Friday, March 28, 2008

loneliness interwoven behind the confessions

March 28 , 2008 , marks a very significant landmark yet the saddest moment in the history of my existence . It was 1:00 in the morning when the news exploded like a bomb . I woke up when my cp beeps to my surprise it was a txt message from my brilliant big brother friend for more than two years .I was shocked , could hardly believed with what I read. I just found myself teary eyed .I’m happy for him but other parts of my hypothalamus dictate loneliness . I just don’t know why ? A question that bothers me since then .At first , I just simply take it for granted believing it was sort of brotherly affection . But to my knowing , I care for him more than just a brother and friend .In my eyes , it’s wrong since then I don’t want that the friendship we have “ cultivated “ will be destroyed . If possible I want to cherished it forever because I value him as a good friend and big brother . But sometimes , we are just human bound to feel something extraordinary to others . I ignored it , tried to divert my attention to something different but to no avail , it grows day by day ..I hate myself for the first time. Am I such a fool loving someone the fact that I’m not worthy enough for him ?Shyness overwhelmed my being after the confession. . At last , sad to say I have already violated my dictum to my students . If they come to know about it , surely they will laugh at me . But , let me tell you that for the very first time in my life I tried to reveal the real dictate of my heart .Professionalism was forgotten during the confession . What a shame on my part ? Am I a laughing stock now in your eyes ? If so , can’t blame you for such . Honestly , I tried to cover up the confession by sending a message in the afternoon . Unfortunately , my expectation doesn’t work due to the fact that I’m not veteran in the field of lying . I don’t know how to play games with anybody else because of my serious personality . Instead , I was hurt with your message . An explanation follows on my part but it seems you could hardly believe with my revelations now. Despite what happened memoirs of yesterday is still save in my cpu . Every time memoirs need to be reminisced then surely I’ll just go over the emails stored in my inbox . Those are supposed to be valued for life . An important asset to be treasured till the last end of my dying breath . Though , market value will not increase it needs to be kept for once in my life It reminds me of “ You “ .

You who brought forth happiness in my being even if I don’t deserved to admire someone like you because of career discrepancy. You occupy the highest rank in the strata and I belong to the lowest . Thank you very much for being a part of my existence . You give color to the sunset of yesterday . A new beginning emerged now in my existence .Shadows of the past has been totally erased from the time that the cursor touch my heart . Sorry for that big brother friend . An apology has been said . . Blame me for my foolishness . Am I such a fool ?

Thursday, March 27, 2008

start with an outline

Start with an Outline

A brief outline will make it easier to develop topic sentences and to arrange your paragraphs in the most effective order.

You should begin your outline by stating the thesis of your paper:

The English Civil War was caused by a combination of factors, including the empowerment and organization of Puritan forces, the absolutist tendencies of James I and the personal ineptitude of his son Charles I.

Next, list the topic sentences for each of the paragraphs (or sections) of the paper:

The war and its aftereffects lasted twenty years.
Historically, the Protestants had believed themselves persecuted.
In the 1620s Protestants dominated Parliament and attempted to enact legislation which would provide guidelines for both religious worship and political representation.
During his reign in the early 1600s, James I had attempted to silence Puritan protests and to solidify the role of the monarchy as unquestioned head of state.
Charles I's lack of personal diplomacy and his advisers' desire for personal power gave the Puritans the excuses they needed to declare war on the monarchy.

You might notice that the topic sentences derive directly from the thesis, and explain, prove, or expand on each of the thesis' claims.

Once you have an outline at hand, you can follow three steps to help you write your paragraphs effectively:

Use your thesis to help you organise the rest of your paper.
Write a list of topic sentences, and make sure that they show how the material in each paragraph is related to your thesis.
Eliminate material that is not related to your thesis and topic sentences.

Written by Dorothy Turner

writing paragraphs

Writing Paragraphs

A thesis is a single, focused argument, and most paragraphs prove or demonstrate a thesis through explanations, examples and concrete details. This chapter will help you learn to write and analyse the types of paragraphs common in academic essays.

