GRAMMAR RULES Grammar by Mary Ann Hudson is

GRAMMAR RULES! Grammar by Mary Ann Hudson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non. Commercial-Share. Alike 4. 0 International License.

CAPITALIZATION

Proper Nouns and Common Nouns Capitalize proper nouns �specific places, people, or things Mississippi River, Troy University, 123 Salem Street Governor Bentley, Aunt Lorene Civil War, the Bible Do not capitalize common nouns �general places, people, or things a river, a college, the street the governor, my aunt a war, a book I live on

Titles Before People’s Names Capitalize a person’s title when it is used before or in place of his or her name �Doctor Jackson ; Professor James �I asked Mom to pick me my after softball practice. Do not capitalize a title when it is used after a possessive pronoun or alone �my coach; the biology professor

Quotations The first word of a quoted sentence should be capitalized but not the first word of a quoted phrase. �My brother said, “Your floppy hat makes your face look like a ball. ” �My mom advised me not to wear “that floppy hat. ”

Interrupted Quotations Capitalize the second part of an interrupted quotation only if it begins a new sentence. �“My newborn daughter is just as beautiful, ” she sobbed, “as we dreamed she would be. ” �“My newborn daughter is just as beautiful as we dreamed she would be, ” she sobbed. “Life is going to be so exciting!”

Title and Subtitles No matter the genre (book, article, poem, movie, etc…), capitalize the first and last words and all other important words in the title. Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), and prepositions (with, for, from, by, at, in, of, to).

COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS

Commonly Confused Words Accept/Except �Accept – to receive willingly �Except – excluding �Did everyone in the class accept his excuse except me?

Commonly Confused Words Affect/Effect �Affect – verb; to change �Effect – noun; a result �Effective political officials can positively affect the whole country.

Commonly Confused Words A lot � allot; alot; a lot �Those girls have a lot of nerve! Could’ve, Should’ve, Would’ve �could HAVE, should HAVE, would HAVE,

Commonly Confused Words Its, It’s �Its – possessive pronoun �It’s – contraction for “it is” or “it has” �You know it’s going to be a long day when your car overheats its engine on the way to school.

Commonly Confused Words Than/Then �Than – used to compare �Then – used to indicate a time sequence �I got depressed when I realized that my niece is taller than I am; then, I remembered that most people are.

Commonly Confused Words Their/There/They’re �Their – possessive �There – tells where �They’re – contraction for “they are” �They’re exams. in there taking their

Commonly Confused Words To/Too/Two �To – tells direction �Too – also or excessively �Two – the number �You need to give two dollars to Sophie. Give her the lunch box, too. I will carry her book bag because she has too much to carry with her two hands.

Commonly Confused Words Who’s/Whose �Who’s – contraction for “who is” or “who has” �Whose – possessive �Who’s video? watching whose

Commonly Confused Words Your/You’re �Your – possessive �You’re – contraction for “you are” �You’re going to have to use your own car.

Commonly Confused Words Since/Sense �Since – indicates a time span �Sense – five senses, common sense �Jane sensed more stress in Paul ever since he came back from New York.

Commonly Confused Words Threw/Through �Threw – past tense of the verb “throw” �Through – preposition �Colton threw his football through the goal post.

Commonly Confused Words A/An �A – used before consonant sounds �An – used before vowel sounds �An RN student will have a heavy class load. �A registered nursing student will have an awfully hard schedule her first semester.

Commonly Confused Words Ever/Every �Ever – at all times; at any time �Every – each �Have you ever wondered if the dolphins come close to shore every day?

Commonly Confused Words Definitely �Not definantly �Not definately �Not defiantly – (which means acting against authority) �Behaving defiantly to your parents will definitely get you grounded!

Commonly Confused Words Right/Write �Right – opposite of left; correct �Write – verb �My best friend was right! It is important to write down all the math formulas.

Commonly Confused Words Allowed/Aloud �Allowed – with permission �Aloud - verbally �The children weren’t allowed talk during class aloud.

NUMBER USAGE

Number Usage Spell out numbers when: �You can do so in one or two words eight; twenty-seven; three thousand Hyphenate ninety-nine �They One any number between twenty-one and begin a sentence hundred thirty instructors attended the webinar. We invited 125 guests to the retirement party.

