Reference

active voiceمعلوم

The subject does the action.

Ali wrote the letter.

adjectiveصفت

Describes a noun.

a red car, She's happy.

adverbقید

Describes a verb, adjective or the whole sentence.

slowly, very, often, luckily

adverbial clauseبند قیدی

A clause that says when, why, how, on what condition…

because it was late

apostropheآپاستروف

Shows missing letters or possession.

don't, Sara's

appositionبدل

A noun phrase next to another that names the same thing.

Ali, my brother, is a doctor.

articleحرف تعریف

The determiners a, an and the.

a book, an apple, the sun

aspectنمود

How an action is seen: simple, continuous (in progress) or perfect (completed up to a point).

I work / I'm working / I've worked

auxiliary verbفعل کمکی

be, do, have when they help another verb.

Do you know? She is working.

backshiftعقب‌بردن زمان

Moving the tense back in reported speech.

“I am” → she said she was

bare infinitiveمصدر بدون to

The base form after modals, make, let…

You must go. Let me see.

base formشکل ساده‌ی فعل

The verb with nothing added.

go, eat, be

capital letterحرف بزرگ

A, B, C… used at the start of sentences and names.

Tehran, Monday, I

causativeسببی

Someone else does something for you.

I had my car repaired.

clauseبند (جمله‌واره)

A group of words with a subject and a verb.

when I arrived

cleft sentenceجمله‌ی شکافته

A sentence split in two to focus on one part.

It was Ali who called.

collocationهم‌آیی (هم‌نشینی واژه‌ها)

Words that naturally go together.

make a decision, heavy rain

colonدونقطه

Introduces a list, an explanation or a quotation.

You need three things: …

commaویرگول

A short pause; separates items and clauses.

tea, coffee, and juice

comparativeصفت تفضیلی

Compares two things: -er / more.

bigger, more useful

complementمسند؛ متمم

Words after a linking verb that describe the subject.

She is a doctor. He looks tired.

conditionalجمله‌ی شرطی

A sentence with if (or similar) and a result.

If it rains, we'll stay home.

conjunctionحرف ربط

Joins words or clauses.

and, but, because, although

continuous (progressive)استمراری

be + -ing: an action in progress.

I'm working.

contractionشکل کوتاه‌شده

Two words joined with an apostrophe.

I'm, don't, she's

coordinating conjunctionحرف ربط هم‌پایه

Joins equal parts: and, but, or, so, yet, for, nor.

tea or coffee

countable nounاسم قابل‌شمارش

Has a plural; can take a/an.

a chair, two chairs

definite articleحرف تعریف معین

the: a specific thing both people know.

the door

demonstrativeصفت/ضمیر اشاره

this, that, these, those.

this phone

determinerواژه‌ی تعیین‌کننده

Comes before a noun to show which or how many.

a, the, this, my, some, every

direct objectمفعول مستقیم (صریح)

The thing that is given, taken, seen…

She gave me a book.

direct speechنقل قول مستقیم

The exact words, in quotation marks.

She said, “I'm tired.”

discourse markerنشانه‌ی گفتمانی

A word that organises speech or writing.

however, well, anyway

dynamic verbفعل کنشی

A verb for an action; can be continuous.

run, eat, write

ellipsisحذف

Leaving out words that are understood.

“Coming?” “I can't.”

formalرسمی

Used in official or serious situations.

I would be grateful if…

futureآینده

After now.

She will work.

gerund (-ing form)اسم مصدر (فعلِ ing‌دار در نقش اسم)

A verb + -ing used like a noun.

Swimming is fun.

hedgingاحتیاط در بیان

Making a claim less direct or less certain.

It seems that… arguably

hyphenخط ربط

Joins words into one idea.

a well-known writer

imperativeامری

The form for orders, instructions and advice.

Sit down. Don't worry.

indefinite articleحرف تعریف نامعین

a / an: one thing, not specific.

a job, an hour

indirect objectمفعول غیرمستقیم

The person who receives the direct object.

She gave me a book.

infinitiveمصدر

to + base form.

to go, to be

informalغیررسمی

Used with friends and family.

Thanks a lot!

intensifierتشدیدکننده

Makes an adjective or adverb stronger.

very, really, absolutely

interjectionصوت (حرف ندا)

A word for a feeling or reaction.

Oh! Wow! Ouch!

intransitive verbفعل لازم (ناگذر)

A verb with no object.

She arrived.

inversionوارونگی

Putting the auxiliary before the subject.

Never have I seen this.

irregular verbفعل بی‌قاعده

Past forms don't follow the -ed rule.

go – went – gone

linking verbفعل ربطی

Connects the subject to a description: be, seem, look, become…

He seems tired.

main clauseبند اصلی (جمله‌ی پایه)

A clause that can stand alone.

I called you when I arrived.

main verbفعل اصلی

The verb that carries the meaning.

She has finished.

modal verbفعل وجهی

can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would: ability, possibility, obligation…

You should rest.

moodوجه

The verb's way of presenting an action: indicative, imperative, subjunctive.

negativeمنفی

With not or another negative word.

