English grammar explained in plain language simple enough to be understood.
The first and last word of a title should always be capitalized. Nouns and pronouns in a title are always capitalized. Verbs – even short ones like Be and Am – should be capitalized in a title. Prepositions – in,… Read more363. Capitalizing Words in a Title
The word about is a preposition. The phrase about me is a prepositional phrase. The pronoun me becomes the object of the preposition in that prepositional phrase. Dad told a story about me.Sally told a joke about me.Mom says she… Read more438. The Pronoun as an Object – about me
Capitalize the first word of every sentence. The capitalized word tells the reader that a new sentence is beginning. Today is Thursday. Tomorrow will be Friday. The pronoun I is always capitalized. The word I is a name for yourself…. Read more364. More Capitalization Rules
Parallel lines are two lines always the same distance apart, like railroad tracks. Parallel structure in writing is a little different. We use parallel structure in a sentence when we list three phrases or three clauses evenly. If we wanted… Read more239. Highlight on Writing: Parallel Structure
A complex sentence is made up of two clauses: an independent clause and a subordinate clause. An independent clause is the main idea of the sentence and is strong enough to stand alone. The dog can stay in the yard.This… Read more236. Highlight on Writing: Rearranging the Clauses in a Complex Sentence
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
We use a proper noun to name a special event. Names of special events must be capitalized. Here are some special events:Mardi Gras, Homecoming, Promthe Flood, the Exodus, the Civil War We also capitalize the names of time periods. Here… Read more454. Proper Nouns Name Special Events and Time Periods
Anytime you write the title of a book, a magazine, or a newspaper, you must either underline or italicize the title. If you are writing by hand, you should underline the title. When typing on a computer, you will italicize… Read more421. Use Italics for Book, Magazine, and Newspaper Titles
We always write the names of plays, movies, and television shows in italics if we are typing. Look at these examples: Plays:King Lear by William ShakespeareDeath of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Movies:Forest GumpField of Dreams Television Shows:The Brady BunchWheel… Read more422. Italicize the Titles of Plays, Movies, and Television Shows
We always italicize the names of ocean-going ships. TitanicUSS Arizona We italicize the names of works of visual art. Starry Night by Van GoghThe Thinker by Rodin We also italicize major musical compositions.The William Tell Overture by RossiniEroica by Beethoven… Read more423. Italicize Names of Ships, Works of Art, and Musical Compositions