Grammar Glossary
Search English grammar definitions like adjectives, nouns and pronouns.
Grammar term categories
Narrow down your search for a grammar entry by locating the category. Review category descriptions and see the most popular terms people are reading.
Adjectives/adverbs
- Popular:
- Adjective
- Adverb
- Comparative
- Disjunct
- Superlative
Adjectives modify nouns and provide more meaning about the subject while adverbs adjust the meaning of other adverbs, verbs and adjectives. Adverbs commonly end in "-ly," but not always.
All adjectives/adverbsVerbs and tenses
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- Auxiliary verb
- Main verb
- Passive voice
- Past tense
- Voice
Verbs are words used to describe an action, state or occurrence and usually form the predicate of the sentence. Tenses are generally expressed as verbs and indicate time reference.
All verbs/tensesPronouns
Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns or noun phrases when referring to persons, places or things. Some of the most common examples include: I, you, she, it, and this.
All pronounsPrepositions
- Popular:
- Complex preposition
- Double preposition
Prepositions (part of speech) are words that usually precede nouns, noun phrases, and pronouns to indicate a spatial relationship between things: examples include by, to, and on.
All prepositionsPrefixes and suffixes
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- Affix
- Diminutive
- Inflection
Prefixes and suffixes (known as affixes) are words fixed before or after other words in order to modify meanings. Together they form a derivative and include examples like: -fy, -ing, re-, and un-.
All prefixes/suffixesNouns
- Popular:
- Gerund
- Proper noun
- Possessive noun
- Uncountable noun
Nouns (a part of speech) are words used to identify persons, places, ideas, qualities and things. They can act as the main subject in a sentence and do not include pronouns.
All nounsPunctuation
- Popular:
- Hyphen
- Hashtag
- Semicolon
- Underscore
- Tilde
Punctuation marks are symbols used in writing to separate sentences and add clarity. Most written languages use punctuation and examples include: periods ".", exclamations "!", and hashtags "#".
All punctuationGeneral vocabulary
- Popular:
- Acronym
- Contraction
- Juxtaposition
- Conjunction
- Clause
The discipline of English grammar relies on a broad number of general vocabulary terms to help define, clarify, and illustrate the meaning of categorized terms (like parts of speech).
All vocabulary termsWhat's included with each entry
Each grammar glossary entry is brief (roughly 600 words) and includes enough information for you to understand the term, see correct usage and discover related entries based on the category.
- Concise definition
- Relevance to writing
- Usage rules
- Correct/incorrect examples
- Related terms/concepts
- Origins and ubiquity
Additional grammar resources
If you're looking for more help with your grammar studies, consider exploring these external resources.
Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com is the self-proclaimed leading online source for English definitions and more.
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GrammarBook.com
This online resource offers helpful rules, real-world examples, and fun quizzes for students.
Visit websiteAbout this glossary
This glossary and its terms is provided by Ultius, a global leader in connecting consumers with qualified freelance writers. Since 2010, Ultius has been connecting customers in over 45 countries with the best freelance writers on the planet.
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