ELA Key Vocabulary Terms

the form of a word that names or refers to only one person or thing

• singular

• plural

• possessive

• antecedent

 the form of a word that names or refers to more than one thing.

• plural

• CUPS

• singular

• compound

shows ownership; when something belongs to someone.

• independent

• subject

• possessive

• object

 A casual word; not specific. No capitalization needed.

• object

• common

• proper

• subject

A specific person, place, or thing; includes a name... needs to be capitalized.

• common

• proper

• subject

• object

the word or group of words that a pronoun refers to. 

• CUPS

• dependent

• independent

• antecedent

the topic of what is said, written, or studied. Who or what is doing the action in a sentence.

• subject

• antecedent

• independent

• compound

any thing or person to which a thought or action is directed. Who or what is receiving the action of a sentence.

• dependent

• independent

• subject

• object

Something that can stand on its own. It will make sense by itself.

• singular

• plural

• independent

• dependent

Something that can NOT stand on its own. It will NOT make sense by itself. It needs something else in order to make sense.

• dependent

• singular

• plural

• independent