English grammar explained in plain language simple enough to be understood.
Last week we talked about the semicolon, which is used to separate two complete thoughts. Today we will talk about the colon, which is used to separate a complete thought from a list. A colon ( : ) announces the… Read more161. Using the Colon
This week we talked about the various forms of stop punctuation – punctuation designed to end one thought before another thought begins. A period, a question mark, an exclamation point, and a semicolon are all stop punctuation. A comma with… Read more159. Highlight on Writing – Using Stop Punctuation
We know that a semicolon is stop punctuation. We use a semicolon inside a sentence to separate two complete thoughts. In a previous post, we talked about FANBOYS – the seven coordinating conjunctions. Each conjunction begins with one of the… Read more158. Semicolon and FANBOYS
This week we studied four rules for commas:– comma before one of the FANBOYS– comma at the end of a subordinate clause– comma after an introductory phrase or word_ comma on both side of an appositive phrase. Section A. Insert… Read more150. Practice With Four More Comma Rules
A phrase is a group of words with no action. An appositive phrase is a group of words that gives extra information inside a sentence. Use a comma with an appositive phrase to set the phrase off from the rest… Read more149. Comma With an Appositive Phrase
To refresh your memory, a clause has a subject and a verb. A phrase is a group of words with no verb and no action. If you begin a sentence with an introductory phrase, you must use a comma after… Read more148. An Introductory Phrase Needs a Comma
We use a comma ( , ) in writing to show a place for a pause or a separation. This week we are talking about commas used within certain sentence structures. First of all, it is important to remember that… Read more147. Comma With a Subordinate Clause
A comma ( , ) is a piece of punctuation used to force a pause or show a separation. A compound sentence uses a coordinating conjunction to join two complete thoughts. In a compound sentence, a comma must come before… Read more146. Comma with a Conjunction – FANBOYS
Let’s look at the two similar and confusing words than and then. Than is used to make comparisons. Sometimes we use than to compare adjectives.Bob is taller than Jim. Today is hotter than yesterday. We can use than to compare… Read more134. Than vs. Then
Knight and night are both nouns. They are spelled differently, but they sound exactly the same. The -k in knight is silent, so the word begins with an -n sound. A knight was a man who served as a soldier… Read more127. Knight and Night