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Grammar

Grammar

The building blocks of the language.

38 articles. Page 3 of 4

Anticipatory It as Subject and Object in GrammarAnticipatory It

Anticipatory “it” is used in the subject or object position to refer to the real subject or object, which appears later in the sentence (e.g., “It was nice to meet you”).

Empty “It” as Dummy Subject (It’s Raining)Empty It as Dummy Subject

Use it as a dummy subject to speak about weather, time, and distance, and to introduce the existence of a situation (e.g., “It’s raining”).

Implied Subject: Meaning and ExamplesImplied Subject

The subject is implied in imperatives (“Please wait here”), certain elliptical constructions (“See you later”), and some nonfinite clauses (“Rita waited, holding her breath”).

Dummy Subjects: “It” and “There”Dummy Subjects: “It” and “There”

The dummy subjects “it” and “there” introduce sentences referring to weather, time, dates, and situations in general. These pronouns fill the slot of subject in such sentences.

Types of Subjects | All about the Subject in GrammarThe Subject in Grammar

The subject is the person or thing performing an action, or whom or what a state or event refers to. Subjects may be simple or complete, and compound. They may also be definite and indefinite, fake and real, empty, and implied.

Conjunctions as Linking Words: Types and ExamplesConjunctions as Linking Words

Conjunctions link words, phrases, clauses, and sentences, and show a logical relation between them. Coordinating conjunctions (e.g., “and,” “but”) link elements of equal grammatical status, while subordinating conjunctions (e.g., “because,” “though”) make one clause depend on another for complete meaning.

Prepositions (In, On, At, …): Words of ConnectionPrepositions

Prepositions express relations of time (“during the day”) and space (“at the market”), and other abstract relations (“the secret of happiness”) between two parts of a sentence.

Adverbs: The When, Where, and How of It AllAdverbs

Adverbs add to the meaning of other parts of a sentence. They express a relationship of manner (how), time (when), place (where), duration (how long), degree (how much), circumstance, and connection (why, whether).

Adjectives: How You Describe People and ThingsAdjectives

An adjective is used to describe a person or a thing. It may denote a property, quality, or state, or help classify a noun.

Regular and Irregular Plurals: Patterns in EnglishRegular and Irregular Plurals

Regular plurals are formed by adding “-s,” “-es,” or “-ies” to the singular (“girls,” “viruses,” “duties”). Irregular plurals also often follow a pattern, originating sometimes in the parent language or rules of older forms of English (e.g., “children,” “criteria,” “mice”).

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