ctive and
passive voice, direct and
indirect objects, compound and
complex sentences: the odds are good that you've heard these terms before. Some you still remember, and others--well, others may not be quite as familiar to you as they used to be. If you're in the mood to brush up on your
grammar, this page is for you: brief definitions and examples of the two dozen most common grammatical terms.
How to Review the Top 24 Grammatical Terms
If you want to learn more about any of the following terms, click on the word to visit a
glossary page. There you will find an expanded definition of the term and several more examples--along with its etymology (which shows where the term came from) and links to articles that examine related grammatical concepts in more detail. After reviewing the terms, you should be ready for the next step: putting these concepts to work in
Basic Sentence Structures.
A word of caution: learning (or relearning) these grammatical terms won't automatically make you a better writer. But reviewing these terms should deepen your understanding of how words are arranged in English to create sentences. And
that understanding should eventually help you to become a more versatile and confident writer.
The Top 24 Grammatical Terms
The verb form in which the subject of the sentence performs or causes the action expressed by the verb. Contrast with Passive Voice.
Example:
"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."
(Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, 1991)
The part of speech (or word class) that modifies a noun or a pronoun. See also: Adding Adjectives and Adverbs to the Basic Sentence Unit.
Example:
"Send this pestilent, traitorous, cow-hearted, yeasty codpiece to the brig."
(Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, 2007)
The part of speech that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb. See also: Adding Adjectives and Adverbs to the Basic Sentence Unit.
Example:
"There I was, standing there in the church, and for the first time in my whole life I realized I totally and utterly loved one person."
(Charles to Carrie in Four Weddings and a Funeral, 1994)
A group of words that contains a subject and a predicate. A clause may be either a sentence (independent clause) or a sentence-like construction included within another sentence (dependent clause).
Example:
"Don't ever argue with the big dog [independent clause], because the big dog is always right [dependent clause]."
(Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard in The Fugitive, 1993]
A sentence that contains at least one independent clause and one dependent clause.
Example:
"Don't ever argue with the big dog [independent clause], because the big dog is always right [dependent clause]."
(Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard in The Fugitive, 1993]
A sentence that contains at least two independent clauses, often joined by a conjunction.
Example:
"I can't compete with you physically [independent clause], and you're no match for my brains [independent clause]."
(Vizzini in The Princess Bride, 1987)
The part of speech that serves to connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. See also: coordinating conjunction, subordinating conjunction, correlative conjunction, and conjunctive adverb.
Example:
"I can't compete with you physically, and you're no match for my brains."
(Vizzini in The Princess Bride, 1987)
A sentence that makes a statement.
Example:
"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."
(Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, 1991)
A group of words that begins with a relative pronoun or a subordinating conjunction. A dependent clause has both a subject and a verb but (unlike an independent clause) cannot stand alone as a sentence. Also known as a subordinate clause. See also: Subordination with Adjective Clauses and Building Sentences with Adverb Clauses.
Example:
"Don't ever argue with the big dog [independent clause], because the big dog is always right [dependent clause]."
(Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard in The Fugitive, 1993]
A noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb.
Example:
"All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my uncles. I had to fight my brothers."
(Sophia in The Color Purple, 1985)
A sentence that expresses strong feelings by making an exclamation.
Example:
"God! Look at that thing! You would've gone straight to the bottom!"
(Jack Dawson looking at Rose's ring in Titanic, 1997)
A sentence that gives advice or instructions or that expresses a request or a command.
Example:
"Send this pestilent, traitorous, cow-hearted, yeasty codpiece to the brig."
(Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, 2007)
(Concluded on page two)
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