Grammar Fundamentals — Parts of Speech & Determiners - Cheat sheet
Your last-minute revision companion for mastering the building blocks of English grammar
Nouns
Important facts
- Proper nouns always start with capital letters
- Mass nouns don't take 'a/an' and don't have plural forms
- Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on context
- Gerunds (-ing words used as nouns) are verbal nouns
- Compound nouns can be written as one word, hyphenated, or separate words
Key definitions
Noun
Example
dog, happiness, Manila, Jose Rizal
A word that names a person, place, thing, animal, or concept
Common Noun
Example
city, teacher, book
General name for any person, place, or thing
Proper Noun
Example
Philippines, Christmas, Rizal Park
Specific name of a person, place, or thing (always capitalized)
Abstract Noun
Example
love, freedom, courage
Names ideas, qualities, or emotions that cannot be seen or touched
Concrete Noun
Example
table, music, flower
Names things that can be perceived through the five senses
Count Noun
Example
book/books, child/children
Can be counted and has singular/plural forms
Mass Noun
Example
water, rice, information
Cannot be counted individually (uncountable)
Collective Noun
Example
team, family, class
Names a group of people or things as one unit
Diagrams to know
- Noun classification tree (common/proper, concrete/abstract, count/mass)
Pronouns
Important facts
- Subject pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
- Object pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
- Use 'who' for subjects, 'whom' for objects
- Its = possessive, It's = it is
- Never use 'myself' as a subject (Wrong: Myself and John went)
Key definitions
Personal Pronouns
Example
She loves reading books
Replace specific people or things (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)
Possessive Pronouns
Example
This book is mine
Show ownership (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs)
Reflexive Pronouns
Example
I taught myself to cook
End in -self/-selves, refer back to subject
Demonstrative Pronouns
Example
This is my favorite song
Point to specific things (this, that, these, those)
Interrogative Pronouns
Example
Who is coming to the party?
Used to ask questions (who, whom, whose, which, what)
Relative Pronouns
Example
The student who studies hard succeeds
Connect clauses (who, whom, whose, which, that)
Diagrams to know
- Pronoun case chart (subjective, objective, possessive)
Verbs
Important facts
- Main linking verbs: be, seem, appear, become, feel, look, sound, taste
- Modal verbs are followed by base form (infinitive without 'to')
- Perfect tenses use 'have/has/had + past participle'
- Progressive tenses use 'be + present participle (-ing)'
- Passive voice: be + past participle
Key definitions
Action Verb
Example
run, write, think
Shows what the subject does
Linking Verb
Example
am, is, are, seem, become
Connects subject to information about it
Auxiliary Verb
Example
She has finished her homework
Helps main verb (have, be, do)
Modal Verb
Example
can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would
Shows possibility, necessity, or ability
Transitive Verb
Example
She reads books (books = direct object)
Requires a direct object
Intransitive Verb
Example
The baby sleeps
Does not require a direct object
Diagrams to know
- Verb tense timeline
- Active vs passive voice transformation
Adjectives
Important facts
- Order: Opinion-Size-Age-Shape-Color-Origin-Material-Purpose
- One-syllable adjectives: add -er/-est (tall, taller, tallest)
- Two+ syllables: use more/most (beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful)
- Irregular comparatives: good/better/best, bad/worse/worst
- Use 'a' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds
Key definitions
Descriptive Adjective
Example
beautiful, tall, intelligent
Describes qualities or characteristics
Demonstrative Adjective
Example
This book is interesting
Points out specific nouns (this, that, these, those)
Possessive Adjective
Example
Her car is red
Shows ownership (my, your, his, her, its, our, their)
Interrogative Adjective
Example
Which movie do you prefer?
