English grammar explained in plain language simple enough to be understood.
Whenever you write a city’s name and then a state’s name, you need a comma between them.I was born in Chicago, Illinois.We visited Dallas, Texas.The Grand Ole Opry is in Nashville, Tennessee. When a city’s name and a state’s name… Read more386. Use a Comma Between City and State
In writing, we use a colon to signal the coming of a list and after the greeting of a business letter, but there are three other uses for the colon. Writing Time: We use a colon between the hour and… Read more409. Other Uses for the Colon
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
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
The little comma can sometimes cause big confusion for writers. People often throw a comma into their writing just because they think it must go in there somewhere. However, there are actual rules for when to use a comma. Your… Read more402. Highlight on Writing – 12 Places to Put a Comma
An interjection is an abrupt word that interrupts a thought. An interjection is usually found at the very beginning of a sentence. Here are some examples of sentences with interjections:Wow, that’s a lot of dirt on your driveway!Oops, I didn’t… Read more391. Using a Comma with an Interjection
Italics are most often used for titles and names. However, we sometimes use italics when we want to emphasize certain words in our writing. Italicizing the words makes them stand out to the reader. Here is an example of using… Read more189. Use Italics to Emphasize Words
This week’s topic is italics – a request from one of our regular readers. You can type in italics by clicking on the slanted I at the top of your word processing page. Here are three of the many uses… Read more186. Italics: Book Titles, Newspapers, Magazines
Section A: Read each group of words. If the words tell a complete thought with a subject doing something, write SENTENCE. If the words do not tell a complete thought, write FRAGMENT.1. Over the roof of the house. 2. The… Read more210. Practice Simple Sentences