Grammar & Function Words

Small words that connect, point, compare, negate, and structure sentences.

395 words

# Grammar & Function Words

**Type:** Topic
**Words:** 395

## About
Small words that connect, point, compare, negate, and structure sentences.

## Words by Level

### A1
- you - The person or people being spoken to, as the subject of a sentence.
- I - The word a speaker or writer uses to refer to themselves as the subject of a sentence.
- the - Used before a noun to refer to a specific person or thing already known or mentioned.
- to - In the direction of; so as to reach a place.
- a - used before a noun to refer to one person or thing that is not specific or not already known
- it - Used to refer to a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
- and - Used to join two words, phrases, or sentences that are taken together.
- that - Used to introduce a clause stating what someone says, thinks, or believes.
- of - Belonging to or connected with someone or something.
- is - Third-person singular present tense of be
- in - Inside a place, container, or area.
- what - Used to ask for information about a thing or situation.
- we - Used by a speaker to refer to themselves and one or more other people.
- me - The form of 'I' used as the object of a verb or preposition.
- this - Referring to a person or thing that is here or nearby.
- he - Used to refer to a male person or animal already mentioned or known.
- for - Intended to belong to or be given to someone.
- my - Belonging to or connected with me.
- on - Working, active, or switched to operate.
- have - To own or possess something.
- your - Belonging to or connected with you.
- do - To carry out or perform an action or task.
- was - Past tense of "be" used with I, he, she, or it.
- no - Used to give a negative answer or to refuse or disagree.
- not - Used to make a word or sentence negative.
- be - Used to describe or identify someone or something.
- are - Present tense form of 'be' used with you, we, and they.
- can - To be able to do something.
- with - In the company of someone or something.
- but - Used to introduce something that contrasts with what has just been said.
- all - Every one of a group, with no exceptions.
- so - To a very great degree or extent.
- they - The people, animals, or things already mentioned.
- she - Used to refer to a female person or animal mentioned earlier.
- if - Used to say that something will happen or be true only when another thing happens.
- about - on the subject of; concerning
- at - In or near a particular place.
- him - Used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned.
- one - The number 1; the smallest counting number.
- her - The form of 'she' used as the object of a verb or preposition.
- how - In what way or by what means.
- will - Used to talk about the future.
- as - While; during the time that something happens.
- did - Past tense of 'do'; used to talk about an action that already happened.
- who - Used to ask about the identity of a person or people.
- why - For what reason or purpose.
- from - Used to show where someone or something comes from.
- his - Belonging to or connected with a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned.
- yes - Used to show agreement or to give a positive answer.
- when - At what time.
- an - The form of "a" used before words that begin with a vowel sound; refers to one person or thing not already mentioned.
- us - The object form of 'we'; the speaker together with one or more other people.
- would - Used to talk about the result of an imagined or unlikely situation.
- them - Used to refer to people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition.
- where - In, at, or to what place.
- were - Past tense of 'be' used with you, we, and they.
- then - At that time; in the past or future being talked about.
- had - Past tense and past participle of "have".
- or - Used to link alternatives, only one of which need apply.
- our - Belonging to or connected with us.
- some - An unspecified amount of something you cannot count.
- could - Was able to (past form of 'can').
- by - Used to show who or what does or causes something.
- something - A thing that is not named or not known exactly.
- has - Third-person singular present of 'have'; to own, hold, or possess.
- more - A larger number or amount of something.
- over - Finished; ended.
- because - For the reason that; used to explain why something happens.
- should - Used to say what is the right or sensible thing to do.
- am - First-person singular present of "be".
- any - Some amount or number of, used in questions and negatives.
- much - A large amount of something.
- these - Plural of this; referring to people or things nearby.
- into - Moving to the inside of a place or thing.
- anything - A thing of any kind; it does not matter what.
- nothing - Not anything; no thing.
- their - Belonging to or relating to them.
- must - Used to say that something is necessary or required.
- before - Earlier than a particular time.
- other - Not the same as the one already mentioned; different.
- after - Later in time than; following.
- than - Used to compare two things or people.
- those - The plural of 'that'; used to point to people or things that are further away or already known.
- everything - All the things there are, or all the things being talked about.
- does - Third-person singular present of "do".
- around - Surrounding or on every side of something.
- which - Used to ask about a particular one or ones from a known group.
- someone - A person who is not named or known; somebody.
- every - All the members of a group, considered one by one with no exceptions.
- through - From one side or end of something to the other.
- May - Used to ask for or give permission.
- another - One more of the same kind, in addition to what you already have.
- own - To have something as your property; to legally possess it.
- same - Not different; exactly alike or identical.
- else - Other; in addition to or different from what has already been mentioned.
- many - A large number of (people or things you can count).
- yourself - Your own self; used when you are both the subject and the object of an action.
- most - Nearly all of a group; more than half.
- both - The two together; the one and the other.
- once - One single time.
- also - In addition; as well; too.
- everyone - Every person; all people.
- anyone - Any person; it does not matter who.
- until - Up to a particular time
- each - Every one of two or more things or people, considered separately.
- under - In or to a lower position; below.
- everybody - Every person; all people.
- its - Belonging to or relating to a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
- between - In the space or time that separates two things.
- behind - At or toward the back of someone or something.
- outside - Not inside a building; in the open air.
- near - A short distance from someone or something.
- choose - To pick one thing or person from a number of possibilities.
- above - in or to a higher place than something
- below - In or to a lower position than something.
- sentence - A group of words that expresses a complete thought, usually starting with a capital letter and ending with a full stop.
- grammar - The rules for how words are formed and combined into sentences in a language.
- a.m.
- may

