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What determines if a personal pronoun is in the subjective case? How does a possessive determiner function grammatically? Which of the following possessive determiners is the same when it is functions as a possessive pronoun? In the following sentence, which personal pronoun is in the objective case? Which of the following sentences has a possessive determiner? When this happens, the reflexive verb is used as the object of the verb to represent the person or thing. On a final note, a reflexive pronoun can never be used as the subject of a verb— it can only act as the object, and only when the person or thing it represents is already being used as the subject.

Which of the following sentences uses reflexive pronouns correctly? Which of the following sentences uses a reflexive pronoun incorrectly? Which is the correct singular first-person reflexive pronoun?

When do you use a reflexive pronoun? Intensive Pronouns Definition Intensive pronouns are identical to reflexive pronouns—myself, yourself, ourselves, himself, herself, itself, and themselves.

Using intensive pronouns in a sentence When we use an intensive pronoun to add emphasis to a sentence, we generally place it after either its antecedent or the direct object of the verb.

Distinguishing between intensive and reflexive pronouns Although intensive and reflexive pronouns are identical in appearance, there is a clear distinction between them.

Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject of a sentence also receives the action of the sentence—that is, the subject of the verb is also the object the same verb.

However, we use an intensive pronoun if we want to place special emphasis on who is performing the action of the subject on a separate object. Because of this, the intensive pronoun is not grammatically integral to the meaning of the sentence.

However, by adding the intensive pronoun himself in the second sentence, we let the reader or listener know that it is somehow remarkable or noteworthy that it was John who played the tuba, as opposed to someone else. Intensive pronouns are identical to what other kind of pronoun? What is the function of intensive pronouns in a sentence? Where does an intensive pronoun typically occur in a sentence? Which of the following sentences uses an intensive pronoun?

There are quite a few indefinite pronouns, which you can see listed in the table below. Look them over, and then read on to learn about their usage. Table of Indefinite Pronouns Singular or People vs.

Things Singular Plural Plural. Plural Many pronouns that refer to more than one—e. This is because, grammatically, they function as a single unit like the collective nouns team, group, collection, etc. As a result, they must take a singular verb and have agreement with the rest of the text. People vs. Things Both people and things can be identified in a sentence by an indefinite pronoun.

The second-person pronouns you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves are also often used as indefinite pronouns to indicate an unspecified person. You is far less formal than its counterpart, the indefinite pronoun one, but it is sometimes preferred because it does not sound as snobbish or because such formality is unnecessary.

Because one is used to refer to people, but without specifying who it represents, it is sometimes called an impersonal pronoun. If one is writing something very formal or professional, then one might be better off using the indefinite pronoun one.

Similarly, the third-person plural pronoun they can be used as an indefinite pronoun to refer to people in general.

One can also refer to things, but only as a quantifier, which functions differently in a sentence than the impersonal pronoun one. People and Things Quite a few indefinite pronouns can be used to refer to either people or things. Try to see if you can figure out which each is referring to by the information in the sentence, or whether you would need more information to know for sure.

Indefinite Adjectives vs. Indefinite Pronouns Some indefinite pronouns can also function as indefinite adjectives if they come immediately before a noun. Which of the following indefinite pronouns can only be used to refer to things? How do you tell if an indefinite pronoun represents a person or a thing, if it is capable of both?

Demonstrative Pronouns Definition Demonstrative pronouns are pronouns used to replace nouns or noun phrases in a sentence, representing that which is nearby or far away in space or time. Because demonstrative pronouns are less specific than the nouns or noun phrases they replace, you must use context to clarify what is being referred to. In spoken English, this can mean having to gesture toward, point to, or look at the thing or things indicated by the demonstrative pronoun.

In written English, demonstrative pronouns are usually used to refer to previously mentioned nouns, ideas, or topics. Though the demonstrative pronouns in the above cases do not refer specifically to physical things, the rules of singular and plural still apply.

Functions of other demonstrative pronouns The less commonly used demonstrative pronouns are none, such, and neither. None and such can be used as both singular and plural demonstrative pronouns. Some sources argue that none can only represent the singular not one, whereas others claim it can also represent the plural not any. Since none has a long history of being used as both a singular and plural demonstrative pronoun, there is little historical or grammatical basis to support the claim that it can only be treated as singular.