Written by Dorothy Turner

why sentence structure matters

Why Sentence Structure Matters

Although ordinary conversation, personal letters, and even some types of professional writing (such as newspaper stories) consist almost entirely of simple sentences, your university or college instructors will expect you to be able to use all types of sentences in your formal academic writing. Writers who use only simple sentences are like truck drivers who do not know how to shift out of first gear: they would be able to drive a load from Montréal to Calgary (eventually), but they would have a great deal of trouble getting there.

If you use phrases and clauses carefully, your sentences will become much more interesting and your ideas, much clearer. This complex sentence develops a major, central idea and provides structured background information:

Since it involves the death not only of the title character but of the entire royal court, Hamlet is the most extreme of the tragedies written by the Elizabethan playwrite William Shakespeare.

Just as a good driver uses different gears, a good writer uses different types of sentences in different situations:

a long complex sentence will show what information depends on what other information;
a compound sentence will emphasise balance and parallelism;
a short simple sentence will grab a reader's attention;
a loose sentence will tell the reader in advance how to interpret your information;
a periodic sentence will leave the reader in suspense until the very end;
a declarative sentence will avoid any special emotional impact;
an exclamatory sentence, used sparingly, will jolt the reader;
an interrogative sentence will force the reader to think about what you are writing; and
an imperative sentence will make it clear that you want the reader to act right away.

Written by David Megginson

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building sentences

Building Sentences

Some English sentences are very basic:

Shakespeare was a writer.

Einstein said something.

The Inuit are a people.

You could write an entire essay using only simple sentences like these:

William Shakespeare was a writer. He wrote plays. It was the Elizabethan age. One play was Hamlet. It was a tragedy. Hamlet died. The court died too.

It is not likely, however, that your essay would receive a passing grade. This chapter helps you learn to recognise different types of sentences and to use them effectively in your own writing.

Written by David Megginson

review : noun , adjective , and adverb

Review: Noun, Adjective, and Adverb Clauses

See if you can determine the function of the hilighted dependent clause in each of the following passages. Remember that a noun clause answers questions like "who(m)?" or "what?"; an adjective clause answers questions like "which (one)?"; and an adverb clause answers questions like "when?", "where?", "why?", "with what goal/result?", and "under what conditions?".

Some people buy expensive cars simply because they can.

Many people hope that Canada can resolve its economic problems.

The bankers need to know what they should do.

Which one is the person who stole your car?

Wherever there is a large American city, there will be poverty.

The books which the professor assigned were very expensive.

Canada might give up its marketing boards if the European Community gives up its grain subsidies.

That is the place where Wolfe's and Montcalm's armies fought.

Unless the crown can make a better case, the accused murderer will not be convicted.

It is important to ask whether the wedding is formal or semi-formal.

Written by David Megginson

using clauses as nouns, adjectives , and adverbs

Using Clauses as Nouns, Adjectives, and Adverbs

If a clause can stand alone as a sentence, it is an independent clause, as in the following example:

Independent: the Prime Minister is in Ottawa

Some clauses, however, cannot stand alone as sentences: in this case, they are dependent clauses or subordinate clauses. Consider the same clause with the subordinating conjunction "because" added to the beginning:

Dependent: when the Prime Minister is in Ottawa

In this case, the clause could not be a sentence by itself, since the conjunction "because" suggests that the clause is providing an explanation for something else. Since this dependent clause answers the question "when," just like an adverb, it is called a dependent adverb clause (or simply an adverb clause, since adverb clauses are always dependent clauses). Note how the clause can replace the adverb "tomorrow" in the following examples:

adverb: The committee will meet tomorrow.

adverb clause: The committee will meet when the Prime Minister is in Ottawa.

Dependent clauses can stand not only for adverbs, but also for nouns and for adjectives.

Noun Clauses

A noun clause is an entire clause which takes the place of a noun in another clause or phrase. Like a noun, a noun clause acts as the subject or object of a verb or the object of a preposition, answering the questions "who(m)?" or "what?". Consider the following examples:

noun: I know Latin.
noun clause: I know that Latin is no longer spoken as a native language.

In the first example, the noun "Latin" acts as the direct object of the verb "know." In the second example, the entire clause "that Latin ..." is the direct object.