She doesn't like tea.

nominalisationاسم‌سازی

Using a noun instead of a verb or adjective.

decide → the decision

nounاسم

A word for a person, place, thing or idea.

teacher, Tehran, book, love

noun clauseبند اسمی

A clause that works like a noun.

I know what you mean.

objectمفعول

Who or what receives the action; usually after the verb.

I love tea.

passive voiceمجهول

The subject receives the action: be + past participle.

The letter was written by Ali.

pastگذشته

Before now.

She worked.

past participleاسم مفعول (قسمت سوم فعل)

The third form: used in perfect tenses and the passive.

gone, written, played

perfectکامل

have + past participle: connects two times.

I've finished.

perfect continuousکامل استمراری

have been + -ing: an action continuing up to a point.

I've been waiting for hours.

period (US) / full stop (UK)نقطه

Ends a statement.

I'm here.

personal pronounضمیر شخصی

I, you, he, she, it, we, they (and me, him…).

She called him.

phrasal verbفعل عبارتی (دوکلمه‌ای)

verb + particle with a new meaning.

give up, look after

phraseگروه؛ عبارت

A group of words without its own subject and verb.

in the morning, a big red car

pluralجمع

More than one.

books

positive (affirmative)مثبت

Not negative.

She likes tea.

possessiveملکی

Shows who something belongs to.

my, mine, Sara's

predicateگزاره

Everything in a clause except the subject.

Sara works in a bank.

prefixپیشوند

Letters added to the start of a word.

un-happy, re-write

prepositionحرف اضافه

Shows place, time or relationship before a noun.

in, on, at, with, for

presentحال

Now, or always true.

She works.

present participleصفت فاعلی (ing)

The -ing form used in continuous tenses and as an adjective.

She's sleeping. a sleeping baby

pronounضمیر

Replaces a noun.

I, she, them, mine, myself

punctuationنشانه‌گذاری

Marks like . , ? ! that organise writing.

quantifierکمیت‌نما

Shows how much or how many.

some, many, a few, a lot of

question (interrogative)پرسشی

A sentence that asks.

Does she like tea?

question tagدنباله‌ی پرسشی

A short question at the end of a sentence.

It's cold, isn't it?

quotation marksگیومه

Show someone's exact words.

“Hello,” she said.

reflexive pronounضمیر انعکاسی

-self / -selves: the subject and object are the same.

I cut myself.

registerسطح زبانی (رسمی/غیررسمی)

How formal or informal language is.

Hi! vs Dear Sir

regular verbفعل باقاعده

Past and past participle end in -ed.

work – worked – worked

relative clauseبند موصولی

A clause that describes a noun, with who/which/that.

the man who lives next door

relative pronounضمیر موصولی

who, which, that, whose, whom: begins a relative clause.

the book that I read

reported speechنقل قول غیرمستقیم

Reporting what someone said, without quotation marks.

She said she was tired.

rootریشه

The basic part of a word.

act → action, active

semicolonنقطه‌ویرگول

Joins two closely related sentences.

It was late; we went home.

sentenceجمله

One or more clauses that express a complete idea.

I'm tired.

short answerجواب کوتاه

Yes/No + subject + auxiliary.

Yes, I do. No, she isn't.

simpleساده

The basic form of a tense.

I work, I worked

singularمفرد

One.

a book

stative verbفعل حالت (ایستا)

A verb for a state, not usually used with -ing.

know, like, belong

subjectفاعل (نهاد)

Who or what does the action; usually before the verb.

Sara works here.

subject–verb agreementمطابقه‌ی فاعل و فعل

A singular subject takes a singular verb, a plural subject a plural verb.

She works. They work.

subjunctiveوجه التزامی

A formal base-form verb for demands, wishes or unreal situations.

I insist that he be on time.

subordinate clauseبند وابسته (جمله‌ی پیرو)

A clause that depends on a main clause.

I called you when I arrived.

subordinating conjunctionحرف ربط وابسته‌ساز

Begins a subordinate clause.

because, although, when, if

substitutionجایگزینی

Replacing words with so, do, one…

I think so. I'll take the red one.

suffixپسوند

Letters added to the end of a word.

happi-ness, quick-ly

superlativeصفت عالی

The top of a group: the -est / the most.

the biggest, the most useful

tenseزمان دستوری

The verb form that shows time: present, past (future uses will, going to…).

works, worked

transitive verbفعل متعدی (گذرا)

A verb that takes an object.

I opened the door.

uncountable nounاسم غیرقابل‌شمارش

No plural; no a/an.

water, advice, information

verbفعل

A word for an action or a state.

run, be, have, think

word class (part of speech)نوع کلمه (اجزای کلام)

Noun, verb, adjective, adverb… what job a word does.

word orderترتیب کلمات

The order of words in a sentence: in English usually S + V + O.

I (S) love (V) tea (O).

zero articleبدون حرف تعریف

No article, e.g. for things in general.

Life is short.