Understanding English Grammar: Nouns, Verbs, Sentences

Nouns

Nouns: A noun is a thing, a feeling, or the name of a person or place (a naming word).
Proper Nouns: A proper noun is a name of a place or person and needs a capital letter. Examples: Paris, Jason, Farnley Lane.
Concrete Nouns: A concrete noun is a thing that you can touch. Examples: brick, cup, river, letter, brain.
Abstract Nouns: An abstract noun is a thing that exists, but you cannot touch it. Examples: love, hate, thought, philosophy.
Singular and Plural: Singular means just one thing or person. Examples: table, place, feeling. Plural means two or more things or people. Examples: tables, places, feelings.
Gender: In foreign languages, nouns are divided into feminine, masculine, or neuter. We do have some nouns that are marked by gender in English. Examples: poet (male), poetess (female); fiancé (male), fiancée (female).

Verbs: Verbs express an action or a state (a doing word). To test if a word is a verb, put ‘I’ with it.
Modal Verbs: The modal verbs are can (could), may (might), must, shall (should), will, and (would). They express the likelihood of something taking place. Examples: I could win the prize; He might pop around tonight.
The Infinitive: This is the form of a verb found in a dictionary and is usually expressed as ‘to’ + verb. Examples: to run, to swim, to think.
The Imperative: This is when the verb is used as a command. Examples: Look! Sit! Stop! Behave!
Tense: We use verbs to help us say when something happens. Tense means past, present, and future.
Dynamic Verbs: A dynamic verb expresses an action, which can be physical or mental. Examples: to cough, to jump, to think, to see.
Stative Verbs: A stative verb expresses a state of being or a process. Examples: to remember, to believe, to realize, to be.

Prepositions: A preposition is a small word that tells you where something is.
Interjections: An interjection is a sound that has meaning but is not a recognized word.
Conjunctions: A conjunction is a word that you use to join simple sentences together or to join clauses of sentences together. Examples: and, but, because, although, despite.
Connectives: A connective is a word or a phrase that is used to link sentences, paragraphs, or arguments. Examples: however, therefore, also, in addition to, as a result of.

Simple Sentences: A simple sentence contains one clause and has a verb and a subject. Example: David shouts.
Compound Sentences: A compound sentence is made up of two or more simple sentences joined together by the conjunctions and, but, so, or then. Each part of the sentence makes sense on its own, and each is of equal importance. Example: David shouts, and he doesn’t listen.
Complex Sentences: A complex sentence is made up of one independent main clause and one or more subordinate clauses. Example: Although it was raining, Elizabeth wore shorts.
Independent Main Clause: An independent main clause is the part of a complex sentence that makes sense on its own. Example: Elizabeth wore shorts.
Subordinate Clause: A subordinate clause is a part of a complex sentence that does not make sense on its own. It needs the independent main clause to make sense. Example: Although it was raining.