GLOSSARY OF GRAMMATICAL WORDS
GLOSSARY OF GRAMMATICAL WORDS
| active | one of two voices
of a verb, the other
being passive:
she reads a book (active) the book is read by her (passive) Note how the object of the active expression becomes the subject in the passive one |
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| adjective | an adjective describes or qualifies
a noun or pronoun:
a long drive, a deafening roar the meal was delicious, it was interesting |
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| adverb | adverbs qualify verbs and often—but not always—end -ly:
they ran quickly she visited us often They also qualify adjectives
and
other adverbs:
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| article | the (definite article)
a, an (indefinite article) |
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| case | the form of a noun,
pronoun
or adjective which
by its ending defines the grammatical role of the word in a sentence:
e.g. nominative case [subject], accusative [object], genitive [possessive] Applicable to languages such as German and Latin |
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| clause | a clause contains (or implies) a subject
and a finite verb:
the sun shines A main clause can form a sentence by itself. A subordinate clause needs a main clause to complement it: if the sun shines though he was innocent because they were late A subordinate clause is introduced by a conjunction |
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| conditional | a form of verbs
like indicative, imperative
or subjunctive, usually expressed in English
with would (in some languages this is expressed with a subjunctive):
if I were you, I would leave at once Also used in some languages as a polite form of
request:
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| conjunction | words which join together words, phrases,
clauses
and
sentences:
and, but, or, because, if, when, since, although, however, therefore, moreover |
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| finite | the finite form of a verb must have (or imply) a subject, unlike an infinitive or gerund | ||
| gender | there are three genders: masculine,
feminine or neuter; English
does not distinguish genders as much as it once did. The ones we still
have are either completely different words:
boy, girl, aunt, uncle, bull, cow or change their endings a little: actor, actress, hero, heroine These distinctions are used less often now: seldom will a female manager be called a manageress, and you are unlikely to hear of a managing directress or a bus conductress |
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| gerund | a form of a verb
used as a noun (similar
to an infinitive):
seeing is believing We might replace the gerunds here with infinitives: to see is to believe But we cannot replace this gerund in the same way: we will win by playing our best Note that a gerund is different from a participle
(though shares the same form). A participle is an adjective:
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| grammar | the science of language and its inflexions; recognised norms of usage; patterns which can be studied and applied to other expressions | ||
| idiom | a peculiar expression which does not conform to the general rules or patterns of its language's grammar | ||
| imperative | the form of a verb
which
expresses a command:
sit! bring! speak! |
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| imperfect | a past tense
of a verb, describing
an incomplete, continuous or recurring past action:
they used to watch the local team she visited us every Tuesday at six o'clock he would light his pipe we were travelling to Spain when it happened |
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| indicative | the form of a verb
which
describes something which happens or exists (whereas the subjunctive
describes potential action):
if he is at home he will have my message by now indicative if she were here, she would be happy subjunctive |
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| infinitive | a form of a verb
which
is normally expressed with to in front:
she wants to see a film to be or not to be |
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| inflexion | variable endings of words to express case, number, gender, tense or person | ||
| interrogative | a word which asks a question | ||
| intransitive | an intransitive verb cannot take a
direct object (only
an indirect one):
we go to the beach |
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| noun | these are concrete "things" which
you can see or feel, like table, computer, spider,
Bristol, France, John Major. Nouns can also be abstract
ideas like thirst, delay, holiday, things which are
real enough, but which cannot be seen or felt in the same way as concrete
objects can.
People who write newspaper headlines often use
nouns as if they were adjectives:
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| number | singular or plural | ||
| object | an object is a noun
or pronoun, and is
on the 'receiving end' of the action of a verb
(while the subject
'does'
it):
she reads the book An indirect object is usually expressed with a
preposition:
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| participle | a form of a verb
which is used as an adjective:
the moving film the surprised guests after waiting for an hour at the station, I took a taxi Be careful with 'hanging' participles:
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| passive | one of two voices
of a verb, the other
being active:
the book is read by her (passive) she reads a book (active) Note how the subject in the passive expression becomes the object of the active one |
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| perfect | a past tense
of a verb referring to a period of time now ended:
we have moved house I saw the circus acrobats yesterday you did not write to me |
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| person | the 'first person' is the person speaking
(i.e. "I" or, if plural, "we", the 'second person' is the person(s) addressed
(i.e. "you"), and the 'third person' is the person being talked about (i.e.
"he", "she", "it", "they" or a named person or thing)
The ending of a verb often changes depending on
the person. In English there is only one change—to the third person singular (e.g. I, you, we or they read, but s/he reads) .
In other languages the endings are more variable, e.g. French, which in a few cases has changes to the front half of a word too:
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| phrase | a combination of two or more words without a finite verb | ||
| pluperfect | past tense
of a verb including
'had':
I had left the premises before she arrived |
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| plural | describes two or more (a plural verb has a plural subject) | ||
| possessive | usually expressed with the apostrophe,
though
also expressed with the preposition of:
the boy's football (of the boy) the boys' football match (of the boys) The apostrophe has replaced a vowel which was once part of the possessive word-ending in an earlier form of English |
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| prefix | an addition to the front of a word:
pre-, post-, sub- etc |
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| preposition | prepositions combine with nouns
or pronouns to form
an expression which usually describes time or place, or an indirect
object:
in London, at 3.30 p.m., on a bus, between midday and 3 p.m., under the bridge, with a friend, to his dismay, half of the cake, near Bristol, after Tuesday |
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| pronoun | pronouns are used in place of nouns
(the Latin word pro meant in place of):
I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they me, you, him, her, us, you, them Notice how the pronouns on the first line are used as subjects, and on the second as objects. Other pronouns include
Also: who, whom, which, whose |
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| sentence | a sentence must contain a main clause (i.e. a subject and a finite verb) | ||
| singular | describes only one (a singular verb has a singular subject) | ||
| subject | a subject is a noun
or pronoun, and performs
the action of a verb
(as opposed to an object,
which is on the 'receiving end'):
she reads the book |
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| subjunctive | the form of a verb
which
describes a potential rather than real action or condition (as opposed
to indicative):
if she were here, she would be happy subjunctive if he is at home he will have my message by now indicative |
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| syntax | the grammatical structure of a sentence | ||
| tense | the tense of a verb
describes
when the action took place:
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| transitive | a transitive verb takes a direct object
(as
opposed to an intransitive
verb
which does not):
they eat a meal |
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| verb | these words usually describe an action,
or sometimes a condition. Every sentence
should have one (or imply one):
we visit a restaurant he is in the house |
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| voice | a verb has two voices: active and passive |
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