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Grammar for high school admissions tests: Difference between revisions

Grammar for high school admissions tests (view source)

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* = a grammatically complete thought
* = a grammatically complete thought
** contains a finite verb
** contains a finite verb (= a verb that has a subject)
** makes a complete thought
** makes a complete thought
*** ''The dog plays.''  
*** ''The dog plays.''  
**** as opposed to ''Since he plays  <<'' which is not a complete thought.
**** as opposed to ''Since the dog plays  <<'' not a complete thought
* a sentence can be a combination of '''clauses''' and '''phrases'''
* a sentence can be a combination of '''clauses''' and '''phrases'''
** but every sentence has at its basis a subject and verb
** but every sentence has at its basis a subject and verb (finite verb)
** <u>note</u>: commands or "imperative" verbs are finite verbs, even if the subject is unstated (it is assumed)
** <u>note</u>: commands or "imperative" verbs are finite verbs, even if the subject is unstated (it is assumed)
*** ex.:''Go home!''  = ''[you] Go home!''
*** ex.:''Go home!''  = ''[you] Go home!''
*** this concept will note be on a high school admissions test, but it may be on a college admissions test
*** this concept will note be on a high school admissions test, but it may be on a college admissions test
* a sentence must contain a '''finite verb'''
 
** '''finite verb'''
* see Verb section for more on finite and non-finite verbs
*** = verb that has a subject
*** finite verbs form the <u>predicate</u> of the sentence or clause
** '''predicate''' = the verb and its direct modifiers and objects
** '''non-finite verb''' is a verb that <u>does not have a subject</u>
** see Verb section for more on finite and non-finite verbs


== Clause ==
== Clause ==
* part of a sentence that contains a '''finite verb'''
* part of a sentence that contains a '''finite verb'''


* if the clause could be a sentence by itself, it is an '''independent clause'''
* if the clause could be a sentence by itself, it is an '''independent clause (IC)'''
* if the clause cannot be a sentence by itself, it is a '''dependent clause'''
* if the clause cannot be a sentence by itself, it is a '''dependent clause (DC)'''


=== independent clause (IC) ===
=== independent clause (IC) ===
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** ex. '''''The dog plays happily''', since I gave him a bone''
** ex. '''''The dog plays happily''', since I gave him a bone''
*** "The dog plays happily" could be a complete sentence if by itself, so it is an IC
*** "The dog plays happily" could be a complete sentence if by itself, so it is an IC
*** "since I gave him a bone" would not be a complete sentence if by itself, so it is a DC
*** by adding the dependent clause, "since I gave him a bone," we create a larger sentence.
*** by adding the dependent clause, "since I gave him a bone," we create a larger sentence.


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|}
|}


* note that the present perfect uses the past tense auxiliary verb (have/has), but the tense is still <u>present tense</u>
* <u>note</u>: the present perfect uses the past tense auxiliary verb (have/has), but the tense is still <u>present tense</u>


==== past perfect ====
==== past perfect ====
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|beginning
|beginning
|begun
|begun
|have/hs begun
|have/has begun
|style="background-color:#cccccc"|have/has began
|style="background-color:#cccccc"|have/has began
|-
|-
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|drank
|drank
|drinking
|drinking
|drunk
|drunk ("drunken" is also used as
("drunken" is also used  
past participle adjective
as past participle adjective  
|have/has drunk
|have/has drunk
|style="background-color:#cccccc"|have/has drank
|style="background-color:#cccccc"|have/has drank
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* sets aside information <u>outside of the grammatical flow</u> of a sentence
* sets aside information <u>outside of the grammatical flow</u> of a sentence
** i.e., the parentheses can interrupt other sentence parts:
** i.e., the parentheses can interrupt other sentence parts:
*** ex.  ''Birds (avian creatures) are amazing''
** ex.   
**** normally, we would not want to separate the subject "birds" from the verb "are" but the parentheses can do that to add important information to the sentence
*** ''Birds (avian creatures) are amazing''
**** note that pairs of commas and dashes work similarly:
*** normally, we would not want to separate the subject "birds" from the verb "are" but the parentheses can do that to add important information to the sentence
*** note that pairs of commas and dashes work similarly:
**** ''Birds, avian creatures,are amazing''
**** ''Birds, avian creatures,are amazing''
**** ''Birds-- avian creatures -- are amazing''
**** ''Birds-- avian creatures -- are amazing''
****
 
* pairs of commas and dashes can act like parentheses
* pairs of commas and dashes can act like parentheses


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* subordinate clauses (a form of a dependent clause) are generally <u>non-restrictive</u>:
* subordinate clauses (a form of a dependent clause) are generally <u>non-restrictive</u>:
** ''I took the test yesterday, although I was tired.''
** ''I took the test yesterday, although I was tired.''
** ''Although I was tired,I took the test.''
** ''Although I was tired, I took the test.''
* subordinating conjunctions create subordinate clauses (a form of a dependent clause)
* subordinating conjunctions create subordinate clauses (a form of a dependent clause)
** ''although, because, since, while, etc.''
** ''although, because, since, while, etc.''
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=== personal pronoun subjective & objective case ===
=== personal pronoun subjective & objective case ===
in compound objects, remove the first noun and test the pronoun
{| class="wikitable"
 
|+
> Steve and I went to the park.
!Subjective
 
!Example
> Steve and me went to the park
!Objective
 
!Example
me went to the park = wrong
|-
 
|I
> She gave Joey and me a bad grade.
|''You and I won''
 
|me
> She gave Joey and I a bad grade
|''They beat you and me''
|-
|you
|''You and I won''
|you
|''They beat you and me''
|-
|he / she/ it
|''He and you won''
|him / her/ it
|''They beat you and her''
|-
|we
|''We beat them''
|us
|''They beat us''
|-
|they
|''They beat us''
|them
|''We beat them''
|}
To test the case of the pronoun in compound subjects or objects:


remove "joey"
* remove the first noun and test the pronoun
 
** ''Steve and I went to the park.''versus
she gave I a bad grade = wrong
** ''Steve and me went to the park''
** <u>remove</u> "Steve"
*** ''Me went to the park'' = incorrec
** ''She gave Joey and me a bad grade.''
** ''She gave Joey and I a bad grade''
** <u>remove</u> "Joey"
*** ''She gave I a bad grade'' = incorrect


=== personal pronouns and prepositions ===
=== personal pronouns and prepositions ===
>  prepositions create a prep phrase
> prep prhase contains a
> preoposition + an object
Between you and I, grammar sucks.  x b/c I = subjective


Between you and me, grammar sucks.
* prepositions create a prep phrase


The car stopped right in front of the dog and he.
* prepositional phrases consist of  
** preposition + object (noun or noun phrase)


The car stopped right in front of the dog and him.
* prepositional phrases always use the OBJECTIVE CASE of personal pronouns
** ''Between you and I, grammar sucks''. versus:
** ''Between you and me, grammar sucks.''
***
** <u>remove</u> "you" and replace "between" with "for"
*** can also be read, ''For you and me, grammar sucks''
*** ''For I, grammar sucks'' << incorrect (subjective case)
*** ''For me, grammar sucks'' << correct (objectives case)
** ''The car stopped right in front of the dog and he.''
** ''The car stopped right in front of the dog and him.''
*** remove "the dog"
*** ''The car stopped right in front of he.'' << incorrect (subjective case)
*** ''The car stopped right in front of him.'' << correct (objective case


=== indefinite pronouns ===
=== indefinite pronouns ===
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