Number Usage Use digits: � When a number cannot be expressed in one or two words (670; 20, 333) � In addresses (765 East Three Notch Street) � In dates (December 25, 2015; the 1920 s) � In decimals and fractions (30. 6; 3 ½) � Parts of written works (chapter 6; page 123) � Percentages (65 percent; 65%)

PARALLELISM

In a Series or List Parallel = same grammatical form � nouns: Please get bread and milk at the store. � same-tense verbs: The football coach told us to run, walk, and then jog the length of the football field. � –ing verbs: Reading and writing your notes are good study tools. � infinitive I phrases: promised my dad to clean out the garage, to take out the garbage and to mow the lawn.

In a Series or List Singing, smiling, and to laugh are important for good mental health. � Singing, smiling, and laughing are important for good mental health. She is a terrible welder because she skips classes, performs welds improperly, and her work ethic is poor. � She is a terrible welder because she skips classes, performs welds improperly, and lacks work ethic.

On a Resume Headings and verbs should be parallel June 2011 -present Welder, Shaw Industries Repair and install storage tanks July 2008 -May 2010 Caterpillar Machine operator, Operated front end loader and supervised crew. April 2005 -June 2008 Cashier, IGA Worked at register and bagged Job titles are parallel nouns Parallel presenttense verbs because applicant is currently employed Parallel pasttense verbs because applicant is no longer employed at these jobs

PRONOUNANTECEDENT AGREEMENT

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Antecedent = the person, place, or thing to which the pronoun refers. Grandpa George, took his car out of the shop. Henry, and Susan turned in their report. �His, him, her, and one refer to singular nouns.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Pronouns and antecedents must agree in number Singular: �A welder must perform (their/his or her) best to get a good job. � A president should inspire citizens to believe in (them/him or her). Plural: � Welders must perform (their/his or her) best to get a good job. � Presidents are people who can inspire citizens to believe in (them/him or her).

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Indefinite pronouns are considered singular �Someone sent (their/his or her) letter to the wrong address. �Everyone in fitness class completed (their/his or her) mile run. �Each of the dogs (are/is) doing (their/her) great in training.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Repeatedly using “his or her, ” “him or her, ” and “one” sounds awkward. Everyone in yoga did his or her best. All of the yoga students did their best. One must study properly to pass his or her NUR 103 class. NUR 103 students must study properly to pass the nursing class.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Ambiguous reference occurs when the pronoun could refer to more than one antecedent �After I connected the VCR to the television, it exploded. �After I connected the VCR to the television, the VCR exploded.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Use “you” only when referring to your reader Use “who” or “whom” (not “that”) when referring to people

PRONOUNS

Pronouns Replace people’s names: �I, me, my, mine, we, us, ours, they, theirs, your, yours, he, him, his, she, hers Think back to the Me/I trick �My nephew always tags along with my friends and (me/I). Pretend no one else is in the list

Pronouns The toddlers were excited to eat (my/mine) and your cupcakes. (Us/We) students get tired of school, too! (They/Them) and their younger sister cheer for Auburn.

Pronouns You and (her/she) should work on the research paper together. (Your/You) and her welding beads are good quality. (Her/She) and George have finished the Electronics exam.

REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS

Reflexive Pronouns Take the place of nouns when they do something to themselves end in –self (singular) or –selves (plural) Mac. Kenzie registered herself for MTH 101. � Daulton and Colton was singing to themselves. �

Reflexive Pronouns YES!!! NOOOO!! Myself Yourselves Ourselves Themselves Himself Herself Itself Hisself Ourself Theirselves

SENTENCES AND PUNCTUATION

Dependent vs. Independent Clauses A dependent clause usually begins with a subordinating word and does contain at least one subject and verb. � When I was eighteen. � After I finish washing and waxing the car. An independent clause contains a subject and a verb, but it also expresses a complete thought. � I loved playing Monopoly. � I plan to watch a movie. Dependent clauses and independent clauses can be combined. � I loved playing Monoploy when I was eighteen. � After I finish washing and waxing the car, I plan to watch a

Sentence Fragments A fragment occurs when a dependent clause begins with a subordinating word and is NOT attached to an independent clause. � I am planning on living at the beach. Because I like the sound of the waves. If you have this type of fragment, you have two options to correct it: 1. Attach the dependent clause to a related independent clause: � � I am planning on living at the beach because I like the sound of the waves. Because I like the sound of the waves, I am planning on living at the beach. If you begin a sentence with a subordinating word like I did here, place a comma before the independent clause. 2. Remove the subordinating word: I am planning on living at the beach. I like the sound of the waves.

