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<p>The Best</p><p>Grammar Workbook</p><p>Ever!</p><p>Other books by Arlene Miller:</p><p>The Best Little Grammar Book Ever: 101 Ways to Impress with Your Writing and Speaking</p><p>Correct Me If I’m Wrong: Getting Your Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage Right</p><p>The Great Grammar Cheat Sheet:</p><p>50 Grammar, Punctuation, Writing, and Word Usage Tips You Can Use Now (ebook)</p><p>www.bigwords101.com</p><p>The Best</p><p>Grammar Workbook</p><p>Ever!</p><p>Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage</p><p>for Ages 10 Through 110</p><p>Arlene Miller</p><p>The Grammar Diva™</p><p>bigwords101</p><p>Petaluma, California</p><p>The Best Grammar Workbook Ever!</p><p>Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage for Ages 10 Through 110</p><p>Copyright © 2015 by Arlene Miller</p><p>All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by</p><p>any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior</p><p>written permission of the copyright holder.</p><p>Cover design by Matt Hinrichs</p><p>Interior formatting by Marny K. Parkin</p><p>Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data</p><p>Miller, Arlene.</p><p>The Best Grammar Workbook Ever! Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage for Ages 10</p><p>Through 110. First Edition, 2015</p><p>p. cm.</p><p>Includes appendixes and index</p><p>ISBN 978-0-9911674-0-1</p><p>1. English language—Grammar. 2. English language—Usage. 3. English language—Grammar—</p><p>Self-instruction</p><p>Library of Congress: PE 1106.M550 2015</p><p>Dewey: 428.2</p><p>Published by bigwords101, P.O. Box 4483, Petaluma, CA 94955 USA</p><p>website and blog: www.bigwords101.com</p><p>Contact Ingram or the publisher for quantity discounts for your company, organization,</p><p>or educational institution.</p><p>To Jake and Shelley,</p><p>my two magna opera</p><p>Contents</p><p>Practices and Tests xvii</p><p>Acknowledgments xxi</p><p>Introduction 1</p><p>How to Use This Book 3</p><p>Conventions Used in This Book 4</p><p>Pretest 5</p><p>Chapter 1: The Parts of Speech 13</p><p>1.1. Introduction 13</p><p>1.2. Nouns 13</p><p>The Five Types of Nouns 14</p><p>1.3. Pronouns 14</p><p>Antecedents 14</p><p>Types of Pronouns 15</p><p>1.4. Verbs 18</p><p>Action Verbs 18</p><p>Linking Verbs 18</p><p>Tenses 19</p><p>Irregular Verb Forms 20</p><p>Voice 20</p><p>Transitive/Intransitive 21</p><p>1.5. Adjectives 21</p><p>Other Types of Adjectives 21</p><p>1.6. Adverbs 22</p><p>1.7. Prepositions 23</p><p>1.8. Conjunctions 24</p><p>Subordinating Conjunctions 24</p><p>viii 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>1.9. Interjections 25</p><p>1.10. Using the Parts of Speech 25</p><p>Chapter 1 Test 26</p><p>Chapter 2: Sentences 27</p><p>2.1. Introduction: What Is a Sentence? 27</p><p>2.2. Subjects 27</p><p>Complete Subjects 28</p><p>2.3. Predicates 28</p><p>2.4. Objects 28</p><p>Direct Objects 28</p><p>Indirect Objects 29</p><p>Objects of a Preposition 29</p><p>2.5. Predicate Words 30</p><p>2.6. The Four Kinds of Sentences 31</p><p>Declarative Sentence 31</p><p>Interrogative Sentence 31</p><p>Imperative Sentence 31</p><p>Exclamatory Sentence 31</p><p>Chapter 2 Test 32</p><p>Chapter 3: Phrases 33</p><p>3.1. Introduction: What Is a Phrase? 33</p><p>3.2. Prepositional Phrases 33</p><p>3.3. Infinitive Phrases 33</p><p>3.4. Participial Phrases 34</p><p>Present Participles 34</p><p>Past Participles 35</p><p>3.5. Gerundial Phrases 35</p><p>3.6. A Few Words About Appositives 36</p><p>Chapter 3 Test 37</p><p>Chapter 4: Clauses 39</p><p>4.1. Introduction: What Is a Clause? 39</p><p>4.2. Independent Clauses 39</p><p>Contents 2 ix</p><p>4.3. Subordinate (Dependent) Clauses 39</p><p>Adjective Clauses 40</p><p>Adverb Clauses 41</p><p>Noun Clauses 42</p><p>Chapter 4 Test 43</p><p>Chapter 5: Types of Sentence Structures 45</p><p>5.1. Introduction 45</p><p>5.2. Not a Sentence 45</p><p>Sentence Fragment 45</p><p>Run-on Sentences 46</p><p>5.3. Types of Sentence Structures 47</p><p>Simple Sentence 47</p><p>Compound Sentence 47</p><p>Complex Sentence 47</p><p>Compound-Complex Sentence 48</p><p>5.4. A Variety of Sentence Patterns 49</p><p>Chapter 5 Test 50</p><p>Chapter 6: Special Issues with Pronouns 51</p><p>6.1. Introduction 51</p><p>6.2. Personal Pronoun Problem: Cases—Is It I or Me? 51</p><p>6.3. Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives: This, That, These,</p><p>Those 52</p><p>6.4. Reflexive Pronouns:</p><p>Using the -self Words Correctly 53</p><p>6.5. Interrogative Pronoun Issues 54</p><p>Whose or Who’s? 54</p><p>6.6. Relative Pronouns: Using Who, Which, and That Correctly 55</p><p>6.7. Indefinite Pronouns: Singularor Plural? 56</p><p>Singular Indefinite Pronouns 56</p><p>Plural Indefinite Pronouns 57</p><p>Indefinite Pronouns That Can Be Either Singular or Plural 57</p><p>6.8. Unclear Antecedents 58</p><p>Chapter 6 Test 59</p><p>x 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Chapter 7: Special Issues with Verbs 61</p><p>7.1. Introduction 61</p><p>7.2. Tense 61</p><p>Tense Trouble 62</p><p>Using the Past Perfect 62</p><p>7.3. Irregular Verb Forms 62</p><p>7.4. Verbs of Being 64</p><p>Adjectives After Linking Verbs 65</p><p>Pronouns After Linking Verbs 65</p><p>7.5. Voice: Active or Passive? 65</p><p>7.6. What Is Subjunctive Mood, Anyway? 66</p><p>Commands and Recommendations 66</p><p>Things That Are Not True 66</p><p>7.7. Using Strong Verbs 66</p><p>Chapter 7 Test 68</p><p>Chapter 8: Commas: Yup! A Whole Chapter 69</p><p>8.1. To Comma or Not To Comma: That Is the Question 69</p><p>8.2. Series Comma (Oxford Comma) 69</p><p>8.3. Compound Sentences 69</p><p>8.4. Between Two Adjectives 70</p><p>8.5. Introductory Elements 70</p><p>Introductory Words and Transition Words 70</p><p>Introductory Phrases 71</p><p>Introductory Clauses 71</p><p>8.6. Interrupting Material 71</p><p>Commas Needed 71</p><p>No Commas Needed 71</p><p>8.7. Other Common Uses forCommas 72</p><p>etc., i.e., e.g. 72</p><p>Dates 72</p><p>Commas with Numbers 72</p><p>With Too 72</p><p>Direct Address 73</p><p>Setting off Academic Degrees 73</p><p>Addresses 73</p><p>Company Names 73</p><p>Contents 2 xi</p><p>Contrasting Expressions and Elements 73</p><p>When a Word Is Left Out 73</p><p>Commas for Emphasis 73</p><p>Letters and Emails 73</p><p>Unusual Word Order in a Sentence 74</p><p>Setting off However and Therefore 74</p><p>Anyplace Where Not Using a Comma WouldBe Confusing 74</p><p>8.8. Don’t Put Commas Here! 74</p><p>Chapter 8 Test 76</p><p>Chapter 9: Punctuation (Except Commas) 77</p><p>9.1. Introduction 77</p><p>9.2. Periods (.) 77</p><p>Abbreviations 77</p><p>Decimals 78</p><p>Lists or Outlines 78</p><p>Measurements 78</p><p>9.3. Question Marks (?) 78</p><p>9.4. Exclamation Points (!) 78</p><p>9.5. Semicolons (;) 79</p><p>Compound Sentences 79</p><p>Compound Sentences with Series or OtherCommas 79</p><p>Confusing Series 80</p><p>9.6. Colons (:) 80</p><p>Digital Time 80</p><p>Salutation of a Business Letter 80</p><p>Between the Title and Subtitle of a Book 80</p><p>In a Compound Sentence 80</p><p>Introducing a Quote 80</p><p>Introducing Lists 80</p><p>9.7. Parentheses ( ) and Brackets [ ] 81</p><p>Brackets 82</p><p>Parentheses 82</p><p>9.8. Hyphens and Dashes (-/–/—) 82</p><p>Hyphen (-) 82</p><p>En Dash (–) 83</p><p>Em Dash (—) 83</p><p>xii 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>9.9. Italics 84</p><p>Words Used as Themselves 84</p><p>Letters and Numbers Used as Themselves 84</p><p>Foreign Terms and Phrases 84</p><p>Titles? Italics or Quotes? 84</p><p>Other Uses for Quotes 85</p><p>9.10. Quotation Marks (“” ) 85</p><p>Dialogue 85</p><p>Other Uses for Quotation Marks 85</p><p>Quotation Marks with Other Punctuation 86</p><p>Single Quotation Marks 86</p><p>9.11. Ellipses ( . . . ) 87</p><p>Chapter 9 Test 88</p><p>Chapter 10: Capitalization 89</p><p>10.1. Introduction 89</p><p>10.2. The Basic Rules 89</p><p>10.3. More Capitalization Rules 90</p><p>Titles 90</p><p>Directions 91</p><p>Letter/Email Salutations and Closings 91</p><p>Earth 91</p><p>Seasons 91</p><p>Some “Common” Proper Nouns 91</p><p>President of the United States and Other Titles 91</p><p>Departments 92</p><p>School Courses 92</p><p>Decades 92</p><p>Dog Breeds/Names 92</p><p>Words That Come Before Numbers 92</p><p>Hyphenated Words 92</p><p>Chapter 10 Test 94</p><p>Chapter 11: Some Really Important</p><p>Grammar Issues 95</p><p>11.1. Introduction 95</p><p>Contents 2 xiii</p><p>11.2. Run-on Sentences (andFragments) 95</p><p>Run-on Sentences 95</p><p>Fragments 95</p><p>11.3. Agreement 96</p><p>Interrupting Words and Phrases with Subject/Verb Agreement 96</p><p>Using and, or, neither, either Between Subjects 97</p><p>Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement 97</p><p>Sentences That Begin with There 98</p><p>Indefinite Pronouns 98</p><p>Singular Nouns That Look Plural 99</p><p>Collective Nouns 99</p><p>A Quirky Little Issue 99</p><p>11.4. Comparison 100</p><p>Forming Comparatives and Superlatives 100</p><p>What If It Isn’t More? What If It Is Less? 100</p><p>Irregular Forms 101</p><p>Faulty Comparisons 101</p><p>11.5. Misplaced Modifiers 101</p><p>11.6. Possessives 102</p><p>Singular Nouns 102</p><p>Plural Nouns 102</p><p>Words That Already End in -s 103</p><p>Last Names 103</p><p>Exceptions 103</p><p>Possessive Pronouns 103</p><p>11.7. Parallel Structure 104</p><p>Parallel Structure in Lists 104</p><p>11.8. Using Numbers: WhentoSpellThem Out 105</p><p>11.9. Double Negatives 106</p><p>11.10. Apostrophes in Plurals 107</p><p>11.11. Let’s Be Clear: AvoidingVagueness 108</p><p>This and It 108</p><p>The Lonely Which 108</p><p>Unclear People 108</p><p>11.12. Can I Do These Things? 109</p><p>Speech</p><p>We have now talked about each of the parts of speech.</p><p>Every word in the English language belongs to one or</p><p>more of those parts of speech. If a word can be used as</p><p>more than one part of speech, then it depends on how</p><p>it is used in the sentence. For example, let’s look at the</p><p>word spring.</p><p>Spring is my favorite season. (noun)</p><p>I can’t wait until spring break. (adjective describing</p><p>break)</p><p>My cat will spring forward to grab the ball of yarn!</p><p>(verb)</p><p>Brain</p><p>Challenges</p><p>The following sentences have just one part of speech</p><p>missing. Can you tell which one it is?</p><p>1. Well, I looked in the car and I couldn’t find the pur-</p><p>ple sweater.</p><p>2. Wow! You and little John swim well, but I don’t.</p><p>3. Oh, they are happily baking cookies and brownies</p><p>in the kitchen.</p><p>The following sentences are missing two parts of speech.</p><p>Can you fill in the blanks with those two parts of speech?</p><p>4. ______! Jim and ____ are quietly playing Scrabble,</p><p>and Marcy is playing computer games with Tim.</p><p>5. Ouch! I ____________ my foot on the table, and then</p><p>I saw my ____ toe bleeding.</p><p>Can you write a sentence using all eight parts of speech?</p><p>Try to make it no longer than 12 words long. (You can</p><p>repeat parts of speech.) Here is mine:</p><p>Wow! My friends and I stupidly ran up that huge hill!</p><p>Noun—friends, hill</p><p>Pronoun—my, I</p><p>Verb—ran</p><p>Adjective—that, huge</p><p>Adverb—stupidly</p><p>Conjunction—and</p><p>Preposition—up</p><p>Interjection—wow</p><p>You probably won’t ever have the need to write a sen-</p><p>tence with all eight parts of speech, but isn’t it nice to</p><p>know that you can? Knowing the parts of speech gives</p><p>you more control over what you write and more free-</p><p>dom to write exactly what you are trying to say.</p><p>26 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Chapter 1 Test</p><p>The Parts of Speech</p><p>Part 1—Match each word with its part of speech. Use</p><p>each letter only once.</p><p>1. around ___ a. noun</p><p>2. wow ____ b. pronoun</p><p>3. desk ____ c. verb</p><p>4. think ____ d. adjective</p><p>5. but ____ e. adverb</p><p>6. really ____ f. preposition</p><p>7. pretty ____ g. conjunction</p><p>8. them ____ h. interjection</p><p>Part 2—In each sentence, identify the pronoun of the</p><p>type in parentheses.</p><p>1. Which of these chairs do you like? (interrogative)</p><p>2. You and Penny are sure to love the movie! (personal)</p><p>3. I smell something good in the kitchen. (indefinite)</p><p>4. I made the cookies myself. (reflexive)</p><p>5. This is my cookie! (demonstrative)</p><p>6. This is my sister, who is ten years old. (relative)</p><p>Part 3—Write all 7 coordinating conjunctions</p><p>(FANBOYS)</p><p>Part 4—Multiple Choice. Find the correct answer.</p><p>1. She drove her new car to school.</p><p>The verb in this sentence is</p><p>a. passive b. a noun c. transitive d. future tense</p><p>2. I attend Mills College.</p><p>Mills College is what type of noun?</p><p>a. simple b. proper c. pronoun d. passive</p><p>3. We will go to Paris next year.</p><p>The verb in this sentence is in what tense?</p><p>a. present b. past c. future d. future perfect</p><p>4. You and I should do something fun for your birthday.</p><p>How many pronouns are in the sentence?</p><p>a. four b. two c. three d. none</p><p>5. That book is interesting but difficult to read.</p><p>How many adjectives did you find in that sentence?</p><p>What are they?</p><p>a. none b. three c. one d. two</p><p>Part 5—Fill in the blanks with the information in</p><p>parentheses.</p><p>1. _______! That’s a huge bike for you! (interjection)</p><p>2. _______ and I are on our way to work. (proper noun)</p><p>3. We ran _______________ all morning. (preposi-</p><p>tional phrase)</p><p>4. We picked _______________ up from the airport.</p><p>(personal pronoun)</p><p>5. Susan _______________ when she gets home. (future</p><p>tense verb)</p><p>How did you do? Check your answers in Appendix G.</p><p>Chapter 2</p><p>Sentences</p><p>2.1. Introduction:</p><p>What Is a Sentence?</p><p>Words are combined to make up sentences. A sentence</p><p>is a complete thought. Almost everything you read is</p><p>made up of sentences. Every word in a sentence is, of</p><p>course, one of the eight parts of speech. A sentence</p><p>might contain more than one instance of a certain part</p><p>of speech (for example, four nouns, or three verbs, or</p><p>five adjectives) and does not need to contain all the parts</p><p>of speech. In fact, hardly any sentence would contain</p><p>all eight parts of speech. However, remember that each</p><p>word in a sentence is one of the eight parts of speech.</p><p>Each word in a sentence also performs a certain func-</p><p>tion in the sentence. These functions will be described</p><p>in this chapter. The function a word performs in the</p><p>sentence is not always the same as its part of speech.</p><p>“Parts of speech” refers only to these eight words: noun,</p><p>pronoun, verb, adjective (and article), adverb, preposi-</p><p>tion, conjunction, and interjection.</p><p>Knowing how sentences are formed and what a sen-</p><p>tence requires will help your writing.</p><p>2.2. Subjects</p><p>Every sentence has a subject. The subject is the who</p><p>or what that the sentence is about. The subject of the</p><p>sentence is always a noun or a pronoun (or a group of</p><p>words that functions as a noun, but don’t worry about</p><p>that right now.) The subject is usually whatever or who-</p><p>ever is doing the action of the verb. The subject is often</p><p>the first word in a sentence, but not always. There are</p><p>sometimes introductory words, phrases, or clauses (see</p><p>Chapters 3 and 4). However, the subject usually does</p><p>come before the verb it belongs to, wherever that might</p><p>be in the sentence. Every sentence needs a subject (or</p><p>more than one). To find the subject, first find the verb</p><p>and ask who is doing the action. If there are two sub-</p><p>jects, generally joined with a conjunction (for example,</p><p>Jack and Jill), we call that a compound subject.</p><p>1. The man tied his shoes. (The subject is man.)</p><p>2. Everyone is going to the movies. (The subject is</p><p>everyone, a pronoun.)</p><p>3. Who is knocking at the door? (The subject is who.)</p><p>4. After school, she and I always do our homework.</p><p>(The subjects are she and I; remember that more</p><p>than one subject is called a compound subject.)</p><p>5. Do you know who is at the door? (The subject is you.)</p><p>In a question, it is often easier to find the subject and</p><p>the verb if you make the question a statement: You</p><p>do know who is at the door.</p><p>Practice 25—</p><p>Identifying Subjects</p><p>Identify the subject or subjects in the following</p><p>sentences:</p><p>1. I play tennis with my friends every Wednesday.</p><p>2. You and Jane should visit me this weekend.</p><p>3. My boss gave me instructions to do this report.</p><p>4. Next summer we are going to Disneyland.</p><p>5. Although it is hot out, I still need to mow the lawn.</p><p>6. Jack, Joan, and Fred are still not home.</p><p>7. What are you doing today?</p><p>8. Clean your room before dinner.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>28 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Complete Subjects</p><p>Sometimes adjectives or phrases are part of a subject,</p><p>along with the noun or pronoun. The entire subject is</p><p>called the complete subject. For example</p><p>(complete subject) (complete predicate)</p><p>The girl in the blue dress / is walking toward the school.</p><p>In the above sentence, the girl in the blue dress is the</p><p>complete subject. The verb phrase (new term? It simply</p><p>refers to the verb and any helping verb with it) is is</p><p>walking, which is also the simple predicate (see the next</p><p>section). The complete predicate is is walking toward</p><p>the school, which is the whole sentence without the</p><p>complete subject.</p><p>2.3. Predicates</p><p>The predicate of the sentence is the verb. The verb, along</p><p>with any helping verbs it may have (see Section 1.4), is</p><p>called the simple predicate. The complete predicate is</p><p>actually the whole sentence except for the subject. Every</p><p>sentence needs at least one verb.</p><p>Practice 26—</p><p>Identifying Verbs</p><p>Identify the verbs in the following sentences. They</p><p>might be either linking verbs or action verbs, and there</p><p>may be more than one verb in the sentence. Two verbs</p><p>that have the same subject and are connected with a</p><p>conjunction are called compound verbs. If you can find</p><p>the helping verbs, include them in your verbs.</p><p>1. Everyone went on the field trip to the city.</p><p>2. I climbed the mountain, and then I was very tired.</p><p>3. The teacher has given us the instructions many times.</p><p>4. The dogs barked and</p><p>growled as we walked by.</p><p>5. Are you going to the party?</p><p>6. I am going to the movies, but my brother is taking</p><p>a nap.</p><p>7. Tell me the truth.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Practice 27—</p><p>Dividing the Sentence into Subject and</p><p>Predicate</p><p>Place a line between the complete subject of the</p><p>sentence (the subject and anything that modifies it) and</p><p>the predicate (the verb and anything that modifies it).</p><p>1. The large dog scared us.</p><p>2. Fourteen boys and nine girls came to the party.</p><p>3. The chocolate cake in the kitchen is for dessert after</p><p>dinner.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>2.4. Objects</p><p>Like subjects, objects are always nouns or pronouns (or</p><p>groups of words that function as a noun). Unlike sub-</p><p>jects and verbs, sentences do not need to have objects</p><p>to be complete sentences. However, most sentences</p><p>have objects. There are three kinds of objects a sentence</p><p>might have: direct, indirect, and objects of prepositions</p><p>(see Section 1.7). A sentence can have any combination</p><p>of the three types of objects, or no object at all.