Parts of Speech
Adjective
Adjectives are words that describe nouns and pronouns. Adjectives answer the questions: What kind? How much? Which one? How many?
What kind?
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How Much?
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Which One?
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How Many?
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There are five kinds of adjectives: common adjectives, proper adjectives, compound adjectives, articles, and indefinite adjectives.
1. Common adjectives describe nouns or pronouns.
Examples:
a) strong teeth
b) green wall
c) beautiful scenery
2. Proper adjectives are formed from proper nouns.
Examples:
a) California fried chicken (from the noun “California”)
b) Javanese food (from the noun “Java”)
c) Luwak white cofee (from the noun “Luwak”)
3. Compound adjectives are made up of more than one word.
Examples:
a) far-off country
b) office boy
4. Articles are a special type of adjective.
There are three articles: a, an, the. The is called a “definite article” because it refers to a specific thing. A andan are called “indefinite articles” because they refer to general things. Use a with consonant sounds; use an before vowel sounds.
5. Indefinite adjectives don’t specify the specific amount of something.
Examples:
all another any both
each either few many
more most neither other
several some
1. Common adjectives describe nouns or pronouns.
Examples:
a) strong teeth
b) green wall
c) beautiful scenery
2. Proper adjectives are formed from proper nouns.
Examples:
a) California fried chicken (from the noun “California”)
b) Javanese food (from the noun “Java”)
c) Luwak white cofee (from the noun “Luwak”)
3. Compound adjectives are made up of more than one word.
Examples:
a) far-off country
b) office boy
4. Articles are a special type of adjective.
There are three articles: a, an, the. The is called a “definite article” because it refers to a specific thing. A andan are called “indefinite articles” because they refer to general things. Use a with consonant sounds; use an before vowel sounds.
5. Indefinite adjectives don’t specify the specific amount of something.
Examples:
all another any both
each either few many
more most neither other
several some
Adverbs
Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Adverbs answer the questions: When? Where? How? orTo what extent?
When?
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Where?
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How?
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To what extent?
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Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective.
Example:
Here are some of the most common non-ly adverbs:
Example:
- beautiful ---> beautifully
- arrogant ---> arrogantly
Here are some of the most common non-ly adverbs:
- afterward
- almost
- already
- also
- back
- even
- far
- fast
- hard
- here
- how
- late
- long
- low
- more
- near
- never
- next
- now
- often
- quick
- rather
- slow
- soon
- still
- then
- today
- tomorrow
- too
- when
- where
- yesterday
Conjunctions
Conjunctions connect words or groups of words and show how the words are related. There are three kinds of conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and subordinating conjunctions.
2. Correlative conjunctions also link similar words or word groups, but they are always used in pairs. Here are the correlative conjunctions:
both . . .and either . . . or neither . . . nor
not only . . . but also.... whether . . . or
3. Subordinating conjunctions link an independent clause (complete sentence) to a dependent clause (fragment).
Here are the most often used subordinating conjunctions:
after although as as if
as long as as soon as as though because
before even though if in order that
since so that though till
unless until when whenever
where wherever
- Coordinating conjunctions link similar words or word groups. There are seven coordinating conjunctions:
2. Correlative conjunctions also link similar words or word groups, but they are always used in pairs. Here are the correlative conjunctions:
both . . .and either . . . or neither . . . nor
not only . . . but also.... whether . . . or
3. Subordinating conjunctions link an independent clause (complete sentence) to a dependent clause (fragment).
Here are the most often used subordinating conjunctions:
after although as as if
as long as as soon as as though because
before even though if in order that
since so that though till
unless until when whenever
where wherever
Interjections
Interjections show strong emotion. Since interjections are not linked grammatically to other words in the sentence, they are set off from the rest of the sentence with a comma or an exclamation mark. For example:
1. Oh! What a mess.
2. Wow! That’s so amazing!
1. Oh! What a mess.
2. Wow! That’s so amazing!
Nouns
A noun is a word that names a person, place, or thing. Nouns come in these varieties: common nouns, proper nouns, compound nouns, and collective nouns.
