Grammar Basics

1. Grammar Basics Just as a building is made up of concrete, lumber, steel beams, and bricks put together in a certain way, languages are made up of different parts of speech combined into sentences. To be a real expert of buildings, you should be able to produce a construction diagram. To be a real expert in composing sentences, it helps if you can produce a diagram of a sentence.

2. Section IParts of Speech:The Building Materials of Sentence Construction

3. There are 8 parts of speech: VerbsAdverbs NounsPrepositions Pronouns Conjunctions AdjectivesInterjections

4. Verbs show action or state of being. Am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been are being verbs. The being verbs plus have, has, had, shall, will, should, would, may, might, must, can,and couldare helping verbs. All other verbs show action of some kind.

5. Texas Aggies are the keepers of many traditions. Texas A&M University has been in existence since 1876. The 12th Man stands throughout every football game.

6. Verbalsare forms of verbs used as other parts of speech. Gerunds are the “ing” form of verbs that are used as nouns. They • retain the qualities of verbs (having objects and tense) • take on the qualities of nouns (being used in places where nouns can be used). Goingto an Aggie football game is an exciting experience. (“Going” acts as the subject of this sentence.)

7. Participles are the “ing” and “ed” forms of verbs that are used as adjectives. They • retain the qualities of a verb (having objects and tense) • take on the qualities of an adjective (answering “which one,” “what kind of,” or “how many” about a noun) Supported by the 12th man, Texas Aggies participate in many sports. (“Supported” is the participle, answering which “Texas Aggies.” Now forming at the north end of Kyle Field, the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band will step off on “Hullabaloo.” (“Forming” is the participle, answering which FTAB.)

8. Infinitives are the “to + verb” form of verbs that are used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. They • retain the qualities of a verb (having objects and tense) • take on the qualities of • a noun (being used where nouns can be used) To get an Aggie ring is one of the most exciting experiences of a lifetime. (used as a noun subject of the sentence) • an adjective (answering “which one,” ”what kind of,” or “how many” about nouns) Requirements to get an Aggie ring are definite. (used as an adjective telling what kind of “requirements”) • an adverb (answering “how,” ”when,” “where,” “why,” or “how much” about verbs, adjectives, or adverbs) Waiting to get their Aggie ring is exciting for students with ninety-five hours. (used as an adverb telling why they are “waiting”)

9. Nouns name persons, places, things, and ideas. Nouns can be used as • subjects of sentences, • direct objects of sentences, • subjective complements of sentences, • appositives, • objects of prepositions, infinitives, participles, or gerunds.

10. Pronouns take the place of nouns and can be used in the same places as nouns. There are five types of pronouns: personal, relative, interrogative, indefinite,and demonstrative.

11. Personal pronouns Nominative case pronouns are used as subjects of sentences: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Objective case pronouns are used as direct objects, objects of prepositions, participles, gerunds or infinitives: me, you, him, her, it, us, them. Possessive case pronouns show possession: my, mine, your, yours, his, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs. Reflexive pronouns will never be subjects; they show action reflected back to the person named: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

12. Relative Pronouns are used to connect dependent clauses to independent clauses: who – nominative case whom – objective case whose – possessive case which and that – any case

13. Interrogative Pronouns ask questions: who – nominative case whom – objective case whose – possessive case which and what – any case.

14. Indefinite Pronouns do not refer to any specific person, place, thing, or idea. Many times they are used to denote a quality. Singular anybody, anything, anyone, each, either, everyone, everybody, everything, neither, nobody, no one, one, someone, something Plural all, both, few, most, none, some If none means “not one,” it is singular.

15. Demonstrative Pronouns act as adjectives and point out: this that these those (all any case). Think dis, dat, dese, and dose—demonstrative.

16. Adjectives describe nouns. They answer the questions “which one,” “what kind of,” and “how many.” Those three white 12th Man towels will be used in the picture.

17. Adverbs describe verb, adjectives, and other adverbs. They answer the questions “how,” “when,” “where,” “why,” and “how much.” Some people do not fully understand Aggie traditions. Early in its history, Texas A&M University enrolled only male students.

18. Prepositions will be adverbs if not followed by an object in a prepositional phrase. In the sky above (adverb), we saw an Apache helicopter flown by a Texas Aggie. In the sky above the stadium (preposition “above” followed by a noun object “stadium”), we saw an Apache helicopter flown by a Texas Aggie. Prepositional phrases show relationships and can be used as adjective and adverbs.

19. Remember “anything an Aggie can do at Kyle Field.” The Aggie can go over, under, around, through, beside, between, above, across, against, at, among, after, before, behind, beyond, by, down, into, from, in, near, off, to, past, through, toward, on, or up Kyle Field. About, during, for, except, throughout, until are also prepositions. Early in its history, Texas A&M University was a military school for male students.

20. Conjunctions connect things. There are two kinds of conjunctions: coordinating subordinating

21. Coordinating Conjunctions connect elements of equal value. Think A. B. Fonsy—and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet Rock andRockelle are traditions at TAMU. The yell leaders lead yells and tell stories at Midnight Yell. Strange but true, Texas A&M andthe University of Texas are rivals. Aggies excel on the athletic field and in the classroom. To be or not to be is the question.

22. Correlative conjunctions also connect things of equal value. either/or, neither/nor, both/and, or not only/but also EitherRudder Auditorium or Reed Arena will be the place where important events happen on the TAMU campus. NeitherReveille northe Yell Leaders miss important events on the TAMU campus. BothMuster and Midnight Yell are important events on the TAMU campus. MSC/OPAS not onlybrings outstanding performing arts programs to the campus but alsosponsors small group discussions about the arts.

23. Subordinating Conjunctions connect dependent (adverb) clauses to independent clauses. After, although, as, as if, as _____as, because, before, if, inorder that, since, so that, than, though, unless, until, when, whenever, wherever, while are all subordinating conjunctions. When you add any of these words to an independent clause, it becomes a dependent clause. “The Aggies win a football game.” (independent clause) becomes “After the Aggies win a football game,” (dependent clause), so you have to attach it to an independent clause to keep it from being a fragment. After the Aggies win a football game, there is a yell practice at Fish Pond.

24. Interjections express excitement. Wow! Geez! Hurray, I’m finished!

25. Sentences Instead of getting married again, I am going to find a woman I don’t like and just give her a house.—Rod Stewart Sometimes I think war is God’s way of teaching us geography.—Paul Rodriguez