In fact, many noun clauses are indirect questions:

noun: Their destination is unknown.
noun clause: Where they are going is unknown.

The question "Where are they going?," with a slight change in word order, becomes a noun clause when used as part of a larger unit -- like the noun "destination," the clause is the subject of the verb "is."

Here are some more examples of noun clauses:

about what you bought at the mall

This noun clause is the object of the preposition "about," and answers the question "about what?"

Whoever broke the vase will have to pay for it.

This noun clause is the subject of the verb "will have to pay," and answers the question "who will have to pay?"

The Toronto fans hope that the Blue Jays will win again.

This noun clause is the object of the verb "hope," and answers the question "what do the fans hope?"

Adjective Clauses

An adjective clause is a dependent clause which takes the place of an adjective in another clause or phrase. Like an adjective, an adjective clause modifies a noun or pronoun, answering questions like "which?" or "what kind of?" Consider the following examples:

Adjective: the red coat

Adjective clause: the coat which I bought yesterday

Like the word "red" in the first example, the dependent clause "which I bought yesterday" in the second example modifies the noun "coat." Note that an adjective clause usually comes after what it modifies, while an adjective usually comes before.

In formal writing, an adjective clause begins with the relative pronouns "who(m)," "that," or "which." In informal writing or speech, you may leave out the relative pronoun when it is not the subject of the adjective clause, but you should usually include the relative pronoun in formal, academic writing:

informal: The books people read were mainly religious.
formal: The books that people read were mainly religious.

informal: Some firefighters never meet the people they save.
formal: Some firefighters never meet the people whom they save.

Here are some more examples of adjective clauses:

the meat which they ate was tainted

This clause modifies the noun "meat" and answers the question "which meat?".

about the movie which made him cry

This clause modifies the noun "movie" and answers the question "which movie?".

they are searching for the one who borrowed the book

The clause modifies the pronoun "one" and answers the question "which one?".

Did I tell you about the author whom I met?

The clause modifies the noun "author" and answers the question "which author?".

Adverb Clauses

An adverb clause is a dependent clause which takes the place of an adverb in another clause or phrase. An adverb clause answers questions such as "when?", "where?", "why?", "with what goal/result?", and "under what conditions?".

Note how an adverb clause can replace an adverb in the following example:

adverb: The premier gave a speech here.
adverb clause: The premier gave a speech where the workers were striking.

Usually, a subordinating conjunction like "because," "when(ever)," "where(ever)," "since," "after," and "so that," will introduce an adverb clause. Note that a dependent adverb clause can never stand alone as a complete sentence:

independent clause: they left the locker room
dependent adverb clause: after they left the locker room

The first example can easily stand alone as a sentence, but the second cannot -- the reader will ask what happened "after they left the locker room". Here are some more examples of adverb clauses expressing the relationships of cause, effect, space, time, and condition:

cause: Hamlet wanted to kill his uncle because the uncle had murdered Hamlet's father.

The adverb clause answers the question "why?".

effect: Hamlet wanted to kill his uncle so that his father's murder would be avenged.

The adverb clause answers the question "with what goal/result?".

time: After Hamlet's uncle Claudius married Hamlet's mother, Hamlet wanted to kill him.

The adverb clause answers the question "when?". Note the change in word order -- an adverb clause can often appear either before or after the main part of the sentence.

place: Where the whole Danish court was assembled, Hamlet ordered a play in an attempt to prove his uncle's guilt.

The adverb clause answers the question "where?".

condition: If the British co-operate, the Europeans may achieve monetary union.

The adverb clause answers the question "under what conditions?"

Written by David Megginson

review: identfying clauses

Review: Identifying Clauses

Some of the following passages are clauses, with a predicate (and usually, a subject), while others are simply phrases. See if you can spot the clauses. Remember: a phrase will not have a subject and a predicate of its own.

