A Short Guide to GrammarLogan Brundage

Overview

0Sentence Structure0Use of pronouns0Mechanics0Resources

Sentence Structure Independent Clause

Subject and Predicate Verb agreement

Dependent Clause Is the clause essential or nonessential?

Set nonessential clauses apart with commas Relative Clauses

Relative pronouns (that vs. which) Adverb, adjective, and noun clauses

Modifies verb, noun, or serves as subject or direct object

Pronouns

0Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement0Or/Nor=plural0Replacing one

0Neutral Gender0 He or She0 Make plural and use their0 Rewrite without a pronoun

0Each student walks himself or herself to class.0Each student walks to class.

PronounsAvoiding Ambiguity

0 Upgrade!0Ex. His car was the classiest on the block. It demanded the

neighbors’ envy.

0His car was the classiest on the block. The ’67 Chevy demanded the neighbors’ envy.

0 Partnership brings productivity!0Ex. This is unacceptable.

0This behavior is unacceptable.

0 Consolidation!0Ex. I just bought a new house. It is on Walnut Street.

0 I just bought a new house on Walnut Street.

Mechanics Dashes (–) function as a super-comma to add

parenthetical elements or set off lists in informal writing Addition contains internal punctuation

Hyphens (-) Create compound word modifiers before nouns

Well-known Prefixes with capitalization

non-English, A-frame Numbers

More Mechanics Colon….more than just the eyes of a smiley : )

Used before lists or information that is preceded by independent clauses

Reader has a sense of what will follow the colon “Think of the colon as a gate, inviting one to go on:”

The following members were present: the president, the secretary, and the treasurer.

We’ve only got two options: stay or leave. Semi-colon

Aid in monster lists where commas alone would get confusing Separate two independent clauses that are related

We visited Paris, France; London, England; Glasgow, Scotland;and Dublin, Ireland.

He never sleeps through the night; he has RLS.

ResourcesPronounshttp://twp.duke.edu/uploads/media_items/pronouns.original.pdfSentence Structurehttp://twp.duke.edu/uploads/media_items/frag-run-on.original.pdfVerb Tensehttps://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/601/04/Helpful Siteshttp://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/prepositional-phrases.htmlhttp://www.grammar-monster.com/http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/index2.htm