Level One: The Eight Parts of Speech ADVERBS The Magic Lens Level One: The Eight Parts of Speech ADVERBS

A word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. ADVERB (adv.) A word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. adv adv V adj

Adverbs Please notice that adverbs modify three kinds of words that adjectives do not modify. Queequeg swam slowly. Ahab is too tall. He and she swim well.

The Crayola Syndrome In using modifiers (adj. and adv.), you should ask yourself if you are using too many. Are you saying, “bright yellowy green” when you mean chartreuse? Are you writing “light blue sky” when you mean azure?

Very, very, very weak Sometimes a modifier will backfire, especially when it is overused. One example is the adverb very. Omit the verys, and let the adjective stand out strong and clear.

weak Veryveryveryveryveryveryveryveryveryveryvery

Adverbs in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick In his 1851 novel Moby Dick, about Captain Ahab and the white whale, Herman Melville used adverbs to modify his verbs, giving an expanded sense of action and event. We see adverbs such as ere, diabolically, anomalously, irrevocably, jocularly, fain, aesthetically, vivaciously, and sagaciously. Do you know all of these adverbs? Which one do you like best?

Level One: The Eight Parts of Speech PREPOSITIONS The Magic Lens Level One: The Eight Parts of Speech PREPOSITIONS

Preposition A word that shows the relationship between its object and another word in the sentence. N prep adj

Preposition Prepositions show relationships of time (before, during, after), space (in, on, beside, around), and direction (to, from, toward). In other words, prepositions show where two things are located, compared to each other.

Preposition To use the wrong preposition is to completely alter the meaning of the idea by changing the relationship between things: would you rather there be a thousand-dollar check for you, or a thousand-dollar check from you? Prepositions are called pre positions because they come at the beginning of a prepositional phrase; they have the PRE position in the phrase: in the boat, on the dock, around Venus.

somewhere, over the rainbow another word in the sentence preposition its object

Level One: The Eight Parts of Speech CONJUNCTION The Magic Lens Level One: The Eight Parts of Speech CONJUNCTION

CONJUNCTION (conj.) A word that joins two words or two groups of words. Conjunctions conjoin: A conjunction is a word that joins (junct) two words or two groups of words (such as two phrases or clauses) together (con). Hamlet and Ophelia were here or there, but we were and were not.

Coordinating Conjunctions Coordinating Conjunctions co-ordinate: Coordinating conjunctions join equals; they are conjunctions that coordinate (join two words or groups of words of similar (co) importance). It is essential that you have the coordinating conjunctions memorized, because you need to know them in order to identify and punctuate compound sentences.

Coordinating Conjunctions and but or nor for so yet

Subordinating Conjunctions Subordinating conjunctions subordinate: they join unequals; they are conjunctions that subordinate; they join something of lesser importance to something of greater importance. Examples: as, since, when, because, and many others.

Conjunctions Think of it this way: In engineering we can draw designs for joining things together, but we can join them in different ways, and for different purposes. For example, we might use a fixed joint, or we might use a hinge. Either option gives us a joint, but they are not the same.

Conjunctions Conjunctions are like this. A coordinating conjunction co-orders what it joins, and a subordinating conjunction sub-orders what it joins. A good example is the difference between a compound sentence joined by a coordinating conjunction and a complex sentence joined by a subordinating conjunction. In “Dickens had one idea, and his wife had another,” both ideas are important, but in “Dickens went to America when he had the chance,” the second idea helps support the first. In using conjunctions, it is necessary to use the right one, the one that agrees with the truth of the idea.

Correlative Conjunctions The correlative conjunctions are the multiple-word conjunctions, such as either/or and neither/nor. Either you or I will arrive.

Conjunctive Adverbs Conjunctive adverbs are conjunctions that act both as adverbs and as conjunctions. These include words that are commonly used to begin clauses, such as however, furthermore, moreover, nevertheless, accordingly, and therefore.

if, as, since, when, because, . . . memorize COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS if, as, since, when, because, . . .

Level One: The Eight Parts of Speech INTERJECTION The Magic Lens Level One: The Eight Parts of Speech INTERJECTION

INTERJECTION A word that shows emotion but has no grammatical function. Interjections are the Batman words -- words that fill the pages of the action in comic books. Examples of interjections are oh, ugh, oof, wow, yes, no, oops.

Interjection All the other parts of speech participate in relationships with other parts of speech . . . Only the interjection stands alone, thrown splat! into the sentence.