English grammar explained in plain language simple enough to be understood.
Titles of large works (books, plays, newspapers, magazines) get written with italics. We put quotation marks around the titles of smaller works. A book is large, and its title gets italicized. A short story is smaller. Put quotation marks around… Read more463. Using Quote Marks with Titles
The word to is a preposition. In the prepositional phrase to me, the word me is an object of the preposition. Things happen to me. Mary told a joke to me.Mom sent a letter to me.Dad is giving advice to… Read more436. The Pronoun as an object – to me
The word advice is a noun. We use advice when we talk about the information we get from someone. My mom always gives me good advice.The advice from the doctor was to stay off my foot for 24 hours. The… Read more433. Advice and Advise
Parentheses ( ) are a type of punctuation. Parentheses are always used as a set of two. Put parentheses around words and information that are not of major importance. The words that are inside a parentheses could be left out and the… Read more416. Parentheses
Section A: Insert a semicolon into each sentence below. 1. I bought a new house it’s right down the street from my mother.2. Don’t touch the railing it was just painted.3. I’ve got an idea I’m just not sure it… Read more415. Practice with with Semicolon and the Dash
Yesterday we talked about how a colon warns a reader that a list is coming. The important thing to remember is that you must have a complete thought before the colon and the list. Look at this sentence:I eat only… Read more407. When Not to Use a Colon for a List
When we use a word formed from a verb as a describing word, we call it a participle. A participial phrase is a group of words used to describe a noun. We often use a participial phrase at the beginning… Read more393. Use a Comma after an Introductory Participial Phrase
We use a comma to separate items in a list. I bought lemons, sugar, cookies, and ice. This sentence says that I bought four items. A comma goes in between each of the items to keep them separate. If we… Read more384. Using the Comma in a List
Section A: Decide if the sentence needs a contraction or a pronoun for each blank. Choose the correct word from the two options.1. I hope ____ coming to the game tonight. (you’re, your)2. Jim and Sue said _______ planning to… Read more370. Practice With Confusing Contractions and Pronouns
The word you’re is a contraction. A contraction is formed by bumping two words together to make one word. A contraction always has an apostrophe (‘) to show where letters have been taken out. The contraction you’re is formed by… Read more367. You’re vs. Your