Describing people with demonstrative pronouns Demonstrative pronouns always represent nouns, typically things, places, events, ideas, and animals. In certain cases, however, some of these pronouns may also be used to describe people. Demonstrative pronouns vs. As demonstrative pronouns, this, that, these, those, such, and neither represent nouns.

As demonstrative adjectives and determiners, however, these same words instead modify nouns, appearing immediately before them in a sentence. Which of the following is not a demonstrative pronoun? Which sentence uses a demonstrative pronoun correctly? Which sentence uses a demonstrative pronoun incorrectly? Which sentence contains a demonstrative adjective, as opposed to a demonstrative pronoun?

Interrogative Pronouns Definition Interrogative pronouns are used in interrogative sentences to ask questions, functioning either as the subject or object of such sentences. Using interrogative pronouns Direct Questions Most often, interrogative pronouns are used in direct questions, representing the person or thing that is being asked about. In direct questions, the interrogative pronoun usually comes at or near the beginning of the interrogative clause, acting as either the subject or object of the sentence.

Although it is technically correct to use whom when it functions as the object of a verb and who when it functions as the subject, it is much more common to use who in both cases. Indirect Questions Interrogative pronouns can also appear within indirect questions. When this happens, they appear in the middle of the sentence. Reported Questions Interrogative pronouns also appear in the middle of reported questions. Reported questions are actually a form of declarative sentences using reported speech also called indirect speech : they tell us about something someone else asked, but do not ask a question themselves.

As such, they do not end in a question mark. The last three, whatsoever, whosoever, and whomsoever, are synonymous with whatever, whoever, and whomever. However, they are considered even more antiquated in modern English, bordering on archaic. It is uncommon to come across them even in more formal speech or writing. Interrogative Adjectives Three of the interrogative pronouns—whose, which, and what—can also function as interrogative adjectives, meaning they come before and modify another noun.

An easy way to be sure whether you are dealing with an interrogative adjective or an interrogative pronoun is to check whether the question word is immediately followed by a noun it modifies. In this example, what is immediately followed by the noun book, which it is modifying. We can be sure that, in this case, what is a possessive adjective.

They are not considered interrogative in this form, because they are no longer associated with a question; rather, they are used to help clarify whom or what a sentence is talking about, or else give extra information about it.

They are much more commonly used in this way in modern English than they are as interrogative pronouns. Which of the following is a function of interrogative pronouns?

Which of the following is not one of the primary interrogative pronouns? Which of the following interrogative pronouns is used for emphasis? Relative Pronouns Definition A relative pronoun is a type of pronoun used to connect a relative clause also known as an adjective clause to the main clause in a sentence. Relative clauses either help clarify who or what a sentence is talking about known as the antecedent , or else give extra information about it. Functions of the relative pronoun Subjects, objects, and possession In a relative clause, the relative pronoun functions in one of three ways: as the subject, the object, or a possessive pronoun though whose is the only possessive relative pronoun.

The usage of a relative pronoun ultimately depends on its antecedent and the relative clause it introduces. Possession The relative pronoun whose is unique in that it is the only one that can describe possession.

It comes before a noun in a sentence, modifying it like an adjective to indicate that it belongs to the antecedent. Substituting relative pronouns Most relative pronouns are capable of multiple functions and usages, meaning they can be used in place of one another in certain circumstances. The table below gives a quick breakdown of when it is acceptable to use each relative pronoun: Can be as a as an as a to describe to describe used In fact, most people these days only use who, while whom tends to be reserved for formal English.

We will discuss the differences between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses in more detail later. Restrictive vs. Without its restrictive relative clause, a main clause will lack a vital description and fail to convey the full or appropriate meaning.

That vs. As a general rule, though, which is normally reserved for non-restrictive relative clauses, which we will learn about in the following section. Non-restrictive non-defining relative clauses Unlike restrictive relative clauses, non-restrictive relative clauses or non- defining relative clauses contain non-essential or additional information to the main clause that, when taken away, does not affect or dramatically change the overall intent and meaning of the sentence.

Non-restrictive clauses require the use of commas to distinguish the non- essential information from the rest of the sentence. On the contrary, who, whom, whose, and which are all capable of introducing both restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses although, in restrictive relative clauses, that is preferable to which.

