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Grammatical Terms and Definitions
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Adjective
Adjectives are describing words. They are used either before or after a noun (or a pronoun) to modify its
meaning.
Examples:
a large bass
adjective: large
noun: bass
The moon is bright tonight.
noun: moon
adjective: bright
Adverb
Adverbs are mainly used to modify verbs. They are used to express when, where, how, for what reason,
or to what degree an action is performed.
Many adverbs — especially those that express how an action is performed — end -ly.
Examples of Adverbs
Here are some examples of adverbs:
The mad season starts in August. (when)
Toby played in the garden. (where)
She ran quickly. (how)
As it has stopped raining, the game can continue. (reason)
They dance more gracefully. (degree)
Adverbs with Adjectives and Other Adverbs
In the examples above, the adverbs all modify verbs. However, adverbs can also modify adjectives and
other adverbs. For example:
She is an extremely tall lady
(tall is an adjective)
She typed the letter remarkably quickly.
(quickly is an adverb)
Adverbial Phrases and Adverbial Clauses
Many adverbs are just one word, but adverbs are often made up of more than one word. For example:
She sang happily.
She sang with great joy.
He moved slowly.
He moved like a sloth.
He did the job well.
He did the job to a high standard.
When an adverb is made up of more than one word, it is known as an adverbial phrase or an adverbial
clause.
Compound Nouns
A compound noun is one comprising at least two words. (Sometimes, they are hyphenated.)
There are three forms for compound nouns:
With Spaces: swimming pool, grey matter, fish tank
Without Spaces: shotgun, housework, eyelid
With Hyphens: baby-sitter, laughing-gas, daughter-in-law
Composition of Compound Nouns
Most compound nouns are made up of two nouns or an adjective and a noun. For example:
Noun + Noun: Bath tub, witchcraft, seaman, wall-paper
Adjective + Noun: Hardware, highway, full moon, whiteboard
However, there are other combinations:
Part of Speech + Part of Speech = Compound Noun
Sauce (noun) + Pan (noun) = Saucepan
Soft (adjective) + Ware (noun) = Software
Break (verb) Washing (verbal)
+ Fast (noun) Machine (noun)
= Breakfast Washing machine
Sun (noun) + Rise (verb) = Sunrise
In (preposition) + Flux (noun) = Influx
Out (preposition) + Put (Verb) = Output
Check (verb) + Out (preposition) = Checkout
Noun
A noun is a word used for a person, place, or thing. Nouns are often described as naming words.
Examples of Nouns
Here are some examples of nouns:
Anne
Policeman
Town
Crayon
The Eiffel Tower
Thought
Swimming
Dream
Table
Grass
Oxygen
Ounce
Day
Sentence Examples
Your rosy cheeks give you away, my love.
The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage.
My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far I’ve finished
two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.
Types of Noun
All nouns can be classified as one of the following:
A Common Noun. A common noun is the word for a person, place, or thing (e.g., cat, letter,
pound, bravery, building, sea).
A Proper Noun. A proper noun in the name given to a person, place, or thing (e.g., Felix, The
Empire State Building, Atlantic Ocean, Mr. Jones, Doomsday Book).
Categories of Nouns
Common nouns can also be categorized as one (or more) of the following:
Abstract Noun
(e.g., love, hate, pessimism)
Collective Noun
(e.g., team, school, choir)
Compound Nouns
(e.g., sister-in-law, cooking-oil, snowman)
Concrete Noun
(e.g., table, eagle, snowman)
Countable Noun
(e.g., table, eagle, snowman)
Mass Nouns (or Non-Countable Nouns)
(e.g., air, steel, flour)
Gender-Specific Noun
(e.g., lady, vixen, bull)
Verbal Nouns
(e.g., swimming, laughing, writing)
Participles
A participle is a word formed from a verb which can be used as an adjective.
The two types of participles are the present participle (ending ing) and the past participle (usually ending
-ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n).
Present Participles
Present participles end in -ing.
