GRAMMAR BOOTCAMP
Monday
Parts of Speech
Nouns
 A noun is a person, place, or thing.
PERSON:
PLACE:
Bob, colonist, swimmer, Ms.Yang, Mr. Smith
kitchen, James River, canyon, Oklahoma
 The category thing contains several subcategories:
VISIBLE THINGS:
IDEAS:
ACTIONS:
CONDITIONS:
QUALITIES:
duck, daffodil, fort
capitalism, recession, freedom
competition, exercise, labor
joy, health, happiness
compassion, intelligence, drive
Common and Proper Nouns
 A common noun names any one of a class of people,
places, or things. A common noun is not capitalized.
 A proper noun names a specific person, place ,or thing. A
proper noun is always capitalized.
COMMON: leader, place, book, war
PROPER:
Jefferson, Virginia, Leaves of Grass,
Revolutionary War
Identifying Types of Nouns
For each of the nouns below, identify it as either common
or proper.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
colony
Jamestown
leadership
farmer
Captain John Smith
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
self-government
Pocahontas
peace
farmland
history
Recognizing Nouns
Write each sentence below on your paper. Underline each noun in the
sentence. Identify each noun as common or proper.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
To our dismay, the escalator halted between floors.
Sally bought an encyclopedia on technology.
Can Amy get the cooperation of her classmates?
Ted is interested in the origin of words.
Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia.
The surgeon predicted gradual improvement of her health.
First-class postage has almost doubled in this decade.
Mr. Reid disagreed with her decision on that issue.
A violent storm threatened the coast and the valley.
Jane made a jack-o’-lantern for the party on Saturday.
Pronouns
 A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun, another
pronoun, or a group of words functioning as a noun.
 An antecedent is the noun, pronoun, or group of words
functioning as a noun to which a pronoun refers.
A crowd quickly gathered. Looking at the seat, they saw a
schooner inching its way into Jamestown harbor. Losing the
crops was frightening; it was an experience the colonist said
she would never forget.
Personal Pronouns
 A personal pronoun is a pronoun that refers to the person
speaking (first person), the person spoken to (second
person), or the person, place, or thing spoken about (third
person).
Personal Pronouns
Singular
Plural
First Person
I, me, my, mine
we, us, our, ours
Second Person
you, your, yours
you, your, yours
Third Person
he, him, his, she,
her, hers, it, its
they, them, their,
theirs
Personal Pronouns
 Nominative pronouns are pronouns that appear as the subject
of a sentence.
She went to the store for her mother.
They saw a movie together.
We will have the money by Monday.
 Objective pronouns are pronouns that appear in the sentence
as an object of another word.
Mary gave a speech to them.
She bought me a present.
 Possessive pronouns indicate ownership of something.
I gave back her book.
My sister will call you tomorrow.
Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns
 A reflexive pronoun ends in –self or –selves and indicates
that someone or something in the sentence acts for or on
itself.
The settlers prepared themselves for the approaching
winter.
 An intensive pronoun ends in –self or –selves and simply
adds emphasis to a noun or pronoun in the same sentence.
John Smith himself wrote an account of the meeting.
Demonstrative Pronouns
 A demonstrative pronoun directs attention to a specific
person, place, or thing.
 There are four demonstrative pronouns:
Demonstrative Pronouns
Singular
Plural
this, that
these, those
That is a beautiful city.
This is my report.
Those are the books you need.
These books need to be returned.
Relative Pronouns
 A relative pronoun introduces an adjective clause and
connects it to the word that the clause modifies.
Relative Pronouns
that
which
who
whom
whose
We read a book that contained an account of the settlers’
experiences.
The settlers wanted to know who would work.
The winter, which they knew would be harsh, was quickly
approaching.
Interrogative Pronouns
 An interrogative pronoun is used to begin a question
what
Interrogative Pronouns
which
who
whom
Who surrendered at Yorktown?
