Tips

If you can put the word ‘the’ in front of a

word and it sounds like a unit, the word is

a noun.

Concrete nouns refer to things we can

perceive with one of our senses. Abstract

nouns cannot be perceived by our senses.

If you can put his in front of a word and it

sounds like a unit, the word is a noun.

Nouns

Animate nouns refer to things that are

alive; inanimate nouns refer to things that

are not alive.

If you can pluralize a noun in a sentence,

it is functioning as a count noun.

Nouns

If you can use many with a noun (when it is

pluralized), it’s a count noun. If you can use

much with a noun, it’s a non count noun.

If you can use fewer with a noun (when it is

pluralized), it’s a count noun. If you can use

less with a noun, it’s a non count noun.

Nouns

Nouns that are actual names, for example

Mary, Ram are called proper nouns. Nouns

that are not names are called common

nouns, e.g. girl.

One way to identify a proper noun is to

ask yourself: is this a noun I would

capitalize, no matter where it is in a

sentence? If so, it’s a proper noun.

Nouns

If a word can have should in front of it and

the phrase sounds complete, the word is a

verb. Examples: should leave, should sail,

should discover, should complain.

Leave, sail, discover, and complain are all

verbs.

Verbs

If a word can have to in front of it and the

phrase sounds complete, it’s a verb.

Examples: to leave, to sail, to discover, to

complain. Leave, sail, discover, and complain

are all verbs. (Note that we’re not talking

here about two, too, or the to that indicates

direction, as in Let’s go to the park.)

Verbs

The forms of the irregular verb be are:

am, are, is, was, were, be, been, being.

If you can substitute a form of be for a

verb and the meaning of the sentence is

basically the same, the verb is probably

being used as a linking verb. The verb be

and its forms are also linking verbs.

Verbs

If you can substitute a form of seem for a

verb and the meaning of the sentence is

basically the same, the verb is probably

being used as a linking verb.

Verbs

There are only three articles in English:

the, a and an.

There are only four demonstratives in

English: this, that, these, and those.

The determiner possessive pronouns are:

my, your, his, her, its, our, their.

Determiners

Words of quantity, quantifiers, can act as

determiners and precede a noun. Some

examples are: all, some, several, and

much.

Determiners

If you can put a word between the and a

noun (for example, the _____boy), then that

word is an adjective.

Adjectives

Prepositions are words, usually small, that

typically indicate information about

direction, location, or time.

There is only a small number of

prepositions in English.

Some commonly used prepositions are :

at, from, in, on, and to.

Prepositions

There are three common coordinating

conjunctions in English. They are: and, or,

and but. Four less common ones are for,

so, yet, and nor.

A commonly used way to remember the

coordinating conjunctions is to think of

FANBOYS: F (for), A (and), N (nor), B

(but), O (or), Y (yet), S (so).

Conjunctions

The subordinating conjunction is always

the first word of the dependent clause.

Correlative conjunctions are two part

conjunctions. Common correlative

conjunctions are: both /and, either /or, if

/then, neither /nor.

Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions connect a

sentence with another sentence, which is

a subpart of it. The subpart sentence is

called a dependent clause (or subordinate

clause).

Conjunctions

The subject pronouns are: I, you, he, she,

it, we, they.

The object pronouns are: me, you, her,

him, it, us them.

The reflexive pronouns are: myself,

yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves,

yourselves, themselves.

Pronouns

There are only four demonstrative

pronouns: this, that, these, and those

Interrogative pronouns are question

words.

The interrogative pronouns are: how,

what, when, where, which, who, whom,

whose, why.

Pronouns

The common relative pronouns are: that,

which, who, whom, whose. They refer

back to a noun in the sentence.

All the reflexive pronouns end in self

(singular) or selves (plural).

Pronouns

Adverbs generally indicate information

about location, time, degree, and manner.

They provide extra information about the

action in a sentence, about adjectives and

about other adverbs.

If you don’t know what else a word is (and

you’ve eliminated the other parts of

speech), it’s probably an adverb.

Adverbs

If the main verb of the sentence is an

action verb, the subject of the sentence is

the doer of the action and generally comes

before the verb. It can be found by

answering the question: ‘‘Who or what is

doing the action?’’.

Subjects and objects

If the main verb of the sentence is a

linking verb, the subject is who or what

the sentence is about; the subject is found

before the verb.

Subjects and objects

The direct object of a sentence is

receiving the action. It can usually be

found by answering the question: ‘‘Who or

what is being acted upon or receiving the

action?’’ The direct object typically occurs

immediately after the verb.

Subjects and objects

An indirect object can occur:

(a) after the direct object (which follows the

verb), with to or for introducing it, or

(b) before the direct object (and after the verb),

without to or for. For example: Joan gave a

present to Bill or Joan gave Bill a present. (Bill

is the indirect object in both sentences.)

Subjects and objects

A subject pronoun is used when it is

functioning as the subject of the sentence.

An object pronoun is used when it is

functioning as:

(a) the direct object of the sentence;

(b) the indirect object of the sentence;

(c) the object of a preposition.

Subjects and objects

The subject of commands is an understood

or implied you.

Subjects and objects

Sentences that make a statement are

called declaratives; sentences that ask a

question are called interrogatives;

sentences that give a command are called

imperatives; sentences that express strong

emotion are called exclamations.

The Functions of sentences

A yes/no question is one that can be

answered by ‘‘yes’’ or ‘‘no.’’

A “wh” question begins with one of the

following “wh” words (question words):

when, where, what, why, which, who,

whom, how. Example: Where is the

meeting? (Source: “English Grammar : Understanding Basics, Cambridge university Press)

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