English Grammer Topic List

The Glossary-The list of the important words related to English-has been given here for your reference.

Active:

In an active clause or active sentence, the grammatical subject is the person or thing that performs the action given in the verb.
Example:
Clinton wrote the book.
COMPARE: PASSIVE.

Adjective:

A word that describes a noun or a pronoun
Example:
He is an intelligent boy.

Adjective Phrase:

A group of words where the main word is an adjective and which does the function of an adjective.
Example:
It was not strong enough.

Adverb:

A word that describes or gives more information about a verb or an adjective or another adverb
Example:
He ran quickly.
This is an extremely expensive car.

Adverbial Clause:

A type of subordinate clause that says when, how, where etc… something happens.
Example:
Before I went to school this morning, I did my homework.

Adverbial Phrase:

A group of words that says when, how, where etc...
Example:
With a great deal of noise, they went around the town.

Affirmative sentence:
A statement that is positive, not negative.
Example:
He has achieved this honor.

Agent:
A person or a thing that performs the action described in the verb.
Usually it is the subject in an active clause and comes after “by" in a passive clause.

Auxiliary verb:

The verbs be, have, and do when they are used with a main verb to form questions, negatives, tenses, passive forms etc…
Modal verbs are also auxiliary verbs. 

Example:
You be here till I come back.
REFER: MODAL VERB

Clause:

A group of words that contains a verb.
A clause may be a complete sentence or a part of sentence.
Example:
While I was in New York, He had gone to Japan.

Complement:

A word or a phrase that describes the subject or an object
Example:
Linda is a lawyer.
I found the food inedible.

Completion:

A completion is an adverbial phrase or a prepositional phrase which completes the meaning of the verb
Example:
The disease originated in Britain.
(‘The disease originated’ will be incomplete)

Compound noun:

A compound noun consists of two or more words together used as a noun
Example:
The language-school is closed today.

Compound adjective:

A compound adjective consists of two or more words together used as an adjective
Example:
They were well-behaved.

Conditional clause:

A conditional clause usually starts with ‘if’ but other but other patterns are possible
Example:
If you come with me, I am prepared to attend the wedding-function.

Conditional sentence:

A conditional sentence is a sentence which has a conditional clause.
Example:
If you come with me, I am prepared to attend the wedding-function.

Conjunction:

A word which connects two parts in sentence is called a conjunction.
The words such as and, but, if, while, after etc are called conjunctions.
Example:
You can come to this town after your father transferred to another town.

Countable noun:

A countable noun is a noun which can be counted.
It can be either singular or plural.
Uncountable noun does not have the plural form.
Example:
Three students have passed the examination.
COMPARE: UNCOUNTABLE NOUN

Determiner:

A word that goes in front of a noun to identify what the noun refers to
Example:
This pencil is not mine.

Direct speech:

Speech that is written using the exact words of the speaker, without any changes
Example:
Clinton said, “This university was the one in which he wanted to study".
COMPARE: REPORTED SPEECH

Dynamic verb:

A verb that describes an action
Example:
He walked 15kms. 

COMPARE: STATE VERB

Finite verb:

A verb that has a tense
Example:
They went to meet their master.
COMPARE: NON-FINITE VERB

Imperative clause:

An imperative clause uses the bare-infinite form of a verb for such things as giving order and making suggestions
Example:
Go to bed.

Indirect speech:

Speech that is reported without using the exact words of the speaker
This is also called reported speech.
Example:
Clinton told us that Mr. John would not attend the function.
COMPARE: DIRECT SPEECH
REFER: REPORTED SPEECH

Infinite verb:

Infinite verb usually goes after ‘to’.
The form may be either ‘to-infinite’ or ‘bare-infinite’.
Example:
He liked to sing in the function.

Intransitive verb:

A verb that take an object
Example:
She smiled. 

COMPARE: TRANSITIVE VERB

Inversion:

Changing the usual word order so that the verb comes before the subject
Example:
The balloon went up.
Up went the balloon.

Linking verb:

A verb that connects the subject with its complement
Example:
He became a doctor as he wished.