What was the name of the British general?
whose
Indefinite Pronouns
 An indefinite pronoun refers to a person, place, or thing
that may or may not be specifically named.
Indefinite Pronouns
Singular
Plural
Both
another
everyone
nothing
both
all
anybody
everything
one
few
any
anyone
little
other
many
more
anything
much
somebody
others
most
each
neither
someone
several
none
either
nobody
something
everybody
no one
some
Recognizing Pronouns
 Underline the personal pronoun in each sentence. Identify it as 1st person,
2nd person, or 3rd person AND nominative, objective, or possessive.
1. Todd gave his class ring to Betsy.
2. Where will you stay in London, Phil?
3. With their oxygen running low, the divers signaled for help.
4. Jeff asked his father for the keys to the car.
5. Beethoven wrote his violin concerto in 1806.
6. When she finished the novel, Pam turned on the phonograph.
7. Maggie, have you outlined the research paper yet?
8. “I am going to Denver for Christmas,” Pat told Derrick.
9. The congressman said that he would speak first.
10. The car in the driveway has its lights on.
Identifying Different Types of Pronouns
 Identify the type of each underlined pronoun.
When snow (1)that is held in place by friction is dislodged,
(2)it can cause a serious avalanche. (3)This is a vast amount of
snow cascading down a mountainside. The snow (4)itself can
exert over 22,000 pounds of pressure per square inch and
travel over 192 miles per hour. (5)Few caught in an avalanche
can save (6)themselves, but Saint Bernards have been trained to
locate victims. They have rescued over 2,500 people during
(7)their nearly three hundred years of service. (8)Which of the
dogs has the best rescue record? (9)None of the animals has a
more impressive list than Barry, (10)who saved over forty
avalanche victims.
Adjectives
 An adjective is a word used to describe a noun or pronoun or to
give a noun or pronoun more specific meaning.
 Adjectives answer any of the following questions:




What kind?
big nests
Which one? that bird
How many? seventeen flocks
How much? more bird seed
 Sometimes the adjectives is located after the noun it modifies.
 The nest looked old.
 Tired after the flight, he rested.
 More than one adjective may modify a noun or pronoun.
 The quick, darting falcon captured its prey.
Adjectives
 Nouns used as adjectives:
 vegetable soup
 bird food
 Proper adjectives – proper nouns used as adjectives




Audubon paintings
Florida sunshine
North American birds
Spanish language
 Compound adjectives – made up of more than one word,
sometimes hyphenated
 long-term mates, oval-shaped nest
 warmblooded animals, lifelong partners
 South American birds
Identifying Adjectives
Write the adjectives in these sentences. Then, write the noun that each
adjective modifies.
1. Bald eagles, weighing up to fourteen pounds, are very large birds of prey.
2. Female bald eagles are usually larger than male bald eagles.
3. These North American birds have a dark-brown body, white head, white
tail, and sharp yellow beak.
4. An eagle’s nest is difficult to find.
5. The cliff towers on which eagles build their homes are safe from
predators.
6. Eagles are lifelong partners.
7. If something happens to one eagle, the other eagle may pine for months.
8. The male eagle and female eagle share the eaglet-raising responsibilities.
9. While the male hunts, the female will guard the stick-and-twig nest.
10. When the female hunts, the male takes on guard duty.
Adverbs
 An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or
another adverbs.
 Answers any of the following questions:
 Where?
The finch flew up. Her eggs lay here.
 When?
The flock’s migration began today.
 In what way?
The falcon quickly passed over our heads.
 To what extent?
We have just enough time.
 Nouns functioning as adverbs:
 We raced home to see the news of the eagle sighting.
Adverb or Adjective?
 You can distinguish between adjectives and adverbs by
remembering that adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and
adverbs; adjectives modify nouns and pronouns.
 Spring arrived early.
