Grammar terms
199 words that grammar books and teachers use, each defined in plain English with an example.
- Abbreviation
- A shortened form of a word or phrase, such as Dr. for doctor or etc. for et cetera. American style usually puts a period after abbreviations that end in a lowercase letter.Example: Dr. Kim moved her office to 410 Oak St. last month.
- Absolute phrase
- A phrase made of a noun plus a participle or other modifier that describes the rest of the sentence as a whole. It is usually set off with a comma.Example: Her backpack slung over one shoulder, Priya ran for the bus.See also: Participial phrase, Phrase
- Abstract noun
- A noun that names an idea, feeling, quality or state that you cannot see or touch, such as honesty, fear, freedom or patience.Example: Patience is hard to find in a long checkout line.See also: Concrete noun, Noun
- Acronym
- An abbreviation made from the first letters of a phrase and pronounced as a word, such as scuba or radar. Forms said letter by letter, such as ATM or DIY, are called initialisms.Example: The divers checked their scuba gear before the trip.See also: Abbreviation
- Action verb
- A verb that shows what someone or something does, either physically (run, carry) or mentally (think, decide).Example: Ben fixed the leaky faucet in ten minutes.See also: Linking verb, Verb
- Active voice
- A sentence pattern in which the subject performs the action of the verb. It is usually shorter and clearer than the passive voice. Read more.Example: The committee approved the new budget.See also: Passive voice, Voice
- Adjective
- A word that describes or limits a noun or pronoun, telling what kind, which one or how many.Example: We rented a small cabin with a red door.
- Adverb
- A word that modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb or a whole sentence, often telling how, when, where, how often or how much.Example: The baby slept peacefully through the storm.
- Adverb clause
- A dependent clause that works like an adverb, telling when, why, where, how or under what condition something happens. It begins with a subordinating conjunction.Example: We left the beach when the clouds rolled in.See also: Dependent clause, Subordinating conjunction
- Agreement
- The matching of related words in a sentence, such as a subject and verb in number, or a pronoun and its antecedent in number, person and gender.Example: The cookies are ready, and they smell great.
- Ambiguity
- A word, phrase or sentence that can reasonably be read in more than one way. Clearer word order, punctuation or wording usually fixes it.Example: In "Leo told Sam his bike was stolen," the reader cannot tell whose bike it was.
- Antecedent
- The noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to. A pronoun should point clearly to one antecedent.Example: In "Grace framed the puzzle after she finished it," Grace is the antecedent of she.See also: Pronoun, Pronoun-antecedent agreement
- Antonym
- A word with the opposite meaning of another word, such as hot and cold, early and late, or generous and stingy.Example: Tall and short are antonyms.See also: Synonym
- Apostrophe
- The punctuation mark (') used to show possession, as in Ana's car, and to mark missing letters in contractions, as in can't.Example: The dog's leash is hanging by the door.See also: Contraction, Possessive noun
- Appositive
- A noun or noun phrase placed next to another noun to rename or explain it. Set it off with commas when it adds extra, nonessential information. Read more.Example: Our neighbor, a retired pilot, gave us a tour of the airfield.
- Article
- One of the words a, an and the. The is the definite article; a and an are indefinite articles. Traditional grammar classes articles as adjectives, and many modern grammars call them determiners.Example: I saw an owl and a hawk at the park.
- Aspect
- The way a verb shows whether an action is ongoing or completed, apart from when it happens. English marks progressive aspect (is running) and perfect aspect (has run).Example: She was reading when the power went out.
- Auxiliary verb
- A helping verb that comes before a main verb to add tense, voice, mood or emphasis. The main auxiliaries are be, have and do, plus the modal verbs.Example: They have been waiting since noon.See also: Modal verb, Verb phrase
- Base form
- The plain form of a verb with no endings, as listed in a dictionary: go, eat, walk. It follows to in infinitives and comes after modal verbs.Example: You should eat something before the game.
- Brackets
- Square marks ([ ]) used to add your own words or clarification inside a quotation, or to enclose an aside that is already inside parentheses.Example: She wrote, "The new park [on Elm Street] opens in May."See also: Parentheses, Quotation marks
- Case
- The form a noun or pronoun takes to show its job in a sentence. English pronouns show three cases: subjective (she), objective (her) and possessive (hers). Read more.Example: She thanked him, and the final decision was theirs.
- Clause
- A group of words that contains a subject and a verb. A clause can be independent, standing alone as a sentence, or dependent, needing another clause to complete it.Example: When the bell rang, the students packed up their books.
- Cliche
- An expression used so often that it has lost its force, such as at the end of the day or think outside the box. Plain, specific wording usually works better. Read more.Example: Instead of "It was a blessing in disguise," try "The delay gave us time to rest."
