Definitions

Noun Phrase

A noun phrase includes a noun—a person, place, or thing—and the modifiers which distinguish it.

Relative Clause

A relative clause—also called an adjective or adjectival clause—will meet three requirements.

Subordinate Clause

A subordinate clause—also called a dependent clause—will begin with a subordinate conjunction or a relative pronoun and will contain both a subject and a verb. This combination of words will not form a complete sentence. It will instead make a reader want additional information to finish the thought.

Absolute Phrase

An absolute phrase combines a noun and a participle with any accompanying modifiers or objects.

Intransitive Verb

An intransitive verb has two characteristics. First, it is an action verb, expressing a doable activity like arrive, go, lie, sneeze, sit, die, etc. Second, unlike a transitive verb, it will not have a direct object receiving the action.

Gerund

Every gerund, without exception, ends in ing. Gerunds are not, however, all that easy to identify. The problem is that all present participles also end in ing. What is the difference?

Subordinate Conjunction

Some sentences are complex. Such sentences have two clauses, one main [or independent] and one subordinate [or dependent]. The essential ingredient in a complex sentence is the subordinate conjunction

Adjective

Adjectives describe nouns by answering one of these three questions: What kind is it? How many are there? Which one is it? An adjective can be a single word, a phrase, or a clause.

Clause

Clauses come in four types: main [or independent], subordinate [or dependent], adjective [or relative], and noun. Every clause has at least a subject and a verb. Other characteristics will help you distinguish one type of clause from another.

Compound Subject

Every verb in a sentence must have at least one subject. But that doesn't mean that a verb can have only one subject. Some verbs are greedy as far as subjects go. A greedy verb can have two, three, four, or more subjects all to itself. When a verb has two or more subjects, you can say that the verb has a compound subject.

Indirect Object

Indirect objects are rare. You can read for pages before you encounter one. For an indirect object to appear, a sentence must first have a direct object. Direct objects follow transitive verbs [a type of action verb]. If you can identify the subject and verb in a sentence, then finding the direct object—if one exists—is easy.

Preposition

Prepositions are the words that indicate location. Usually, prepositions show this location in the physical world.

Action Verb

They are expressing action, something that a person, animal, force of nature, or thing can do.

Verb

Verbs are a necessary component of all sentences. Verbs have two important functions: Some verbs put stalled subjects into motion while other verbs help to clarify the subjects in meaningful ways.

Comma Splice

A comma splice, also called a run-on, occurs when a writer has connected two main clauses with a comma alone. A main clause makes a complete thought, so you should not find a wimpy comma struggling to join two such powerful clauses.

Complete Sentence

A complete sentence has three characteristics: First, it begins with a capital letter. In addition, it includes an end mark—either a period [ . ], question mark [ ? ], or exclamation point [ ! ]. Most importantly, the complete sentence must contain at least one main clause. A main clause contains an independent subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.

Sentence

A complete sentence has three characteristics: First, it begins with a capital letter. In addition, it includes an end mark—either a period [ . ], question mark [ ? ], or exclamation point [ ! ]. Most importantly, the complete sentence must contain at least one main clause. A main clause contains an independent subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.

Direct Object

A direct object will follow a transitive verb [a type of action verb]. Direct objects can be nouns, pronouns, phrases, or clauses. If you can identify the subject and verb in a sentence, then finding the direct object—if one exists—is easy.

Fragment

A fragment occurs whenever you do these three things: You begin a group of words with a capital letter. You conclude this group of words with an end mark—either a period [ . ], question mark [ ? ], or exclamation point [ ! ]. You neglect to insert a main clause somewhere between the capital letter at the beginning and the end mark concluding the word group.

Fused Sentence

A fused sentence, also called a run-on, occurs when a writer has connected two main clauses with no punctuation. A main clause makes a complete thought, so you should not find two of them smashed together in a single sentence.

Gerund Phrase

A gerund phrase will begin with a gerund, an ing word, and will include other modifiers and/or objects. Gerund phrases always function as nouns, so they will be subjects, subject complements, or objects in the sentence.

Main Clause

A main clause—sometimes called an independent clause—must contain a subject and a verb as well as express a complete thought.

