Definition of Participle A participle, in grammatical terms, is the form of a verb that ends either in present participle, with “-ing,” or in past participle, with “-ed.” The word “participle” finds its origins in the Latin word participium, which…
Category: Grammatical Terms
Noun
Definition of Noun A noun is a part of speech, which is used to identify a thing, person, idea, or place. It originated from a Latin word nomen, which means “a name.” In fact, everything people talk about needs a…
Monosyllable
Definition of Monosyllable A monosyllable is an utterance or a word having only one syllable. It has originated from a Greek word “monosyllable,” which simply means “one syllable.” In fact, monosyllable is an unbroken sound or a single sound that…
Irregular Verb
Definition of Irregular Verb An irregular verb is a type of verb that does not follow the general rule of using “-ed” at the end of the word to make the past tense or the past participle form. It means…
Adverb
Definition of Adverb An adverb is a part of speech that informs about an action – how, where, when, in which manner, or to what an extent it has been performed. The term adverb is derived from a Latin word…
Definite Article
Definition of Definite Article The definite article “the” in grammar is a determiner that introduces or refers to a specific noun, or specifies the given noun. However, an indefinite article is opposite the definite article, because it does not specify…
Common Noun
Definition of Common Noun A common noun is used to name general things, places, ideas, events, or people. They are words that refer to things in general terms, and not in specific terms. People are also named through common nouns.…
Collective Noun
Definition of Collective Noun The term collective noun denotes a group of objects, people, animals, or ideas as a single concept, or a single thing. Though a collective noun is not a single person or thing in a group, it…
Adjective
Definition of Adjective An adjective is a part of speech that describes and modifies a noun, to make a writing or conversation more specific, relevant, and coherent. The word “adjective” has been derived from the Latin word adjectīvum, which means…
Verb Phrase
Definition of Verb Phrase A verb phrase is a syntactic unit consisting of an auxiliary (helping) verb preceding the main verb. It often contains a head verb, complements, objects, and modifiers as its dependents. Helping verbs may appear as: is,…
Punctuation
Definition of Punctuation Punctuation is a set of marks that regulates and clarifies the meanings of different texts. The term “punctuation” has originated from the Medieval Latin word “pūnctuātiōn,” which means markings or signs. The purpose of punctuation is to…
Transitive Verb
Definition of Transitive Verb A transitive verb is a type of action verb that links the subject with the object (a person or a thing) of a sentence, which is receiving the action. The word “transitive” is derived from a…
Subordinating Conjunction
Definition of Subordinating Conjunction Subordinating conjunction is a type of conjunction and a part of speech in grammar. It connects the main clause (independent clause) to the subordinate clause (dependent clause) by introducing the subordinate clause. It also describes a…
Simple Sentence
Definition of Simple Sentence A simple sentence in grammar has only one main or independent clause and no dependent or subordinate clauses. Comprising a subject and a predicate, this short and independent syntactic entity intends to convey a complete idea…
Sentence
Definition of Sentence Etymologically, the term sentence has its origin in a Latin word “sententia,” which translates as “feeling,” or “opinion.” In language, a sentence is the largest grammatically independent unit, having a subject and a verb, and expressing a…
Phrasal Verb
Definition of Phrasal Verb A phrasal verb is a compound verb that contains a verb and a prepositional adverb or particle. Together, these form a semantic unit. A phrasal verb may also appear as an idiom. Phrasal verbs can be…
Linking Verb
Definition of Linking Verb A linking verb connects a subject to a verb in a sentence in order to show the action that is being done. A linking verb does not express the action by itself. Some words can serve…
Action Verb
Definition of Action Verb An action verb, or “active verb,” shows an action, feeling, or process. An action verb is also known as a “dynamic verb,” and it is opposite to a “static verb,” in that it is mostly used…
Relative Pronoun
Definition of Relative Pronoun A relative pronoun is a type of pronoun that links the relative clause to another clause in a sentence, and introduces the relative clause or an adjective clause. It normally acts as a subject of the…
Reflexive Pronoun
Definition of Reflexive Pronoun A reflexive pronoun ends with “‑self” in case of a singular pronoun, and “‑selves” in case of a plural pronoun, and refers back to the subject of the sentence. It appears within the sentence, and also…