- Collective noun
- A noun that names a group as one unit, such as team, family, jury, flock or committee. In American English it usually takes a singular verb.Example: The band is rehearsing in the garage tonight.See also: Noun, Subject-verb agreement
- Collocation
- A pair or group of words that native speakers naturally use together, such as make a decision, heavy rain or strong coffee. Other combinations may be grammatical but sound odd.Example: We say heavy rain and strong wind, not strong rain and heavy wind.See also: Idiom, Phrasal verb
- Colloquialism
- A word or phrase used in everyday conversation but usually avoided in formal writing, such as kids for children or gonna for going to.Example: My cousin said the concert was awesome.
- Colon
- The punctuation mark (:) used after a complete sentence to introduce a list, an explanation, an example or a quotation.Example: Pack three things: a flashlight, a map and water.See also: Semicolon
- Comma
- The punctuation mark (,) used most often inside sentences. It separates items in a series, sets off introductory words and extra information, and joins clauses with a coordinating conjunction.Example: After dinner, we washed the dishes and played cards.See also: Serial comma, Comma splice
- Comma splice
- The error of joining two independent clauses with only a comma. Fix it with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction. Read more.Example: Wrong: The oven is hot, put the bread in. Right: The oven is hot, so put the bread in.
- Common noun
- A noun that names a general type of person, place or thing rather than a particular one, such as teacher, city or holiday. It is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence.Example: The city built a new library near the river.See also: Proper noun, Noun
- Comparative
- The form of an adjective or adverb used to compare two things, made with -er (taller) or with more (more careful).Example: This trail is steeper than the one we hiked last week.See also: Superlative, Adjective
- Complement
- A word or phrase that completes the meaning of a subject, an object or a verb. The main kinds are subject complements and object complements.Example: The soup tasted salty, and it made Omar thirsty.See also: Subject complement, Object complement
- Complete subject
- The simple subject together with all the words that modify it.Example: The small brown dog next door barks at every bus.See also: Simple subject, Subject
- Complex sentence
- A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.Example: Because the road was icy, we drove slowly.
- Compound adjective
- Two or more words that act together as one adjective. Hyphenate them before a noun (a well-known chef) but usually not after it (the chef is well known). Also called a compound modifier.Example: We booked a three-night stay at the lake.
- Compound noun
- A noun made from two or more words, written as one word (sunlight), as separate words (ice cream) or with hyphens (sister-in-law).Example: Pack sunscreen and a beach towel for the trip.See also: Compound word, Noun
- Compound predicate
- Two or more verbs, with their objects or modifiers, that share the same subject.Example: Maya washed the car and vacuumed the seats.See also: Predicate, Compound subject
- Compound sentence
- A sentence with two or more independent clauses, joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon. Read more.Example: The rain stopped, and the kids ran outside.
- Compound subject
- Two or more subjects that share the same verb. Subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb.Example: Kofi and his sister are training for a long race.
- Compound word
- A word formed by joining two or more words, such as notebook, waterproof or self-esteem. Compounds can be closed (one word), open (two words) or hyphenated. Read more.Example: The weekend forecast calls for sunshine.
- Compound-complex sentence
- A sentence with at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.Example: When the movie ended, Ana went home, but Leo stayed for coffee.See also: Compound sentence, Complex sentence
- Concrete noun
- A noun that names something you can perceive with your senses, such as apple, siren, blanket or smoke.Example: A pile of leaves blew across the porch.See also: Abstract noun, Noun
- Conditional sentence
- A sentence with an if clause (the condition) and a main clause (the result). Conditionals can describe real, likely or imaginary situations.Example: If it snows tonight, school will start late.
- Conjunction
- A word that joins words, phrases or clauses, such as and, but, because or although.Example: I wanted soup, but the cafe had sold out.
- Conjunctive adverb
- An adverb such as however, therefore or meanwhile that links two independent clauses. Use a semicolon or period before it and usually a comma after it.Example: The bakery was closed; however, the market was open.
- Connotation
- The feelings or associations a word carries beyond its dictionary meaning. Thrifty and stingy both mean careful with money, but thrifty sounds positive and stingy sounds negative.Example: Calling a house cozy rather than cramped gives it a warmer connotation.See also: Denotation, Synonym
- Contraction
- A shortened form of one or two words with an apostrophe marking the missing letters, such as don't (do not), I'm (I am) or they're (they are).Example: We're leaving soon, so don't forget your jacket.See also: Apostrophe
- Coordinating conjunction
- One of the seven words for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so, which join words, phrases or clauses of equal rank. Many people remember them as FANBOYS.Example: The tickets were cheap, yet the seats were great.