I love to eat Montréal bagels
1. clause
2. phrase

the big, bad wolf
1. clause
2. phrase

rode the bus to Halifax
1. clause
2. phrase

they were thinking about the language issue
1. clause
2. phrase

the student considering everything written on this subject
1. clause
2. phrase

stay on the Trans-Canada highway through British Columbia
1. clause
2. phrase

after the morning rush hour
1. clause
2. phrase

they hate politics
1. clause
2. phrase

because of the coat which I bought in the West Edmonton Mall
1. clause
2. phrase

when the train arrived at the station
1. clause
2. phrase

Written by David Megginson

recognizing clauses

Recognising Clauses

Consider these examples:

clause: cows eat grass

This example is a clause, because it contains the subject "cows" and the predicate "eat grass."

phrase: cows eating grass

What about "cows eating grass"? This noun phrase could be a subject, but it has no predicate attached to it: the adjective phrase "eating grass" show which cows the writer is referring to, but there is nothing here to show why the writer is mentioning cows in the first place.

clause: cows eating grass are visible from the highway

This is a complete clause again. The subject "cows eating grass" and the predicate "are visible from the highway" make up a complete thought.

clause: Run!

This single-word command is also a clause, even though it does seem to have a subject. With a direct command, it is not necessary to include the subject, since it is obviously the person or people you are talking to: in other words, the clause really reads "[You] run!". You should not usually use direct commands in your essays, except in quotations.

Written by David Megginson

For additional information, consult our list of contacts

building clause

Building Clauses

A clause is a collection of grammatically-related words including a predicate and a subject (though sometimes is the subject is implied). A collection of grammatically-related words without a subject or without a predicate is called a phrase.

Clauses are the building blocks of sentences: every sentence consists of one or more clauses. This chapter will help you to recognise and (more importantly) to use different types of clauses in your own writing.

Written by David Megginson

building phrases

Building Phrases

A phrase is a group of two or more grammatically linked words without a subject and predicate -- a group of grammatically-linked words with a subject and predicate is called a clause.

The group "teacher both students and" is not a phrase because the words have no grammatical relationship to one another. Similarly, the group "bay the across" is not a phrase.

In both cases, the words need to be rearranged in order to create phrases. The group "both teachers and students" and the group "across the bay" are both phrases.

You use phrase to add information to a sentence and can perform the functions of a subject, an object, a subject or object complement, a verb, an adjective, or an adverb.

The highlighted words in each of the following sentences make up a phrase:

She bought some spinach when she went to the corner store.

Lightning flashed brightly in the night sky.

They heard high pitched cries in the middle of the night.

In early October, Giselle planted twenty tulip bulbs; unfortunately, squirrels ate the bulbs and none bloomed.

Small children often insist that they can do it by themselves.

Written by Heather MacFadyen

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modifiers

Modifiers

A modifier can be an adjective, an adverb, or a phrase or clause acting as an adjective or adverb In every case, the basic principle is the same: the modifier adds information to another element in the sentence.

In this chapter, you will begin by working with single-word modifiers -- adjectives and adverbs -- but the information here will also apply to phrases and clauses which act as modifiers.

Written by Frances Peck

compound verbs

Compound Verbs

You construct a compound verb out of an auxiliary verb and another verb.

In particular, you may use an auxiliary verb (also known as a helping verb) with the verb in order to create the many of the tenses available in English.

In each of the following sentences, the compound verb appears highlighted:

Karl Creelman bicycled around in world in 1899, but his diaries and his bicycle were destroyed.

The compound verb in this sentence is made up of the auxiliary "were" and the past participle "destroyed."

The book Seema was looking for is under the sofa.

Here the compound verb is made up of the auxiliary verb "was" and the present participle "looking."

They will meet us at the newest café in the market.

In this example the compound verb is made up of the auxiliary verb "will" and the verb "meet."

That dog has been barking for three hours; I wonder if someone will call the owner.

In this sentence the first compound verb is made up of the two auxiliary verbs ("has" and "been") and a present participle ("barking"). The second compound verb is made up of the auxiliary verb "will" and the verb "call."

Written by Heather MacFadyen

For additional information, consult our list of contacts

uisng verbs

Using Verbs

The verb is perhaps the most important part of the sentence. A verb or compound verb asserts something about the subject of the sentence and expresses actions, events, or states of being.

In each of the following sentences, the verb or compound verb appears highlighted:

Dracula bites his victims on the neck.

