English grammar explained in plain language simple enough to be understood.
A complex sentence has two parts: a subordinate clause and an independent clause.The subordinate clause always begins with a subordinating conjunction.Here are two subordinating conjunctions that begin subordinate clauses: before and after. Anytime you begin a sentence with the word… Read more219. Complex Sentences Using Before and After
A complex sentence has two parts: a subordinate clause and an independent clause. The subordinate clause begins with a subordinating conjunction and must be joined to an independent clause. The word although is a subordinating conjunction. If you begin a… Read more221. Complex Sentences Using Although and Though
We talked awhile back about using coordinating conjunctions to join two simple sentences. When you use a comma and one of the FANBOYS to join two simple sentences, you make a compound sentence. The word but is a coordinating conjunction;… Read more232. Comma with But; No Comma with Because
A compound sentence is made up of two complete thoughts joined together with a coordinating conjunction. Each complete thought is a simple sentence, so two simple sentences make a compound sentence. Join two simple sentences with a comma and one… Read more233. Switching the Clauses in a Compound Sentence
A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause and a subordinate clause. It matters not whether you begin with the subordinate clause or the independent clause. The meaning of the sentence will remain the same. Here is a… Read more234. Reordering Clauses in a Complex Sentence
A compound sentence is two simple sentences joined together. A simple sentence looks like this:Bob rode his bike. This sentence is a simple sentence because it is about one person doing one thing. Here is another simple sentence: Mary rode… Read more396. Use a Comma in a Compound Sentence
A compound sentence combines two simple sentences. We need a comma after the first simple sentence in the compound sentence. Look at this example: The rain is falling, and the wind is blowing.Notice that there are two separate sentences in… Read more397. Compound Sentence with a Comma – or Not?
A clause is a group of words that includes a verb. A subordinate clause begins with a subordinating conjunction. Here are some subordinating conjunctions: if, when, since, because, while When you begin a sentence with one of these words, your… Read more398. Use a Comma with a Subordinate Clause
A subordinate clause is a group of words that shows action but cannot stand alone. When you begin a sentence with a subordinating conjunction, you are beginning your sentence with a subordinate clause. Here are five common subordinating conjunctions: after,… Read more399. Use a Comma After a Subordinate Clause
When you are writing the words that someone speaks, you must put quotation marks around the words. Quotation marks always come in pairs, and they look like this: ” “. We put one set of quotation marks before the start… Read more417. Use Quotation Marks Around Spoken Words