oxford_guide_to_english_grammar

PAGE 401
GLOSSARY
pair noun a plural noun like jeans, pyjamas, glasses • 155
participle See active participle, past participle, passive participle.
participle clause a clause with a participle as its verb, e.g. Arriving home, I found
a parcel on the doorstep. We saw a ship launched by the Queen.
passive The sentence Someone stole my coat is active, but My coat was stolen is
passive. A passive verb has be and a passive participle: was stolen. • 103
passive gerund e.g. No one likes being made to look foolish.
passive infinitive e.g. to be done, to be expected
passive participle the form of a verb used after be in the passive, e.g. The room
was cleaned, and used before a noun, e.g. We don't eat frozen food.
past continuous a form with the past of be and an active participle: It was raining
at the time. • 66
past participle the form of a verb used after have in the perfect, e.g. They have
arrived. How long has he known?
past perfect a form with had and a past participle, e.g. / had answered the letter
the week before. • 68
past perfect continuous a form with had been and an active participle: I saw that
it had been raining. • 68
past simple the past tense without an auxiliary, e.g. it stopped, they left • 65
perfect a verb form with have and a past participle, e.g. The film has started.
• 61(3)
perfect gerund e.g. He denied having taken the money.
perfect infinitive e.g. to have done, to have waited
perfect participle e.g. Having paid the bill, we left.
performative verb When we say I agree to express agreement, we are using a
performative verb, one which expresses the action it performs. Others are
promise, apologize, suggest, refuse. • 16(3)
person First person relates to the speaker (7, we). Second person relates to the
person spoken to (you). Third person relates to other people and things (he, she,
it, they).
personal pronoun e.g. /, you, he, we • 184
phrasal verb a verb + adverb combination, e.g. get up, look out, turn off
phrase a word or group of words that is part of a clause, e.g. your friend (a noun
phrase), was asking (a verb phrase) • 4
plural A plural form means more than one. Tree is singular; trees is plural.
positive I'm ready is positive; I'm not ready is negative.
possessive a form expressing the idea of something belonging to someone, or a
similar relationship, e.g. my chair, theirs, whose sister, Diana's job
possessive determiner my, your, his, our etc • 174
possessive pronoun mine, yours, his, ours etc • 174
predicative the position of an adjective after a linking verb such as be, e.g. The day
was cold.
prefix Minibus has the prefix mini. Unhappy has the prefix un. • 284
preposition a word like on, by, to, with • 223
prepositional object In the sentence We sat on the floor, the noun phrase the floor
is a prepositional object, the object of the preposition on.
prepositional phrase a preposition + noun phrase, e.g. on my way, in the garden,
to you, or a preposition + adverb, e.g. before then.
prepositional verb a verb + preposition combination, e.g. look at, pay for,
believe in
present continuous a form with the present of be and an active participle, e.g. we
are waiting • 64