The Magic Lens
Introduction to Grammar
Grammar
A way of thinking
about language.
Grammar
. . . lets us think about language by giving
names for different kinds of words and for
the different ways that words represent
our thoughts and feelings.
Grammar
. . . is fascinating and
worthwhile!
4
Four Levels of Grammar.
Four Levels of Grammar
1)
2)
3)
4)
Parts of speech
Parts of a sentence
Phrases
Clauses
1) Parts of speech
The parts of speech level
shows us each word, one at a
time, asking, “What is this word
doing?”
2) Parts of a sentence
The parts of a sentence levels
shows use the architecture of
the idea, asking, “What is being
said about what?”
3) Phrases
The phrases level shows us the little
groups of words in the sentence,
groups that pretend to be a single
part of speech, asking “What part of
speech is this group of words
doing?”
4) Clauses
The clauses level shows us whether
or not more than one idea is drawn
into the sentence’s design, asking
“How many different ideas are
connected together in this sentence?”
These fragments I
Parts of Speech:
adj.
n.
Parts of Sentence: ----direct object--Phrases:
Clauses:
pron.
have shored against my ruins.
v.
v.
prep.
pron.
n.
subj. --------pred.-------prepositional phrase-
-------one independent clause, simple declarative sentence------------
A Term Total
PARTS OF SPEECH
Noun
Proper/common
Pronoun
Subject/object
Relative
Demonstrative
Person, 1,2,3
Adjective
Degree
Article
Definite
Indefinite
Verb
Tense
Perfect tenses
Helping verb
Singular/plural
Active/passive voice
Action/linking
Mood
Adverb
Conjunction
Coordinating
Subordinating
Correlative
Preposition
Object of prep.
interjection
PARTS OF A SENTENCE
PHRASES
CLAUSES
Sentence
Fragment
Subject
Predicate
simple/complete
Direct object
Indirect object
Subject compliment
predicate nom
predicate adj
phrase
prepositional
appositive
verbal
gerund
participle
infinitive
independent
dependent
structure
simple
compound
complex
compound-complex
purpose
declarative
imperative
interrogative
exclamatory
Level One:
Eight Parts of Speech
Parts of Speech
There are eight kinds of words:
noun
pronoun
adjective
verb
adverb
preposition
conjunction
interjection
n
n
adj
v
adv
pron
adv
interj
adj
adj
CONJ
adj
n
Every sentence should have:
• A noun or pronoun
• A verb
These parts of speech are
included in the noun system:
• Nouns
• Pronouns
• Adjectives
These parts of speech are
included in the verb system:
•
•
•
•
Action verbs
Linking verbs
Being verbs
Adverbs