“Prepositions are not words to end sentences with” reads the joke commenting on a prescriptive grammar rule for prepositions. According to scholar G.O. Curme in his Parts of Speech and Accidence published in 1935, the traditional definition of a preposition is “a word that indicates a relation between the noun or pronoun it governs and another word, which may be [Read Full Article...]
I have discovered that distinguishing between grammatical form and grammatical function is surprisingly difficult for most grammar students to grasp. In my mind, grammatical form (what a word looks like) is clearly separate from grammatical function (what a word does). But, how can I more effectively explain this difference to the non-grammar nerd? Defining Form and Function All languages contain [Read Full Article...]
Adjective Phrases Adjective phrases in English grammar are phrases in which an adjective functions as the head of the phrase. Adjective phrases perform adjectival grammatical functions. Adjective phrase is a grammatical form. The three grammatical functions performed by adjective phrases are noun phrase modifier, subject complement, and object complement. The four grammatical forms that may appear in adjective phrases are [Read Full Article...]
Verb Phrases Verb phrases in English grammar are phrases in which a verb functions as the head of the phrase. Verb phrases perform verbal, nominal, adjectival, and adverbial grammatical functions. Verb phrase is a grammatical form. The eleven grammatical functions performed by verb phrases are predicate, noun phrase modifier, adjective phrase complement, verb phrase complement, adverbial, subject, subject complement, direct [Read Full Article...]
English Personal Pronouns Pronouns are small words that can take the place of nouns and noun phrases. Personal pronouns are pronouns that take the place of common and proper nouns. The English personal pronoun system includes four types of pronouns: subject pronouns, object pronouns, possessive pronouns, and reflexive pronouns. Pronouns in English can perform five different grammatical subjects depending on [Read Full Article...]
Noun Clauses Noun clauses in English grammar are subordinate clauses that consist of a subordinating conjunction followed by a clause. Noun clauses perform nominal grammatical functions. Noun clause is a grammatical form. The nine grammatical functions performed by noun clauses are subject, subject complement, direct object, object complement, indirect object, prepositional complement, adjective phrase complement, noun phrase complement, and appositive. [Read Full Article...]
Determinatives In traditional treatments of grammar, nouns are defined as words that denote a person, place, thing, or idea. A noun phrase is a phrase that consists of a noun functioning as the head of the phrase plus any modifiers, complements, or determiners. A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun or noun phrase. Pronouns are a [Read Full Article...]
Indirect Objects Nouns are traditionally defined as words that refer to a person, place, thing, or idea. A noun phrase is a phrase that consists of a noun plus any modifiers, complements, or determiners. A subcategory of nouns, pronouns are words that take the place of nouns and noun phrases. In grammar, an indirect object is word, phrase, or clause [Read Full Article...]
Possessive Determiners Possessive determiners in English grammar are words that indicate possession of or some other relationship to a noun. Prepositional complement is a grammatical form. The grammatical function performed by possessive determiners is determinative. The eight possessive determiners in English are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their and the interrogative possessive determiner whose. Some grammars also incorrectly [Read Full Article...]
Noun Phrases Noun phrases in English grammar are phrases in which a noun functions as the head of the phrase. A noun phrase consists of a noun including a pronoun plus any determiners, modifiers, and complements. Noun phrases perform nominal grammatical functions. Noun phrase is a grammatical form. The ten grammatical functions performed by noun phrases are subject, subject complement, direct [Read Full Article...]