 The early bird gets the worm.
 slow flight, hasty decision
 flew slowly, decided hastily
 Adjectives that end in –ly:
 a lonely thrush, a ghostly wall, a lovely sight
Recognizing Adverbs and Their Uses
Write the adverbs in these sentences. Next to them, write the word each one
modifies.
1. Many types of hawks live freely throughout North America.
2. The Cooper’s hawk is also known, somewhat derogatorily, as the “chicken hawk.”
3. This very powerful bird kills large prey, such as chickens.
4. In the nineteenth century, hawks were frequently shot.
5. All hawks have become completely protected by federal law.
6. Today, we better understand the role birds of prey play in the natural world.
7. The Harris’s hawk behaves very socially, which greatly puzzles scientists.
8. It is very common to find several birds happily sharing a nest.
9. It is not surprising to find two Harris’s hawks flying home with one catch: the
hawks even hunt in pairs.
10. On an early March morning, thousands of red-tailed hawks rise up and continue
the annual migration.
Verbs
 A verb is a word or group of words that expresses time
while showing an action, a condition, or the fact that
something exists.
 A action verb is a verb that tells what action someone or
something is performing.
 The students are learning about winter sports.
 The radio blared the broadcast of the hockey game.
 The action does not have to be visible. Words expressing
mental activities – such as learn, think, or decide – are also
considered action verbs.
Linking Verbs
 A linking verb is a verb that connects its subject with a
noun or pronoun that identifies or describes the subject.
 That man is a famous hockey player.
 The ice surface seems smooth.
 The verb be is the most common linking verb.
Forms of the Verb “to be”
The Forms of Be
am
am being
can be
have been
are
are being
could be
has been
is
is being
may be
had been
was
was being
might be
could have been
were
were being
must be
may have been
shall be
might have been
should be
shall have been
will be
should have been
would be
will have been
would have been
Examples of Linking Verbs
 The skater is on the rink.
 The winter air smelled crisp and clean.
 The crowd sounds excited.
 The driver stayed alert.
 The air felt cold.
Identifying Action and Linking Verbs
Write action or linking for each underlined verb.
1. The telephone rings in both offices.
2. Milk turns bad quickly unless refrigerated.
3. Grandfather grew cucumbers during the summer.
4. The injured man stumbled into the hospital.
5. Two hours late, the bus pulled into the station.
6. His forehead feels cool to the touch.
7. Brian memorized the opening line of his speech.
8. Winter will arrive on December 21.
9. After the accident, he looked pale and worried.
10. The express bus may be late this evening.
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
 A transitive verb directs action toward someone or something
named in the same sentence.
 An intransitive verb does not direct action toward anyone or
anything named in the same sentence.
 The word toward which a transitive verb directs its action is called
the object of the verb.
 Intransitive verbs never have objects
 Linking verbs are always intransitive
 You can determine whether a verb has an object by asking whom or
what after the verb.
TRANSITIVE:
The player shot the puck.
INTRANSITIVE:
The team practiced in the old ice arena.
Identifying Transitive and Intransitive
Verbs
Label each underlined verb as transitive or intransitive.
1. Keith placed the heavy metal turntable on his desk.
2. Clouds swirled near the top of the mountain.
3. After much delay the judge rendered an unpopular decision.
4. Did you buy the vegetables for the stew?
5. East Hampton is not far from Shelter Island.
6. For a good analysis, read Understanding Fiction.
7. Vicki rehearsed her speech many times.
8. The runaway bus careened into a stone wall.
9. City dwellers always enjoy a trip into the country.
10. The orchestra began with a loud overture.
Verb Phrases
 A verb phrase consists of a main verb and one or more
helping verbs.
 As many as three helping verbs may preced the main verb
in a verb phrase.
 I will be taking a horse and carriage ride through the snow.
 I should have taken a horse and carriage ride through the
snow.
 A verb phrase may be interrupted by other words in a
sentence.
 I will definitely be taking a horse and carriage ride through the
show.
