Parts of Speech

Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns.  They usually precede the noun but can also be in the predicate.

 

Adverbial conjunctions (conjunctive adverbs/connectors) are a method of coordination.  They give compound sentences more emphasis. 
Meanings:

Addition (and):  in addition, also, besides, furthermore, moreover

Likeness:  likewise, similarly

Alternative (or):  instead, on the other hand, otherwise

Contrast (but): however, nevertheless, nonetheless

Emphasis:  indeed, in fact

Result (so):  accordingly, consequently, hence, therefore, thus

To Show Time:  meanwhile

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.  They often end in –ly, but you should ask yourself if they answer how, when, or where. 
Adverbs of frequency:  often, never, sometimes, seldom, always, ever.  Adverbs of degree:  even, extremely, just, more, much, only, quite, surely, too, very.

Appositive phrase – a group of words in a sentence that give us extra information about a noun in the sentence. Example: Ice hockey, a sport that is played during the winter, is a fun and popular sport in the city.
 

Collective nouns – a group of people or things.  Examples:  audience, assembly, board, class, club, committee, council, crowd, faculty, family, group, herd, jury, orchestra, panel, public, senate, team.

Conjunctions join or connect other words, phrases, or clauses.

Coordinating conjunctions:  and (to add an idea), but (to contrast two opposing ideas), yet (to contrast two ideas), or (to show a choice), nor (to add an idea when the first clause is negative), for (meaning “because”; introduces reason), so (to introduce a result).

Correlative conjunctions:  either . . . or, neither . . .  nor, both . . . and, not only . . .  but also. (These words much always accompany each other.)

Subordinating conjunctions:  after, although, as, as if, as though, because, before, how, if, even if, provided that, since, unless, until, when, whenever, where, wherever, while.

Adverbial conjunctions (conjunctive adverbs/connectors):  are a method of coordination.  They give compound sentences more emphasis. 

Meanings:

Addition (and):  in addition, also, besides, furthermore, moreover

Likeness:  likewise, similarly

Alternative (or):  instead, on the other hand, otherwise

Contrast (but): however, nevertheless, nonetheless

Emphasis:  indeed, in fact

Result (so):  accordingly, consequently, hence, therefore, thus

To Show Time:  meanwhile

Dangling Modifier – a misplaced modifier.  It has no word, phrase, or clause to describe.  Example:  Working on the car’s engine, the dog barked all afternoon.  (Did the dog work on the car?)

Interjections express strong feeling and are not connected grammatically to any other part of the sentence

Modifiers – words or groups of words that function as adjectives or adverbs.  A modifier must be placed closely to the word, phrase, or clause that it modifies in order to be understood by the reader.  Examples of modifiers that are often misplaced:  almost, even, exactly, hardly, just, merely, nearly, only, scarcely, simply. 

Noun – a word naming a person, place, or thing. 

Three types: Common nouns, proper nouns, and collective nouns.  Nouns are concrete if you can see or touch them (Examples:  window, paper, river, etc.).  Nouns are abstract if you cannot see or touch them.  Abstract nouns can be concepts, ideas, or qualities.  (Examples:  meditation, honesty, carelessness).

 

Preposition – a word used to relate a noun or pronoun to some other word in the sentence. 
Common prepositions:  about, above, across, after, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, during, except, for, from, in, inside, into, like, near, of, off, on, outside, over, past, since, through, to, toward, under, until, up, upon, with, within, without.

Common prepositional combinations:  ahead of, at the time of, because of, by means of, except for, for fear of, for the purpose of, for the sake of, in addition to, in between, in care of, in case of, in common with, in contrast to, in the course of, in exchange for, in reference to, in regard to, in search of, in spite of, instead of, on account of, similar to.

Pronoun – a word used to take the place of a noun and used as the subject or object.  Pronouns must agree with their antecedent, the word to which it refers. 

Personal pronouns:

Relative pronouns:  who, whom, whose, which, that, what, whoever, whichever, whatever.

Demonstrative pronouns:  this, that, these, those.

Reflexive pronouns:  myself, yourselves, etc.

Indefinite pronouns: 

Verbs:  How many English verb tenses are there? 

Present – I walk; Present continuous – I am walking; Present perfect – I have walked

Present perfect continuous – I have been walking; Past – I walked; Past continuous – I was walking

Past perfect – I had walked; Past perfect continuous – I had been walking; Future – I will walk

Future continuous – I will be walking; Future perfect – I will have walked

Future perfect continuous – I will have been walking

Verbs can be action, linking (connect the subject of the sentence with the predicate adjective or predicate nominative; am, is, are, was, were, have been, act, appear, become, feel, grow, look, seem, taste), and helping/auxiliaries (verbs used before a sentence’s main verb; can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would, be, have, do).