Essential Elements of English Grammar
Verb (V): The Action or State
A verb indicates a state or action. It’s always a verb or verb phrase.
- You must feed the cat.
Subject (S): The Performer of the Action
The subject is the “doer” of the action, typically a noun or noun phrase.
- You must feed the cat.
Direct Object (dO): Receiver of the Action
The direct object is the receiver of the action, the sufferer or result of the action. It’s typically a noun phrase.
- You must feed the cat.
Indirect Object (iO): Beneficiary of the Action
The indirect object identifies for whom or what the action is performed. It’s the beneficiary, typically a noun phrase.
- I fed the cat some fish.
Subject Complement: Describing the Subject
A subject complement is a word or phrase that follows a linking verb and describes or identifies the subject. A linking verb connects a subject to its new identity or description.
Object of a Preposition: Noun Governed by Preposition
The object of a preposition is the noun or pronoun governed by a preposition. It’s usually (but not always) the noun or pronoun immediately to the right of the preposition.
Objective Complement: Renaming or Modifying
An objective complement can be a noun or an adjective that follows the direct object, renaming or modifying it. It’s used with verbs like make, name, call, choose, elect, and appoint. It is not set off with commas, unlike an appositive.
Example:
- I call my dog Badger.
A verb that has an objective complement in the active voice may have a predicate nominative or a predicate adjective in the passive voice.
Example:
- I call my dog Badger. (objective complement)
- My dog is called Badger by me. (predicate nominative)
Example:
- I consider my dog smart. (objective complement)
Appositive: Renaming a Noun
An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it. The appositive can be a short or long combination of words.
Example:
- The insect, a cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table.
Noun: Naming Words
A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.
Examples of nouns: Daniel, London, table, dog, teacher, pen, city, happiness, hope
Example sentences:
- Steve lives in Sydney.
- Mary uses a pen and paper to write letters.
Other examples: Area, book, business, case, child, company, country, day, eye, fact, family, government, group, hand, home, job, life, lot, man, money, month, mother, Mr, night, number, part, people, place.
Pronoun: Replacing a Noun
A pronoun is used in place of a noun or noun phrase to avoid repetition.
Examples of pronouns: I, you, we, they, he, she, it, me, us, them, him, her, this, those
Example sentences:
- Mary is tired. She wants to sleep.
- I want her to dance with me.
Adjective: Describing Words
An adjective describes, modifies, or gives more information about a noun or pronoun.
Examples: big, happy, green, young, fun, crazy, three
Example sentences:
- The little girl had a pink hat.
Other examples: Active, actual, adept, admirable, admired, adolescent, adorable, adored, advanced, afraid, modern, modest, moist, monstrous, monthly, monumental, moral, mortified, fat, fatal, fatherly, favorable, favorite
Verb: Action or State of Being
A verb shows an action or state of being. It indicates what someone or something is doing.
Examples: go, speak, run, eat, play, live, walk, have, like, are, is
Example sentences:
- I like Woodward English.
- I study their charts and play their games.
Transitive Verbs
Transitive verbs always require a direct object:
- Richard annoys his boss so much that he’ll never get a promotion. (His boss is the direct object of annoys, and a promotion is the direct object of get)
- Jenna brings Mrs. Smith lunch every day. (Mrs. Smith is the direct object of brings. Jenna is the subject.)
List of common transitive verbs:
- Bring, send, owe, contain, buy, show, take, tell, verify, check, get, wash, finalize, annoy, lay, lend, offer, edit, make, phone
Intransitive Verbs
Intransitive verbs do not need a direct object to complete their meaning. Many are followed by an adjective, adverb, preposition, or verb complement (gerund or infinitive).
List of common intransitive verbs:
- Come, explode, laugh, sit, rise, excel, respond, run, cough, swim, emigrate, smile, act, cry, immigrate, lie, arrive, continue, die, go
- If Cathy continues to be late for work, the boss will fire her. (Continues is followed by an infinitive (to be), with no direct object.)
- The bomb exploded in the city center. (Exploded is followed by a preposition of place with no direct object.)