Omitting relative pronouns Sometimes, especially in informal writing, relative pronouns can be omitted altogether. This can only be done when the relative pronoun is the object of a restrictive relative clause.

Relative pronouns as objects of prepositions In certain cases, relative pronouns can be used as objects of prepositions, meaning the relative pronoun works in conjunction with a preposition to modify the subject or verb of the relative clause.

Only whose, which, and whom can function as objects of prepositions. In more formal English, we place a preposition before the pronoun. Here are some of the combinations you might see: with whom to whom for whom through which of which about which from which at whose in whose with whose In modern English, positioning prepositions in front of relative pronouns often sounds overly formal, in particular when it comes to the relative pronoun whom.

As a result, it is generally acceptable for a preposition to come after a relative clause instead of before a relative pronoun. Whom is most often replaced by either who or that, and the preposition with is moved to the end of the relative clause. The relative pronoun is omitted, and the preposition is kept at the end of the relative clause. In this case, you cannot replace which with that, as that cannot be used as an object of a preposition in a relative clause.

When and Where When and where are also used as relative pronouns, especially in less formal writing and conversation. They are always used in restrictive relative clauses. Which of the following is not one of the five most commonly used relative pronouns? Which of the following sentences uses a relative pronoun incorrectly?

Choose the sentence that contains a non-restrictive relative clause. Which of the following sentences is the least formal? Reciprocal Pronouns Definition Reciprocal pronouns are used to refer to two or more people who are or were the subject of the same verb, with both or all parties mutually receiving or benefiting from that action in the same way.

Reciprocal pronouns always function as the objects of verbs, referring back to the two or more people who are or were the subject s. The two reciprocal pronouns in English are each other and one another. In more traditional grammar, each other is used to identify only two people who are engaged in the mutual action, while one another describes more than two people. Reciprocal Pronouns vs. Because we are describing a reciprocal action of the verb meaning the action is mutually given and received between the parties involved , we must therefore use a reciprocal pronoun.

Using each other vs. Again, while traditional and prescriptive grammarians sometimes insist that each other can only be used between two people and one another can only be used between more than two people, this guideline is not based on historical or linguistic evidence.

The two are interchangeable. Because both each other and one another refer to the individuals within a pair or group, they cannot take the plural possessive form i. However, because we are talking about things belonging to two or more people, the nouns that follow their possessive form are usually pluralized. Which reciprocal pronoun is used when talking about two people?

What grammatical role do reciprocal pronouns take in a sentence? Which of the following do we add to reciprocal pronouns to indicate possession?

When do we use a reciprocal pronoun instead of a reflexive pronoun? Dummy Pronouns Definition Dummy pronouns are words that function grammatically as pronouns, but which do not have antecedents like normal pronouns do. They refer to nothing in particular, but instead help the sentence to function properly in a grammatical context. Dummy pronouns are also commonly referred to as expletive pronouns. There as a dummy pronoun There is primarily used as a dummy pronoun in circumstances where the sentence is explaining that a person, place, or thing exists.

When the word there is being used in this manner, it is often referred to as the existential there. Plural use of there The dummy pronoun there can be used in either a singular or plural context.

When it is used in a singular context, the correlating nouns and verbs have singular endings; when it is used in a plural context, the corresponding nouns and verbs have plural endings. Therefore, the singular verb is and the singular noun fence are used. Again, the existence of only one canoe is being discussed, so the singular verb is and the singular noun canoe are used.

This is demonstrated by the use of the plural verb are and the plural noun fences. Because of this fact, the plural verb are and the plural noun canoes are used.

Difference from adverbial there Although the word there can be used as a dummy pronoun, it can also be used as an adverb. Because of this fact, it is important to know the difference between the two.

When there is being used as an adverb, it is taking the place of an adverbial phrase, oftentimes an adverbial prepositional phrase. But, if the word there was used differently in a similar sentence, it could function as a dummy pronoun. There also does not have any antecedents in these sentences, so it is clearly functioning as a dummy pronoun in both. It as a dummy pronoun Just like the dummy pronoun there, it is also used as a pronoun without an antecedent in sentences.

It is commonly used in situations when weather, distance, or time is being discussed. Weather The following are examples of sentences that use it as a dummy pronoun related to weather. Distance The following examples use it as a dummy pronoun in sentences involving distance. Time The following examples use it as a dummy pronoun in sentences involving time.