Examples:
boiling water
caring nature
deserving recipient
Present participles are not just used as adjectives. They are also used to form verb tenses. Here are the
verb tenses (present participles shaded):
The 4 Past Tenses Example
simple past tense I went
past progressive tense I was going
past perfect tense I had gone
past perfect progressive tense I had been going
The 4 Present Tenses Example
simple present tense I go
present progressive tense I am going
present perfect tense I have gone
present perfect progressive tense I have been going
The 4 Future Tenses Example
simple future tense I will go
future progressive tense I will be going
future perfect tense I will have gone
future perfect progressive tense I will have been going
Past Participles
Past participles have various endings, usually -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n.
Examples:
broken window
painted frame
destroyed bridge
Past participles are also used to form verb tenses. Look at these verb tenses (past participles shaded):
The 4 Past Tenses Example
simple past tense I went
past progressive tense I was going
past perfect tense I had gone
past perfect progressive tense I had been going
The 4 Present Tenses Example
simple present tense I go
present progressive tense I am going
present perfect tense I have gone
present perfect progressive tense I have been going
The 4 Future Tenses Example
simple future tense I will go
future progressive tense I will be going
future perfect tense I will have gone
future perfect progressive tense I will have been going
Past Form of a Verb
The Past Form of Regular Verbs
Below are some examples of past forms of regular verbs:
Base Form
Past Form
Comment
help helped -ed added
dance danced -d added
tally tallied -ed added but spelling rule applied (change y to i)
allot allotted -ed added but spelling rule applied (double the last consonant if the verb ends [consonant-vowel-consonant] and is end stressed)
The Past Form of Irregular Verbs
Below are some examples of past forms of irregular verbs:
Base Form
Past Form
Comment
set set past form same as the base form
dig dug past form has a vowel change from the base form
seek sought past form is completely different from the base from
The Five Verb Forms
The table below shows the five verb forms in English.
Verb
Type
The Base Form
(also "Simple
Form" or
"Uninflected
Form")
The 3rd
Person
Singular
Present
Tense Form
(also "The -s
Form")
Past Form
(also "The
Past
Tense
Form")
The Present
Participle Form
(also "The –ing
From")
The Past
Participle Form
Regular play plays played playing played
Regular use uses used using used
Regular marry marries married marrying married
Irregular bring brings brought bringing brought
Irregular run runs ran running run
Irregular fall falls fell falling fallen
Irregular drink drinks drank drinking drunk
Past Tense
The past tense is categorized further depending on whether the action was in progress or has been
completed. The four past tenses are:
The 4 Past
Tenses
Examples Uses
simple past
tense
I went. The Martians landed near
the aqueduct.
The simple past tense is used to describe a
completed activity that started in the past and
ended in the past.
past
progressive
tense
I was going. He was painting the door
when a bird struck the window.
The past progressive tense is used to describe
an on-going activity in the past. Often, it is
used to set the scene for another action.
past perfect
tense
I had gone. Silverfinger had taken the
pill before the team reached him.
The past perfect tense is used to emphasize
that an action was completed before another
took place.
past perfect
progressive
I had been going. She had been painting
the door before the dog scratched it.
The past perfect progressive tense is used to
show that an on-going action in the past has
ended.
Present Tense
The present tense is categorised further depending on whether the action is in progress or completed.
The four present tenses are:
The 4 Present
Tenses
Examples Uses
simple present tense I go. I like chocolate. The train gets in at 5 o'clock. A horse walks into a bar, and
the barman says, "why the long face?"
The simple present tense is used:
(1) To describe facts and habits.
(2) To describe scheduled events in
the future.
(3) To tell stories to make your
listener or reader feel more
engaged with the story.
present_progressive
tense
I am going. Barny is looking for the latest
brochure.
The present progressive tense is
used for an on-going action in the
present.
present perfect tense I have gone. David has worked alongside
two of the world's finest scientists in the field of entomology.
The present perfect tense is used
to describe actions that began in
the past and are still continuing into
the present.
present perfect
progressive
I have been going. Amanda has been relying on
a pay rise to pay her student loan.
The present perfect progressive
tense is used for:
(1) a continuous activity that began
in the past and continues into the
present, or
(2) a continuous activity that began
in past but has now finished
(usually very recently).
