Glossary
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns refer to a group of individuals (e.g., team, committee, family). They can take either a singular or plural verb depending on whether the group is acting as a single unit or as separate individuals.
Example:
The team is celebrating its victory (acting as a unit), but the team are arguing among themselves (acting as individuals), showing the dual nature of collective nouns.
Compound Subjects
Compound subjects consist of two or more subjects joined by a conjunction (like 'and,' 'or,' 'nor'). The verb form depends on the conjunction used and the proximity of the subjects.
Example:
Both the dog and the cat are sleeping (joined by 'and'), but neither the dog nor the cats are awake (joined by 'nor' and closest subject is plural), demonstrating rules for compound subjects.
Conditional Sentences
Conditional sentences express hypothetical situations and their consequences, typically using 'if' clauses. The tenses used in the 'if' clause and the main clause must align logically.
Example:
If I had studied harder, I would have passed the test, demonstrating a past unreal condition using a conditional sentence.
Future Perfect
The future perfect tense describes an action that will be completed before a specific time or another action in the future. It is formed with 'will have' or 'shall have' plus the past participle.
Example:
By midnight, I will have read the entire novel, an action that will be finished before a future deadline, expressed by the future perfect.
Future Progressive
The future progressive tense indicates an action that will be ongoing at a specific time in the future. It is formed with 'will be' or 'shall be' plus the present participle (-ing form).
Example:
This time next year, I will be attending college, an action that will be in progress in the future, expressed by the future progressive.
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific people, places, or things (e.g., everyone, nobody, several). They can be singular or plural and require verbs that agree with their number.
Example:
Everyone is invited to the party (singular), but many were unable to attend (plural), showing how indefinite pronouns dictate verb number.
Past Perfect
The past perfect tense indicates an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is formed with 'had' plus the past participle.
Example:
Before the storm hit, we had secured all the outdoor furniture, showing an action completed prior to another past event with the past perfect.
Past Progressive
The past progressive tense describes an action that was ongoing at a specific point in the past. It is formed with 'was' or 'were' plus the present participle (-ing form).
Example:
At 8 PM last night, I was studying for my SAT exam, an action that was in progress at a past time, using the past progressive.
Perfect Tenses
Perfect tenses connect a past action to a later point in time, often the present or another past action, emphasizing completion.
Example:
By the time you arrive, I will have completed my chores, showing how perfect tenses link actions across time.
Present Perfect
The present perfect tense describes actions that started in the past and continue to the present, or actions completed recently with a present result. It is formed with 'has' or 'have' plus the past participle.
Example:
She has studied for hours, so she feels confident about the exam, demonstrating a past action with a present impact using the present perfect.
Present Progressive
The present progressive tense indicates an action that is happening right now or an ongoing action. It is formed with 'is,' 'am,' or 'are' plus the present participle (-ing form).
Example:
The students are collaborating on a group project, an action currently underway, expressed by the present progressive.
Progressive Tenses
Progressive tenses (also called continuous tenses) show actions that are ongoing or 'in progress' at a specific time. They are formed with a form of 'to be' plus the present participle (-ing form).
Example:
While I was walking home, it started to rain, illustrating an action that was 'in progress' using a progressive tense.
Simple Future
The simple future tense indicates actions that will happen at some point in the future. It is formed using 'will' or 'shall' followed by the base form of the verb.
Example:
Next year, I will travel to Japan, an action planned for the simple future.
Simple Past
The simple past tense describes actions that were completed at a definite time in the past. Regular verbs add -ed, while irregular verbs have unique forms.
Example:
Last night, I finished my entire essay, a clear example of an action completed in the simple past.
Simple Present
The simple present tense is used for habitual actions, general truths, or current states. It uses the base form of the verb, adding -s/-es for third-person singular subjects.
Example:
The sun always rises in the east, illustrating a general truth expressed by the simple present.
Simple Tenses
Simple tenses describe actions that are habitual, general truths, or completed at a specific point in time.
Example:
The simple tenses are foundational for expressing basic actions, like 'She reads every night' or 'He ran a marathon.'
Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that states a verb must match its subject in number (singular or plural). Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.
Example:
The student reads (singular subject, singular verb) while the students read (plural subject, plural verb), illustrating correct subject-verb agreement.
Verb Tense Consistency
Verb tense consistency means maintaining the same verb tense for actions happening at the same time, or shifting tenses only when the time frame of actions changes logically.
Example:
To ensure verb tense consistency, if you start a story in the past, you should continue using past tense unless a new event clearly occurs at a different time.
Verb Tenses
Verb tenses indicate the time an action occurs, helping to clarify the sequence and duration of events in writing.
Example:
Understanding verb tenses helps you accurately describe whether an event happened yesterday, is happening now, or will happen tomorrow.