Chapin-Pinotti Learning Center
Grammar
Parts of Speech
Nouns
A noun is a person, place or thing
A proper noun is a specific person, place or thing.
A noun clause contains a subject and a verb that act like nouns.
The way you look in that dress is amazing.
Plural nouns
Most plural nouns require an s at the end.
Plural nouns ending is s, x, z, ch, or sh are formed by adding es.
Plural nouns ending in y preceded by a consonant are formed by changing the y to i and adding es.
Plural nouns ending in y preceded by vowels are formed by adding s.
Plural nouns of words ending in f or fe are formed by changing the f to ve and adding s -- but only sometimes.
Plurals of compound nouns consisting of a noun plus a modifier are formed by making the noun plural.
Test Your Knowledge -- Plural Noun Quiz
Pronouns
A pronoun is a word used to refer to a noun whose identity is made clear earlier in the text.
Jose likes to play tennis. He is a great player.
Unlike nouns, pronouns change form when they change case:
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Verbs
A verb is an action word. Verbs carry the ideas of action or being in a sentence..
Regular Verb Forms
Test Your Knowledge -- Verb Quiz
Verb Tense
Present tense is used to indicate an action that is occurring in the present.
Past tense is used to indicate an action that has already happened.
Future tense is used to indicate an action that will occur in the future.
Present perfect tense is used to indicate an action that and was finished in the past or continues in the present.
Past perfect tense is used to indicate action completed before another past action. It is the verb plus the past participle.
Future perfect tense is used to indicate action that is ongoing and will be completed in the future.
Subject - Verb Agreement
BASICALLY -- Single subjects need single verbs and plural subjects need plural verbs.
Indefinite pronouns, anyone everyone ,someone, no one, nobody are always singular and, therefore, require singular verbs.
None is the exception for the indefinite pronouns. None can be either singular or plural -- assume it is plural unless something in the sentence indicates otherwise.
The pronouns several, few, both and many always take plural verbs.
The pronouns, each, either, neither, one, everyone, no one, nobody, anybody and someone, always take plural verbs.
Subjects joined by and take plural verbs.
When a singular subject and an plural subject are joined by the conjunctions or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to the verb.
Collective nouns, like class, may be either singular or plural.
Every and many used before a subject take a singular verb.
Pronouns agree with their antecedent in both number and gender.
Verbs with Active and Passive Voice
Active voice is used when verbs express an action performed BY its subject.
The girl rode her bike faster than anyone anticipated.
Passive voice is used when verbs express action that is performed ON its subject. In passive voice the subject is neither a doer or a be-er, but is acted upon by some other unnamed object.
The man was killed in the auto accident.
*If you can say the same thing in active voice as you are saying in passive voice -- use the active voice!
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Modifiers and Generally Confusing Words
Misplaced Modifier: A modifier that is not placed near the word it is modifying. Avoid misplaced modifiers by placing phrases and clauses as close as possible to the words they modify.
Misplaced: She barely ran three laps around the track.
Better: She ran barely three laps around the track.
Dangling Modifier: A modifier that does not clearly modify a word.
Dangling: Changing a printer cartridge with a new one, the printer prints more clearly.
Better: Changing the printer cartridge with a new one, Michelle found that the printer printed more clearly.
The forms of modifiers change when they are used to show comparison.
A modifier of one syllable usually forms its superlative by adding --er or --est.
Some modifiers of more than two syllables form their comparative and superlative by adding more or most.
Comparisons of less or least are accompanied by the words less and least before the modifier.
Avoid double comparisons. She is the shortest in the class. Not: She is the most shortest in the class.
Test Your Knowledge -- Modifier Quiz
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Informal and Formal Language
Formal language is used more in writing than in speaking and includes long, complex sentences, rich vocabulary and does not include informal language such as slang and colloquialisms.
Informal language is casual, shorter and uses simpler vocabulary. It may contain jargon, slang and/or colloquialisma.
Jargon is words or phrases used in a particular area such as, medicine, sports or surfing.
Colloquialisms are words found in informal speech or writing.
We went to the mall and bought two pairs of cool shoes.
Cliches are tired words or expressions that are overused.
We we up and out of the house bright and early.
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Sentence Structure
Fragments are parts of a sentence that do not contain complete thoughts.
Although we went to the game.
Run-on sentences contain two or more sentences separated by a comma or not punctuation mark.
What time are we going I don't want to be late.
Parallel sentence structure is obtained by using the same grammatical form to express equal ideas -- use a phrase with a phrase, a noun with a noun a participle with a participle.
I like to run, swim and bike.
Rather than: I like to run, bike and swimming.
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