Sentence Fragments, continued… Fragments also occur if a clause is simply missing a subject or a verb. �If the sentence is missing a subject, add one. Just tried to change the channel. I just tried to change the channel. �If the sentence is missing a complete verb, add one. The welding course becoming difficult until my instructor demonstrated the weld procedure. The welding course was becoming difficult until my instructor demonstrated the weld procedure.

Comma Sense Parenthetical Information and Interrupters �Provide extra explanation which could be removed from the sentence without affecting its meaning My nephew, who is in seventh grade, is a huge Alabama fan. The man in the red baseball cap waved frantically. By exercising thirty minutes per day, of course, people can greatly improve their health. If you eat ice cream every night, however, you still

Comma Sense Coordinating Conjunctions (fanboys) �for �and �nor �but �or �yet �so

Comma Sense Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) can join independent clauses with a comma placed before the conjunction but my parents hate it. � We can go to the park, or would you rather go to �I love this kind of music, the mall? � She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. � She is clothed with strength and dignity laughs without fear of the future. and

Comma Sense Direct address � Class, your attendance has been great! � I have to admit, Shane, that I did not see that coming! Between adjectives telling what kind when you could use the word “and” � Melissa is a talented, graceful dancer. � That old blue car is a clunker. Separate words or phrases that might be mistakenly joined when they are read.

Comma Sense Commas set off introductory words or phrases �Adverbs (How? When? How often? Where? To what extent? ) Surprisingly, she left quietly rather than causing a scene. Every time I see a cute kid, I remind myself how awesome it is to sleep through the night. In the syllabus, you will find the grading criteria. �Prepositional adverbs) From Phrases (function as time to time, we all get discouraged.

Comma Sense Yes or No � Interjections � Oh, I didn’t know he was going with us. � Wow, that escalated quickly. Tag questions � You haven’t lived here long, have you? Addresses � Yes, you do have to clean your room before you can leave. Send donations to Human Rights Campaign, 1640 Rhode Island Avenue, Washington, DC 20036. Places � I lived in Montgomery, Alabama, for almost three years. � I lived in Montgomery for almost three years. Dates � December 21, 2012, was not the end of the world afterall.

Comma Practice 1. 2. 3. 4. My brother who acts like a complete idiot got a scholarship but I did not! September 11 2001 is one of those days we will always remember. I was attending class in Auburn Alabama. Every now and then we all need restful quiet days. Josh I need Tylenol a magazine and some water and you need to hurry.

Colons: HB 78 Colons are used for the following purposes: � To emphasize what follows the colon After reflecting on the past year, I have learned one valuable lesson: never take a single day for granted! � To abruptly introduce an explanation, a list, or a quotation She also voices some common concerns: “The product should be safe, easily accessible, and low-priced. ” You learned a few things today: time management, organization, and communication skills. You learned a few things today, including time management, organization, and communication skills. You learned a few things today, such as time management,

Semi-colons; HB-67 Can replace a period if the two sentences (independent clauses) are closely related � I only have terrifying memories of that place; I never want to go back there again. Can separate two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb + comma � I only have terrifying memories of that place; therefore, I never want to go back there again. Should be used between items in a list that includes commas Marcus has three siblings: Lillie, Matthew, and Lorrie. � Marcus has three siblings: Lillie, who was in the Air Force; �

Run-On Sentences (Comma Splices and Fused Sentences) Commas (alone) = Periods, semi-colons, and conjunctions =

Run-On Sentences (Comma Splices and Fused Sentences) Comma splice – when independent clauses are joined with only a comma �My instructor is obsessed with correcting run-on sentences, she claims we will benefit from her obsession. Fused sentence – when independent clauses are joined with nothing at all My instructor is obsessed with correcting runon sentences she claims we will benefit from her obsession.

