Term
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Definition
| A part of speech which helps describe a noun or pronoun by giving it a more exact meaning. ( big house; many friends; this pencil) |
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Term
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Definition
| A verb is active when its subject is the doer of the action the verb is indicating. ( The batter hit the ball.) |
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Term
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Definition
| A group of words having a subject and a predicate which is unable to stand alone and which helps describe a noun or pronoun by giving it a more exact meaning. ( the pen which has red ink; the food I like- "that" or "which" is understood) |
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Term
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Definition
| A part of speech which helps describe a verb, an adjective, or another adverb by giving it a more exact meaning. ( walks slowly; very pretty) |
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Term
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Definition
| A group of words having a subject and a predicate which is unable to stand alone and which helps describe a verb, adjective, or another adverb by giving it a more exact meaning. ( He played although he had a broken leg. She was prettier than I had imagined. He was so busy that he didn't answer.) |
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Term
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Definition
| This refers to parts of a sentence which are alike in gender, number, and person such as a subject and its verb and a pronoun and its antecedent.( I study. He studies. The dog wagged its tail.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Noun which is replaced with a pronoun. ( Everyone will please remove his hat. Walking is what I like to do most.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Word is opposite in meaning to another word. (happy, sad) |
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Term
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Definition
| Condition describing two nouns, next to each other in a sentence, which are equivalent in meaning. ( my brother, Joe; Mrs. Brown, the secretary) |
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Term
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Definition
| Special kind of adjective which refers to these words: the, an, a. ( the book; a house; an egg) |
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Term
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Definition
| Verb which helps another word show voice or tense. ( I would have forgotten. She had left.) |
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Term
Case(s)
Nominative/Possessive
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Definition
Form of a noun or pronoun which shows its relation to other words in a sentence.
Nominative- of pronouns has the forms of I, you, he, she, we, they, who, and is as the subject of a verb or as a predicate noun. ( They go. It is we.)
Possessive- shows possession. In nouns, it is formed with the apostrophe: (Frank's). Possessive pronouns include mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs, whose. (Note: There are no apostrophes in any possessive pronoun.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Objective case of pronouns has the forms me, you, him, her, us, them, whom, and is used as object of a verb, object of a preposition, subject or object of an infinitive. ( They hit him. They gave it to him. I want him to go. I want to hit him.) |
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Term
Clause(s)
Independent/Dependent |
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Definition
Group of words in a sentence which contains a subject and a predicate.
Independent Clause - can stand alone. (He played well.)
Dependent Clauses - adverb, adjectives or noun clauses, cannot stand alone. (He played well well although he was hurt. The book which I read was very interesting. That he recovered was a miracle.) |
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Term
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Definition
| An expression used so often that it loses effectiveness ("bigger and better"; "let's put our shoulders to the wheel) |
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Term
| Comparison-Comparative/Superlative |
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Definition
Change of form in adjective and adverbs to show increase in amount or quality (strong, stronger, strongest; good, better, best)
Comparative - refers to a greater degree in quality or quantity of one item with respect to two or more other items. (smarter of the two)
Superlative - refers to a greater degree in quality or quantity of one item with respect to two or more other items. ( largest of the three) |
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Term
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Definition
| Sentence which has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. (We are happy that you came.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Noun which refers to a group of persons, places or things and not to any individual person, place, or thing. (pupils; states; schools) |
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Term
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Definition
| That part of a letter just before the signature where the writer takes polite leave of the reader. (In formal letters, "Yours truly,";in informal letters, "Cordially" |
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Term
| Compound-Complex Sentence |
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Definition
| Sentence which has two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. (Joe sang and Joan played the song which she had been studying) |
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Term
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Definition
| Two or more predicates usually joined by "and" or "or." (He goes to school by day and works at night) |
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Term
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Definition
| Sentence which has two independent clauses. ( Joe sang and Joan played the piano. ) |
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Term
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Definition
| Two or more subjects that take the same verb. ( Frank and I will come. ) |
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Term
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Definition
| Part of speech which connects words, phrases, or clauses. ( bread and butter; "to be or not to be"; She came when I left.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Other words with which a given word is associated in a sentence and which determine the meaning of that word. (sheer nonsense; sheer cliff; sheer stockings) |
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Term
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Definition
| The suggested meaning of a word beyond the specific meaning it conveys. (He was warned by the flashing red signal. Red is a colour which has the connotation of danger. ) |
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Term
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Definition
| Punctuation mark which shows a pause or break in a sentence. ( He may not come-but why should I worry.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Sentence which makes a statement. (Sue loves Greg) |
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Term
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Definition
| Direct specific meaning of a word. (red as colour rather than as a sign of danger or, when capitalized as a Communist) |
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Term
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Definition
| Effectiveness with which words are chosen by a writer or speaker to express his or her thoughts. |
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Term