1. Common nouns name any one of a class of person, place, or thing.
For example: girl, city, food
2. Proper nouns name a specific person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are always capitalized.
For example: Barbara, New York City, Rice-a-Roni
3. Compound nouns are two or more nouns that function as a single unit.
A compound noun can be two individual words, words joined by a hyphen, or two words combined.
a) Individual words: time capsule
b) Hyphenated words: great-uncle
c) Combined words: basketball
4. Collective nouns name groups of people or things.
For example: audience, family, herd, crowd
1. Common nouns name any one of a class of person, place, or thing.
For example: girl, city, food
2. Proper nouns name a specific person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are always capitalized.
For example: Barbara, New York City, Rice-a-Roni
3. Compound nouns are two or more nouns that function as a single unit.
A compound noun can be two individual words, words joined by a hyphen, or two words combined.
a) Individual words: time capsule
b) Hyphenated words: great-uncle
c) Combined words: basketball
4. Collective nouns name groups of people or things.
For example: audience, family, herd, crowd
Possessive Nouns
In grammar, possession shows ownership. Follow these rules to create possessive nouns.
1. With singular nouns, add an apostrophe and an s.
Example:
dog → dog’s bone singer → singer’s voice
2. With plural nouns ending in s, add an apostrophe after the s.
Example:
dogs → dogs’ bones singers → singers’ voices
3. With plural nouns not ending in s, add an apostrophe and an s.
Example:
men → men’s books mice → mice’s tails
1. With singular nouns, add an apostrophe and an s.
Example:
dog → dog’s bone singer → singer’s voice
2. With plural nouns ending in s, add an apostrophe after the s.
Example:
dogs → dogs’ bones singers → singers’ voices
3. With plural nouns not ending in s, add an apostrophe and an s.
Example:
men → men’s books mice → mice’s tails
Plural Nouns
Here are the guidelines for creating plural nouns.
1. Add s to form the plural of most nouns.
Example:
cat → cats computer → computers
2. Add esif the noun ends in s, sh, ch, or x.
Example:
wish → wishes inch → inches box → boxes
3. If a noun ends in consonant -y, change the y to i and add es.
Example:
city → cities lady → ladies
4. If a noun ends in vowel -y, add s. Words ending in -quydon’t follow this rule (as in soliloquies).
Example:
essay → essays monkey → monkeys
1. Add s to form the plural of most nouns.
Example:
cat → cats computer → computers
2. Add esif the noun ends in s, sh, ch, or x.
Example:
wish → wishes inch → inches box → boxes
3. If a noun ends in consonant -y, change the y to i and add es.
Example:
city → cities lady → ladies
4. If a noun ends in vowel -y, add s. Words ending in -quydon’t follow this rule (as in soliloquies).
Example:
essay → essays monkey → monkeys
Prepositions
Prepositions link a noun or a pronoun following it to another word in the sentence. Use this chart to help you recognize some of the most common prepositions:
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A noun or pronoun always follows a preposition. A prepositional phrase is a preposition and its object. A prepositional phrase can be two or three words long. For example: on the wing, in the door
However, prepositional phrases also can be much longer, depending on the length of the preposition and the number of words that describe the object of the preposition.
Example:
1. near the violently swaying oak trees
2) on account of his nearly depleted bank account
However, prepositional phrases also can be much longer, depending on the length of the preposition and the number of words that describe the object of the preposition.
Example:
1. near the violently swaying oak trees
2) on account of his nearly depleted bank account
Pronouns
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun or another pronoun. Pronouns help you avoid unnecessary repetition in your writing and speech. A pronoun gets its meaning from the noun it stands for. The noun is called the antecedent.
Example:
Although Seattle is damp, it is my favorite city.
antecedent pronoun
There are different kinds of pronouns. Most of them have antecedents, but a few do not.
Example:
Although Seattle is damp, it is my favorite city.
antecedent pronoun
There are different kinds of pronouns. Most of them have antecedents, but a few do not.
Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns refer to a specific person, place, object, or thing.
