fit it grammar final exam Flashcards
What is a Prepositional Phrase?
A phrase that begins with a preposition and includes a noun or pronoun
Prepositional phrases do not contain verbs.
That Clause
never takes a comma
A dependent clause introduced by the word ‘that’ which provides additional information
What are the types of Sentence Patterns?
- Subject Opener
- Prepositional Opener
- -ly adverb
- -ing participial phrase
What is the rule regarding commas with prepositional phrases?
Do not put a comma in front of a prepositional phrase
Use a comma after a prepositional phrase if it starts a sentence and contains 5 or more words.
What is the pattern for a prepositional phrase?
Pattern: prep + noun (no verb)
What is the comma rule for sentences starting with a preposition?
Use a comma after 5 or more words
What is the rule regarding verbs in prepositional phrases?
Prep phrases will never contain a verb
What is the pattern for sentence structures involving a main clause and a conjunction?
- MC. MC
- MC; MC
- AC, MC
- MCAC
- MC, CC MC
- MC cc 2 * verb
- a, b, and c
- a and b
What is the Subject Opener pattern?
Begins with the subject of the sentence
What is the pattern for a prepositional opener?
Pattern: preposition + noun (no verb)
When do you use a comma with transitional phrases?
Comma if transitional
When do you use a comma if an adverb modifies a sentence?
Comma if adverb modifies sentence
When do you not use a comma if an adverb modifies a verb?
No comma if adverb modifies verb
What is the pattern for an -ing participial phrase?
Pattern: -ing word/phrase, main clause
When do you use a comma after an -ing participial phrase?
Comma after phrase
What is the key rule regarding the subject in an -ing participial phrase?
The thing after the comma must be the thing doing the inging.
What are the two types of run-ons?
- Fused sentence 2. Comma splice
How can you fix a run-on?
- MC. MC 2. MC, cc MC 3. MC; MC
What is the acronym for coordinating conjunctions and what does it stand for?
FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
What is faulty parallelism?
When the items a coordinating conjunction connects are not the same type
When do you spell out number words or numerals?
Use words for numbers expressed in one or two words and ordinal numbers
When do you use numerals for numbers?
Use numerals for numbers that use three or more words
What is the pattern for a complete sentence?
www word + subject + verb
What is the pattern for a comma after a clause?
AC, MC
What are some examples of subordinating conjunctions?
- when * while * where * as * since * if * although * whereas * unless * because * after * before * until * whenever * than
What is a fused sentence?
Two main clauses placed in one sentence without punctuation between them
What is a comma splice?
Two main clauses placed in one sentence with only a comma
What is the rule for hyphenating numbers?
Use a hyphen with numbers twenty-one to ninety-nine
What is an ordinal number?
An ordinal number tells the order or position in a sequence
What should you never do with a numeral?
Never begin a sentence with a numeral
What is pronoun agreement?
Pronouns must agree with their antecedent in number, person, and case.
What is a subjective case pronoun?
The pronoun is the subject of the sentence.
Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
What is an objective case pronoun?
The pronoun is the object of the preposition, direct object, or indirect object.
Examples: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
What is a possessive case pronoun?
The pronoun shows possession.
Examples: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs
What is an indefinite pronoun?
A pronoun that does not refer to a particular person or thing.
Examples: all, any, most, many, several, anyone, everybody, someone, somewhere
What is a demonstrative pronoun?
A pronoun that points to a particular person or thing.
Examples: this, that, these, those
What is a reflexive pronoun?
A pronoun that ends in -self (singular) or -selves (plural).
Example: Mowgli taught himself how to swing on the vines.
What are the four adjective questions?
- Which one?
- What kind?
- How many?
- Whose?
What are the five adverb questions?
How?
When?
Where?
Why?
To what extent?
These questions help determine the manner, time, place, reason, and degree of action in a sentence.
When do you use commas with a who/which clause?
Use commas when it is non-essential.
Non-essential clauses add extra information but are not crucial to the meaning of the sentence.
Bonus: When ‘which’ becomes an essential clause, what do you change ‘which’ to?
‘that’
Essential clauses provide necessary information and do not require commas.
Bonus: What are the three forms of who?
Who = subjective
Whom = objective
Whose = possessive
These forms are used depending on the grammatical function in a sentence.
What is a homophone?
A word that sounds like another word but is spelled differently and has a different meaning.
Example: ‘to’, ‘two’, and ‘too’.
When do you use a comma with a participial (-ing) phrase?
Use a comma mid-sentence unless essential.
This helps clarify the sentence structure and meaning.
What are coordinating adjectives and how do you punctuate them?
Two adjectives that separately describe the noun they follow.
You can reverse their order or add ‘and’ between them.
Example: ‘happy, playful puppy’.
What are cumulative adjectives and how do you punctuate them?
Adjectives that build on each other.
They are arranged in a specific order.
NO COMMA.
Example: ‘large red ball’.
What is a main clause?
Expresses a complete thought, so it can stand alone as a sentence.
Example: ‘She enjoys reading.’
What is a dependent clause?
Does not express a complete thought, so it cannot stand alone as a sentence.
Example: ‘Although she enjoys reading.’
What is the difference between a clause and a phrase?
A clause = subject + verb; A phrase = prep + noun (no verb)
What are four words that appear on both the clausal list and the preposition list?
- Before
- After
- Since
- Because
What is a Noun of Direct Address (NDA)?
A person or entity being spoken to directly.
How do you punctuate transitional words or phrases?
Use commas to separate the NDA.
What is an infinitive?
to + verb
What is a gerund?
A verb form that ends in -ing and functions as a noun. It is a type of verbal.
What is a misplaced modifier?
A word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies or describes.
What are interrupters?
Nonessential or added thoughts inserted in a clause, often set off with commas.
What are some examples of interrupters?
- NDA
- Conjunctive adverbs
- Transitional phrases
- Appositives
What is the rule for using commas with infinitives?
- Use a comma after an infinitive or infinitive phrase that comes before a main clause (MC).
- Use a comma when an infinitive functions as a transition.
- Do not put a comma in front of an infinitive.
