25/2011

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Term
Fundamental
Definition
Understanding
Term
Coincidental
Definition
Confusion
Term
Adjectival Modifier
Definition
A word, phrase, or clause that acts as an adjective in qualifying the meaning of a nound or pronoun. "Your" country; a "turn-of-the-century" style; people "who are always late"
Term
Adjective
Definition
A word that modifies, quantifies, or otherwise describes a noun or pronoun. "Drizzly" November, mid-night "dreay"; "only" requirement.
Term
Adverb
Definition
A word that modifies or otherwise qualifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Gestures "gracefully"; "exceptionally" quiet engine.
Term
Adverbial Phrase
Definition
A phrase that functions as an adverb. (See "phrase".) Landon laughs "with abandon"
Term
Agreement
Definition
The correspondence of a verb with its subject in person and number (Karen "goes" to Cal Tech; her sisters "go" to UCLA), and of a pronoun with its antecedent in person, number, and gender (As soon as Karen finished the exam, "she" picked up "her" books and left the room).
Term
Antecedent
Definition
The noun to which a pronoun refers. A pronoun and its antecedent must agree in person, number, and gender. Michael and "his" teammates moved off campus.
Term
Appositive
Definition
A noun or noun phrase that renames or adds identifying information to a noun it immediately follows. His brother, "an accountant with Arthur Andersen", was recently promoted.
Term
Articles
Definition
The words "a", "an", and "the", which signal or introduce nouns. The definite article "the" refers to a particular item: "the" report. The indefinite article "a" and "an" refer to a general item or one not already mentioned: "an" apple
Term
Auxiliary Verb
Definition
A verb that combines with the main verb to show diferences in tense, person, and voice. The most common auxiliaries are forms of "be", "do", and "have". I "am" going; we "did" not go; they "have" gone. (See also "modal auxiliaries".)
Term
Case
Definition
The form of a noun or pronoun that reflects its grammatical function in a sentence as subject ("they"), object ("them"), or possesor ("their"). "She" gave "her" employees a raise that pleased "them" greatly.
Term
Clause
Definition
A group of related words that contains a subject and a predicate. "Moths swarm" around a burning candle. While "she was taking" the test, "Karen muttered" to herself.
Term
Colloquialism
Definition
A word or expression appropriate to informal conversation but not usually suitable for academic or business writing. They wanted to "get even" (instead of they wanted to "retaliate")
Term
Complement
Definition
A word or phrase (especially a noun or adjective) that completes the predicate.
Term
Subject Complements
Definition
Complete linking verbs and rename or describe the subject: Martha is my "neighbor".
Term
Object Complements
Definition
Complete transtive verbs by describing or renaming the direct object: They found the play "exciting". Robert considers Mary "a wonderful wife".
Term
Compound Sentence
Definition
Two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction, a correlative conjunction, or a semicolon. "Caesar conquered Gaul", but "Alexander the Great conquered the world".
Term
Compound Subject
Definition
Two or more simple subjets joined by a coordinating or correlative conjunction. "Hemingway and Fitzgerald" had little in common.
Term
Conjunction
Definition
A word that joins words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. The coordinating junctions, "and", "but", "or", "nor", "yet", "so", "for"; join grammatically quivalent elements. Correlative junctions ("both", "and"; "either", "or; "neither", "nor) join the same kind of elements.
Term
Contraction
Definition
A shortened form of a word or group of words; "they're" for they are.
Term
Correlative Expression
Definition
See "conjunction."
Term
Dependent Clause
Definition
A group of words that includes a subject and verb but is subordinate to an independent clause in a sentence. Dependent clauses begin with either a subordinating conjunction, such as "if", "because", "since", or a relative pronoun, such as "who", "which", "that". "When it gets dark", we'll find a restaurant "that has music".
Term
Direct Object
Definition
A noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb. Pearson publishes "books".
Term
Gerund
Definition
The "-ing" form of a verb that fuctions as a noun. "Hiking" is good exercise. She was praised for her "playing".
Term
Indefinite Pronoun
Definition
A pronoun that refers to an unspecified person (anybody) or thing (something)
Term
Independent Clause
Definition
A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a sentence. "Raccoons steal food".
Term
Indirect Object
Definition
A noun or pronoun that indicates to whom or form whom, to what or for what the action of a transitive verb is performed. I asked "her" a question. Ed gave "the door" a kick.
Term
Infinitive/Split Infinitive
Definition
In the present tense, a verb phrase consisting of "to" followed by the base form of the verb ("to write"). A split infinitive occurs when one or more words seperate "to" and the verb ("to" boldy "go)
Term
Intransitive Verb
Definition
A verb that does not take a direct object. His nerve "failed".
Term
Linking Verb
Definition
A verb that joins the subject of a sentence to its complement. Professor Chapman "is" a philosphy teacher. They "were" ecstatic.
Term
Loose Sentence
Definition
A sentence that begins with the main idea and then attaches modifies, qualifies, and additional details: He was determined to succeed, with or without the promotion he was hoping for and in spite of the difficulties he was confronting at every turn.
Term
Main Clause
Definition
An independent clause, which can stand alone as a grammatically complete sentence. "Grammarians quibble".
Term
Modal Auxiliaries
Definition
Any of the verbs that combine with the main verb to express necessity ("must"), obligation ("should"), permission ("may"), probability ("might"), possibility ("could"), ability ("can"), or tentativeness ("would"). Mary "might" wash the car.
