Abbreviation An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word. Most abbreviations have periods. If you are unsure of how to write an abbreviation, consult a dictionary.
Example : Gerry left at 8:00 Α.Μ.
Example : Did she really leave at 8:00 A.M.?
Abstract Noun An abstract noun names an idea, a quality, or a characteristic. See concrete noun.
Examples
attitude
dignity
loyalty
sadness
temperature
Action Verb An action verb tells what someone or something does. Some action verbs express physical action. Others express mental action.
Example Ted waved the signal flag. [physical action]
Example He hoped for success. [mental action]
Active Voice An action verb is in the active voice when the subject of the sentence performs the action. See passive voice.
Example : The brown bear caught a salmon.
Adjective An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or a pronoun by limiting its meaning. An adjective tells what kind, which one, how many, or how much.
Examples
Interesting poem
These ideas
Enough plates
Afternoon class
Romantic story
Irish ballad
Second time
Cheese sandwich
Many novels
Cracked pitcher
No excuse
Football game
Adjective Clause An adjective clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun or a pronoun. An adjective clause may begin with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, that, or which) or the word where or when. An adjective clause normally follows the word it modifies.
Example : Magazines that inform and entertain are my favorites. [The adjective clause tells what kind and modifies Magazines.]
Adjective Phrase An adjective phrase is a prepositional phrase that modifies a noun or a pronoun.
Example Tim chose the sandwich with cheese. [adjective phrase modifying a noun]
Adverb An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
Examples :
Modifying Verbs
Never swim alone.
verb
He has seldom complained.
verb verb
Modifying Adjectives
The movie was very scary and too long.
adjective adjective
Modifying Adverbs
She almost always waited quite patiently.
adverb adverb
Examples
When? It should arrive Saturday.
Where? Leave your coat there.
How? He stacked the books neatly.
To what degree? We were very sorry.
Adverb Clause An adverb clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb in the main clause. It tells when, where, how, why, to what extent, or under what conditions.
Example Before I took the test, I studied for hours. [The adverb clause tells when and modifies the verb studied.]
Adverb Phrase An adverb phrase is a prepositional phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
Example Andy works well under pressure. [adverb phrase modifying the adverb well.]
Agreement Agreement is the match between grammatical forms. A verb must agree with its subject. A pronoun must agree with its antecedent.
Example The freshmen and sophomores are debating today. [subject-verb agreement]
Example Lissa thanked her brother for driving her to the dance. [pronoun-antecedent agreement]
Antecedent An antecedent is the word or group of words to which a pronoun refers or that a pronoun replaces. All pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number, gender, and person.
Example Octavio Paz is one of the greatest poets of his era. [singular masculine pronoun]
Example Emily Dickinson wrote her poems on scrap paper. [singular feminine pronoun]
Example Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson are famous for their poetry. [plural pronoun]
Apostrophe An apostrophe (') is a punctuation mark used in possessive nouns, possessive indefinite pronouns, and contractions. In contractions it shows that one or more letters have been left out.
Example Leon didn't bring Celia's book, so she needs to borrow someone's.
Appositive An appositive is a noun or a pronoun that is placed next to another noun or pronoun to identify it or give additional information about it.
Example My friend Ethan works at a bookstore after school. [The appositive Ethan identifies the noun friend.]
Appositive Phrase An appositive phrase is an appositive plus any words that modify the appositive.
Example He is saving money to travel to Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. [The appositive phrase, in blue type, identifies Bogotá.]
Article Articles are the adjectives a, an, and the. A and an are called indefinite articles. They can refer to any one of a kind of person, place, or thing. A is used before consonant sounds, and an is used before vowel sounds. The is the definite article. It refers to a specific person, place, or thing.
Examples
Indefinite A ring, a used computer, an egg, an hour
Definite The ring, the used computer, the egg, the hour
Auxiliary Verb The most common auxiliary verbs are forms of be and have. They help the main verb express time by forming the various tenses.
Example We will weed the vegetable garden this morning.
Example Sandra has already weeded the peppers and the tomatoes.
Example We were weeding the flower beds when the rain started.
The other auxiliary verbs are not used primarily to express time. They are often used to emphasize meaning.
Example I should be leaving.
Example Could he have forgotten?
Example Marisa may already be finished.