### A2
- yet - Up to now; used to say something has not happened so far.
- inside - Within a building or enclosed space; indoors.
- mine - The thing or things belonging to me.
- yours - The thing or things belonging to you.
- either - One or the other of two things or people.
- along - Following the length or line of something.
- anybody - Any person; it does not matter who.
- whose - Belonging to which person; used to ask who something belongs to.
- following - Coming next in time or order.
- hers - The one or ones belonging to her, used without a noun after it.
- been - Past participle of be.
- done - Finished or completed.
- being - A living creature.
- enough - As much or as many as needed.
- might - Used to say that something is possible but not certain.
- next - Coming immediately after the current one in order or time.
- without - Not having or not using something.
- such - Of this or that kind; like the one mentioned.
- while - During the time that; at the same time as.
- since - From a point in the past until now.
- ah - An exclamation used to show feelings such as understanding, relief, surprise, or wonder.
- myself - Used as the object of a verb or preposition when the speaker is also the subject.
- few - A small number of; not many.
- whatever - Anything or everything that.
- somebody - A person who is not named or known; someone.
- against - Touching or leaning on something for support.
- shall - Used with I or we to talk about the future.
- least - To the smallest degree or amount.
- nobody - No person; not anyone.
- though - Used to introduce a fact that makes the main statement surprising; even if; although.
- himself - Used when the man or boy doing an action is also affected by it.
- till - Up to the time of; until.
- less - To a smaller degree; not as much.
- given - Considering or taking into account.
- during - All through a period of time, from its start to its end.
- except - Not including; apart from.
- across - from one side of something to the other
- anywhere - In, at, or to any place.
- within - Before a particular period of time ends.
- besides - In addition; as well.
- upon - On; resting on the surface of something (a more formal word than 'on').
- themselves - Used to show that the people or things doing an action are also affected by it, or for emphasis.
- herself - Used when the woman or girl doing an action is also affected by it.
- ourselves - Us, when we are both the subject and the object of an action.
- itself - Used as the object when the same thing is also the subject of the sentence
- whom - Used instead of 'who' as the object of a verb or preposition to ask which person.
- plenty - A large amount that is more than enough.
- although - In spite of the fact that; even though.
- several - More than two but not very many.
- beyond - On the far side of; further away than.
- plus - Added to; with the addition of.
- among - In the middle of and surrounded by other people or things.
- toward - In the direction of someone or something.
- unlike - Different from someone or something.
- pro - A professional; someone who does an activity for a living or is highly skilled at it.
- theirs - The one or ones belonging to them; used without a noun after it.
- singular - (grammar) referring to just one person or thing, not more than one
- IT
- next to
- out of
- none - Not any of a group of people or things; not one.
- immediately - Right away, without any delay.
- neither - Not the one and not the other of two things or people.

