Glossary of Terms

• Adjectives are modifiers. They describe nouns & specify size, color, number, etc., e.g., The small "x" in the upper corner of the window is used to exit your file.
• Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives & other adverbs, e.g., The exhausted secretary screamed loudly as her monitor flickered slowly, then died.
• Alliteration can give a pleasing sound to a sentence, as long as it's not overdone, e.g., World Wide Web . . . smelly, slimy SCSI . . . resonant ringing.
• Clauses are groups of words with a subject and predicate. A main clause stands alone as a sentence; a subordinate clause is incomplete and is used with a main clause to express an idea. Main: I like playing Tetris, Subordinate when I have time.
• Compound nouns usually form the plural by pluralizing the fundamental part of the word, e.g., attorneys general; spelling matches; vice presidents.
• Conjunctions join words, phrases or clauses. Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, either, neither, yet, so, so that. (Yet & so are also used as adverbs.) Subordinating conjunctions join two clauses (main and dependent/subordinate): although, because, since, until, while, etc.
• Metaphors suggest comparison between two different things, e.g., Bill Gates has a heart of gold . . . His mind is a sharp razor.
• Noun  The name of a person, place, thing, quality or action. Secretary, desk, computer, Redmond, technology, frustration.
• Phrases are closely related words with no subject or predicate, and may be used as nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs, e.g., Waiting for Technical Support has kept me at my desk all afternoon (noun). The typing could have been done earlier (verb). The person with the bleary eyes is a computer nerd (adjective). Buy memory chips now, since the price will go up soon (adverb).
• Predicates are one of two main components of a sentence. They are verbs and the words used to explain the action or condition. They always agree with the Subject, e.g., Choosing the right ISP can be a difficult process.
• Prepositions show how nouns or pronouns relate to other words in a sentence, e.g., Little Susie rolled the $800 CD ROM into the bathroom; her mother hid behind the shower curtain.
• Pronouns are substitutes for nouns, e.g., Judy sat at her computer and turned it on.
• Proper nouns form their plurals by adding s to the singular or es if the word ends in s, z, ch, sh, or zh, e.g., the Carolinas, Robinsons, Piersons, Judys, Joneses, Savages, Morrises.
• Similes show a similarity between two things, using "like." Bill Prowell has a mind like a razor . . . After six hours at the computer, her eyelids felt like lead weights.
• Subjects, one of two main components of a sentence, are nouns, pronouns, or phrases used as nouns, e.g., Choosing the right ISP can be a difficult process.
• Verbs make things happen, show action or state of being & also indicate time of action or being, e.g., Jeff's son waved goodbye to the computer repairman (past). I need to shut down Windows (present). You will enjoy learning HTML (future).
• Voice. Active is preferable to passive to create action and interest. Sometimes, in certain types of documents, passive voice is preferred, e.g., Connie typed the letter (active). The letter was typed by Connie (passive).

Our thanks to Webgrammar (no affiliation to Daily Grammar) for giving us permission to reprint their definitions.  They also have a great list of grammar-related web sites.

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