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Exclusion or contrast: He is a brilliant but arrogant man.

They offered a promising plan, but it had not yet been tested.

Alternative: She can wait here or go on ahead.

Cause: The report is useless, for its information is no longer current.

Result: His diction is excellent, so every word is clear.

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are used in groups of two to connect choices or elements of the same grammatical type:

Both Rita and Jane attended the conference.

Either you go or you stay.

He had neither looks nor wit.

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions are used to connect a subordinate clause to an independent clause. These conjunctions express cause, condition or concession, manner, intention or result, time, place, or circumstance, as well as a possibility.

Cause: Because she learns quickly, she is doing well in her new job.

Condition or concession: Don't call unless you are coming.

Manner: We'll do it however you tell us.

Intention or result: They burned all the bridges so that the enemy could not use them.

Time: She kept the meeting to a minimum when she could.

Place: Wherever he goes, he is welcomed with open arms.

THE NOUN

Basic Uses

The noun may be a single word or a phrase (noun phrase). The noun phrase may consist of an article and/or adjectives and/or prepositional phrases. The noun can function as subject of a sentence, object of a verb, object of a preposition, predicate nominative, complement of an object, in apposition, and in direct discourse:

Subject: The office was quiet.

The house with green shutters was for sale.

Direct object of a verb: He locked the office.

Indirect object of a verb: He gave his client the papers.

Object of a preposition: The business was in bankruptcy.

The file is in the office.

Predicate nominative: Ms. Adams is the managing partner.

Complement of an object: They made Ms. Adams managing partner.

In apposition: Ms. Adams, the managing partner, wrote that memo.

In direct discourse: Ms. Adams, may I present Mr. Wilson.

Nouns are often classified as to whether they are proper nouns (Eiffel Tower, White House), common nouns (tower, house), abstract nouns (honor, love), concrete nouns (desk, flower), or collective nouns (team, government). American English typically uses a singular verb with a collective noun (the team is), while British English typical uses a plural verb (the government are).

Most nouns are neuter, showing no distinction as to whether having a masculine or feminine reference. However, a few nouns ending in -ess (as empress, hostess) are feminine in gender, and some others have a specific gender. For example: husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister. The names of certain animals also have a specific gender, for example, bull/cow, stag/doe. When it is necessary to specify the gender of a neuter noun, the noun is usually modified with words like male, female, man, woman (a male parrot, women painters).

The Noun As Adjective

The noun has the function of an adjective when it precedes another noun:

olive oil

business management

emergency room

dog house

The Formation of the Plural

The plural of nouns is formed by adding the suffix -s to the singular noun:

book → books

cat → cats

When the singular noun ends in -s, -x, -z, -ch, or -sh, the suffix -es is added to the singular:

cross → crosses

fox → foxes

witch → witches

wish → wishes

For a singular noun ending in -z, the last letter is doubled before adding the suffix -es:

buzz → buzzes

quiz → quizzes

For a singular noun ending in -y preceded by a consonant, the -y changes to -i and the suffix -es is added:

fairy → fairies

pony → ponies

guppy → guppies

For a singular noun ending in -y preceded by a vowel, the -y usually does not change when the suffix -s is added:

boy → boys

attorney → attorneys

Some words that end in -uy sometimes change the -y to -i:

guy → guys

soliloquy → soliloquies

There are a few nouns that do not always change in the plural:

fish