442 / Glossary
irregular verb verb that does not follow the regular –ed ending for past tense and
past participle. Example: see, saw, have seen (irregular verb); walk, walked, have
walked (regular verb).
italic a printing type in which the characters slant upward to the right, used espe-
cially to call attention to words. Example: This is italic type. Note: In handwritten
work, use an underscore to indicate italics.
laboratory report a summary of scientific findings; commonly called a lab report.
[For an explanation of format, content, and organization, see Chapter 40, Technical
Report.]
letter a written or printed message, usually sent by mail. [See Chapter 26, Letters.]
linking verb a verb that functions chiefly as a connection between a subject and
its predicate complement. Example: He seems tired. [See Parts of Speech in
Chapter 42, Classification of Words.]
loose sentence a sentence that follows the usual subject-verb order so that the
essential part of the sentence comes first, followed by additional details; prob-
ably the most common kind of sentence. Example: He drove the car home after
the ball game. Note: A loose sentence can be simple, compound, complex, or
compound-complex. Compare with periodic sentence. [See Chapter 3, Revising, for
a discussion of sentence variety. See Writing Sentences in Chapter 2, Writing, for a
discussion of kinds of sentences.]
lowercase small letters, as opposed to uppercase or capital letters.
main clause a clause that can stand alone; a sentence; sometimes called an inde-
pendent clause. [Compare with dependent clause or subordinate clause. See Chap-
ter 44, Phrases and Clauses.]
mechanics the technical aspects of writing, including punctuation and capitaliza-
tion.
metaphor a figure of speech that suggests likeness by speaking of one thing as if
it were another. Example: Her moods are the endless variations of a kaleidoscope.
[Compare with simile.]
meter rhythm in verse; regular arrangement of accented and unaccented syllables
in each line.
minutes an official record of what was said and done at a meeting. [See Chapter
29, Minutes of a Meeting, for a detailed explanation of how to write minutes.]
misplaced modifier a phrase or clause placed away from the word it refers to,
resulting in unclear meaning. Example: They made an announcement about the
closing of school during the news report (sounds as if school is closed during the
news report).