🔤 Grammar Guide: Glossary and Resources
Plain-language definitions of grammar terms used in this guide, plus related Garbl writing resources.
Introduction | Common Sentence Errors | Nouns | Pronouns | Verbs | Modifiers | Prepositions | Conjunctions | Glossary and Resources
Quick glossary of grammar terms
adjective—A word that describes a noun or pronoun.
adverb—A word that describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
clause—A group of words with a subject and verb. Some clauses can stand alone as complete sentences. Others depend on more words to complete the thought.
conjunction—A word that joins words, phrases, clauses, or sentence parts.
dependent clause—A clause that has a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought by itself.
helping verb—A verb that works with a main verb to show time, possibility, obligation, or condition.
linking verb—A verb that connects the subject to a description or identification, rather than showing action.
modifier—A word or word group that describes, limits, or adds meaning to another word or word group.
noun—A word that names a person, place, thing, idea, action, or condition.
object—A noun or pronoun that receives the action of a verb or completes the meaning of a preposition.
parallel structure—A matching sentence pattern that helps readers follow joined items, lists, comparisons, or repeated sentence parts.
phrase—A group of related words that does not express a complete thought by itself.
preposition—A word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word or idea in the sentence.
pronoun—A word that takes the place of a noun.
sentence—A group of words that expresses a complete thought.
subject—The person, place, thing, idea, action, or condition the sentence is about.
subjunctive—A verb form used for situations that are hypothetical or imagined rather than real.
verb—A word that tells what the subject does or what the subject is.
Related writing resources
For broader guidance on clear, consistent, and inclusive writing, see these related resources:
Garbl’s Editorial Style and Usage Guide, including punctuation.
Introduction | Common Sentence Errors | Nouns | Pronouns | Verbs | Modifiers | Prepositions | Conjunctions | Glossary and Resources