English Grammar Flashcards
What are transitive verbs?
(Verbs) that requires a DIRECT OBJECT to complete their meaning.
E.g., He (plays) GUITAR.
Tip: Beware indirect objects! These are not acted upon by the subject.
E.g., The teacher (gave) the students HOMEWORK.
What are intransitive verbs?
Verbs that do not need a direct object to complete their meaning.
E.g., She smiled.
What are linking verbs? Examples?
A type of intransitive verb that does not describe an action. Links a subject to descriptive information.
E.g., Sara (is) nice.
Examples: All forms of the infinitive “to be” and perception words such as “look,” “feel,” “seems,” and “appears.”
What is a verb phrase?
A group of two or more words that act as a verb.
Must contain a verb and its auxiliary verbs (verbs that help form tense)
What are auxiliary verbs?
Verbs that help form tense as part of a verb phrase.
E.g., I (will have been) studying French for three years.
Do quantifiers (some, none, most, etc.) use single or plural verbs?
Depends on the object they quantify. E.g., Some of my (goals) ARE outlandish.
Tip: The qualified portion is still technically the subject!
Singular or plural verbs?
“The number”
“A number”
“The number” = singular
E.g, The number of players IS odd.
“A number” = plural
E.g., A number of skiers ARE too cold to compete.
Singular or plural verb?
Multiple subjects (singular or plural) connected by “and.”
Plural verb
E.g., John and his brothers are at the fair.
Singular or plural verb?
Two singular subjects connected by “or.”
Singular verb
E.g., The president or the vice president IS speaking today.
Singular or plural verb?
When a singular and a plural subject are connected by “or.”
Verb agrees with the subject closest to it.
Singular or plural verb?
Two singular subjects connected by “either/or” or “neither/nor.”
Singular verb.
E.g, Neither the teacher nor her student knows the answer.
Singular or plural verb?
When a singular and plural subject are connected by “either/or” or “neither/nor.”
The verb agrees with the subject closest to it.
E.g., Neither Amanda nor her sisters KNOW where their parents are.
Is it incorrect to place a personal pronoun first in a multi-subject sentence?
E.g, I, my dad, and my step-mom are going to the movies.
Technically, no. But it is best practice to place the pronoun last unless it leads to awkward constructions.
Problems with multi-subject sentences including the pronoun “I” and an infinitive verb, i.e., “go”.
In multi-subject sentences where the verb must match the closest subject, an infinitive paired with the personal pronoun “I” must take its irregular infinitive form (am).
Ex. Neither she or I am going.
Avoid this construction by rewriting when possible.
Pronouns that are always singular: (17)
All Elephants Eat Navel Oranges
BOTs
Another
Each
Either/Neither (except when paired with or/nor)
One
Everybody, everything, everyone
Somebody, something, someone
Anybody, anything, anyone
Nobody, nothing, no one
What does the subjunctive mood do?
Pairs singular subjects with plural verbs to express a hypothetical, wishful, or factually contradictory thought.
E.g., I wish it were Friday. If Joe were here, you’d be sorry.
Singular or plural?
Collective nouns, e.g., family, staff, jury, etc.
Exceptions (2)?
Tip?
Singular.
E.g., “The flute ensemble is playing at the music festival.”
EXCEPTIONS (2):
When the group is not performing a collective action, especially if disagreement is implied.
E.g., The flute ensemble are tuning their instruments.”
E.g., “The jury disagree.” (Because it is impossible for a single entity to disagree with itself.)
When a relative clause is used, subtly changing the meaning.
E.g., A set of controls is within easy reach of the driver. (All of the controls are within reach.)
E.g., The car features a set of controls that change the station, adjust the volume, etc. (Each control has a different job.)
Tip: Look for words like “that” which add detail that effects meaning.
Singular or plural verbs?
Distances, periods of time, money, etc.
Singular when considered as a unit.
E.g., Six dollars IS too much for gum.
Three miles is too far to walk. Five years is the maximum sentence.
List all subject pronouns. (8)
I
He
She
They
We
Who
And SOMETIMES You and It
What is a subject pronoun?
A pronoun that is the subject of a sentence or renames the sentence subject.
E.g. (I) hate baseball. This is (she) speaking. It is he/we who is/are responsible.
What is an object pronoun? (3)
A pronoun representing the direct object being acted upon by the subject; the indirect object affected by the action; or the object of the preposition.
E.g., Sarah saw (her). (Direct)
E.g., Sarah gave (her) the book. (Indirect)
E.g., Are you talking to (me)? (object of the preposition)
What is a preposition? Examples?
A word used before a noun or pronoun that provides greater detail by answering who, where, when, why, and how questions.
E.g., to, into, on, in, at, inside, below, over, above, under, off, toward, within, along, behind, in front, etc.
