Grammar Notes

Grammar Power Point Review

Action Verb-A verb is an action anything you can do is a verb.
Run, jump, play, read, think, wish, create, cry, panic, fart

Being Verb- a verb is a state of being. Being means the words: be, been, being, is, are, and was, were

Helping Verbs-Being verbs are called helping verbs when they are next to action verbs.
Be, been, being, is, are, was, and were
was being, should be, had been, might have been
do, does, did,
shall, should, will, would, can, could,
may, might, must

Helping verbs are next to action verbs. Helping verbs help complete the action.
Be, been, being, is, are, was, and were
was being, should be, had been, might have been
do, does, did,
shall, should, will, would, can, could,
may, might, must
Find the verbs in these sentences
I should have finished my homework.
I am running five miles tonight.
Michael will be talking to his mother tomorrow.


Noun is a person place thing or idea

Concrete noun is a person place or thing

Abstract noun is an idea

Pronoun takes the place of nouns that name a person or thing
I, me, she, her, he, him, we, you, they, it

Adjective describe a noun
young, pretty, sexy, red, tall, short, fat, gooey
Adverb describes a verb, adjective, or an adverb
very, often, slow, fast,

He skillfully creates superb dishes.
Nan played exceptionally well this spring.
We eagerly went to the beach.

Interjection a word that expresses emotion. It has no other relations to any other words in the sentence. oh, wow, yikes
Conjunction join words and sentences together
and, but, or, nor, so, yet
My sister and I went to school.
The dog died but not the cat.
We played and ate all day.
My mom is a nurse, and my dad is a doctor.

A Complete Sentence-has a noun, a verb, and a complete thought.

Sentences that can be used to correct run-on sentences

A run-on sentence is complete sentences smashed together as one. Here are three options for correcting a run-on.

Example run-on
Kelly came with us, Sue stayed home.

This sentence is wrong because a comma is not strong enough to hold to ideas together.

Option 1 A comma and a conjunction
Kelly came with us, but Sue stayed home.

Option 2 Semicolon
Kelly came with us; Sue stayed home.

Option 3 Complex Sentence
Although Kelly came with us, Sue stayed home.

Comma Notes
• Use a comma to separate the elements in a series (three or more things), including the last two. "He hit the ball, dropped the bat, and ran to first base."
• Use a comma + a little conjunction (and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so) to connect two independent clauses, as in "He hit the ball well, but he ran toward third base."
• Use a comma to set off introductory elements, as in "Running toward third base, he suddenly realized how stupid he looked."
• Use a comma to set off parenthetical elements, as in "The Founders Bridge, which spans the Connecticut River, is falling down." By "parenthetical element," we mean a part of a sentence that can be removed without changing the essential meaning of that sentence.
• Appositives are almost always treated as parenthetical elements.
• Calhoun's ambition, to become a goalie in professional soccer, is within his reach.
• Eleanor, his wife of thirty years, suddenly decided to open her own business.
• Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives. You could think of this as "That tall, distinguished, good looking fellow" rule (as opposed to "the little old lady"). If you can put an and or a but between the adjectives, a comma will probably belong there. For instance, you could say, "He is a tall and distinguished fellow" or "I live in a very old and run-down house." So you would write, "He is a tall, distinguished man" and "I live in a very old, run-down house." But you would probably not say, "She is a little and old lady," or "I live in a little and purple house," so commas would not appear between little and old or between little and
• Use a comma to set off quoted elements. Summing up this argument, Peter Coveney writes, "The purpose and strength of the romantic image of the child had been above all to establish a relation between childhood and adult consciousness."
• "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many things."
• "I should like to buy an egg, please," she said timidly. "How do you sell them?"
• Grammar English's Famous Rule of Punctuation: Never use only one comma between a subject and its verb.
Subject Verb Agreement Notes
• Basic Principle: Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need plural verbs. My brother is a nutritionist. My sisters are mathematicians.
• The indefinite pronouns anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody are always singular and, therefore, require singular verbs.
• Everyone has done his or her homework.
• Somebody has left her purse.
Some indefinite pronouns — such as all, some — are singular or plural depending on what they're referring to. (Is the thing referred to countable or not?) Be careful choosing a verb to accompany such pronouns.
• Some of the beads are missing.
• Some of the water is gone.
The conjunction or does not conjoin (as and does): when nor or or is used the subject closer to the verb determines the number of the verb. Whether the subject comes before or after the verb doesn't matter; the proximity determines the number.
• Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house.
• Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house.