</p><p>Direct Objects</p><p>Direct objects receive the action of the verb. If you ask</p><p>what? or who? about the verb, the answer will be the</p><p>direct object. Here are some examples:</p><p>I threw the ball at Jim. (Threw what? The ball is the</p><p>direct object.)</p><p>We ate pizza for dinner last night. (Ate what? Pizza is</p><p>the direct object.)</p><p>Last week, I wrote three papers for history class.</p><p>(Wrote what? Papers is the direct object. Three</p><p>is an adjective describing how many papers. It</p><p>doesn’t really matter if you include that as part of</p><p>the direct object.)</p><p>We walked to the movies yesterday afternoon.</p><p>(Walked what? The sentence doesn’t answer this</p><p>question, so there is no direct object.)You might</p><p>think to the movies would be the direct object.</p><p>However, it doesn’t answer who? or what? and it</p><p>is a prepositional phrase. Prepositional phrases</p><p>Sentences 2 29</p><p>are not direct objects, not will any part of a prep-</p><p>ositional phrase be a direct object.)</p><p>We walked the dog around the block. (Walked what?</p><p>Dog is the direct object here. So unlike in the</p><p>previous example, the verb walked has a direct</p><p>object here.)</p><p>As you already read in Section 1.4, verbs that have a</p><p>direct object in a particular sentence are called transi-</p><p>tive. Verbs without a direct object are called intransi-</p><p>tive. Some verbs are usually transitive; others are always</p><p>intransitive. Other verbs can be either transitive or</p><p>intransitive, depending on the sentence.</p><p>Practice 28—</p><p>Identifying Direct Objects</p><p>Identify the direct objects in the following sentences.</p><p>Two direct objects with the same verb are called com-</p><p>pound objects, and you may find some of those too.</p><p>Some of the sentences will not have a direct object.</p><p>1. I play chess every evening.</p><p>2. Every Monday morning, I go to a yoga class.</p><p>3. I ate pizza and salad for dinner last night.</p><p>4. He took his book back to the library.</p><p>5. Tell him your secret.</p><p>6. We walked around the park.</p><p>7. Did you see a purple sweater anywhere?</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Indirect Objects</p><p>Indirect objects come between the verb and the direct</p><p>object. You cannot have an indirect object unless you</p><p>also have a direct object, but you can have a direct object</p><p>without an indirect object. Examples will help here!</p><p>I threw the ball at James. (The direct object is ball—</p><p>answers threw what?)</p><p>Jane ate three pieces of cake. (The direct object is</p><p>pieces—ate what? The direct object is not cake</p><p>because cake is part of a prepositional phrase.</p><p>You won’t find the direct or indirect object in a</p><p>prepositional phrase.)</p><p>I gave her a gift. (Gift is the direct object—gave</p><p>what? The indirect object is her.)</p><p>Mom baked me a cake. (The direct object is cake—</p><p>baked what? The indirect object is me.)</p><p>Some verbs lend themselves to having indirect objects,</p><p>but there are many verbs that will never have an indi-</p><p>rect object. It is rare to make a grammatical mistake</p><p>with indirect objects, so don’t worry. Do note, however,</p><p>the following two sentences that mean the same thing:</p><p>She gave me the tickets to the concert.</p><p>She gave the tickets to the concert to me.</p><p>In the first sentence, me is the indirect object (tickets is</p><p>the direct object). In the second sentence, there is no</p><p>indirect object. To me is a prepositional phrase; some</p><p>people call it an indirect object anyway, but I call it a</p><p>prepositional phrase. It doesn’t matter which way you</p><p>write the sentence. They mean the same thing.</p><p>Practice 29—</p><p>Identifying Indirect Objects</p><p>Identify the indirect objects in the following sentences.</p><p>Some sentences will have no indirect objects. Some</p><p>sentences may have a compound indirect object. If you</p><p>can, identify the direct objects too.</p><p>1. I gave you the tickets yesterday.</p><p>2. We walked for miles and miles!</p><p>3. Did you bake me that beautiful cake?</p><p>4. Did you see my book anywhere?</p><p>5. Blue is my favorite color.</p><p>6. He invited us to his birthday celebration.</p><p>7. He showed Jim and me his insect collection.</p><p>8. I told my baby sister a story.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Objects of a Preposition</p><p>We talked about objects of prepositions in Section 1.7.</p><p>A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition (for</p><p>example, in, out, up, down, with, along, between, etc.),</p><p>usually followed by an article (a, an, or the), and then</p><p>always by a noun or pronoun. This noun or pronoun is</p><p>the object of the preposition. Here are some examples:</p><p>30 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Jimmy ran up the stairs. (Stairs is the object of the</p><p>preposition up.)</p><p>In Paris we saw the Eiffel Tower. (Paris is the object</p><p>of the preposition in. There is no article in this</p><p>phrase.)</p><p>Something is stuck between the pages. (Pages is the</p><p>object of the preposition between.)</p><p>Practice 30—</p><p>Identifying Objects of Prepositions</p><p>Each of the following sentences has at least one object</p><p>of a preposition. Remember that objects can be either</p><p>nouns or pronouns. Identify all the objects of preposi-</p><p>tions in the following sentences.</p><p>1. I finished my report for psychology class.</p><p>2. That song is sung by my favorite artist.</p><p>3. For my birthday, I received a lot of money.</p><p>4. I gave that book to my cousin and my uncle.</p><p>5. My older sister is at college now.</p><p>6. We jogged around the track and then along the river.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>✎ We mentioned compound subjects and objects. Any</p><p>type of object can be compound. Verbs can be com-</p><p>pound too. Here are some examples:</p><p>Jack and Jill came down the hill. (compound subject—</p><p>Jack and Jill)</p><p>We ate and drank until we were stuffed! (compound</p><p>verb—ate and drank)</p><p>He read mysteries and science fiction most of the</p><p>time. (compound direct object—mysteries and sci-</p><p>ence fiction)</p><p>Maddie baked my sister and me a pie. (compound</p><p>indirect object—my sister and me)</p><p>He sent the memo to my boss and me. (compound</p><p>object of the preposition—my boss and me)</p><p>2.5. Predicate Words</p><p>Linking verbs (refer back to Section 1.4) do not have</p><p>objects. Because linking verbs function as equal signs in</p><p>a sentence, there is no receiver of the action of the verb.</p><p>Linking verbs have predicate adjectives and predicate</p><p>nominatives (nouns) that may look like objects. We will</p><p>talk more about predicate nominatives in Section6.2</p><p>when we talk about pronoun cases.</p><p>Her are some examples of predicate adjectives and pred-</p><p>icate nominatives.</p><p>I am a writer. (Am is a linking verb, so writer is</p><p>not an object. Since writer is a noun, it is called a</p><p>predicate nominative.)</p><p>I am happy. (Am is a linking verb, so there is no</p><p>object. Since happy is an adjective, it is called a</p><p>predicate adjective.)</p><p>It seems cold outside. (Seems is a linking verb, so</p><p>there is no object. Cold is a predicate adjective.)</p><p>This cookie tastes stale. (Tastes is a linking verb</p><p>here, so there is no object. Stale is a predicate</p><p>adjective.)</p><p>Practice 31—</p><p>Identifying Predicate Adjectives and Predicate</p><p>Nominatives</p><p>Identify the predicate nouns and adjectives in the fol-</p><p>lowing sentences. Remember that you must have a</p><p>linking verb to have predicate words. If the verb is an</p><p>action verb, it may have an object, but it will not have</p><p>a predicate nominative or predicate adjective. Some of</p><p>the sentences will not have predicate words, and others</p><p>may have more than one.</p><p>1. This dress looks beautiful on you.</p><p>2. The cookies look terrible, but they taste great!</p><p>3. I baked these cookies last night.</p><p>4. She is tall, but her brother is even taller!</p><p>5. She plays the violin really well.</p><p>6. Her cousin is an actor.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>✎ Remember that a linking verb connects the words</p><p>before and after it. It functions as an “equal” sign</p><p>in the sentence. The subject and the predicate word</p><p>are equal. In the examples at the beginning of this</p><p>section, I is the “same” as writer and happy. How-</p><p>ever, when there is an action verb, there is no linking</p><p>Sentences 2 31</p><p>of words before and after the verb. In the example</p><p>I threw the ball, threw is not linking I and ball. I am</p><p>not equal to a ball! We will talk more about linking</p><p>verbs in Section 7.4.</p><p>2.6. The Four Kinds of Sentences</p><p>In Chapter 5 we will talk about the different structures</p><p>of sentences, but here we will identify the kinds of sen-</p><p>tences by describing what the sentence is doing.</p><p>Declarative Sentence</p><p>A declarative sentence makes a statement and generally</p><p>has a period at the end of it. Here are two examples:</p><p>I am changing jobs next week.</p><p>We all enjoyed the concert last night.</p><p>Interrogative Sentence</p><p>Interrogative sentence is a fancy name for a sentence</p><p>that asks a question. This type of sentence would gener-</p><p>ally end with a question mark. Here are two examples:</p><p>Which movie do you want to see?</p><p>Did you ask her if she has the report ready?</p><p>✎ On the other hand, I asked her if she had the report</p><p>ready is not a question even though the word asked</p><p>is there. It is simply a declarative sentence, or a</p><p>statement.</p><p>Imperative Sentence</p><p>Imperative sentence is a fancy name for a sentence that</p><p>gives a command. These sentences usually end with a</p><p>period. Here are two examples:</p><p>Please do your chores now.</p><p>Go to the store and get some salad for dinner.</p><p>✎ When you look at most commands, they do not seem</p><p>to have a subject. For example, you might tell your</p><p>dog, “Sit.” While that may not look like a sentence</p><p>(since it is only a verb), it is actually a sentence. Most</p><p>commands do not have a subject visible in the sen-</p><p>tence. However, there is an implied subject, which is</p><p>usually indicated in grammar books by putting the</p><p>subject in parentheses. What is the subject? You. It</p><p>is the person you are talking to:</p><p>(You) please do your chores now.</p><p>(You) go to the store and get some salad for dinner.</p><p>Exclamatory Sentence</p><p>An exclamatory sentence expresses emotion (usually</p><p>excitement of some type) and ends with an exclama-</p><p>tion point. Notice that sometimes an interrogative</p><p>(question) or imperative (command) can be treated as</p><p>an exclamatory sentence, although most of the time</p><p>the sentence is declarative said with emotion. Here are</p><p>some examples:</p><p>There is a fire in the garage!</p><p>Don’t crash into that car! (also imperative)</p><p>What do you think you’re doing! (also interrogative)</p><p>Practice 32—</p><p>Identifying the Types of Sentences</p><p>Identify each sentence as declarative, interrogative,</p><p>imperative, or exclamatory.</p><p>1. Look at that huge cat!</p><p>2. I saw a cat in those bushes.</p><p>3. There’s a train coming!</p><p>4. Did you see the cat hiding in the bushes?</p><p>5. Try to get the cat out of the bushes.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>32 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Chapter 2 Test</p><p>Sentences</p><p>Part 1—Identify the subject(s) and verb(s) in these</p><p>sentences:</p><p>1. Jim reads for an hour every night.</p><p>2. You and I will walk a mile to the mall.</p><p>3. The grapes taste really good.</p><p>4. On the last test, I received an A.</p><p>5. The dog ate and drank everything in its bowl.</p><p>Part 2—Separate each sentence into the subject and</p><p>predicate.</p><p>1. That big brown dog attacked the neighbor yesterday.</p><p>2. Suzie, Jack, Holly, Mike, and all the others are invited</p><p>to our party.</p><p>3. Dinner consists of steak, potatoes, salad, and bread.</p><p>Part 3—Find all the objects in the following sentences,</p><p>and identify which type each one is: direct object, indi-</p><p>rect object, or object of the preposition. Sentences may</p><p>have more than one object, but each sentence has at</p><p>least one.</p><p>1. Take your coat and come with me.</p><p>2. She gave me a birthday gift yesterday.</p><p>3. We exercise in the morning and at night.</p><p>4. Joe took me to the baseball game.</p><p>5. In Paris, we took a train around the countryside.</p><p>Part 4—Label each predicate word as a predicate adjec-</p><p>tive or a predicate nominative. There is at least one (and</p><p>maybe more) in each sentence.</p><p>1. She is pretty.</p><p>2. Aren’t you tired yet?</p><p>3. She is a cheerleader with the football team.</p><p>4. I didn’t know whether you were Santa Claus last</p><p>Christmas.</p><p>Part 5—Identify all the objects and predicate words in</p><p>the following sentences, and tell which type of object</p><p>or predicate word each is. Sentences may have one or</p><p>more.</p><p>1. Finish your dinner before you go to the beach.</p><p>2. She told me the story about the rabbit and the bear.</p><p>3. At work I have six reports that I must finish before</p><p>Friday.</p><p>4. Those cherries are tasty, but the bananas are not ripe</p><p>yet.</p><p>5. Which tickets are you giving him for the game on</p><p>Sunday?</p><p>Part 6—Which sentence in Part 5 is imperative? _____</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Chapter 3</p><p>Phrases</p><p>3.1. Introduction:</p><p>What Is a Phrase?</p><p>A phrase is a small group of words that go together. A</p><p>phrase is never a complete sentence, and it never has</p><p>both a subject and a verb.</p><p>Phrases generally function as one part of speech. Some</p><p>phrases act as adjectives, describing a noun in the sen-</p><p>tence. Other phrases function as adverbs, describing a</p><p>verb or perhaps an adjective in the sentence. Still other</p><p>phrases act as nouns and might be the subject or object</p><p>in a sentence.</p><p>Phrases add information and variety to your writing.</p><p>In Section 1.4 we talked briefly about verb phrases (the</p><p>verb and its helping verbs). There are several other</p><p>common types of phrases.</p><p>3.2. Prepositional Phrases</p><p>We talked about prepositional phrases in Section 1.7.</p><p>Prepositions always appear in phrases, which all have</p><p>pretty much the same structure: preposition, (some-</p><p>times an article), noun or pronoun. Prepositional</p><p>phrases tell where, when, and sometimes how or what</p><p>kind. Prepositional phrases function as either adjectives</p><p>or adverbs. The important thing to know about prepo-</p><p>sitional phrases is where to put them in the sentence.</p><p>We will talk about that in Section 11.5.</p><p>Here are examples of adverbial prepositional phrases.</p><p>I put it on the table. (on the table answers where,</p><p>so the phrase functions as an adverb describing</p><p>put.)</p><p>She is at school. (at school also tells where and</p><p>modifies the verb is.)</p><p>During the movie the baby cried. (during the movie</p><p>tells when and describes the verb cried.)</p><p>Here are some examples of adjectival prepositional</p><p>phrases:</p><p>She wore the dress with stripes. (with stripes tells</p><p>what kind of dress, so the phrase functions as an</p><p>adjective.)</p><p>This is the new book by J. K. Rowling. (by J. K. Rowl-</p><p>ing tells which book, so the phrase functions as</p><p>an adjective.)</p><p>The flag of the United States is red, white, and blue.</p><p>(of the United States tells which flag, so the</p><p>phrase functions as an adjective describing flag.)</p><p>Practice 33—</p><p>Identifying Prepositional Phrases</p><p>Each of the following sentences has one prepositional</p><p>phrase. Identify the phrase, and tell whether it is being</p><p>used as an adverb or adjective.</p><p>1. I slept on the chair.</p><p>2. After dinner, wash the dishes.</p><p>3. The chair with the pillow is very comfortable.</p><p>4. The cat is sitting under the tree.</p><p>5. The girl in blue is my sister.</p><p>6. We walked around the park.</p><p>7. You will find the computer in the office.</p><p>8. The poem was written by Robert Frost.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>3.3. Infinitive Phrases</p><p>First of all, there are infinitive phrases and there are plain</p><p>old infinitives. Infinitives are pretty easy to understand.</p><p>An infinitive is a verb with</p><p>the word to in front of it. But</p><p>34 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>it doesn’t function as a verb. An infinitive is a noun. You</p><p>will see that in the examples.</p><p>✎ The to in front of an infinitive is not a preposition, so</p><p>don’t get an infinitive confused with a prepositional</p><p>phrase. If a verb comes after to, you have an infini-</p><p>tive. If a noun or pronoun comes after to, then to is</p><p>a preposition:</p><p>I want to jump. (infinitive)</p><p>I jumped to the ground. (preposition)</p><p>Back to infinitives. An infinitive can be used by itself</p><p>in a sentence; however, if you add some words to it, it</p><p>becomes an infinitive phrase.</p><p>Here are some examples:</p><p>I like to write quickly. (to write is an infinitive, and</p><p>to write quickly is the entire phrase. Notice that</p><p>write is no longer a verb. The verb in the sentence</p><p>is like. Since to write quickly tells what you like, it</p><p>is actually the direct object: a noun.)</p><p>To be an actor is my greatest ambition. (to be is the</p><p>infinitive, to be an actor is the entire phrase, and</p><p>it is the subject of the sentence, thus functioning</p><p>as a noun. The verb of the sentence is is.)</p><p>I want to go to the movies later. (want is the verb,</p><p>and to go to the movies is the phrase serving as</p><p>the direct object of the sentence: want what? to</p><p>go to the movies. Notice there is also a preposi-</p><p>tional phrase (to the movies) inside the infinitive</p><p>phrase. That’s okay.</p><p>It’s easy to use infinitives and infinitive phrases correctly.</p><p>Practice 34—</p><p>Find the Infinitive or Infinitive Phrase</p><p>Each of the following sentences has one infinitive. Iden-</p><p>tify each one.</p><p>1. I want to go to the movies right now.</p><p>2. To tell the truth is always important.</p><p>3. I plan to hand in my report tomorrow.</p><p>4. To become a doctor, you must go to school for many</p><p>years.</p><p>5. It’s not good to eat too many sweet things.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Practice 35—</p><p>Identifing Infinitives as Subjects or Objects</p><p>Each of the following sentences has an infinitive phrase.</p><p>Identify the infinitive phrase and whether it is being</p><p>used as the subject or an object in the sentence.</p><p>1. To be an astronaut was his dream in life.</p><p>2. I want to read that new book.</p><p>3. I cannot decide whether to see the new movie or the</p><p>concert.</p><p>4. To go to college is a necessity in this family</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>3.4. Participial Phrases</p><p>Participles, like infinitives, come from verbs, but they</p><p>are now adjectives (whereas infinitives are now nouns).</p><p>There are two kinds of participles: present and past.</p><p>Present Participles</p><p>A present participle is formed by adding -ing to a verb:</p><p>running, jumping, thinking, reading, etc.