Other uses There are a number of other situations where it can be used as a dummy pronoun, without pertaining to weather, distance, or time. Plural Notice that in all of the examples above, it is only functioning as a singular dummy pronoun. This means that the verbs and objects in sentences with the dummy pronoun it have to be singular as well. Subject vs. An object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb, The dummy pronoun it can either function as the subject of a sentence or as the object, although it is more commonly used as the subject.

Existential there, on the other hand, can only be a subject. Which of the following words is a dummy pronoun? Which dummy pronoun could be used to complete the following sentence? Dummy pronouns are also referred to as what? The following sentence includes what type of dummy pronoun?

Dummy pronouns are different from regular pronouns because they don't have which of the following? Verbs play an integral role to the structure of a sentence. Finite and Non-Finite Verbs The predicate requires at least one finite verb to be considered complete. A finite verb has a direct relationship to the subject of a sentence or clause, and does not require another verb in the sentence in order to be grammatically correct.

Non-finite verbs, on the other hand, do not express that relationship directly. The only verbs that can be considered finite are those in their base form the infinitive form without the particle to , their past tense form, or their third- person singular form.

Verb forms that are never considered finite are gerunds, infinitives, and participles both past and present. This functions as a single unit, with learning expressing most of the meaning. However, learning is a present participle, which is considered a non-finite verb; the finite verb of the sentence is actually just the auxiliary verb are. It is an inflection of the verb be used for a first person plural subject we.

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs Every verb is classed as being either transitive or intransitive. Transitive verbs describe an action that is happening to someone or something. This person or thing is known as the direct object of the verb. Transitive verbs can also take indirect objects, which are the people or things receiving the direct object. Unfortunately, this means that there is generally no way of determining how to conjugate irregular verbs—we just have to learn each one individually.

Forms and categories All verbs are either finite or non-finite and transitive or intransitive in a given sentence, depending on their form and function.

You can continue on to their individual sections to learn more. In the example we looked at above, are is an auxiliary to the main verb, learning. The three primary auxiliary verbs—be, have, and do—are used to create different tenses, to form negatives, or to ask questions.

These are can, could, will, would, shall, should, must, may, and might. They are distinguished by the fact that they are unable to conjugate into different forms, and they are only followed by a verb in its base form. Infinitives Infinitives are the most basic construction of a verb. When we talk of a verb as a general concept, we usually use the infinitive form, which is the uninflected base form of the verb plus the particle to.

For instance: to run to walk to read to be to learn to act Infinitives can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in a sentence, but they do not actually function as verbs—they are used to express an action as a concept, rather than what is being done or performed by the subject of a clause.

Participles Participles are forms of verbs that either function with auxiliary verbs to create the continuous and perfect verb tenses, or as adjectives to modify nouns. Every verb except the modal auxiliary verbs has two participle forms: a present participle and a past participle. However, many verbs are irregular, meaning they do not follow this spelling pattern, and they have different past tense and past participle forms. Though they still relate to action, they are not functioning as verbs when used this way.

Categories of verbs There are many different categories of verbs that describe different kinds of actions or states of being. Action Dynamic Verbs Action verbs also known as dynamic verbs describe an active process that results in an effect.

Stative Verbs In contrast to action verbs, stative verbs describe states of being of a subject. These include linking verbs, such as be and verbs of the senses, which are used to describe or rename a subject using a predicative adjective or noun.

Light Verbs Light verbs do not carry unique meaning on their own, but instead rely on another word or words that follow them to become meaningful. Phrasal Verbs Phrasal verbs are verbs that pair with prepositions or particles to create unique, specific meanings. These sentences most often use the conjunction if with one of the verbs to express the conditional situation, and often use modal auxiliary verbs to describe the hypothetical outcome.

Causative Verbs Causative verbs are used to indicate that a person or thing is causing another action or an event to happen.

They are generally followed by a noun or pronouns and an infinitive verb that is not causative, which describes the action that was caused to happen. Factitive Verbs Factitive verbs are used to indicate a condition or state of a person, place, or thing that results from the action of the verb.

Fuller chairman of the board. Reflexive Verbs Reflexive verbs have subjects that are also their direct objects—that is, the action of the verb is both committed and received by the same person or thing.