- Correlative conjunctions
- Pairs of conjunctions that work together, such as either...or, neither...nor, both...and and not only...but also.Example: Neither the map nor the guidebook mentioned the road closure.See also: Conjunction, Parallelism
- Countable noun
- A noun that has a plural form and can be counted with numbers, such as cup, idea or bicycle. Use many and fewer with plural countable nouns. Also called a count noun. Read more.Example: We need fewer chairs and more tables.See also: Uncountable noun, Noun
- Dangling modifier
- A modifier, often an opening phrase, that does not fit the subject of the sentence, so it seems to describe the wrong person or thing. Read more.Example: Wrong: Having finished the dishes, the kitchen looked spotless. Right: Having finished the dishes, Dad admired the spotless kitchen.
- Declarative sentence
- A sentence that makes a statement. It ends with a period and is the most common type of sentence.Example: The library closes at eight on weekdays.
- Definite article
- The word the, used before a noun when the reader knows which particular thing you mean.Example: The keys you lost were in the car.See also: Article, Indefinite article
- Demonstrative pronoun
- One of the words this, that, these and those when it stands alone and points to something. Before a noun, the same words act as determiners.Example: That is the best pie I have ever had.See also: Determiner, Pronoun
- Denotation
- The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, apart from any feelings or associations it suggests.Example: The denotation of home is simply a place where someone lives.See also: Connotation
- Dependent clause
- A clause that has a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence. It usually begins with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. Also called a subordinate clause.Example: Although the store was crowded, we found everything quickly.
- Descriptive grammar
- An approach that describes how people actually use a language rather than prescribing how they should use it. Modern dictionaries are largely descriptive.See also: Prescriptive grammar, Standard English
- Determiner
- A word that comes before a noun and points to it or limits it, such as a, the, this, my, some, every or three. Traditional grammar classes most determiners as adjectives.Example: Every student needs a notebook and some pencils.
- Direct object
- The noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb. It answers the question what or whom after the verb.Example: Priya planted tulips along the fence.
- Direct quotation
- A speaker's or writer's exact words, placed inside quotation marks.Example: Ben said, "I will be there by noon."See also: Indirect quotation, Quotation marks
- Double negative
- Two negative words in the same clause, such as didn't and nothing. Standard English uses one negative to make a statement negative, though double negatives are common in some dialects.Example: Wrong: I didn't see nothing. Right: I didn't see anything.See also: Standard English, Nonstandard English
- Ellipsis
- Three periods (...) that show words left out of a quotation, or a pause or trailing off in dialogue and informal writing.Example: "I thought we could..." Maya began, then stopped.See also: Quotation marks, Period
- Exclamation point
- The punctuation mark that ends a sentence or interjection showing strong feeling or surprise. Use it sparingly, especially in formal writing. Also called an exclamation mark.Example: That wave almost knocked me over!See also: Exclamatory sentence, Interjection
- Exclamatory sentence
- A sentence that expresses strong feeling and usually ends with an exclamation point. Many begin with what or how.Example: What a beautiful sunset that was!See also: Exclamation point, Declarative sentence
- Expletive
- In grammar, a word such as there or it that fills the subject position without adding meaning, as in there is or it is. Too many expletives make writing wordy. Read more.Example: There are three reasons to start early.
- Finite verb
- A verb that shows tense and agrees with a subject, so it can be the main verb of a clause. Infinitives, participles and gerunds are nonfinite.Example: In "Leo wants to leave," wants is finite and to leave is not.
- Future perfect
- A tense formed with will have plus a past participle, showing that an action will be finished before a certain time in the future.Example: By June, Grace will have finished her degree.See also: Perfect aspect, Future tense
- Future tense
- The verb form that refers to time to come, usually made with will or be going to plus the base form of the verb.Example: The train will leave at 9:40.
- Gerund
- The -ing form of a verb used as a noun. A gerund can be a subject, an object or the object of a preposition.Example: Swimming is Omar's favorite way to relax.
- Gerund phrase
- A gerund together with its objects and modifiers, working as a noun in the sentence.Example: Baking bread on Sundays has become a family habit.
- Homograph
- A word spelled the same as another word but different in meaning, and sometimes in pronunciation, such as lead (to guide) and lead (a metal). Read more.Example: The wind made it hard to wind the kite string.
- Homonym
- A word that has the same spelling and sound as another word but a different meaning, such as bat (the animal) and bat (used in baseball). Some people use homonym loosely for homophones and homographs too.Example: A bat flew out of the barn while Tess grabbed her bat for practice.
- Homophone
- A word that sounds the same as another word but differs in meaning and often in spelling, such as their, there and they're, or flour and flower. Read more.Example: We need flour, not a flower, for this recipe.
