Writing Instruction Tutorial

Grammar

In This Section

Parts of Speech

A noun may be: Person, Group, Thing, Place, Quality, Idea, or Activity

A verb can:

Describe an action
Express feeling or sensory reactions
Indicate existence
Indicate possession

The following verbs are used as modal auxiliaries, which mean they cannot be used as verbs alone: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, ought (to).

I can go.
He may arrive at any moment.
They might never be found.
They will achieve their goals.

Prepositions

about	besides	into
above	between	of
across	beyond	on
after	but (except)	on account of
against	by	over
along	by way of	since
among	concerning	through
as	down	throughout
as for	during	to
as to	except	toward
at	for	under
before	from	underneath
behind	in	upon
below	in addition to	with
beneath	in place of	within
beside	in spite of	without

Coordinate Conjunctions

The most common conjunctions used with a comma:

, and
, but
, or
, for
, yet

Conjunctions that are used with a semicolon (except when used as adverbs):

; accordingly
; consequently
; furthermore
; hence
; however
; moreover
; nevertheless
; otherwise
; then
; therefore
; thus

Conjunctions that come in pairs:

either ... or
neither ... nor
not only ... but (also)
both ... and

Semicolons sometimes by themselves act as conjunctions.

Subordinate Conjunctions

after	how	till	whether
although	if	unless	which
as	in order that	until	while
as if	provided that	what	who
as far as	since	whatever	whoever
as long as	so	when	whom
as soon as	so that	whenever	whomever
because	that	where	why
before	though	wherever

After May had been ill for weeks, she went away.
Since he had been absent from work, Henry took over.
John, who does not like girls, is a fool.
John is a fool because he does not like girls.

Grammar Review

This grammar review covers three parts.

Subjects, verbs, and complements.
1. Define a subject: It may be defined in 7 ways.
2. Define a verb: 4 kinds.
3. Complements.
  1. Subject complements will most often be found with to be verb forms and verbs of sensory experience, such as taste, smell.
  2. Objects are of two types -- direct and indirect. They are only found after action verbs. Clue: Use what. Indirect objects are usually people and pronouns.
Adverbs and adjectives.
1. Adverbs act as limiters and modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
  1. One clue is to use the questions how, when (and possibly where) to identity the adverb.
  2. Clue two is that most words ending in -ly will function as adverbs.
2. Adjectives act as limiters and modify and describe nouns only.
  1. One clue is to ask the question which to identify adjectives.
  2. Clue two is that comparative words, such as lovely, lovelier, loveliest or easy, easier, easiest, will function as adjectives.
Compound sentences.
1. Sentence pattern is S-V-CC-S-V.
2. Each clause may stand on its own as a complete sentence.
3. There are four types of coordinate conjunctions.
4. Be able to distinguish between a simple sentence with multiple subjects and/or multiple verbs from compound sentences

Last Modified: 08/24/04