</p><p>Here are some sentences using present participles (or</p><p>participial phrases). Notice that they are used as adjec-</p><p>tives: (The whole phrase is in bold.)</p><p>Running quickly, I got to school late anyway. (Running</p><p>is the participle, and it describes the pronoun I.)</p><p>Dad, driving the car, wasn’t listening. (Driving is the</p><p>participle, and it describes the noun Dad.)</p><p>The hopping bunny was so cute. (Hopping is the</p><p>participle, and it describes bunny.)</p><p>✎ Can you tell the difference between running in these</p><p>two sentences?</p><p>Running for the bus, he tripped and fell.</p><p>He was running for the bus when he tripped and fell.</p><p>Answer: In the first sentence, running is a participle that</p><p>describes he.</p><p>In the second sentence, running is not a participle. It is</p><p>the verb (past progressive tense) in the first part of the</p><p>sentence, and its subject is he.) Did you figure it out?</p><p>Phrases 2 35</p><p>Past Participles</p><p>A past participle is formed by using the form of the verb</p><p>that you would use with the present perfect tense (that</p><p>is the one using the helping verb have or has): written,</p><p>burned, seen, run, baked, etc.</p><p>Here are some sentences using past participles (or par-</p><p>ticipial phrases). Notice that they are used as adjectives:</p><p>(The whole phrase is in bold.)</p><p>Written quickly, my essay didn’t get a very good</p><p>grade. (Written is the participle, and it describes</p><p>the noun essay.)</p><p>We noticed the burned building as we drove by.</p><p>(Burned is the participle, and it describes the</p><p>noun building.)</p><p>Baked to a perfect brown, the crust was delicious.</p><p>(Baked is the participle, and it describes the noun</p><p>crust.)</p><p>✎ As you will read about in Section 11.4, if you aren’t</p><p>careful, you can run into trouble with participial</p><p>phrases: If you put them in the wrong place (called</p><p>a misplaced modifier), your sentence won’t make</p><p>sense—and sometimes writers overlook these. For</p><p>example, take the first sentence above. Let’s rewrite</p><p>it a bit:</p><p>Written quickly, I didn’t get a very good grade on my</p><p>essay.</p><p>Can you see the problem? We know that written quickly</p><p>is an adjective. What is it describing in the sentence</p><p>above? Generally, in the English language things are</p><p>assumed to belong to words that are placed near them.</p><p>Written quickly, I? The rewritten sentence says that I was</p><p>written quickly not the essay, so it is incorrect. We have</p><p>a misplaced modifier.</p><p>Practice 36—</p><p>Identifying Participles</p><p>Find the participles and participial phrases in the fol-</p><p>lowing sentences. Some sentences have no participles,</p><p>and some may have more than one. They may be either</p><p>past or present. If you can, find the word the participle</p><p>modifies.</p><p>1. Running after the car, the dog wasn’t quite fast</p><p>enough.</p><p>2. I could not eat the baked apple because I like my</p><p>apples raw!</p><p>3. I love skating on the frozen pond.</p><p>4. Sitting on my lap, my dog enjoyed the television</p><p>show about cats.</p><p>5. I took a very difficult math test last week.</p><p>6. Sneezing and coughing, my sister could barely talk.</p><p>7. Chasing the ball is my dog’s favorite hobby!</p><p>8. Chasing the ball, my dog was almost smiling!</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>3.5. Gerundial Phrases</p><p>Gerunds look like present participles; they have the</p><p>form of a verb with -ing added to the end. However,</p><p>whereas participles function as adjectives, gerunds</p><p>function as nouns. They can be subjects or objects in</p><p>sentences. Here are some examples of gerunds and</p><p>gerundial phrases:</p><p>Skiing is a favorite hobby of mine. (Skiing is a ger-</p><p>und and is the subject of the sentence.)</p><p>I love skiing as much as you do. (Skiing is a gerund</p><p>and is the direct object of the verb love. Love</p><p>what? skiing.)</p><p>I have read many books about skiing. (Skiing is</p><p>a gerund and is the object of the preposition</p><p>about.)</p><p>Don’t worry too much about gerunds. They are nice</p><p>to know about, but it’s difficult to make a grammatical</p><p>mistake with them.</p><p>Practice 37—</p><p>Find the Gerund</p><p>Can you find the gerunds in the following sentences?</p><p>Each sentence has one. Gerunds are used as nouns, so</p><p>be careful not to confuse them with plain old verbs end-</p><p>ing in -ing.</p><p>1. Swimming in the pool at my friend’s house is my</p><p>favorite thing to do.</p><p>2. While she was walking, she heard yelling in the park.</p><p>3. I love knitting my own sweaters.</p><p>36 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>4. He was completing his report when his boss told</p><p>him that his writing was excellent.</p><p>5. His job consists of tasting the chocolate to make</p><p>sure it is perfect.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Practice 38—</p><p>Gerund or Participle?</p><p>All of the following sentences contain a gerund, a par-</p><p>ticiple, or both. Some sentences may have more than</p><p>one gerund or participle. Find all the gerunds and par-</p><p>ticiples and identify which each is. You don’t need to</p><p>worry about the rest of the phrase.</p><p>1. Running around the track, I was out of breath.</p><p>2. Running is great exercise!</p><p>3. While I was running, I saw a burning building.</p><p>4. Closing her book, she thought about how much she</p><p>loved to read.</p><p>5. Did you finish writing yet?</p><p>6. My job consists of reading and writing.</p><p>7. Lying in the sun, she was getting a sunburn.</p><p>8. Stop talking while I explain these written instruc-</p><p>tions to you.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>3.6. A Few Words About</p><p>Appositives</p><p>An appositive is a word or group of words (phrase) that</p><p>describe a noun or pr0noun that comes right before it.</p><p>Here are some examples of appositives:</p><p>My sister Ellen is visiting next week.</p><p>(Ellen is describ-</p><p>ing sister.)</p><p>Ellen, my older sister, is visiting next week. (My older</p><p>sister is an appositive phrase describing Ellen.)</p><p>My company, SWT Publications, is expanding to two</p><p>new locations.</p><p>Joe Clark, my neighbor across the street, is a</p><p>famous author. (This appositive contains a prepo-</p><p>sitional phrase.)</p><p>Notice that sometimes the appositive is set off by com-</p><p>mas and sometimes it isn’t. When do you use commas?</p><p>As a rule, setting something off in commas means that</p><p>whatever is between the commas could be left out of</p><p>the sentence, and the reader would still know what</p><p>the sentence meant; the words inside the commas are</p><p>added information. If the appositive is needed to iden-</p><p>tify the noun or pronoun that comes before it, then no</p><p>comma is used. Look at the following sentences:</p><p>My brother, Joe, went to Princeton and then to law</p><p>school.</p><p>My brother Joe went to Princeton and then to law</p><p>school.</p><p>They are both correct, but they are different. In the first</p><p>sentence, Joe is set off with commas, implying that is isn’t</p><p>really necessary to know the brother’s name or that the</p><p>reader already knows the name. In the second sentence, Joe</p><p>is not set off with commas, meaning that it is a necessary</p><p>part of the sentence. This implies that Joe is needed to</p><p>identify the brother. One case in which this might happen</p><p>is if you had more than one brother and needed to identify</p><p>which brother went to Princeton. Sometimes whether or</p><p>not to use commas is tricky, and sometimes you can really</p><p>go either way. See Chapter 8 for more information about</p><p>commas.</p><p>Practice 39—</p><p>Find the Appositives</p><p>Each of the following sentences contains one or more</p><p>appositives. Identify each appositive.</p><p>1. My sister Jean is the oldest of the six of us.</p><p>2. Mr. Green, a psychology professor, has written our</p><p>textbook.</p><p>3. He gave me a gift, a pearl necklace, for my birthday.</p><p>4. This book, one of my favorites, is very worn!</p><p>5. These pizza toppings, peppers and olives, are not my</p><p>favorites!</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Phrases 2 37</p><p>Chapter 3 Test</p><p>Phrases</p><p>Part 1—The following sentences contain all types of</p><p>phrases: prepositional, infinitive, participial, appositive,</p><p>and gerundial. Can you find them and identify which</p><p>type they are? Each sentence has at least one phrase.</p><p>1. Smiling broadly, John gave his girlfriend a hug for</p><p>her birthday.</p><p>2. Lisa, his girlfriend, is a senior in high school.</p><p>3. Walking through the park, they held hands.</p><p>4. Giving gifts is fun, and receiving them is also fun!</p><p>5. Receiving a bicycle for Christmas, Luke, my cousin,</p><p>learned how to ride it that very day!</p><p>Part 2—The following sentences contain either a parti-</p><p>ciple or a gerund. Identify it and tell which one it is. If it</p><p>is a participle, tell what it modifies. It it is a gerund, tell</p><p>whether it is a subject or an object.</p><p>1. She laughed as the swimming dog chased the waves.</p><p>2. Going to the movies isn’t much fun for me.</p><p>3. I like talking too much to sit through a long movie!</p><p>4. My frightened sister didn’t like the scary movie.</p><p>5. Can you tell me which way the speeding car went?</p><p>Part 3—Some of the following sentences contain infini-</p><p>tives. Others don’t. Find any infinitives in the sentences.</p><p>1. The child cried, “I want to go home!”</p><p>2. She saw the man as he went into the building.</p><p>3. Did you want to see the new painting I bought?</p><p>4. I went to the mall to buy a new suit.</p><p>5. Did you go to the museum with your guests?</p><p>Part 4—Fill in the blanks with the correct answer.</p><p>1. My sister Jane is a doctor. The appositive is ______</p><p>a. doctor b. sister c. Jane d. is</p><p>2. I have a talking bird named Joey. Talking is ______</p><p>a. gerund b. verb c. noun d. participle</p><p>3. I walked all the way to school. To school is ______</p><p>a. prepositional phrase b. infinitive c. adjective</p><p>d. noun</p><p>4. There is too much salt in this omelet. This sen-</p><p>tence contains _____</p><p>a. no phrases b. an infinitive c. a prepositional</p><p>phrase d. a gerund</p><p>5. The book that is here is yours. This sentence con-</p><p>tains _____</p><p>a. a gerund b. a prepositional phrase c. a participle</p><p>d. none of those</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Chapter 4</p><p>Clauses</p><p>4.1. Introduction:</p><p>What Is a Clause?</p><p>In Chapter 3 we learned that a phrase is a small group of</p><p>related words without both a subject and a verb. Back in</p><p>Chapter 2, we talked about sentences and learned that</p><p>sentences contain both subjects and verbs. So what is</p><p>a clause?</p><p>A clause is a group of related words with both a subject</p><p>and a verb. You might ask, “Well, isn’t that a sentence?”</p><p>Sometimes. Some clauses are complete sentences, but</p><p>others are not.</p><p>There are two main types of clauses: dependent clauses</p><p>(otherwise known as subordinate clauses) and indepen-</p><p>dent clauses, otherwise known as sentences.</p><p>4.2. Independent Clauses</p><p>An independent clause can stand on its own; in other</p><p>words, it is a sentence. One independent clause equals</p><p>one simple sentence (refer to Chapter 5 for a discussion</p><p>of the kinds of sentences). It has a subject and a verb,</p><p>and it may also have objects and phrases. It may have</p><p>more than one subject or more than one verb. Here are</p><p>examples of two different independent clauses. One is</p><p>very short and the other very long. However, they are</p><p>both just one independent clause each.</p><p>She spoke.</p><p>She spoke loudly to the class, trying to be heard over</p><p>the noise.</p><p>Practice 40—</p><p>Identifing Independent Clauses</p><p>Some of the following are independent clauses (com-</p><p>plete sentences); some are not. Identify which ones are</p><p>independent clauses.</p><p>1. I want a cheeseburger.</p><p>2. Do you want some?</p><p>3. Because I am hungry.</p><p>4. She stood and stared at me.</p><p>5. Sit.</p><p>6. Although he wouldn’t tell me what he wanted.</p><p>7. Is your homework done?</p><p>8. Went home and ate dinner.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>4.3. Subordinate (Dependent)</p><p>Clauses</p><p>A subordinate clause has both a subject and a verb, yet it</p><p>cannot stand alone as a sentence. Here are some exam-</p><p>ples of subordinate clauses:</p><p>because I am working late (subject is I and verb is</p><p>am working)</p><p>after we come home from vacation (subject is we</p><p>and verb is come)</p><p>whenever we go to the movies (subject is we and</p><p>verb is go)</p><p>which is the last movie I saw (subject is which and</p><p>verb is is)</p><p>who is my best friend (not a question: subject is</p><p>who and verb is is)</p><p>40 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>whom you are talking to (subject is you and verb is</p><p>are talking)</p><p>Notice that in the first three examples, you could take</p><p>the first word away and you would have a sentence.</p><p>However, that first word is part of the clause and indi-</p><p>cates that more information is needed. There is more</p><p>that needs to be added to the thought.</p><p>Now, let’s add some words to those subordinate clauses</p><p>(sometimes called sentence fragments) to make them</p><p>complete sentences.</p><p>Because I am working late, I will miss dinner.</p><p>We will unpack after we come home from vacation.</p><p>Whenever we go to the movies, you want to sit in</p><p>the back row.</p><p>I loved Blue Jasmine, which is the last movie I saw.</p><p>Jim, who is my best friend, just moved to Oregon.</p><p>I don’t know whom you are talking to.</p><p>Look at the words we added to each subordinate clause</p><p>to make it a sentence. What did we add? Yes, we added</p><p>an independent clause (a complete sentence) to each one.</p><p>You could string together 100 subordinate clauses, and</p><p>you still wouldn’t have a complete sentence because every</p><p>sentence must contain at least one independent clause.</p><p>There are a few different types of subordinate clauses,</p><p>which we will discuss in the next sections.</p><p>Practice 41—</p><p>Subordinate Clauses</p><p>The column on the left consists of subordinate clauses.</p><p>The column on the right contains independent clauses.</p><p>Match the appropriate independent clause with the sub-</p><p>ordinate clause to create a complete sentence. The subor-</p><p>dinate clause can go anywhere, including in the middle, of</p><p>the independent clause.</p><p>1. who is visiting from China a. stay in your seat</p><p>2. although it isn’t dinner time yet b. I am going this</p><p>year</p><p>3. until the game starts c. my brother is</p><p>in college</p><p>4. which I bought yesterday d. I am really</p><p>hungry</p><p>5. because I couldn’t go last year e. the blue dress</p><p>was on sale</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Adjective Clauses</p><p>One type of subordinate clause is an adjective clause.</p><p>Here are a few things about adjective clauses:</p><p>• They function as adjectives in the sentence, modify-</p><p>ing a noun or pronoun.</p><p>• They are always in the middle or at the end of the</p><p>sentence. They do not begin sentences.</p><p>• Sometimes they are essential to the meaning of the</p><p>sentence and are not set within commas, but some-</p><p>times they are additional information and, in that</p><p>case, are enclosed in commas.</p><p>• They begin with relative pronouns. Remember those</p><p>from Section 1.3? They are who, whom, whose, which,</p><p>and that.</p><p>Here are some sentences containing adjective clauses:</p><p>This is my neighbor who owns six dogs. (clause</p><p>describes neighbor)</p><p>My boss, whom I really respect, just won a national</p><p>award. (clause describes boss)</p><p>This is the book that I read last week. (clause</p><p>describes book)</p><p>Notice that the second example sets off the clause with</p><p>commas. That means the clause is nonessential and</p><p>could be left out without losing the meaning of the sen-</p><p>tence. We don’t need that clause to identify the boss. It</p><p>is more of a “by the way.”</p><p>In the third example, the clause identifies which book</p><p>you are talking about. This is the book might not be very</p><p>clear without it. Sometimes it is difficult to determine</p><p>whether or not a clause is essential to the meaning or</p><p>not. It might depend on the context that comes before</p><p>the sentence. Sometimes it helps to read the sentence</p><p>out loud. If you tend to pause before and after the clause,</p><p>it might need a comma.</p><p>In the first example above, the clause might be essen-</p><p>tial, but it might not be. You might need to go by the</p><p>situation or previous context for this one. You might</p><p>Clauses 2 41</p><p>be identifying which neighbor you are talking about by</p><p>mentioning that it is the neighbor who has the dogs.</p><p>Or, it may be additional information if you are simply</p><p>introducing the neighbor to someone.</p><p>One thing about essential versus nonessential clauses:</p><p>If your clause is not essential and you are using commas</p><p>around it, use which for things and who for people. If</p><p>your clause is essential and you are not using commas</p><p>to set if off, use that. However, if your essential clause</p><p>describes a person, most people use who (or whom or</p><p>whose). However, it is acceptable to use that if you pre-</p><p>fer (I don’t). Here are some examples:</p><p>I want the dress that has the blue buttons.</p><p>I want this dress, which is less expensive than the</p><p>other one. (Since you are saying this dress, we</p><p>know which dress you are talking about; the</p><p>clause is added information.)</p><p>Mary, who is my first cousin, is graduating college</p><p>this year.</p><p>The girl that is sitting in the front row is my cousin.</p><p>(It is okay to use that here, but I would use who.)</p><p>Practice 42—</p><p>Identifying Adjective Clauses</p><p>Some of the following sentences contain adjective</p><p>clauses. Identify the clause (if the sentence has one),</p><p>and tell which word in the sentence the clause modifies.</p><p>1. The job application that I just filled out was four</p><p>pages long.</p><p>2. I don’t know where you are.</p><p>3. The pasta, which I just made, is already gone.</p><p>4. This is the book whose author I met at the meeting.</p><p>5. My professor, who is an expert on insects, is very</p><p>interesting.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Adverb Clauses</p><p>Here are a few things about adverb clauses:</p><p>• They function as adverbs in the sentence, usually</p><p>modifying a verb.</p><p>• They can be at the beginning, in the middle, or at the</p><p>end of a sentence.</p><p>• When they begin a sentence, they are followed by</p><p>a comma. When they are at the end of a sentence,</p><p>they are usually not preceded by a comma.</p><p>• They begin with the words that are called subordi-</p><p>nating conjunctions (refer back to Section 1.8).</p><p>Here are some of the more common subordinating con-</p><p>junctions: because, although, if, since, until, whenever,</p><p>wherever, before, after.</p><p>Here are some examples of sentences with adverb</p><p>clauses:</p><p>Because I got home late, I missed the TV program.</p><p>Although I got paid today, I spent all my money!</p><p>If I finish my work early enough, I can go with you.</p><p>It has been a week since I returned from my</p><p>vacation.