### B1
- ours - The thing or things that belong to us.
- unless - Except if; used to say something will happen if a condition is not met.
- buddy - A friend
- whether - Used to introduce a choice or doubt between two or more possibilities.
- whoever - Any person that; the person that.
- nor - And not; used after "neither" or another negative to add a second negative idea.
- ought - Used to say that something is the right or sensible thing to do.
- onto - To a position on top of or on the surface of something.
- whenever - At any time that; on any occasion that.
- including - Used to mention one or more members of a larger group just named.
- per - For each.
- wherever - In, at, or to any place that.
- despite - Without being affected or stopped by something; in spite of.
- agreement - An arrangement between people or groups about what each will do.
- throughout - In every part of a place.
- vice - Bad or immoral behavior, or a bad habit.
- underneath - Directly below or under something.
- forth - Forward in place, time, or order.
- beneath - Under or below something.
- provided - Only if a particular condition is met.
- various - Several different; more than one of various kinds.
- regarding - About; concerning a particular subject.
- fur - The soft, thick hair that covers many animals.
- via - By way of; passing through a place.
- minus - Made smaller by taking away a number; less.
- objective - A goal or aim that you are trying to achieve.
- thorough - Careful and complete, leaving nothing out.
- sufficient - As much as is needed; enough.
- summit - The highest point of a mountain or hill.
- countless - Too many to be counted; very many.
- numerous - Existing in large numbers; very many.
- absent - not in a place where you are expected to be
- comparison - The act of looking at how two or more things are similar or different.
- whichever - Any one or ones that; used to say it does not matter which is chosen.
- oneself - A person's own self; the reflexive form used with the general pronoun 'one'.
- irregular - Not happening at equal or expected times
- auxiliary - Giving extra help or support to something more important.
- electron - A tiny particle inside an atom that carries a negative electric charge.
- comma - The punctuation mark ( , ) used to separate parts of a sentence or items in a list.
- anti - Opposed to something, such as an action, idea, or policy.
- possessive - Wanting to control someone and not share them with others.
- lessen - To make something smaller or weaker; to reduce.
- doze - To sleep lightly or for a short time.
- pronoun - A word used in place of a noun, such as 'he', 'she', or 'it'.
- preposition - A word such as "in," "on," or "at" that shows the relationship between a noun and another word in a sentence.
- modal verb - A helping verb such as 'can', 'must', or 'will' that shows ability, possibility, permission, or obligation.
- adverbial - Relating to or working like an adverb.
- according to
- because of
- definite article
- full stop
- indefinite article
- instead of
- ought to
- phrasal verb
- used to
- clause - A group of words containing a subject and a verb, which may be a whole sentence or part of one.
- hereby - by this statement, action, or means
- according - according to: as stated, reported, or believed by a particular person or source

