Download Grammar Handbook Part 1 The Parts of Speech The Eight Parts of

Grammar Handbook
Part 1 The Parts of Speech
The Eight Parts of Speech
noun
adjective
pronoun
conjunction
verb
adverb
preposition
interjection
Mnemonic: Penny and Isaac are very clever playing Nintendo.
1a
A noun is a word used to name a person, place, thing, or idea.
PERSONS: skater, Mrs. Kearney, grandfather, police
PLACES:
valley, Georgia, nation, school
THINGS:
apple, Grammy Award, fever, cactus
IDEAS:
friendship, trust, worry, liberty
1b
A common noun names any one group of persons, places, things, or ideas. A
proper noun names a particular person, place, thing, or idea.
COMMON NOUNS: woman, nation, event, holiday, language
PROPER NOUNS: Academy Awards, Valentine’s Day, Toyota
1c
A collective noun names a group.
COLLECTIVE NOUNS: class, swarm, fleet, crew, group, team
1e
A compound noun consists of two or more words used together as a single
noun. Some compound nouns are written as one word, some as separate
words, and others as hyphenated words.
COMPOUND NOUNS: sidewalk, telephone pole, bull’s-eye, Jonas Salk
1f
A pronoun is a word used in place of noun or of more than one noun.
See attached chart.
1g
An adjective is a word used to modify a noun or pronoun.
To modify means “to describe or make more definite”
What kind? old book, blue sky, warm water
Which one? that game, those lights, his stereo
How many? six days, nine judges, many friends
The most frequently used adjectives are the articles: a, an, the.
1h
A verb is a word that expresses action or state of being.
1) An action verb expresses physical or mental activity. ex: leap, sail, break
2) A linking verb connects the subject with a word that identifies or describes
it. ex: be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been, appear, become, feel, grow, look,
remain, seem, smell, sound, stay, taste, turn.
3) A verb phrase consists of a main verb and at least one helping verb.
Common helping verbs: am, is, are, was, were, be, been, has, have, have, had, do,
does, may, might, must, can, could, shall, would, will, would, did
1i
An adverb is a word used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
Adverbs modify by telling how, when, where, and to what extent.
How?
When?
Where?
To what extent?
1j
aboard
about
above
across
after
against
along
among
around
at
before
behind
The drummer plays well.
I occasionally play basketball.
Did you travel far?
I’ve never been to China.
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to
some other word in the sentence. A preposition always introduces a phrase.
The noun or pronoun that ends a prepositional phrase is the object of the
preposition.
below
beneath
beside
besides
between
beyond
by
concerning
down
during
except
for
from
in
inside
into
like
near
of
off
on
onto
outside
over
past
since
through
to
toward
under
until
up
upon
with
within
without
1k
A conjunction is a word used to join words or groups of words.
1) Coordinating conjunctions join words or groups of words used in the same
way.
Coordinating conjunction: and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so
2) Correlative conjunctions are used in pairs o join words or groups of words
used in the same way.
Correlative conjunctions: both...and, neither...nor, whether...or,
either...or, not only...but (also)
3) Subordinating conjunction begins a subordinate clause and connects it to an
independent clause.
Subordinating conjunctions: after, although, as, as if, as much as, as
though, as well as, because, before, even though, how, if, in order that, if,
provided, since, so that, than, that, though, unless, until, when, whenever,
where, wherever, whether, while, why
1l
An interjection is a word that expresses emotion. It has no grammatical
relation to other words in the sentence. It is sent apart by a comma or an
exclamation point.
Part 2 The Parts of a Sentence
2a
A sentence consists of two parts: a subject and a predicate. A subject tells
whom or what the sentence is about. A predicate tells something about the
subject.
The energetic kitten unraveled the ball of yarn.
2b
A simple subject is the main word or group of words in the complete subject
that tells whom or what the sentence is about.
The energetic kitten unraveled the ball of yarn.
2c
A simple predicate is a verb or verb phrase in the complete predicate that tells
something about the subject.
The energetic kitten unraveled the ball of yarn.
2d
To find the subject of a sentence ask, Who? or What? before the verb.
1) The subject of a sentence expressing a command or a request is always
understood to be you, although you may not appear in the sentence.
2) The subject of a sentence is never in a prepositional phrase.
3) The subject of a sentence expressing a question usually follows the verb or part
of the verb phrase.
4) The word there or here is never the subject of the sentence.
2e
A direct object is a word or group of words that receives the action of a verb
or shows the result of the action. A direct object tells who or what after a
special type of action verb, called a transitive verb.
