Grammar Vocab Flashcards
Adjective
Modifies a noun to describe it.
Ex. Happy or Sad
Adverb
Modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a preposition, etc. Almost always ends with “-ly”.
Ex. Slowly, sadly, well, often.
Alliteration
Repetition of the same sound at the beginning of several words in a sequence.
Ex. Allison almost assassinated Amy and Alex.
Anagram
A word that is formed when the letters of another word or phrase are rearranged.
Ex. Nominates –> Minnesota
Article
One of a small set of words or affixes used with nouns to limit or define the scope.
Indefinite articles: an, a
Definite Articles: the
Conjunction
A word that joins together sentences, clauses, phrases, or words.
Coordinating Conjunctions: and, or
Subordinating: although, because
Consonance
Recurrence or repetition of consonants, particularly at the end of stressed syllables without the similar correspondence of vowels.
Ex. A stroke of luck.
Diaersis
Two dots placed over a vowel -like an umlaut - showing that the vowel is separate, even though it might normally be considered a diphthong.
Ex. Coöperation (coo-ohperation)
Diphthong
Two vowels that come together in one syllable to make one sound.
Ex. Toy, dream.
Hyperbole
Exaggeration for rhetorical effect.
Intransitive verb
A verb that does not act on an object.
Ex. I sleep.
Irony
Expression of something that is contrary to the intended meaning. The words say one thing but mean another.
Metaphor
Implied comparison using figurative words and analogies,
Ex. All the world’s a stage and the people merely players.
Noun
A word that is a name of something - a person, place, animal, thing, or action.
Ex. Freedom or Amy.
Onomatopoeia
Words that imitate natural sounds.
Ex. Hiss or cough.
Oxymoron
An apparent paradox made by opposing words being used together.
Ex. Good morning, jumbo shrimp.
Palindrome
A word spelled the same forwards and backwards.
Ex. Kayak or radar.
Plural
More than one of something. Usually has an “s” at the end.
Ex. Stars, geese, mice.
Paradox
An assertion seemingly opposed to common sense that might have some truth in it.
Person
Pertains to the speaker in the narrative.
Ex. First person, third person
Portmanteau
A word created by blending two words together.
Ex. Breakfast + lunch = brunch
Possessive
Shows ownership of something.
Ex. Owner’s manual.
Predicate
Any part of the sentence that is not the subject.
Ex. The girls ate our brownies –> “ate our brownies” is the predicate.
Preposition
A word that combines with a noun, pronoun, or noun-equivalent to form a phrase that modifies part of the sentence.
Ex. After, at, before, by, for, from, and with.
Prepositional phrase
A phrase that starts with a preposition
Ex. “With a preposition”
Pronoun
A word used in context that takes the place of a noun.
Ex. I, we, he, and she.
Simile
An explicit comparison using “like” or “as”.
Ex. You are like a wrecking ball.
Subject
Indicates the main operator in the sentence.
Ex. I saw the cat –> I is the subject.
Superlative
Denotes extremes.
Ex. Best, fastest, smartest.
Tautology
Repetition of an idea in a different word or sentence.
Ex. Cease and desist
Transitive verb
Verbs that act on the object
Ex. I bought the bagel
Verb
Denotes an action
Ex. Make, do, be, jump.
Acronym
A word made of the first letters of a phrase.
I.E. FUBAR or UFO
