(PG = Prescriptive Grammar  —  DG = Descriptive Grammar)

(GL = Grammatical Lingo  —  OB = Obtuse  —  NG = Not Grammatical)

• G, g  —  [PG]  The Letter “G” Is The Seventh Letter Of The English Alphabet.  It Is Also The Fifth Consonant In The English Alphabet.

• Gerund  —  [PG]  The Term Gerund is used to refer to the form of a Verb or Verb-Phrase which is acting as a Subject or Object in a Sentence — not as the Main Verb.  Therefore — even though the Word itself is classified as a Verb — in the Sentence, it is functioning as a Noun.  What makes it a Gerund — specifically — is that it has the “-ing” Suffix (but does not represent “the action of the Sentence“).

Example:  “I enjoy explaining Grammar to people in a way that actually makes sense — rather than simply copying text-books which are often worded so poorly that they are actually wrong.”

In that Sentence — the Word “enjoy” is the Main Verb in the Sentence, and the Word “explaining” is the Gerund.  Despite what almost all text-books say — a Gerund is NOT a Verb-form.  It is a Verb that is acting as a Subject or Object, and therefore — is functioning as, and therefore transformed into a Noun.

• Glossary  —  [NG]  The Term “Glossary” is not a Grammatical Term.  But since what you are reading is an entry in the GiveMeSomeEnglish!!! Grammatical Glossary — then it makes sense that I should have a definition for the Word “Glossary”…  In case you did not already know this Word.

The Word “Glossary” is used to refer to a list of Words, Names, “Phrasals”, Phrases, & Terms that are in-reference to a particular category, genre, or specific piece of work.

• Glottal Stop  —  [DG]  The Term “Glottal Stop” is used to refer to a certain type of Stopped Consonant Sound, which is stopped, not at the opening of the mouth, but in the throat or “Glottis”.

A very common example of this in American English is with the Word “Didn’t”.  Many people — especially young people — do not actually pronounce the second “d”.  Instead, it sounds like it gets stuck in the throat.  “Di’n’…”  (The last Letter “T” is usually also Stopped.)

Another example of this in British English (in certain British Dialects) is The “tt” Combination in many Words.  Many people (for example:  Russel Brand) — instead of saying “Letter”, he would say “Le’uh” — (“uh” because the “e” is pronounced as a U-Schwa, and because the British people seem to have a problem with pronouncing The Letter R when it is at the end of a Word.)

• Grammar  —  [DG]  The Term “Grammar” comes from the French Word “Grimoire”.  In it’s English form, it is used to refer to the system that constructs, regulates, and informs the Meaning & Usage of a the Language.

Unfortunately — Traditional English Grammar is not a concise system.  Therefore I have created The Grammar Of The Common Tongue.  This glossary is part of it.

• Grammatical  —  [DG] The Term “Grammatical” — alone — is not a Grammatical Term.  Is is an Adjective which simply means:  “Referring-to, Related-to, or Of Grammar“.

• Grammatical Classification  —  [DG] The Term “Grammatical Classification” simply refers to the “Classification” of the Grammatical Terms — according to their appropriate groups.

In Traditional Grammar — one of the biggest problems is OVER-Classification.  There are Terms for certain classifications for things which do not help the learner of English to actually learn or communicate in English — but instead, only serve to con-fuse.

Such As:  Quantifiers, Modifiers, Affixes, Adjuncts, Adverbials — and on, and on, and on.  None of those Terms are needed in any way.  These useless classifications are what we call “Grammatical Dross”…  They are waste products to be “skimmed-off” and removed.

In The Grammar Of The Common Tongue — The Grammatical Classifications are as follows:  Grammatical Element, Grammatical Unit, Grammatical Device, Grammatical Structure, Grammatical System.  ALL other Grammatical Terms which are NOT Grammatical Dross — fit into one of those categories, and ONLY one of those categories.

• Grammatical Device  —  [DG]  This is a Term that was created by C. James Cote (“The Teacher” from GiveMeSomeEnglish!!!) to describe a Phrase, or “Phrasal” that has a specific FUNCTION (as opposed to Meaning — but it may have that too), but is not, and does not function as a Grammatical Unit.  Grammatical Devices have also typically been mis-classified in Traditional Grammar with the result of causing people to think that it is it’s own Grammatical Classification — Separate from it’s classification within one of the Grammatical Units.

Examples:  “Quantifiers” are Grammatical Devices.  Their function is to describe the “Quantity” of something.  But they are not a Grammatical Unit because different types Grammatical Units can FUNCTION as a Quantifier.  “Modifiers” are also Grammatical Devices for exactly the same reasons.

This is also true (for different reasons) for other things, such as:  Abbreviations, Acronyms, Question Tags, Interjections, Rhetorical Questions, etc..

• Grammatical Dross  —  [NG]  This is a Slang-Term which was creaded by C. James Cote (“The Teacher” from GiveMeSomeEnglish!!!) — to refer to all of the extraneous “parts” of Traditional Grammar which are NOT needed;  Which only serve to cause con-fusion;  Or are just wrong.  Many Traditional Grammar Terms are considered to be “Grammatical Dross”.

For Example:  the Term “Parts Of Speech” is Grammatical Dross because it makes no logical sense.  And that-which are considered to BE the different “Parts Of Speech” are not even agreed-upon.  Therefore — it is Grammatical Dross.

• Grammatical Element  —  [PG]  This is a Term that was created by C. James Cote (“The Teacher” from GiveMeSomeEnglish!!!) to describe the “Elements” that make up the Words of the Language.

