Grammar Terminology

Parts of Speech

noun	a word that names a person, place, or thing. Nouns can be concrete (Josephine, Alabama, spinach) or abstract (fear, integrity, attitude).
pronoun	a word (she, he, it, they, who, that, which, myself) that stands in for/refers to a noun
verb or verb package	a word (eat, ate) or group of words (has eaten, had eaten) that depicts the action associated with a subject
modifier	a general term for any descriptive word or group of words (adjectives and adverbs)
adjective	a word (delicious) or group of words (which is delicious) that describes a noun or pronoun
adverb	a word (quickly) or group of words (in two minutes) that describes a verb (eat) in terms of how, when, where, or why
preposition	a word that often conveys direction or position (in, on, to, from, under, over, between, among), but not always (by, for, of). Prepositions combine with a noun, pronoun, or noun equivalent to form a phrase (by the way, to him, in writing).
gerund	an action word ending in ing that functions as a noun (eating is my favorite pastime; I enjoy eating). Gerunds are noun equivalents.
infinitive	the source from which all verbs come, beginning with to and ending with an action word (to eat, to relax, to converse). Even though infinitives look like verbs, they don’t function as verbs. They do other jobs: they can serve as nouns (to nibble is enjoyable; to scarf up is divine), in which case they are noun equivalents; or they can serve as adjectives (to finish this meal, one must have a large appetite), in which case they are part of a phrase that describes a noun or pronoun.
participle	an action word ending in ing (debating) or ed (digested) or an irregular form (forgotten). On their own, participles do not function as verbs. They can be part of a verb package, when preceded by an actual verb (am eating, was digested, had been forgotten). Or they can be adjectives, when placed next to a noun (debating team, digested food, forgotten plan).

Sentence Roles

subject	a noun, pronoun, or noun equivalent representing a person, place, or thing connected to a verb (an action). Usually, a subject is located to the left of a verb:
	Josephine receives a lot of mail.
	She is admired by her friends.
	Talking on the phone is her favorite pastime.
	Occasionally, a subject follows a verb (in sentences that begin with prepositional phrases, for example):
	On the line is Josephine.
	At the center of the debate is Josephine.
	Always, however, the subject is the answer to the question “who or what?” before the verb. For instance, when you ask “Who or what receives a lot of mail?” (in the first sample sentence), the answer is Josephine; when you ask “Who or what is her favorite pastime?”(in the third sample sentence), the answer is talking; when you ask “Who or what is at the center of the debate?”(in the final sample sentence), the answer is Josephine.
object	a noun, pronoun, or noun equivalent that is not serving as a subject. Although there are several kinds of objects, it’s not necessary to distinguish among them; all you need to know is that they are not subjects. (Being able to identify a subject is key to achieving subject-verb agreement.)
verb or verb package	a word or group of words depicting the action associated with the subject
clause	a group of words containing a subject and verb. A clause can be independent (meaning it is capable of standing alone as a sentence) or dependent (meaning it isn’t capable of standing alone as a sentence, even though it contains a subject and verb).
	Independent clause: Josephine receives a lot of mail
	Dependent clause: Because Josephine receives a lot of mail
	Dependent clause: Josephine, who loves talking on the phone
phrase	a group of words that does not contain a subject and verb
	Prepositional phrase: On the phone
	Infinitive phrase: To finish the conversation
	Participial phrase: Often dialing incorrectly