Capitalization
The first word of every sentence.
The first-person singular pronoun, I.
The first, last, and important words in a title. (The concept "important words" usually does not include articles, short prepositions (which means you might want to capitalize "towards" or "between," say), the "to" of an infinitive, and coordinating conjunctions. This is not true in APA Reference lists (where we capitalize only the first word), nor is it necessarily true for titles in other languages. Also, on book jackets, aesthetic considerations will sometimes override the rules.)
Proper nouns
Specific persons and things: George W. Bush, the White House, General Motors Corporation.
Specific geographical locations: Hartford, Connecticut, Africa, Forest Park Zoo, Lake Erie, the Northeast, the Southend. However, we do not capitalize compass directions or locations that aren't being used as names: the north side of the city; we're leaving the Northwest and heading south this winter. When we combine proper nouns, we capitalize attributive words when they precede place-names, as in Lakes Erie and Ontario, but the opposite happens when the order is reversed: the Appalachian and Adirondack mountains. When a term is used descriptively, as opposed to being an actual part of a proper noun, do not capitalize it, as in "The California deserts do not get as hot as the Sahara Desert."
Names of celestial bodies: Mars, Saturn, the Milky Way. Do not, howver, capitalize earth, moon, sun, except when those names appear in a context in which other (capitalized) celestial bodies are mentioned. "I like it here on earth," but "It is further from Earth to Mars than it is from Mercury to the Sun.
Names of newspapers and journals. Do not, however, capitalize the word the, even when it is part of the newspaper's title: the Hartford Courant.
Days of the week, months, holidays. Do not, however, capitalize the names of seasons (spring, summer, fall, autumn, winter). "Next winter, we're traveling south; by spring, we'll be back up north."
Historical events: World War I, the Renaissance, the Crusades.
Races, nationalities, languages: Swedes, Swedish, African American, Jewish, French, Native American. (Most writers do not capitalize whites, blacks.)
Names of religions and religious terms: God, Christ, Allah, Buddha, Christianity, Christians, Judaism, Jews, Islam, Muslims.
Names of courses: Economics, Biology 101. (However, we would write: "I'm taking courses in biology and earth science this summer.")
Brand names: Tide, Maytag, Chevrolet.
Names of relationships only when they are a part of or a substitute for a person's name. (Often this means that when there is a modifier, such as a possessive pronoun, in front of such a word, we do not capitalize it.)
Let's go visit Grandmother today. Let's go visit my grandmother today.
I remember Uncle Arthur. I remember my Uncle Arthur. My uncle is unforgettable.
This also means that we don't normally capitalize the name of a "vocative" or term of endearment:
Can you get the paper for me, hon?
Drop the gun, sweetie. I didn't mean it.


Capitalizing People's Titles
and the Names of Political Entities
One of the most frequently asked questions about capitalization is whether or not to capitalize people's job titles or the names of political or quasi-political entities. Most writing manuals nowadays seem to align themselves with the tendency in journalistic circles: less is better. When a title appears as part of a person's name, usually before the name, it is capitalized: Professor Farbman (or Professor of Physics Herschel Farbman), Mayor Perez, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. On the other hand, when the title appears after the name, it is not capitalized: Herschel Farbman, professor of history; Eddie Perez, mayor of the city of Hartford; Juan Carlos, king of Spain. Although we don't capitalize "professor of history" after the individual's name, we would capitalize department and program names when they are used in full*: "He worked in the Department of Behavioral Sciences before he started to teach physics." (We do not capitalize majors or academic disciplines unless they refer to a language, ethnic group, or geographical entity: Roundbottom is an economics major, but he loves his courses in French and East European studies.)

