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Grammar glossary.

Quick answer: grammar words are just labels for things you already do when you speak. Every term below is defined in one plain sentence, with an example — no jargon explaining jargon. 30 terms, each linked to the guide that teaches it.

Adjective

A word that describes a noun: a red door, an honest answer.

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Adverb

A word that describes a verb, adjective or another adverb: she writes quickly.

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Article

a, an, the — the small words that mark a noun as general or specific.

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Auxiliary verb

A helper verb (be, do, have) used to build tenses, questions and negatives.

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CEFR

The scale used to describe language level: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2.

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Clause

A group of words with a subject and a verb. A sentence needs at least one.

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Collocation

Words that naturally go together: make a mistake, heavy rain.

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Comparative

The -er / more form used to compare two things: taller, more useful.

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Conditional

An if sentence describing a condition and its result.

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Conjunction

A joining word: and, but, because, although.

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Contraction

A shortened form with an apostrophe: don’t, I’m, she’s.

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Countable noun

A noun you can count: one book, two books. Takes a/an and a plural.

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Determiner

A word before a noun that identifies it: the, my, this, some.

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Gerund

The -ing form used as a noun: Reading is fun.

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Infinitive

The base form, usually with to: to read.

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Irregular verb

A verb whose past doesn’t end in -ed: go / went / gone.

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Modal verb

can, could, must, should, will, would — they add possibility, ability or obligation.

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Noun

A person, place, thing or idea: teacher, city, freedom.

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Participle

The verb form used after have or in the passive: written, eaten.

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Passive voice

The object becomes the subject: The letter was written by her.

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Phrasal verb

Verb + particle with a new meaning: give up, look after.

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Preposition

A word showing relationship in time or space: in, on, at, for.

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Pronoun

A word replacing a noun: he, it, they, which.

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Schwa

The weak, unstressed vowel sound /ə/ — the most common sound in English.

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Subject

Who or what does the verb: She writes.

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Superlative

The -est / most form for three or more: tallest.

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Syllable

A beat in a word: ta-ble has two.

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Tense

The form of the verb that places it in time — English has 12.

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Uncountable noun

A noun you can’t count: information, advice, water. No a, no plural.

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Word stress

The syllable said with more force: PHO-to-graph vs pho-TO-gra-pher.

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tip

Save any term you keep forgetting to your Terms tracker in the My Desk drawer — it will come back in Review until it sticks.