Consisting of a subject and a predicate, clauses are the smallest grammatical unit that can express a complete proposition. Verb clauses are the only independent clauses in the English language. Some grammars use the terms main clause, matrix clause, independent clause, and superordinate clause for verb clauses. All verb clauses are finite. A finite clause […] More
Demonstrative pronouns are a type of pronoun that take the place of another word, phrase, or clause. Like demonstrative determiners, demonstrative pronouns also provide additional information about the proximity of the word, phrase, or clause replaced by the pronoun. The four demonstrative pronouns in English grammar are: this that these those Demonstrative pronouns are pronouns […] More
Traditional grammars defined pronouns as “small words that take the place of nouns and noun phrases.” In additional to the personal pronouns, whose antecedents are previously identified proper and common nouns, the English pronoun system also includes a subcategory known as indefinite pronouns. Indefinite pronouns function similarly to personal pronouns but refer to unspecified persons, […] More
Subject complements are defined as words, phrases, and clauses that follow a copular, or linking, verb and refer back to modify, describe, or complete the grammatical subject of the clause. Subject complements are grammatical constituents embedded in the predicate of a clause. Although nouns and adjectives most frequently function as the subject complement of clauses, […] More
Traditional grammars define nouns as “words that refer to people, places, things, and ideas.” Pronouns are a subcategory of nouns. Noun phrases are phrases formed by a noun functioning as the phrase head plus any determinatives, modifiers, and complements. In English, prototypical nouns and noun phrases perform eleven grammatical functions: Noun phrase head Subject Subject […] More
A noun phrase is a phrase in which a noun functions as the head of the phrase plus any determiners, modifiers, and complements. The seven grammatical forms that appear within the internal structure of English noun phrases are: Determiners Adjective phrases Noun phrases Prepositional phrases Verb phrases Adjective clauses Noun clauses The following sections define […] More
Possessive nouns are nouns that indicate a possession of or some other relationship to another word or phrase. In the English language, the affixation of the possessive clitic (‘s [apostrophe s] or s’ [s apostrophe]) forms possessive nouns. Possessive nouns perform the grammatical function of determinative in English grammar. Learn how to form and pronounce […] More
Prototypical English nouns have both singular and plural forms. Singular nouns refer to one “person, place, thing, or idea” while plural nouns refer to “not one” (two or more or less than one) “people, places, things, or ideas.” Regular nouns are predictable, taking an -s suffix to form the plural. Irregular nouns are unpredictable, following […] More
Prototypical English nouns have both singular and plural forms. Singular nouns refer to one “person, place, thing, or idea” while plural nouns refer to “not one” (two or more or less than one) “people, places, things, or ideas.” Regular nouns are predictable, taking an -s suffix to form the plural. Irregular nouns are unpredictable, following […] More
Interjectors are words and phrases that express pain, surprise, anger, pleasure, or some other emotion or sentiment on the part of the speaker. Unlike most other grammatical functions in the English language, interjectors are not constituents of the subject or the predicate and are not grammatically-related to any other part of the sentence. The category […] More
As defined by traditional grammars, a noun is a word that refers to a person, place, thing, or idea. A noun phrase is a phrase that consists of a noun plus any modifiers, complements, or determiners. Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns and noun phrases. Pronoun is a subcategory of noun. In […] More
Traditional grammars define nouns as words that refer to people, places, things, and ideas. Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns and noun phrases. Pronoun is a subcategory of noun. In English grammar, a noun phrase consists of a noun including a pronoun plus any determiners, modifiers, and complements. Nouns and pronouns always […] More
Traditional grammars define nouns as words that refer to people, places, things, and ideas. A noun phrase is a phrase that consists of a noun functioning as the phrase head plus any modifiers, complements, or determiners. A subcategory of nouns, pronouns are words that take the place of nouns and noun phrases. In grammar, a […] More
According to traditional grammars, nouns are words that refer to a person, place, thing, or idea. A noun phrase is a phrase that consists of a noun plus any modifiers, complements, or determiners. Pronouns are a subcategory of nouns that take the place of nouns and noun phrases. In grammar, a prepositional complement is a […] More
A clause in English grammar is defined as a grammatical structure that contains both a subject and a predicate. The subject always precedes the predicate in declarative sentences. However, the form of the predicate varies depending on the clause. The six forms of the predicate in English grammar are: Subject – Verb Subject – Verb […] More
A predicate is defined as a word or phrase that expresses the action performed by the grammatical subject or the state of the grammatical subject. Within the predicate, individual verbs perform specific grammatical functions. The six grammatical functions performed by verbs within the predicate are: Predicate Progressive Perfect Passive Modal Operator The following sections explain […] More
Modals are words that express modality. Modals function within verb phrases functioning as predicates. Only one grammatical form can perform the function of modal in English. The one grammatical form that can function as the modal is the verb. Only the modal verbs can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would and the […] More
Subjects are words, phrases, and clauses that perform the action of or act upon the verb. Although nouns, pronouns, and noun phrases most frequently function as the subjects of sentences, four grammatical forms can perform the grammatical function of subject in the English language. The four grammatical forms that can function as the subject are: […] More
Nouns have traditionally been defined as words that refer to a person, place, thing, or idea. A noun phrase is a phrase that consists of a noun plus any modifiers, complements, or determiners. A subcategory of nouns, pronouns are words that take the place of nouns and noun phrases. In grammar, an object complement is […] More
Traditional grammars define prepositions as words that “link to other words, phrases, and clauses” and that “express spatial or temporal relations.” Prepositional phrases are phrases that consist of a preposition plus another word, phrase, or clause functioning as a prepositional complement. Prepositions and prepositional phrase perform six primary grammatical functions within sentences in the English […] More