- Hypercorrection
- A mistake made by applying a rule where it does not belong, often in an effort to sound formal, such as saying between you and I instead of between you and me. Read more.Example: Wrong: Whom shall I say is calling? Right: Who shall I say is calling?See also: Objective case, Prescriptive grammar
- Hyphen
- A short mark (-) that joins words into compounds (a part-time job), attaches some prefixes (ex-coach) and splits a word at the end of a line.Example: My sister-in-law found a well-paid job.See also: Compound adjective, Compound word
- Idiom
- An expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from its separate words, such as break the ice or under the weather.Example: Raj stayed home because he felt under the weather.
- Imperative mood
- The verb form used for commands, requests and instructions. The subject you is usually understood rather than stated.Example: Please close the gate behind you.
- Imperative sentence
- A sentence that gives a command, request or instruction. It usually has an understood subject (you) and ends with a period.Example: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Indefinite article
- The words a and an, used before a singular countable noun when you mean any one of a kind. Choose by sound: an hour, a unicorn.Example: Can I borrow a pen and an eraser?See also: Article, Definite article
- Indefinite pronoun
- A pronoun that refers to people or things in general rather than to a particular one, such as everyone, someone, nothing, each, many or none. Read more.Example: Somebody left an umbrella in the lobby.
- Independent clause
- A clause with a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. Also called a main clause. Read more.Example: The power went out, so we lit candles.
- Indicative mood
- The verb form used for ordinary statements and questions of fact. Most sentences are in the indicative mood.Example: The museum opens at ten.
- Indirect object
- The person or thing that receives the direct object, usually placed between the verb and the direct object. It answers to whom or for whom.Example: Eli gave his mom a birthday card.See also: Direct object, Object of a preposition
- Indirect quotation
- A report of what someone said without their exact words and without quotation marks, often introduced by that. Also called reported speech.Example: Ben said that he would be there by noon.See also: Direct quotation, Quotation marks
- Infinitive
- The base form of a verb, usually with to in front of it, such as to swim or to decide. Infinitives can act as nouns, adjectives or adverbs.Example: Lena wants to learn Portuguese this year.
- Infinitive phrase
- An infinitive together with its objects and modifiers, working as a noun, an adjective or an adverb.Example: To finish the puzzle tonight, we skipped the movie.See also: Infinitive, Phrase
- Intensifier
- An adverb that strengthens another word, such as very, really, extremely or totally. Some grammars also include softeners like slightly. Used too often, intensifiers can weaken writing. Read more.Example: The exam was extremely hard, but the grades were fine.
- Intensive pronoun
- A pronoun ending in -self or -selves that adds emphasis to a noun or pronoun already in the sentence. Removing it leaves the sentence complete.Example: The chef herself brought out our dessert.See also: Reflexive pronoun, Pronoun
- Interjection
- A word or short phrase that expresses a sudden feeling or reaction and is not grammatically tied to the rest of the sentence, such as oh, wow or oops.Example: Oops, I forgot to save the file.See also: Exclamation point
- Interrogative pronoun
- A pronoun used to ask a question: who, whom, whose, which or what.Example: Which of these roads leads to the beach?
- Interrogative sentence
- A sentence that asks a direct question and ends with a question mark.Example: Have you seen my blue scarf?See also: Question mark, Declarative sentence
- Intransitive verb
- A verb that does not take a direct object. The action is complete without anything receiving it. Read more.Example: The audience laughed for a long time.See also: Transitive verb, Verb
- Irregular verb
- A verb that does not form its past tense and past participle by adding -ed, such as go, went, gone or swim, swam, swum. Read more.Example: We have eaten at that diner before, and we ate well.
- Jargon
- Specialized words used within a profession or group. Jargon is useful among experts but can confuse general readers, who are better served by plain words.Example: Instead of "leverage our core competencies," write "use what we do best."
- Limiting modifier
- A word such as only, just, almost, even or nearly. It usually modifies the word right after it, so moving it can change the meaning. Read more.Example: "Only Sam ate the soup" means nobody else did; "Sam ate only the soup" means he ate nothing else.See also: Misplaced modifier, Modifier
- Linking verb
- A verb that connects the subject to a word that renames or describes it, such as be, seem, become, appear, feel or taste. Also called a copula.Example: The bread smells fresh, and the soup looks thick.
- Loose sentence
- A sentence that states its main point first and then adds details after it. Strunk warned against using too many of them in a row. Read more.Example: We left early, hoping to beat the traffic and find a good parking spot.See also: Periodic sentence
- Misplaced modifier
- A word, phrase or clause placed so far from the word it describes that it seems to describe something else. Read more.Example: Wrong: Priya served sandwiches to the guests on paper plates. Right: Priya served the guests sandwiches on paper plates.
