English grammar explained in plain language simple enough to be understood.
A participle is a verbal – a word that looks like a verb but acts as an adjective. Participles modify nouns. A participle with modifiers makes up a participial phrase. Look at this sentence with a participial phrase:Knowing it would… Read more312. Participial Phrases
Prepositional phrases can modify a verb. Sometimes, the preposition tells how something is done. The man walked with a limp. The phrase with a limp tells how he walked. Bob arrived on the bus. The phrase on the bus tells… Read more483. Prepositions Tell How or When Something is Done
The word to along with a verb makes an infinitive. Here are some infinitives: to bake, to cook, to read, to open, to plan, to help, to drawAn infinitive is a verbal: it looks like a verb but acts as… Read more313. An Infinitive is a Verbal
A prepositional phrase can show the direction in which a subject is moving.The boy walked towards the lake.The airplane flew into the airport.The truck drove through the tunnel. A prepositional phrase can also show the location of an object or… Read more484. Prepositional Phrases Show Direction and Location
We sometimes confuse an infinitive with a prepositional phrase because they both use the word to. An infinitive uses the word to with a verb. I want to walk. I need to hear your story. The word to can also… Read more314. Difference Between Infinitive and Preposition
Section A: Find the prepositional phrase in each sentence. 1. Dad hung his coat in the closet.2. I saw squirrel sitting on my car.3. The box under the stairs needs to go outside.4. Drop those newspapers into the bin.5. Mary… Read more485. Practice With Prepositions
Section A: Find the participle in each sentence. A participle looks like a verb but acts like a describing word.1. The doctor put a cast on my broken arm.2. I heard a singing bird this morning.3. The opening door made… Read more315. Practice with Participles and Infinitives
The adverb is a word that modifies a verb. An adverb tells more about how the action occurs. Adverbs often end in -ly. Here are some adverbs: slowly, quickly, loudly, quietly, sadly, happily, angrily, kindly, gently, roughly, gracefully Notice that… Read more316. Adverbs Modify Verbs
Adverbs modify verbs. Adverbs are often recognized by their -ly ending, but not all adverbs end in -ly. Adverbs can tell where something is happening: farther, closer, nearer, below, between, above, behindThe dog moved closer. We sat on the porch… Read more317. Adverbs Without -ly
We use an apostrophe (‘) to show that a noun owns something. We call it “having possession.” Bob owns a car. The car is Bob’s car. We attach an apostrophe to the noun Bob to show his ownership of the… Read more488. Common Mistakes: Possessive Nouns