Grammar
Grammar
- Note: "punctuation" is a sub-category of "grammar" <<tbd structure for separate punctuation entry or not
See Word Parts of Speech & Grammar Rules for list of commonly used words, their parts of speech categories, and the rules governing their use See Parts of Speech for grammar and usage rules on word categories
[category: Grammar] [category: Language Arts] [category: Language Arts Skills] [category: Parts of Speech] [category: Punctuation]] [category: Word Parts of Speech & Grammar Rules]
clause
(not Santa)
dependent clause
dominant clause
independent clause
subordinate clause
conjunctions
- see parts of speech
Alphab. list | FANBOYS list | |
---|---|---|
and | F | for |
but | A | and |
for | N | nor |
or | B | but |
nor | O | or |
so | Y | yet |
yet | S | so |
coordinating conjunctions
- = combine independent clauses (clauses that can stand as sentences on their own)
subordinating conjunctions
- = conjunctions that "subordinate" or turn an independent clause into a subordinate clause, i.e., a sentence that cannot stand on its own
- = create a need for additional information and sets up for the information that follows in the dominant or main clause
- ex.: "The dog played with his toy every day until it wore out" can be phrased using a subordinating conjunction, as per:
- "Until it wore out, the dog played with his toy every day."
- "Until it wore out" is not a complete sentence or thought
Click EXPAND for partial list of subordinating conjunctions
after | although | as | as if | as long as |
as much as | as soon as | as though | because | before |
even | even if | even though | if | if only |
if then | if when | inasmuch | just as | lest |
now | now that | now when | once | provided |
provided that | rather than | since | so that | supposing |
than | that | though | till | unless |
until | when | whenever | where | whereas |
where if | wherever | whether | which | while |
who | whoever | why |
Introductory clauses & phrases
introductory clause
- provides information or context to set up a dominant clause
- = a dependent clause (does not stand as a complete sentence)
- usually begin with a subordinating conjunction
- ex. "If you want to do well on the test, use the study guide"
introductory phrase
Modifiers, qualifiers & intensifiers
Modifiers
- modifiers change or add or "modify" the meaning of a word or sentence
- modifiers provide or extent additional meaning to the reader
- types of modifiers
- adjectives
- prepositions
- prepositional phrases
- adverbs
- verbs as modifiers
- participle phrase
- other
- adjective clause
- infinitive phrase
- adverbial clause
- absolute phrase
- Nouns as modifiers
Qualifiers
- qualifiers limit, or "qualify," the meaning of a word
- types of qualifiers:
>> to do
Intensifiers
- enhance or strengthen the meaning of a word
- (opposite of qualifiers which limit the meaning of a word)
- intensifiers are adverbs (which modify verbs and adjectives), such as "he ran very fast" or "he was very late"
- intensifiers can also act as adjectives in order to intensify an noun,
- as in "a total lie"
- types of intensifiers:
- positive intensifiers:
- very, extremely, absolutely, greatly, totally, highly, particularly, seriously, etc.
- negative intensifiers:
- never, at all, dangerously, never, etc.
- intensifiers that can be both positive or negative:
- awfully, completely
- positive intensifiers:
Sources for modifiers, qualifiers & intensifiers
- Modifiers (Walden.edu)]
- Modifiers Intensifiers, Qualifiers (My English Teacher)]
- [Intensifiers (Britishcouncil.org)]
- [Intensifier (Grammar-Monster.com)]
- for Parts of Speech entry on "Very" (s4s wiki)
Sentence Diagramming
- diagraming sentences means identifying every part of speech of the words in a sentence
- See Parts of Speech
- see Using Nouns and Noun Phrases as Object Complements