- Modal verb
- A helping verb that expresses ability, permission, possibility, obligation or advice: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will and would. Read more.Example: You must wear a helmet, and you should bring water.See also: Auxiliary verb, Mood
- Modifier
- A word, phrase or clause that describes or limits another word. Adjectives and adverbs are the most common modifiers.Example: The tired runner crossed the finish line slowly.
- Mood
- The form of a verb that shows the speaker's attitude: stating a fact (indicative), giving a command (imperative) or expressing a wish, demand or imagined condition (subjunctive).
- Nominalization
- A noun made from a verb or adjective, such as decision from decide or kindness from kind. Too many nominalizations make writing heavy and abstract. Read more.Example: Instead of "We made a decision to conduct a review," write "We decided to review it."See also: Wordiness, Abstract noun
- Nonrestrictive clause
- A clause that adds extra information not needed to identify the noun it describes. Set it off with commas, and use which rather than that for things. Read more.Example: My car, which is twelve years old, still runs well.
- Nonstandard English
- Words or forms that are common in some speech communities but not accepted in formal or edited writing, such as ain't or irregardless. Read more.Example: Nonstandard: She don't know. Standard: She doesn't know.
- Noun
- A word that names a person, place, thing or idea, such as teacher, Chicago, bicycle or courage.Example: The farmer sold fresh eggs at the market.
- Noun clause
- A dependent clause that works as a noun, serving as a subject, an object or a complement. It often begins with that, what, whether or how.Example: What she said made everyone laugh.See also: Dependent clause, Clause
- Noun phrase
- A noun together with its modifiers, such as the tall glass of cold milk. The whole phrase works as a noun.Example: The small bakery on our street sells great bagels.
- Number
- The grammatical feature that shows whether a word is singular (one) or plural (more than one).Example: One dog barks; two dogs bark.
- Object complement
- A noun or adjective that follows a direct object and renames or describes it.Example: The team elected Grace captain, and the news made her proud.
- Object of a preposition
- The noun or pronoun that follows a preposition and completes the prepositional phrase.Example: The spare key is under the flowerpot.
- Objective case
- The form of a pronoun used as an object of a verb or preposition: me, you, him, her, it, us, them and whom. Read more.Example: The coach told us to meet him at the field.
- Paragraph
- A group of sentences that develops one main idea. A new paragraph signals a new topic, a new speaker or a new step in an argument. Read more.See also: Topic sentence, Transition
- Parallelism
- Using the same grammatical form for items that have the same role in a sentence, such as a series of nouns or a series of -ing verbs. Also called parallel structure. Read more.Example: Wrong: She likes hiking, to swim and biking. Right: She likes hiking, swimming and biking.See also: Correlative conjunctions, Serial comma
- Parentheses
- A pair of curved marks ( ) that enclose extra information, such as an aside, an example or an abbreviation.Example: The museum (which is free on Sundays) is near the park.See also: Brackets, Parenthetical expression
- Parenthetical expression
- A word or phrase that interrupts a sentence to add a comment or extra detail. It is set off with commas or parentheses, and the sentence is complete without it. Read more.Example: The recipe, to be honest, needs more salt.
- Participial phrase
- A phrase that begins with a present or past participle and works as an adjective. When it opens a sentence, it must describe the subject. Read more.Example: Tired from the long trip, Omar fell asleep on the couch.
- Participle
- A verb form used as part of a verb phrase or as an adjective. English has present participles (singing) and past participles (sung, baked).Example: The baked potatoes are cooling on the counter.
- Parts of speech
- The categories words fall into according to their job in a sentence. Traditional grammar lists eight: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection.
- Passive voice
- A sentence pattern in which the subject receives the action, formed with be plus a past participle. It is useful when the doer is unknown or unimportant. Read more.Example: The bridge was built in 1932.
- Past participle
- The verb form used after have in perfect tenses and after be in the passive voice. Regular verbs end in -ed (walked); irregular ones vary (written, gone). Read more.Example: Jun has written three letters this week.
- Past perfect
- A tense formed with had plus a past participle, showing that one past action happened before another past action.Example: By the time we arrived, the movie had started.
- Past tense
- The verb form for actions or states that happened before now. Regular verbs add -ed (cooked); irregular verbs change in other ways (ran, wrote).Example: We visited my aunt last weekend.
- Perfect aspect
- Verb forms built with have plus a past participle, showing that an action is completed by a certain time. They include the present perfect, past perfect and future perfect.Example: I have seen that movie twice.