Correcting Run-On Sentences 1. Separate the independent clauses with a period. My instructor is obsessed with correcting run -on sentences. She claims we will benefit from her obsession. 2. Add a comma and a coordinating conjunction. My instructor is obsessed with correcting run -on sentences, but she claims we will

Correcting Run-On Sentences 3. Separate the independent clauses with a semicolon *Semi-colons can be used alone or with conjunctive adverbs My instructor is obsessed with correcting run -on sentences; she claims we will benefit from her obsession. My instructor is obsessed with correcting run -on sentences; however, she claims we

Correcting Run-On Sentences 4. Add a subordinating conjunction My instructor is obsessed with correcting run -on sentences because she claims we will benefit from her obsession. Because she claims we will benefit from her with obsession, my instructor is obsessed correcting run-on sentences.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

First, a little review… The verb in a sentence is: � the action taking place Mason � the hit his first homerun today! state of being am, is, are, was, were, being, been I was exhausted after moving furniture. The subject of a sentence is the noun or pronoun that is either performing the action or is in the state of being. � Dinner is on the table. � The price of gasoline skyrockets occasionally.

What doesn’t match? When John and Drew was both running after the ball, they collided. The goals I want to accomplish in the next ten years is to graduate college, get married, and start a family. Where does your parents live?

Subject-Verb Agreement Subjects and verbs must agree in number � Singular subjects need singular verbs Trick: verb forms that match “he” or “she” are singular He run/runs. She was/were correct. � Plural subjects need plural verbs Trick: verb forms that match “they” are plural They run/runs. They was/were correct. dance: she _____; they _____ is: she _____; they _____

Compound Subjects joined with “and” require a plural verb � Remember: My verbs that match “they” are plural aunt and uncle (live/lives) in Montgomery. Think “they live? ” or “they lives? ” Steak, chicken, and fish (is/are) the main meat sources. Think “they is? ” or “they are? ” Unless the subject is generally understood to be a single object

Compound Subjects joined with “or” or “nor” can require either a singular or a plural verb, depending on the subject located closest to the verb �Chicken or tuna (is/are) better for you than steak. Think “tuna is? ” or “tuna are? ” �Chicken steak. �Either and tuna (is/are) better for you than you or she (is/are) mistaken. �Neither the teacher nor his students (was/were)

To avoid confusion… Ignore any words between the subject and verb �The words on the page are running together. �The price of oysters (fluctuate/fluctuates) according to seasonal demand. �Those “mayhem” commercials about insurance (is/are) hilarious!

UNNECESSARY WORDS

“Quite, ” “Very, ” and other Empty Words Be concise, eliminating unnecessary words Only use “quite, ” “very, ” and “really” to intensify what you say �Quite hungry = famished �Very unique = unique �Really smart = brilliant

Empty Words Accepted by five Ivy League schools, Jackson seems to be facing an apparently very difficult decision. � 16 words Accepted by five Ivy League schools, Jackson is facing a difficult decision. � 12 words � Means the same thing as the first sentence!

There are, It is Do not start many sentences with “There are” or “It is”; more concise and impactful ways do exist It is necessary for Americans today to learn to speak more than one language. � Americans today must learn to speak more than one language. There are four large moons and more than thirty small ones that orbit Jupiter. � Four large moons and more than thirty small ones orbit Jupiter.

Redundancies Eliminate words or phrases that are unnecessary for your meaning. �Painting the house purple in color will make it stand out from the many white houses in town. �Dashing quickly into the street, the young girl was almost hit by a car. �How much wood is sufficient enough for the fire to burn all night?

Who/Whom he she they him her them Who m

Who/Whom My best friend, (who/whom) I met in sixth grade, recently moved away. � (Who/Whom) first said that famous quote? � Trick: “He” or “Him” first said that famous quote. It was Abraham Lincoln, (who/whom) was the sixteenth president of the United States. � Trick: I met “she” or “her” in sixth grade. Trick: “he” or “him” was the sixteenth president. (Who/Whom) did you invite to come with us? � Trick: I invited “they” or “them” to come with us.

Me/I If you are in a list of people, put yourself last. When trying to decide between me and I, mentally take the other person or people out of the sentence. � My big brother and (me/I) have always loved motorcycles. (Remember to put yourself last; not “Me and my big brother…”) � My little sister always wants to hang out with my

Me/I Here is another phrase replacement trick: �We =I �Us = me My family and (me/I) go to the beach every summer. Between you and (me/I), I think he’s going to pass.