| Parts |
Purpose |
Examples |
Helpful Hints |
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Adjectives
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Describe or limit the meaning of nouns and pronouns. Answer one of three questions:
Which one? What kind? How many?
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The tall building.
The laughing boys threw water on the little girls.
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Change when used as comparatives
(cold colder, coldest).
Usually precede the nouns they modify.
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Adverbs
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Add to or modify the meaning of verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Answers one of three questions: How? When? Where?
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Mary drove carefully to the hospital.
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Most, but not all, adverbs end in ~ly. Adverbs may follow or precede the verbs they modify.
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Articles
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Help define nouns
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I met the new student yesterday.
We have an hour before class.
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Two classes of articles: definite article the and
indefinite article a/an
The article an comes before words that begin with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u)
The article a comes before words that begin with consonants except silent h.
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Conjunctions
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Connect words, phrases, and clauses within a sentence.
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I dropped the vase, but it didn't break.
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Some conjunctions (however, but, moreover, etc) also show the relationship between ideas.
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Interjections
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Show surprise or emotion.
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Yes! Let's do it!
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Interjections are not acceptable in formal writing
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Nouns
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Name persons, places, things, and ideas. There are two classes of nouns.
Common nouns - refer to non-specific places, things and ideas.
Proper nouns - refer to specific person, places, or
things and always begin with a capital letter.
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The girl was so embarrassed that she ran out of the room.
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Requires slight changes to indicate the plural form and possession.
Nouns are capitalized when referring to specific people , places, or things.
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Prepositions
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Show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and some other word in a sentence.
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The man was sitting on the sofa watching TV.
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Prepositions usually come before a noun or pronoun to form a prepositional phrase.
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Verbs
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Express action or state of being.
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This is the second time I have come here this
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Form changes to reflect person and time.
Agree with the subject in person and number.
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Pronouns
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Take the place of a noun.
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This is the only time he can meet with me.
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Change form according to the noun they replace.
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