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    The Functions of “Silent E” in Written English

    E is the most common vowel and letter in the English language. Many words end in e in written English. In most words that end with an e, the letter is not pronounced, resulting in the term “silent e.” Although the list of words that end with a “silent e” is lengthy, the unpronounced letter […] More

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    English Adverb Clauses

    Traditional grammars describe adverb clauses as dependent or subordinate clauses that consist of a subordinating conjunction followed by a clause and that perform an adverbial function. Grammatical Forms Grammatical Form of English Adverb Clauses explains the internal structures that distinguish adverb clauses from other grammatical forms. Grammatical Functions Grammatical Function of English Adverb Clauses explains […] More

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    English P-words

    P-words are prepositions and adverbs that no longer perform prepositional or adverbial functions including particles in phrasal verbs, quasi-modal verbs, and determiner phrases and infinitive markers. P-words are function words, which are words that perform definite grammatical functions but that lack definite lexical meaning. Grammatical Form Grammatical Form of English P-words explains the grammatical forms […] More

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    Grammatical Form of English P-words

    P-words are prepositions and adverbs that no longer perform prepositional or adverbial functions. P-words are also function words, which are defined as words that perform definite grammatical functions but that lack definite lexical meaning. Belonging to a grammatical category consisting of a small closed word set, p-words show no inflectional variation. In the English language, […] More

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    Using Coordinating Conjunctions as Coordinators

    Notional grammars define conjunctions as words that “link together other words, phrases, and clauses.” Coordinating conjunctions are a type of conjunction that link, or coordinate, two or more words, phrases, or clauses. The seven coordinating conjunctions in English for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. In grammar, a coordinator is a function word that […] More

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    Grammatical Form of English Postpositions

    Belonging to a grammatical category consisting of a small closed word set, notional grammars define adpositions as “words that indicate a relation between the noun or pronoun and another word, which may be a verb, an adjective, or another noun or pronoun.” Postpositions are a subcategory of adpositions in which the postposition follows the complement […] More

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    Independent Clauses and Dependent Clauses in English Grammar

    Clauses are defined as grammatical structures that contain a subject and a predicate and that are the smallest grammatical unit that can express a complete proposition. One primary division in the analysis of clauses is the distinction between independent clauses and dependent clauses. Independent Clauses Independent clauses in English grammar are grammatical structures that consist […] More

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    English Adverbs

    Notional grammars define adverbs as “words that describe verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, and clauses.” An adverb phrase consists of an adverb plus any modifiers. Grammatical Forms Grammatical Form of English Adverbs: Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Adverbs explains the internal structures that distinguish adverbs from other grammatical forms, which includes three degrees of modification. English Adverbs […] More

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    Grammatical Aspect

    Grammatical aspect is the grammaticalized expression of the temporal structure of an action or state. Temporal structure roughly relates to duration. Four grammatical aspects exist in the English language: simple aspect, perfect aspect, progressive aspect, and perfect-progressive aspect. Grammatical Tense Grammatical Aspect in English describes the four grammatical aspects of the English language. Tense and […] More

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    The Appositive in English Grammar

    Appositives are words, phrases, and clauses that support another word, phrase, or clause by describing or modifying the other word, phrase, or clause. Although nouns and noun phrases most frequently function as appositive in sentences, three grammatical forms can perform the grammatical function of appositive in the English language. The three grammatical forms that can […] More

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    English Determiners

    Determiners are a closed class of words that provide information such as familiarity, location, quantity, and number about a noun phrase or verb phrase in the form of a present participle. Determiners differ in form and function from adjectives, which describe attributes of nouns, pronouns, and noun phrases. Grammatical Forms Grammatical Forms of English Determiners […] More

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    Grammatical Forms of English Determiners

    Determiners are a closed class of words that provide information such as familiarity, location, quantity, and number about a noun or noun phrase. Determiners differ in form and function from adjectives, which describe attributes of nouns and noun phrases. Determiners perform the grammatical function of determinative. In the English language, determiners are classified into seven […] More

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    ‘Language’: An Authority in Linguistics

    Language is the scholarly journal published by the Linguistic Society of America (LSA), which is a professional group for linguists founded in 1924 whose stated mission is to advance the field of linguistics, the scientific study of language (LSA: Publications; LSA: About LSA). Currently edited by Gregory N. Carlson of the Department of Linguistics at […] More

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    The Adverb Phrase Modifier in English Grammar

    Adverb phrase modifiers are words and phrases that that modify or describe an adverb or adverb phrase. Only one grammatical form can function as the adverb phrase modifier in English grammar: adverb phrases. Adverb Phrases as Adverb Phrase Modifiers The only grammatical form that can perform the grammatical function of adverb phrase modifier is the […] More

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    The Determiner Phrase Head in English Grammar

    Determiner phrase heads are words that function as the heads of determiner phrases. A determiner phrase consist of two or more determiners plus any p-words and functions as a determinative. Only one grammatical form can perform the function of determiner phrase head in the English language. The one grammatical form that can function as the […] More

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    The Adpositional Phrase Head in English Grammar

    Encompassing both prepositional phrase heads and postpositional phrase heads, adpositional phrase heads are words that function as the heads of adpositional phrases. An adpositional phrase consists of an adposition such as a preposition or postposition plus another word, phrase, or clause functioning as an adpositional complement. Two grammatical forms can perform the function of adpositional […] More

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    The Postpositional Phrase Head in English Grammar

    Similar to prepositional phrase heads, postpositional phrase heads are words that function as the heads of postpositional phrases. A postpositional phrase consists of a postposition plus another word, phrase, or clause functioning as a postpositional complement. Only one grammatical form can perform the function of postpositional phrase head in the English language. The one grammatical […] More

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    ESL Recipe Lesson Plan: Practice the Imperative Mood

    Many English language learners hope to function fully and completely in the English language. Learning to follow and write recipes is one such function of the language. ESL teachers can use the following lesson plan to teach ESL students about recipes in English as well as to practice the imperative mood. The following sections outline […] More

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    The Postpositional Complement in English Grammar

    Postpositional complements are defined as the word, phrase, or clause that directly precedes the postposition and completes the meaning of the postpositional phrase. Postpositional complements are also called objects of postpositions and complements of postpositions. Only one grammatical form can function as the postpositional complement in English grammar: noun phrases. Postpositions are less common than […] More

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