This is a quick, basic grammar review for nouns, verbs, and the sometimes confusing usage of lay versus lie, and rise versus raise. This reference can be used for term papers, grammar class reviews, or simply for anyone confused or curious about the basics of English grammar.
Nouns
1. Noun identification
2. Count, Mass, and Collective Nouns
3. Plural and Possessive Nouns
Noun Identification
What is a noun? A noun is a person, place, thing, quality, animal, idea or activity.
For example:
Person — Maria
Place — Detroit
Thing — Desk
Quality — Width
Animal — Dog
Idea — Independence
Activity — Navigation
Spot the nouns in a sentence: Maria went into the city to purchase detergent.
Nouns: Person — Maria
Place — City
Thing — Detergent
The functions of nouns
Nouns sometimes function differently in sentences. For example:
Subject: Maria likes ice cream
Object of Preposition: He gave the ice cream to Maria
Subject complement: The best customer is Maria
Grammar vocabulary: Nominal means any word, or group of words, used as a noun. The nominal word used in the original noun example is Maria.
Types of Nouns
The names of specific things, places, and people, like Maria or Detroit, are Proper nouns.
General, colloquial names, like table or house are Common nouns. Common nouns can either be concrete or abstract.
When an object is concrete i.e. you can see it and touch it, like a phone or a chair, it is a Concrete noun.
When it is a quality or idea, like freedom or justice, it is an Abstract noun.
Count Nouns
Count nouns are anything that can be counted. They are singular or plural. Plurals usually end with “s.”
Singular — Car
Plural — Cars
Singular — Chair
Plural — Chairs
Singular — Dog
Plural — Dogs
Irregular Examples
Singular — Mouse
Plural — Mice
Singular — Child
Plural — Children
Most nouns ending in s, sh, o, or ch need an -es suffix to be plural
Singular — Bus
Plural — Buses
Singular — Dish
Plural — Dishes
Singular — Potato
Plural — Potatoes
Singular — Church
Plural — Churches
Nouns ending in a consonant followed by y become plural by changing the y to i and adding -es
Singular — Mystery
Plural — Mysteries
Mass Nouns are nouns that cannot be counted and they usually do not have a plural form
Examples: Freedom, sand, money
Collective nouns refer to groups of people and/or things. Unlike mass nouns, they can usually be counted, so they usually have plural forms.
Examples:
Singular — Staff
Plural — Staffs
Singular — Herd
Plural — Herds
Plural Nouns
Plural nouns are the nouns that have been changed into their plural states by adding -s or -es. Remember your irregular nouns, such as mice and children! They too are plural nouns.
Possessive Nouns
Nouns can be possessive and express ownership, usually following the use of “of.”
Example: The life of Maria
Most singular possessives are formed by adding an apostrophe and “s.” If the noun is plural, the possessive form becomes “s” and apostrophe.
Singular Common: Dog
Singular Possessive: Dog’s
Plural Common: Dogs
Plural Possessive: Dogs’
Exception: if the plural noun does not end with an “s,” the possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe and “s.”
Example:
Singular Common: Woman
Singular Possessive: Woman’s
Plural Common: Women
Plural Possessive: Women’s
Pronouns
A pronoun takes the place of an unknown noun. The unknown noun is called the “antecedent.”
Example: Maria wondered if she was late for work.
Maria is the antecedent of “she.” Instead of saying: Maria wondered if Maria was late for work, “she” appears to take the place of “Maria.”
The Nine forms of Pronouns:
Personal, possessive, indefinite, reflexive, reciprocal, intensive, interrogative, relative, and demonstrative.
The pronoun must always agree with the antecedent, so if the antecedent is male, the pronoun must be male, if the antecedent is plural, the pronoun must be plural, etc.
Example:
Correct: When Maria bought the detergent, she used her credit card.
Incorrect: When Maria bought the detergent, they used his credit card.
Pronoun Cases
Nominative Cases: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who
The nominative, or subjective, case pronoun is the subject of the sentence.
Examples: She went to the store.
Who has the book?
I am he.
This is she.
Objective Cases: Me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom
These function as direct or indirect objects.
Examples:
We gave HER the bus money.
We gave IT to HER.
I don’t know to WHOM I speak.
The bag is with HER.
Possessive Cases: My, mine, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs, your, yours, whose
The possessive case pronoun shows possession
Example:
That is MY bag.
That bag is MINE.
HER bus was late.
The bags are all HERS.
Personal Pronouns can refer to the person/people speaking (First person,) spoken to (second person,) or spoken ABOUT (third person.)
