| active voice | mode of expression in which the subject performs the action expressed by the verb. Ex.: The boy threw the ball.
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| count nouns | words that name people, places, things, or ideas that can be counted and made into plurals, such as teacher, restroom, and joke.
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| definite article | the; a "noun marker" — a signal that a noun will follow.
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| gerund | -ing form of a verb used as a noun. Ex.: Smoking is not allowed.
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| Idiomatic | particular to a certain language.
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| indefinite article | a or an; a "noun marker" — a signal that a noun will follow.
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| noncount nouns | words that refer to things or ideas that cannot be counted, such as water, bravery, snow.
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| nonspecific nouns | words that refer to things or ideas whose specific identity the reader does not know; these nouns are introduced with the indefinite articlesa or an. Ex.: Today our cat brought a baby bird into the house.
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| passive voice | mode of expression in which the subject receives the action instead of performing it. Ex.: The ball was thrown by the boy.
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| proper nouns | words that name particular people, places, things, or ideas and are always capitalized.
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| qualifier | a word that expresses the quantity of a noncount noun. Ex.: "some water"
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| specific nouns | words that refer to things or ideas whose specific identity the reader does know; these nouns are introduced with the definite article the. Ex.: Today our cat brought a baby bird into the house.
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| transitive verbs | verbs that need direct objects to complete their meaning. Ex.: The boy threw the ball.
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