1. Writing and Grammar Your Road Map for Successful Writing Habits J. King 2010

2. Nouns and Pronouns

3. Common and Proper Nouns A common noun names any one of a class of people, places, or things. i.e. writer, order, building A proper noun names a specific person, place, or thing. i.e. Mark Twain, Odonata, White House

4. Count and Noncount Nouns Count nouns refer to entities that are viewed as countable. Count nouns therefore have both a singular and a plural and they can be accompanied by determiners that refer to distinctions in number: Aten Onestudentmanystudents Every those

5. Count and Noncount Nouns Noncount nouns refer to entities that are viewed as a mass that cannot be counted; for example, bread, furniture, music. They are treated as singular and can be accompanied only by determiners that do not refer to distinctions in number: Much Yourinformation That

6. Noun Suffixes A noun is a word that can be the only or main word in a noun phrase. WE cannot identify all nouns merely by their form, but certain suffixes can be added to verbs or adjectives to make nouns. Here are a few typical noun suffixes with words that exemplify them:

7. Noun Suffixes -tion (and variants)education, relation, invasion, revision -er, -orcamper, speaker; actor, supervisory -ingbuilding, writing -itymentality, normality, reality, sanity -nesshappiness, compactness

8. Pronouns and Antecedents Pronouns are words that stand for nouns or for words that take the place of nouns. i.e. he, his, her, hers Antecedents are nouns (or words that take the place of nouns) for which pronouns stand. i.e. Michael said he lost his watch at the fair.

9. Personal Pronouns Personal pronouns refer to the person speaking (first person), the person spoken to (second person), or the person, place or thing spoken about (third person). SingularPlural First PersonI, me, my, mineWe, us, our, ours Second PersonYou, your, yours Third PersonHe, him, his, she,her, hers, it, its They, them, their, theirs

10. Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns A reflexive pronoun ends in –self or – selves and indicates that someone or something performs an action to, for or upon itself. Reflexive pronouns point back to a noun or pronoun earlier in the sentence. An intensive pronoun ends in –self or – selves and simply adds emphasis to a noun or pronoun in the same sentence.

11. Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns SingularPlural First PersonMyselfOurselves Second PersonYourselfYourselves Third PersonHimself, herself, itselfThemselves

12. Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns Reflexive: Joy helped herself to some turkey. They poured themselves some milk. Intensive: The mayor herself attended the carnival. An intensive pronoun usually comes directly after its antecedent, but not always. Frank fixed the refrigerator himself.

13. Demonstrative Pronouns Demonstrative pronouns direct attention to specific people, places, or things. Demonstrative pronouns come before or after their antecedents Before: This is the person we want to hire. After: Of all the celebrations in the world, that is my favorite. SingularPlural This, thatThese, those

14. Relative Pronouns A relative pronoun begins a subordinate clause (A group of words that has both a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence.) and connects it to another idea in a sentence. Relative pronouns: that, which, who, whom, whose

15. Independent Clause vs. Subordinate Clause Independent ClauseSubordinate Clause We planted a shrubthat attracts ladybugs. I saw a cicada,which was a surprise. Louisa is a playerwho pitched first. Phil is the debaterwhom the judges chose. We visited Grandmotherwhose house is in New Orleans.

16. Interrogative Pronouns An interrogative pronoun is used to begin a question. Interrogative pronouns: what, which, who, whom, whose i.e. Which of the vegetables do you want? i.e. Who will go with me to the park?

17. Indefinite Pronouns Indefinite pronouns refer to people, places, or things, often without specifying which one. SingularPluralSingular or Plural Another everyone nothing Anybody everything one Anyone little other Anything much somebody Each neither someone Either nobody something Everybody no one Both Few Many Others Several All Any More Most None some

18. Verbs

19. Action Verbs An action verb that tells what action someone or something is performing i.e. The king rules. i.e. Famine struck the people.

20. Intransitive Verbs Intransitive verbs are capable of expressing themselves without a complement to complete their meaning. Example: The dog coughed. We huddled under our ponchos through the opera in the rain. John slouched past the fountain.

21. Transitive Verbs Transitive Verbs are those that cannot complete their meaning without the help of a direct object. Example: We bounced the idea around the saloon. He yanked her out of her daze.

22. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs An action verb is transitive if it directs action toward someone or something named in the same sentence. An action verb is intransitive if it does not direct action toward someone or something named in the sentence. Transitive: Pat carried her books to the lecture in Asia Intransitive: The temperature fell quickly. Transitive: Bill reads books about Asia. Intransitive: Bill reads every night before going to bed.

23. Linking Verbs A linking verb is a verb that connects a word at or near the beginning of a sentence with a word at or near the end. The most common linking verb is some form of the verb be. i.e. Sara is an astronaut. i.e. He was glad.

