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forward, forwards
Forward is an adverb, an adjective, a verb and a noun. Please step forward when your name is called. [adverb] Without reverse gear, we are limited to a forward motion. [adjective] I will forward that email immediately. [verb] In hockey, soccer and football a forward plays on the front line. [noun] Forwards is a variant form of the adverb and is becoming rare. She rocked gently backwards and forwards (or backward and forward).Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 10,818
The parts of speech: Introduction
Traditional grammar classifies words based on eight parts of speech: the verb, the noun, the pronoun, the adjective, the adverb, the preposition, the conjunction and the interjection. Each part of speech explains not what the word is, but how the word is used. In fact, the same word can be a noun in one sentence and a verb or adjective in another. The next examples show how the part of speech of a word can change from one sentence to the next. Following these examples is a series of sections on the individual parts of speech and an exercise. Example Explanation Books are made of ink, paper and glue. In this sentence, books is a noun, the subject of the sentence. Joe waits patiently while Bridget books the tickets. Here books is a verb and its subject is Bridget. We walk down the street. In this sentence, walk is a verb and its subject is the pronoun we. The letter carrier stood on the walk. In this example, walk is a noun that is part of a prepositional phrase describing where the letter carrier stood. The town council decided to build a new jail. Here jail is a noun, which is the object of the infinitive phrase to build. The police officer told us that if we did not leave immediately he would jail us. Here jail is part of the compound verb would jail. The parents heard high-pitched cries in the middle of the night. In this sentence, cries is a noun acting as the direct object of the verb heard. Their colicky baby cries all night long and all day long. Here cries is a verb that describes the actions of the subject of the sentence, i.e. the baby. The next sections explain each of the parts of speech in detail. When you have finished looking at them, you might want to test yourself by trying the exercise. The details Verb - Next Page Noun Pronoun Adjective Adverb Preposition Conjunction Interjection Review exercise: Parts of speechSource: HyperGrammar 2 (basics of English grammar)
Number of views: 7,179
Review exercise: Parts of speech
Identify the part of speech of the highlighted word in each of the following sentences.1. The clown chased a dog around the ring and then fell flat on her face. verb noun pronoun adjective adverb preposition conjunction interjection 2. The geese indolently waddled across the intersection. verb noun pronoun adjective adverb preposition conjunction interjection 3. Yikes! I’m late for work. verb noun pronoun adjective adverb preposition conjunction…Source: HyperGrammar 2 (basics of English grammar)
Number of views: 6,877
infinitive, infinitive phrase
An infinitive is a type of verbal—a verb form that looks like a verb but does not act as the verb in a sentence. An infinitive is the basic form of a verb, usually with to in front of it: to go, to stay, to be. Infinitives act as nouns, adjectives or adverbs: Larissa wants to leave. [noun, object of verb wants] I can show you the way to go. [adjective modifying noun way] To exit, please turn to your left. [adverb modifying verb turn] An infinitive phrase is an infinitive with attached words. Because an infinitive is formed from a verb, it retains some of the properties of a verb, so it can take an object: Larissa wants to leave the concert. [infinitive to leave + object the concert] Like a verb, an infinitive can also be modified by an adverb or a prepositional phrase: To exit quickly, please turn to your left. [infinitive to exit + adverb quickly] I can show you the way to reach the exit from here. [infinitive to reach + object the exit + prepositional phrase from here] In the above examples, to leave the concert, to exit quickly and to reach the exit from here are all infinitive phrases. Infinitive phrases may have their own subjects. The subject of an infinitive phrase is in the object form: Yuri helped him to count the money. Alison allowed me to drive her Porsche. Sometimes the word to is left out: Yuri helped him count the money. Alison let me drive her Porsche. An infinitive without to is called a bare infinitive. Other infinitive forms We can change the form of the infinitive to show different times: An avid skier, Roberta appeared to be praying for snow. [Ongoing action at the same time: She was praying when the speaker saw her.] Marty seems to have forgotten his wallet. [Completed action at an earlier time: He forgot it before this comment was made.] The tenant is thought to have been cooking at the time of the fire. [Ongoing action at an earlier time: The tenant was in the process of cooking when the fire broke out, as the investigators now believe.] Infinitives can also be used in the passive voice: The roof needs to be repaired as soon as possible. This man claims to have been abducted by aliens.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 2,157