The verb "bites" describes the action Dracula takes.

In early October, Giselle will plant twenty tulip bulbs.

Here the compound verb "will plant" describes an action that will take place in the future.

My first teacher was Miss Crawford, but I remember the janitor Mr. Weatherbee more vividly.

In this sentence, the verb "was" (the simple past tense of "is") identifies a particular person and the verb "remembered" describes a mental action.

Written by Heather MacFadyen

tricky points of pronoun usage

Tricky Points of Pronoun Usage

This section covers some relatively tricky points which are no longer standard in spoken English, though many people still insist upon them in formal writing.

Pronouns in Apposition

A pronoun should also be in the subject case when it is in apposition to a subject or subject complement, and in the object case when it is in apposition to the object of a verb, verbal, or preposition:

[RIGHT] Three craftspeople -- Mary, Albert, and he -- made the accessory for Jerry.

The phrase "Mary, Albert, and he" is in apposition to "craftspeople," the subject of the sentence.

[RIGHT] The accessory was made by three craftspeople, Mary, Albert, and him.

The phrase "Mary, Albert, and him" is still in apposition to the noun "craftspeople," but that noun has become the object of the preposition "by," so the pronoun "him" is in the object case.

[RIGHT] The three craftspeople involved were Mary, Albert, and she.

The pronoun "she" is part of the subject complement, so it is in the subject case.

"Us" and "we" before a Noun

A first-person plural pronoun used with a noun takes the case of the noun. If the noun functions as a subject, the pronoun should be in the subject case; if the noun functions as an object, the pronoun should be in the object case:

We rowdies left the restaurant late.

The restaurant owner mumbled at all us slow eaters.

Using 'than' or 'as' in a Comparison

In elliptical comparisons, where the writer has left some words out of a sentence, the case of the pronoun at the end of the sentence determines its meaning. When a sentence ends with a subjective pronoun, the pronoun must serve as the subject of the omitted verb. When a sentence ends with an objective pronoun, the pronoun must serve as the object of the omitted verb:

Elliptical: Ruth likes Jerry better than I.
Complete: Ruth likes Jerry better than I like Jerry.

Elliptical: Ruth likes Jerry better than me.
Complete: Ruth likes Jerry better than she likes me.

Written by Dorothy Turner

pronoun reference

Pronoun Reference

Pronouns usually refer to other words, called their antecedents because they (should) come before the pronoun. A pronoun's antecedent may be either a noun or another pronoun, but in either case, it must be clear what the antecedent is. Consider this example:

Micheline told Ruth that she would take Jerry to the barn dance.

It is not clear whether the pronoun "she" in this sentence refers to Ruth or Micheline. Unless pronouns refer unmistakably to distinct, close, and single antecedents, the reader will never be sure who's going to the square dance with whom.

A pronoun should have only one possible antecedent

If there is more than one possible antecedent for a personal pronoun in a sentence, make sure that the pronoun refers only to one of them:

[WRONG] Jerry found a gun in the knickers which he wore.

"Which he wore" could modify "knickers" or "gun."

[WRONG] Jerry called Steve twelve times while he was in Reno.

The pronoun "he" could refer either to "Jerry" or to "Steve."

A pronoun should not refer to an implied idea

Make sure that the pronoun refers to a specific rather than to an implicit antecedent: When you leave the antecedent implied instead of stating it explicitly, the reader has to try to guess your sentence's meaning:

[WRONG] John put a bullet in his gun and shot it.

The pronoun "it" can refer either to the noun "gun" or to the implied object of the verb "shot".

[WRONG] If I told you had a beautiful body would you hold it against me?

The pronoun "it" can refer to the noun "body" or to the entire statement.

[WRONG] The craftspersons' union reached an agreement on Ruth's penalty, but it took time.

The pronoun "it" can refer to the noun "union" or to the implied process of decision making.

A pronoun should not refer to adjectives or possessive nouns

You should not use adjectives, or nouns or pronouns in the possessive case, as antecedents. Although they may imply a noun, reference to them will be ambiguous:

In Ruth's apology she told Jerry she'd loved him for years.

