Terms (Definitions taken from Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, 9th ed.):

Colloquial. Of or relating to conversation: Conversational.

Etymology. The history of a linguistic form [word] shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found. . . .

Grammar. The study of the classes of words, their inflections, and their functions and relations in the sentence.

Idiom. An expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either grammatically. . . or in having a meaning that cannot be defined from conjoined meanings of its elements.

Inflection. The change of form that words undergo to mark such distinctions as those of case, gender, number, tense, person, mood, or voice.

Linguistics. The study of human speech including the units, nature structure, and modification of language.

Rhetoric. The art of speaking or writing effectively.

Semantics. The study of meanings [of words].

Syntax. The way in which words are put together to form phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Usage. The way in which words and phrases are actually (as in a particular form or sense) used in a language community.

Major Parts of the Sentence

  I. Words
    A. Function                        	B. Form

       1. Subjects                   	1. Nouns, Pronouns, Gerunds, Infinitives

       2. Predicates                  	2. Main verbs, Linking verbs

       3. Complements               	3. Nouns, Pronouns, Gerunds, Infinitives
           a. Direct Object
           b. Predicate Nominative
           c. Predicate Adjective

       4. Modifiers                     4. Adjectives, Adverbs, Infinitives, Participles

       5. Connectives                 	5. Conjunctions, Relative Pronouns, Prepositions

       6. Determiners                 	6. Articles

       7. Fillers                     	7. Expletives

 II. Properties of Word Forms
     A. Nouns and Pronouns
        1. Number:  Singular, Plural
        2. Gender:  Masculine, Feminine, Neuter
        3. Person:  First, Second, Third
        4. Case:    Nominative, Possessive, Accusative (Objective))

     B. Verbs
        1. Use
           a. Transitive:   The boy hit the ball.
           b. Intransitive: The boy laughed.
           c. Linking:      The boy is handsome.
        2. Mood
           a. Indicative:   Makes a statement or asks a question.
           b. Subjunctive:  States a wish, doubt, or something contrary to fact.
        3. Tense:           Present, Past, Future
        4. Voice
           a. Active:       The boy hit the ball.
           b. Passive:      The ball was hit by the boy.

     C. Adjectives and Adverbs
        1. Positives Degree:    Good
        2. Comparative Degree:  Better
        3. Superlative Degree:  Best

     D. Conjunctions
        1. Coordinate:   And, Or, Nor, But,  For, So, Yet
        2. Subordinate:  Although, Because, So,  After, Before ...

     E. Articles
        l. Definite:     The
        2. Indefinite:   A, An

     F. Expletives:      There, It

     G. Verbals
        1. Infinitives:   To run is fun.
        2. Gerunds:       Running is fun.
        3. Participles:   The running boy collapsed on the track.

III. Units of the Sentence
     A. Words

     B. Phrases: Prepositional, Noun, Adjective, Adverb, Gerund, Infinitive, Participle

     C. Clauses
        1. Independent: Complete sentences. "I could not stop."
        2. Dependent:   Subordinate.  "Because I could not stop..."

 IV. Types of Sentences
     A. According to Function
        1. Declarative:   Makes a statement.
        2. Imperative:    Issues a command.
        3. Interrogative: Asks a question.
        4. Exclamatory:   Expresses emotion.

     B. According to Form
        1. Simple:           	The boy hit the ball
        2. Compound:    	The boy hit the ball, and the second baseman caught it.
        3. Complex:        	The boy, who was wearing the green cap, hit the ball
        4. Comp/Cplx    	The boy, who was wearing the green cap hit the ball,
				and the second baseman caught it.

Common Grammatical Errors
  I. Sentence Fragment
     A. Having seen the game on television.
     B. Although he had done very little work that day.
     C. This better life, consisting of a new car, a bigger house, a better job, or, in other words, more money.
     D. Because to express one's own thoughts about today's society is treason.

 II. Comma Splice
     A. The streets were crowded with people, some were rushing to do their shopping, 	others were just standing around.
     B. God is the soul born in each of us, the task of finding Him and living His planned 	way is left to us.
     C. Columbus did not know for sure that the world was round, he just claimed it to be.


