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Grammar Guide

A guide to general grammar.

General Grammar Rules

  1. Capitalization: Capitalize the first word of a sentence and proper nouns such as names of people, places, and things.

  2. Punctuation: Use appropriate punctuation marks such as commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation points to convey meaning.

  3. Subject-Verb Agreement: The subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural).

  4. Pronoun Usage: Use pronouns correctly and avoid ambiguity in their reference.

  5. Verb Tenses: Use the correct tense of a verb to indicate when an action is taking place (past, present, or future).

  6. Active vs. Passive Voice: Use active voice to make sentences more direct and engaging.

  7. Adjective and Adverb Usage: Use adjectives to modify nouns and adverbs to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

  8. Prepositions: Use prepositions to indicate the relationship between nouns, pronouns, or other words in a sentence.

  9. Conjunctions: Use conjunctions to connect words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence.

  10. Articles: Use articles (a, an, the) to indicate whether a noun is definite or indefinite.

  11. Sentence Structure: Construct sentences using appropriate syntax and structure.

  12. Spelling: Use correct spelling to ensure clarity and avoid confusion.

  1. Noun: A noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea.

Example: book, teacher, happiness

  1. Pronoun: A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun or noun phrase.

Example: he, she, they

  1. Verb: A verb is a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being.

Example: run, talk, is

  1. Adjective: An adjective is a word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.

Example: happy, blue, tall

  1. Adverb: An adverb is a word that modifies or describes a verb, adjective, or other adverb.

Example: quickly, very, easily

  1. Preposition: A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence.

Example: in, on, at

  1. Conjunction: A conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses.

Example: and, but, or

  1. Interjection: An interjection is a word or phrase used to express strong emotion or surprise.

Example: wow, oh no, hooray

Only proper nouns need to be capitalized, such as cities, names, etc. ​

  • E.g. Alexis, Houston, England​

Titles need to capitalize all words except articles (e.g. of, the, etc.). All major words need to be capitalized. ​

  • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Capitalize the beginning of every sentence and the word “I”.

A singular noun names one person, place, thing, or idea; a plural noun names more than one person, place, thing, or idea. ​

Most singular nouns form the plural by adding -s.​

  • Examples: penguins, donkeys, cats​

A singular noun ending in s, x, z, ch, sh makes the plural by adding-es. ​

  • Examples: buses, pitches, boxes​

A singular noun ending in a consonant and then y makes the plural by dropping the y and adding-ies.​

  • Examples: pennies, bunnies, daisies​

There are some irregular noun plurals. ​These don't follow specific rules and just need to be memorized.

  • Examples: women, elves, data

A singular nouns takes a singular verb while a plural nouns takes a plural verb.​

Examples:

  • My dog always growls at the cat.
  • These shoes are too small for me.

Affect vs Effect

Be careful with effect vs affect. Affect is the action while effect is the result. ​

Examples:

  • That was the effect of evolution. ​
  • That affected me deeply.

A/An vs The

When we are referring to any member of a group we use a/an. In this case, it is not important which one we are talking about.​

  • E.g., I bought a new car.​

If it is a specific member of a group, we need to use the.​

  • E.g., I bought the brown dog.

Their/There/They're

Their refers to ownership of something.

  • That is their book.

There refers to a place that isn’t here.

  • The book is over there.

They’re is a contraction for "They are".

  • They're going to be late.

Your vs You're 

Your indicates possession (it tells that something belongs to you). 

You’re is a contraction for “You are”. 

An article is a type of determiner that precedes and provides information about a noun. There are two main types of articles in English: definite articles and indefinite articles.

The definite article "the" is used to refer to a specific noun or group of nouns that have already been mentioned or are known to both the speaker and the listener.

Examples:

  • The cat is sleeping on the couch. (referring to a specific cat)
  • I need to find the keys to my car. (referring to a specific set of keys)

The indefinite articles "a" and "an" are used to refer to a non-specific or unidentified noun.

Examples:

  • A cat is sleeping on the couch. (referring to any cat)
  • An apple a day keeps the doctor away. (referring to any apple)

It is important to note that "a" is used before words that start with a consonant sound, while "an" is used before words that start with a vowel sound.

The word "preposition" can be broken down into two parts: "pre-" and "position."

  • "Pre-" is a prefix that means "before" or "prior to."
  • "Position" refers to the location or arrangement of something.

A preposition is a word that typically shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Prepositions are usually placed before a noun or pronoun and help to provide more detail about time, location, direction, manner, and other related aspects. 

Here are some examples of prepositions:

  • The book is on the table.
  • He walked through the park.
  • I am going to the store.
  • The cat is hiding under the bed.
  • She is sitting beside him.

In the above examples, "on," "through," "to," "under," and "beside" are all prepositions that provide additional information about the relationship between the subject and the object in the sentence.

A conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence.

Conjunctions are used to show the relationship between different parts of a sentence, including how they are related in terms of time, cause and effect, contrast, and addition.

Here are some examples of sentences with conjunctions:

  • I want to eat pizza, but I'm on a diet. 
  • She is both smart and kind. 
  • We will go to the beach when it stops raining. 
  • He went to the store because he needed milk.

Some common conjunctions in English include:

Introductory words are words or phrases that come at the beginning of a sentence and provide additional information or set the tone for the sentence. They are also known as introductory phrases or clauses.

Here are some rules to keep in mind when using introductory words:

  1. Use a comma after an introductory word or phrase.

Example: However, I still have to finish my homework.

  1. If the introductory word or phrase is short, a comma is optional.

Example: Yes I can help you.

  1. If the introductory word or phrase is very short and closely connected to the rest of the sentence, a comma is not necessary.

Example: At last we arrived.

Here are some examples of common introductory words and phrases:

  1. However: However, the weather was still cold and rainy.

  2. In addition: In addition, we need to consider the cost of the project.

  3. Nevertheless: Nevertheless, I decided to go ahead with the plan.

  4. Furthermore: Furthermore, the company has already begun hiring new staff.

  5. Meanwhile: Meanwhile, the kids were playing in the yard.

  6. Consequently: Consequently, the team lost the game.

  7. Additionally: Additionally, we need to purchase more supplies.

  8. Similarly: Similarly, the two products have many similarities.

  9. On the other hand: On the other hand, some people prefer to live in the city.

  10. In fact: In fact, the experiment yielded surprising results.

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