In this case, the pronoun "she" seems to refer to the noun phrase "Ruth's apology,", though it was probably meant to refer to possessive noun "Ruth's."

Jerry wore those blasted green knickers; it was his favourite colour.

In this example, the pronoun "it" seems to refer to the noun "knickers," though it was probably meant to refer to the adjective "green."

A pronoun should not refer to a title

When you start your paper, do not write as if the title itself were part of the body of the paper. Often, the title will appear on a separate page, and your opening will be confusing. Imagine, for example, a paper entitled "How to Sew Green Knickers": you should not begin the first paragraph with a sentence like

This is not as easy as it looks.

The writer probably wanted the pronoun "this" to refer to the idea of sewing knickers, but since the idea is not in the body of the paper itself, the reference will not make sense.

Use "it," "they," and "you" carefully

In conversation people often use expressions such as "It says in this book that ..." and "In my home town they say that ...". These constructions are useful for information conversation because they allow you to present ideas casually, without supporting evidence; for academic writing, however, these constructions are either too imprecise or too wordy:

[WRONG] In Chapter four of my autobiography it says that I was born out of wedlock.

In Chapter four, what says that the speaker was born out of wedlock?

[WRONG] In the restaurant they gave me someone else's linguini.

Who gave the speaker someone else's linguini?

It would be better to rewrite these two sentences as follow:

[RIGHT] Chapter four of my autobiography states that I was born out of wedlock.

[RIGHT] In the restaurant, the server gave me someone else's linguini.

In these revised sentences, there is no doubt about who is doing what.

The same basic rule applies to the pronoun "you." In informal conversation and in instructional writing (like HyperGrammar), English speakers often use the pronoun to mean something like "a hypothetical person" or "people in general"; academic writing, however, needs to be more precise, and you should use "you" only when you want to address the reader directly (as I am doing here). Consider this example:

[WRONG] In the fourteenth century, you had to struggle to survive.

In this case, "you" obviously does not refer to the reader, since the reader was not alive during the seventeenth century. It would be better to rewrite the sentence so that it expresses your idea more precisely; for example

[RIGHT] In the fourteenth century, people had to struggle to survive.

Or even better yet,

[RIGHT] In the fourteenth century, English peasant farmers had to struggle to survive.

Use "it" consistently within a sentence

There are three common uses of the pronoun "it":

As an idiom: "It is snowing";
To postpone the subject: "It is untrue that a rhinoceros can run faster than my tights"; and
As a personal pronoun: "I wanted a rhinoceros for my birthday, but did not get it."

You may use all of these in academic writing, but to avoid awkwardness, you should not use more than one within a single sentence:

[WRONG] When it is my birthday, I hope to receive a rhinoceros, and I will walk it often.

It would be better to eliminate the first (idiomatic) "it":

On my birthday, I hope to receive a rhinoceros, and I will walk it often.

Use "who," "which," and "that" carefully

Historically, writers, editors, and publishers have had difficulty establishing a clear guidelines for using the relative pronouns "who," "which," and "that," in formal writing, but over the last fifty years or so they have come a loose standard. According to this standard, the pronoun "who" usually refers to people, but may also refer to animals that have names:

My mother, who gave me the rhino, must love me very much. My rhino, whom I call Spike, wanders at will through the house.

The pronoun "which" refers to animals and things:

The rhino, which is a much maligned and misunderstood animal, is really quite affectionate. Its horn is a matt of hair which is sort of stuck to its snout.

Finally, the pronoun "that" refers to animals and things and occasionally to persons when they are collective or anonymous:

The rhino that hid behind the television was missing for days.

Rhinos that like to swim cause both plumbing and enamelling problems for their owners.

The answer that everyone missed was "Etruscan."

Written by Dorothy Turner

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

punctuation

Punctuation

The following sections will help you understand and use different types of punctuation more effectively in your writing. This chapter begins with the comma, the punctuation mark which usually causes writers the most trouble, before turning to other types of punctuation.

