Start here if you aren't sure about the basic elements of grammar: the different types of words and how they function, as well as the different ways in which you can put words together.
Table of Contents | ||
I. Parts of Speech (aka the different kinds of words) | ||
a person, place, or thing. Can be the subject or object of a sentence. Ex: cat, horse, mother, Denmark
a word that replaces or stands for ("pro" = for) a noun. Ex: he, she, it
an action word. Ex: sit, laugh, screw
a word that describes or modifies a noun. Answers the questions "how many," "what kind," etc. Ex: happy, suicidal, red, dangerous
a word that describes or modifies a verb. Ex: carefully, quickly, wisely. Also sometimes modifies an adjective. ("She was very tall." 'Very' is an adverb modifying 'tall,' which in turn is an adjective modifying 'she'.) Adverbs usually, but not always, end in "-ly". (However, not every word ending in "ly" is an adverb: "friendly," for example, is an adjective.)
(literally "pre-position") a word that indicates the relationship of a noun (or noun phrase) to another word. Examples of prepositions are to, at, with, for, against, across. (Ending a sentence with a preposition)
an expression (can be a single word, but usually more) which contains a single thought but is not necessarily a complete sentence. Words make up phrases; phrases make up sentences. By some definitions, a phrase cannot contain a verb.
A phrase beginning with a preposition. Heh, heh. You could have figured that out, right? Example:
I am sitting in the bushes. | "I am sitting" is a complete sentence unto itself; it contains a subject ("I") and a verb ("am sitting"). The phrase "in the bushes" is a prepositional phrase ("in" being the preposition) that expands upon the basic concept. |
the basic unit of writing. A sentence should have a subject and a predicate. The subject is the noun to which the sentence's verb refers; the predicate is the verb plus whatever other parts modify or elaborate on it. Example:
My mother sings. | "My" is a possessive pronoun; "mother" is the subject (noun); "sings" is the verb. |
There are several types of sentences. The major ones are:
The majority of sentences are declarative. A declarative sentence makes a statement. This sentence is declarative, as are the previous two.
An interrogatory sentence asks a question. Do you understand that? Which of these sentences is an example?
An imperative sentence gives a command. Ex: "Shut up and kiss me." Note that an imperative sentence does not require a subject; the pronoun "you" is implied.
A sentence that is too long and should be broken into two or more sentences. One sentence should present one basic concept; if it presents more than that, it may be a run-on. A large number of "and"s, "but"s, and similar joining words is one warning sign of a run-on.
A phrase that is acting like a sentence but is incomplete. Examples:
My favorite color. | This is not a sentence because it contains no verb. |
Walking very slowly. | This is not a sentence because it contains no noun. |
On the table. | This is not a sentence because it contains neither a verb nor a subject. |
