Keeping a check on your grammar involves knowledge of how language is structured. Words divide into eight classes, according to their purpose in speech. They are called, PARTS of SPEECH.
1. Noun.
2. Adjective, to which the Articles belong.
3. Pronoun.
4. Verb.
5. Adverb.
6. Preposition.
7. Conjunction.
8. Interjection.
A NOUN is a word that is the name of something. There are two kinds: Proper Nouns and Common Nouns.
PROPER NOUNS denote only one person or thing of a kind: Adam, Noah, Alexander,
Thames, Mississippi; Excalibur (name of the fabulous sword of King Arthur).
COMMON NOUNS: All nouns which are not Proper are Common. They denote the same kind of thing under whatever circumstances it may be found: man, city, river, ship; air, water, gold, iron; beauty, truth, time, space. Many Common Nouns have been formed from Proper Nouns: epicure from Epicure or Epicurus, the philosopher; Academy, from a gymnasium at Athens with that name.
Three kinds of Common Nouns should be specially noted:
(1) Collective Nouns: A Collective Noun denotes a number of persons or things forming one body: a crowd of persons ; a group of states or stars; a committee, a jury, a parliament; Her Majesty’s Government; the Ministry, the Senate.
(2) Abstract Nouns: Abstract Nouns are the names not of objects but of ideas.
The following kinds of Abstract Nouns may be found in English grammar:
1. Names of qualities: whiteness, blackness, ‘bitterness, ‘height, depth, ‘breadth, length, wisdom, foolishness, stupidity.
2. Names of states or conditions of things: life, death, time, space, eternity, sovereignty, reign, regency, friendship, leadership, orphancy, widowhood, minority.
3. Names of passions and powers of the mind: love, jealousy, hatred, memory, imagination.
4. Names of actions or processes: reading, writing, multiplication, justification, punishment, coronation, abdication.
5. Names of arts and sciences: poetry, sculpture, astronomy, chemistry, ecology.
(3) Names of Materials: gold, silver, wood, stone.
Grammar checkers are now a standard part of word processing software but more sophisticated English language checking and enhancing software products are available. You might like to check out this type software if being grammatically correct is important to you but study time is a problem. It is a very popular choice with students and business users as it includes word enhancement, proofreading help and much more
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This is part 3 of a lesson on prepositions of location and direction. The list of prepositions is long, so this is meant to be a review and not an introduction. Level: high beginner - intermediate.
Duration : 0:8:25
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This is part 2 of a lesson on prepositions of location and direction. The list of prepositions is long, so this is meant to be a review and not an introduction. Level: high beginner - intermediate.
Duration : 0:10:8
Read the rest of this entry »
Technorati Tags: American, English, ESL, grammar, Jennifer, language, lesson, prepositions, toefl, toeic
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Nouns used only in the Plural.
Other nouns exist only in the plural, the things themselves having a kind of plurality about them:
1. Names of many common instruments which have two parts forming a kind of pair: bellows, scissors, pincers, shears, tongs, spectacles.
2. Names of certain articles of dress formed in a similar manner: trousers, drawers, breeches.
3. Names of diseases and ailments, showing themselves by many marks or symptoms: measles, mumps, staggers (in animals).
4. Names of games: billiards, draughts, fives, &c.
5. Others are miscellaneous: Commons (House of), obsequies, nuptials; matins, vespers; proceeds (of a sale) ; thanks; dumps; (high) jinks, &c.
Doubtful.-A few nouns hang in suspense between singular and plural:
Alms : properly singular; the S being part of the original word (0. E. aelmesse, ” who asked an alms,” Acts ii. 3 ; ” much alms.” Now perhaps oftener plural.
Amends: really a plural; but also used as a singular ( = French amende) :- ” To make an amends.”
Eaves: really singular (0. E. efese but often used as plural.
Means: in sense of manner, expedient: strictly plural; but also used as singular: ” A means to do the prince my master good.” (Shaks. Winter’s Tale, iv. 3.) Especially in the phrases ” by this means;” ” a means to an end ” (in common use). But the word can be used as plural when it denotes a number of acts or expedients :-’ Thou hast shown me (the means of revenge, and be assured I will embrace them,” (Ivanhoe, ch. xxvii.) The singular mean is also used.
News (originally Genitive : hwaet niwes = quid novi Oliphant, p. 17): once used either as singular or plural.:-” This news hath made thee a most ugly man.” (Shakspeare, K. John, iii. 1.) ” Ten days ago I drowned these news in tears.” (Id. Henry VI. Part III. ii. 1.) Now always singular :-” ill news flies apace.” (Proverb.) ” The latest news is. . . “
Pains: in sense of effort, labour : strictly plural, but used rather as a collective singular; thus we now say, much pains, great pains, a great deal of pains. But the plural also occurs: ” Your pains are registered . . ..” (Shaks. Macbeth, i. 3.)
Riches : properly singular, the s being part of the original word (Fr. richesse):
“Riches fineless [endless] is as poor as winter To him that ever fears he shall be poor.” (Shaks. Othello, iii. 3.) Now always plural: ” Riches are not for ever.” (Prov. xxvii, 24.) ” Riches make themselves wings.” (Ib.’xxiii. 5.)
Tidings: plural, but in older writers used also as singular: ” To bring this tidings to the … king.” (Shaks. Rich. III. iv. 3.)
Wages: strictly plural, but formerly used as singular: ” He earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.” (Hay. i. 6.) The singular wage is also used.
The names of certain sciences derived from Greek are plural in form in English as in Greek, but now commonly treated as singular: physics, metaphysics, dynamics, mechanics, hydraulics, hydrostatics, pneumatics:-
” Mathematics becomes the instrument of Astronomy and Physics.” (Lewes.) ” Mechanics is the science in which are investigated the actions of bodies on one another.” (Nat. Cycl.) But some of these, especially mathematics, metaphysics, physics, are also treated as plural:-” His [Plato's] metaphysics are of a nature to frighten away all but the most determined students.” (Lewes.) ”
The mathematics lead us to lay out of account all that is not proved.” (Sir W. Hamilton, Essays.) It is easy to see that in the last example but one, the plural is required; but only a mature judgment can decide whether in each case that occurs the singular or the plural is more proper.
A number of nouns ‘borrowed from foreign languages without change, retain their proper plurals. The following are of frequent occurrence : formula, formulae; focus, foci; memorandum, memoranda.
Some foreign words in use exist in the plural only: e.g. literati (Lat.), aborigines (Lat.),
antipodes (Gr.), landes (Fr.), i.e. sandy plains ; agenda (Lat.), i.e. business to be transacted; ephemera, creatures of a day; minutiae, small niceties (of criticism).
Grammar checkers are now a standard part of word processing software but more sophisticated English language checking and enhancing software products are available. You might like to check out this type software if being grammatically correct is important to you but study time is a problem. It is a very popular choice with students and business users as it includes word enhancement, proofreading help and much more
Advanced grammar and spell checkers correct and explain your mistakes so that you learn and improve. An intelligent style checker with unique punctuation correction, that works in any program you write with, gives power to your communication skills.
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A grammar lesson for the lower levels. Topic: The simple past tense. This is PART TWO.
A grammar lesson for the lower levels. Topic: The simple past tense. This is PART ONE.
In this lesson we look at the hardest part of learning English…GRAMMAR!
Marcus Brigstocke chatting to Paul Merton on Room 101 about grammar bullies…. revenge of the nerds! enjoy