Future Tense
The future tense is categorized further depending on whether the action will be in progress or will be
completed. The four future tenses are:
The 4 Future
Tenses
Examples Uses
simple future
tense
I will go. We will celebrate our
anniversary by flying to New York.
The simple future tense is used for an
action that will occur in the future.
future
progressive
tense
I will be going. The Moscow State Circus will
be performing in Cheltenham for the next 3 weeks.
The future progressive tense is used for
an on-going action that will occur in the
future.
future perfect
tense
I will have gone. By the time you arrive, we will
have finished the meal and the speeches.
The future perfect tense is used to
describe an action that will have been
completed at some point in the future.
future perfect
progressive
I will have been going. In July next year, you will have
been studying for three years.
The future perfect progressive tense is
used for an on-going action that will be
completed at some specified time in the
future.
Pronoun
A pronoun is a word that can be used to replace a noun. For example:
Marcel is tall enough, but he is not as fast as Jodie.
(The word he is a pronoun. It replaces the noun Marcel.)
Our family loves flapjacks. We eat about a dozen of them a day.
(The word we is a pronoun. It replaces the noun phrase Our family. The word them is a pronoun.
It replaces the noun flapjacks.)
In the examples above, it is quite easy to see how the pronouns replace the nouns. However, many
words that are classified as pronouns take a bit more effort to understand why they replace nouns.
Types of Pronouns
There are several types of pronouns:
Demonstrative Pronouns
(The demonstrative pronouns are this, that, these, and those.)
Indefinite Pronouns
(The most common indefinite pronouns are all, any, anyone, anything, and each.)
Intensive Pronouns
(The most common intensive pronouns are myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves,
yourselves, and themselves.)
(These look the same as reflexive pronouns, but they perform a different role.)
Interrogative Pronouns
(The interrogative pronouns are who, when, why, what, which, and whom.)
Personal Pronouns
(There are two forms of personal pronouns: the subjective form and the objective form. The
subjective personal pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we, they, and who. The objective personal
pronouns are me, you (same as subjective), him, her, it (same as subjective), us, them, and
whom.)
Possessive Pronouns
(The possessive pronouns are my, your, his, her, its, our, their, and whose.)
Reciprocal Pronouns
(The most common reciprocal pronouns are each other and one another.)
Relative Pronouns
(The relative pronouns are who, whom, that, which, where, and when.)
Reflexive Pronouns
(The most common reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves,
yourselves, and themselves.)
(These look the same as intensive pronouns, but they perform a different role.).
Proper Noun
A proper noun is the name given to something to make it more specific (e.g., Johnathan, Ollie, London,
Monday). Proper nouns are written with capital letters regardless of where they appear in a sentence.
Proper nouns contrast with common nouns, which are the words for something (e.g., boy, dog, city,
day). Common nouns are written with a capital letter only when they start a sentence.
Remember, everything we can see or discuss is represented by a word that names it. That word is called
a noun.
All nouns can be categorized into one of two groups: common nouns and proper nouns.
This page is about proper nouns, but it is worth learning about common nouns and proper nouns at the
same time.
Examples of Proper Nouns and Common Nouns
Here are some examples of proper nouns and common nouns:
Proper Noun Common Noun
Ford Mondeo car
Lake Superior lake
Heidi dog
The Pacific Ocean ocean
Tanners restaurant
General McChrystal soldier
Cost Cutter supermarket
Gold Blend coffee
Verb
Verbs are often described as doing words. A verb usually tells us what action is being performed. For
example:
He ate the cake.
She read the book.
Verbs can express a physical actions, mental actions, or states of being. For example:
Verbs Expressing Physical Actions
Verbs that express physical actions are the ones that spring to mind when most people think about
verbs. Such verbs are easy to spot because the action can be easily envisaged. Here are some examples
of verbs expressing physical actions:
to swim
to write
to climb
Verbs Expressing Mental Actions
Not all actions are physical. Some are mental. Here are some examples of verbs expressing mental
actions:
to think
to wonder
to guess
Verbs Expressing a State of Being
The very act of being (i.e., just existing) is also an action. Below are some examples of verbs that express
a state of being. The most common one (in fact, the most common verb of all) is the verb to be.
to be
to exist
to appear