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  • in English Verbs, Linguistics

    A Comparative Grammatical Description of Modern English Phrasal Verbs and Old English Verb-Particle Constructions

    Verb-particle constructions are a characteristic feature of the highly periphrastic Modern English verb system (Fischer et al. 2000:180). Modern verb-particle constructions, which are most frequently termed phrasal verbs, are formed by a verb followed by at least one preposition functioning as a particle (Johnson 2008:1; Fraser 1976:1; Elenbaas 2007:9). A particle is a grammatical function […] More

  • in English Verbs, Linguistics

    English Phrasal Verbs

    Phrasal verbs are a common verb form in the English language. Also called verb-particle constructions, the simplest definition of phrasal verbs is a verb plus one or more p-words. Other common definitions of the English phrasal verb include the following descriptions: an English verb followed by one or more particles where the combination behaves as […] More

  • in Linguistics, Punctuation

    Rules for Italicization in Written English

    Similar to punctuation, italicization is a convention of writing that helps writers and readers more easily read and understand writing. There are five rules for using the typographical technique of italics in written American English: Identify titles of major works Emphasize words and phrases Identify letters and words used as words Identify linguistic examples Identify […] More

  • in Linguistics, Punctuation

    Punctuation Rules for Ellipses and Braces in Written English

    Punctuation is a convention of writing that helps writers and readers more clearly understand written language. There are four rules for using ellipses and braces as punctuation marks in written American English: Mark omissions Indicate pauses and interruptions Denote numeric sets Indicate equal choices Ellipses to Mark Omissions Use an ellipsis to mark an omission […] More

  • in English Verbs, Linguistics

    The Present Perfect of English Verbs

    All conjugated verbs in English express grammatical tense, grammatical aspect, grammatical voice, and grammatical mood. Tense is the grammaticalized expression of time. Aspect is the grammaticalized expression of temporal structure. Mood is the expression of modality. Voice is the expression of relationships between predicate and nominal functions. The present perfect typically refers to verbs in […] More

  • in Linguistics, Punctuation

    Punctuation Rules for Brackets in Written English

    Punctuation is a written convention that makes reading and writing clearer by ensuring the clarity of written language. There are five rules for using brackets as punctuation marks in written American English: Inside parentheses Clarification in quotations Indicate errors in quotations Revise quotations Indicate word origin Inside Parentheses Use a set of brackets to enclose […] More

  • in Linguistics, Punctuation

    Punctuation Rules for Slashes in Written English

    As a convention of writing, punctuation helps writers and readers more clearly understand written language. There are six rules for using slashes as punctuation marks in written American English: In fractions In dates With abbreviations Separate alternatives Indicate line breaks With file names and Internet addresses Forward Slashes in Fractions Use a forward slash to […] More

  • in English Conjunctions, Linguistics

    The English Conjunction System: Coordinating, Correlative, and Subordinating Conjunctions

    Conjunctions are traditionally defined as words that link together other words, phrases, and clauses. The English language contains three grammatical forms of conjunctions that perform three grammatical functions. The three forms of conjunctions in English are: Coordinating conjunctions Correlative conjunctions Subordinating conjunctions The three functions of conjunctions in English are: Coordinator Correlator Subordinator Conjunctions are […] More

  • in Linguistics

    Prepositions and the Vampires of ‘The Twilight Saga’: Beyond the Prescriptive

    Although the joke “prepositions are not words to end sentences with” comments on a prescriptive grammar proscription for prepositions, prepositions fulfill a variety of functions in a number of positions. Belonging to a grammatical category consisting of a small closed set of words (DeCarrico 2000: 121), prepositions show no inflectional variation (Huddleston 1984: 336). Most […] More

  • in Linguistics

    English Expressions: Weather Idioms and Sayings in English

    Expressions like idioms and proverbs are sayings whose meanings are figurative rather than literal. Such expressions are often peculiar to a language. The English language has many sayings and proverbs that mention the weather in both positive and negative tones. The following sections define some common English expressions that mention the weather. Positive Weather Expressions […] More

  • in English Verbs, Linguistics

    The Simple Past of English Verbs

    All English verbs that are conjugated express a combination of grammatical tense, grammatical aspect, grammatical voice, and grammatical mood. Tense is the grammaticalized expression of time. Aspect is the grammaticalized expression of temporal structure or duration. Mood is the expression of modality, which is the expression of possibility, probability, necessity, and contingency. Voice is the […] More

  • in English Verbs, Linguistics

    Simple Past Tense of Irregular English Verbs

    The simple past tense is a verb form that expresses discrete, completed, non-continuous actions or states that occurred in the past. Most English verbs take an ­-ed suffix in the simple past; for example, to like becomes liked, to watch becomes watched, and to doze becomes dozed. However, unlike regular English verbs, irregular English verbs […] More

  • in English Verbs, Linguistics

    Simple Past Tense of Regular English Verbs

    The simple past tense describes completed actions, describes past habits and routines, states past facts and truths, and expresses past thoughts and feelings. English verbs fall into one of two categories—regular or irregular—depending on the formation of the simple past tense. Regular verbs take an -ed suffix in the simple past tense while irregular verbs […] More

  • in English Nouns, Linguistics

    Types of Nouns: Common, Proper, Collective, Compound, Count, and Noncount

    Traditional grammars define nouns as “words that name people, places, things, and ideas.” Prototypical nouns express grammatical number, singular and plural, as well as possession. English nouns may be further classified into more specific categories: common versus proper, collective, compound, and count versus noncount. Common and Proper Nouns The first types of nouns are common […] More

  • in Linguistics, Punctuation

    Punctuation Rules for Parentheses in Written English

    Punctuation marks are a written convention that make reading and writing clearer by ensuring the clarity of written language. There are four rules for using parentheses as punctuation marks in written American English: Enclose numbers and letters in a list Enclose clarifications Enclose emphasizations Enclose asides and additional information The following sections explain and provide […] More

  • in Linguistics, Punctuation

    Punctuation Rules for Dashes in Written English

    Punctuation marks are a written convention that make reading and writing more understandable for readers and writers by ensuring the clarity of written language. There are four rules for using dashes as punctuation marks in written American English: Separate appositives with commas Introduce explanations Introduce emphasizations Introduce explanations of series The following sections explain and […] More

  • in English Verbs, Linguistics

    The Simple Present of English Verbs

    Conjugated verbs in English express a combination of verb tense, verb aspect, verb voice, and verb mood. Tense, which imperfectly corresponds to time, is the grammaticalized expression of time. Aspect, which corresponds to duration of an action or state, is the grammaticalized expression of temporal structure. Mood is one way to express modality, which is […] More

  • in English Verbs, Linguistics

    Third Person Singular Simple Present Verbs

    The simple present tense in English expresses habits and routines, general facts and truths, and thoughts and feelings. In all but the third person singular, the simple present form is identical to the base form of the verb, which is defined as the infinitive without the p-word to. The following sections explain how to form […] More

  • in English Verbs, Linguistics

    Past Participles of Irregular English Verbs

    Past participles, or -en participles, are a nonfinite verb form in English that perform verbal and adjectival functions. The following sections explain how to form past participles of irregular English verbs including anomalous and how to use past participles in English and include examples to illustrate form and function. Past participles are also referred to […] More

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