1. What a Verb Is, and What Verbs Aren't. English Grammar Lessons

[SafinaLalani]

You are my hero because you teach people how to use grammar well. My resume lists 'grammar' as an interest; I get asked about it by everyone who reads my resume. Thank you for these videos. I can't thank you enough.

[Roxika]

What is an easy definition to explain the difference between "Elements of a sentence and "parts of speech" ?

[mrthoth]

@Roxika That is hard to answer. It is a little like asking, "What definition will help you tell the difference between an atom and a body part?" Words are the building blocks of sentences. There are eight kinds of words--that is, each word belongs to one and only one of the eight parts of speech. These words can be arranged into an infinite number of sentences, and the sentences are made of chunks that consist of one or more words.

[yas1775]

You ara a very nice teacher & source for learning english. We always thanks you

[nicolebmoviesFTW2]

Oh, you're remaking some of your old vids? Awesome~ But I'd love some new ones, too. <3

[icwh4tud1dth3r3]

A swimming swimming swimmer swimming needs to swim off.

[Erniel1812l]

Thank you. I enjoy your helpful videos very much and am looking forward to more.

[MrDevin666]

I have another interesting question. What about linking and helping verbs, do they have any relation with what you said in this video?

[mrthoth]

@MrDevin666 The helping or auxiliary verbs (forms of be, have, and do) can be relevant to this discussion. For example, present participles (like "seeing" in the video) cannot act as verbs without a form of the auxiliary verb "be". (I mention that in the video.)  Past participles also require an auxiliary in order to act as verbs. Participles are what the helping verbs "have" and "be" help--the participles cannot function as verbs without them.

[MrDevin666]

@mrthoth You're a good-reliable source to look upon with any help, thus I thank you.

[MrDevin666]

Can you give me a good intuition of what grammar really is, because Wiki is to complicated and you seem to know what you're talking about very proficiently.

[mrthoth]

@MrDevin666 Language is made up of two things: vocabulary and grammar. The vocabulary is the list of words found in a dictionary. Grammar is the set of rules that tells you how to put those words together so that they make sense. The sentence "Breakfast me them gave" consists of perfectly good English words, but they are not arranged according to grammar, and so one doesn't know if it means "I gave them breakfast" or "They gave me breakfast."

[gyetger]

Why do you use Hungarian names? :)

[NCConservative]

Thank you so much for responding to my question. Your videos have been a tremendous help to me. Just a few short months ago, I had never heard of diagramming a sentence. I think I have watched each of your videos atleast once, some more often and I am really enjoying it.

[MansoorY]

So the bottom line is Subject verb agreement!? Glad to see you again sir

[mrthoth]

@MansoorY Thank you! Best wishes to you!

[NCConservative]

How would the following sentence be diagrammed? If you plan to use a large number of guide works, you may want to arrange the guide words in two columns to prevent the heading from taking too much space.

[mrthoth]

@NCConservative It's hard to answer without being able to draw a diagram. But on the base line you would place "you may want", and then a pedestal in the direct object position on which would sit the infinitive phrase "to arrange the guide words in two columns to prevent the heading from taking too much space." The subordinate clause "you plan to use a large number of guide works" would sit on its own baseline below the other one, connected to it with a dotted line on which would sit "if".

[mayanma]

@mrthoth Brilliant, Sir. Would there be a connecting line from ' may want' in the main clause, to 'you' in the subordinate clause (Of course 'If' would be on that connecting line).