Noun Correct Answer: words that identify the whos, wheres, and whats in
language; name people, places, and things
Proper noun Correct Answer: name specific, one-of-a-kind items; always begin
with capital letters
Ex. George, Godzilla
Common noun Correct Answer: identify general varieties; only require
capitalization if they start the sentence of are part of a title
Concrete noun Correct Answer: type of noun; you can see, hear, smell, taste, or
feel the item
Ex. Pizza
Abstract noun Correct Answer: type of noun; you cannot experience the item with
any of your five senses
Ex. Politeness
Count noun Correct Answer: type of noun; can be singular or plural
Ex. Godzilla ate three PIZZAS, two delivery BOYS, and six parked CARS.
Noncount noun Correct Answer: type of noun; has only one singular form
Ex. After overindulging at Antonio's, Godzilla got severe INDIGESTION.
(indigestion can't be plural)
Collective nouns Correct Answer: type of noun; names groups
Ex. Army, audience, board, cabinet, committee, firm, jury, team, etc
,Verb Correct Answer: have two important functions; some put stalled objects into
motion, while others help to clarify the subjects of a sentence in meaningful ways
Ex. My grumpy old English teacher SMILED at the plate of cold meatloaf.
The daredevil cockroach SPLASHED into Sara's soup.
Complete sentence Correct Answer: 1. Begins with a capital letter
2. Includes an end mark--either a period, question mark, or exclamation point
3. Must contain at least one main clause
Ex. The banana rotting at the bottom of Jimmy's book bag has soaked his biology
notes with ooze.
Main clause Correct Answer: contains an independent subject and verb and
expresses a complete thought.
Ex. Diane kicked the soda machine.
Diane = the subject; kicked = the verb
Subject Correct Answer: who or what does the verb in a sentence
Ex. During his biology lab, TOMMY danced on the table.
Action verb Correct Answer: expresses action; something that a person, animal,
force of nature, or thing can do
Ex. Clyde SNEEZES with the force of a tornado
Linking verb Correct Answer: doesn't express action; connects the subject of a
verb to additional information about the subject
Ex. Mario IS a computer hacker.
Ising isn't something that Mario can do. IS connects the subject, Mario, to
additional information about him.
Modifier Correct Answer: words, phrases, or clauses that provide description in
sentences; allow writers to take the picture that they have in their heads and
transfer it to the heads of readers; can be adjectives, adjective clauses, adverbs,
adverb clauses, absolute phrases, infinitive phrases, etc.
, Ex. Stephen dropped his fork.
With the help of modifiers:
Poor Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal to get through his three-hour biology
lab, quickly dropped his fork on the cafeteria tray, gagging with disgust as a
tarantula wiggled out of his cheese omelet, a sight requiring a year of therapy
before Stephen could eat eggs again.
Adjective Correct Answer: POOR Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal to get
through his three-hour biology lab, quickly dropped his fork on the cafeteria tray,
gagging with disgust as a tarantula wiggled out of his cheese omelet, a sight
requiring a year of therapy before Stephen could eat eggs again.
-describes the noun by answering one of these three questions: What kind is it?
How many are there? Which one is it?
Adjective clause Correct Answer: Poor Stephen, WHO JUST WANTED A QUICK
MEAL to get through his three-hour biology lab, quickly dropped his fork on the
cafeteria tray, gagging with disgust as a tarantula wiggled out of his cheese
omelet, a sight requiring a year of therapy before Stephen could eat eggs again.
Adverb Correct Answer: Poor Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal to get
through his three-hour biology lab, QUICKLY dropped his fork on the cafeteria
tray, gagging with disgust as a tarantula wiggled out of his cheese omelet, a sight
requiring a year of therapy before Stephen could eat eggs again.
Adverb clause Correct Answer: Poor Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal to get
through his three-hour biology lab, quickly dropped his fork on the cafeteria tray,
gagging with disgust AS A TARANTULA WIGGLED OUT OF HIS CHEESE OMELET, a
sight requiring a year of therapy before Stephen could eat eggs again.