First Person
Singular: I, me, my, mine
Plural: We, us, our ours |
Second Person
Singular: You, your, yours
Plural: You, your, yours |
Third Person
Singular: He, him, his, She, her, hers, It, it, its
Plural: They, them, their, theirs |
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns show ownership. The possessive pronouns are: your, yours, his, hers, its, ours, their, theirs, whose.
Example:
1. Is this blue sweater yours?
2. Yes, it’s ours.
Example:
1. Is this blue sweater yours?
2. Yes, it’s ours.
Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns add information to a sentence by pointing back to a noun or pronoun near the beginning of the sentence. Reflexive pronouns end in -self or -selves.
Example:
1. My mom made herself a hot coffee.
2. The student enjoyed themselves hiking on the slope of the mountain.
Example:
1. My mom made herself a hot coffee.
2. The student enjoyed themselves hiking on the slope of the mountain.
Intensive Pronouns
Intensive pronouns also end in -self or -selves but just add emphasis to the noun or pronoun.
For example: Harfan himself broke his ruler.
For example: Harfan himself broke his ruler.
Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns direct attention to a specific person, place, or thing. There are only four demonstrative pronouns: this, that, these, those.
Example:
1. This is my uncle.
2. That was a horrible experience.
Example:
1. This is my uncle.
2. That was a horrible experience.
Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns begin a subordinate clause. There are five relative pronouns: that, which, who, whom, those.
Example:
1. Rina said that she would win the game easily.
2. Arman was the person who finally won the game.
Example:
1. Rina said that she would win the game easily.
2. Arman was the person who finally won the game.
Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns ask a question. They are: what, which, who, whom, whose.
Example:
1. Who would be my partner?
2. Which family do we have to visit?
Example:
1. Who would be my partner?
2. Which family do we have to visit?
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to people, places, objects, or things without pointing to a specific one. The most common indefinite pronouns are listed below.
Singular
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Plural
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Singular or Plural
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Verbs
Verbs name an action or describe a state of being. Every sentence must have a verb. Thereare three basic types of verbs: action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs.
Action Verbs
Action verbs tell what the subject does. The action can be visible (jump, kiss, laugh) or mental(think, learn, study).
Example:
1. The bay broke her mom's glasses. (visible)
2. Agnes considered launching another rock album. (mental)
An action verb can be transitive or intransitive.
Transitive verbs need a direct object.
Example:
1. The man dropped his luggage.
2. The man picked his daugter up .
Intransitive verbs do not need a direct object.
Example
Who called?
The temperature fell over night.
Example:
1. The bay broke her mom's glasses. (visible)
2. Agnes considered launching another rock album. (mental)
An action verb can be transitive or intransitive.
Transitive verbs need a direct object.
Example:
1. The man dropped his luggage.
2. The man picked his daugter up .
Intransitive verbs do not need a direct object.
Example
Who called?
The temperature fell over night.
Linking Verbs
Linking verbs join the subject and the predicate. They do not show action. Instead, they help the words at the end of the sentence name or describe the subject.
The most common linking verbs include: be, feel, grow, seem, smell, remain, appear,sound, stay, look, taste, turn, and become; and the forms of to be, such as am, are, is, was, were, am being, can be, have been, and so on.
Example;
1. The employee was happy about the increasing salary.
2. She is a good mother.
Many linking verbs can also be used as action verbs.
Linking: The parent looked happy.
Action: I looked for the key in my room.
The most common linking verbs include: be, feel, grow, seem, smell, remain, appear,sound, stay, look, taste, turn, and become; and the forms of to be, such as am, are, is, was, were, am being, can be, have been, and so on.
Example;
1. The employee was happy about the increasing salary.
2. She is a good mother.
Many linking verbs can also be used as action verbs.
Linking: The parent looked happy.
Action: I looked for the key in my room.
Helping Verbs
Helping verbs are added to another verb to make the meaning clearer. Helping verbsinclude any form of to be, do, does, did, have, has, had, shall, should, will, would, can, could,may, might, and must. Verb phrases are made up of one main verb and one or more helpingverbs.
Example:
1. They will run before they get older.
2. They still have not yet felt tired.
Example:
1. They will run before they get older.
2. They still have not yet felt tired.