A subordinate clause depends on a main clause for its meaning. Together with a main clause, a subordinate clause forms part of a complex sentence. Here are two examples of sentences containing subordinate clauses:Example: After we had had lunch, we went back to work. After we had had lunch, [subordinate Read more…
Modal auxiliary verbs express different shades of meaning; very often, they can be quite similar in how they are used, and it is sometimes unclear when it is appropriate to use one instead of another. Below, we’ll look at some comparisons between commonly confused modal verbs. Indicating the future – Read more…
Use of May Definition: The modal verb may is used to ask, grant, or describe permission; to politely offer to do something for someone; to express the possibility of something happening or occurring; or to express a wish or desire that something will be the case in the future. We Read more…
Definition: The modal auxiliary verb can is most often used to express a person or thing’s ability to do something. It is also used to express or ask for permission to do something, to describe the possibility that something can happen, and to issue requests and offers. Use of Can Read more…
Definition: The modal auxiliary verb could is most often used as a past-tense version of can, indicating what someone or something was able to do in the past; it can also be used instead of can as a more polite way of making a request or asking for permission. Could Read more…
Use of Must Definition: The modal verb must is most often used to express necessity—i.e., that something has to happen or be the case. We also use this sense of the word to indicate a strong intention to do something in the future, to emphasize something positive that we believe Read more…
Verbs are used to indicate the actions, processes, conditions, or states of beings of people or things. Verbs play an integral role to the structure of a sentence. They constitute the root of the predicate, which, along with the subject, forms a full clause or sentence—we cannot have a sentence Read more…
The pronouns frequently pose problems for both speakers and writers. Yet using the proper pronoun is essential to avoid both confusion and miscommunication. In this article, we’ll settle some disagreements, find the right persons, clear up some vague references, and solve some puzzling cases. By the end, you’ll be able Read more…
Pronouns are words that are used in place of nouns in a sentence. The noun being replaced is known as the antecedent of the pronoun. We commonly use pronouns in speech and writing to avoid sounding unnatural and repetitive by reusing the same noun in a sentence multiple times. Take, Read more…
Nominalization refers to the creation of a noun from verbs or adjectives. Most of the time, nouns are created from other parts of speech through the use of suffixes. In other cases, the word remains the same but is simply used a different way; this is known as conversion or Read more…