Glossary of Grammatical Terms

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[abbreviation] [absolute possessive] [abstract noun] [accusative case] [acronym] [active sentence] [active voice] [adjective] [adjective clause] [adjective phrase] [adjunct] [adverb] [adverbial clause] [adverbial phrase] [affix] [alliteration] [anagram] [analogy] [anastrophe] [antecedent] [antonym] [apostrophe] [apposition] [appositive] [archaism] [article] [aspect] [auxiliary verb]

^ top Abbreviation

An abbreviation is a shortened version of a written word or phrase used to replace the original.

Mr, RAF, Prof., BBC

Laura and Rev. Jones were the only ones singing. [abbreviation]

Related lesson: "Abbreviations".

^ top Absolute Possessive

The words "mine", "yours", "his", "hers", "its", "ours" and "theirs" are known as absolute possessives. (This is because they stand alone and do not modify nouns.)

Theirs are in the garage.

If yours is missing, take hers. [absolute possessive]

Related lesson: "Pronouns".

^ top Abstract Noun

An abstract noun is a word which names something that you cannot see, hear, touch, smell or taste. It is the opposite of a concrete noun.

consideration, parenthood, belief

These certificates and medals are for bravery. [abstract noun]

Related lesson: "Nouns".

^ top Accusative Case

In other languages, the accusative case's main function is to show the direct object of a verb. In modern English, it is indistinguishable from the dative case, whose main role in other languages is to show the indirect object of verb. In English, the objective case covers the roles of both the accusative and the dative case.

^ top Acronym

An acronym is an abbreviation spoken like a word.

BUPA, NAAFI

My PC starts up in DOS. [acronym]

Related lesson: "Abbreviations".

^ top Active Sentence

An active sentence is the opposite of a passive sentence. In an active sentence, the subject performs the action of the verb. For example:

The dog ate all the biscuits.
(In this example, "the dog" is the subject of the sentence - subject of the verb "to eat". "The dog" is also the thing that did the eating. Therefore, this is an active sentence. Compare this to its passive version: "The biscuits were eaten by the dog." In this example, the biscuits did not perform the action of the verb. In fact, it was done to them. Therefore, it is a passive sentence.)

Tony is trimming the hedges all week.
("Tony" - active subject; i.e. doing the action (trimming))

Hammerhead sharks will pester you as you approach the reef.
("Hammerhead sharks" - active subject; i.e. doing the action (pester))

Local yobs have defaced the wall already. [convert to a passive sentence]

Related lesson: "Verbs".

^ top Active Voice

Verbs are said to be in "active voice" when the subject of the sentence performs the verb in the sentence. For example:

The leopard chased the antelope.

subject verb (in "active voice")

Related lesson: "Verbs".

^ top Adjective

Adjectives are describing words. They are used either before or after a noun to modify its meaning.

a large bass

adjective noun

The moon is bright tonight.

noun adjective

In addition to descriptive words (e.g. pretty, blue, classic, tired, etc.), there are several other kinds of adjectives, including:

Articles ("an", "a", "the")

Compound adjectives (e.g. "four-storey", "10-page")

Comparatives (e.g. "stickier", "taller", "less cultivated")

Demonstrative adjectives (e.g. "that", "these")

Indefinite adjectives (e.g. "some", "few")

Possessive adjectives (e.g. "my", "her", "its", "their")

Your red cheeks give you away, my love. [adjective]

These are covered in much more detail in the lesson "Adjectives".

Related lesson: "Adjectives".

^ top Adjective Clause

The vast majority of adjectives are single words and are used before nouns to modify their meanings (e.g. tall building). An adjective clause, on the other hand, usually comes after the noun it modifies and comprises several words.

The carpets which you bought last year...

adjective clause

An adjective clause often starts with a word like "which", "who", or "that", but these can be omitted. (This is normal in informal writing.)

The carpets you bought last year...

adjective clause

The tramp who had the limp was seen sprinting after the bus. [adjective clause]

Related lesson: "Which and Who".

^ top Adjective Phrase

An adjective phrase usually starts with a preposition (e.g. "of", "in", "on") or a participle (e.g. taken, leaving) and follows the noun it is modifying.

This is the end of a very long road.

adjective phrase

Related lesson: "Plurals".

Did you see the man leaving the shop?

adjective phrase

The mother of the boys was just as bad. [adjective phrase]

Related lesson: "Verbs".

^ top Adjunct

An adjunct is an adverb used to modify a verb. Adjuncts are used to indicate time, manner, place, frequency, reason and degree. They can be single words, phrases or clauses.

The alarm went off again last night.
(time adjunct - also called "adverb of time")

Simon drinks his pints like a demon.
(manner adjunct - also called "adverb of manner")

She buries all her toys wherever Ollie buries his.
(place adjunct - also called "adverb of place")

Present your case carefully, or he will veto the bill in the morning. [adjunct]

Related lesson: "Adverbs".

^ top Adverb

Adverbs are mainly used to modify verbs. They are used to express when, where, how, for what reason or to what degree an action is performed. Many adverbs - especially those that express how an action is performed - end "ly".

The silly season starts in August. (when)

Toby played in the garden. (where)

She ran quickly. (how)

As it has stopped raining, the game can continue. (reason)

They dance more gracefully. (degree)

In this role, adverbs are also known as adjuncts. However, adverbs can also modify adjectives and other adverbs.

extremely tall lady (tall is an adjective)

She typed the letter remarkably quickly. (quickly is an adverb)

Take this pen and write the following down carefully. [adverb]

This is covered in more detail in the lesson "Adverbs".

Related lesson: "Adverbs".

