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Pronoun

Helping verbs

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English verbs use helpers (auxiliary verbs) to create tenses other than simple present and past. The helping verb “do” is used to create questions. Other helping/auxiliary verbs identify necessity/obligation/advice, permission/possibility/ability, or habitual past actions. To create a negative sentence, insert “not” (or its contraction “n’t”) between the helping verb and the main verb.   Tenses: […]

Contractions

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Shortened forms of words Contractions begin with a noun or pronoun and attach a shortened form of a verb (replacing the initial letters with an apostrophe) or “not” (abbreviated as “n’t”). ‘ Contractions should only be used in informal writing or in conversation/dialogue. Names and other nouns use the third person of the verb, singular […]

Word Pairs 2

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Words often confused a while/awhile “A while” is a period of time. “While” is a noun. It can serve as the object of a preposition (“in a while,” “after a while”). “Awhile” is an adverb meaning “for a while.” Wherever “for a while” fits in the sentence, it can be replaced by “awhile.” Examples: The […]

Word List

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English has pairs of words, homonyms, and words that simply sound close enough that you should write carefully, so your reader will understand you correctly. Part of the trouble is that we don’t all pronounce words the same way. It’s not just about “tomayto,” “tomahto” or “eether,” “i-ther.” Do we say “ideah” or “idear”? Is […]

Capitalization

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Sentence A sentence should always begin with a capital letter, even if the sentence is a quotation or dialogue. AExamples: This is a sentence. The first letter of a sentence should be capitalized. Bethany looked at her watch and said, “This is important. I should leave now.” Abraham Lincoln’s most famous speech began with these […]

Word pairs 1

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More spelling monsters a lot “A lot” meaning “a large amount” doesn’t pair up with another word, but it’s not a single word. It’s two words, “a lot.” (The word that means to divide up among others has two “l’s” [allot].) Examples: I don’t know a lot about horses. They eat a lot of hay, […]

Parts of sentences

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Sentence A sentence is words expressing a complete thought. It has a subject (in a command, understood to be “you”) and a verb. Both the subject and the verb may be expanded (complete subject, predicate). Examples: Go! (command, subject = “you” understood, verb = “go”) They go. (subject = “they,” verb = “go”) All the […]

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