Name ________________________________ Date______________ Section ____________________

English Memorization Lists

During the course of the year, students will be required to memorize and remember the following
definitions and lists to help them with their grammar and writing skills.

HELPING VERBS
Definition: A helping verb helps the main verb to express action or state of being.
Example: Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky. (Was born is the verb phrase;
was is the helping verb.)
List: am is are was were be
being been have has had do
does did may might must can
could shall should will would

Mnemonic: Old Mr. Do

Once upon a time there was a wealthy merchant named Mr. Do. Mr. Do was very old and very rich.
His many relatives were dreaming of the day the old man would die. They wondered which one of them
would inherit his money. Finally, one day Mr. Do did die. All the relatives searched his house for a will. They
didn't find one. They searched his house three times. They still did not find a will. The relatives did not get
one dime of Mr. Do's fortune.
The moral: Maybe Mr. Do should have a will.

Just remember this sentence and you will know how to set up a chart of the 23 helping verbs! The largest
"family" is the "BE" family with eight members. The other five families have three members each.
MAY BE DO SHOULD HAVE WILL
MIGHT BEING DOES COULD HAD CAN
MUST BEEN DID WOULD HAS SHALL
AM
IS
ARE
WAS
WERE

LINKING VERBS
Definition: A linking verb is a verb that links, or connects, the subject of a sentence with a
noun, a pronoun, or an adjective in the predicate.
Example: Denzel Washington is an actor. (The verb is connects actor with the subject Denzel
Washington.
List: (There are MANY more linking verbs than appear on this list.)
am is are was were
be been being seem become
look smell taste feel sound
appear remain
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
Definition: Coordinating conjunctions connect words/groups of words used in the same way.
Example: bridges or tunnels (the word or joins two nouns)
The alarm did not go off, so I was late. (the word so joins two sentences)
List: for and nor but or yet so

Mnemonic = F.A.N. B.O.Y.S.

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
Definition: A subordinating conjunction is a conjunction which joins two clauses that are not
equally important (joins a dependent to an independent clause).
Example: When you get your homework, put your name on it. (When is the subordinating
conjunction beginning the dependent clause.)
List: after although because before if
since unless until when while

Mnemonic: Sung to the tune of the “Happy Birthday” song:

After, although, because,
After, although, because,
Before, if, since, unless,
Until, when, whi-le.

PREPOSITIONS
Definition: A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or a pronoun
and another word in the sentence.
Example: Megan walked beside the lake.
Megan walked to the lake.
List: Memorize the prepositions, below.

Mnemonic: “The Preposition Song,” sung to the tune of “Yankee Doodle,” includes many, but not all, of
the prepositions.

Yankee Doodle went to town about above across after

Riding on a pony along among around at
Stuck a feather in his hat before beside between against
And called it macaroni within without beneath through

Yankee Doodle, keep it up during under in into

Yankee Doodle dandy over of off to toward
Mind the music and the step up on near for from except
And with the girls be handy. by with behind below down

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
Definition: a pronoun that does not specifically name its antecedent
Example: Somebody lost this pencil. (You don’t know who lost the pencil.)
List: Singular: each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody,
anyone, anybody, someone, somebody
Plural: both, few, many, several
Both: all, any, most, none, some (depends on the object of the preposition)