First person subject singular: I
First person subject plural: We
First person object singular: me
First person object plural: us
Second person subject singular: you
Second person subject plural: you
Second person object singular: you
Second person object plural: you
Third person subject singular: he, she, it
Third person subject plural: they
Third person object singular: him, her, it
Third person object plural: them
Example: I wanted to give them to her, but he wouldn’t let me.
I — first person singular
Them — third person plural
Her — third person singular
He — third person singular
Me — first person singular
Possessive Pronouns
Like regular nouns, personal pronouns can also be possessive. Possessive Determiners are possessive forms of personal pronouns. Possessive Determiners must have a following noun.
First person determiner singular: My (book)
First person determiner plural: Our (book)
First person pronoun singular: Mine
First person pronoun plural Ours
Second person determiner singular: Your (book)
Second person determiner plural Your (book)
Second person pronoun singular: Yours
Second person pronoun plural: Yours
Third person determiner singular: His, Her, Its (book)
Third person determiner plural: Their (book)
Third person pronoun singular: His, hers, its
Third person pronoun plural: Theirs
Example: They have MY bags but they know they’re MINE.
My — Determiner, dependent on “Bags”
Mine– stands in place of “My bags.”
Indefinite Pronouns
These have no specific antecedents. These are usually identified with general words like: all, any, some, or none.
Examples:
Singular: another, both, nobody, everything, nothing, somebody, everyone, no one, something, etc.
Plural: all, many, most, much, some
Examples: Somebody has her bags.
Plural: Everyone knows about Maria’s bags.
Indefinite pronouns are only pronouns if they are used ALONE. If they are used with a noun, they become indefinite adjectives.
Pronoun: Both knew they were Maria’s bags.
Adjective: Both baggers knew they were Maria’s bags.
If the subject performs actions TO or FOR itself, the action in the sentence passes BACK to the subject and becomes a reflexive pronoun.
First person singular: Myself
First person plural: Ourselves
Second person singular: Yourself
Second person plural: Yourselves
Third person singular: Himself/Herself/Itself
Third person plural: Themselves
Example: We asked OURSELVES where her bags were.
“We” is the doer and receiver of the action “ask.”
Intensive Pronouns are used to point back to the noun or pronoun for emphasis.
Example: I myself knew they were Maria’s bags.
The intensive pronoun does not always need to directly follow the noun.
Example: I prefer walking myself.
Reciprocal pronouns express mutual action.
Examples: each other/ each other’s
One another/one another’s
Maria and Heather greeted each other.
Interrogative Pronouns
These are used to ask questions and can be personal or non-personal
Personal subject: Who/Whoever
Personal object: Whom/Whomever
Personal possessive: Whose
Non-personal subject: Which
Non-personal subject: What
Example:
Who has the bags?
Which bagger has them?
Whose bags are these?
Demonstrative Pronouns
These substitute specific nouns, usually when someone is gesturing toward something.
Singular: This/That
Plural: These/Those
Example: These are for her.
Verbs
A verb is an action part of speech. It can also express a state of being, or the relationship between two things. It is most powerful when following a noun. Example: He HIT her. Verbs are the most complicated part of speech because they can sometimes become nouns, depending on their use.
The three kinds of verbs: transitive verbs, intransitive verbs, and linking verbs.
Transitive verbs
These take objects. Transitive verbs carry the action of subject and apply it to the object.
Example: She TOOK the bags.
Intransitive verbs
These do not take an object, but express actions that do not require the agent doing something to something else.
Example: She LEFT.
Linking verbs
These link the agent with the rest of the sentence and explain the link between the subject and the rest of the sentence.
Examples: appear, grow, seem, smell, taste
Example: Maria seems tired from shopping.
The Lay/Lie and Raise/Rise Confusion
These two pairs of verbs are constantly misused. In each, there is a transitive verb (TRV) and an intransitive verb (INV).
Lie — Intransitive, means recline or be situated
Lay — Transitive, means to place or put something
Rise — Intransitive, means to get up.
Raise — Transitive, means to lift something up.
Infinitive — INV: Lie
TRV: Lay
INV: Rise
TRV: Raise
Past Tense — Lie (Lay)
Raise (Raised)
Hey, you used to write wonderful, but the last several posts have been kinda boring?K I miss your tremendous writings. Past few posts are just a bit out of track! come on!
Hey, you used to write wonderful, but the last few posts have been kinda boring¡K I miss your great writings. Past few posts are just a bit out of track! come on!
fantastic post, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector do not notice this. You must continue your writing. I am confident, you have a great readers’ base already!
i was just surfing along and came upon your blog. just wanted to say good job and this post really helped me.
But a smiling visitor here to share the love (:, btw great style and design .