</p><p>I won’t be home until I finish the speaking tour.</p><p>Whenever I work late, I end up staying up too late.</p><p>I will follow you wherever you go.</p><p>Before I pay for the trip, I need to check my</p><p>calendar.</p><p>I will pay for the trip after I check my calendar.</p><p>✎ Notice two things about the examples above. First,</p><p>when the clause comes at the beginning of the sen-</p><p>tence, we have used a comma after it. However, when</p><p>the clause is at the end, we don’t use a comma before</p><p>it. All of those sentences can be flipped around and</p><p>the clauses put in the opposite place. If you say the</p><p>sentences out loud, you will probably pause where</p><p>the commas are and not pause in the sentences</p><p>where there are no commas.</p><p>The second thing to notice is that some of the subor-</p><p>dinating conjunctions are often other parts of speech,</p><p>namely prepositions. As we said before, a word can</p><p>function as more than one part of speech (but only</p><p>one part of speech at a time), depending on its use in</p><p>the sentence. Until, since, before, and after can also be</p><p>prepositions. If they are followed by an article (some-</p><p>times) and a noun or pronoun, they are prepositions.</p><p>If they are followed by a subject and a verb, they are</p><p>42 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>subordinating conjunctions that introduce an adverb</p><p>clause. Notice the differences:</p><p>After I check my calendar (clause)</p><p>After school (prepositional phrase)</p><p>Before I pay for the trip (clause)</p><p>Before the game (prepositional phrase)</p><p>Until I finish the speaking tour (clause)</p><p>Until last night (prepositional phase)</p><p>Since I returned from my vacation (clause)</p><p>Since last night (prepositional phrase)</p><p>Practice 43—</p><p>Identifing Adverb Clauses</p><p>Each of the following sentences contains an adverb</p><p>clause. It may also have adjective clauses. Identify only</p><p>the adverb clauses.</p><p>1. I was late for the meeting because I was in a traffic</p><p>jam.</p><p>2. If my sister, who is coming to visit, wants to go, Iwill</p><p>go too.</p><p>3. I haven’t heard from him since he moved away.</p><p>4. Wherever I go, my cat follows me.</p><p>5. I am going hiking, although it is raining.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Noun Clauses</p><p>Noun clauses, like nouns, function as subjects or objects</p><p>in a sentence. Here is an example where the noun clause</p><p>is the subject of the sentence:</p><p>Whoever comes to the party will get a gift. (The</p><p>clause is the subject, and will get is the verb. Note</p><p>that you can substitute a noun or pronoun for</p><p>the clause and it still makes sense (for example,</p><p>Joe will get a gift). (Note also that the clause itself</p><p>has a subject and a verb as all clauses do: The</p><p>subject is whoever, and the verb is comes. How-</p><p>ever, the clause as a whole is the subject of the</p><p>sentence, and the main verb in the sentence is</p><p>will get.)</p><p>Here is an example where the noun clause is the direct</p><p>object in the sentence.</p><p>I know who you are. (I know what? who you are.</p><p>The subject of the clause is you, and the verb is</p><p>are; the subject of the sentence itself is I, and the</p><p>verb is know.)</p><p>Here is an example where the noun clause is the object</p><p>of the preposition.</p><p>I gave the books to whoever wanted them. (The</p><p>subject of the clause is whoever, and the verb</p><p>is wanted. The entire clause is the object of the</p><p>preposition to. The subject of the entire sentence</p><p>is I, and the verb is gave.)</p><p>Clauses 2 43</p><p>Chapter 4 Test</p><p>Clauses</p><p>Part 1—Identify each of the following as an indepen-</p><p>dent or a subordinate clause.</p><p>1. If I told him a story.</p><p>2. Mom tells my little brother a story every night.</p><p>3. Whoever you are.</p><p>4. Because it is Friday.</p><p>5. I have been studying since yesterday.</p><p>6. After the party, I went home.</p><p>7. Wherever they sit.</p><p>Part 2—Each of the following sentences has either an</p><p>adverb or an adjective clause.</p><p>Identify the clause, and</p><p>tell which type it is.</p><p>1. Whenever I am with him, I have fun.</p><p>2. I don’t know the girl who is walking in front of us.</p><p>3. The story that I am telling you is a secret.</p><p>4. I didn’t go because I had a game that day.</p><p>5. Did you see the boy whose dog was lost?</p><p>Part 3—Identify the noun clause in each sentence and</p><p>tell whether it is a subject or an object.</p><p>1. I don’t know who you are.</p><p>2. Whoever is making that noise should stop.</p><p>3. I am going with whoever wants to go.</p><p>Part 4—Fill in the blanks with an appropriate subordi-</p><p>nate clause of the type in parentheses.</p><p>1. ________________________ I am wearing a sweater.</p><p>(adverb)</p><p>2. That doll, _______________________, is very expen-</p><p>sive. (adjective)</p><p>3. __________________________ should bring a heavy</p><p>jacket. (noun)</p><p>4. You should take that vacation ___________________</p><p>(adverb)</p><p>5. The pen __________________________ belongs to</p><p>me. (adjective)</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Chapter 5</p><p>Types of Sentence Structures</p><p>5.1. Introduction</p><p>You want your writing to be interesting. If all your sen-</p><p>tences have the same structure and same length, your</p><p>writing could get boring to the reader. Knowing the</p><p>types of sentence structures you can use will allow you</p><p>to make your writing more interesting.</p><p>We talked about sentences in Chapter 2. In this chap-</p><p>ter, we will look at sentences in a slightly different way.</p><p>We will talk about sentence fragments and run-on sen-</p><p>tences. Then you will learn about the various sentence</p><p>structures, so that your writing will be interesting and</p><p>contain a wide range of sentence types. Sentences are</p><p>made up of combinations of clauses (see Chapter 4),</p><p>both subordinate and independent.</p><p>All you really need to have a sentence is a subject (noun</p><p>or pronoun) and a verb. So a sentence can have only</p><p>two words and still be a perfectly complete sentence.</p><p>This is a complete sentence: Jack runs.</p><p>Obviously, you don’t want to write in two-word sen-</p><p>tences. However, this chapter will show you how some-</p><p>thing much longer than two words—that might look</p><p>as if it is a sentence—may not be a complete sentence.</p><p>Finally, this chapter will talk about how sentences are</p><p>put together, and the various ways you can build sen-</p><p>tences to make your writing more interesting.</p><p>✎ You can actually have a sentence that contains only</p><p>one word! For example, you may tell your dog, “Sit.”</p><p>Sit is a complete sentence. It is a verb. You might</p><p>ask, “Where is the subject?” In a command there is</p><p>often an implied subject—meaning it isn’t actually</p><p>in the sentence, but is understood. The subject of a</p><p>command is always you, whether it is written there</p><p>or not.</p><p>5.2. Not a Sentence</p><p>One of the most important things to know when you are</p><p>writing is the difference between a sentence, a fragment,</p><p>and a run on. We will discuss fragments and run ons</p><p>in the following sections. Generally, you should write</p><p>in complete sentences and avoid run-on sentences and</p><p>fragments. Run ons and fragments are grammatically</p><p>incorrect. Are there exceptions? Of course. There are</p><p>always exceptions. Many people use sentence frag-</p><p>ments for effect (these are called minor sentences). I am</p><p>sure you can find some in this book. Fiction writers in</p><p>particular use fragments. Run ons are a different story</p><p>entirely, and they are not usually used in any way that</p><p>improves writing.</p><p>If you are writing a story or memoir or even a memo,</p><p>you might want to use a sentence fragment. However,</p><p>if you are writing a college essay, a cover letter, a letter</p><p>asking your boss for a raise, or a book proposal to an</p><p>agent, I would stick to complete sentences!</p><p>As we already mentioned, a sentence is a complete</p><p>thought. It can be really short or really long. All it really</p><p>needs is a subject and a verb. Here are some examples</p><p>of sentences:</p><p>He ran.</p><p>He ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and</p><p>ran, and then he stopped.</p><p>Because I have no money, I cannot go to the movies.</p><p>Sentence Fragment</p><p>A sentence fragment is not a sentence, but some-</p><p>times people think it is. A fragment is not a complete</p><p>thought. Sometimes subordinate clauses are written as</p><p>sentences, but they are not. Here are some samples of</p><p>46 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>fragments, or incomplete sentences. Do not use them</p><p>in your writing!</p><p>Because I have no money. (This is not a complete</p><p>thought; it cannot stand on its own.)</p><p>And I went with my friend. (Many people say it</p><p>is fine to begin a sentence with a FANBOYS</p><p>conjunction—refer back to Section1.8. I person-</p><p>ally don’t like it. I wouldn’t do it in formal writ-</p><p>ing; however, if you must, do it sparingly, and in</p><p>informal writing.)</p><p>If I try really hard. (This is another subordinate</p><p>clause that cannot stand on its own.)</p><p>The person whom I met and told me that she knew</p><p>a woman who lived across the street from me.</p><p>(This may sound like a sentence, but read it again.</p><p>It’s long, but it is not a complete thought. What</p><p>about the person? The fragment doesn’t tell us.)</p><p>Practice 44—</p><p>Identifying and Rewriting Sentence Fragments</p><p>Identify each of the following as a complete sentence</p><p>or a sentence fragment. Then, make the fragments into</p><p>complete sentences by adding words.</p><p>1. Since the work isn’t done and we need to leave, but</p><p>we can come back tomorrow.</p><p>2. He fell.</p><p>3. Who she is, I don’t know.</p><p>4. Where he is calling from.</p><p>5. Because your mother told you to go.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Run-on Sentences</p><p>A run on contains more than one complete sentence</p><p>without proper punctuation. Here is an example of a</p><p>run on:</p><p>I have a new job, it pays more than my old job.</p><p>You cannot separate two complete thoughts with just</p><p>a comma. If you do, you have a run-on sentence (often</p><p>called a comma splice.)</p><p>Two complete thoughts (sentences) must be separated</p><p>in one of these three ways:</p><p>1. Put a period between them, and start the sec-</p><p>ond sentence with a capital letter.</p><p>I have a new job. It pays more than my old job.</p><p>2. Put a semicolon between them if the two sen-</p><p>tences are closely related. (Do not capitalize the</p><p>beginning of the second sentence.)</p><p>I have a new job; it pays more than my old job.</p><p>3. Add a FANBOYS conjunction (for, and,nor, but,</p><p>or, yet, so) after the comma.</p><p>I have a new job, and it pays more than my old job.</p><p>If the two sentences are very short, you can omit the</p><p>comma:</p><p>I work and I sleep.</p><p>✎ Sometimes, but not too often, a colon is used</p><p>between two sentences. I recommend you avoid</p><p>doing this to eliminate the chance of using a colon</p><p>when it really isn’t appropriate. The colon can sepa-</p><p>rate two sentences when the second sentence is an</p><p>explanation of the first. However, any one of the</p><p>three solutions above will also work in that case. If</p><p>you do decide to use a colon, do not capitalize the</p><p>second sentence. Here is an example:</p><p>She is looking for a new job: her last job did not</p><p>work out.</p><p>Practice 45—</p><p>Identifying and Correcting Run Ons</p><p>Some of the following “sentences” are actually run ons.</p><p>Others are fine as they are. Identify the run ons, and fix</p><p>them with punctuation and/or conjunctions.</p><p>1. I ate pizza, my brother ate a hamburger.</p><p>2. The weather was great, the scenery was beautiful,</p><p>the company was exciting, and the cost was reason-</p><p>able; what a great vacation!</p><p>3. I took the train, then I had to take two buses to get</p><p>there.</p><p>4. Sweep the floor, and then take out the trash.</p><p>5. She asked what kind of dog he wanted, however, he</p><p>was allergic to dogs, so he couldn’t have one.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Types of Sentence Structures 2 47</p><p>5.3. Types of Sentence Structures</p><p>All sentences are made up of one or more clauses.</p><p>Remember that a clause is a group of words that has a</p><p>subject and a verb. Some clauses are complete sentences</p><p>and can stand on their own. Other clauses cannot stand</p><p>on their own; they are not complete thoughts, and they</p><p>must be added to an independent clause, which is a</p><p>complete thought. By combining independent and sub-</p><p>ordinate clauses, we are able to create the four sentence</p><p>structures.</p><p>Therefore, by being familiar with the differ-</p><p>ent types of clauses, you can form more interesting and</p><p>varying sentences. What about phrases? Clauses can</p><p>have any number of different types of phrases in them.</p><p>Simple Sentence</p><p>A simple sentence is made up of one independent</p><p>clause. That doesn’t mean that the sentence looks short</p><p>or simple. There might be several phrases in that one</p><p>clause. Here are some sample simple sentences (say that</p><p>three times fast!):</p><p>Jack and Jill went up the hill. This sentence is</p><p>pretty simple. It contains a compound subject</p><p>(Jack and Jill), a verb (went), and a prepositional</p><p>phrase (up the hill).</p><p>Picking blueberries, Jack and Jill decided to climb</p><p>to the top and to pick some flowers, pink roses.</p><p>This sentence may look complicated, but it is still</p><p>a simple sentence, containing only one clause.</p><p>Here is what it includes:</p><p>• picking blueberries—participial phrase</p><p>• Jack and Jill—compound subject</p><p>• decided—verb</p><p>• to climb and to pick- infinitives</p><p>• to the top—prepositional phrase</p><p>• pink roses—appositive</p><p>Compound Sentence</p><p>A compound sentence contains two or more indepen-</p><p>dent clauses (in other words, sentences) joined by a</p><p>FANBOYS conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so)</p><p>or a semicolon. Here are some compound sentences:</p><p>I ate dinner, and I went to bed. Notice that there</p><p>is an independent clause before the conjunc-</p><p>tion (and) and another independent clause after</p><p>theand.</p><p>Of course, the independent clauses can be more com-</p><p>plicated than these. And yes, there can be more than</p><p>two independent clauses in a compound sentence:</p><p>I ate dinner, I went to bed, and I forgot to set the</p><p>alarm clock.</p><p>✎ Note that you need complete sentences for the sen-</p><p>tence to be compound. The sentence below, very</p><p>similar to the one above, is just a simple sentence</p><p>with a compound verb. There is only one subject (I).</p><p>The two clauses after the first one have no subjects:</p><p>I ate dinner, went to bed, and forgot to set the</p><p>alarm clock.</p><p>Practice 46—</p><p>Simple and Compound Sentences</p><p>Identify each of the following sentences as either simple</p><p>or compound. Remember that a compound sentence</p><p>has two (or more) independent clauses. A simple sen-</p><p>tence can have a compound subject, compound verb,</p><p>or compound object; that doesn’t make it a compound</p><p>sentence.</p><p>1. The dog eats every morning, but the cat eats every</p><p>night.</p><p>2. Jane and her brother went to France, Italy, and Spain</p><p>on their vacation.</p><p>3. I’ll clean the kitchen; you clean the bathroom.</p><p>4. I don’t know whether I want to work at the local</p><p>company or the larger company.</p><p>5. My brother and sister are having dinner together</p><p>and then driving me to college.</p><p>6. Is that a boy or a girl?</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Complex Sentence</p><p>A complex sentence contains an independent clause</p><p>(complete sentence) and one or more subordinate</p><p>(adverb, adjective, or noun) clauses. So it is a combina-</p><p>tion of the types of clauses. Remember that you must</p><p>48 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>have an independent clause in a sentence. You could</p><p>string together 300 subordinate clauses and you still</p><p>wouldn’t have a complete sentence.</p><p>Here are two complex sentences with adverb subordi-</p><p>nate clauses:</p><p>Because I missed the bus, I had to walk three</p><p>miles. (The words before the comma make up a</p><p>subordinate clause; the words after the comma</p><p>are a complete sentence, or independent clause.)</p><p>I walked three miles before I saw the bus. (This</p><p>sentence, unlike the previous example, begins</p><p>with the independent clause and ends with the</p><p>adverb clause. Both of these sentences could be</p><p>flipped around, and they would be saying the</p><p>same thing. Remember that when you begin the</p><p>sentence with the subordinate clause, you gener-</p><p>ally follow the clause with a comma. When you</p><p>end the sentence with the subordinate clause,</p><p>there is usually no comma before it.</p><p>Here are two complex sentences with adjective subor-</p><p>dinate clauses:</p><p>My mother, who was born in Ireland, lived in Eng-</p><p>land and Scotland before she moved to the United</p><p>States. (The adjective clause is in the middle of</p><p>the sentence here, and the independent clause</p><p>surrounds it: My mother lived in England and</p><p>Scotland before she moved to the United States.)</p><p>This is the book that I read last week. (People are</p><p>usually referred to as who and never as which.</p><p>Things are referred to as which for nonessential</p><p>clauses [set off with commas] and that for essen-</p><p>tial clauses [no commas]).</p><p>And here are two complex sentences with more than</p><p>one subordinate clause:</p><p>The book that I read last week is the one that I</p><p>bought when we were at the airport. (If you leave</p><p>out the essential adjective clauses you have The</p><p>book is the one. Easy to see why you need those</p><p>clauses!)</p><p>Since I bought a new sofa, I won’t buy those red</p><p>leather chairs, which I really don’t need. (The sen-</p><p>tence begins with an adverb clause and ends with</p><p>an adjective clause.)</p><p>Practice 47—</p><p>Complex Sentences</p><p>Add a subordinate clause in these sentences to make</p><p>them complex sentences. Add the type of clause that is</p><p>in parentheses.</p><p>1. My pen, ____________________________________,</p><p>is out of ink. (adjective)</p><p>2. ____________________________________, I burned</p><p>the cake. (adverb)</p><p>3. I have met the president of the company, __________.</p><p>(adjective)</p><p>4. My report is late ______________________________.</p><p>(adverb)</p><p>5. I want ______________________________________.</p><p>(noun: tough one!)</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Compound-Complex Sentence</p><p>If you mix a compound sentence with a complex sen-</p><p>tence, you get a compound-complex sentence, which is</p><p>a little bit of each. A compound-complex sentence has</p><p>more than one independent clause (like a compound</p><p>sentence), and at least one subordinate clause (like a</p><p>complex sentence). Here is an example of a compound-</p><p>complex sentence:</p><p>I am learning about UFOs, which are very inter-</p><p>esting, and I am doing a research paper about</p><p>aliens. (The compound sentence is I am learning</p><p>about UFOs, and I am doing a research paper</p><p>about aliens. The subordinate clause is which are</p><p>very interesting.)