Modal verb:

A verb that gives information about such things as possibility, necessity or obligation
Can, could, dare, may, might, must, need and ought are few of the modal verbs.
Example:
He may come.

Noun:

A noun refers to a person, a place, a thing, a quality etc…
Example:
Clinton is the chairman of this company.
REFER: PROPER NOUN

Noun phrase:

A group of words where the main word is a noun
Example:
We spoke to several small children.

Object:

The person or thing affected by the action of the verb.
Example:
I put the book back on the shelf.
COMPARE: SUBJECT

Participle:

The participle is the other versions of verbs.
Example:
Smoking is prohibited here.
Eaten by the remorse, he took doctor advices.

Past participle:

Past Participle is the ‘-ed’ form of the verb.
Example:
He was liked by all of his friends.

Present participle:

The ‘-ing’ form of the verb is called present participle
Example:
Smoking is prohibited here.

Proper noun:

The name of a particular person
Example:
Clinton is an old man.

Passive:

In a passive clause or a passive sentence, a grammatical subject is the person or a thing that experiences the effect of the action given in the verb
Example:
This book was written by Clinton.
COMPARE: ACTIVE

Performative verb:

A verb that states the action that is performed when the speaker uses the verb
Example:
I promise I will do it tomorrow.

Personal pronoun:

The seven pronouns as such are personal pronouns. I, we, he, she, it, you and they are they.
Example:
You can do it.

Possessive:

The possessive form of the verb ends either -‘s or s’.
Example:
This is Clinton’s car.
The boys’ books are damaged.

Preposition:

A word such as in, on, by or above that comes before a noun or a pronoun or a noun-phrase is called preposition.
Example:
The pen is on the table.

Prepositional phrase:

A group of words that consists of a preposition and its prepositional object
Example:
Behind our house, you could find a tree.

Pronoun:

A word that is used instead of a noun or a noun-phrase
Example:
We are students of this college.

Qualifier:

A word or a phrase that goes front a noun or a noun-phrase to talk about the quantity of something
Example:
A little water is enough for this plant.
Ten students have been elected.

Relative clause:

A kind of subordinate clause that describes a noun that comes before it in a main clause
Example:
My bicycle, which I have left before your house, is twenty years old.

Reflexive pronoun:

The type of pronoun which says about itself
Example:
He himself came forward to teach us English.

Relative pronoun:

A pronoun which is used at the beginning of a relative clause
Example:
I do not know who committed this mistake.

Reported speech:

Speech that is reported without using the exact words of the speaker
This is also called indirect speech.
Example:
Clinton told us that Mr. John would not attend the function.
COMPARE: DIRECT SPEECH
REFER: INDIRECT SPEECH

Reporting clause:

A statement that reports what people think or say is often divided into reporting clause and reported clause
Example:
She said that the building was unsafe.

Reported clause:

A statement that reports what people think or say is often divided into reporting clause and reported clause
Example:
She said that the building was unsafe.

Simple sentence:

A sentence consisting of one clause
Example:
You are welcome.

State verb:

A verb that is used to describe a state rather than an action
Example:
We believe that you are the best.
COMPARE: ACTIVE VERB

Subject:

The person or the thing that does the action of the verb
Example:
The animals are grazing in the field.
COMPARE: OBJECT

Subjunctive:

The subjunctive is the set of verb forms used, mainly in rather formal English to talk about possibilities rather than a fact.
Example:
We recommend that he be given the job.

Transitive verb:

A verb that takes an object
Example:
She is holding a bunch of flowers.

Two-word verb:

The verb which contains two words
Example:
She looked after her parents.

Three-word verb:

The verb which contains three words
Example:
He looked up to his older brothers.
REFER: PREPOSITIUONAL VERB

Prepositional verb:

The verb which uses preposition
Example:
He looked up to his older brothers.
REFER: THREE-WORD VERB

Phrasal verb:

The verb which uses a phrase
Example:
He looked upto his older brothers.
REFER: PREPOSITIONAL VERB

Wh-word:

A word that is used in wh- questions
Example:
Who is your wife?

Wh-question:

A question that begins with wh-
Example:
Where are you going?

Yes/no question:

A question that can be answered with yes or no
Example:
Do you like coffee?