English grammar explained in plain language simple enough to be understood.
We’ve been practicing writing complex sentences, and we’ve talked about beginning complex sentences two different ways: with a subordinate clause or with an independent clause. It’s helpful to learn how to write sentences in different ways so that our writing… Read more229. Highlight on Writing: Using Varied Sentence Structure
A complex sentence combines a subordinate clause with an independent clause.The words after and before are subordinate clause words. We can use those words to begin a subordinate clause. Here is a complex sentence that begins with the subordinate clause… Read more226. Rearranging Complex Sentences
In America, today is Thanksgiving Day – sometimes shortened to just Thanksgiving. It’s a day set aside to remember our blessings, a day to think about all the good people and the good things in our life. Our grammar lesson… Read more224. Capitalize Holidays – Thanksgiving Day
The words whenever and wherever are subordinating conjunctions. If you begin a sentence with whenever or wherever, you are writing a subordinate clause. You must add a comma and an independent clause to make a complete sentence. Incomplete clauses with… Read more223. Complex Sentences Using Whenever and Wherever
A complex sentence has two parts: a subordinate clause and an independent clause.The subordinate clause always begins with a subordinating conjunction. Let’s look at what that means. The word since is a subordinating conjunction. When you begin with the word… Read more218. Complex Sentences Using Since and Because
There is sometimes confusion about when to use a comma with the conjunction and. Here is a simple rule: use ,and whenever you could have used a period. Let me show you what I mean. John plays baseball, and his… Read more213. Fixing Mistakes with the Comma
We know that a simple sentence is a complete thought with one person or thing doing one action.Bob rode his bike.Bob is the subject. The action is rode. Simple sentences always express only one main thought, but that main thought… Read more207. Simple Sentence with a Compound Subject or Verb
A simple sentence is one complete thought. A complete thought has a subject doing something. The dog barked.Josh rode a bicycle.We ate pizza for dinner. Each of these complete thoughts has a subject doing something. dog barkedJosh rodeWe ate You… Read more206. The Simple Sentence
An indirect object is one of those grammar pieces that seems confusing, but I can explain it in a simple way. The trick is to see the connection between an indirect object and a prepositional phrase. Here is a sentence… Read more199. Indirect Objects are Always Nouns
We know that nouns name people, places, and things. Nouns also name ideas.Nouns that name ideas are called abstract nouns. You can’t see an abstract noun. You can’t touch an abstract noun. They are not objects. They are ideas. Look… Read more193. Abstract Nouns Name Ideas