List all object pronouns. (8)
Me, him, her, them, us, whom, and SOMETIMES you and it.
Six sentence structures that might lead you to misidentify the sentence subject.
Happy People Never Pout In Public
Here/there sentences (passive)
Passive structure
Nonessential phrases
Parenthesis (nonessential)
Implied subjects
Prepositional objects
Don’t misidentify the verb!
Infinitives
If a verb follows “to” it is never the main verb. You will find the main verb just before or immediately after the infinitive.
How to recognize an indirect object:
An indirect object is the object affected by the verb. It always has a an implied “to” or “for” in front of it.
E.g., Give (to) her the book.
E.g., Do (for) me a favor.
What is a prepositional phrase?
A phrase that begins with a preposition and provides greater detail.
E.g. She is a friend (of mine).
What is the object of the preposition?
A noun (or word acting as a noun) that works with the preposition to create a prepositional phrase.
What two parts of speech can replace a noun in a prepositional phrase?
A pronoun
E.g., I gave the book to (her).
A gerund
E.g., my sister knows a lot about investing.
How do you determine whether to use the subject or object pronoun after the words “than” or “as.”
E.g., Bob is as smart as she/her.
E.g., Zoe is taller than I/me.
Mentally complete the sentence.
E.g. Bob is as smart as she is.
E.g., Zoe is taller than I am.
When “who” refers to a personal pronoun (I, you, he, she, we, or they), it must take the verb that…
E.g., It is I who…
Agrees with that pronoun.
E.g, It is (I) who (am) sorry.
What is an antecedent?
The subject to which a pronoun refers.
Do the pronouns “who,” “that,” and which use singular or plural verbs?
Depends on their antecedent.
Singular subject = singular verb
Plural subject = Plural verb
What should I look out for in “One” constructions containing the pronoun “who”?
Constructions that describe someone as being one of a group.
The pronoun “who” is neither singular or plural and depends on its antecedent to determine the verb.
Since people commonly mistake the subject in “one” constructions, it is easy to choose the wrong antecedent for “who.”
If “one” refers to a single person, it is the subject.
E.g., He is the ONE who (knows.)
E.g, He is the only ONE of those men who (knows).
If one is a member of a group, the group is the subject.
E.g., He is one of (those) men who knows all the answers.
“Each” is always singular, unless…
It comes AFTER the noun.
E.g., Each woman gave (her) approval.
E.g., The women each gave (their) approval.
Oneself or one’s self?
Oneself
When are reflexive pronouns used? (3)
When both the subject and the object of the verb are the same person or thing.
E.g., (Joe) helped (himself.)
When the object of the preposition refers back to the same noun or pronoun.
E.g., (Joe) bought it for (himself).
For emphasis.
E.g. He did the whole project himself
When should a reflexive pronoun not be used? (2)
In place of an object pronoun. (Unless the subject and object are the same person.)
E.g.,
Incorrect: Please give it to John or myself.
Correct: Please give it to John or me.
In place of a subject pronoun.
E.g.,
Incorrect: My brother and myself did it.
Correct: My brother and I did it.
Reflexive pronoun tip:
Never use a reflexive pronoun unless the corresponding subject pronoun appears earlier in the sentence.
Common mistakes with “one” constructions: (2)
1) Be wary of mistaking “one” as the subject when it comes after the noun.
E.g., NORA (is) one of the candidates (running).
2) Be wary of “one” when it identifies someone of something as a member of a group.
If “one” refers to a single person, it is a subject pronoun.
E.g., He is the ONE who (knows.)
E.g, He is the only ONE of those men who (knows).
If one is a member of a group, the group is acting like the subject.
E.g., He is one of (those) men who know all the answers.
Common mistakes when using singular pronouns like “everyone,” “anybody,” etc. (2)
1) Pronoun inconsistencies.
Do not use a plural pronoun to refer back to a singular pronoun.
E.g.,
Incorrect: Someone has to do it, and they have to do it well.
Correct: (Someone) has to do it, and (he) has to do it well.
2) Awkward constructions using “he or she.” Avoid and rewrite.
How to identify the correct pronoun when multiple subjects are joined by “and.”
E.g., Her/She and her boyfriend came over.
Mentally remove the “and + noun” and ensure the subject-verb agreement is grammatically correct.
E.g., She (and her boyfriend) came over.
Is it ever correct to link a subject pronoun to an object pronoun using “and” or “or”?
No, one of the pronouns will always be wrong.
If two people possess the same object and one of those people is expressed as a pronoun, how do you indicate the possessive?
Common mistake?
You must use the possessive form for both, pairing a possessive proper noun with a possessive adjective.
E.g., Maribel’s and my home.
E.g., Maribel’s and your home.
E.g., His and Maribel’s home.