 Should I take a horse and carriage ride through the snow?
Identifying Verb Phrases
Write down all parts of the verb phrase in each sentence. Label each
verb as action, linking, or helping and transitive or intransitive.
1. By now, we should have been in Boston.
2. The police department has already been notified.
3. We can expect a letter from them in a month.
4. The flood has not blocked the main highway.
5. Their roles have not been clearly defined.
6. The doctor should have given you a more complete diagnosis.
7. Obviously, the trip must have taken several hours longer.
8. Will you remind them of our change in plans?
9. The senator did undoubtedly intend a postponement of the bill.
10. Can I really have forgotten their anniversary?
Prepositions
 A preposition is a word that relates the noun or pronoun
that appears with it to another word in the sentence.
Prepositions
Common Prepositions
aboard
around
between
in
next to
prior to
about
aside from
beyond
in addition to
of
regarding
above
as of
but
in back of
off
round
according to
at
by
in front of
on
through
across
atop
by means of
in place of
on account of
throughout
after
barring
concerning
in regard to
onto
to
against
because of
considering
inside
on top of
toward
ahead of
before
despite
in spite of
opposite
under
along
behind
down
instead of
out
until
alongside
below
during
into
out of
up
amid
beneath
except
in view of
over
upon
among
beside
for
like
owing
with
apart from
besides
from
near
past
within
Prepositional Phrases
 Prepositions are always part of a group of words called
prepositional phrases.
 A prepositional phrase contains a preposition and a noun or
pronoun known as the object of the preposition.
 Who is the famous actress in the movie?
 Shawn checked under the couch and chair.
 Preposition or Adverb?
 A preposition must always appear with an object of a
preposition.
 Joe Louis sidled around the rink.
 The boxer slowly looked around.
Identifying Prepositional Phrases
Write each sentence below. Place parentheses around the prepositional phrase
or phrases in each sentence. Then underline the preposition and circle the
object. Then draw an arrow to the word the phrase is describing.
1. In back of the shop the owner and his son baked fresh bread every day.
2. Step outside the door and see the sunset.
3. We ran out of money during our shopping expedition.
4. According to the President’s speech, we need a greater awareness of
pollution problems.
5. Chinese lanterns were hung from the ceiling.
6. David carefully placed the delicate glass figurine next to the vase.
7. The terrified rabbit slipped between the fence posts and ran to safety.
8. Billy the Kid stayed ahead of his pursuers by means of a stolen horse.
9. Don’t walk in the storm without a hat and boots.
10. The exhausted long-distance runner finally fell behind to others.
Coordinating Conjunctions
 A conjunction is a word used to connect other words or
groups of words.
 A coordinating conjunction connects words or groups
of words.
 She and Grandmother once went to see Bessie Smith.
 Turning to the left or to the right, all Bessie could see was a
throng of admiring fans.
 They climbed aboard the midnight train, for the tour was just
beginning.
 FANBOYS = for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
Correlative Conjunctions
 A correlative conjunction joins elements in sentences,
but always work in pairs.









Both, and
Either, or
Neither, nor
Not only, but also
Whether, or
Neither Lola nor he knows about Paul Robeson.
He was not only intelligent but also charismatic.
He excelled both during college and in life.
His choice after college as either athletics or law.
Subordinating Conjunctions
 A subordinating conjunction joins two complete ideas
by making one of the ideas subordinate, or dependent, upon
the other.
Subordinating Conjunctions
after
because
lest
till
although
before
now that
unless
as
even if
provided that
until
as if
even though
since
when
as long as
how
so that
whenever
as much as
if
than
where
as soon as
inasmuch as
that
wherever
as though
in order that
though
while
Identifying Conjunctions
Underline the conjunction in each sentence. Then identify it as
coordinating, correlative, or subordinating.