The objects of transitive reflexive verbs are usually reflexive pronouns. Conjugation When we discuss verbs, we usually must touch upon conjugation. This is the inflection changing of form of verbs to create new meaning in specific contexts.

We generally refer to tense which we looked at briefly above when we talk about conjugation, but verbs experience a large amount of inflection depending on how they are being used in a sentence. For more information, go to the chapter on Conjugation in the part of this guide called Inflection Accidence. What is the function of verbs in a sentence? The predicate of a sentence always contains what kind of verbs? Unlike transitive verbs, intransitive verbs are not able to take which of the following?

Finite and Non-finite Verbs Definition Finite verbs are verbs that have subjects and indicate grammatical tense, person, and number. These verbs describe the action of a person, place, or thing in the sentence.

Unlike other types of verbs, finite verbs do not require another verb in the sentence in order to be grammatically correct. Difference from non-finite verbs Non-finite verbs are verbs that do not have tenses or subjects that they correspond to. Instead, these verbs are usually infinitives, gerunds, or participles. Bare infinitives base form of the verb without to of non-finite verbs are used in conjunction with modal auxiliary verbs, which are considered the finite verb s of the sentence.

Because they do not have the grammatical function of a verb, gerunds are always non-finite. Past Participles Past participles of verbs are used to create non-continuous perfect verb tenses past perfect, present perfect, and future perfect , or else function as adjectives modifying nouns again, either attributively or predicatively.

They are also used when forming the passive voice. However, if the word is being used as an adjective or requires another verb to be complete, then it is a non-finite verb.

Importance to sentence structure Sentences need a finite verb in order to be complete. Without a finite verb, a sentence would simply be a subject, or a subject and other parts of speech that do not express action and are not linked together properly. In order to make complete sentences, a finite verb must be used to describe the action of the car, as well as show how the other parts of the sentence relate to it. This is because it lets the reader know what the car is doing, and it connects the subject to the other parts of the sentence.

We can also see how a using a non-finite verb instead of a finite one would render the sentence incomplete again. Identifying finite verbs Due to the fact that multiple types of verbs can often exist in the same sentence, it is helpful to know some common instances of finite verbs that can help you identify them.

The exceptions to this are modal auxiliary verbs: can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, and must. They come directly after the subject and before main verbs, and help to determine aspect, tense, and mood. Past tense irregular verbs Verbs that are functioning in the past tense not past participles are inherently finite. As we noted above, the majority of verbs have the same form for both past tense and past participle. These are known as regular verbs. To determine if a regular verb is in the past tense or is a past participle and thus finite or non- finite , we have to examine how it is functioning in the sentence.

However, some verbs are irregular, and they have a past tense form that is separate from their past participle form. To learn more, go to the section about Regular and Irregular Verbs. Verbs that immediately follow subjects Finite verbs often directly follow the subjects whose actions they are describing. This location allows for a clear connection between the subject and the verb—it makes it easy for the reader or listener to understand that the verb is describing the action of the subject and not another word in the sentence.

This is because they are often not directly describing the action of the subject, but are instead serving another grammatical purpose in the sentence.

Which of the following is a finite verb? Identify the finite verb in the following sentence. Which of the following verbs in the sentence is not a finite verb? Transitive and Intransitive Verbs Definition English verbs are split into two major categories depending on how they function in a sentence: transitive and intransitive. Transitive verbs take one or more objects in a sentence, while intransitive verbs take no objects in a sentence.

Intransitive Verbs An intransitive verb, on the other hand, describes an action that does not happen to something or someone. Nothing, there is no object receiving the action of ran away. Nothing, there is no object receiving the action of sneeze. Nothing, there is no object receiving the action of sleeps. Intransitive verbs with prepositional phrases When intransitive verbs are modified by prepositional phrases, they can often look like they are transitive because the preposition has its own object; however, this is not the case.

Mnemonic device One way to remember the difference between the two is to think about their names: Transitive verbs transition or transfer an action to a person or thing that receives it.

These are sometimes known as ambitransitive or ergative verbs. Here are some other examples of verbs that function both transitively and intransitively. Most verbs are monotransitive, meaning they only take one object. Monotransitive Verbs A verb that acts upon a single object in a sentence is referred to as monotransitive mono meaning one. This single object is called its direct object. Ditransitive Verbs There are some verbs in English that take two objects: a direct object and an indirect object.

