Grammar and Mechanics

Cards (24)

• 1
  Front

  What are the eight parts of speech in English?

  Back

  Noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.

• 2
  Front

  What is the grammatical role of a conjunction?

  Back

  A conjunction connects words, phrases, or clauses. Coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) join equal elements; subordinating conjunctions join a dependent clause to an independent clause.

• 3
  Front

  What is the subject-verb agreement rule for indefinite pronouns like 'everyone' and 'each'?

  Back

  Indefinite pronouns such as everyone, each, anyone, nobody, and someone are singular and require a singular verb (e.g., 'Everyone is ready').

• 4
  Front

  When a compound subject is joined by 'or' or 'nor,' how do you determine the verb form?

  Back

  The verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Example: 'Neither the manager nor the employees were notified.'

• 5
  Front

  What is a collective noun, and what verb form does it typically take?

  Back

  A collective noun names a group (team, jury, committee). In American English it typically takes a singular verb ('The jury has reached a verdict'), though it can be plural when members act individually.

• 6
  Front

  What is the difference between a subject pronoun and an object pronoun? Give examples of each.

  Back

  Subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they, who) act as the subject of a verb. Object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them, whom) function as objects of verbs or prepositions.

• 7
  Front

  What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?

  Back

  A pronoun must match its antecedent in number, gender, and person. Example: 'Each student must submit his or her assignment' (singular antecedent requires singular pronoun).

• 8
  Front

  When should 'who' be used versus 'whom'?

  Back

  Use 'who' when it functions as a subject, and 'whom' when it functions as an object. Tip: substitute 'he/she' for 'who' and 'him/her' for 'whom' to test correctness.

• 9
  Front

  What is the simple past tense, and how is it formed for regular verbs?

  Back

  The simple past expresses a completed action at a specific past time. It is formed by adding -ed to the base verb (e.g., walked, talked).

• 10
  Front

  What does the present perfect tense express, and how is it formed?

  Back

  The present perfect expresses an action that started in the past and has relevance to the present, or one that happened at an unspecified past time. Formed with has/have + past participle (e.g., 'She has finished the report').

• 11
  Front

  What is the past perfect tense, and when is it used?

  Back

  The past perfect (had + past participle) expresses an action completed before another past action. Example: 'He had left before she arrived.'

• 12
  Front

  What is the difference between the simple future and the future perfect tense?

  Back

  Simple future (will + base verb) states an action that will occur. Future perfect (will have + past participle) states an action that will be completed before a specified future time ('She will have finished by noon').

• 13
  Front

  What is a comma splice, and how can it be corrected?

  Back

  A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma. It can be corrected by using a period, a semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction with the comma.

• 14
  Front

  When should a semicolon be used to join independent clauses?

  Back

  A semicolon joins two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction. It is also used before conjunctive adverbs like 'however' or 'therefore' when they join independent clauses.

• 15
  Front

  What is the Oxford comma (serial comma), and why is it sometimes important?

  Back

  The Oxford comma is the comma placed before the final conjunction in a list of three or more items ('red, white, and blue'). It prevents ambiguity in some sentences.

• 16
  Front

  What is a run-on sentence?

  Back

  A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or a conjunction. It differs from a comma splice in that it may have no punctuation at all between the clauses.

• 17
  Front

  What is a sentence fragment?

  Back

  A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence that lacks a subject, a predicate, or does not express a complete thought, even if it ends with a period.

• 18
  Front

  What is a dangling modifier?

  Back

  A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that does not logically connect to the noun it is meant to modify. Example: 'Running down the street, the bus passed me' implies the bus was running.

• 19
  Front

  What is the difference between 'affect' and 'effect'?

  Back

  'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence ('The rain affected the game'). 'Effect' is usually a noun meaning result ('The effect was noticeable'). 'Effect' can be a verb meaning to bring about, and 'affect' can be a noun in psychology.

• 20
  Front

  What is the difference between 'its' and 'it's'?

  Back

  'Its' is a possessive pronoun ('The dog wagged its tail'). 'It's' is a contraction of 'it is' or 'it has' ('It's raining').

• 21
  Front

  What is the difference between 'lay' and 'lie'?

  Back

  'Lay' is a transitive verb meaning to place something (requires an object): 'Lay the book down.' 'Lie' is intransitive meaning to recline: 'I need to lie down.' Past tense of 'lie' is 'lay,' which causes frequent confusion.

• 22
  Front

  What is a misplaced modifier?

  Back

  A misplaced modifier is a word or phrase placed too far from the noun it modifies, creating ambiguity. Example: 'She almost drove her children to school every day' implies she nearly but didn't always drive them.

• 23
  Front

  What rule governs the use of apostrophes to show possession for singular versus plural nouns?

  Back

  For singular nouns, add apostrophe + s (the dog's leash). For plural nouns ending in s, add only an apostrophe (the dogs' leashes). For irregular plurals not ending in s, add apostrophe + s (the children's toys).

• 24
  Front

  What is parallel structure, and why is it important in writing?

  Back

  Parallel structure means using the same grammatical form for elements in a series or paired constructions. It ensures clarity and balance. Example: 'She likes hiking, swimming, and cycling' (not 'to cycle').