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Definition
| Noun or pronoun which receives the action of the verb. (Jon struck him. Give it to Jerry.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Use of the exact words of the speaker. (The teacher said, " Do your homework.") |
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Term
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Definition
| Roundabout expression used instead of a more direct one which might have too harsh an effect on the reader or listener. ("short of funds" instead of "bankrupt") |
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Term
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Definition
| Pronoun and verb forms which refer to the person speaking. (I, we; my, our, me, us; am, are) |
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Term
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Definition
| Time of verb which shows a happening yet to take place. (He will retire next year.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Classification of nouns and pronouns into three groups: masculine, feminine, and neuter. A masculine pronoun is he; a feminine pronoun is she; a pronoun in the neuter gender is it. |
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Term
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Definition
| Verb form ending in "ing" which is used as a noun. It can be used as a subject (Walking is fun) or as an object (I hate walking.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Listing of difficult or unusual words occuring in a book with their definitions. It is usually found in the back of a book. |
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Term
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Definition
| In an informal letter, this contains the address of the sender and the date the letter is written. In a formal letter, this contains the date the letter is written since the address is on the letterhead. |
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Term
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Definition
| Word with the same sound but a different spelling and meaning from another word. (to, too, two; pear, pare, pair) |
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Term
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Definition
| Mark(-) used to join compound words (two-faced), to join certain prefixes to words (ex-president) or to separate words into syllables (En-glish). |
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Term
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Definition
| Group of words which, taken together, has a different meaning from the individual words used separately (once upon a time). |
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Term
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Definition
| A sentence which gives a command. The subject is "you" although it may not be stated. (Study hard for your test.) |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Word that shows, without any preposition, to whom or for whom the action in the sentence is taking place. (He gave me a pen.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Quotation which does not use the exact words of the speaker. (The candidate said [that] he would accept the nomination.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Verb form which is usually indicated by "to" before the verb. Sometimes the "to" is understood. (I want to go. He made me laugh.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Name and address of the person to whom the letter is written. |
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Term
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Definition
| Independent word which expresses strong feeling. (oh!; ah!; alas!) |
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Term
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Definition
| Adjective which is used before a noun in a question. (Which boy came? What book did you read?) |
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Term
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Definition
| Adverb which is usually used at the beginning of a question. (When did you come? Where did you eat?) |
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Term
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Definition
| Pronoun which is usually used at the beginning of a question. (Who came? Whom did you see?) |
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Term
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Definition
| Sentence that asks a question. (Did he leave?) |
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Term
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Definition
| Verb that has no object. (He stands. I sit.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Word or group of words which help describe another word or group of words by giving a more exact meaning. See adjective, adjecdtive clause, adverb, adverbial clause. |
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Term
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Definition
| Indepedent group of words containing a noun and a participle which are included as part of a sentence. (The sun shining, we left for the park.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Case of the subject or predicate noun in a sentence. (Frank is president.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Part of speech which is the name of a person, place or thing. (George Washington; New York; toy) |
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Term
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Definition
| Group of words having a subject and a predicate which is unable to stand alone and which is either the subject or object in a sentence. (That Washington was our first president is a fact. He knew that Washington was our first president.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Change in the form of a noun, pronoun, adjective, or verb, to show whether there is one (singular) or more than one (plural) (man, men; he, they; this, these; is, are). |
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Term
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Definition
| Noun or pronoun which shows the person or thing acted upon by the verb. (She brought the book. I hate her.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Form of the noun or pronoun which shows it is the person or thing which receives the action. (I hit him.) |
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Term
| Object of the Preposition |
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Definition
| Noun or pronoun which follows a preposition and which is controlled by it. (with me; between you and me; among him and them; behind the hill) |
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Term
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Definition
| Two parts of a sentence which have equal importance and are given the same form (and therefore the same importance) in the sentence. (He eats both meat and vegetables. Not only the relatives were invited but also the friends.) |
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Term
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Definition
Form of a verb which is used by both as an adjective and as part of a verb. (the sleeping child; am going)
Present Participle - going
Past Participle - gone
Perfect Participle - having gone |
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Term
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Definition