- Perfect progressive
- Verb forms that combine have been with an -ing verb to show an action continuing up to a point in time, such as has been working or had been waiting.Example: Priya has been studying since breakfast.See also: Perfect aspect, Progressive aspect
- Period
- The punctuation mark (.) that ends a statement or a mild command. It is also used in many abbreviations.Example: The store opens at nine.See also: Declarative sentence, Abbreviation
- Periodic sentence
- A sentence that holds its main point until the end, building up to it with phrases or clauses. It creates suspense and emphasis. Read more.Example: After three delays, two gate changes and a long night on the airport floor, we finally landed.See also: Loose sentence
- Person
- The grammatical feature that shows who is speaking or being spoken about: first person (I, we), second person (you) or third person (he, she, it, they).Example: I will drive, you can navigate, and they can sleep.See also: Personal pronoun, Number
- Personal pronoun
- A pronoun that refers to a particular person or thing and changes form for person, number and case, such as I, me, you, she, him, we and them.Example: She invited us to the cookout.
- Phrasal verb
- A verb combined with one or two small words, such as up, out or off, that together have their own meaning, as in give up or run out of. Read more.Example: We ran out of milk, so Leo picked some up on the way home.
- Phrase
- A group of related words that lacks a subject and verb pair and works as a single unit, such as a noun phrase or a prepositional phrase.Example: In the morning, the old dog sleeps by the window.
- Plural
- The form of a noun, pronoun or verb that refers to more than one. Most nouns add -s or -es (cats, boxes); some change form (mice, children).Example: The children fed the geese at the pond.
- Possessive case
- The form of a noun or pronoun that shows ownership, such as Maya's, the city's, mine or theirs.Example: The idea was hers, but the hard work was ours.
- Possessive determiner
- A word such as my, your, his, her, its, our or their that comes before a noun to show ownership. Traditional grammar calls these possessive adjectives. Read more.Example: Our flight is late, and their bags are still missing.See also: Possessive pronoun, Determiner
- Possessive noun
- A noun that shows ownership or connection, usually with an apostrophe and s (the cat's toy) or just an apostrophe after a plural that ends in s (the cats' toys). Read more.Example: James's bike is parked next to the girls' scooters.See also: Possessive case, Apostrophe
- Possessive pronoun
- A pronoun that shows ownership and stands on its own: mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs. Possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe. Read more.Example: That blue umbrella is mine, not yours.
- Predicate
- The part of a sentence that tells what the subject does or is. It contains the main verb and everything that goes with it.Example: The old ferry carries cars across the bay.
- Predicate adjective
- An adjective that follows a linking verb and describes the subject.Example: The lake was calm after the storm.
- Predicate nominative
- A noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames the subject. Also called a predicate noun.Example: My cousin is a firefighter.
- Prefix
- A word part added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning, such as un- in unhappy, re- in rewrite or pre- in preview.Example: The prefix mis- turns understand into misunderstand.
- Preposition
- A word that links a noun or pronoun to the rest of the sentence, often to show place, time or direction, such as in, on, at, under or during.Example: We had lunch in the park after the game.
- Prepositional phrase
- A phrase that begins with a preposition and ends with its object, plus any modifiers in between, such as under the old bridge.Example: The cat sleeps on the windowsill in the afternoon.
- Prescriptive grammar
- An approach that sets rules for how a language should be used, such as never splitting an infinitive. Some of these rules help clarity; others are old preferences.
- Present participle
- The -ing form of a verb, used in progressive tenses or as an adjective, as in is laughing or a laughing child.Example: The barking dog woke up the whole street.
- Present perfect
- A tense formed with have or has plus a past participle. It links a past action to the present or describes an action at an unstated time in the past.Example: Our neighbor has visited Mexico three times.
- Present tense
- The verb form for actions happening now, habits and general truths. It is also called the simple present.Example: Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level.
- Principal parts
- The main forms of a verb from which all its tenses are built: the base form, the past tense, the past participle and the present participle.Example: The principal parts of write are write, wrote, written and writing.
- Progressive aspect
- Verb forms made with be plus an -ing verb to show an action in progress, such as is cooking, was cooking or will be cooking. Also called the continuous or progressive tense.Example: We were eating dinner when the phone rang.
- Pronoun
- A word that takes the place of a noun or noun phrase, such as she, it, they, someone or which.Example: Rosa lost her phone, but she found it in the car.
- Pronoun-antecedent agreement
- The rule that a pronoun should match its antecedent in number, person and gender.Example: The players grabbed their helmets and ran onto the field.
- Proper adjective
- An adjective formed from a proper noun and capitalized, such as Italian, Victorian or Canadian.Example: We ordered Ethiopian food for the party.See also: Proper noun, Adjective
- Proper noun
- A noun that names a particular person, place, organization or thing and begins with a capital letter, such as Maya, Lake Erie or Tuesday.Example: Omar moved to Seattle in September.
