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grammar.

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR


The essence of the English language is the sentence. A sentence is a gam-
matically self-contained group of words that expresses a statement, a
question, a command, a wish, or an exclamation. It is composed of a sub-
ject, about which something is said, and a predicate, which expresses
what is said about the subject. The subject can be a single noun, a noun
phrase, such as the strong wind, or a noun clause, such as what he
decides is important to all of us. The predicate can be a single verb, a
verb phrase, such as will be going, a verb and all its modifiers, such as will
be going as soon as the bus arrives, or a verb and its complements, such
as gave his client the bad news.
In English, word order is important. The subject usually comes first,
but not necessarily:
An amusement park is across the river.
Across the river is an amusement park.
Is an amusement park across the river
The grammar of English is concerned with the structure of these ele-
ments that make up a sentence. Every word in a sentence can be classi-
fied as a particular part of speech noun, verb, adjective, etc. according
to its function in the sentence. The major parts of speech are briefly dis-
cussed in the following guide to basic English grammar.

THE ADJECTIVE
The adjective gives information can also follow certain verbs:
about a noun or pronoun, such as
what kind the house is white
 white house
the black cat the speeches seemed long
a joyful occasion  long speeches
the chair felt comfortable
or which one  comfortable chair
a first draft the tree grew tall
that suggestion  tall tree
or how many A few adjectives will follow their
nouns, but usually only in set phras-
ten players es:
few new ideas.
court martial
The adjective usually precedes the secretary-general
noun it modifies, but some adjectives

POSITIVE, COMPARATIVE, AND SUPERLATIVE


DEGREES OF ADJECTIVES
The positive degree is the basic form whitest house in the neighborhood.
of the adjective. It gives basic infor- When the adjective consists of a
mation about the noun without ref- single syllable, the suffix -er is added
erence to anything else a white to form the comparative degree, and
house. The comparative degree the suffix -est is added to form the
relates a noun to anotheras having superlative degree. When the adjec-
more or less of some quality this tive consists of two syllables, the suf-
house is whiter than that the fixes are often used to form the com-
superlative degree relates the noun parative as gentler and superlative
to all others of its class this is the as gentlest, but the adverbs more or
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less can also be used to form the adverbs are usually used to form
comparative as more skillful and the comparative and superlative
less skillful, and likewise, the forms as more fortunate, most fortu-
adverbs most and least can be used nate.
to form the superlative as most There are a few adjectives that
skillful and least skillful. For adjec- have unique comparative and
tives of more than two syllables, the superlative forms:

Positive Comparative Superlative


good better best
bad worse worst
some more most
little (amount) less least
but
little (size) littler littlest

There are a few adjectives that have an utter failure


no comparative or superlative forms: the principal objections

DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES
The demonstrative adjectives this plural forms are these and those,
and that are used to point out the respectively.
one person or thing referred to as
not this coat but that one. The These books are mine and those
books are yours.

DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES

A descriptive adjective describes or a fascinating conversation


indicates a quality, type, or condi- a positive attitude
tion: a fast computer

INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES

An indefinite adjective is used to some children


designate unspecified persons or other projects
things: any book

INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES

An interrogative adjective is used to Whose office is this


form a question: Which book do you want

THE NOUN USED AS ADJECTIVE


A noun sometimes serves to modify the Vietnam War
another noun and thus functions as word processing
an adjective:
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POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
The possessive form of a personal Where s my magazine
pronoun is called a possessive Your cab is here.
adjective. Following is a list of They can read his story.
possesssive adjectives and a few It was her idea.
examples of how they are used: The box and its contents
were inspected.
Singular Plural She s our mother.
Your photos are ready.
my our We paid for their tickets.
your your
his
her
its their

PREDICATE ADJECTIVES
A predicate adjective modifies the She became angry.
subject of a linking verb, such as They are happy with the
be, become, feel, taste, smell, or outcome.
seem: The milk smells bad.
The student seems lonely.
He is lucky.

PROPER ADJECTIVES

A proper adjective is derived from Victorian furniture


a proper noun and is capitalized: a Chinese custom
a Shakespearean scholar

THE ADVERB
Adverbs, whether single words or When the adjective ends in -y, the
phrases, usually give information adverb is formed by changing -y to
about the verbs, such as when -i and adding the suffix -ly:
We arrived yesterday
He woke up late happily
daintily
or where
When the adjective ends in -ic, the
I found them at the restaurant adverb is formed by adding the suf-
He spent time in the hospital fix -ally:
or how basically
numerically
They arose quickly
She worked hard When an adjective ends in -ly, the
adverb retains the same spelling:
Most single-word adverbs end in
-ly and are formed by adding the a daily routine adjective
suffix -ly to an adjective: she called her mother daily
adverb
madly an early meeting adjective
wonderfully the show started early adverb

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