Used in questions (which, what, whose)
Comparative Adjective
Example
taller, more beautiful
Compares two things (add -er or use 'more')
Superlative Adjective
Example
tallest, most beautiful
Compares three or more things (add -est or use 'most')
Diagrams to know
- Adjective order diagram
- Comparison forms chart
Adverbs
Important facts
- Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to adjectives
- Frequency adverbs usually go before main verbs but after 'be'
- Good (adjective) vs Well (adverb)
- Position: Manner-Place-Time (She sang beautifully there yesterday)
- Some adverbs have irregular comparative forms (well/better/best)
Key definitions
Adverb of Manner
Example
quickly, carefully, loudly
Shows how something is done (usually ends in -ly)
Adverb of Time
Example
yesterday, now, soon, always
Shows when something happens
Adverb of Place
Example
here, there, everywhere, outside
Shows where something happens
Adverb of Frequency
Example
always, usually, sometimes, never
Shows how often something happens
Adverb of Degree
Example
very, quite, extremely, rather
Shows extent or intensity
Diagrams to know
- Adverb position in sentences
- Types of adverbs classification
Prepositions
Important facts
- Time: at (specific times), on (days/dates), in (months/years/periods)
- Place: at (specific points), on (surfaces), in (enclosed spaces)
- Common mistakes: different from (not than), good at (not in)
- Phrasal verbs change meaning: look up, look after, look into
- Never end sentences with prepositions in formal writing
Key definitions
Preposition of Time
Example
at 3 o'clock, on Monday, in December
Shows when something happens
Preposition of Place
Example
at school, on the table, in the room
Shows where something is or happens
Preposition of Movement
Example
to Manila, from Cebu, through the door
Shows direction or movement
Diagrams to know
- Time prepositions usage chart
- Place prepositions visual guide
Conjunctions
Important facts
- FANBOYS need commas when joining independent clauses
- Common subordinating: because, since, although, while, if, when
- Correlative conjunctions must be parallel in structure
- Starting sentences with 'and' or 'but' is acceptable in modern usage
- Use semicolon before conjunctive adverbs (however, therefore, moreover)
Key definitions
Coordinating Conjunctions
Example
I studied hard, but I still failed
Join equal elements (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
Subordinating Conjunctions
Example
Because it rained, we stayed inside
Join dependent clauses to independent clauses
Correlative Conjunctions
Example
both...and, either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also
Work in pairs to join equal elements
Diagrams to know
- FANBOYS memory device
- Sentence combining patterns
Interjections
Important facts
- Usually followed by exclamation points
- Can stand alone or be part of a sentence
- Express emotions like surprise, joy, pain, anger
- More common in informal speech than writing
- Examples: Ah, Eh, Hmm, Ouch, Phew, Ugh, Yay
Key definitions
Interjection
Example
Oh! Wow! Alas! Hurray! Oops!
Words or phrases that express sudden emotion
Determiners
Important facts
- 'A' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds
- 'The' = definite article (specific), 'a/an' = indefinite (general)
- Much/little with uncountable, many/few with countable nouns
- Some/any: some in positive, any in negative/questions
- Can't use multiple articles together (*the my book)
Key definitions
Articles
Example
a book, an apple, the student
The most common determiners (a, an, the)
Demonstratives
Example
this pen, those books
Point out specific nouns (this, that, these, those)
Possessives
Example
my homework, their house
Show ownership (my, your, his, her, its, our, their)
Quantifiers
Example
some water, many students, few problems
Express quantity (some, many, few, several, all, most)
Diagrams to know
- Article usage decision tree
- Quantifiers with countable vs uncountable nouns
Must remember
- Proper nouns are always capitalized; common nouns are not
- Use 'a' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds
- Subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) vs object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them)
- Its = possessive; it's = it is (contraction)
- Good is an adjective; well is an adverb
- FANBOYS coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
- Much/little with uncountable nouns; many/few with countable nouns
- Adjective order: Opinion-Size-Age-Shape-Color-Origin-Material-Purpose
- Modal verbs are followed by base form (without 'to')
- Time prepositions: at (specific time), on (days), in (months/years)
Last minute tips
- If unsure between adjective/adverb, check what word it modifies - nouns need adjectives, verbs need adverbs
- For pronoun case, remove other people from the sentence: 'Me and John went' becomes 'Me went' - clearly wrong!
- Remember 'who' does the action (subject), 'whom' receives the action (object)
- Articles: if you can count it and it's general, use 'a/an'; if it's specific, use 'the'
- For prepositions of time: think smaller to larger - at a point, on a surface, in a space
Comparison tables
Count vs Mass Nouns
| Feature | Count Nouns | Mass Nouns |
|---|---|---|
| Can be counted | Yes | No |
| Has plural form | Yes | No |
| Uses a/an | Yes | No |
| Uses many/few | Yes | No |
| Uses much/little | No | Yes |
| Examples | books, chairs, students | water, advice, information |
Personal Pronoun Cases
| Person | Subjective | Objective | Possessive Adjective | Possessive Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Singular | I | me | my | mine |
| 2nd Singular | you | you | your | yours |
| 3rd Singular | he/she/it | him/her/it | his/her/its | his/hers/its |
| 1st Plural | we | us | our | ours |
| 2nd Plural | you | you | your | yours |
| 3rd Plural | they | them | their | theirs |
Adjective vs Adverb
| Aspect | Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|---|
| Modifies | Nouns and pronouns | Verbs, adjectives, other adverbs |
| Answers | What kind? Which one? How many? | How? When? Where? How much? |
| Formation | Basic form | Usually adjective + -ly |
| Position | Before noun or after linking verb | Various positions in sentence |
| Example | She is quick | She runs quickly |
Diagrams
Parts of Speech Overview
Complete overview of all parts of speech and their subcategories
Article Usage Decision Tree
Step-by-step guide for choosing the correct article
Pronoun Case Selection
Flowchart for selecting the correct pronoun case