Grammar Reference

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Sentence Structure

A line of icons has up to four words, always in the order subject – verb – object – conjunction. Word order is strictly fixed. When a word is missing, it's replaced by a space.

In a multi-line sentence, the subject can be omitted after the first line, if it is the same as the first line.

Word Structure

A half-size icon placed under another half-size icon, or an icon within an icon, modifies it to create a new icon.

Within a word, extra icons modify the icons before it.

For a clause with a direct and indirect object, the indirect object modifies the direct object.

Within a word, grouping icons group the icons that follow it, so they act as one meaning. A nested group is shown by the number of lines in the grouping icon. These groups can be thought of as if all the icons within are connected by a hyphen, or surrounded by brackets. It allows for relative clauses to become part of a single word.

Verbs

Verbs are negated with the no, not, none symbol.

Verb tense is shown with the time icon.

Imperative verbs are shown with the ! icon.

Conditional verbs are shown with the conditional icon.

If... then clauses are connected with a conditional icon as a conjunction.

Icon System has no verb 'to be'.

Nouns

Singular/plural is often unspecified, but singular nouns can be shown with the 1 icon, and plural nouns can be shown by the many/few icons, or number icons.

Questions

Use the ? icon in place of the information you're questioning.