A gerund is a word that contains the idea of a verb but functions in a sentence as a noun. The words “escaping,” “coughing,” “being,” and “laughing” are all in the form…
Language Notes
Grammar glossary: indirect object
When one object follows directly after another in a clause, as in the statement “I showed him (1) my collection (2),” the first is the indirect object (“him”) and the second is the direct object (“my…
Grammar glossary: direct object
The direct object is an element in a sentence that provides information that completes the idea introduced by certain verbs. We can say that it receives the action of the verb or…
Grammar glossary: clause
Clauses are the large building blocks of sentences. An individual clause is a group of words that contains, at least, a subject and a verb that operate together (e.g., “she knows,” “he left”). …
Word Parts IV: Basic prefixes
A prefix is a word part that attaches to the front of a root or to an existing word to create a new word. The prefix “micro,” for example, attached before the…