I love your blog.. excellent colours & topic. Performed anyone style and design this excellent website oneself or perhaps do an individual rely on someone else to accomplish it available for you? Plz react because I!|m wanting to style and design by myself blog plus want to realize exactly where u obtained this via. appreciate it
Incredible! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a entirely different subject but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Wonderful choice of colors!
i would be busy again doing some home decors this coming christmas, i’d be buying some new decors for the season.,
Most I can say is, I’m not sure what to express! Except needless to say, for the wonderful tips that are shared on this blog. I am able to think of a zillion fun methods to read the articles or blog posts on this site. There’s no doubt that I will eventually take a step with your tips on that matter I could not have been able to touch alone. You were so innovative to permit me to be one of those to benefit from your valuable information. Please see how considerably I appreciate it.
Spot lets start work on this write-up, I really think this fabulous website wants a great deal more consideration. I’ll oftimes be once more to learn to read much more, many thanks that information.
I have been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thanks , I¡¦ll try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your site?
I hope your knowledge gets spread around so a lot of people can see what the real problems are in this situation.
You really should experience a tournament for starters of the finest blogs online. Let me recommend this great site!
The the next time I just read a weblog, I hope that this doesnt disappoint me up to this place. What i’m saying is, It was my method to read, but I really thought youd have something interesting to say. All I hear is usually a bunch of whining about something that you could fix should you werent too busy seeking attention.
fantastic submit, I love it. I also buy ambien a whole lot. You ought to buy ambien as well. I will journey to the entire USA and buy ambien there and in other areas to. i will be downtown, you know for what ? just to buy ambien. I will sleep a ton immediately after buy ambien and that it usually make me experience so very good. I will be buy ambien in a pharmacy or yet another places, what ever the daily life take me .
You’re the best, I enjoyed – Gulvafslibning | Kurt Gulvmand. It was good. View my blog sometime, it all about Oviedo, FL Real Estate.
It’s difficult to find knowledgeable people during this topic, but you appear to be what happens you are talking about! Thanks
Reiki is hard to master, but i would really love to learn it in a short period of time.
I am usually to blogging and i really appreciate your website content continuously. This great article has truly peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your website and keep checking for brand new info.
Thanks for the great post on your blog, it really gives me an insight on this topic.:-:;”
Your web-site is so cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this website. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for more articles. best insurance
One thing I would like to say is that car insurance canceling is a feared experience so if you’re doing the suitable things as being a driver you won’t get one. A number of people do receive the notice that they’ve been officially dropped by their insurance company they then have to struggle to get supplemental insurance after a cancellation. Cheap auto insurance rates usually are hard to get from cancellation. Knowing the main reasons for auto insurance canceling can help people prevent getting rid of in one of the most essential privileges readily available. Thanks for the ideas shared through your blog.
Perfectly pent articles , Really enjoyed reading through .
My neighbor and I had been just debating this specific topic, he is normally seeking to prove me incorrect. Your view on this is outstanding and exactly how I truly think. I just now mailed him this blog to show him your point of view. After looking over your website I bookmarked and will be coming back to learn your new posts!
BTW, and I hope we do not drag this too long, but care to remind us just what kind of weapons were being used on Kurds by Saddams army? To the tune of hundreds of thousands of dead Talk about re-written history
Thank you for sharing with us, I conceive this website really stands out : D.
Also the scene between her, her ex boyfriend and Cruise in the diner was very funny.
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I’ve really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I?ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again very soon! .Chlebek Dukana
Can I simply say that of a relief to seek out a person that in fact knows what theyre talking about on the web. You actually know how to bring an issue to light to make it important. Lots more people must check out this and see why side of the story. I cant think youre less popular simply because you certainly develop the gift.
i would have to make more christmas cards becuase next month is december already-
James Mangold’s filmography currently covers a wide range of genres, and this experience had benefited him since Knight and Day contains plenty all rolled into one, with action, comedy, science fiction and even serious drama all included.
I am very happy to read this. This is the kind of manual that needs to be given and not the accidental misinformation that’s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this greatest doc.
This is a good posting, I was wondering if I could use this write-up on my website, I will link it back to your website though. If this is a problem please let me know and I will take it down right away
I hope you never stop! This is one of the best blogs Ive ever read. Youve got some mad skill here, man. I just hope that you dont lose your style because youre definitely one of the coolest bloggers out there. Please keep it up because the internet needs someone like you spreading the word.
Thank you for making the honest effort to discuss this. I feel very sturdy about it and would like to learn more. If it’s OK, as you achieve extra in depth knowledge, could you mind adding more articles very similar to this one with additional info? It might be extraordinarily helpful and useful for me and my friends.