Phrase

A phrase is two or more words that do not contain the subject-verb pair necessary to form a clause. Phrases can be very short or quite long.

Subject Complement

A subject complement is the adjective, noun, or pronoun that follows a linking verb.

Transitive Verb

A transitive verb has two characteristics. First, it is an action verb, expressing a doable activity like kick, want, paint, write, eat, clean, etc. Second, it must have a direct object, something or someone who receives the action of the verb.

Adverb

Adverbs tweak the meaning of verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, and clauses.

Apostrophe

Although the apostrophe might look like a comma defying gravity, this mark of punctuation has three distinct jobs: to show possession, make contractions, and form odd plurals.

Adjective Clause

An adjective clause—also called an adjectival or relative clause—will meet three requirements:

Adverb Clause

An adverb clause will meet three requirements: First, it will contain a subject and verb. You will also find a subordinate conjunction that keeps the clause from expressing a complete thought. Finally, you will notice that the clause answers one of these four adverb questions: How? When? Where? or Why? Read these examples: Tommy scrubbed the bathroom tile until his arms ached. How did Tommy scrub? Until his arms ached, an adverb clause. Josephine's three cats bolted from the driveway once they saw her car turn the corner. When did the cats bolt? Once they saw her car turn the corner, an adverb clause. The missing eyeglasses are in the refrigerator, where Damien absentmindedly set them down while eating his roommate's leftover fried rice. Where are the missing eyeglasses? Where Damien absentmindedly set them down, an adverb clause. After her appointment at the orthodontist, Danielle cooked eggs for dinner because she could easily chew an omelet. Why did Danielle cook eggs? Because she could easily chew an omelet, an adverb clause.

Appositive

An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it. The appositive can be a short or long combination of words. Look at these examples: The insect, a cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table. The insect, a large cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table. The insect, a large cockroach with hairy legs, is crawling across the kitchen table. The insect, a large, hairy-legged cockroach that has spied my bowl of oatmeal, is crawling across the kitchen table.

Essential Clause

An essential clause is a relative clause that limits a general, ambiguous noun. The essential clause tells the reader which one of many the writer means.

Interrupter

An interrupter is a word, phrase, or clause that significantly breaks the flow of a sentence. Read the examples that follow: Please take those smelly socks to the garage, Kris, and put them in the washing machine. My essay, to be perfectly honest, flew out of the bus window while I was riding to school. What you just ate, if you must know, was squid eyeball stew.

Coordinating Conjunction

And, but, for, nor, or, so, and yet—these are the seven coordinating conjunctions. To remember all seven, you might want to learn one of these acronyms: FANBOYS, YAFNOBS, or FONYBAS.

Prepositional Phrase

At the minimum, a prepositional phrase will begin with a preposition and end with a noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause, the "object" of the preposition. The object of the preposition will often have one or more modifiers to describe it. These are the patterns for a prepositional phrase:

Conjunctive Adverb

Conjunctions have one job, to connect. They join words, phrases, or clauses together to clarify what the writer is saying. Their presence provides smooth transitions from one idea to another.

Correlative Conjunction

Either ... or, neither ... nor, and not only ... but also are all correlative conjunctions. They connect two equal grammatical items. If, for example, a noun follows either, then a noun will also follow or.

Verb Phrase

Every sentence must have a verb. To depict doable activities, writers use action verbs. To describe conditions, writers choose linking verbs.

Auxiliary Verb

Every sentence must have a verb. To depict doable activities, writers use action verbs. To describe conditions, writers choose linking verbs. Sometimes an action or condition occurs just once—bang!—and it's over. Nate stubbed his toe. He is miserable with pain.

Compound Verb

Every subject in a sentence must have at least one verb. But that doesn't mean that a subject can have only one verb. Some subjects are greedy as far as verbs go. A greedy subject can have two, three, four, or more verbs all to itself. When a subject has two or more verbs, you can say that the subject has a compound verb.

Noun

George! Jupiter! Ice cream! Courage! Books! Bottles! Godzilla! All of these words are nouns, words that identify the whos, wheres, and whats in language. Nouns name people, places, and things.

Subject

In a sentence, every verb must have a subject. If the verb expresses action—like sneeze, jump, bark, or study—the subject is who or what does the verb.