</p><p>Practice 48—</p><p>Identifying Sentence Structures</p><p>Identify each of the following sentences as simple, com-</p><p>pound, complex, or compound-complex.</p><p>1. He didn’t want any vegetables or rice with dinner.</p><p>2. Do you want the pasta, or would you prefer the</p><p>steak?</p><p>3. In Paris last year we saw many attractions, including</p><p>the Eiffel Tower.</p><p>Types of Sentence Structures 2 49</p><p>4. After the game on Thursday, we are going to the</p><p>movies.</p><p>5. After you go to the game on Thursday, come to din-</p><p>ner with us.</p><p>6. The book that is on the shelf is yours, and you can</p><p>take it whenever you want it.</p><p>7. Although the cookies were burned, they tasted good.</p><p>8. Jamie and Ralph called me last night and then came</p><p>over for a visit.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>5.4. A Variety of Sentence Patterns</p><p>We learn about different types of phrases and clauses so</p><p>that we can use them in our writing. Simple sentences</p><p>that always start with a subject and verb can get very</p><p>boring. Check out this paragraph:</p><p>My friends and I went to the concert last night. We</p><p>really enjoyed the music. We went out for dinner after</p><p>the concert. I had the best pizza I have ever eaten! My</p><p>friends shared a huge plate of appetizers. The waiter</p><p>was very friendly. The service was great. I came home</p><p>after midnight and was really tired when I had to get</p><p>up for work this morning.</p><p>That paragraph sounds a little choppy, doesn’t it? All the</p><p>sentences begin with a subject and a verb, and most of</p><p>the sentences are simple. How about this rewrite?</p><p>My friends and I went to the concert last night. To say</p><p>we enjoyed the music is an understatement! After the</p><p>concert, we went out for dinner. I had the best pizza</p><p>I had ever eaten, and my friends shared a huge plate</p><p>of appetizers. Because the waiter was so friendly and</p><p>the service was so great, we left a big tip! However,</p><p>coming home after midnight made it really difficult to</p><p>get up for work this morning.</p><p>Better?</p><p>It is always better to use a variety of sentence types</p><p>and structures. Besides starting a sentence with the sub-</p><p>ject, you can start a sentence with a phrase or clause:</p><p>Last night my friends and I went to a movie. (prepo-</p><p>sitional phrase)</p><p>Going to the movies is a favorite pastime for me.</p><p>(gerundial phrase)</p><p>Watching movies, I escape into another world. (par-</p><p>ticipial phrase)</p><p>To be able to go to the Academy Awards would be a</p><p>dream come true! (infinitives)</p><p>Because I love movies so much, I try to see one at</p><p>least once a week. (adverb clause)</p><p>Of course, it isn’t just how you start the sentences. You</p><p>can vary sentences in other ways. You can use adjective</p><p>clauses (the ones that begin with that, which or who),</p><p>compound sentences, and appositives to vary your sen-</p><p>tences even more.</p><p>Practice 49—</p><p>Writing Sentences with Different Structures</p><p>Combine the following sentences into one sentence using</p><p>the structure in parentheses. The first one is an example.</p><p>1. Fred is my best friend. He is a great student. (Use an</p><p>adjective clause.)</p><p>Fred, who is a great student, is my best friend.</p><p>OR</p><p>Fred, who is my best friend, is a great student.</p><p>2. I couldn’t stay until the end. The movie was very</p><p>long. (Start the sentence with an adverb clause.)</p><p>3. I went to visit my cousins in Nevada. I went last week-</p><p>end. (Start the sentence with a prepositional phrase.)</p><p>4. I just saw a cute bunny. I was running around the</p><p>track. (Start the sentence with a participial phrase.)</p><p>5. I want to become a doctor. It is my most important</p><p>goal. (Start the sentence with a gerund.)</p><p>6. I would love to go to Paris. It is my greatest dream.</p><p>(Start the sentence with an infinitive.)</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>50 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Chapter 5 Test</p><p>Types of Sentence Structures</p><p>Part 1—Identify each sentence as simple, compound,</p><p>complex, or compound-complex.</p><p>1. Whenever I can’t find my keys, I look in my</p><p>refrigerator!</p><p>2. Over the mountain and through the woods, Benny</p><p>and Mikey ran and ran.</p><p>3. I lost my keys because I was in such a hurry.</p><p>4. I think I have lost my keys; do you know where they</p><p>might be?</p><p>5. My keys, which are very important to me, are lost,</p><p>and no one will help me look for them.</p><p>Part 2—Add an adjective clause to each sentence to</p><p>make it a complex sentence.</p><p>1. This dress, __________________________________,</p><p>is old.</p><p>2. My mother, _________________________________,</p><p>has a part in a play.</p><p>3. I didn’t know this was a game ___________________.</p><p>Part 3—Add an adverb clause to each sentence to make</p><p>it a complex sentence.</p><p>1. ______________________________, I won’t eat your</p><p>cooking!</p><p>2. Don’t tell me a secret ___________________________.</p><p>3. _____________________________, I got a great job!</p><p>Part 4—Add a noun clause to each sentence to make it</p><p>a complex sentence.</p><p>4. I don’t know ________________________________.</p><p>5. ______________________________ I will believe it.</p><p>Part 5—Add the requested items to each sentence.</p><p>1. __________________________ I baked a cake. (Start</p><p>sentence with a prepositional phrase.)</p><p>2. ___________________________________, I saw a</p><p>lion. (Start the sentence with a participle or parti-</p><p>cipial phrase.)</p><p>3. __________________________________ I exercise</p><p>every day. (Start the sentence with an infinitive.)</p><p>4. This pizza, __________________________________,</p><p>is the best pizza I have ever eaten! (Add an adjective</p><p>clause.)</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Chapter 6</p><p>Special Issues with Pronouns</p><p>6.1. Introduction</p><p>Of all the parts of speech, pronouns probably cause the</p><p>most trouble (with verbs coming in a close second.)</p><p>Here are some of those pesky pronoun problems, which</p><p>you have probably run across yourself.</p><p>Do I use I or me here?</p><p>Do I use he or him? She or her?</p><p>Is it okay to use myself here?</p><p>What’s the difference between who and whom,</p><p>anyway?</p><p>What’s this his or her thing? Can’t I use say they? Or</p><p>him/her?</p><p>Yes. These are all pronoun problems. But we will clear it</p><p>all up in this chapter.</p><p>6.2. Personal Pronoun Problem:</p><p>Cases—Is It I or Me?</p><p>The choice of whether to use I or me is one of the most</p><p>common issues in grammar, and the choice is often</p><p>made incorrectly. The I or me issue is actually the same</p><p>problem as the choice between who and whom, or he</p><p>and him. Here are some sentences with the correct use</p><p>of these pronouns:</p><p>To whom did you give those tickets.</p><p>He gave the tickets to him and me.</p><p>He and I went shopping yesterday.</p><p>Whom did you bring with you?</p><p>She brought the pizza to him and us.</p><p>He gave her and me some candy.</p><p>So how can you figure out which pronoun to use? We</p><p>are dealing with an issue of pronoun forms, or cases, as</p><p>they are called. Many languages in addition to English</p><p>have cases. In English there are three cases: nomina-</p><p>tive, objective, and possessive. Let’s look at the different</p><p>forms of pronouns for these three cases.</p><p>Nominative Objective Possessive</p><p>Singular:</p><p>(1st person) I me my, mine</p><p>(2nd person) you you your, yours</p><p>(3rd person) he, she, it him, her, it his, her, hers, its</p><p>Plural:</p><p>(1st person) we us our, ours</p><p>(2nd person) you you your, yours</p><p>(3rd person) they them their, theirs</p><p>who whom whose</p><p>Who is not really a personal pronoun, but it does have</p><p>cases to worry about, so we will include it here. And we</p><p>aren’t going to worry about possessive case here.</p><p>You may already be able to figure out where we are</p><p>going. Simply put, you use the nominative form of the</p><p>pronoun for sentence subjects. You use the objective</p><p>form for direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of</p><p>prepositions. Refer back to Sections 2.2, 2.3, and 2.4 for</p><p>more information about subjects and objects. It is as</p><p>simple as that. All you have to do is figure out whether</p><p>your pronoun is a subject or an object.</p><p>Let’s look at the sentences we looked at above—the</p><p>ones that were written correctly.</p><p>But before we continue, here are a couple of handy tools</p><p>you can use to figure this all out.</p><p>52 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>1. For who and whom, sometimes you can flip the sen-</p><p>tence around, answer it if it is a question, or some-</p><p>how try to substitute he or him for who or whom. If</p><p>you would use him in the sentence, then whom is</p><p>correct. Alternatively, if you would use he, you need</p><p>to use who.</p><p>2. If there are two pronouns, as in a few of the sen-</p><p>tences below, or if there is a person’s name and a</p><p>pronoun, here is what you do: Take one name or</p><p>pronoun out and try them separately. Whatever</p><p>pronoun you would use separately, you would use</p><p>when you put the other name or pronoun back in.</p><p>To whom did you give those tickets? Answer the</p><p>question: I gave the tickets to him. Therefore, you</p><p>need to use whom because it is the same case as</p><p>him: objective. Looking at it grammatically, to whom</p><p>is a prepositional phrase where whom is the object of</p><p>the preposition to, so you know you will use whom,</p><p>the objective case.</p><p>He gave the tickets to Judy and me. Simply follow</p><p>tool #2 above. Take out Judy: He gave the tickets to</p><p>me. You would never say He gave the tickets to I, so</p><p>you wouldn’t say He gave the tickets to Judy and I.</p><p>Me is the object of the preposition to.</p><p>He and I went shopping yesterday. Use tool #2. He</p><p>went shopping yesterday. I went shopping yes-</p><p>terday. So He and I went shopping yesterday. He</p><p>and I are the subjects of the sentence, so we use the</p><p>nominative case.</p><p>Whom did you bring with you? Back to tool #1.</p><p>Answer the question, substituting he or him for</p><p>whom. I brought him with me. You used him, so</p><p>whom is correct. They are both in the objective case.</p><p>If you turn the sentence around and make it a state-</p><p>ment instead of a question, you can see that whom</p><p>is the direct object of the verb bring. (You did bring</p><p>whom with you.)</p><p>She brought the pizza to him and us. Use tool #2</p><p>and take out one pronoun and then the other one.</p><p>She brought the pizza to him. She brought the</p><p>pizza to us. Him and us are objects of the preposi-</p><p>tion to.</p><p>He gave her and me some candy. Again, take out</p><p>one pronoun and then the other.</p><p>He gave her some</p><p>candy. He gave me some candy. So, He gave</p><p>her and me some candy. Her and me are indirect</p><p>objects. Refer back to Section 2.4 for more informa-</p><p>tion about indirect objects.</p><p>✎ If who/whom comes after the words by, with, for, to,</p><p>between, from (and any other preposition) use whom:</p><p>To whom, from whom, with whom, by whom, etc.</p><p>Practice 50—</p><p>Using the Correct Pronoun Case</p><p>Choose the correct answer for each of the following</p><p>sentences.</p><p>1. Jim and _____ (I, me) are marching in the parade on</p><p>Saturday.</p><p>2. _____ (We, Us) kids are staying home by ourselves.</p><p>3. Give the notes you took to Sally and ______ (I, me).</p><p>4. For _______ (who, whom) are you painting the</p><p>picture?</p><p>5. Between you and _____ (I, me), I think she will win</p><p>the award.</p><p>6. Please tell a story to ______ (we, us) students.</p><p>7. _______ (He, Him) and his friends are on the team.</p><p>8. Listen to ____________ (he and I, him and me) when</p><p>we talk to you!</p><p>9. ______ (Who, Whom) are you, anyway?</p><p>10. I remember that she is the girl _____________ (who,</p><p>whom) I dated years ago.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>6.3. Demonstrative Pronouns and</p><p>Adjectives: This, That, These, Those</p><p>We are actually going to talk about these four words</p><p>as demonstrative adjectives here, not demonstrative</p><p>pronouns.</p><p>These demonstrative words are not difficult to use,</p><p>and you will rarely run into a problem with them. Just</p><p>remember that this and that are singular, and these and</p><p>those are plural. If you use them with a noun, make</p><p>sure that you use singular with singular, and plural with</p><p>plural:</p><p>Special Issues with Pronouns 2 53</p><p>These kind of insects are dangerous. Incorrect.</p><p>These is plural, and kind is singular.</p><p>This kind of insect is dangerous, or These kinds</p><p>of insects are dangerous. (Also notice that with</p><p>the singular words, we used the singular verb</p><p>is, and with the plural words, we used the plural</p><p>verbare.)</p><p>✎ Just for your information: When the demonstrative</p><p>is directly before a noun, it is an adjective. When</p><p>itis not describing a noun, it is a pronoun:</p><p>This is mine. (pronoun)</p><p>This car is mine. (adjective)</p><p>Practice 51—</p><p>Using Demonstratives Correctly</p><p>Fill in the blanks with the correct demonstrative pro-</p><p>noun or adjective.</p><p>1. ___________ (This, these) is the type of apples I like.</p><p>2. ___________ (This, These) kinds of caterpillars are</p><p>my favorites.</p><p>3. I don’t like ___________ (that, those) type of dog.</p><p>4. ___________ (This, That) book over there is a collec-</p><p>tor’s item.</p><p>5. ___________ (This, That) kitten that I am holding is</p><p>very soft!</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>6.4. Reflexive Pronouns:</p><p>Using the -self Words Correctly</p><p>The pronoun myself is often used incorrectly, possibly</p><p>because of the confusion between I and me. However,</p><p>myself has a different use than either I or me. Less</p><p>often, the other pronouns ending in -self or -selves are</p><p>used when the nominative or objective case should be</p><p>used instead. There is a simple rule about using these</p><p>pronouns:</p><p>myself, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself,</p><p>themselves, ourselves</p><p>✎ Please note that there are no such words as their-</p><p>selves, hisself, or ourself.</p><p>Here is the rule for using the reflexive pronouns:</p><p>Do not use myself unless the subject of the sentence</p><p>is I.</p><p>Do not use yourself unless the subject of the sen-</p><p>tence is you.</p><p>Do not use herself unless the subject of the sentence</p><p>is she.</p><p>Do not use himself unless the subject of the sen-</p><p>tence is he.</p><p>Do not use yourself or yourselves unless the subject</p><p>is you.</p><p>Do not use itself unless the subject of the sentence</p><p>is it.</p><p>Do not use ourselves unless the subject of the sen-</p><p>tence is we.</p><p>Do not use these the pronouns ending in -self as the</p><p>subject of your sentence.</p><p>Here are some examples of correct and incorrect uses:</p><p>Correct:</p><p>I made that quilt myself. (subject is I)</p><p>Did you do that by yourself? (subject is you)</p><p>We should make dinner ourselves. (subject is we)</p><p>Incorrect:</p><p>My friends and myself are getting together tomorrow.</p><p>(Don’t use myself as a subject. Use I here.)</p><p>He told Joe and myself about the plan. (Don’t use</p><p>myself as an object. Use me.)</p><p>They are going with my brothers and ourselves.</p><p>(Don’t use ourselves as an object. Use us.)</p><p>The correct way to write or say the sentences above:</p><p>My friends and I are getting together tomorrow.</p><p>He told Joe and me about the plan.</p><p>They are going with my brothers and us.</p><p>✎ You can use these pronouns as intensive pronouns</p><p>when they don’t match the subject:</p><p>I saw Mary herself at the meeting.</p><p>It was Jim himself in the movie!</p><p>54 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Practice 52—</p><p>Using -self Pronouns</p><p>Mark these sentences as correct or incorrect. Correct</p><p>the incorrect sentences.</p><p>1. He and myself are going camping.</p><p>2. I made the apple pie myself.</p><p>3. What do you think of yourself now that you have</p><p>accomplished the big task?</p><p>4. Give it to Joe and myself.</p><p>5. She told herself that she could do it.</p><p>6. That is the car that my husband and myself just</p><p>bought.</p><p>7. She herself said that she wasn’t coming with us.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>6.5. Interrogative Pronoun Issues</p><p>As we discussed in Section 1.3, there are five interroga-</p><p>tive pronouns, or pronouns we use to ask questions.</p><p>They are</p><p>who</p><p>whom</p><p>whose</p><p>which</p><p>what</p><p>These pronouns are not difficult to use—until we get to</p><p>who and whom! However, we talked about this earlier</p><p>in this chapter when we learned about pronoun cases.</p><p>In a question, answer the question, substituting he or</p><p>him for who or whom. If you used he, you should use</p><p>who in your question. If you used him, you should use</p><p>whom in your question. Here are some examples:</p><p>Who is coming? (He is coming. Who is correct.)</p><p>With whom are you going? (I am going with him.</p><p>Whom is correct.)</p><p>Whom are you talking about? (You are talking</p><p>about him. Whom is correct.)</p><p>Who are you? (Tricky one. You are he? You are</p><p>him? Actually it is You are he.)</p><p>✎ When we use a linking verb, such as are, we use the</p><p>nominative case, not the objective. We will say more</p><p>about this in Section11.3.</p><p>You can also try to figure out if who/whom is the subject</p><p>or an object in the sentence. If you can figure that out,</p><p>you will know whether to use who (subject) or whom</p><p>(object). It isn’t that difficult to figure it out in most</p><p>cases: Find the verb and find the subject of the verb. If</p><p>there is more than one verb, find the subject of all the</p><p>verbs. If who/whom is not a subject of any of the verbs,</p><p>it must be an object, so use whom.</p><p>Practice 53—</p><p>Who and Whom as Interrogative Pronouns</p><p>Choose the correct answer for each interrogative</p><p>sentence.</p><p>1. (Who, Whom) are you?</p><p>2. (Who, Whom) are you taking with you?</p><p>3. (Who, Whom) did you appoint to the job?</p><p>4. To (who, whom) did you give the money?</p><p>5. (Who, Whom) is going to the movies with you.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Whose or Who’s?</p><p>The other problem you might have with interrogative</p><p>pronouns is deciding whether to use whose or who’s.</p><p>Whose is possessive. The possessive pronouns do not</p><p>have apostrophes: its, ours, yours, their, whose.</p><p>Who’s is a contraction meaning who is. Contractions</p><p>always have apostrophes: can’t, I’m, it’s, he’s, who’s, and</p><p>so on.</p><p>If you mean who is, use who’s; otherwise, use whose.</p><p>Here are some examples of the two words used correctly:</p><p>Whose book is this? (Implies ownership, so use</p><p>whose.)</p><p>Who’s going with you? (Who is going with you, so</p><p>use who’s.)</p><p>Do you know whose jacket this is?</p><p>Do you know who’s going with us?</p><p>Special Issues with Pronouns 2 55</p><p>Practice 54—</p><p>Whose and Who’s</p><p>Fill in each blank with either whose or who’s.