These are known as ditransitive verbs. The direct object relates to the person or thing that directly receives the action of the verb, while the indirect object relates to the person or thing that indirectly receives or benefits from the action as a result.

The indirect object in a ditransitive verb can either come immediately before the direct object in a sentence, or it can form the object of a prepositional phrase using to or for that follows and modifies the direct object. Factitive Verbs Factitive verbs are or appear to be ditransitive as well. Instead of having a direct object that impacts on an indirect object, factitive verbs describe a status, category, quality, or result that the direct object is becoming due to the action of the verb.

This secondary element can be either an object or object complement of the verb. What do all transitive verbs have that intransitive verbs do not?

What kind of verb can be both transitive and intransitive? What kind of verb is in the following sentence? What kind of verb only has a direct object? The past simple tense and past participles of irregular verbs, on the other hand, have many different forms that do not adhere to a distinct or predictable pattern. Much of the time, their past tense and past participle forms are completely different from one another.

Unfortunately, this means that there is no way of determining how to conjugate irregular verbs—we just have to learn each one individually. For most regular verbs, this is the only change to the word. Here are some examples of common regular verbs. Note, however, that this exception only occurs in American English; in other varieties of English, such as British or Australian English, the consonant is still doubled.

See the chapter on Suffixes to learn more about how words change when we add to their endings. Irregular verbs Irregular verbs, by their very definition, do not have spelling rules that we can follow to create the past simple tense and past participles.

This means that the only way of knowing how to spell these forms is to memorize them for each irregular verb individually. Below are just a few examples of some common irregular verbs. Again, the only way to learn these variations is to memorize them. Conjugating present tense and the present participle Although there are stark differences between regular and irregular verbs when it comes to conjugating their past simple tense and past participles, both kinds of verbs do follow the same conventions when creating present participles and present tense in the third person singular the other two elements of verb conjugation.

Note, however, that it still forms the present participle following the same conventions as all other verbs. Which of the following is a regular verb? Which of the following is an irregular verb?

In which of the following ways do regular and irregular verbs conjugate differently? In which of the following ways do regular and irregular verbs conjugate in the same way? They are used to create different tenses or aspects, to form negatives and interrogatives, or to add emphasis to a sentence.

However, they do not have semantic meaning unto themselves. Types of Auxiliary Verbs Here is the complete list of auxiliary verbs: be do have can could will would shall should must may might ought to used to need dare The primary auxiliary verbs are be, do, and have, and they are the most commonly occurring auxiliaries in English.

Each can also be used as a main verb in a clause, and each is able to conjugate to reflect plurality, tense, or aspect.

The verbs can, could, will, would, shall, should, must, may, and might are known as modal auxiliary verbs. The remaining verbs—ought to, used to, need, and dare—are known as semi- modal verbs, since they do not share all the characteristics of the modal verbs above and only function as auxiliary verbs in certain ways.

Creating verb tenses One of the most common uses of auxiliary verbs is to create the continuous and perfect continuous verb tenses as well as the future simple tense.

Identifying auxiliary verbs Auxiliary verbs can be identified by two main criteria: whether the verb is capable of inversion with the subject, and whether it can take the negating adverb not as a postdependent modifier.

An exception to the first two rules is the linking verb be, which can both invert and take not, despite having the function of a main verb. Subject-auxiliary inversion Inversion refers to the reversal of the normal position of the subject and the auxiliary verb of a clause. While it is technically possible for a main verb to invert with its subject, it is much less likely than having an auxiliary verb cause an inversion, due to the fact that subject-auxiliary inversion is commonly used to create interrogative sentences.

Additionally, subject-auxiliary inversion can be used to create conditional sentences, as well as for emphasis in negative sentences when negating phrases are used. Interrogative sentences When a sentence is in the present simple tense or past simple tense, we use the auxiliary verb do to form it into a question word.

Do is inverted with the subject, coming before it in the sentence. Inversion of be Finally, as we mentioned earlier, be is able to invert when it functions as a linking verb meaning it is a main verb as well as when it functions as an auxiliary. The words tombstone and gravestone used to refer to large stone slabs that served as a lid for a tomb or covering for a grave. Also, the human scream has a very particular sound that makes it especially scary and it's a sound shared by the music in scary movies.

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