- Question mark
- The punctuation mark (?) that ends a direct question. An indirect question, such as I asked where she was, ends with a period instead.Example: Did you remember to feed the fish?See also: Interrogative sentence, Period
- Quotation marks
- Paired marks (" ") that enclose a speaker's exact words and the titles of short works. In American usage, periods and commas go inside the closing mark.Example: "The bus is late," Grace said.See also: Direct quotation, Indirect quotation
- Reciprocal pronoun
- One of the pronouns each other and one another, which show that two or more people or things act on each other.Example: The twins borrow each other's clothes all the time.See also: Reflexive pronoun, Pronoun
- Redundancy
- Saying the same thing twice, as in free gift, past history or return back. Cutting the repeated idea makes writing tighter. Read more.Example: Wrong: The final outcome surprised everyone. Right: The outcome surprised everyone.See also: Wordiness
- Reflexive pronoun
- A pronoun ending in -self or -selves that refers back to the subject of the same clause, such as myself, herself or themselves.Example: Omar taught himself to play the guitar.
- Register
- The level of formality in speech or writing, from casual to formal. Good writers match their register to the audience and the purpose.Example: A text to a friend and a cover letter call for different registers.
- Regular verb
- A verb that forms its past tense and past participle by adding -ed or -d to the base form, such as walk, walked, walked.Example: We painted the fence and cleaned the brushes.See also: Irregular verb, Principal parts
- Relative clause
- A dependent clause that describes a noun and usually begins with a relative pronoun such as who, which or that. Also called an adjective clause. Read more.Example: The woman who owns the bakery grew up in Lima.
- Relative pronoun
- A pronoun that begins a relative clause and connects it to a noun: who, whom, whose, which and that. Read more.Example: The neighbor whose cat visits us every day is moving.See also: Relative clause, Pronoun
- Restrictive clause
- A clause that identifies which person or thing you mean, so the sentence needs it. It takes no commas. In American English, that is the usual choice for things. Read more.Example: The car that has a flat tire is mine.See also: Nonrestrictive clause, Relative clause
- Root
- The core part of a word that carries its main meaning and to which prefixes and suffixes attach, such as port (carry) in transport and portable.Example: The root graph, meaning write, appears in autograph and paragraph.
- Run-on sentence
- Two or more independent clauses joined with no punctuation or conjunction between them, also called a fused sentence. People sometimes use the term for any long sentence, but length alone is not the problem.Example: Wrong: The rain stopped we went outside. Right: The rain stopped, so we went outside.
- Semicolon
- The punctuation mark (;) that joins two closely related independent clauses, or separates items in a list when the items already contain commas.Example: The museum was crowded; we left after an hour.
- Sentence
- A group of words that expresses a complete thought and contains at least one independent clause. In writing, it begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, question mark or exclamation point.Example: The kettle is boiling.
- Sentence fragment
- A group of words punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, a verb or a complete thought. Writers sometimes use fragments on purpose for effect. Read more.Example: Wrong: Because the bus was late. Right: Because the bus was late, I missed the start of class.
- Serial comma
- The comma before and or or at the end of a list of three or more items. Chicago style recommends it; AP news style leaves it out unless it is needed for clarity. Also called the Oxford comma. Read more.Example: We packed sandwiches, apples, and lemonade.See also: Comma, Parallelism
- Simple predicate
- The main verb or verb phrase of a sentence, without its objects or modifiers.Example: In "The old ferry has carried cars for decades," the simple predicate is has carried.
- Simple sentence
- A sentence with one independent clause and no dependent clauses. It can still have a compound subject, a compound predicate and several phrases.Example: Nina and her dad fixed the fence on Saturday.
- Simple subject
- The main noun or pronoun in the subject, without the words that modify it.Example: In "The tall glass of juice tipped over," the simple subject is glass.
- Singular
- The form of a noun, pronoun or verb that refers to one person or thing.Example: The bird sings at dawn.
- Singular they
- The use of they, them and their for one person whose gender is unknown or unimportant, or for someone who uses they as a pronoun. Most major style guides now accept it.Example: Someone left their keys on the counter.
- Slang
- Very informal words or meanings used by a particular group or in casual speech, often for a short time, such as chill for relax.Example: When Maya said the trip was epic, she meant it was great.See also: Colloquialism, Register
- Slash
- A slanted line (/) used to show alternatives (and/or), to separate lines of poetry in a quotation, and in dates, fractions and web addresses.Example: The course is graded pass/fail.See also: Hyphen
- Split infinitive
- An infinitive with a word placed between to and the verb, as in to quickly finish. Most modern guides accept a split when it sounds more natural than the alternative.Example: She hopes to fully recover before the season starts.See also: Infinitive, Prescriptive grammar
- Squinting modifier
- A modifier placed between two words so that it could describe either one, leaving the meaning unclear. Read more.Example: In "Walking to work daily lowers stress," daily could describe walking or lowers.
