Grammar Guide

Simple Sentences

A simple sentence is an independent clause with no conjunction or dependent clause.

Examples:

• Jo waited for the bus.
• The bus was late.
• Buses are yellow.

Compound Sentences

A compound sentence is two independent clauses joined by a conjunction (e.g., and, but, or, for, nor, yet, so).

Examples:

• We went to the mall and bought shoes.
• I like to read books, but not during the school year.
• I like lions, so I went to the zoo.

Complex Sentences

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Examples:

• Because my coffee was too cold, I heated it in the microwave.
• Although he was wealthy, he was still unhappy.
• She returned the computer after she noticed it was damaged.

Compound-Complex Sentences

A compound-complex sentence contains multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

Examples:

• I will get to watch television, but first, I have to clean up the dishes after we finish eating.
• Sarah cried when her cat got sick, but he soon got better.
• The sun is shining through the clouds, so I think that we can go swimming.

Subject-verb agreement refers to the agreement or correspondence between the subject and the verb in a sentence. In other words, the verb must agree with the number and person of the subject.

Here are some examples of subject-verb agreement:

• Singular subject and singular verb: The cat chases the mouse.

• Plural subject and plural verb: The cats chase the mice.

• Compound subject and plural verb: The cat and the dog chase the mouse.

• Indefinite pronoun subject and singular or plural verb: Everyone knows their own name.

If subject-verb agreement is done incorrectly, the sentence can be confusing and unclear.

For example:

• Incorrect: The group of boys is playing outside.

• Correct: The group of boys are playing outside.

To fix this error, we need to ensure that the verb agrees with the plural subject, "boys", and use the plural verb "are".

Here are some strategies for correcting subject-verb agreement errors:

1. Identify the subject and determine whether it is singular or plural.

2. Identify the verb and ensure that it agrees in number and person with the subject.

3. Make sure to use singular verbs with singular subjects and plural verbs with plural subjects.

4. Pay attention to tricky subject-verb agreement situations, such as compound subjects or indefinite pronouns.

5. Read the sentence out loud to ensure that it sounds correct and makes sense.

Active voice is a grammatical structure where the subject performs the action of the verb, while in the passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb.

Here are some examples of active and passive voice:

Active: Sarah ate the sandwich.

Passive: The sandwich was eaten by Sarah.

In the active voice, Sarah is the subject and performs the action of eating the sandwich. In the passive voice, the sandwich is the subject and receives the action of being eaten by Sarah.

Here are the steps to make a passive sentence into an active sentence:

1. Identify the subject and object of the passive sentence.
2. Move the object of the passive sentence to the subject position in the active sentence.
3. Add a suitable verb in the active voice to agree with the new subject.
4. Omit the auxiliary verb "be" used in the passive sentence.
5. Add any necessary prepositions or articles.

Verb tenses are used to indicate the time frame in which an action or event takes place. The three primary verb tenses are past, present, and future. Each tense has four forms: simple, progressive (also called continuous), perfect, and perfect progressive.

By using the appropriate verb tense and form, you can effectively communicate when an action or event occurred, is occurring, or will occur.

1. Simple Form: This form of the verb tense is used to describe an action that happened in the past, is happening in the present, or will happen in the future. It is the most basic form of the verb tense and is often used in simple sentences. Example: She walks to work every day.

2. Progressive Form: This form of the verb tense is used to describe an action that is ongoing or in progress at a specific point in time. It is formed by using a form of "be" (am, is, are) and the present participle (-ing form) of the verb. Example: She is walking to work right now.

3. Perfect Form: This form of the verb tense is used to describe an action that was completed at a specific point in the past or up to the present moment. It is formed by using a form of "have" (have, has, had) and the past participle of the verb. Example: She has walked to work every day this week.

4. Perfect Progressive Form: This form of the verb tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still ongoing up to the present moment, or up to a specific point in the past. It is formed by using a form of "have been" (have been, has been, had been) and the present participle (-ing form) of the verb. Example: She has been walking to work every day this week.

Adjectives and adverbs are both types of modifiers that provide additional information about other words in a sentence. However, they differ in their function and placement within a sentence.

An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, providing more information about the object being described. Adjectives usually answer the questions: what kind?, which one?, how many?, and how much?

Examples:

• The red car drove by quickly. (The adjective "red" describes the noun "car")
• She is wearing a beautiful dress. (The adjective "beautiful" describes the noun "dress")
• We saw three black cats outside. (The adjective "black" describes the noun "cats," while "three" answers the question "how many?")

On the other hand, an adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb, providing more information about how the action is being performed. Adverbs usually answer the questions: how?, when?, where?, to what extent?, and why?

Examples:

• The car drove by quickly. (The adverb "quickly" describes how the car is being driven)
• She sings beautifully. (The adverb "beautifully" describes how she sings)
• They arrived late to the party. (The adverb "late" describes when they arrived)

It is important to note that some words can be used as both adjectives and adverbs depending on their placement in a sentence. For example, the word "fast" can be an adjective when describing a noun, as in "a fast car," or an adverb when describing a verb, as in "she drives fast."

In order to use adjectives and adverbs correctly, it is important to understand their function and placement in a sentence. Adjectives come before the noun they modify, while adverbs can be placed before or after the verb, adjective, or other adverb they modify.