1. FOUR WAYS TO COMBINE SENTENCES
   1. Use a period (S1. S2.)

Ø The girl liked the boy. The boy did not like the girl.

2. Use a semicolon (S1; s2.)

Ø The girl liked the boy; the boy did not like the girl.

3. Use a comma and a conjunction (S1, cc s2.)

Ø The girl liked the boy, but the boy did not like the girl.

4. Use a semicolon, a transition word, and a comma (S1; t, s2.)

Ø The girl liked the boy; however, the boy did not like the girl.

2. COMMA RULES
   1. Between two adjectives of equal rank

Ø The hot, sandy beach is beautiful.

2. Between three or more parallel items in a series

Ø I like hiking, running, and bowling.

Ø Jennifer ate cereal, grapefruit, and bacon.

Ø I went to the mall, played with my dog, and ran six miles.

3. After introductory phrases

Ø In the middle of the night, I got up to get some water.

Ø Under the large oak tree, we ate grapes and crackers.

Ø When I am late for school, my first period teacher gets angry.

Ø If you won’t leave me alone, I will go to the principal.

Ø As you can see, our football team is the best.

Ø Although I really like Italian food, Chinese is my favorite.

4. To introduce quotes or to end quotes and continue a thought

Ø John said, “Come here for a second.”

Ø “You are so funny,” Amy laughed.

5. To set off nouns of direct address (in other words, to set off names when someone is talking to someone else and using his or her name)

Ø Tim, could you come here?

Ø Just listen, Maggie, and you will understand what I am talking about.

Ø I really want you to come back home, Ted.

6. To set off nonessential information (extra information that is not needed to make the sentence a complete thought)

Ø The interstate, which was built in 1953, makes it easier to get to work.

Ø Morganton, located twenty miles from here, is overpopulated.

Ø The math teacher, I believe, is the best we have.

Ø This class, in my opinion, is very boring.

7. To set off appositives (when something is renamed)

Ø Kim, a girl in my class, yelled at the teacher.

Ø Mrs. Jones, my third grade teacher, was really nice.

8. Between two sentences joined with a conjunction (FANBOYS = for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

Ø I like to play basketball, and I like to play football.

Ø Jennifer runs track, but she doesn’t play volleyball.

Ø I can go with you, or I can stay at John’s house.

Ø I will study, for I want to go to college.

Ø She does not like carrots, so she picked them out of her salad.

9. Between a city and a state

Ø I live in Asheville, North Carolina.

Ø I work in Marion, North Carolina.

3. CAPITALIZATION
   1. Capitalize proper nouns
   2. Capitalize all languages, continents, countries, cities, and nationalities

Ø American, British, German, New York, Russian, South America, Marion, Georgia, Vietnamese, etc.

4. WATCH FOR SPELLING ERRORS

5. PARALLELISM
   1. The same grammatical forms/structures must be used to balance related ideas in a sentence

Ø I like to run, to play, and to sing.

Ø I enjoy going to the mountains, traveling to the beach, and flying to the Bahamas.

Ø My parents promised to buy me a video camera and to let me use it on a field trip.

6. REMEMBER THE CORRECT FORM OF PRONOUNS
   1. These are not words: Hisself, Theirself, Theirselves, Themselfs
   2. These are the correct words: Himself and Themselves

7. “Lets” is NOT a word (you must use an apostrophe before the s!)
   1. Let’s = let us

Ø Let’s go to the mall.

Ø Let’s eat at McDonald’s.

8. PUNCTUATING TITLES
   1. Underline anything that can stand alone

Ø Novels

Ø Plays

Ø Epics

Ø Movies

Ø CDs

2. Use quotations marks for anything that is shorter or is a part of something larger

Ø Short Stories

Ø Poems

Ø Songs

Ø Television Programs

3. Some of the selections we read in English I are To Kill a Mockingbird, “The Scarlet Ibis,” The Odyssey, “Casey at the Bat,” and Romeo and Juliet.
4. My favorite song is “Crash Into Me,” and my favorite album is Purple Rain.