1. I offered my help, but she refused.
2. Both a dictionary and a thesaurus are useful in college.
3. My brother has held several jobs since he graduated.
4. Either I will go, or I will send a representative.
5. When she arrived, the crowd cheered wildly.
6. My brother and two sisters all play sports.
7. He is not only neat, but he is also accurate.
8. I travel because I enjoy meeting new people.
9. Unfortunately, she knows neither French nor German.
10. We had a winning record while he was our captain.
Conjunctive Adverbs
 These are adverbs used as conjunctions to connect complete
ideas.
 They are often used as transitions, creating bridges between
different ideas by showing comparisons, contrasts, or results.
Conjunctive Adverbs
accordingly
finally
nevertheless
again
furthermore
otherwise
also
however
then
besides
indeed
therefore
consequently
instead
thus
moreover
The film was great; nevertheless, I prefer Show Boat.
Verbals
 A participle is a form of a verb that can act as an adjective
 The flowing lava covered the road to Lassen Peak.
 The melting glacier drained into the Kenai Fjords.
 The frozen mass is slowly shrinking.
Kinds of
Participles
Forms
Examples
Present Participle
Ends in –ing
I took a fishing pole.
The winding trail descended.
Past Participle
Usually ends in –ed;
We saw abandoned mines.
sometimes –en or another Watch out for that fallen branch.
irregular ending
Perfect Participle
Includes having or having
been before a past
participle
Having eaten, I moved on.
Having been warned, I did not
litter the park.
Distinguishing Between Participles and
Verbs
Identify each verb in the following sentences and indicate
whether it is acting as an adjective (participle) or a verb.
1. We were hiking along a winding trail.
2. We spotted another hiking party coming toward us.
3. We had raised our hands to wave when we saw the raised
hand of the leader waving to us.
4. We asked if they had experienced any camping difficulties.
5. They said experienced hikers like us wouldn’t have
problems.
Gerunds
 A gerund is a form of a verb that acts as a noun.
 Camping is fun.
 Some parks allow fishing.
Some Uses of Gerunds in Sentences
As a Subject
Hiking is a pleasant activity.
As a Direct Object
I mastered rock-climbing.
As an Indirect Object
Agnes gave rappelling a try but
found it too dangerous.
As an Object of a Preposition
Eat lunch before leaving.
As a Predicate Nominative
My new hobby is diving.
As an Appositive
My favorite sport, fishing, gives
me hours of pleasure.
Identifying Gerunds
Identify each gerund. Then, identify its function as a subject,
direct object, indirect object, object of a preposition, predicate
nominative, or appositive.
1. Preserving Yosemite National Park became a priority in the
1850’s.
2. Because of Yosemite’s sheer granite cliffs, climbing has
become a favorite activity of the park's visitors.
3. Many consider rising before the sun to attack the cliffs.
4. Rock climbers enjoy ascending the monolith El Capitan.
5. Glacier Point is popular for providing spectacular views.
Infinitives
 An infinitive is a form of a verb that generally appears with
the word to and acts as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
 To go to Yellowstone is my dream. (noun)
 I made the decision to go. (adjective)
 I was excited to go. (adverb)
Infinitives Used as Nouns and Modifiers
As a Subject
To move his arm may cause further injury.
As a Direct Object
With two weeks off, Nina planned to relax.
As a Predicate Nominative
This summer, Joel’s plan was to travel.
As an Appositive
The suggestion, to return, was rejected.
As an Adjective
The whole group displayed an ardent desire to ski.
As an Adverb
Everyone thought the reef was beautiful to see.
Identifying Infinitives
Write each infinitive. Then, label each as subject, direct object,
predicate nominative, appositive, adjective, or adverb.
1. The goal of the National Park Service is to conserve natural
scenery and wildlife.
2. National parks are designated by Congress to provide
public recreation areas.
3. To maintain the parks takes a great deal of money.
4. Guides are happy to meet the needs of visitors.
5. Yellowstone was the first area to become a national park.