Bear in mind that grammar is simply a set of
rules that attempt to explain the complexity of language. Grammar is not
perfect but what has been created adequately describes what has been while
addressing what will be; therefore, grammar is predictive.
The simplest, and most important, starting
points for the conquest of grammar to begin are with a couple of
straight-forward ideas:
From that point things can get complicated,
so the easiest way to proceed is with this statement:
Every sentence is composed of two main elements: sentence functions and parts of speech.
Sentence functions are what parts of speech
do. For instance, the sentence function of "subject" will always be
either a noun or noun substitute. If you’re confused, consider the lowly
screwdriver. Its name implies that it will drive screws but the odds that at
some time you have used a screwdriver to pry off the lid of a paint can;
therefore, you were using the screwdriver as a pry bar. So its name is
"screwdriver" but its function can be "prybar." Sometimes
there is a difference between what something is and what something does.
Later you will discover that parts of speech
other than nouns or noun substitutes can function as subjects.
A third major pointer is this:
Let's use this sentence as an example:
"Bill gave Susie flowers."
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Step One: find the verbs. Bill is not a verb. gave is a verb. Susie is not a verb. flowers is not a verb. |
Once the verbs are identified the next
question to ask is
"Is the verb an action or non-action
verb?"
"Gave" is an action verb, which
means that the sentence could have objects.
The next question to ask involves using the
verb by putting "Who or what" in front of the verb then asking a
question. So the question becomes
"Who or what gave?"
If you have an answer to that question then
the verb is functioning as a predicate.
The answer, of course, is "Bill
gave" so that means "gave" is functioning as a predicate and
Bill is its subject. Since Bill is the subject, then Bill must be a noun or
noun substitute. The same procedure can be used to determine the presence of
direct and indirect objects. Other questions and answers reveal the mysteries
of modifiers and connectors and so on. You can practice the beginnings of these
procedures in the Parts of Speech Worksheet.
Contrary to what many people believe, grammar
is very logical and only in a few areas does true vagueness exist. Most of the
rules that aggravate people deal with exceptions: "If this is true then
that must be false when means the other is the answer." Well, just because
it is logical doesn't mean it is simple. Fortunately, those kinds of statements
are few. Most exceptions are really straightforward if you understand what the
parts of speech and sentence functions are.