Grammar Rules

1
Grammar Rules

• To enhance your writing

2
Parts of Speech

• Preposition Tells where something takes place
  ('at' the store), when or why something takes
  place ('before' dinner), or general descriptive
  information (the girl 'with' the cool shoes).
  Exceptions are the words of and for. A
  prepositional phrase always ends with a noun (he
  went to the store).
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vl3dZJdD71XM
• Pronoun - A word that takes the place of a noun,
  noun phrase, or noun clause. A pronoun can
  function as a subject, object, or complement in a
  sentence. Examples Anything, each, ourselves,
  that, these, whatever, nothing, most
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vkoZFca8AkT0

3
Parts of Speech continued

• Interjection - Most commonly used in informal
  language rather than in formal writing or speech.
  Function is to express emotions or sudden bursts
  of feelings. Is in the form of a single word, a
  phrase, or even a short clause. If it needs a lot
  of emphasis, add an exclamation mark after. If
  not, as in a form paper, just use commas.
  Examples Sweet! I got a PS4 for my birthday!
  Holy cow! I forgot my keys! Shawie is our
  chemistry teacher. Oh, the horror!
• Examples for formal essays Well, some may claim
  that Iago was not truly an evil character Or
  Othello does, in fact, treat Desdemona horribly
  throughout most of the play.
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vYkAX7Vk3JEw
• Conjunction - the part of speech used as a
  joiner for words, phrases, or clauses in a
  particular sentence. Examples I was trying to
  daydream, but my mind kept wandering. "A life
  spent making mistakes is not only more honorable
  but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vRPoBE-E8VOc

4
Appositive Phrase

• a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun
  right beside it and is separated from the main
  sentence with commas.
• Its main purpose is to give the reader more
  detail about the noun it modifies.
• Example The insect, a large cockroach with hairy
  legs, is crawling across the kitchen table.
• Example Queen Victoria, one of England's
  greatest monarchs, ruled for sixty-three years.
• Please write your own example in your notes.

5
Participle Phrases

• A participle phrase is an adjective and begins
  with a participle word (usually ending in ing
  and will less likely end in ed).
• It is located directly after or directly before
  the noun it modifies.
• In other words, it is used to describe the noun
  it follows.
• Example Is that Arthur running for the bus?
• Example You could see the panther releasing its
  grip.
• Please write your own example in your notes.
• Punctuation When a participial phrase begins a
  sentence, a comma should be placed after the
  phrase.
• Arriving at the store, I found that it was
  closed.
• If the participle or participial phrase comes in
  the middle of a sentence, it should be set off
  with commas only if the information is not
  essential to the meaning of the sentence.
• Sid, watching an old movie, drifted in and out of
  sleep.
• Note that if the participial phrase is essential
  to the meaning of the sentence, no commas should
  be used
• The student earning the highest grade point
  average will receive a special award.

6
Punctuation is Powerful!

• An English professor wrote the words
• A woman without her man is nothing.
• All of the males in the class wrote
• A woman, without her man, is nothing.
• All of the females wrote
• A woman without her, man is nothing.

7
Gerund Phrase

• Begins with an ing word, and usually functions
  as a noun that is the subject in the sentence,
  unlike the participle phrase. Therefore, it is
  not separated by commas.
• Example Eating ice cream on a windy day can be
  a messy experience if you have long, untamed
  hair.
• Example Bill decided that scrambling over the
  pile of debris was not safe. (Scrambling serves
  as the subject to this sentence).
• Please write your own example in your notes.

8
Infinitive Phrase

• A verb plus any complements (direct object)
  and/or modifiers (adverb)
• Example He likes to knead the dough slowly when
  making pizza.
• Example The teacher stayed after school to help
  her students.
• Please write your own example and identify the
  direct object and modifier if necessary.