</p><p>1. ________________ going to the party with you?</p><p>2. _________________ car is that?</p><p>3. I don’t know ______________ winning the award.</p><p>4. Is that the friend ________________ sister is in the</p><p>play?</p><p>5. I can’t tell ___________________ who!</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>6.6. Relative Pronouns: Using Who,</p><p>Which, and That Correctly</p><p>We talked about relative pronouns in Section 1.3 and</p><p>then again when we talked about clauses</p><p>Use Abbreviations 109</p><p>Use Contractions 109</p><p>Use Slang 109</p><p>Start a Sentence with And, So, or But 109</p><p>xiv 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>End a Sentence with a Preposition 110</p><p>Split an Infinitive 110</p><p>Use They as a Singular 110</p><p>Chapter 11 Test 111</p><p>Chapter 12: Commonly Confused Words/</p><p>A Dictionary of Usage 113</p><p>12.1. A Through D 113</p><p>12.2. E Through H 117</p><p>12.3. I Through L 119</p><p>12.4. M Through P 121</p><p>12.5. R and S 122</p><p>12.6. T Through Z 124</p><p>Chapter 12 Test 126</p><p>Final Test 129</p><p>Part 1—English Language Basics 129</p><p>Part 2—Sentence Correction 130</p><p>Appendix A: Redundancy 135</p><p>Appendix B: Commonly Misspelled Words 137</p><p>A through E 137</p><p>F through P 138</p><p>Q through W 139</p><p>Appendix C: Commonly Mispronounced Words 141</p><p>Appendix D: Common Prefixes, Suffixes,</p><p>and Word Roots 143</p><p>Appendix E: Writing Tips 147</p><p>Appendix F: Glossary 149</p><p>Contents 2 xv</p><p>Appendix G: Answers to Practices and</p><p>Chapter Tests 153</p><p>Pretest 153</p><p>Chapter 1 154</p><p>Chapter 2 157</p><p>Chapter 3 159</p><p>Chapter 4 160</p><p>Chapter 5 161</p><p>Chapter 6 163</p><p>Chapter 7 164</p><p>Chapter 8 166</p><p>Chapter 9 167</p><p>Chapter 10 170</p><p>Chapter 11 171</p><p>Chapter 12 175</p><p>Final Test 178</p><p>Index 181</p><p>Practices and Tests</p><p>Pretest 5</p><p>Practice 1—Recognizing Nouns 13</p><p>Practice 2—Recognizing Types of Nouns 14</p><p>Practice 3—Pronouns and Antecedents 15</p><p>Practice 4—Personal Pronouns 15</p><p>Practice 5—Demonstrative Pronouns 15</p><p>Practice 6—Interrogative Pronouns 15</p><p>Practice 7—Relative Pronouns 16</p><p>Practice 8—Intensive/Reflexive Pronouns 16</p><p>Practice 9—Indefinite Pronouns 17</p><p>Practice 10—Pronoun Review 17</p><p>Brain Challenge 17</p><p>Practice 11—Action Verbs 18</p><p>Practice 12—Linking Verbs 18</p><p>Practice 13—Action and Linking Verbs 19</p><p>Practice 14—Verb Tenses 20</p><p>Practice 15—Regular Verbs 20</p><p>Practice 16—Active and Passive Voice 20</p><p>Practice 17—Transitive and Intransitive Verbs 21</p><p>Practice 18—Identifying Adjectives 22</p><p>Practice 19—Identifying Adverbs 22</p><p>Practice 20—Placing Adverbs 23</p><p>Practice 21—Identifying Prepositional Phrases 23</p><p>Practice 22—Coordinating Conjunctions 24</p><p>Practice 23—Identifying Subordinating Conjunctions 24</p><p>Practice 24—Adding Interjections 25</p><p>Brain Challenges 25</p><p>Chapter 1 Test 26</p><p>Practice 25—Identifying Subjects 27</p><p>Practice 26—Identifying Verbs 28</p><p>xviii 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Practice 27—Dividing the Sentence into Subject and Predicate 28</p><p>Practice 28—Identifying Direct Objects 29</p><p>Practice 29—Identifying Indirect Objects 29</p><p>Practice 30—Identifying Objects of Prepositions 30</p><p>Practice 31—Identifying Predicate Adjectives and Predicate Nominatives 30</p><p>Practice 32—Identifying the Types of Sentences 31</p><p>Chapter 2 Test 32</p><p>Practice 33—Identifying Prepositional Phrases 33</p><p>Practice 34—Find the Infinitive or Infinitive Phrase 34</p><p>Practice 35—Identifying Infinitives as Subjects or Objects 34</p><p>Practice 36—Identifying Participles 35</p><p>Practice 37—Find the Gerund 35</p><p>Practice 38—Gerund or Participle? 36</p><p>Practice 39—Find the Appositives 36</p><p>Chapter 3 Test 37</p><p>Practice 40—Identifying Independent Clauses 39</p><p>Practice 41—Subordinate Clauses 40</p><p>Practice 42—Identifying Adjective Clauses 41</p><p>Practice 43—Identifying Adverb Clauses 42</p><p>Chapter 4 Test 43</p><p>Practice 44—Identifying and Rewriting Sentence Fragments 46</p><p>Practice 45—Identifying and Correcting Run Ons 46</p><p>Practice 46—Simple and Compound Sentences 47</p><p>Practice 47—Complex Sentences 48</p><p>Practice 48—Identifying Sentence Structures 48</p><p>Practice 49—Writing Sentences with Different Structures 49</p><p>Chapter 5 Test 50</p><p>Practice 50—Using the Correct Pronoun Case 52</p><p>Practice 51—Using Demonstratives Correctly 53</p><p>Practice 52—Using -self Pronouns 54</p><p>Practice 53—Who and Whom as Interrogative Pronouns 54</p><p>Practice 54—Whose and Who’s 55</p><p>Practice 55—Essential Versus Nonessential Clauses 56</p><p>Practice 56—Singular Indefinite Pronouns 57</p><p>Practices and Tests 2 xix</p><p>Practice 57—Indefinite Pronouns 58</p><p>Chapter 6 Test 59</p><p>Practice 58—Tenses 61</p><p>Practice 59—Using Correct Tenses 62</p><p>Practice 60—Irregular Verb Forms 64</p><p>Practice 61—Active and Passive Voice 65</p><p>Practice 62—Using Subjunctive Mood 66</p><p>Chapter 7 Test 68</p><p>Practice 63—Some Important Comma Rules 70</p><p>Practice 64—Commas for Introductory and Interrupting Elements 72</p><p>Practice 65—More Comma Rules 74</p><p>Chapter 8 Test 76</p><p>Practice 66—Using Periods 78</p><p>Practice 67—Question Marks 78</p><p>Practice 68—Exclamation Points 79</p><p>Practice 69—Semicolons and Colons 81</p><p>Practice 70—Parentheses and Brackets 82</p><p>Practice 71—Hyphens and Dashes 83</p><p>Practice 72—Italics 85</p><p>Practice 73—Italics Versus Quotation Marks 85</p><p>Practice 74—Quotation Marks 86</p><p>Chapter 9 Test 88</p><p>Practice 75—Basic Capitalization Rules 90</p><p>Practice 76—More Capitalization 92</p><p>Chapter 10 Test 94</p><p>Practice 77—Run Ons and Fragments 96</p><p>Practice 78—Agreement 97</p><p>Practice 79—More Agreement 97</p><p>Practice 80—More Agreement 98</p><p>Practice 81—More Agreement 99</p><p>Practice 82—Comparison 101</p><p>Practice 83—Misplaced Modifiers 102</p><p>Practice 84—Possessives 104</p><p>xx 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Practice 85—Parallel Structure 104</p><p>Practice 86—Numbers 106</p><p>Practice 87—Double Negatives 107</p><p>Practice 88—Plurals with Apostrophes 108</p><p>Practice 89—Clarity 108</p><p>Practice 90—Can I Do These Things? 110</p><p>Chapter 11 Test 111</p><p>Practice 91—Confusing Words A Through D 116</p><p>Practice 92—Confusing Words E Through H 118</p><p>Practice 93—Confusing Words I Through L 120</p><p>Practice 94—Confusing Words M Through P 122</p><p>Practice 95—Confusing Words R and S 124</p><p>Practice 96—Confusing Words T through Z 125</p><p>Chapter 12 Test 126</p><p>Final Test 129</p><p>Answers to Practices and Chapter Tests 153</p><p>Index 181</p><p>Acknowledgments</p><p>My sincere thank you . . .</p><p>Dr. Susan Behrens: My beta reader and favorite linguist,</p><p>who contributed her wise and spot-on comments in a</p><p>more timely manner than I was able to write the book.</p><p>My friends: Frances Caballo, Bobbi and Dave Noderer,</p><p>Edie and Jim Partridge, Jeannie Thomas, Norma Sadow,</p><p>and Bart Scott for always believing in me (and provid-</p><p>ing chocolate bread).</p><p>John DeGaetano: My business coach, for lighting the</p><p>fire under me to make me finish the manuscript.</p><p>Michael Powell: My librarian friend, for his knowledge</p><p>of copyright pages!</p><p>Matt Hinrichs (cover) and Marny K. Parkin (interior):</p><p>Without their design there would be no book.</p><p>Publicity People: Gil Namur, who keeps the website</p><p>running; Timothy Nonn, who gave me my first piece of</p><p>newspaper publicity five years ago; The Petaluma Argus</p><p>Courier.</p><p>Copperfield’s Books: The indie bookstore that has been</p><p>so kind to me always—a shout out to Grace Bogart, Ray</p><p>Lawrason, and Vicki DeArmon.</p><p>Susan Damon: For piloting this book with her adult lit-</p><p>eracy classes.</p><p>Jeane Slone and Mona Mechling: Local book distribu-</p><p>tors, for keeping my books selling.</p><p>My “Blurbers”: Jeff Deck, half of the Typo Hunting Team;</p><p>Sharon Hamilton, bestselling author; Pete Masterson,</p><p>book designer and book sage; John Bribiescus, retired</p><p>English teacher and tireless fundraiser and volunteer for</p><p>education; Peter Bowerman, Well-Fed Author and Self-</p><p>Publisher; Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker, M.S., Speech</p><p>and Communication Consultant; and David Freeman,</p><p>Author of Mushroom Tales.</p><p>My colleagues: At Petaluma City Schools, Red-</p><p>wood Writers, and Bay Area Independent Publishing</p><p>Association.</p><p>Dan Poynter for his groundbreaking book on indepen-</p><p>dent publishing and for always including my blog posts</p><p>in his newsletters.</p><p>Starbucks for providing caffeine and a comfortable</p><p>place to sit and write.</p><p>My new family, the Bindons, and my amazing and tal-</p><p>ented new son-in-law, Josh.</p><p>Shelley and Jake, without whom I would be nothing.</p><p>Introduction</p><p>This is my fourth grammar book and my first work-</p><p>book. Although language does evolve and “rules”</p><p>may change, grammar is not going away. It is alive and</p><p>well. Proper grammar, punctuation, and capitalization</p><p>conventions make our writing—and speaking—clearer</p><p>and easier to read.</p><p>Good, clear writing is even more important now: the</p><p>Internet is forever, and once you put something up</p><p>there and everyone sees it, you can’t take it back. And</p><p>if you think your employer or college admissions office</p><p>won’t notice your mistakes, think again. Grammar is</p><p>still a way for others to judge our competence, attention</p><p>to detail,</p><p>in Section 4.3.</p><p>Relative pronouns are the pronouns that begin adjective</p><p>clauses. There are five relative pronouns: who, whom,</p><p>whose, which, and that. Here is an example of each of</p><p>them used correctly in an adjective clause:</p><p>I am the new employee who started yesterday.</p><p>That is the girl whom he took to the dance.</p><p>I live next to the woman whose brother is your boss.</p><p>This dress, which is on sale, is too short.</p><p>The dress that is on the sale rack is not my style.</p><p>Whose probably won’t cause you any problems. It is a</p><p>possessive, as we already learned (as opposed to who’s,</p><p>which is a contraction meaning who is). And we already</p><p>discussed the difference between who and whom earlier</p><p>in this chapter.</p><p>That leaves us with which and that. Which and that are</p><p>used for anything that is nonhuman (yes, including ani-</p><p>mals), while who is used for people.</p><p>The main issue with which and that is which one of them</p><p>to use in a particular sentence. Looking at the exam-</p><p>ples above, you will see that the clause using which is</p><p>enclosed in commas; the clause beginning with that</p><p>does not have commas around it.</p><p>That is generally the way it is. If you use which, use com-</p><p>mas around your clause (where you would likely pause</p><p>if saying it aloud). If you use that, no commas are used.</p><p>Okay, that is easy enough. But, you ask, when do I use</p><p>which and when do I use that? And, if I use who, are</p><p>there commas around the clause or not?</p><p>Putting commas around something means you could</p><p>take it out without losing the meaning of the sentence.</p><p>It is additional information, and such a cause is called</p><p>nonessential or nonrestrictive. If you do not put commas</p><p>around a clause, the information in the clause is neces-</p><p>sary for the sentence and is called essential or restrictive.</p><p>It can sometimes be difficult to determine if a clause is</p><p>essential or not. When using commas in general, it is</p><p>sometimes said that you put commas where you would</p><p>pause if saying the sentence aloud. Actually, this is not a</p><p>bad “rule.” It is probably correct a great deal of the time.</p><p>And if you would pause around your clause, it may very</p><p>well be additional information that requires a comma.</p><p>Let’s look at some examples:</p><p>Women who are smart exercise.</p><p>Women, who are smart, exercise.</p><p>The first sentence identifies the women who exercise:</p><p>women who are smart. The sentence implies that if you</p><p>are a smart woman, you exercise.</p><p>The second sentence says that women exercise, and that</p><p>women are also smart. It doesn’t limit the smart women</p><p>to those who exercise. This sentence implies that women</p><p>exercise, and by the way, women are smart too!</p><p>Let’s look at more examples of both essential and non-</p><p>essential clauses:</p><p>The girl who is sitting in front of me is my cousin.</p><p>(This essential clause is identifying which girl.)</p><p>Jill Dean, who is on a famous TV show, is the one</p><p>in the red gown. (This nonessential clause doesn’t</p><p>identify, but instead adds information.)</p><p>They say that yellow, which is my favorite color, indi-</p><p>cates a sunny personality. (We know what yellow is,</p><p>so the nonessential clause is added information.)</p><p>The dog that is barking the loudest is mine! (This</p><p>essential clause identifies which dog we are talk-</p><p>ing about.)</p><p>56 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>The dog, which we adopted from the shelter last</p><p>year, is a Pomeranian. (This clause could be added</p><p>information.)</p><p>The dog that we adopted from the shelter last year</p><p>is a Pomeranian. (The clause could also identify</p><p>the dog.)</p><p>In the last pair of sentences, you could go either way,</p><p>depending on the context of the rest of the conversation</p><p>or text. Sometimes it is a little tricky to decide if a clause</p><p>is essential or nonessential.</p><p>Practice 55—</p><p>Essential Versus Nonessential Clauses</p><p>Fill in the blanks and put in any necessary commas in</p><p>the following sentences.</p><p>1. He is the man (which, who) lost his glasses.</p><p>2. My favorite dessert is a fresh-baked cookie (which,</p><p>that) is soft.</p><p>3. That teacher (who, that, which) gave me a D is really</p><p>mean.</p><p>4. This is the book (which, that) I have been telling you</p><p>about.</p><p>5. Maine (that, which) is a state on the East Coast is</p><p>very beautiful.</p><p>6. The dog (that, which, who) is in the yard doesn’t live</p><p>here.</p><p>7. You (that, who) doesn’t know the multiplication</p><p>tables shouldn’t criticize my spelling!</p><p>8. That blue dress in my closet (which, that) I bought</p><p>on sale doesn’t fit.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>6.7. Indefinite Pronouns:</p><p>Singular or Plural?</p><p>There are many indefinite pronouns. Here are some of</p><p>them:</p><p>anyone, anything, anybody, everyone, everything,</p><p>everybody, no one, nothing, nobody, someone,</p><p>something, somebody, one, each, either, both,</p><p>several, neither, many, all, none, any, every</p><p>Singular Indefinite Pronouns</p><p>All of the indefinite pronouns that end in -one, -thing,</p><p>and -body are singular. That means you use a singular</p><p>verb with them, and if there is another pronoun in the</p><p>sentence that refers back to one of them, you should use</p><p>a singular pronoun because everything needs to agree.</p><p>Here are some examples:</p><p>Everyone is going. (Everyone and is are both</p><p>singular.)</p><p>Somebody is calling you.</p><p>Is anybody there?</p><p>Everybody on the girls’ basketball team needs her</p><p>uniform to practice.</p><p>Here is the problem:</p><p>Everybody who is going needs to bring his or her</p><p>ticket.</p><p>That sentence is correct. However, most people say their</p><p>instead of his or her. If you know everybody refers to girls</p><p>only (as in the example about the girls’ basketball team),</p><p>you can use her. If everybody refers to boys only, you</p><p>can use him. However, what if everybody refers to both</p><p>boys and girls, or men and women? Or what if you don’t</p><p>know? Do you have to use his or her?</p><p>No, you don’t. But you can, and it is completely gram-</p><p>matically correct, even though having to use three</p><p>words can be a little awkward. Here are some options:</p><p>Do Not Take These Options:</p><p>Do not use him if you could be referring to women too.</p><p>Do not use her if you could be referring to men too.</p><p>Do not alternate, using her and then using him the next</p><p>time.</p><p>Do not use him/her.</p><p>Do not use him (her).</p><p>What About This Option?</p><p>Some people now use their as a singular. While some</p><p>style guides, teachers, etc., might think this is fine, oth-</p><p>ers will not. Here is an example:</p><p>Everybody who is coming needs to bring their</p><p>passport.</p><p>Special Issues with Pronouns 2 57</p><p>Is it okay? Possibly. Do I like it? No. Would I use it? I</p><p>would use it in conversation, but I would not use it in a</p><p>speech, a business letter, a cover letter, or a college essay.</p><p>I would stick to him or her. However, the best option is</p><p>to rewrite the sentence to avoid the issue entirely. And</p><p>that is generally easy to do:</p><p>Everybody who is coming needs to bring a passport.</p><p>All those who are coming need to bring passports.</p><p>All travelers need to bring passports.</p><p>There are a number of ways to rewrite. Problem solved!</p><p>Some other indefinite pronouns are also singular and</p><p>take singular verbs:</p><p>each, every, either, neither, one, another, much</p><p>Each of us is going.</p><p>Every volunteer is bringing his or her own lunch. (or</p><p>their or rewrite to just bringing lunch.)</p><p>Is either of you coming with me?</p><p>Neither one of us is going.</p><p>One of us is going.</p><p>Another is coming with us.</p><p>Much is said about unimportant things!</p><p>We keep talking about singular verbs. What is a singular</p><p>verb anyway? Just like nouns, verbs have singular and</p><p>plural forms. We generally form the plural of a noun</p><p>by adding an s. Verbs, on the other hand, have an s in</p><p>the singular form. To figure out the singular and plural</p><p>forms of a verb, use the verb with he and they. The verb</p><p>that sounds right with he is the singular form of the</p><p>verb, while the verb that sounds right with they is the</p><p>plural form of the verb: he jumps (singular verb); they</p><p>jump (plural verb).</p><p>Practice 56—</p><p>Singular Indefinite Pronouns</p><p>Fill in the blanks with the correct answer. All of the</p><p>indefinite pronouns are singular.</p><p>1. Everybody should know (his or her, their) buddy’s</p><p>name.</p><p>2. Either Jane or Mary can bring (her, their) computer.</p><p>3. Neither my brother nor my cousin (is, are) bringing</p><p>a date.</p><p>4. Can anybody in class tie (his or her, their) shoes?</p><p>5. Neither boy is eating (his, their) dinner with us.</p><p>6. Everyone (is, are) invited to the party.</p><p>7. In our office nobody brings (his or her, their) lunch.</p><p>8. Someone on the boys’ team left (his, their) shoes on</p><p>the field.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Plural Indefinite Pronouns</p><p>Here are the plural indefinite pronouns that take plural</p><p>verbs:</p><p>both, few, many, others, and several (easy to</p><p>remember because they sound plural)</p><p>Here are some examples:</p><p>Both of us are coming.</p><p>Few are chosen.</p><p>Many are attending the wedding.</p><p>Others are coming too.</p><p>Several of us play soccer.</p><p>✎ Note that some of the indefinite pronouns can also</p><p>be used as adjectives. Here are a few of them:</p><p>Neither dog is barking.</p><p>Another chance will come.</p><p>Both people are wearing red.</p><p>Several cats live here.