A-Z Grammar Terms

Question: A sentence that asks for information.

Example: Where are you going?

Question words (see interrogative; wh-word): Words used to ask questions.

Example: Who, what, where, when, why, how

Raised constituent: A word or phrase that moves from one clause to another.

Example: She seems [to be happy] → She seems happy.

Raising: When the subject of a verb moves from one clause to another.

Example: It appears that she is tired → She appears to be tired.

Reciprocal pronouns: Pronouns that show mutual action.

Example: They love each other.

Reflexive pronouns: Pronouns that refer back to the subject.

Example: He hurt himself.

Regular plurals (see plural, contrast irregular plurals): Plural nouns formed by adding -s or -es.

Example: cat → cats, box → boxes.

Regular verbs (see verb, contrast irregular verbs): Verbs that form their past tense with -ed.

Example: walk → walked, play → played.

Relative adverb: An adverb that connects a clause to a noun.

Example: This is the house where I was born.

Relative clause: A clause that describes a noun.

Example: The girl who won the race is my sister.

Relative pronoun: A word that introduces a relative clause.

Example: who, whom, whose, which, that

Reported command (see reported speech): When a command is reported indirectly.

Example: He said, "Sit down!" → He told me to sit down.

Reported question (see reported speech): When a question is reported indirectly.

Example: She asked, "Where do you live?" → She asked where I lived.

Reported speech (or indirect speech): When we tell what someone else said without using their exact words.

Example: He said, "I am happy." → He said he was happy.

Reported statement (see reported speech): A normal sentence reported indirectly.

Example: She said, "I love coffee." → She said she loved coffee.

Response form: Short phrases used to reply.

Example: "Thanks!" → "You're welcome."

Restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses:

Restrictive: Necessary for meaning (no commas).

Example: The boy who won the race is my friend.

Non-restrictive: Extra information (with commas).

Example: My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting.

Result adverbial: An adverb or phrase that shows the result of an action.

Example: He worked hard, so he passed the test.

Rhetorical question: A question asked for effect, not for an answer.

Example: "Who doesn’t love holidays?"

-s form: The form of a verb with -s in present simple for he/she/it.

Example: She runs fast.

Second conditional (see conditional clause): A conditional sentence about unreal or unlikely events.

Example: If I had a car, I would drive to work.

Second person (see person; reported speech): Refers to you (singular/plural).

Example: You are my best friend.

Second-person pronoun: Pronouns used for the person being spoken to.

Example: You, yours, yourself.

Sentence: A group of words that express a complete idea.

Example: She loves ice cream.

Sentence adverb or sentence adverbial: An adverb that affects the whole sentence.

Example: Honestly, I don’t know.

Sentence (or sentential) relative clause: A relative clause that refers to the whole sentence.

Example: She passed the test, which was surprising.

Sentence types:

Declarative: I like coffee.
Interrogative: Do you like coffee?
Imperative: Drink your coffee!
Exclamatory: What a great coffee!

Sentential relative clause (see sentence relative clause): A clause that gives extra information about a sentence.

Example: He won the match, which made everyone happy.

Sequence of tenses: The rule that tense in a sentence should be consistent.

Example: He said he was tired (not "he is tired").

Simple past (see past simple): Another term for past simple.

Simple present (see present simple): Another term for present simple.

Simple sentence (see predicate; sentence; subject): A sentence with one subject and one verb.

Example: She runs fast.

Singular: The form of a noun or verb used for one thing.

Example: Dog (singular) vs. dogs (plural).

Specific definite and indefinite articles (see generic): "The" (definite) vs. "a/an" (indefinite).

Example: The sun is bright. / I saw a dog.

Statement: A sentence that gives information.

Example: I love chocolate.

Stranded preposition: A preposition left at the end of a sentence.

Example: "Who are you talking to?"

Subcategorization: The way verbs decide what kinds of words can follow them.

Example: "She gave him a book." (The verb "gave" needs both an object and an indirect object.)

Subclause (see subordinate clause): A clause that depends on a main clause.

Example: "I know that he is coming."

Subject: The person or thing that does the action in a sentence.

Example: "She runs fast."

Subject complement (see complement): A word that gives more information about the subject.

Example: "She is happy."

Subject-verb concord (see concord): The subject and verb must match in number (singular/plural).

Example: "He runs every morning." (Not: "He run.")

Subjective (case) (nominative case): When a noun or pronoun is the subject.

Example: "She loves music."

Subjunctive (mood): A verb form used for wishes, possibilities, or suggestions.

Example: "I wish he were here."

Subordinate clause (subclause): A clause that cannot stand alone.

Example: "Because it was raining, we stayed inside."

Subordinating conjunction (see conjunction): A word that links a subordinate clause to a main clause.

Example: "She left because she was tired."

Subordination: The process of making one clause depend on another.

Example: "I went home because I was sick."

Substitute form (see pro-form): A word used instead of another word.

Example: "I like apples. They are sweet."

Superlative: The highest degree of comparison (usually -est or "most").

Example: "This is the tallest building."

Supplementary relative clause: A clause that gives extra, non-essential information.

Example: "My brother, who lives in Canada, is visiting us."

Syntax: The way words are arranged in a sentence.

Example: "She eats apples." (Correct)
"Apples eats she" (Incorrect)