Grammar Tips
Read these 48 Grammar Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Writing tips and hundreds of other topics.
Misplaced Modifiers
A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is mistakenly separated from the word it is supposed to describe. As a result, the sentence is awkward, confusing, illogical, and sometimes humorous.
A misplaced modifier can be corrected by moving the modifier to a more sensible place in the sentence, usually next to the word it describes.
Examples:
1. Misplaced: Mary almost read every book in the library. (This means she contemplated reading every book but didn't.)
Correct: Mary read almost every book in the library. (This means she read most, but not all, of the books.)
2. Misplaced: Fred kept a black book of all the girls he had dated in his desk. (This means that Fred dated girls while in his desk.)
Correct: Fred kept in his desk a black book of all the girls he had dated. (This means Fred kept the black book in his desk.)
3. Misplaced: I showed my dog to the veterinarian with the fleas. (This means the veterinarian has fleas.)
Correct: I showed my dog with the fleas to the veterinarian. (This means the dog has fleas.)
4. Misplaced: The fans were told at midnight the concert would begin. (This means the announcement came at midnight. The start time of the concert is ambiguous.)
Correct: The fans were told the concert would begin at midnight. (This means the concert would start at midnight.)
5. Misplaced: Jane only ate bread for dinner. (This means that all Jane did with the bread was eat it; she did not knead the dough or bake it in the oven.)
Correct: Jane ate only bread for dinner. (This means Jane ate bread for dinner and nothing else.)
Writing (Communications): Avoid expletives.
If you're old enough to remember Richard Nixon, you may think "expletives" means naughty words. But, in the sentence- structure sense, an expletive is simply a sentence that begins with "There are" or "It is." It is acceptable to use this structure on occasion, but using it too often will signal a lack of strength and creativity on your part.
Writing (Communications): Avoid exclamation points.
Unless you are writing a children's book or cartoon strip, exclamation points should be avoided. They suggest effusiveness, not a prized quality in business writing. The period is the mark you need for almost all the writing you do--especially business writing. Remember, the exclamation point should be reserved for those rare occasions when you needs to express surprise or excitement.
Fragments
A fragment is a group of words posed as a sentence. However, these word groupings cannot stand alone and make sense.
"Tangled in the jewelry box."
When fragments appear next to other sentences in a specific context, they can be difficult to spot.
"That's when I saw the necklace. Tangled in the jewelry box."
The fragment is usually missing either a subject or a verb. In this case, the question would be what is lying in the middle of the floor? We can answer that if the fragment is in context. In this case the answer is the necklace. To fix the fragment, many times you can put the fragment with another sentence or transform it into a sentence.
"That's when I saw the necklace tangled in the jewelry box."
Or:
"That's when I saw the necklace. It was tangled in the jewelry box."
Some writers use fragments to emphasize other sentences or certain points. If you choose to do so, always make sure the fragment will be easily understood from the surrounding text so your reader will not be confused.
When to Use "Me," I," and "Myself"
"Myself" should never be used as a substitute for "me" or "I."
"Myself" can be used reflexively and a reflexive pronoun can be used in three situations. 1)When the subject and object of the sentence are the same. Ex. "I love myself." 2)As the object of the preposition referring to the subject. Ex. "I bought dinner for myself." 3)Emphasizing subject. Ex. "I'll do it myself."
Now, on to when you should use "me" and when you should use "I."
Use "me" when you are referring to the object of the sentence (someone who has had something done to them. Ex. "Read a story to Timmy and me." It is incorrect to say, "Read a story to Timmy and I."
Use "I" when you are referring to the subject of the sentence (someone who has done something) Ex. "Jerry and I just bought a new house." It is incorrect to say, "Me and Jerry just bought a new house."
Here's a good guide to use in case you can't remember the rules: Take out one of the pronouns to see if the sentence sounds right. With the first example, if you took out Timmy, does "Read a story to I" sound right? No, but "Read a story to me" does. With the second example, take out Jerry. "Me bought a new house" doesn't sound right, but "I bought a house" does.
Compound Sentence
A sentence consisting of two or more independent clauses.
Our Denver office is closed, and our Kansas City office is being remodeled.
Noun Phrase
A phrase that acts as a noun (such as a gerund phrase, infinitive phrase, or prepositional phrase).