9. VERB TENSE IN A PASSAGE
   1. Remember that most selections are written in present tense. If the verb in question is in past tense, quickly scan other verbs in the selection to see what tense they are in . . . Nine times out of ten, the passage will be written in present tense.

10. WRITE OUT NUMBERS
    1. Always write out numbers 1 – 10

Ø I have one cat and two dogs.

Ø My family owns three cars.

2. Write out numbers 10 – 99 if there is a choice
3. Always write out any number that begins a sentence (even if it is larger than 100)

Ø Four hundred men marched through Berlin.

Ø One million dollars is the prize money.

11. INTERRUPTING WORDS
    1. Some words can function as both transition words and interrupters

Ø These transition words come between two complete sentences. They are preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma.

1. I like lasagna; however, spaghetti is my favorite food.

2. Jenna is pretty; moreover, she is homecoming queen.

3. I run cross country; furthermore, I run track.

Ø These interrupters simply interrupt the normal flow of the sentence and do not join two sentences. Commas surround them.

1. Sheila, however, is too loud.

2. I ran to the store, but John, however, walked.

3. However, the mall closes at nine.

12. DOUBLE NEGATIVES
    1. Do not use two negative words in one sentence

Ø Not, no, none, nothing, never, hardly, barely, scarcely

Ø couldn’t, shouldn’t, wouldn’t, won’t, can’t, couldn’t, don’t, doesn’t, wasn’t, isn’t, weren’t, aren’t

13. SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
    1. Singular subjects require singular verbs (singular verbs end in “s”)

Ø Ms. Ward wants her students to do well on the EOC.

2. Plural subjects require plural verbs (plural verbs do not end in “s”)

Ø The students want to do well on the EOC.

3. Make sure you identify the true subject à your subject will not come after the preposition “of”

Ø One of the girls wants to go to the dance.

Ø Many of the students want to go to the dance.

14. ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE VOICE
    1. Use active voice in writing
    2. Active Voice = subject comes before the verb

Ø Ms. Ward teaches her students English.

3. Passive Voice = verb comes before the subject

Ø The students are taught English by Ms. Ward.

4. To find the subject, identify the verb and ask who or what is completing the action of the verb à make sure the sentence is active by determining if the subject appears before the verb in the sentence à if not, re-write the sentence by moving the subject in front of the verb and making the verb agree with the new subject

15. POSSESSIVE NOUNS
    1. Be sure apostrophes in possessive nouns are used correctly
    2. Rules for making nouns possessive

Ø Singular: add ‘s (cat’s tail)

Ø Plural that ends in “s”: add ‘ after the s (cats’ tails)

Ø Plural that doesn’t end in “s”: add ‘s (children’s books)

3. Remember not to put apostrophes in possessive pronouns

Ø His, hers, yours, ours, theirs, its

16. INCORRECT USAGE
    1. Would of, should of, could of à INCORRECT!

Ø Would have, should have, could have

17. FRAGMENTS
    1. Group of words that does not express a complete thought
    2. Make sure the sentence has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought

18. RUN-ONS
    1. Two or more sentences joined incorrectly

Ø No punctuation or conjunctions

Ø No comma before coordinating conjunction

Ø Several sentences joined with conjunctions

Ø Two sentences joined with only a comma

19. COMMA SPLICE
    1. Incorrectly joining two sentences with only a comma
    2. Must put a conjunction after the comma

Ø I was sick on Monday, I stayed home from school. (comma splice)

Ø I was sick on Monday, so I stayed home from school. (correct)

20. Your = possessive pronoun (means belonging to you)

You’re = contraction of “you are”

1. Your mother wants you to call her.
2. You’re going to do well on this test, right?

21. Their = possessive pronoun (means belonging to them)

There = referring to a place or point

They’re = contraction of “they are”

a. Their mother wants them to come home.

b. The tree over there is the one we want to climb.

c. They’re coming to the movies with us tonight.

22. Its = possessive pronoun (means belonging to it)

It’s = contraction of “it is”

1. It’s a crying shame you failed that test.

b. I have a dog. Its mother was a boxer, and its father was a golden lab.