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Mrs. Antonelli’s
Grammar
Unit
Name_________________________________ Date__________________________________
English Period___ Grammar Unit
Parts of Speech
Parts of Speech describe the way a word is used in a sentence; the part of speech can be found by looking the word up in the dictionary.
- Noun-are people, place or thing words. Ideas and qualities are also nouns. Only nouns, or words or phrases that act as nouns, can be the subject of a sentence. (ex. rat, happiness, democracy)
- Pronouns-act as stand-ins for nouns. (ex. me, he, whom, everyone).
- Adjectives-describe, or modify nouns. They describe by saying which one, how many, how much, or what kind of noun you mean. (ex. red, pretty, mean).
- Adverbs-modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They describe by saying when, in what manner, where, how, or how much. An adverb never modifies a noun. (ex. quickly, not, slowly, almost)
- Verbs-Tell what the noun is doing. They express either action or a state of being. A sentence must have a verb to be a sentence. (ex. is, was cleaning, had buried, threw).
- Conjunctions-link words or parts of sentences. (ex. and, yet, or).
- Prepositions-link nouns to other words in a sentence, usually describing a relationship of time or space. (ex. of, to with under, near).
- Interjections-provide emphasis and filler; there are no rules to worry about here. (ex: WOW! UGH! AIYIYI).
Parts of Sentence
The sentence is the primary unit and the most creative part of grammar, and understanding the sentence is the key to good grammar. The sentence is made up of two basic parts; the subject and the predicate. It also contains component parts; phrases, clauses, and objects.
- Subject-Is the main noun, the noun doing the action, every sentence has a subject, although sometimes the subject is implied, to find the subject of a sentence, first find the main verb, then ask yourself, who or what is doing this action?
Ex. My do has three legs. (Who has? My dog!)
- Action Verb-An action verb tells what action a subject is performing. An action verb can show physical action, mental action, ownership, or possession.
- Linking Verb- a linking verb links the subject with another word in the sentence. The other word either renames or describes the subject.
Forms of be are often used as linking verbs:
am, is, are, was, were, be, being been
The following verbs can also be used as linking verbs can also be used as linking verbs:
feel, look, smell, sound, taste, appear, become, grow, remain, seem, stay, turn
Note- these words may also be used as action verbs, to tell the difference, ask yourself if the verb is linking the subject with another word in the sentence that either renames or describes it.
Ex. Nutmeg smells delicious to me,
Ex. A bloodhound smells the scent of a person on leaves and grass.
- Direct Object- The direct object is not the subject of the sentence, it is the noun receiving the action. The object isn’t doing anything, it’s having something done to it. A sentence doesn’t need a direct object to be a sentence.
- Indirect object- You need a direct object to have an indirect object, an indirect object is really an understood prepositional phrase.
- Object of the Prepositional Phrase- A group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun, which is known as the object of the prepositional phrase. Prepositional phrases most oftenact as adjectives or adverbs, and occasionally as nouns. (under the fence, beyond the wall, in my sneakers).
- Predicate Nominative (which includes nouns and pronouns)-The predicate nominative answers the question “Who”, or “What” after a linking verb. The Predicate nominative, except after a negative, means the same person, place or thing as the subject.
Ex. Amethyst is another name for purple quartz.
Ex. That is all.
- Predicate Adjective-A Predicate Adjective completes the verb and describes the subject. A Predicate Adjective always comes after a linking verb.
Ex. Melanie is cheerful, generous, thoughtful, and sincere.