- Standard English
- The form of English used in education, publishing, government and most formal writing, with widely accepted grammar, spelling and usage. It has national varieties, such as American and British English.
- Stranded preposition
- A preposition at the end of a sentence or clause, away from its object, as in Who did you talk to? Most current guides accept it, especially when the alternative sounds stiff.Example: This is the song I was telling you about.See also: Preposition, Prescriptive grammar
- Subject
- The noun, pronoun or noun phrase that a sentence is about, usually the one doing the action of the verb.Example: The neighbors planted an apple tree.
- Subject complement
- A word after a linking verb that renames or describes the subject. It can be a noun (predicate nominative) or an adjective (predicate adjective).Example: My aunt became a nurse, and she is very patient.
- Subject-verb agreement
- The rule that a verb matches its subject in number: singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.Example: The box of books is heavy, but the empty boxes are light.
- Subjective case
- The form of a pronoun used as a subject or after a linking verb: I, you, he, she, it, we, they and who. Also called the nominative case. Read more.Example: She and I split the bill.See also: Objective case, Case
- Subjunctive mood
- A verb form used for wishes, imagined situations, and demands or suggestions, as in if I were you or we ask that he be on time.Example: If I were taller, I could reach the top shelf.
- Subordinating conjunction
- A word that begins a dependent clause and connects it to an independent clause, such as because, although, if, when, unless or since.Example: We stayed home because the roads were flooded.
- Suffix
- A word part added to the end of a word to change its meaning or part of speech, such as -ness in kindness or -ly in quickly.Example: Adding -ful to hope makes the adjective hopeful.
- Superlative
- The form of an adjective or adverb used to compare three or more things, made with -est (tallest) or with most (most careful).Example: Of all the hikes, this one has the best view.See also: Comparative, Adjective
- Synonym
- A word that means the same or nearly the same as another word, such as begin and start, or quick and fast.Example: Big, large and huge are synonyms, though huge is stronger.See also: Antonym, Connotation
- Tense
- The form of a verb that shows time. English verbs change form only for present and past (walk, walked) and use helping verbs for other forms (will walk, has walked). Teachers often list twelve tense forms.Example: Yesterday I walked; today I walk; tomorrow I will walk.
- Tense shift
- An unnecessary change from one verb tense to another within a sentence or passage, which can confuse readers about when things happen. Read more.Example: Wrong: She opens the door and saw a puppy. Right: She opened the door and saw a puppy.See also: Tense
- Topic sentence
- A sentence, usually the first in a paragraph, that states the main idea of the paragraph. Read more.Example: Our town's farmers market has grown every year since it opened.See also: Paragraph
- Transition
- A word or phrase that shows how ideas connect, such as however, for example, as a result or meanwhile. Transitions guide readers between sentences and paragraphs.Example: The first test went well. As a result, we planned a second one.See also: Conjunctive adverb, Paragraph
- Transitive verb
- A verb that takes a direct object, so the action passes to someone or something. Read more.Example: Grace baked a lemon cake for the party.See also: Intransitive verb, Direct object
- Uncountable noun
- A noun for something treated as a whole rather than as separate units, such as water, rice, advice or furniture. It usually has no plural and takes less rather than fewer. Also called a mass noun. Read more.Example: We need less sugar and more flour.See also: Countable noun, Noun
- Understood subject
- The unstated subject you in commands and requests. The sentence is complete even though the subject does not appear.Example: Turn left at the gas station.
- Verb
- A word that shows an action, an occurrence or a state of being, such as run, happen, seem or be. Every complete sentence needs a verb.Example: The river rose quickly after the storm.
- Verb phrase
- A main verb together with any helping verbs, such as has been sleeping or should have called.Example: The package should have arrived by now.
- Verbal
- A form of a verb that works as another part of speech: a gerund (noun), a participle (adjective) or an infinitive (noun, adjective or adverb).Example: Running late, Marco decided to skip breakfast.
- Voice
- The feature of a verb that shows whether the subject performs the action (active voice) or receives it (passive voice). Read more.See also: Active voice, Passive voice
- Wordiness
- Using more words than needed to express an idea, through filler phrases, repetition or roundabout wording. Read more.Example: Wrong: Due to the fact that it was raining, we stayed in. Right: Because it was raining, we stayed in.