^ top Adverbial Clause

An adverbial clause is a group of related words which play the role of an adverb. Like all clauses, an adverbial clause includes a subject and a verb. For example:

The cleaner says she left the printer cartridge here. (normal adverb)

The cleaner says she left the printer cartridge where she always
leaves it. (adverbial clause)

Keep pouring until I tell you to stop. [adverbial clause]

Related lesson: "Adverbs".

^ top Adverbial Phrase

An adverbial phrase is a group of related words which play the role of an adverb. Like all phrases, an adverbial phrase does not include a subject and a verb. For example:

Tony decided to move to Reading yesterday. (normal adverb)

Tony decided to move to Slough in June last year. (adverbial phrase)

Darcy can build a card pyramid in less than a minute. [adverbial phrase]

Related lesson: "Adverbs".

^ top Affix

An affix can be added to the root of a word to change its meaning. An affix added to the front of a word is known as a "prefix". One added to added to the back is known as a "suffix". (Sometimes prefixes are hyphenated.)

incapable (prefix "in"), ex-President (prefix "ex"), laughing (suffix "ing")

The ex-president began singing to the anti-tax demonstrators. [affix]

Related lesson: "Hyphens".

^ top Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial letter in successive words; it is done for effect.

The slimy snake slithered secretly.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

^ top Anagram

An anagram is a word which comprises the same letters as another word. For example:

stop, tops, opts, pots and spot - all anagrams of each other

I'll fix the stool when I get my tools back from your Dad. [anagram]

^ top Analogy

An analogy is the comparison of two similar ideas in order to explain one. For example:

This is not considered a good course of action; it would be like throwing the pilot out to make the plane lighter.

^ top Anastrophe

Anastrophe is the deliberate changing of normal word order for emphasis.

She stared into the dog's eyes deep and menacing.
(Normal order: She stared into the dog's deep and menacing eyes.)
On a black cloak sparkle the stars.

^ top Antecedent

An antecedent is the word(s) to which a pronoun refers.

Gail called to say she will arrive at 7 o'clock.

antecedent pronoun

The man who lives next door lost his driving licence.

antecedent pronoun

Mark, did you see the whelk which Lee caught? [antecedent]

Related lesson: "Which and Who".

^ top Antonym

An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another.

poor is an antonym of excellent

antonym of hero: soldier, officer, enemy, coward, prisoner [antonym]

^ top Apostrophe

Apostrophes (') are used to replace missing letters, to create the possessive forms of nouns and to create temporal expressions (e.g. 2 years' tax). Exercised with care, they can also be used for the plural forms of abbreviations, letters and numbers.

cannot > can't (replacing missing letters)

Alan's car (possessive form of the noun "Alan")

a minute's silence (temporal expression)

SOS's, 7's, A's (plural of SOS, 7 and A)

Related lesson: "Apostrophes".

^ top Apposition

See "Appositive"

^ top Appositive

An appositive is the word(s) which follow a noun to rename it or describe it in another way. Appositives are usually offset with commas, brackets or dashes.

My best friend, Lee, caught a whelk when he was fishing for bass.

noun appositive

Dr Pat, the creator of the turnip brew, sold 8 barrels on the first day.

appositive of "Dr Pat"

(Apposition: "Lee" is in apposition to "My best friend", and "the creator of the turnip brew" is in apposition to "Dr Pat".)

Don't leave your shoes there, or my dog, Ollie, will munch them. [appositive]

Related lesson: "Parenthesis".

^ top Archaism

Archaism is the use of archaic words, spellings or sentence structure.

Thee, thou, whence, hither

This marks the end of an era methinks. [archaism]

^ top Article

There are 3 articles. They are the adjectives "a", "an" and "the". "The" is called the definite article as it is used to indicate something specific; whereas, "a" and "an" are called the indefinite articles as they are used to indicate something unspecific.

I fell over the chair again. (a specific chair known to the listener)

Can you pass me a chair. (an unspecific chair - i.e. any chair)

I'm not a bitch. I'm the bitch! [article]

Related lesson: "Adjectives".

^ top Aspect

The aspect of a verb is determined by whether the action is on-going or completed. Although all verbs in the past have already happened, aspect is used to emphasise whether the action was on-going or completed at the time. The four aspects are: simple aspect (also known as the "indefinite aspect"), perfect aspect (or "complete aspect"), progressive aspect (or "continuing aspect") and perfect progressive aspect.

He took the photos.
(simple aspect - no emphasis of completed or on-going action)

He had taken the photos by the time the owner arrived.
(perfect aspect - action completed)

He was taking the photos when the owner arrived.
(progressive aspect - action on-going)

He had been taking the photos before the owner arrived.
(perfect progressive aspect - action on-going but then finished)

These are all in the past tense, but aspect applies equally to the present and future tenses:

The Simple Aspect (Indefinite Aspect)	Example
simple past tense	I went
simple present tense	I go
simple future tense	I will go

The Perfect Aspect (Completed Aspect)	Example
past perfect tense	I had gone
present perfect tense	I have gone
future perfect tense	I will have gone

The Progressive Aspect (Continuing Aspect)	Example
past progressive tense	I was going
present progressive tense	I am going
future progressive tense	I will be going

The Perfect Progressive Aspect	Example
past perfect progressive tense	I had been going
present perfect progressive tense	I have been going
future perfect progressive tense	I will have been going

^ top Auxiliary Verb

An auxiliary verb (or helping verb) accompanies another verb in order to help express its tense, mood or voice. The verbs "to have", "to be", "to do", "can", "may" and "shall" are commonly used auxiliary verbs.

Do you have to leave at six o'clock?

I can help you.

You could have been killed. [auxiliary verb]

Related lesson: "Verbs".