The Grammatical Elements are:  The Letters Of The Alphabet,  The Symbols Of Punctuation,  The Symbol Form Of Numbers.

• Grammatical Lingo  —  [DG]  This is a Term that was created by C. James Cote (“The Teacher” from GiveMeSomeEnglish!!!) to describe the type of “Lingo” which is used by teachers, and in text-books to describe things with-in and about Grammar — but are not proper Grammatical Terms.

Words like:  “Expression”,  “Formal”,  “Informal” — as-well-as other “Terms” which are substituted for proper Grammatical Terms.  Such as:  “Action Verb” (for “Dynamic Verb”), “Dependent Clause” (for “Subordinate Clause”), Etc..

• Grammatical Structure  —  [PG]  This is a Term that was created by C. James Cote (“The Teacher” from GiveMeSomeEnglish!!!) to describe the “Structures” that we create, using the Grammatical Units, and Grammatical Elements (Punctuation).  There is only one Grammatical Structure in The Grammar Of The Common Tongue:  The Sentence  (in the forms of:  Statements & Questions).

• Grammatical System  —  [PG]  The Term “Grammatical System” is used to refer to any complete “System” of “Grammar” which is put-together & works-together to achieve symmetry between Grammatical Elements, Grammatical Units, Grammatical Devices, Grammatical Structures, and even other Grammatical Systems — and is absolutely necessary for clear communication to occur.

The Traditional Grammar of The English Language — is NOT a TRUE Grammatical System because it has been completely con-fused with Grammatical Terms which are Stupid & Obtuse — and mostly by the fact that there does not seem to be any original thinkers or anyone who can ACTUALLY comprehend English Grammar in the traditional English teaching realm.  (Despite the fact that they think that they are “experts” — which further con-fuses the situation.)  And so Traditional English Grammar keeps getting more and more con-fused every year.

The Grammar Of The Common Tongue is the remedy to this problem.  The Grammar Of The Common Tongue IS a Grammatical System.  All Computer Coding Languages are Grammatical Systems.  Mathematics is a Grammatical System.  And even-though they are separate & distinct systems — they can be used together, because they use the same Grammatical Elements, and Grammatical Units — even-though some Grammatical Devices and Grammatical Structures are unique to each Grammatical System.

As stated above — Traditional English Grammar is NOT a system at all.  It is far too corrupted and filled with “Grammatical Dross”…  “Too many cooks in the kitchen”…  And that is why it does NOT work well with any other systems — or even on it’s own.

• Grammatical Term  —  [PG]  This is a very broad Term that refers to ANY Term that is used to describe any aspect of a Grammatical System.  The Term “Grammatical Term” is — itself — a Grammatical Term.  Every other Term in this glossary is also a Grammatical Term (unless otherwise specified).

• Grammatical Unit  —  [PG]  This is a Term that was created by C. James Cote (“The Teacher” from GiveMeSomeEnglish!!!) to describe the main types of Words in The English Language which are necessary for comprehensible communication.

The Grammatical Units are what — in Traditional Grammar — have been mistaken called “Parts Of Speech” or “Word-Classes”.  However — those Terms are not correct because — a “Word Class” could be ANY type of Word — including those that are NOT Base Grammatical Units.

Furthermore — the types of Words that are classified as “Parts Of Speech” are not even agreed-upon within the same so-called “System of Grammar”!

But the Words which are called Grammatical Units in The Grammar Of The Common Tongue — can ONLY be what they are.

The Grammatical Units Are:  Adjectives, Adverbs, Articles, Conjunctions, Nouns, Numbers (word-form), Prepositions, Pronouns, & Verbs.

Any other type of Grammatical Term which can consist of Words that come from more than one Grammatical Unit (Modifiers, Quantifiers, etc.) — in The Grammar Of The Common Tongue — are either Grammatical Lingo, or Grammatical Dross.  The traditional Terms:  “Parts Of Speech” & “Word-Classes” have no logical use in The Common Tongue.

• Grammatically Correct  —  [GL]  The Term “Grammatically Correct” is not a Grammatical Term — but it is Grammatical Lingo, used to describe when some Phrase, Clause, Sentence (Grammatical Device, Grammatical Structure) is formed in the “correct” way — in-order-to function properly.

A major difference between Traditional Grammar & The Grammar Of The Common Tongue is that — in Traditional Grammar — there is no distinction between the Term “Rules” & “Regulations”.  Therefore — they consider the “Rules” of Descriptive Grammar to have the same level of importance as the “Regulations” of Prescriptive Grammar…  which they do not.

The only so-called Grammatical “Rules” that Absolutely MUST be correct — in all cases — for the language to function correctly — are actually NOT “Rules”.  They are the “Regulations” of Prescriptive Grammar.

But with the Rules of Descriptive Grammar — almost none of them are precise.  That is why it is “Descriptive” rather than “Prescriptive”.

Therefore — the only Grammar for-which it is possible to be “Correct” — is that of Prescriptive Grammar.

For Descriptive Grammar — it does not have to be precise.  And therefore — the word “Correct” does not apply.

• Greeting  —  [NL]  The Term “Greeting” is not a Grammatical Term.  It is a Rhetorical Term which is used to refer to the action of the Verb (to) Greet (someone).

Examples Of Greetings Are:  Saying “Hello” is a “Greeting”.  Waving to someone is a “Greeting”.  Even simply nodding at someone when you happen to look at each other is a “Greeting”.