9
Simple Sentence

• Simple sentences are different from other
  sentences types because they contain only one
  independent clause, and have no dependent
  clauses. This type of sentence may also contain
  the phrases discussed in previous slides
• Example The coaches and administration were
  pleased to announce the results of the game
• Example I love to read simples sentences upon
  getting up and before going to bed.
• Example Eating cotton candy on a windy day can
  be a very sticky experience!
• Please write your own example using two different
  types of phrases

10
Compound Sentence

• A compound sentence is a sentence that has at
  least two independent clauses joined by a comma,
  semicolon, or conjunction.
• Example The real Oz, the man behind the curtain,
  was neither great nor powerful the story
  portrays an ineffective president as a bumbling
  wizard.
• Please write your own example using a complex
  conjunction with a semi colon and a comma

11
Compound-Complex Sentences

• A compound-complex sentence is made from two
  independent clauses and one or more dependent
  clauses.
• 1. Although I like to go camping, I haven't had
  the time to go lately, and I haven't found anyone
  to go with me yet. (underline each independent
  clause and circle the dependent clause)
• 2. We decided that the movie was too violent, but
  our children, who like to watch scary movies,
  thought that we were wrong. (underline each
  independent clause and circle the dependent
  clause)

12
Elements of a Complex Sentence with an Adjective
Clause

• First, it will contain a subject and verb and can
  have phrases
• Next, it will begin with a relative pronoun who,
  whom, whose, that, or which
• Finally, it will function as an adjective,
  answering the questions What kind? How many? or
  Which one?
• You can always take the clause out of the
  sentence and still have a perfectly-written
  sentence left.
• (Note when using an adjective clause, only place
  commas around the clause if it is NOT essential
  to the meaning of the sentence)
• Example Diane felt manipulated by her beagle
  Santana, whose big, brown eyes pleaded for
  another cookie.
• Example Growling ferociously, the two dogs
  competed for the hardboiled egg that bounced
  across the kitchen floor.
• Example Please write your own example here for
  an adjective clause

13
Elements of a Complex Sentence with an Adverb
Clause

• An adverb clause will meet three requirements
• 1. It will contain both a subject and verb and
  may contain phrases
• 2. You will also find a subordinate conjunction
  that keeps the clause from expressing a complete
  thought.
• Most popular ones Since When If
  Although Because Even though
• (Note when a sentence begins with an adverb
  clause, you MUST put a comma after the clause and
  before the main sentence. However, when a
  sentence contains an adverb clause later in the
  sentence, you do not use a comma after the main
  sentence and before the clause begins)
• 3. The clause answers one of these four
  questions How? When? Where? or Why?
• Example Tommy scrubbed the bathroom tile until
  his arms ached.
• How did Tommy scrub? Until his arms ached,
  an adverb clause.
• Example After her appointment at the
  orthodontist, Danielle cooked eggs for dinner
  because she could easily chew an omelet.
• Example Please write your own complex sentence
  that begins with an adjective clause

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Relative Pronoun

• A relative pronoun "relates" a clause to the rest
  of the sentence. It may be found in adjective and
  noun clauses.
• Five relative pronoun words that, which, who,
  whom, and whose
• Example People who speak two languages are
  called bilingual.
• Example The shirt that Carl bought has a stain
  on the pocket.
• Please write your own example in your notes.

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Types of Pronouns continued

• Nominative (subjective) pronoun - acts as the
  subject of a sentenceit performs the action of
  the verb. The subjective pronouns are he, I, it,
  she, they, we, and you.
• Example He spends ages looking out the window.
• Objective pronoun - acts as the object of a
  sentenceit receives the action of the verb. The
  objective pronouns are her, him, it, me, them,
  us, and you.
• Example Cousin Eldred gave me a trombone.
• Possessive pronoun - tells you who owns
  something. The possessive pronouns are hers, his,
  its, mine, ours, theirs, and yours.
• Example The red basket is mine.

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Adverbs

• Comparative adverb compares two items
• Superlative adverb compares three or more items
• Adverb Comparative Superlative
• quietly more quietly most quietly
• slowly more slowly most slowly
• bad worse worst
• little less least
• late later latest
• fast faster fastest
• Examples
• The little boy ran farther than his friends.
• You're driving worse today than yesterday !
• Example Please write your own example here for
  a superlative adverb.

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Connotation vs. Denotation

• Connotation the wide array of positive and
  negative associations that most words naturally
  carry with them
• Example love and romance
• Denotation the precise, literal definition of a
  word that might be found in a dictionary.
• Example a red flower with a
  green stem