grammar

Question 1

noun

Answer 1

is a word or group of words that names a person, place, thing, or idea

Question 2

common noun

Answer 2

A common noun is the general, not the particular, name of a

person, place, or thing (e.g., nurse, hospital, syringe).

Question 3

proper noun

Answer 3

A proper noun is the official name of a person, place, or thing
(e.g., Fred, Paris, Washington University). Proper nouns are capitalized.

Question 4

abstract noun

Answer 4

An abstract noun is the name of a quality or a general idea

e.g., persistence, democracy

Question 5

collective noun

Answer 5

A collective noun is a noun that represents a group of

persons, animals, or things (e.g., family, flock, furniture).

Question 6

pronoun

Answer 6

is a word that takes the place of a noun, another pronoun, or a
group of words acting as a noun. The word or group of words to which a
pronoun refers is called the antecedent

Question 7

personal pronoun

Answer 7

A personal pronoun refers to a specific person, place,
thing, or idea by indicating the person speaking (first person), the person or
people spoken to (second person), or any other person, place, thing, or idea
being talked about (third person).

Question 8

possessive noun

Answer 8

A possessive pronoun is a form of personal pronoun

that shows possession or ownership. A possessive pronoun does not contain an apostrophe

Question 9

adjective

Answer 9

is a word, phrase, or clause that modifies a noun (the biology book)
or pronoun (He is nice.). It answers the question what kind (a hard test), which one
(an English test), how many (three tests), or how much (many tests)

Question 10

participle

Answer 10

A type of verb form that functions as

an adjective . which usually ends in -ing or -ed

Question 11

verb

Answer 11

is a word or phrase that is used to express an action or a state of being.
A verb is the critical element of a sentence. Verbs express time through a
property that is called the tense

Question 12

adverb

Answer 12

a word, phrase, or clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, or
another adverb.

Question 13

preposition

Answer 13

a word, phrase, or clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, or
another adverb.

Question 14

compound preposition

Answer 14

a preposition that

is made up of more than one word.

Question 15

conjunction

Answer 15

a word that joins words, phrases, or clauses. Words that serve
as coordinating conjunctions are and, but, or, so, nor, for, and yet (e.g., The nurse
asked to work the early shift, but her request was denied.).

Question 16

correlative conjunctions

Answer 16

work in pairs to join words or phrases (e.g., Neither

the pharmacist nor her assistant could read the physician’s handwriting.).

Question 17

interjection

Answer 17

word or phrase that expresses emotion or exclamation. It
does not have any grammatical connection to the other words in the sentence
(e.g., Yikes, that test was hard. Whew, that test was easy.).

Question 18

clause

Answer 18

a group of words that has a subject and a predicate.

Question 19

independent clauses

Answer 19

An independent clause expresses a complete thought
and can stand alone as a sentence (e.g., The professor distributed the examinations
as soon as the students were seated.). The professor distributed the examinations
expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.

Question 20

dependent clauses

Answer 20

A dependent clause begins with a subordinating
conjunction and does not express a complete thought and therefore
cannot stand alone as a sentence. As soon as the students were seated does not
express a complete thought. It needs the independent clause to complete the
meaning and form the sentence.

Question 21

direct object

Answer 21

the person or thing that is directly affected by the action of the
verb. A direct object answers the question what or whom after a transitive verb.
The students watched the professor distribute the examinations.
The professor answers whom the students watched.

Question 22

indirect object

Answer 22

is the person or thing that is indirectly affected by the action
of the verb. A sentence can have an indirect object only if it has a direct object.
An indirect object answers the question to whom, for whom, to what, or for what
after an action verb.

Question 23

phrase

Answer 23

is the person or thing that is indirectly affected by the action
of the verb. A sentence can have an indirect object only if it has a direct object.
An indirect object answers the question to whom, for whom, to what, or for what
after an action verb.

Question 24

predicate

Answer 24

is the part of the sentence that tells what the subject does or what is
done to the subject. It includes the verb and all the words that modify the verb.

Question 25

predicate adjective

Answer 25

follows a linking verb and helps to explain the subject.

My professors are wonderful.

Question 26

predicate nominative

Answer 26

a noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and
helps to explain or rename the subject.
Professors are teachers.

Question 27

sentence

Answer 27

is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. Every

sentence has a subject and a predicate. There are four types of sentences.

Question 28

declarative

Answer 28

A declarative sentence makes a statement.

Example: I went to the store.

Question 29

interrogative

Answer 29

An interrogative sentence asks a question.

Example: Did you go to the store?

Question 30

imperative

Answer 30

An imperative sentence makes a command or request.

Example: Go to the store.

Question 31

exclamatory

Answer 31

An exclamatory sentence makes an exclamation.

