Key Terms

helping verbs	verbs that work with the main verb to make up the complete verb in a sentence; also called auxiliary verbs. Ex.: The woman is working.



linking verbs	verbs that help describe a subject by connecting it to another word. Ex.: The man is handsome.



preposition	one of a group of words that precede a noun or pronoun and indicate direction, position, placement, duration, or another kind of connection to the other words in the sentence. Exs.: about, above, through, under, with.



prepositional phrase	a group of words that begins with a preposition. Ex.: in the house.



subject	who or what a sentence speaks about; usually a noun or pronoun that acts, is acted upon, or is described. Ex.: The boy cries.



verb	what the sentence says about the subject; a word that shows what a subject does or that helps describe the subject by linking it to an adjective.

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