Ex. Angela recited the poem. (recited what? the poem)
2f
An indirect object is a word or group of words that comes between an action
verb and a direct object and tells to whom or to what or from whom or for
what the action of the verb is done.
Ex. Jackie sent Samantha the invitation. (sent the invitation to whom? Samantha)
2g
A predicate nominative is a word or group of words that follows a linking
verb and refers to the same person or thing as the subject of the verb.
Ex. Mary Cassatt was a painter. (The noun painter refers to Mary Cassatt.)
2h
A predicate adjective is a word or group of words that follows a linking verb
and modifies the subject of the verb.
Ex. The sky is blustery. (The adjective blustery describes sky).
2i
Classification of Sentences by Purpose
1) A declarative sentence makes a statement. It is followed by a period.
George Washington was the first president.
2) An interrogative sentence asks a question. It is followed by a question
mark.
Have you ever been to Maine?
3) An imperative sentence makes a request or gives a command. It is usually
followed by a period. A very strong command, however, is followed by an
exclamation point.
Stop running!
4) An exclamatory sentence expresses strong feeling or shows excitement. It
is followed by an exclamation point.
What a motivating speech she gave!
Part 3 The Phrase
3a
A phrase is a group of related words that is used as a single part of speech
and does not contain both a verb and its subject.
3b
A prepositional phrase is a group of words consisting of a preposition, a noun
or pronoun that serves as the object of the preposition, and any modifiers of
that object.
The brick house with green shutters is my house.
An object of the preposition may be compound.
3c
An adjective phrase is a prepositional phrase that modifies a noun or a
pronoun. An adjective phrase tells what kind or which one. An adjective phrase
always follows the word it modifies.
3d
An adverb phrase is a prepositional phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective,
or an adverb. An adverb phrase tells how, when, where, why, or to what extent.
An adverb phrase may come before the word it modifies.
3e
An appositive is a noun or pronoun placed beside another noun or pronoun to
identify or explain it.
Leni’s favorite flowers, peonies and daffodils, are my favorite, too.
1) If an appositive is non-essential to the meaning of a sentence, it is set off by
commas.
2) If it is essential to the meaning of the sentence, it is not set of by commas.
ex. My brother Bill is a state trooper. (This indicates I have more than one
brother and I am talking about the one who is named Bill.)
Part Four Clauses
4a
An independent (or main) clause) expresses a complete thought and can
stand by itself as a sentence.
Ex #1 One independent clause
Ex. #2 Two independent clauses joined by and
Ex. #3 Two independent clauses joined by a semicolon
Ex. #4 One independent clause joined with a subordinate clause
4b
A subordinate (or dependent) clause does not express a complete thought and
cannot stand alone as a sentence.
Words such as because, that, whom usually signal the beginning of a subordinate
clause.
Ex.
4c
An adjective clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun or a pronoun.
An adjective clause follows the word or word it modifies and tells which one or
what kind. An adjective clause is usually introduced by a relative pronoun. The
relative pronoun relates the clause to the word or words that the clause modifies.
Relative Pronouns: that, which, who, who, whose
ex Kristina’s Kitchen, which serves the best hot cider, is the place to go to warm
up.
4d
An adverb clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, or
an adverb. An adverb tells how, when, where, why, to what extent, or under what
condition.
after
although
as
as if
as long as
as soon as
Common Subordinating Conjunctions
as though
since
because
so that
before
than
how
though
if
unless
in order that
until
when
whenever
where
wherever
whether
while
4d
A noun clause is a subordinate clause used a noun.
A noun may be a
subject, a predicate nominative, a direct object, an indirect object, an object of a
preposition.
Subject
P.N.
D.O.
I.O.
Obj. of Prep.
What Lani told me helped me a great deal.
That is where I’d like to be.
Louis told us why he was excited.
Jasper told whoever would listen the same story.
Did they give the food to whoever asked for it?
Common Introductory Words for Noun Clauses: how, if, that, what, whatever, when,
where, whether, which, whichever, who, whoever, whom, whomever, why
4e
According to their structure sentences are classified as simple, compound,
complex, or compound-complex.
1) A simple sentence has one independent clause and no subordinate clauses.
ex.
2) A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses but no
subordinate clauses.
A compound sentence may be joined by a comma a coordinating conjunction (and,
but, for, nor, or, yet, so) a semicolon; or a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb
(also, anyway, instead, still, therefore) or a transitional expression (as a result, in
fact, for example).
ex.
3) A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one
subordinate clause.
ex.
4) A compound-complex sentence has two or more independent clauses and
at least one subordinate clause.
ex.