Common mistake: Using possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, her, ours, theirs) instead of possessive adjectives (my, your, her, our, their).
“I” Vs “Me”: 3 ways to determine the correct pronoun
1) Subject vs object: “I” is always the subject whereas “me” is always the object.
2) If you can replace “me” with “him,” it’s correct.
E.g., Do you want to go to the store with me (him)?
3) In “you and/or I/me” determinations, ignore the “you” and choose the pronoun that sounds grammatically correct.
E.g., When he’s finished reading the book, he’ll give it to (you or) I/me.
Who VS Whom: 4 ways to determine the correct pronoun.
1) Determine subject vs object:
“Who” is a subject pronoun. “Whom” is an object pronoun. The “who” does the action whereas the “whom” has the action done to it.
2) Replace “who” with “he”:
If “who” can be replaced with “he,” it is correct.
3) Fill in the blank:
If the question is best answered using “he,” the answer is “who.” If it is best answered using “him,” “whom” is the right answer.
E.g., Who is going to the store? HE is going to the store.
E.g., Whom did they give it to? They gave it to HIM.
4) “Whom” always follows the preposition “to.”
What is a possessive adjective?
A.K.A?
Examples?
A possessive adjective comes before a noun and describes that noun as belonging to someone or something.
E.g., (My) car is bigger than (her) car.
A possessive determiner.
Examples: my, your, her, his, our, their.
What are the three degrees of adjectives and adverbs?
Positive degree
Comparative degree
Superlative degree
What is a positive degree adjective or adverb?
An adjective or adverb under normal use.
E.g., The baby is (sweet).
E.g., He ran far.
What is a comparative degree adjective/adverb?
An adjective or adverb used to compare two things.
E.g., This orange is (sweeter) than the other.
E.g., He ran farther.
What is the superlative degree?
An adjective or adverb comparing three or more things.
E.g., This is the sweetest of the three oranges.
E.g., He ran the farthest.
When are “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those” determiners (sometimes referred to as adjectives) ? When are they pronouns?
When they are followed by a noun, they are determiners/adjectives. When they stand alone, they are pronouns.
E.g., (This house) is for sale. (Determiner/Adj.)
E.g., (This) is for sale. (Pronoun)
Why are prepositions or prepositional phrases often mistaken for adverbs?
Because they both tend to answer questions like how, when, where, why, and to what extent (how often or how much).
How to avoid mistaking a preposition or prepositional phrase for an adverb.
Look for the object of the preposition.
If there is no object, you are looking at an adverb.
How to avoid mistaking an adjective as part of a verb phrase following an infinitive.
A verb phrase only contains verbs. If the word following the infinitive is not a verb, it can only be an adjective.
E.g., He is (able) to come. (Adj.)
A common mistake following verbs that pertain to the senses (taste, look, feel, etc.), and two strategies for avoiding it.
Mistaking an adjective that follows a linking verb pertaining to senses for an adverb (and adding -ly).
Ask yourself:
1)Is the subject physically performing an action? If not, it’s a linking verb and will require an adjective.
2) If you insert the word “seem” in place of the verb, does the sentence still make sense? If so, it’s a linking verb and requires an adjective.
What is the difference between “bad” and “badly”?
Exception?
Common mistake?
“Bad” is an adjective used to modify nouns. (Bad dog!)
“Badly” is an adverb used to modify verbs. (Badly done!)
Exception: Either “bad” or “badly” may be used as adverbs following expressions of want or need. (I want you so bad/badly.)
Common mistake: Beware linking verbs pertaining to senses! If the subject is not physically performing the action, then the verb is a linking verb and requires the adjective form “bad.”
E.g., I feel bad that you missed your plane. Vs I feel badly (with my fingers).
What’s the difference between “good” and “well”?
Which is used to describe a person’s health or well being?
“Good” is an adjective. Well is an adverb.
Well is always used in reference to someone’s health or well-being.
How do you tell if the word “very” is serving as an adjective or adverb?
If it’s being used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, it is an adverb. Typically used to emphasize something is of a high degree or intensity.
E.g., She plays very well.
If it modifies a noun, it is an adjective. Typically used to specify exactness or preciseness.
E.g., It happened at this very spot.
Can a preposition end a sentence?
Yes (the assertion that it can’t is a discredited myth.)
“I could have” or “I could of”?
I could have.
“Different from” or “different than”?
Different from
“The same applies to” or “the same applies for”?
The same applies to.
What should careful editors take care to look for and remove regarding prepositions?
Unnecessary prepositions.
E.g., Where did you get this (from).
E,g., Get off (of) my grass!
What is a “phrasal verb”?
An idiomatic verb phrase usually consisting of a verb and a preposition.
E.g., turn in, give in, log in, log on, grab on, etc.
