Indirect objects are always optional in English. When they do appear, they always appear alongside a direct object, so they are only used with transitive verbs. Transitive verbs that frequently use an indirect object are called ditransitive verbs (e.g., “sell,” “bring,” “take,” “send, “show”).
When used as an interrogative to form a question, “what” refers to an (essentially) unlimited set of options, while “which” refers to a narrower or limited set. For example:
The choice of “what” or “which” often depends on the context of the sentence.
An independent clause has a subject and a verb and can stand on its own as a complete sentence (e.g., “Puppies are playful”).
A dependent clause must be joined with an independent clause because it does not express a complete thought (e.g., “Puppies are playful because they have a lot of energy”).
Dependent clauses are marked by the use of subordinating conjunctions (e.g., “because,” “although,” “while”) or relative pronouns (e.g., “that,” “which,” “who”).
In a compound predicate, two (or more) verbs share one subject (e.g., “Tan sings and dances very well”).
A compound sentence has two (or more) separate subjects that act on two (or more) separate verbs (e.g., “Tan sings, and Lina dances”).
The word down can function as a noun, with meanings including “small, soft feathers” and “a chance to advance the ball” in gridiron football. For example:
Not sure what part of speech “down” is in a sentence? Ask Quillbot’s free AI Chat to help you identify it.
Both restrictive clauses and nonrestrictive clauses are types of relative clauses (or adjective clauses), which act as adjectives in sentences to describe nouns or pronouns.
Nonrestrictive clauses are set off from the rest of the sentence by commas. Restrictive clauses should not be set off by commas.