</p><p>Using the pronoun as an adjective does not affect</p><p>whether it is singular or plural.</p><p>Indefinite Pronouns That Can Be Either</p><p>Singular or Plural</p><p>To complicate matters a little more, some of the indefi-</p><p>nite pronouns can be either singular or plural, depend-</p><p>ing on the noun that they refer to, which is usually in a</p><p>prepositional phrase that comes right after the pronoun:</p><p>all, any, more, most, some, none</p><p>58 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>All of the pie is gone. (singular)/All of the guests</p><p>are here. (plural)</p><p>Is any of the pie left? (singular)/Are any of the</p><p>pieces left? (plural)</p><p>More of the book is done. (singular)/More of the</p><p>pages are done. (plural)</p><p>Most of the cake is gone. (singular)/Most of the</p><p>pieces are gone. (plural)</p><p>Some of the dress is blue (singular)/Some of us</p><p>are friends. (plural)</p><p>None of the pizza was eaten (singular)/None of</p><p>the houses are occupied. (plural)</p><p>Practice 57—</p><p>Indefinite Pronouns</p><p>Fill in the blanks with the correct word.</p><p>1. All of the pie (is, are) gone.</p><p>2. Most of the pieces (is, are) gone.</p><p>3. Several of us (is, are) going.</p><p>4. Everyone at the girls’ school took (her, their) college</p><p>entrance tests.</p><p>5. Either pizza or spaghetti (is, are) fine with me.</p><p>6. Neither of the boys (is, are) getting on the bus.</p><p>7. Everyone should hand in (his or her, his/her, his,</p><p>their) report on time.</p><p>8. Both dogs and cats (is, are) my favorite pets.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>6.8. Unclear Antecedents</p><p>The job of a pronoun is to stand in for a noun, or some-</p><p>times another pronoun:</p><p>Joe brought his lunch. (Joe is the antecedent of the</p><p>pronoun his.)</p><p>They brought their lunches to the park. (They is the</p><p>antecedent of the pronoun their.)</p><p>In those two examples, it is easy to see what the ante-</p><p>cedent is. However, sometimes when we write we might</p><p>use a noun or pronoun with an unclear antecedent,</p><p>making the writing really difficult to understand.</p><p>Sometimes the unclear antecedent will be in a previous</p><p>sentence, and other times the unclear antecedent will</p><p>be in the same sentence. Here are some examples.</p><p>Joe and Mike went for a hike in the woods near his</p><p>aunt’s house. (We can’t tell whose aunt we are</p><p>talking about, Joe’s or Mike’s.)</p><p>People were saying mean things behind Mike’s back,</p><p>and Joe was agreeing with them. This hurt his feel-</p><p>ings. (Here, we can’t really tell what this is refer-</p><p>ring to. What exactly caused hurt feelings? Mean</p><p>things or the fact that Joe was agreeing. Or both?</p><p>And whose feelings are hurt? Joe’s or Mike’s?)</p><p>Be careful that your writing is clear with regard to your</p><p>pronouns. Don’t leave any question in the reader’s mind</p><p>about whom or what you are talking. Some of the most</p><p>common pronouns that tend to be unclear are it, this,</p><p>and which, so be careful with them.</p><p>Special Issues with Pronouns 2 59</p><p>Chapter 6 Test</p><p>Special Issues with Pronouns</p><p>Part 1—Choose the correct pronoun for each sentence.</p><p>You may also need to add punctuation.</p><p>1. (Who’s, Whose) jacket is this?</p><p>2. I remember the girl (who, whom) I invited to my</p><p>first dance.</p><p>3. Give the directions to Jim and (me, I, myself ).</p><p>4. (We, Us) computer programmers are attending the</p><p>big conference.</p><p>5. Anyone who is going on the trip needs to bring (his,</p><p>his or her, their) passport.</p><p>6. I like (this, these) kind of cookies better than the</p><p>other ones.</p><p>7. Neither Jenny nor Jane has (her, their) book.</p><p>8. To (who, whom) did you give your ticket?</p><p>9. My friends and (I, me) work in the same department.</p><p>10. Don’t make my friends and (I, me) angry!</p><p>11. I think they will separate (we, us) friends when they</p><p>assign classes.</p><p>12. All of the kids have (his or her, their) hoods up in</p><p>the rain.</p><p>13. Do you know (who, whom) has been invited?</p><p>14. (Who, Whom) did you say was coming with you?</p><p>15. Neither of the boys talked to (his, their) parents yet.</p><p>16. He told (me, myself ) about his family.</p><p>17. Rob and (me, I, myself ) are the finalists for the award.</p><p>18. Do you think she knows (who’s, whose) going to</p><p>win?</p><p>19. I have a hat (which, that) has a pink feather on top!</p><p>20. My grade on this paper is C (which, that) is not as</p><p>good as my usual A.</p><p>Part 2—Rewrite the following sentences to make the</p><p>pronoun clear.</p><p>1. Beth saw Maggie as she drove by the park.</p><p>2. I ate cake, cookies, and ice cream before dinner,</p><p>which made me happy.</p><p>3. Bob and Joe were hiking up the mountain when he</p><p>fell and broke his leg.</p><p>4. Mother was yelling at my sister when she started to</p><p>cry.</p><p>5. The homework was due yesterday, and the report</p><p>was due today, but I didn’t know this.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Chapter 7</p><p>Special Issues with Verbs</p><p>7.1. Introduction</p><p>Verbs have more “variety” than the other parts of</p><p>speech. While a noun is a noun is a noun, a verb has</p><p>tense, voice, mood, and some forms that can be per-</p><p>plexing. Remember that verbs are either action words</p><p>or “state of being” words. The most common “state of</p><p>being” verb is the verb to be (I am, you are, he/she/it is,</p><p>etc.). State of being verbs are also called linking verbs. In</p><p>this chapter, we will talk about tense, voice, mood, and</p><p>the other qualities of verbs.</p><p>7.2. Tense</p><p>We talked about tense in Chapter 1, but let’s review.</p><p>Verb tense refers to time. Since verbs are primarily</p><p>action words, tense refers to when something was done.</p><p>Common tenses include present tense (happening</p><p>now), past tense (already happened), and future tense</p><p>(will happen). However, it isn’t quite that simple: there</p><p>are actually 12 tenses in the English language. There are</p><p>six main tenses and each of them has a matching tense</p><p>called the progressive.</p><p>The six main tenses can be put on a timeline:</p><p>Past Perfect è Past è Present Perfect è Present è</p><p>Future Perfect è Future</p><p>Let’s see how they are each used:</p><p>Present Tense: Used for something happening now.</p><p>I walk to work.</p><p>Present Perfect: Used for something that happened in</p><p>the past and may still be happening. I have walked to</p><p>work every day this week.</p><p>Past Tense: Used for something that happened already.</p><p>I walked to work this morning.</p><p>Past Perfect: Used for something that happened inthe</p><p>past before something else that also happened in</p><p>thepast. I had stopped to buy coffee before I arrived at</p><p>work. (Use of past perfect and then past tense.)</p><p>Future: Used for something that will happen in the</p><p>future. I will walk to work tomorrow.</p><p>Future Perfect: Used for something that will happen</p><p>in the future before something else in the future. I will</p><p>have walked to work by the time you get there in your</p><p>car.</p><p>Each of these six tenses has a matching tense called pro-</p><p>gressive, which is simply the form with an -ing at the</p><p>end.</p><p>Here are the 12 tense forms, using the verb play.</p><p>Present: I play (no helping verbs)/ Progressive: I am</p><p>playing</p><p>Past: I played (no helping verbs)/ Progressive: I was</p><p>playing (was or were are used as helping verbs)</p><p>Present Perfect: I have played (uses have or has as a</p><p>helping verb)/Progressive: I have been playing</p><p>Past Perfect: I had played (uses helping verb had)/Pro-</p><p>gressive: I had been playing</p><p>Future: I will play (uses will</p><p>as a helping verb)/Progres-</p><p>sive: I will be playing</p><p>Future Perfect: I will have played (uses will have as help-</p><p>ing verbs)/Progressive: I will have been playing</p><p>Practice 58—</p><p>Tenses</p><p>Change the verb tense in the following sentences to the</p><p>tense in parentheses.</p><p>1. I eat dinner at six. (future)</p><p>62 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>2. I danced in New York. (present perfect)</p><p>3. I will be going to Paris next year. (present progressive)</p><p>4. I always went to school with my sister. (past perfect)</p><p>5. I have worked here for ten years. (future perfect)</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Tense Trouble</p><p>Some of the tenses can cause problems. For example,</p><p>if you are talking about something that happened in a</p><p>book you read or a movie you saw, you should use the</p><p>present tense, rather than the past tense. You may have</p><p>seen or read it in the past, but it still exists.</p><p>In this book, the main character is looking for his real</p><p>mother. He has not seen her in 20 years, since she</p><p>gave him up for adoption. He finally meets her and</p><p>they begin to establish a mother/son relationship.</p><p>In the above example, he is looking for his mother and</p><p>he meets her, so those are present tense. However, she</p><p>gave him up for adoption in the past, and he saw her</p><p>in the past, even in the story, so we use past tenses for</p><p>those verbs.</p><p>However, if you are talking about something you did</p><p>last week, do not use present tense:</p><p>Wrong: I go to the movies last week and I see my cousin,</p><p>who I haven’t seen in a long time. We decide to have</p><p>dinner together, and then I go home.</p><p>Right: I went to the movies last week, and I saw my</p><p>cousin, whom I haven’t seen in a long time. We decided</p><p>to have dinner together, and after dinner I went home.</p><p>Using the Past Perfect</p><p>If you are talking about two things that happened in</p><p>the past, but one of them clearly happened before the</p><p>other, you need to use different tenses for the verbs. For</p><p>example:</p><p>Mary told me that she went to see that movie last</p><p>week.</p><p>Both verbs are in the past tense. However, Mary went to</p><p>the movies before she told you about it. You need to use</p><p>the past perfect for the earlier event. The correct way to</p><p>write or say this sentence is</p><p>Mary told me that she had gone to see that movie</p><p>last week.</p><p>Practice 59—</p><p>Using Correct Tenses</p><p>Correct any incorrect verb tenses in these sentences.</p><p>Some are correct.</p><p>1. I went there every year since I was a child.</p><p>2. I went there before I was five years old.</p><p>3. I will have been working here five years by next year.</p><p>4. In the book, Mary was looking for her long lost sister.</p><p>5. I was sitting in the movie theater and suddenly I see</p><p>my cousin!</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>7.3. Irregular Verb Forms</p><p>What do we mean by verb forms? Well, let’s look at the</p><p>verb play, which we used in Section7.2. If we want to</p><p>use the verb play in the past tense, what do we do? We</p><p>add an -ed to the end to make played. Since most verbs</p><p>add -ed to make the past tense, we call those verbs regu-</p><p>lar verbs. Here are some regular verbs:</p><p>kick, want, walk, talk, show, pick, cook, pass, weigh</p><p>Verbs with more than one syllable that end in y usually</p><p>change the y to i and then add the -ed. We can still call</p><p>those regular verbs. Some examples are study (studied),</p><p>and reply (replied).</p><p>Verbs that already end in e just add -d. They are also</p><p>considered regular verbs. Some examples are bake</p><p>(baked), and date (dated).</p><p>Verbs that end in a short vowel sound and then a con-</p><p>sonant often double the consonant to create the past</p><p>tense form. We still consider these verbs regular. Some</p><p>examples are hop (hopped), and plan (planned).</p><p>Some verbs stay the same in the past tense or take on</p><p>a whole new form. These verbs are irregular. There are</p><p>actually three forms of a verb. Regular verbs are the</p><p>same in the second and third forms:</p><p>Present tense: play</p><p>Past tense (sometimes called simple past): played</p><p>Special Issues with Verbs 2 63</p><p>Past participle (the one you use with the helping verb</p><p>has or have): have played</p><p>Let’s look at a verb that remains the same for all three</p><p>forms:</p><p>Present tense: set (Right now I set my book down on</p><p>this table.)</p><p>Past tense: set (A minute ago I set my book down on</p><p>this table.)</p><p>Past participle: have set (I have often set my book down</p><p>on this table.)</p><p>The verbs burst and cost also stay the same in all three</p><p>forms.</p><p>There are many, many irregular verbs in the English lan-</p><p>guage, and the only way to learn them is to memorize</p><p>them and use them. To help you, here is a list of the</p><p>more common irregular verbs.</p><p>Present Tense Past Tense Past Participle</p><p>begin began have begun</p><p>bite bit have bitten</p><p>blow blew have blown</p><p>break broke have broken</p><p>bring brought have brought</p><p>(not brang) (not brung)</p><p>build built have built</p><p>buy bought have bought</p><p>(not boughten)</p><p>choose chose have chosen</p><p>come came have come</p><p>cut cut have cut</p><p>do did have done</p><p>draw drew have drawn</p><p>drink drank have drunk</p><p>eat ate have eaten</p><p>fall fell have fallen</p><p>fly flew have flown</p><p>forgive forgave have forgiven</p><p>freeze froze have frozen</p><p>get got have gotten</p><p>give gave have given</p><p>go went have gone</p><p>(not have went)</p><p>grow grew have grown</p><p>hide hid have hidden</p><p>or have hid</p><p>hit hit have hit</p><p>know knew have known</p><p>lay laid have laid</p><p>lead led have led</p><p>(no a in led except</p><p>the lead in a pencil)</p><p>leave left have left</p><p>lend lent have lent</p><p>let let have let</p><p>lie lay have lain</p><p>light lit have lit</p><p>or lighted or have lighted</p><p>lose lost have lost</p><p>ride rode have ridden</p><p>ring rang have rung</p><p>rise rose have risen</p><p>run ran have run</p><p>see saw have seen</p><p>seek sought have sought</p><p>set set have set</p><p>shrink shrank have shrunk</p><p>sing sang have sung</p><p>sink sank have sunk</p><p>sit sat have sat</p><p>speak spoke have spoken</p><p>spend spent have spent</p><p>stand stood have stood</p><p>64 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>steal stole have stolen</p><p>swim swam have swum</p><p>swing swung have swung</p><p>(not swang)</p><p>take took have taken</p><p>(not tooken)</p><p>teach taught have taught</p><p>tear tore have torn</p><p>tell told have told</p><p>think thought have thought</p><p>throw threw have thrown</p><p>wear wore have worn</p><p>write wrote have written</p><p>(not have wrote)</p><p>Practice 60—</p><p>Irregular Verb Forms</p><p>Correct the verb forms in the following sentences.</p><p>Some are correct.</p><p>1. I have swam every night this week.</p><p>2. The pond has froze, so we can skate on it.</p><p>3. The balloon burst as soon as I blew it up.</p><p>4. The tickets costed ten dollars each.</p><p>5. He through the ball to me.</p><p>6. I have always drank milk every day.</p><p>7. The school bell has already rung.</p><p>8. Have you went to the new mall yet?</p><p>9. I have tore my new shirt!</p><p>10. He lended me his sweater.</p><p>11. Last year he lead the parade.</p><p>12. Yesterday I laid out in the sun all day.</p><p>13. The sun rose very early this morning.</p><p>14. Sit this book down on the chair.</p><p>15. Lie this blanket down in the sun.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>7.4. Verbs of Being</p><p>We have previously talked about verbs of being. To</p><p>review, verbs of being are sometimes called linking</p><p>verbs because they act as an equal sign joining the</p><p>words on either side of them. The most common link-</p><p>ing verb is the verb to be with all its various forms:</p><p>I am, you are, he is, I was, you were, they were, I</p><p>will be, I have been, etc.</p><p>Note that to be is a linking verb only when it is the</p><p>main verb! Sometimes the to be verb is a helping verb—</p><p>changing the tense of a main verb. For example:</p><p>I am a writer. (am is a linking verb, joining I and</p><p>writer. I = writer)</p><p>I am playing chess. (am is a helping verb; playing is</p><p>the main verb. I does not equal chess.)</p><p>There are a couple of things about linking verbs that can</p><p>cause problems. But before we talk about those, let’s list</p><p>some other linking verbs. To be isn’t the only one.</p><p>These verbs are also linking verbs, some or all of the</p><p>time.</p><p>look, taste, smell, sound, grow, remain, become,</p><p>feel</p><p>See if you can imagine the verbs in the first sentence in</p><p>each pair as equal signs linking the word before them</p><p>with the word after them. Then, in the second sentence</p><p>in each pair, see how the verb is not a linking</p><p>verb, but</p><p>an action verb:</p><p>The cake looks good. I look at the cake.</p><p>The pizza tastes good. I taste the pizza.</p><p>The coffee smells fresh. I smell coffee.</p><p>The music sounds loud. I sound the horn.</p><p>The room grows quiet. The flowers grow tall.</p><p>It remained noisy. She remained in her seat.</p><p>It became clear to me. (generally not used as</p><p>an action verb)</p><p>I feel sad about that. I feel the cat’s fur.</p><p>Special Issues with Verbs 2 65</p><p>Adjectives After Linking Verbs</p><p>As we discussed way back in Section1.6, adverbs are</p><p>used to modify verbs. However, adverbs modify only</p><p>action verbs. We use adjectives, not adverbs, after link-</p><p>ing verbs. If you look at the examples in the previous</p><p>section, you will see that in the first column, the words</p><p>after the linking verb are adjectives: good, fresh, loud,</p><p>quiet, noisy, clear, sad.</p><p>Here are a few examples of sentences with action verbs</p><p>followed by adverbs:</p><p>She plays piano well.</p><p>He talks very quietly.</p><p>He walked up the stairs hurriedly.</p><p>The adjective after the linking verb usually doesn’t cause</p><p>any trouble. Here is a case where it can cause a problem:</p><p>I feel bad about this. (not badly)</p><p>Many people say I feel badly, but that is not correct.</p><p>Badly is an adverb. Bad is an adjective and should fol-</p><p>low the linking verb feel.</p><p>✎ But what if you feel good? Can you use well (an</p><p>adverb)? Yes, you can. Although well is an adverb,</p><p>you can use it to mean a state of health, so in this</p><p>case either good or well is fine.</p><p>Pronouns After Linking Verbs</p><p>In Section 6.2 we talked about pronoun cases. After a</p><p>linking verb, we use a nominative case pronoun. In this</p><p>instance the linking verb will usually be the to be verb.</p><p>After a to be verb, you use the pronoun you would use</p><p>as a subject, not an object. Here are some examples:</p><p>Is Nancy there? Yes, this is she. (not this is her)</p><p>It is they who are coming with us. (not them)</p><p>It is I who played the trick on you. (not me)</p><p>Does that sound a little too formal for you? Yes, I know</p><p>it does! I would recommend if you are writing some-</p><p>thing important you do it correctly. In conversation,</p><p>you can certainly be more relaxed!</p><p>7.5. Voice: Active or Passive?</p><p>Verbs, in addition to having tense, have voice: active and</p><p>passive. These two voices are pretty easy to understand:</p><p>• In active voice the subject of the sentence is perform-</p><p>ing the action of the verb. For example: She drove to</p><p>school.