English & Language Usage Flashcards
Adjective
A descriptive word that modifies a noun or pronoun
Adverb
A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb and indicates WHEN, HOW, WHERE, WHY, or HOW MUCH; the ending -ly is commonly remembered
Article
A word that is used to limit a noun, either indefinite (a & an) or definite (the)
Clause
A group of words that are related and contain both a subject and a verb
Direct object
The noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb and answers the question whom, or what
Noun
A word for a person, place, or thing
Object of the preposition
The noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause to which the preposition refers
Phrase
A group of words that are related but do not contain a verb and a subject together
Possessive pronoun
A pronoun used to indicate ownership
Preposition
A word such as BY, AT, TO, or FROM that gives additional info, usually in relationship to something else in the sentence
Pronoun
A word that replaces and refers to a noun
Subject
A noun or pronoun that performs the action of the verb. If a sentence contains a verb of being or a linking verb such as BE, FEEL, BECOME, or LOOK, the subject of the sentence is the noun or pronoun being described
Verb
A word that shows an action or a state of being
What is a prepositional phrase usually composed of?
A preposition, an article, and an object of the preposition, with modifiers added sometimes as well
A way to identify some prepositions (mnemonic about a box)
The boy can sit ON the box, BY the box, ABOVE the box, BELOW the box, AROUND the box, or NEAR the box; this doesn’t allow for TO and FROM, which are two of the most common prepositions
What does a possessive pronoun automatically show?
Possession (yours, mine, ours)
Common possessive pronouns in the 1st person
Singular = mine, my; Plural = our, ours
Common possessive pronouns in the 3rd person
Singular = her, hers, his, its; Plural = their, theirs
Common possessive pronouns in the 2nd person
Singular = your, yours; Plural = your, yours
Antecedent
The noun that a pronoun refers back to
Gendered language
Language that specifies male or female gender using words such as HE or SHE
Coordinating conjunctions
Words that join two or more words, phrases, or clauses so that each conjoined element is equal
What are the coordinating conjunctions?
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, & so (FANBOYS)
Subordinating conjunction
A word that joins two or more clauses & makes the clause that contains it dependent on another clause; therefore, the clause that contains the subordinating conjunction is of less importance
What are some common subordinating conjunctions?
because, though, although, as, as if, when, & while
Nominalization
The making of a noun from a verb, adverb, or adjective
Active verbs
Verbs that show an action performed by the subject of the sentence
Passive verbs
Comprised of BE plus a past particle that shifts the action of a sentence from the subject to the object of the sentence
Make this sentence passive: The dog chewed the bone.
The bone was chewed by the dog. - The action is moved from the subject of the sentence, the dog, to the direct object of the sentence, the bone; The subject of the original sentence now performs the verb on the subject, in other words
Passive voice
State of a sentence that contains a passive verb
What choices does a writer have when constructing a sentence?
Active or passive verb, syntax (word order), modifiers, word choice (diction), and punctuation
Context clues
Words surrounding an unfamiliar word that can help in discerning the meaning of the unfamiliar word
Simple sentence
Contains only one independent clause and no dependent clauses
Periodic sentence
Independent clause is delayed until the end of the sentence and is often preceded by parallel strings of modifiers
Compound sentence
Two (or more) independent clauses joined together with a coordinating conjunction
Complex sentence
Sentence that contains an independent clause and a dependent clause
Cumulative sentence
Also known as a loose sentence; contains an independent clause followed by a parallel string of modifiers; modifiers may be adjectives, prepositional phrases, or dependent clauses