Written by Frances Peck

the parts of the sentence

The Parts of the Sentence

The parts of the sentence are a set of terms for describing how people construct sentences from smaller pieces. There is not a direct correspondence between the parts of the sentence and the parts of speech -- the subject of a sentence, for example, could be a noun, a pronoun, or even an entire phrase or clause. Like the parts of speech, however, the parts of the sentence form part of the basic vocabulary of grammar, and it is important that you take some time to learn and understand them.

review: parts of speech

Review: Parts of Speech

Identify the part of speech of the highlighted word in each of the following sentences:

The clown chased a dog around the ring and then fell flat on her face.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

The geese indolently waddled across the intersection.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

Yikes! I'm late for class.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

Bruno's shabby thesaurus tumbled out of the book bag when the bus suddenly pulled out into traffic.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

Mr. Frederick angrily stamped out the fire that the local hooligans had started on his verandah.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

Later that summer, she asked herself, "What was I thinking of?"
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

She thought that the twenty zucchini plants would not be enough so she planted another ten.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

Although she gave hundreds of zucchini away, the enormous mound left over frightened her.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

Everywhere she went, she talked about the prolific veggies.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

The manager confidently made his presentation to the board of directors.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

Frankenstein is the name of the scientist, not the monster.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

Her greatest fear is that the world will end before she finds a comfortable pair of panty-hose.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

That suitcase is hers.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

Everyone in the room cheered when the announcement was made.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

The sun was shining as we set out for our first winter camping trip.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

Small children often insist that they can do it by themselves.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

Dust covered every surface in the locked bedroom.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

The census taker knocked loudly on all the doors but nobody was home.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

They wondered if there truly was honour among thieves.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

Exciting new products and effective marketing strategies will guarantee the company's success.
1. Verb
2. Noun
3. Pronoun
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

interjection

What is an Interjection?

An interjection is a word added to a sentence to convey emotion. It is not grammatically related to any other part of the sentence.

You usually follow an interjection with an exclamation mark. Interjections are uncommon in formal academic prose, except in direct quotations.

The highlighted words in the following sentences are interjections:

Ouch, that hurt!

Oh no, I forgot that the exam was today.

Hey! Put that down!

I heard one guy say to another guy, "He has a new car, eh?"

I don't know about you but, good lord, I think taxes are too high!

conjunction

What is a Conjunction?

You can use a conjunction to link words, phrases, and clauses, as in the following example:

I ate the pizza and the pasta.

Call the movers when you are ready.

Co-ordinating Conjunctions

You use a co-ordinating conjunction ("and," "but," "or," "nor," "for," "so," or "yet") to join individual words, phrases, and independent clauses. Note that you can also use the conjunctions "but" and "for" as prepositions.

In the following sentences, each of the highlighted words is a co-ordinating conjunction:

Lilacs and violets are usually purple.

In this example, the co-ordinating conjunction "and" links two nouns.

This movie is particularly interesting to feminist film theorists, for the screenplay was written by Mae West.

In this example, the co-ordinating conjunction "for" is used to link two independent clauses.

Daniel's uncle claimed that he spent most of his youth dancing on rooftops and swallowing goldfish.

Here the co-ordinating conjunction "and" links two participle phrases ("dancing on rooftops" and "swallowing goldfish") which act as adverbs describing the verb "spends."

Subordinating Conjunctions

A subordinating conjunction introduces a dependent clause and indicates the nature of the relationship among the independent clause(s) and the dependent clause(s).

The most common subordinating conjunctions are "after," "although," "as," "because," "before," "how," "if," "once," "since," "than," "that," "though," "till," "until," "when," "where," "whether," and "while."

Each of the highlighted words in the following sentences is a subordinating conjunction:

After she had learned to drive, Alice felt more independent.

The subordinating conjunction "after" introduces the dependent clause "After she had learned to drive."

If the paperwork arrives on time, your cheque will be mailed on Tuesday.

Similarly, the subordinating conjunction "if" introduces the dependent clause "If the paperwork arrives on time."

Gerald had to begin his thesis over again when his computer crashed.

The subordinating conjunction "when" introduces the dependent clause "when his computer crashed."

Midwifery advocates argue that home births are safer because the mother and baby are exposed to fewer people and fewer germs.