I like "running my own business." (Gerund phrase as object.)
"To provide the best service" is our goal. (Infinitive phrase as subject.)
"Before 8" is the best time to call me. (Prepositional phrase as subject.)
Independent Clause
A clause that expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.
Indirect Object
The person or thing indirectly affected by the action of the verb. The indirect object can be made the object of the preposition "to" or "for."
My manager gave (to) me a bonus.
Direct Address
When the speaker or writer addresses another person directly. For example:
Thank you for coming, Bob.
Appositive
A noun or a noun phrase that identifies another noun or pronoun that immediately precedes it.
Mr. Johnson, our neighbor, is a nice man.
Interjection
A word that shows emotion, that usually doesn't have any grammatical connection to the rest of the sentence.
Wow! What a beautiful sunset.
Oh, that's nothing.
Preposition
A connective that shows the relation of a noun or pronoun to some other word in the sentence.
Example:
The members "of the committee" were in agreement.
Self Pronouns
A common error involves the use of compound personal pronouns that end in "self" or "selves." Use of these pronouns requires a noun or pronoun expressed, to which the compound personal pronoun refers, in the same sentence.
Correct: The report was read at the meeting by me.
NOT: The report was read at the meeting by myself.
Correct: I will read the report myself.
Participle
A word that may stand alone as an adjective or combined with helping verbs to form different tenses.
Present Participle: Ends in "ing"; for example--jumping, reading, playing
Past Participle: Regularly ends in "ed" (looked, walked) but may be irregularly formed (lost, seen, written)
Perfect Participle: "having" plus the past participle (having found, having worked)
Correlative Conjunction
Conjunction consisting of two elements used in pairs.
For example:
"both ... and"
"not only ... but also"
"either ... or"
"neither ... nor"
Coordinating Conjunction
Connects words, phrases, or clauses of equal rank.
(and, but, or, nor)
Pronoun Agreement
A pronoun must agree with the word for which the pronoun stands regarding number, gender, and person. This is easily one of the most common grammar errors.
Correct: Each writer can come by my office at his convenience.
Correct: Each writer can come by my office at his or her convenience.
Correct if the group is all female: Each writer can come by my office at her convenience.
NOT: Each writer can come by my office at their convenience.
Proper Noun
The official name of a particular person, place, or thing.
For example:
George
Denver
Thursday
These are always capitalized
Nonessential Elements
Words, phrases, or clauses that are not necessary to complete the sentence, either in meaning or structure.
Infinitive
A verb introducted by "to." An infinitive may be used as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
Noun: To find a good job is a long process. (subject)
She is trying to find a job. (object)
Adjective: I still have two more letters to write. (modifies letters)
Adverb: He went to buy a car. (modifies went)
Contraction
A shortened form of a word or phrase in which an apostrophe indicates the omitted letters or words.
Examples:
Don't (for "do not")
Can't (for "cannot")
Complex Sentence
A sentence with one independent clause and one or more dependent clause.
We will make an exception if circumstances warrant.
Dependent Clause
A clause that does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence.
Singular Pronouns
The following pronouns are always singular and always take a singular verb:
anyone
anybody
anything
each
each one
everyone
everybody
everything
every
many a
someone
somebody
something
either
neither
no one
nobody
nothing
another
one
Dangling Modifier
A modifier that is attached either to no word in a sentence or to the wrong word.
Collective Noun
A noun that representsa group of persons, animals, or things.
Examples:
committee
herd
Compound-Complex Sentence
A sentence with two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
I tried to handle the job alone, but when I began to edit the document, I realized that I needed help.
Parts of Speech
The eight classes into which words are grouped according to their uses.
noun, verb, pronoun, adjective, adverb, conjunction, preposition, interjection
Pronoun
A word used in place of a noun.
Demonstrative: this, that, these, those
Indefinite: each, either, any, anyone, someone, everyone, few, all, etc.
Intensive: myself, herself, etc.
Interrogative: who, why, how, etc.
Personal: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Relative: who, whose, whom, that, and compounds such as whoever.
Simple Sentence
A sentence consisting of one independent clause.
I have no recollection of the meeting.
Parenthetical Elements
Words, phrases, or clauses that are not necessary to the completeness of the structure or meaning of the sentence.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Sheri Ann Richerson |