     D. Corrections:
        l.______________________; _________________________.
        2.______________________, and _______________________.
        3.______________________. Capital letter________________.

III. Fused Sentence
     A. People used to go by wagon to the fishing hole we made the six-mile trip by foot.
     B. Conformation is not the only difference there are others.
     C. Corrections:
        1._________________________; _______________________.
        2._________________________, and ___________________.
        3._________________________. Capital letter________________.
        4. Subordination.

 IV. Lack of Agreement
     A. Subject and Verb
        1. The unpredictable episodes which engulfs the sailors cannot be duplicated.
           Correction: engulf
        2. The scientist argue that the universe is expanding.
           Correction: argues
        3. My friend and his mother is going.
           Correction: are going
        4. Each of the men are likely to agree.
           Correction: is

     B. Pronoun and Antecedent
        1. Each one will do their share.
           Correction:  his share
        2. Every motel should have a swimming pool for their patrons.
           Correction:  its patrons
        3. For example, someone very interested in the Spanish language would have their 	major field in Spanish.
           Correction: his major field
        4. Americans look on the homosexual with fear, and one out of ten regards them 	with hatred.
           Correction: regards him with hatred.

  V. Garbled Sentences
     A. From these things she said she could see they certainly learn more from doing than 	just to read it from a book.
     B. These parents may provide a better environment, and a person's background can 	have quite an influence on his life.
     C. Capital punishment is not justified by taking another man's life.
     D. Living in a different type of place would take some time and effort for the person 	who lives on campus to develop good study habits in the new environment.

 VI. Faulty Parallelism
     A. This adjustment can be made up of scholastic motivation, study procedures, and 	taking the necessary action.
        Correction: . . . and the necessary action.
     B. There are several ways to control birth, such as compulsory sterilization, abortion, 	and contraceptives.
        Correction: contraception.

VII. Shifts in Person, Tense, Voice, or Mood
    A. One does not learn what life is all about until she goes to college.
        Correction: . . . one, goes to college.
     B. As he was walking down the street, the little boy found a dollar; he runs home and 	gives it to his mother.
        Correction: . . . He ran home and gave it to his mother.
     C. The first baseman threw the ball to the second baseman, and then the ball was 	thrown by the second baseman to the third baseman.
        Correction: . . . then the second baseman threw the ball.
     D. Remove the speaker from the box and then the speaker should be connected to the 	amplifier.
        Correction: . . . then connect the speaker to the amplifier.

VIII.Wrong Verb Form and Use of Subjunctive
     A. A week in one place is long enough to began to realize the trouble.
        Correction: to begin
     B. There we set, doing nothing.
        Correction: sat
     C. He use to own that old Ford.
        Correction: used
     D. After the meal he always comes by each table to see if the food and service was 	satisfactory.
        Correction: were satisfactory
     E. If this civilization was sick, man would not make his life meaningful by just sitting 	around.
        Correction:  were sick

 IX. Wrong pronoun case
     A. He drove faster than me.
        Correction:  faster than I
     B. She gave the dinner for mother and I.
        Correction:  mother and me
     C. To who did he talk?
        Correction:  To whom
     D. He imitates his schoolmates which are not smarter than he.
        Correction:  who are not smarter

  X. Dangling Modifier
     A. When only nine years old, my father took me to a ball game.
        Correction:  When I was only nine years old . . .
     B. Slamming on the brakes, the car skidded.
        Correction:  After he slammed on the brakes . . .
     C. By watching a game closely, enjoyment is increased.
        Correction:  By watching a game closely, a spectator may...
     D. After notifying the police, it was discovered that the object was a parachute which 	had landed on a tree by the barn.
        Correction:  ...the family discovered that...

 XI. A phrase or subordinate clause set off with a semicolon
     A. After inspecting the outside walls carefully; the worker called his supervisor.
        Correction:  carefully, the worker
     B. His principal reason is; that he is too lazy.
        Correction: reason is that

XII. Wrong Plural Form
     All freshman should report Tuesday.
     Correction:  freshmen

XIII.Simple Misspellings
     A. The driver was to tired to go on.
        Correction:  too tired
     B. The car lost it's muffler.
        Correction:  its
     C. Their are not many reasons for his leaving.
        Correction:  There