English grammar explained in plain language simple enough to be understood.
We sometimes begin a sentence with a prepositional phrase. This is called an introductory phrase. Always use a comma after an introductory phrase. Here are some sentence examples:After breakfast, Meg did the laundry.Before dinner, Sam practiced his piano piece.At the… Read more392. Put a Comma after an Introductory Phrase
A participle looks like a verb and acts like an adjective. Words with an -ing ending are often verbs. The boy is swimming. The baby is crying. Swimming and crying are verbs that show show action. But we can also… Read more288. Participles as Adjectives
A direct object receives action from the verb. To put that another way, the direct object gets acted upon. Look at these sentences. The direct object in each sentence is the dark bolded word.Notice that each dark bolded word is… Read more198. The Direct Object is a Noun
Section A: Find the proper adjective, demonstrative adjective, or article in each sentence below.1. I see American flags everywhere.2. Did you read this magazine yet?3. We had Chinese noodles for dinner.4. Look at those flowers!5. I bought a book.6. Sam… Read more280. More Practice With Adjectives
When two nouns are connected to make one new word, we call that new word a compound noun or a compound word. Here are some examples of compound words:dog and house = doghousecamp and fire = campfirenews and paper =… Read more266. Compound Nouns
We talked yesterday about a grammar error called a comma splice. It is a mistake to use a comma between two simple sentences. Each simple sentence is a complete thought and must end with a period. Comma splice error (run-on… Read more209. Use Comma and FANBOYS to Avoid a Run-On Sentence
Pronouns and proper nouns are sometimes confused with each other. People think a pronoun and a proper noun are one and the same. However, a pronoun is very different from a proper noun. A pronoun takes the place of a… Read more204. Pronouns vs. Proper Nouns
A proper noun begins with an upper-case letter and names a specific person. A common noun for a person is teacher. A proper noun for this same person is Mrs. Johnson. Here are more examples of common nouns and the… Read more447. Proper Nouns Name Specific People
The word for is a preposition, and for me is a prepositional phrase. We use the pronoun me as the object of the preposition. It always happens for me. Mom cooked a nice dinner for me.Dad built the ping pong… Read more437. The Pronoun as an Object – for me
Section A: Find the compound word in each sentence below.1. He turned the doorknob and opened the door.2. I used a thumbtack to hang up the poster.3. Be sure to pick up the dry-cleaning today.4. Dad will stop at the… Read more270. Practice with Compound Words