24. The Forms of Be Am Are Is Was Were Am being Are being Is being Was being Were being Can be Could be May be Might be Must be Shall be Should be Will be Would be Have been Has been Had been Could have been May have been Might have been Must have been Shall have been Should have been Will have been Would have been

25. Other Linking Verbs The situation on board remained serious. The astronauts grew anxious. Appear Become Feel Grow Look Remain Seem Smell Sound Stay Taste Turn

26. Linking Verb or Action Verb A verb is functioning as a linking verb if am, are, or is can logically be substituted for the verb. Linking VerbsAction Verbs The pears taste sweet.I taste the red pepper. The pears are sweet. (linking)I am the red pepper. (not linking) Apollo 13 appears ready.Apollo 13 appears suddenly. Apollo 13 is ready. (linking)Apollo 13 is suddenly. (not linking) The runner grew tired.He grew a beard. The runner is tired. (linking)He is a beard. (not linking)

27. Helping Verbs Helping verbs are verbs that can be added to another verb to make a single verb phrase. Helping Verbs Other Than the Forms of Be DoHaveShallCan DoesHasShouldCould DidHadWillMay WouldMight Must

28. Recognizing Helping Verbs/Auxiliary Verbs Verb Phrases Helping VerbsVerbs Am Did Can Will be Should have Might have been Talking Play Write Studying Seen Considered

29. Adjectives and Adverbs

30. Adjectives An adjective is a word used to describe a noun or pronouns or to give a noun or pronoun a more specific meaning. The process by which an adjective describes a word or makes it more specific is called modification. Adjectives must answer the question What kind? Which one? How many? Or How much? about the nouns and pronouns they modify.

31. Adjectives Answering Questions What Kind? Red boat silver jewelry Sick passenger cool water Which One? Third chance any piece This train those apples How Many? Six cars several reasons Both answers few letters How Much? Enough space more energy No rain little effort

32. Articles Three adjectives—the, a, and an—are articles. The is called the definite article; a and an are called indefinite articles. The definite article, the, indicates that the noun it modifies refers to a specific person, place, or thing. The indefinite articles, a and an, indicate that the nouns they modify refer to any one of a class of people, places, or things.

33. Attributive Adjectives Adjectives are attributive (attributing a quality to what is denoted by a noun) when they are being used as premodifiers. Example: You are the very person I was looking for. Example: That is utter nonsense.

34. Predicative Adjectives Adjectives are predicative (part of the predicate) when they are being used as complements. Example: I made the bed comfortable. Example: We are happy to see you.

35. Central Adjectives Central Adjectives can be used in all three functions. She is an old woman. She is old. I consider her old.

36. Adjective Suffixes -able, -ible-less -al, -ial-ous, -eous, -ious -ed-y -ful -ic -ical -ish -ive, -ative

37. Nouns Used as Adjectives A noun used as an adjective answers the question What kind? or Which one? About a noun that follows it. Guitar music (What kind of music?) Evening meal (Which meal?)

38. Proper and Compound Adjectives A proper adjective is a proper noun used as an adjective or an adjective formed from a proper noun. Examples: Alcott novel, Chicago storm, Jeffersonian democracy, Mexican art Adjectives made up of more than one word are called compound adjectives. Examples: far-off land, hard-shell crabs, farsighted leader, hardhearted neighbor

39. Adverbs An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

40. Adverbs Modifying Verbs Where? Fell below Went there When? Arrived today Left early In What Way? Happily ran Danced awkwardly To What Extent? Partly understands wash completely

41. Adverbs An adverb is a word that can be the only or main word in an adverb phrase. The suffix –ly is commonly added to adjectives to make adverbs. Calmly, frankly, lightly, madly, tearfully If the adjective ends in –ic, the suffix is usually – ically Economically, geographically, heroically, romantically

42. Adverbs (continued) The suffix –wise is added to nouns to make adverbs. Clockwise, lengthwise, moneywise, weatherwise Many adverbs have no suffix: Now, afterwards, here, outside, therefore, however

43. Adverbs (continued) Adverbs modify and thus typically precede verbs and adjectives—the factory was well run, the man was extremely tired, etc. Adverbs (adverbials): Of time: at two o’ clock, now Of manner: in a slip-shod way, haphazardly Of frequency: every three weeks, repeatedly Of duration: ad infinitum, eternally Of location or direction: home, away, ahead Of attitude toward an event or action: with contempt, frankly

44. Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections

45. Prepositions A preposition is a word that relates a noun or pronoun that appears with it to another word in the sentence. Examples About, behind, down,off, till, toward, under, upon, since, through, inside, beyond, before, etc.

46. Conjunctions A conjunction is a word used to connect other words or groups of words. Coordinating Conjunctions connect similar kinds of words or similar groups of words. Examples: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet

47. Conjunctions (continued) Subordinating Conjunctions: connect two complete ideas by making one of the ideas subordinate to the other. To subordinate means to “place below another in rank or importance”. Examples: Although, even though, unless, as long as, as soon as, etc.

48. Interjections Interjections are used to express emotion. Examples: Ouch, Wow, Oh, Uh, Whew, etc.

49. Particles

50. Words that do not change their form. A function word that does not belong to any of the inflected grammatical word classes (such as nouns, pronouns, verbs, or articles). It is a catch- all term for a heterogeneous set of words and terms that lack a precise lexical definition Examples: At, away, by, for, the, to