Grammar Basics :: essays papers

Grammar Basics 1) Subject - The subject is the noun or the pronoun that performs the action of the verb in a sentence. In literary usage, the subject is the the idea about which something is being said. Predicate- The predicate of a sentence is the verb 2) Sentence - A sentence is a grammatical unit that is syntactically independent and has a subject that is expressed or, as in imperative sentences, understood and a predicate that contains at least one finite verb. ex. Joey ran to catch the elevator. 3) Phrase - A phrase is two or more words in sequence that form a syntactic unit that is less than a complete sentence. A collection of grammatically-related words without a subject or without a predicate is considered a phrase. 4) Introductory Phrase - a phrased used in the beginning of a sentence of paragraph ex. "Friends, Romans, countrymen....lend me your ears!" 5) Conjunction - A conjunction is the part of speech that serves to connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences...such as and, but, and because. 6) Clause - A clause is a collection of grammatically-related words including a predicate and a subject (though sometimes is the subject is implied). ex. I like to eat bagels Introductory Clause - An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought. An independent clause is a sentence. ex. Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz. Dependant Clause - A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought. A dependent clause cannot be a sentence. ex. When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz . . . 7) Antecedent - The word, phrase, or clause that determines what a pronoun refers to. ex. The teacher asked the children where they were going. Relative Pronoun - A pronoun that introduces a relative clause and has reference to an antecedent ex. The child who is wearing the hat. 8) Introductory Conjunction - 9) I went to the movies with Joey, Andrew, Amy, and Michelle Julie, Sara, and I went to the grocery store last night.