### B2
- self - the person you really are, including your character and feelings
- beside - Next to; at the side of.
- times - A particular period in history or in someone's life.
- considering - Taking a particular fact into account.
- multiple - More than one; many.
- amongst - In the middle of or surrounded by; a more formal word for "among".
- somewhat - To a small degree; a little, but not completely.
- versus - Against; used to show two sides competing or opposing each other.
- regardless - In spite of everything; anyway.
- unto - To (old or formal use, showing who receives something)
- instantly - Immediately; without any delay.
- whereas - Used to compare two facts and show a contrast between them.
- alongside - Next to and at the side of something or someone.
- concerning - about; relating to
- midst - The middle of a group, place, or situation; surrounded by it.
- particle - A very small piece of something.
- adequate - enough in amount or good enough for a particular purpose
- imperative - Extremely important and necessary; something that must be done.
- lest - In order to prevent something bad from happening; for fear that.
- ample - More than enough; plenty.
- insufficient - Not enough for a particular purpose or need.
- conjunction - A word such as 'and', 'but', or 'because' that joins words, phrases, or clauses together.
- inanimate - Not alive; not a living thing.
- hyphen - The punctuation mark (-) used to join words in a compound or to split a word at the end of a line.
- predicate - In grammar, the part of a sentence or clause that says something about the subject, usually containing the verb.
- determiner - A word used before a noun to show which thing or how much is meant, such as 'the', 'this' or 'some'.
- predicative - In grammar, describing an adjective that follows a linking verb rather than coming directly before a noun.
- exclamation mark
- inverted commas
- owing to
- fourthly - in the fourth place
- so-and-so - an unspecified or unnamed person or thing
- em - an informal, usually unstressed form of them, commonly written ’em

### C1
- whatsoever - At all; in any way (used to add emphasis, usually after a negative).
- whilst - During the time that; while (chiefly British and formal).
- adjacent - Next to or very close to something.
- amid - In the middle of; surrounded by.
- subordinate - Lower in rank, position, or importance than someone or something else.
- albeit - Although; even though.
- impersonal - Cold and unfriendly; not showing warmth or feeling.
- indefinite - Without a fixed or known end; lasting for an unknown length of time.
- notwithstanding - In spite of; despite.
- etc - Alternative form of etc..
- such-and-such - used to refer vaguely to a person, thing, place, or amount whose exact identity is not specified
- sans - without a person or thing, often used for concise, humorous, or literary effect
- parenthesis - a word, phrase, or clause inserted into a sentence as an explanation or aside
- insofar - to the degree or extent that; used chiefly in the construction 'insofar as'
- therefor - formal, especially legal: for that thing, action, or reason; in return for it
- ungrammatical - not following the accepted grammar rules of a language
- thereat - at that event or moment; as a result of that

### C2
- bout - A short period of an illness or of something unpleasant.
- ore - Rock from which valuable metal or minerals can be extracted.
- nigh - Near in time or space; close at hand.
- vis-a-vis - In relation to; compared with.
- proprietorial - Behaving as if one owns something or someone; possessive.
- fifthly - in the fifth place
- soever - In any fashion, of any kind; used for emphasis after words such as how, what, which etc.
- syntactic - related to syntax or the rules governing how words and symbols are arranged
- ourself - the reflexive form used with the royal or editorial we, meaning myself
- yon - that or those over there, at some distance but usually within sight
- inflect - grammar: to change a word's form to express features such as tense, number, case, or gender
- whereon - on which or on what; now chiefly formal, literary, or archaic
- thereto - to that or to it, chiefly in formal, legal, or literary language
- whereat - at which place or thing; at what, in formal or archaic use
- nominative - relating to the grammatical case that typically marks the subject of a finite verb
- whereto - to what place or destination; where to
- thereunder - under or beneath the thing just mentioned
- wherewith - with which; using the thing just mentioned
- therefrom - from the place, thing, or source just mentioned
- thereunto - to that person, thing, place, or matter; to it or to that
- thereinto - into that place, thing, situation, or matter
- aforementioned - mentioned earlier in the same text or conversation
- hereon - on this thing, place, or document
- thyself - the reflexive or emphatic form of thou, meaning yourself; archaic or literary
- grammarian - a scholar or specialist who studies and describes grammar
- predication - the grammatical or logical act of asserting a property, action, or class membership of a subject
- whereof - of which or of whom; now chiefly formal or archaic
- hereupon - immediately after this; at this point; now chiefly formal or archaic
- solecism - a grammatical error or nonstandard construction in speech or writing
- enclitic - a clitic that is phonologically dependent on and attaches to the preceding word
- suchlike - of the same or a similar kind
- optative - grammar: expressing a wish, hope, or possibility through a verb form or construction
- enow - archaic or dialect: soon; presently
- owt - Northern English dialect: anything

