Grammar terminology can be a bit overwhelming when students first start learning a new language. Whether you are a grammar novice or just need a bit of refreshing your memory, we have put together the following short list to help you to understand some of the terms used in the language learning environment.

(1) NOUN

A word that refers to a person, thing, place, concept, event or idea.

New York is very cosmopolitan
Peter works hard

(2) PRONOUN

A word that can be used in place of a noun to avoid repetition.

Peter works in New York → He works in New York

(3) VERB

A word that expresses an action or state. All sentences must contain one.

New York is very cosmopolitan
Peter works in New York

(4) ADJECTIVE

A word that describes a noun. It can describe colour, size, shape, etc.

New York is very cosmopolitan

(5) ADVERB

A word that modifies or describes a verb.

The train travels quickly

(6) INFINITIVE

The verb when it is not conjugated. In English infinitives are accompanied by ‘to’ and this is the form you will find in the dictionary, rather than the conjugated verb.

To be or not to be

(5) ARTICLE

A word that goes with nouns.

There are two kinds:

(a) Definite articles refer to something specific or known.

New York is the city where Peter works

(b) Indefinite articles refer to something non-specific or unknown.

New York is a city in the United States

(6) PREPOSITION

A word used to link other words. It can mean different things like direction, location, time, etc. For example: in, on, at, for, by, between.

Peter works in New York