Glossary
abbreviation a shortened form of a word. A period after the shortened form indi-
cates the abbreviation. Example: Sat. is the abbreviation for Saturday; Ave. for
Avenue. Note: Many writers avoid abbreviations in formal writing.
absolute a phrase made up of a noun and a participle, which begins and modifies
an entire sentence. Example: The wind chill factor being below zero, we bundled
up to protect ourselves.
abstract 1. nouns which name things that cannot be observed by the senses:
hope, memory, belief. 2. writing that lacks specific detail. Example: The weather
was too cold for us to wait outside (abstract). Revised: With the temperature at
15 degrees below zero and the wind howling at 40 miles an hour, we could not
safely wait outside 30 minutes for the bus (specific). [See also specific detail in
the Glossary and Chapter 10, Description.] 3. a single paragraph summarizing a
research paper, included as part of papers written in APA style. [See Chapter 34,
Research Paper.]
action verb shows the action of the subject. Example: We wrote letters (action).
Letters from good friends are fun to receive (linking). Most experienced writers
prefer action verbs to linking verbs. [See also Chapter 42, Classification of Words,
and verb in the Glossary.]
active voice refers to the verb whose subject is doing the acting. Example:
Sheila ate an apple with her lunch. (Ate is in active voice; the subject Sheila is
acting.) [See also Chapter 42, Classification of Words, and passive voice in the
Glossary.] Note: Because active-voice verbs make stronger sentences than do
passive-voice verbs, most experienced writers prefer active voice. Exceptions are
noted in Parts II and III under respective types of writing that often utilize the
passive voice.
address a three-line indication of where one receives mail. It includes the person’s
name, street name and number, the city, two-letter abbreviation for the state, and
zip code. Example: Dr. Chung Wong; 4274 Longshore Avenue; Lake Charlene,
AR 33061. Note: For businesses, the address is sometimes four or more lines, the
additional lines adding the person’s title and company name. [See also Chapter 26,
Letters.]
adjective 1. a word that modifies nouns or pronouns. 2. a group of words func-
tioning as an adjective, notably a prepositional, participial, or infinitive phrase,
an adjective clause. Example: Students who work hard succeed. (The adjective
clause who work hard functions as an adjective to modify the noun students.) [See
also chapters 42 and 44, and other Glossary entries: phrase, preposition, participle,
infinitive, verbal phrase, and clause, subordinate.]CONTENTS
GLOSSARY 429