Absolute phrase Correct Answer: Poor Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal to
get through his three-hour biology lab, quickly dropped his fork on the cafeteria
tray, gagging with disgust as a tarantula wiggled out of his cheese omelet, A SIGHT
REQUIRING A YEAR OF THERAPY BEFORE STEPHEN COULD EAT EGGS AGAIN
Infinitive phrase Correct Answer: Poor Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal TO
GET THROUGH HIS THREE-HOUR BIOLOGY LAB, quickly dropped his fork on the
language; name people, places, and things
Proper noun Correct Answer: name specific, one-of-a-kind items; always begin
with capital letters
Ex. George, Godzilla
Common noun Correct Answer: identify general varieties; only require
capitalization if they start the sentence of are part of a title
Concrete noun Correct Answer: type of noun; you can see, hear, smell, taste, or
feel the item
Ex. Pizza
Abstract noun Correct Answer: type of noun; you cannot experience the item with
any of your five senses
Ex. Politeness
Count noun Correct Answer: type of noun; can be singular or plural
Ex. Godzilla ate three PIZZAS, two delivery BOYS, and six parked CARS.
Noncount noun Correct Answer: type of noun; has only one singular form
Ex. After overindulging at Antonio's, Godzilla got severe INDIGESTION.
(indigestion can't be plural)
Collective nouns Correct Answer: type of noun; names groups
Ex. Army, audience, board, cabinet, committee, firm, jury, team, etc
,Verb Correct Answer: have two important functions; some put stalled objects into
motion, while others help to clarify the subjects of a sentence in meaningful ways
Ex. My grumpy old English teacher SMILED at the plate of cold meatloaf.
The daredevil cockroach SPLASHED into Sara's soup.
Complete sentence Correct Answer: 1. Begins with a capital letter
2. Includes an end mark--either a period, question mark, or exclamation point
3. Must contain at least one main clause
Ex. The banana rotting at the bottom of Jimmy's book bag has soaked his biology
notes with ooze.
Main clause Correct Answer: contains an independent subject and verb and
expresses a complete thought.
Ex. Diane kicked the soda machine.
Diane = the subject; kicked = the verb
Subject Correct Answer: who or what does the verb in a sentence
Ex. During his biology lab, TOMMY danced on the table.
Action verb Correct Answer: expresses action; something that a person, animal,
force of nature, or thing can do
Ex. Clyde SNEEZES with the force of a tornado
Linking verb Correct Answer: doesn't express action; connects the subject of a
verb to additional information about the subject
Ex. Mario IS a computer hacker.
Ising isn't something that Mario can do. IS connects the subject, Mario, to
additional information about him.
Modifier Correct Answer: words, phrases, or clauses that provide description in
sentences; allow writers to take the picture that they have in their heads and
transfer it to the heads of readers; can be adjectives, adjective clauses, adverbs,
adverb clauses, absolute phrases, infinitive phrases, etc.
, Ex. Stephen dropped his fork.
With the help of modifiers:
Poor Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal to get through his three-hour biology
lab, quickly dropped his fork on the cafeteria tray, gagging with disgust as a
tarantula wiggled out of his cheese omelet, a sight requiring a year of therapy
before Stephen could eat eggs again.
Adjective Correct Answer: POOR Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal to get
through his three-hour biology lab, quickly dropped his fork on the cafeteria tray,
gagging with disgust as a tarantula wiggled out of his cheese omelet, a sight
requiring a year of therapy before Stephen could eat eggs again.
-describes the noun by answering one of these three questions: What kind is it?
How many are there? Which one is it?
Adjective clause Correct Answer: Poor Stephen, WHO JUST WANTED A QUICK
MEAL to get through his three-hour biology lab, quickly dropped his fork on the
cafeteria tray, gagging with disgust as a tarantula wiggled out of his cheese
omelet, a sight requiring a year of therapy before Stephen could eat eggs again.
Adverb Correct Answer: Poor Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal to get
through his three-hour biology lab, QUICKLY dropped his fork on the cafeteria
tray, gagging with disgust as a tarantula wiggled out of his cheese omelet, a sight
requiring a year of therapy before Stephen could eat eggs again.
Adverb clause Correct Answer: Poor Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal to get
through his three-hour biology lab, quickly dropped his fork on the cafeteria tray,
gagging with disgust AS A TARANTULA WIGGLED OUT OF HIS CHEESE OMELET, a
sight requiring a year of therapy before Stephen could eat eggs again.
Absolute phrase Correct Answer: Poor Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal to
get through his three-hour biology lab, quickly dropped his fork on the cafeteria
tray, gagging with disgust as a tarantula wiggled out of his cheese omelet, A SIGHT
REQUIRING A YEAR OF THERAPY BEFORE STEPHEN COULD EAT EGGS AGAIN
Infinitive phrase Correct Answer: Poor Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal TO
GET THROUGH HIS THREE-HOUR BIOLOGY LAB, quickly dropped his fork on the