In this sentence, the dependent clause "because the mother and baby are exposed to fewer people and fewer germs" is introduced by the subordinating conjunction "because."

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions always appear in pairs -- you use them to link equivalent sentence elements. The most common correlative conjunctions are "both...and," "either...or," "neither...nor,", "not only...but also," "so...as," and "whether...or." (Technically correlative conjunctions consist simply of a co-ordinating conjunction linked to an adjective or adverb.)

The highlighted words in the following sentences are correlative conjunctions:

Both my grandfather and my father worked in the steel plant.

In this sentence, the correlative conjunction "both...and" is used to link the two noun phrases that act as the compound subject of the sentence: "my grandfather" and "my father".

Bring either a Jello salad or a potato scallop.

Here the correlative conjunction "either...or" links two noun phrases: "a Jello salad" and "a potato scallop."

Corinne is trying to decide whether to go to medical school or to go to law school.

Similarly, the correlative conjunction "whether ... or" links the two infinitive phrases "to go to medical school" and "to go to law school."

The explosion destroyed not only the school but also the neighbouring pub.

In this example the correlative conjunction "not only ... but also" links the two noun phrases ("the school" and "neighbouring pub") which act as direct objects.

Note: some words which appear as conjunctions can also appear as prepositions or as adverbs.

Written by Heather MacFadyen

preposition

What is a Preposition?

A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. The word or phrase that the preposition introduces is called the object of the preposition.

A preposition usually indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence as in the following examples:

The book is on the table.

The book is beneath the table.

The book is leaning against the table.

The book is beside the table.

She held the book over the table.

She read the book during class.

In each of the preceding sentences, a preposition locates the noun "book" in space or in time.

A prepositional phrase is made up of the preposition, its object and any associated adjectives or adverbs. A prepositional phrase can function as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. The most common prepositions are "about," "above," "across," "after," "against," "along," "among," "around," "at," "before," "behind," "below," "beneath," "beside," "between," "beyond," "but," "by," "despite," "down," "during," "except," "for," "from," "in," "inside," "into," "like," "near," "of," "off," "on," "onto," "out," "outside," "over," "past," "since," "through," "throughout," "till," "to," "toward," "under," "underneath," "until," "up," "upon," "with," "within," and "without."

Each of the highlighted words in the following sentences is a preposition:

The children climbed the mountain without fear.

In this sentence, the preposition "without" introduces the noun "fear." The prepositional phrase "without fear" functions as an adverb describing how the children climbed.

There was rejoicing throughout the land when the government was defeated.

Here, the preposition "throughout" introduces the noun phrase "the land." The prepositional phrase acts as an adverb describing the location of the rejoicing.

The spider crawled slowly along the banister.

The preposition "along" introduces the noun phrase "the banister" and the prepositional phrase "along the banister" acts as an adverb, describing where the spider crawled.

The dog is hiding under the porch because it knows it will be punished for chewing up a new pair of shoes.

Here the preposition "under" introduces the prepositional phrase "under the porch," which acts as an adverb modifying the compound verb "is hiding."

The screenwriter searched for the manuscript he was certain was somewhere in his office.

Similarly in this sentence, the preposition "in" introduces a prepositional phrase "in his office," which acts as an adverb describing the location of the missing papers.

Written by Heather MacFadyen

verb

What is a Verb?

The verb is perhaps the most important part of the sentence. A verb or compound verb asserts something about the subject of the sentence and express actions, events, or states of being. The verb or compound verb is the critical element of the predicate of a sentence.

In each of the following sentences, the verb or compound verb is highlighted:

Dracula bites his victims on the neck.

The verb "bites" describes the action Dracula takes.

In early October, Giselle will plant twenty tulip bulbs.

Here the compound verb "will plant" describes an action that will take place in the future.

My first teacher was Miss Crawford, but I remember the janitor Mr. Weatherbee more vividly.

In this sentence, the verb "was" (the simple past tense of "is") identifies a particular person and the verb "remembered" describes a mental action.

Karl Creelman bicycled around the world in 1899, but his diaries and his bicycle were destroyed.

In this sentence, the compound verb "were destroyed" describes an action which took place in the past.

Written by Heather MacFadyen