Example: You went to the store!

Question 32

subject

Answer 32

a word, phrase, or clause that names whom or what the sentence is
about.

Question 33

compound sentence

Answer 33

is a sentence that has two or more independent clauses.

Question 34

sentence fragments

Answer 34

are incomplete sentences.

Example: While the students were taking the test.

Question 35

misplaced modifier

Answer 35

are words or groups of words that are not located
properly in relation to the words they modify.
Example: I fear my teaching assistant may have discarded the test I was
grading in the trash can

Question 36

affect vs effect

Answer 36

Affect is normally used as a verb that means “to influence or to change”
Effect may be used as a noun or a verb. As a noun, it means “result or
outcome”

Question 37

among vs between

Answer 37

Use among to show a relationship involving more than two persons or things
being considered as a group (The professor will distribute the textbooks among
the students in his class).

Use between to show a relationship involving two persons or things (I sit
between Holly and Jo in class), to compare one person or thing with an entire
group (What’s the difference between this book and other grammar books?), or
to compare more than two things in a group if each is considered individually (I
can’t decide between the chemistry class, the biology class, and the anatomy
class).

Question 38

amount vs number

Answer 38

Amount is used when referring to things in bulk (The nurse had a huge amount
of paperwork).
Number is used when referring to individual, countable units (The nurse had
a number of charts to complete).

Question 39

good vs well

Answer 39

Good is an adjective. Use good before nouns (He did a good job) and after linking
verbs (She smells good) to modify the subject

Well is usually an adverb. When
modifying a verb, use the adverb well (She plays softball well). Well is used as an
adjective only when describing someone’s health (She is getting well).

Question 40

bad vs badly

Answer 40

Use bad as
an adjective before nouns (He is a bad teacher) and after linking verbs (That
smells bad) to modify the subject.
Use badly as an adverb to modify an action
verb (The student behaved badly in class).

Question 41

bring vs take

Answer 41

Bring conveys action toward the speaker—to carry from a distant place to a near
place (Please bring your textbooks to class).

Take conveys action away from the speaker—to carry from a near place to a
distant place (Please take your textbooks home).

Question 42

can vs may (could vs might)

Answer 42

Can and could imply ability or power (I can make an A in that class).

May and
might imply permission (You may leave early) or possibility (I may leave early).

Question 43

farther vs further

Answer 43

Farther refers to a measurable distance (The walk to class is much farther than I
expected)

Further refers to a figurative distance and means “to a greater
degree” or “to a greater extent” (I will have to study further to make better
grades)

Question 44

fewer vs less

Answer 44

Fewer refers to number—things that can be counted or numbered—and is used
with plural nouns (The professor has fewer students in his morning class than he
has in his afternoon class).

Less refers to degree or amount—things in bulk or in the abstract—and is
used with singular nouns (Fewer patients mean less work for the staff). Less is
also used when referring to numeric or statistical terms (It’s less than 2 miles to
school. He scored less than 90 on the test. She spent less than $400 for this class. I
am less than 5 feet tall.)

Question 45

hear vs here

Answer 45

Hear is a verb meaning “to recognize sound by means of the ear” (I hear the
music playing).

Here is most commonly used as an adverb meaning “at or in
this place” (The test will be here tomorrow)

Question 46

i.e vs e.g

Answer 46

The abbreviation i.e. (that is) is often confused with e.g. (for example); i.e.
specifies or explains (I love to study chemistry, i.e., the science dealing with the
composition and properties of matter),

e.g. gives an example (I love to
study chemistry, e.g., chemical equations, atomic structure, and molar
relationships).

Question 47

learn vs teach

Answer 47

Learn means “to receive or acquire knowledge” (I am going to learn all that I can
about nursing).

Teach means “to give or impart knowledge” (I will teach you
how to convert decimals to fractions).

Question 48

lie vs lay

Answer 48

Lie means “to recline or rest.” The principal parts of the verb are lie, lay, lain,
and lying. Forms of lie are never followed by a direct object.

Lay means “to put or place.” The principal parts of the verb are lay, laid, laid,
and laying. Forms of lay are followed by a direct object.

Question 49

which vs that

Answer 49

Which is used to introduce nonessential clauses, and that is used to introduce
essential clauses. A nonessential clause adds information to the sentence but is
not necessary to make the meaning of the sentence clear. Use commas to set off
a nonessential clause. An essential clause adds information to the sentence that
is needed to make the sentence clear. Do not use commas to set off an essential
clause

Question 50

who vs whom

Answer 50

Who and whom serve as interrogative pronouns and relative pronouns. An
interrogative pronoun is one that is used to form questions, and a relative
pronoun is one that relates groups of words to nouns or other pronouns.