Term
Modifier
Definition
A word or phrase that qualifies, describes, or limits the meaning of a word, phrase, or clause. "Frayed" ribbon, "dancing" flowers, "wordly" wisdom.
Term
Nominative Pronoun
Definition
A pronoun that functions as a subject or a subject complement: "I, we, you, he, she, it, they, who".
Term
Nonrestrictive Modifier
Definition
A phrase or clause that does not limit or restrict the essential meaning of the element it modifies. My youngest nice, "who lives in Ann Arbor", is a magazine editor.
Term
Noun
Definition
A word that names a person,, place, thing, or idea. Most nouns have a plural form and a possesive form. "Carol"; The "park"; the "cup"; "democracy".
Term
Number
Definition
A feature of nouns, pronouns, and a few verbs, referring to singular or plural. A subject and its corresponding verb must be consistent in number; a pronoun should agree in number with its antecedent. A solo "flute plays"; two "oboes join" in.
Term
Object
Definition
The noun or pronoun that completes a prepositional phrase or the meaning of a transitive verb. (See also "direct object", "indirect object", and "preposition".) Frost offered "his audience a poetic performance" they would likely never forget.
Term
Participial Phrase
Definition
A present or past participle with accompanying modifiers, objects, or complements. The buzzards, "circulating with sinister determination", squaked loudly.
Term
Participle
Definition
A verbal that functions as an adjective. Present participles end in "-ing" ("brimming"); past participles typically end in -d or -ed ("injured") or -en ("broken") but may appear in other forms ("brought", "been", "gone")
Term
Periodic Sentence
Definition
A sentence that expresses the main idea at the end. With or without their parents' consent, and whether or not they receive the assignment relocation they requestion, "they are determined to get married".
Term
Phrase
Definition
A group of related words that functions as a unit but lacks a subject, a verb, or both. "Without the resources to continue"
Term
Possessive
Definition
The case of nouns and pronouns that indicate ownership or possesion ("Harold's", "ours", "mine").
Term
Predicate
Definition
The verb and its related words in a clause or sentence. The predicate expresses what the subject does, experiences, or is. Birds "fly". They partygoers "celebrated wildly for a long time".
Term
Preposition
Definition
A word that relates its object (a noun, pronoun, or "-ing" verb form) to another word in the sentence. She is the leader "of" our group. We opened the door "by" picking the lock. She went "out" the window.
Term
Prepositional Phrase
Definition
A group of words consisting of a preposition, its object, and any of the object's modifiers. Georgia "on my mind".
Term
Principal Verb
Definition
The predicating verb in a main clause or sentence.
Term
Pronominal Possesive
Definition
Possesive pronouns such as "hers", "its", or "theirs"
Term
Proper Noun
Definition
The name of a particular person ("Frank Sinatra"), place ("Boston"), or thing ("Moby Dick"), Proper nouns are capitalized. Common nouns name classes of people ("singers"), places ("cities"), or things ("books") and are not capitalized.
Term
Relative Clause
Definition
A clause introduced by a relative pronoun, such as "who", "which", "that", or by a relative adverb, such as "where", "when", and "why".
Term
Relative Pronoun
Definition
A pronoun that connects a dependent clause to a main clause in a sentence: "who", "whom", "whose", "which", "that", "what", "whoever", "whomever", "whichever", and "whatever".
Term
Restrictive Term, Element, Clause
Definition
A phrase or clause that limits the essential meaning of the sentence element it modifies or identifies. Professional athletes "who perform exceptionally" sould earn stratospheric salories. Since there are no commas before and after the italicized clause, the italicized clause is restrictive and suggests that only those athletes who perform exceptionally are entitled to such salaries. If commas were added before "who" and after "exceptionally", the clause would be nonrestrictive and would suggest that "all" professional athlestes should receive stratospheric salories.
Term
Sentence Fragment
Definition
A group of words that is not grammatically a complete sentence but is punctuated as one: "Because it mattered greatly".
Term
Subject
Definition
The noun or pronoun that indicates what a sentence is about, and which the principal verb of a sentence elaborates. "The new Steven Spielberg movie" is a box office it.
Term
Subordinate Clause
Definition
A clause dependent on the main clause in a sentence. "After we finish our work", we will go out for dinner.
Term
Syntax
Definition
The order or arrangement of words in a sentence. Syntax may exhibit parallelism ("I came, I saw, I conquered"), inversion ("Whose woods these are I think I know"), or other formal characteristics.
Term
Tense
Definition
The time of a verb's action or state of being such as past, present, or future. "Saw, see, will see".
Term
Transition
Definition
A word or group of words that aids coherence in writing by showing the connections between ideas. William Carlos Williams was influenced by the poetry of Walt Whitman. "Moreover"; Williams's emphasis on the present and the immediacy of the ordinary represented a rejection of the poetic stance and style of his contemporary "T.S. Eliot". "In addition", Williams's poetry...
Term
Transitive Verb
Definition
A verb that requires a direct object to complete its meaning. They "washed" their new car.
Term
Verb
Definition
A word or group of words that expresses the action or indicates the state of being of the subject. Verbs "activate" sentences.
Term
Verbal
Definition
A verb form that functions in a sentence as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb rather than as a principal verb. "Thinking" can be fun. An "embroidered" handkerchief. (See also "gerund", "infinitive", and "participle".)
Term
Voice
Definition
The attribute of a verb that indicates whether its subject is active (Janet "played" the guitar) or passive (The guitar "was played" by Janet).
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