### C2+
- aught - anything at all; the slightest thing
- condemnation - the expression of strong disapproval or a formal sentence
- atomy - a tiny particle or diminutive being; an atom or mote
- apropos - relevant to the matter; with reference to
- mid - in the middle part of; central
- ex - (informal) a former spouse or partner
- sith - archaic word for since or seeing that
- amidst - in the middle of; surrounded by
- fromward - away from; directed away (archaic)
- howso - in whatever way; however (archaic)
- parole - early conditional release of a prisoner before a sentence ends
- sithe - an archaic form of 'since'; also a dialectal variant of scythe
- speck - a tiny spot or particle
- afore - before, in place or time (archaic or dialectal)
- attainder - the legal forfeiture of rights and property following a sentence of death or outlawry
- barring - except for; apart from the possibility of
- betwixt - between (archaic or literary)
- circa - approximately; used with dates to indicate an estimate
- doomsman - archaic term for a judge or one who pronounces sentence
- durative - in grammar, denoting continuing or ongoing action
- ere - before (in time)
- howbeit - nevertheless; be that as it may
- howsoever - in whatever way or to whatever degree
- outwith - outside of or beyond (chiefly Scots usage)
- pending - awaiting decision or settlement; until
- sithence - archaic word meaning since, afterward, or because
- whence - from what place or source
- executioner - a person who carries out a sentence of death
- failing - a weakness or shortcoming in character or ability
- filing - a document submitted to an official body, or a particle filed off metal
- forasmuch - in view of the fact that; seeing that (used with 'as')
- forthy - therefore; for that reason (archaic)
- handcraft - to make skilfully by hand; an article so made
- inchoative - expressing the beginning of an action or a change of state, especially in grammar
- lede - the opening sentence or paragraph of a news story summarizing its essence
- mah - (dialect/informal) variant of 'my' or 'ma'
- modal - relating to mode or form; in grammar, expressing possibility or necessity
- naught - nothing; zero
- negation - the act of denying or the contradiction of something
- negatory - expressing denial or negation; (informal) no
- overjealous - excessively jealous or possessive
- preverb - a prefix or particle placed before a verb to modify its meaning
- providing - on the condition that; provided that
- reflexive - performed automatically; in grammar, referring back to the subject
- relatival - of or relating to a relative pronoun or relative clause
- sentential - relating to a sentence or to logical propositions
- thee - archaic objective form of thou, meaning you (singular)
- thou - archaic second-person singular pronoun meaning you
- whichsoever - whichever; any one or ones, no matter which
- whiles - while; during the time that (archaic or dialectal)
- whomever - the objective form of whoever; any person whom
- ye - you (archaic plural or formal), or an old form of the
- yee - an exclamation of excitement, or a dialectal form of you/ye
- yonder - at or in that place over there; at a distance within sight
- whereupon - immediately after which or as a consequence of which
- qua - formal: in the capacity or character of; considered specifically as
- leastwise - at least; in any case or if nothing else; informal or dialectal
- that's - a contraction of that is
- let's - used before a verb to suggest that the speaker and one or more other people do something
- couldn't - a contraction of could not, used to express inability, impossibility, or a negative past possibility
- they'd - a contraction of they had when had is an auxiliary verb
- hadn't - a contraction of had not, used with a past participle or in other negative forms of had
- can't - a contraction of cannot, used to express inability or impossibility
- there's - a contraction of there is
- i'm - a contraction of I am
- mustn't - a contraction of must not, used to express prohibition or a strong negative necessity
- here's - a contraction of here is
- they'll - a contraction of they will or, less commonly, they shall
- whichway - dialectal: where or in which direction
- nobbut - Northern English dialect: only; merely; nothing but

A1 (119)

A2 (63) Pro

B1 (59) Pro

B2 (33) Pro

C1 (17) Pro

C2 (34) Pro

C2+ (70) Pro

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