Guide to English Language Grammar

Grammar is that part of language that enables us to build sentences and communicate ideas and thoughts to others. The key components of English Language Grammar include Parts of Speech, Grammar Usage, and Grammar Mechanics. Parts of Speech include nouns, verbs, and modifiers such as adjectives, articles, and adverbs. The study of Grammar Usage encompasses correct verb tense usage, compound and complex sentence structure, and other usage issues. Grammar mechanics cover such issues as spelling rules, punctuation, and capitalization.

Nouns

A noun names a person, place, or thing. The two basic kinds of nouns are common nouns and proper nouns. A common noun names any person, place, or thing and is usually not capitalized (example: a rose.) A proper noun names a specific person, place, or thing and is capitalized (example: my mother's name is Rose.) A concrete noun names a thing that can be perceived with any of the five senses (banana,) while an abstract noun is a thing that cannot be touched or seen (love.) There are also singular and plural nouns (rose and roses,) possessive nouns (Rose's garden,) collective nouns (the team,) and compound nouns (cheeseburger.)

Verbs

A verb expresses action or a state of being. A verb that shows physical or mental action is called an Action verb. A Linking verb connects the subject of a sentence with a word that describes or renames it. To determine if a verb is action or linking, use the Linking Verb Test. Replace the verb in question with the verb "was" or "is." If the sentence works, the verb is a Linking verb. (Mary looked frightened.) Mary "was" frightened. The sentence works with the substation, so "looked" is a linking verb. There are also Helping verbs, which are verbs that help the main verb to tell about an action, (he has painted many works.)

Modifiers

Adjectives describe or modify nouns. They add information about what kind, which one, or how many. Adverbs describe or modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They add information about how, how much, when, where, why, or to what extent. Use comparatives to compare two things. Form comparatives by adding --er, more, or less. If an adjective or adverb is short, add the ending --er. If an adjective or adverb has more than one syllable, add the word more or less. Use superlatives to compare three or more things. (Carol ran fastest of all the women.) Form superlatives by adding --est, most, or least. If an adjective or adverb is short, add the ending --est. If an adjective or adverb has more than one syllable, add the word most or least. (John is the most intelligent of the children.)

Verb Tenses

The simple tenses of the verb are present, past, and future. The present tense tells an action that happens in present time. The past tense tells an action that happened in the past. The future tense tells an action that will happen in the future. The perfect tenses of verbs express an action that is continued and was completed over a period of time. The perfect tense is formed by using "has," "have," or "had." (John has watered the garden.) The progressive form of a verb is used to express continuing action or state of being.

Active vs. Passive Voice

The Active voice tells that the subject is performing the action of the verb. Example: Mary received an award. When the subject receives the action of the verb, the verb is in the passive voice. (An award was given to Mary.) A sentence written in the passive voice should be revised into the active voice.

Pronouns

A pronoun takes the place of a noun. When pronouns replace common nouns, they replace the common noun and all of the modifiers of the common noun. The word that a pronoun stands for is called its antecedent and may appear in the same sentence as the antecedent or in a following sentence. The pronoun should agree in both number and gender with its antecedent. (The backyard fence is rather old, and it needs painting.) "It" is the pronoun and "fence" is its antecedent.

Spelling Rules for Numbers

Spell out numbers of one hundred or less and all numbers rounded to hundreds. Larger round numbers such as seven thousand or one million should be spelled out. If a number appears at the beginning of a sentence, spell it out or rewrite the sentence. Use words to express the time unless you are writing the exact time (5:32 A.M.) Use numerals to write dates, street numbers, apartment numbers, telephone numbers, scores, percentages, and page numbers.

Resources

• Interactive Grammar Quizzes