| Time of verb which shows an action started in the past and is continuing or has just been completed in the present. It requires the use of an auxiliary verb in the present tense and the past participle . (He has been our friend for years.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Form of a verb which is used when the subject of the sentence receives the action. (The watch was given to Joe.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Time of the verb which shows that an action had been completed in the past before another completed action. (The train had left when I arrived.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Time of verb which shows that an action has been completed. (He went. We did go.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Form of pronoun or verb which tells that a person (or persons) is speaking or is doing the action (first person); a person (or persons) is being spoken to or is doing the action (second person); a person (or persons) spoken about is doing the action (third person). (We left for home. You stayed here. They arrived late.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Group of words without a subject or predicate, usually introduced by a preposition, which has a use in a sentence like that of a noun, adjective, or adverb. (In the park is where I like to sit. Jeanie with light brown hair. He ran to first base.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Form of noun, pronoun, adjective, or verb which indicates that more than one person, place or thing is being spoken about in the sentence. (boys; they; these; are) |
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Term
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Definition
| Form of noun or pronoun which shows that something belongs to it. (girl's pencil; ladies' hats; its paw) |
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Term
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Definition
| Part of a sentence which tells something about the subject (what the subject does, what is done to the subject, or what is true about the subject). (The boy went home quickly.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Adjective in the predicate which describes the subject by giving it a more exact meaning. (He is honest.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Noun in the predicate which is the same in meaning as the subject and can sometimes be interchanged with it. (He is president. She became an actress.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Part added to the beginning of a word which adds to or changing its meaning. (impossible; ex-president; review; prefix) |
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Term
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Definition
| Part of speech which shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun which it controls (and which is its object) and some other word in the sentence. (Mary went to the library.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Time of verb which shows an action which is going on now. There are three forms of the verb- he says, he is saying, he does say. |
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Term
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Definition
Part of speech which is used in place of a noun. (John came. He was welcome.) The four main kinds of pronouns are:
demonstrative- (this, that, these, those);
personal- (I, you, he, she, it, we, they);
possessive- (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs);
relative- (that, what, who, which). |
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Term
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Definition
| Actual use of language by the people at large. Good usage is the actual use of language by educated persons and persons in positions of importance. Good usage is constantly subject to the changes made in the use of language by these positions. |
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Term
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Definition
| Use of unnecessary words. (cooperate together; return back) |
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Term
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Definition
| Pronoun which accompanies a noun in the same sentence and refers back to it. (The president himself was there. She dressed herself quickly.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Basic part of a word without prefixes or suffixes which gives the main meaning of the word. ("cred"-believe; with prefix "in" and suffix "ible"-"in credible"-unbelievable) |
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Term
| Run-On (or Common Fault) Sentence |
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Definition
| Two sentences which are made into one by mistake. They are separated either by a comma or by no punctuation at all (Wrong: Kay is class president, she is my friend. Correct: Kay is class president. She is my friend.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Part of a letter where the writer greets the reader. It usually is "Dear Sir," in formal letters or "Dear (name of a friend)," in informal letters. |
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Term
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Definition
Group of words containing a subject and a predicate and expressing an independently complete thought. (He came early. Three chief kinds of sentences are:
Declarative (makes a statement):
Interrogative (asks a question):
Imperative (gives a command). |
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Term
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Definition
| Group of words which may contain a subject and a predicate but which fails to express a complete thought and is, by error, punctuated as if it did. (Wrong: Hoping to hear from you. Corrrect: I am hoping to hear from you.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Sentence which contains no dependent clauses and only one independent clause. (The sun shone all day.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Form of a noun, pronoun, adjective, or verb which refers to one person, place or thing in a sentence. (boy; he; this; is) |
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Term
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Definition
| Part of a sentence which does the action or is spoken about. (He hit the ball. The watch was given to the man.) |
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Term
| Subject of the Infinitive |
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Definition
| Noun or pronoun in the objective case which does the action indicated by the infinitive. ( I want him to go.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Part added to the ending of a word which adds to or changes its meaning. (handful; quickly; actor) |
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Term
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Definition
| Division into syllables. (En-glish) |
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Term
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Definition
| Smallest group of sounds consisting of a vowel sound and one or more consonant sounds which are pronounced as a unit. (con-so-nant) |
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Term
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Definition
| Word that is very similar in meaning to another word. (happy-glad) |
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Term
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Definition
| Part of speech which indicates the action carried out by the subject or which tells something about the subject. (He hit the ball. She was in the garden.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Time of an action indicated by the verb as present, past, future, past perfect, etc. These are the most widely used tenses in English. |
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Term
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Definition
| Verb which can take an object of the action it indicates. (He hit the ball.) An intransitive verb has no object. (He was lying in bed.) |
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Term
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Definition
| Form of the verb which shows whether the subject is doing the action (active voice) or is receiving the action (passive voice). (He hit the boy. He was hit by the boy.) |
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Term
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Definition
Letters representing the sounds a, e, i, o, u.
The letter y is considered a semi-vowel as in "slowly." |
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