Item in a Series

Items in a series occur whenever a sentence includes a list of two or more things. The items can be any type of grammatical unit, such as nouns, verbs, participles, infinitives, or subordinate clauses, to name a few.

Linking Verb

Linking verbs do not express action. Instead, they connect the subject of the verb to additional information about the subject.

Misplaced Modifier

Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that add description to sentences. Typically, you will find a modifier snuggled right next to—either in front of or behind—the word it logically describes. Take the simple, one-word adjective blue. If we add it to the sentence that follows, where should it go?

Dangling Modifier

Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that add description. In clear, logical sentences, you will often find modifiers right next to—either in front of or behind—the target words they logically describe.

Modifier

Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that provide description in sentences. Modifiers allow writers to take the picture that they have in their heads and transfer it accurately to the heads of their readers. Essentially, modifiers breathe life into sentences.

Collective Noun

Nouns name people, places, and things. Collective nouns, a special class, name groups [things] composed of members [usually people].

Common Noun

Nouns name people, places, and things. Every noun can further be classified as common or proper. A common noun names general items.

Proper Noun

Nouns name people, places, and things. Every noun can further be classified as common or proper. A proper noun has two distinctive features: 1) it will name a specific [usually a one-of-a-kind] item, and 2) it will begin with a capital letter no matter where it occurs in a sentence.

Noncount Noun

Nouns name people, places, and things. Many nouns have both a singular and plural form: a surfer/surfers, a restaurant/restaurants, a pickle/pickles. Some nouns, however, have only a singular form; you cannot add a number to the front or an s to the end of these words. This group of nouns is called noncount.

Count Noun

Nouns name people, places, and things. Many nouns have both singular and plural forms. If you can add a number to the front of a noun and put an s at the end of it, you have a count noun.

Abstract Noun

Nouns name people, places, and things. One class of nouns is abstract. Your five senses cannot detect this group of nouns. You cannot see them, hear them, smell them, taste them, or feel them.

Concrete Noun

Nouns name people, places, and things. One class of nouns is concrete. You can experience this group of nouns with your five senses: you see them, hear them, smell them, taste them, and feel them.

Participle

Participles come in two varieties: past and present. They are two of the five forms or principal parts that every verb has.

Participle Phrase

Participles come in two varieties: past and present. They are two of the five forms or principal parts that every verb has.

Object of a Preposition

Prepositions often begin prepositional phrases. To complete the phrase, the preposition usually teams up with a noun, pronoun, or gerund, or the object of the preposition

Pronoun Reference

Pronouns are chameleon words. In one sentence, for example, the pronoun he might mean Zippy the dog; in another sentence he might replace the rock star on stage, the President of the United States, or my lab partner Fred who picks his nose. Just as a chameleon changes its color to coordinate with its environment, a pronoun alters its meaning to match the nearby antecedent, the word that the pronoun is replacing.

Antecedent

The English language includes pronouns, such as she, it, or they. Pronouns are generic words that have little meaning on their own. If you hear a friend say, "She is beautiful," you know your friend is referring to a singular, feminine being or object, but with just the pronoun she, you don't know if the discussion concerns a woman, a cheetah, or an automobile. You cannot picture the she until you know the antecedent, the word that this pronoun refers to or replaces.

Semicolon

The semicolon [ ; ] is a powerful mark of punctuation with three uses. The first appropriate use of the semicolon is to connect two related sentences.

Interjection

To capture short bursts of emotion, you can use an interjection, which is a single word, phrase, or short clause that communicates the facial expression and body language that the sentence itself will sometimes neglect.

Infinitive

To sneeze, to smash, to cry, to shriek, to jump, to dunk, to read, to eat, to slurp—all of these are infinitives. An infinitive will almost always begin with to followed by the simple form of the verb, like this:

Parallel Structure

Whenever you include a list of actions or items, you must use equal grammatical units. If the first item is a noun, then the following items must also be nouns; if the first action is a simple past tense verb, then make the other items simple past tense verbs as well.

Pronoun Agreement

Whenever you use a personal pronoun like she, it, or they, you first have to have an antecedent, the word that the pronoun is replacing.