</p><p>• In passive voice, the subject does not perform the</p><p>action of the verb, but receives the action. For exam-</p><p>ple: She was driven to school by her brother. She is</p><p>still the subject, and was driven is still the verb, but</p><p>this sentence is passive because she didn’t drive.</p><p>Here is the rule: Use active voice most of the time in</p><p>your writing. It makes your writing much stronger.</p><p>There are a couple of instances in which you use passive</p><p>voice:</p><p>• Use passive voice when you don’t know who per-</p><p>formed the action. For example: The school was built</p><p>in 1960.</p><p>• Use passive voice when it isn’t important who per-</p><p>formed the action, or you don’t want to say who per-</p><p>formed the action. For example: He was awarded the</p><p>Medal of Honor. It doesn’t matter who gave him the</p><p>award. The important thing is that he received it.</p><p>However, perhaps the President of the United States</p><p>gave him the award, and that is the important thing.</p><p>In that case, you might want to use the active voice</p><p>and say, “The President of the United States gave him</p><p>the Medal of Honor.”</p><p>Practice 61—</p><p>Active and Passive Voice</p><p>Identify each verb as active or passive:</p><p>1. The ball was thrown by the rookie.</p><p>2. I sat in the front row at the game!</p><p>3. The game went into overtime.</p><p>4. The popcorn was bought by my friend.</p><p>5. After the game we drove home.</p><p>Rewrite each sentence in the active voice:</p><p>6. He was bitten by a mosquito.</p><p>7. The museum was built by ABC Construction.</p><p>66 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>8. The car was driven by the salesman.</p><p>9. The dog paced back and forth before he was fed by</p><p>his owner.</p><p>10. The book was donated to the library by my aunt and</p><p>her family.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>7.6. What Is Subjunctive Mood,</p><p>Anyway?</p><p>Verbs don’t just have tense and voice. They also have</p><p>mood. Most of the time mood doesn’t pose a problem,</p><p>but sometimes it can.</p><p>There are generally considered to be three moods:</p><p>1. Indicative mood is used most of the time. Regular,</p><p>old statements are indicative mood.</p><p>2. Imperative mood includes imperative sentences,</p><p>which are commands (Tell me a story, for example).</p><p>3. Subjunctive mood is the one that can be a little</p><p>confusing, Subjunctive mood is used for sentences</p><p>(1) with commands and recommendations, and</p><p>(2)for things that are not true.</p><p>Commands and Recommendations</p><p>Here are some examples of the subjunctive mood used</p><p>with commands or recommendations:</p><p>I demand that you be there to answer questions. In</p><p>this sentence you be there is subjunctive. Gener-</p><p>ally, you would say you are there.</p><p>I recommend that she cook dinner for the party on</p><p>Friday. In this sentence she cook is in the subjunc-</p><p>tive. Generally, you would say she cooks.</p><p>Most of the time, we don’t have a problem with this use</p><p>of the subjunctive. It just sounds right to us.</p><p>Things That Are Not True</p><p>Here is where some people have problems with the sub-</p><p>junctive. Your clues here are clauses that are introduced</p><p>with as if, as though, and if. What follows is generally</p><p>not true. Another clue is a clause following the verb</p><p>wish. Here are some examples:</p><p>I wish I were rich. It is not correct in this case to</p><p>say I wish I was rich. You need the subjunctive</p><p>because you aren’t rich. Notice that although the</p><p>sentence is present tense, subjunctive looks like</p><p>the past tense.</p><p>If I were rich, I would buy a big mansion. It is not</p><p>correct to say If I was rich. You need the subjec-</p><p>tive because you aren’t rich.</p><p>She acts as though she were the boss. We use sub-</p><p>junctive here because she is not the boss; she just</p><p>acts that way.</p><p>He speaks as if he were from Britain, but I know he</p><p>is American. We use subjunctive because he is not</p><p>from Britain.</p><p>In the present tense subjunctive, you see how we actu-</p><p>ally use the past tense form of the verb. If we want to</p><p>use subjunctive in the past tense, we go back further</p><p>and use the past perfect! Here are some examples:</p><p>If I had known you were coming, I would have baked</p><p>you a cake. (Not if I knew you were coming . . . )</p><p>Practice 62—</p><p>Using Subjunctive Mood</p><p>Rewrite the following sentences correctly. Some may</p><p>already be correct.</p><p>1. If I was you, I would call them.</p><p>2. If I were company president, I would do things</p><p>differently.</p><p>3. She looks as if she were tired.</p><p>4. She acts as if she were a queen.</p><p>5. I recommend that you are there for the meeting.</p><p>6. I sure wish I was rich like you!</p><p>7. I told her I thought she should be there.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>7.7. Using Strong Verbs</p><p>When you write, you want to use strong verbs that really</p><p>tell what is going on. You will then need fewer adverbs</p><p>and adjectives. One of the verbs you want to limit is the</p><p>to be verb, which is not very interesting.</p><p>Special Issues with Verbs 2 67</p><p>Instead of she is tall, you could say she stands over six</p><p>feet tall.</p><p>Instead of it is a rainy day, you could say the rain is pour-</p><p>ing down.</p><p>Instead of the diamond is very pretty, you could say the</p><p>diamond sparkles on her finger.</p><p>Just be aware that overusing verbs like is and has can be</p><p>boring in your writing. You want to be more precise in</p><p>your descriptions.</p><p>68 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Chapter 7 Test</p><p>Special Issues with Verbs</p><p>Part 1—Choose the correct answer.</p><p>1. I have (brung, brought) you the newspaper.</p><p>2. I (shrank, shrunk) my jeans in the dryer.</p><p>3. Can we skate on the pond that has (froze, frozen)?</p><p>4. He did (good, well) on the exam.</p><p>5. It is (her, she) who is wearing the dog costume.</p><p>6. I told my dog to (lay, lie) down.</p><p>7. (Set, sit) the cake on the counter.</p><p>8. If I (wasn’t, weren’t) so scared, I would just jump into</p><p>the deep water.</p><p>9. The sun has (risen, rose)</p><p>over the horizon.</p><p>10. I recommend that you (are, be) more polite next</p><p>time.</p><p>11. Every day I (sat, have sat) in this tree.</p><p>12. My balloon (burst, bursted) right after I blew it up.</p><p>13. I feel (bad, badly) about the broken vase.</p><p>14. My stomach just (growled, has growled), so it must</p><p>be time for dinner!</p><p>15. I (lay, laid) my backpack down right over there.</p><p>16. The water has (laid, lain) there all day.</p><p>17. She had (gone, went) to get some supplies at the sta-</p><p>tionery store.</p><p>18. I wish I (was, were) going with you.</p><p>19. Yesterday I say to my friend that I know who you are.</p><p>20. The fish smells badly, so I don’t think I will eat it.</p><p>Part 2—Identify each sentence as written in the active</p><p>or passive voice.</p><p>1. Follow this street for about seven miles.</p><p>2. The map shows the shortest route.</p><p>3. The cake was baked by my favorite aunt.</p><p>4. Wait until the sun goes down.</p><p>5. I have given you all the money I have.</p><p>Part 3—Identify the tense of the main verb in each</p><p>sentence.</p><p>1. I wanted to go to the movies tonight.</p><p>2. It is true that she told a lie.</p><p>3. I will have been out of school for five years when</p><p>you graduate.</p><p>4. I have seen my friends every day this week.</p><p>5. Where are you going?</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Chapter 8</p><p>Commas: Yup! A Whole Chapter</p><p>8.1. To Comma or Not To Comma:</p><p>That Is the Question</p><p>Commas, commas, commas: nothing confuses writers,</p><p>editors, students, and everyone else more than commas.</p><p>Some of us don’t like commas and use too few of them.</p><p>Others of us don’t really know where they belong and</p><p>use too many of them.</p><p>There are many comma rules. There are also some places</p><p>where a comma is optional. The main use of a comma</p><p>is to make writing easier and clearer to read, but there</p><p>are many situations where a comma rule really doesn’t</p><p>make anything clearer, but is expected of good writers.</p><p>What to do, what to do...</p><p>In this chapter I will give you the comma rules. But</p><p>more than lengthy explanations, I will give you exam-</p><p>ples. Sometimes an example is worth a thousand words</p><p>of explanation.</p><p>There are two basic comma rules:</p><p>1. Don’t use a comma unless you have a reason to use</p><p>one.</p><p>2. Use a comma anywhere where not using one would</p><p>cause the reader confusion.</p><p>See what I mean? Here are the rules:</p><p>8.2. Series Comma (Oxford Comma)</p><p>One of the most common uses of the comma is in</p><p>a series. This can be a series of words, phrases, or</p><p>sentences.</p><p>I brought oranges, applies, bananas, pears, and grapes.</p><p>(series of words)</p><p>I went to the museum, to the mall, to the post office,</p><p>and to school. (series of phrases)</p><p>Mary went to see a movie, Mom went to visit</p><p>Grandma, Dad went to an auto race, and I stayed</p><p>home. (series of clauses/sentences)</p><p>So what about that final comma—the one before the</p><p>and. Do you need that one? That one is famously called</p><p>the Oxford comma because it was first used by the</p><p>Oxford University Press. Some people use it and others</p><p>don’t. Unless you are following a particular style guide</p><p>that dictates whether or not to use it, it is really up to</p><p>you. The only advice I have is this: whether or not you</p><p>decide to use the Oxford comma, use it or don’t use it</p><p>consistently within one piece of writing. Don’t switch</p><p>around.</p><p>Warning: Sometimes leaving out the Oxford comma</p><p>can cause confusion. Sometimes putting it in can also</p><p>cause confusion, so watch out for these instances:</p><p>The President of the United States, the actress and</p><p>model attended the party. (This sentence could</p><p>be read as meaning the President was an actress</p><p>and model.) The Presi dent, the actress, and the</p><p>model were at the party. (That is much clearer!)</p><p>8.3. Compound Sentences</p><p>Use a comma before the conjunction in compound</p><p>sentences (two or more complete sentences joined by a</p><p>conjunction like and, but, or so. Examples:</p><p>I live in Texas, and my brother lives in Utah.</p><p>I would love to go, but I don’t have any money.</p><p>If the part of the sentence after the conjunction is not a</p><p>complete sentence, do not use a comma.</p><p>He went to the grocery store and bought some items</p><p>for the party.</p><p>70 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>In the above sentence the words after and are not a</p><p>complete sentence; there is no subject (bought some</p><p>items for the party).</p><p>If the two parts of the compound sentence are very</p><p>short and closely related, you do not need the comma.</p><p>I played the piano and my brother danced.</p><p>Sometimes authors will choose not to put a comma in</p><p>a compound sentence. Unless the sentence is difficult</p><p>to read, this is not a great problem. However, I would</p><p>recommend using the comma.</p><p>If the two (or more) parts of the compound sentence are</p><p>complicated and already contain commas, it is wise to</p><p>separate the two sentences with a semicolon (;) rather</p><p>than a comma. Example:</p><p>Harry, who is a surgeon, went to school on the East</p><p>Coast; but his brother, Paul, went to school in Europe,</p><p>where he met his wife.</p><p>✎ Note that then is not one of the FANBOYS conjunc-</p><p>tions (for, and, nor, but, or, so, yet) and cannot be</p><p>used to connect two sentences unless you also use a</p><p>conjunction or you use a semicolon. Example:</p><p>My sister went to the mall, then she came home.</p><p>(incorrect)</p><p>My sister went to the mall, and then she came home.</p><p>(correct)</p><p>My sister went to the mall; then she came home.</p><p>(correct)</p><p>8.4. Between Two Adjectives</p><p>Use a comma between two adjectives in a row that both</p><p>describe the same noun. You can usually tell if you need</p><p>a comma by putting and between the adjectives. If it</p><p>makes sense with and, you need a comma:</p><p>The dress had a big, blue bow. (Big and blue both</p><p>describe the bow.)</p><p>She wore a bright blue dress. (Here, there is no</p><p>comma because bright describes blue, rather</p><p>than dress.)</p><p>The old, torn dress was not appropriate to wear to</p><p>the wedding. (Old and torn dress makes sense.)</p><p>I have a new black purse. (New and black purse?</p><p>Probably not. No comma needed.)</p><p>Practice 63—</p><p>Some Important Comma Rules</p><p>Add commas where necessary for series, compound</p><p>sentences, or consecutive adjectives. Some sentences</p><p>may be correct as they are.</p><p>1. Joe was late for work but he was on time for the</p><p>meeting.</p><p>2. Please buy eggs, milk, bread, and butter when you</p><p>go to the store.</p><p>3. I was late for school and late for dinner too.</p><p>4. I bought a bright blue dress for the party.</p><p>5. I found some valuable jewels in my grandmother’s</p><p>old dusty trunk.</p><p>6. I brought pens, pencils, paper and a notebook.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>8.5. Introductory Elements</p><p>A comma is used after certain words, phrases, and</p><p>clauses that come at the beginning of a sentence. Here</p><p>are some examples of where commas should and</p><p>shouldn’t be used.</p><p>Introductory Words and Transition Words</p><p>First, we will examine the situation. Next, we will form</p><p>a plan. (transition words)</p><p>In my opinion, we are on the right track. (introduc-</p><p>tory phrase)</p><p>Indeed, I think you are correct.</p><p>Well, I think you should try to go with your friends.</p><p>Yes, I think you are correct.</p><p>By the way, I brought your book back to you.</p><p>Commas 2 71</p><p>Introductory Phrases</p><p>In Paris we saw the Eiffel Tower. (Introductory,</p><p>short prepositional phrases don’t really require</p><p>commas after them.)</p><p>In Paris last September, we saw the Eiffel Tower.</p><p>According to the instructions, we should do it my</p><p>way.</p><p>Walking down the street, the man dropped his</p><p>heavy bag.</p><p>✎ Make sure that when you use a participial phrase,</p><p>like that last example, the person doing the action is</p><p>right after the phrase. Otherwise, you will have a mis-</p><p>placed modifier and quite possibly a silly sentence:</p><p>Walking down the street, the man dropped his bag.</p><p>(correct)</p><p>Walking down the street, the bag fell to the ground.</p><p>(NO)</p><p>Introductory Clauses</p><p>While I was walking, I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen</p><p>in years.</p><p>After we ate dinner, we went for a long walk.</p><p>Because we had run out of money, we couldn’t buy</p><p>any snacks at the movies.</p><p>Those sentences, which begin with adverb clauses, can</p><p>all be turned around. Generally, when you turn them</p><p>around, you omit the comma.</p><p>I ran into a friend</p><p>I hadn’t seen in years while I was</p><p>walking.</p><p>We went for a long walk after we ate dinner.</p><p>We couldn’t buy any snacks at the movie because</p><p>we had run out of money.</p><p>✎ Do not use a comma after introductory phrases if</p><p>they are immediately followed by a verb:</p><p>Into the cave in the middle of the night came a bear.</p><p>Out of the blue came a man wearing a clown</p><p>costume.</p><p>To be an astronaut is my ambition.</p><p>8.6. Interrupting Material</p><p>Use a comma around elements that interrupt the flow</p><p>of the sentence, whether they are words, phrases, or</p><p>clauses. Sometimes. If the element is required for the</p><p>sentence to make sense, it is called restrictive, and no</p><p>commas should be used.</p><p>Commas Needed</p><p>My brother, Ken, is in the Army. (The commas here</p><p>imply that we don’t need to mention your broth-</p><p>er’s name, either because he is your only brother</p><p>or because the listener or reader knows whom</p><p>you are talking about.)</p><p>My neighbor, the chief of police, is hardly ever home.</p><p>The cake, chocolate with vanilla frosting, was gone</p><p>in a minute!</p><p>This dress, by the way, was on sale.</p><p>I say, indeed, you should come with us.</p><p>Mr. Paul, who has taught at the school for many</p><p>years, is retiring this year.</p><p>My brother, if he can get the time off, will go with us.</p><p>The detective looked at the evidence and, if he found</p><p>anything unusual, he didn’t tell the news reporter</p><p>about it.</p><p>No Commas Needed</p><p>My brother Ken is in the Army. (As opposed to the</p><p>very same sentence up above, let’s assume you</p><p>have more than one brother and you need to</p><p>identify which brother you are talking about in</p><p>this sentence. If that is the case, use no comma.</p><p>This is called a restrictive element. It restricts the</p><p>brother to Ken, not one of your other brothers.)</p><p>My neighbor across the street is very noisy. (Identi-</p><p>fies your noisy neighbor as the one across the</p><p>street, as opposed to the neighbor next door, for</p><p>example.)</p><p>The cake with the white frosting was gone in a</p><p>minute! (Using no commas identifies the cake as</p><p>72 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>the one with the white frosting, not another cake</p><p>with a different type of frosting.)</p><p>All the teachers who have worked at the school</p><p>for more than 25 years are retiring this year. (The</p><p>clause in bold is necessary to identify which</p><p>teachers are retiring.)</p><p>Practice 64—</p><p>Commas for Introductory and Interrupting</p><p>Elements</p><p>Insert any necessary commas into these sentences.</p><p>Some may be correct as they are.</p><p>1. My cousin who is in college is graduating next year.</p><p>2. Finally, I got a dog!</p><p>3. First you must add this column, and then you can</p><p>subtract this number.</p><p>4. In the cupboard on the top shelf you should see the</p><p>sugar.</p><p>5. Although I live far away from my sister I see her</p><p>frequently.</p><p>6. My brother Jack is the tallest of all my brothers.</p><p>7. The pen that I have in my hand was very expensive.</p><p>8. Next, put the chocolate chips in the batter.</p><p>9. This is in my opinion the wrong way to do it!</p><p>10. In December we usually get several feet of snow.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>8.7. Other Common Uses</p><p>for Commas</p><p>The following sections discuss the other important uses</p><p>for commas.</p><p>etc., i.e., e.g.</p><p>If you are using any of these abbreviations in the middle</p><p>of a sentence, use commas both before and after the</p><p>abbreviation. Since etc. is generally used at the end of</p><p>the sentence, just use a comma before it. For more infor-</p><p>mation about these three abbreviations, see Chapter12.</p><p>Etc. means and so on or and the others; e.g. means for</p><p>example; and i.e. means that is. Here are some examples:</p><p>Bring a pencil, pen, paper, erasers, etc.</p><p>Bring something to write with, e.g., a pencil.</p><p>I speak only one language, i.e., my native language,</p><p>English.</p><p>Dates</p><p>When you are writing the date on the top of a letter</p><p>or where it isn’t in text (in a sentence), use a comma</p><p>between the day and year.</p><p>August 29, 2013</p><p>Whenever, and wherever, you write the date, if you omit</p><p>the day, you do not need a comma between the month</p><p>and the year.</p><p>August 2013</p><p>If you write the date in text, the year is followed by a</p><p>comma if you have included the day. The two examples</p><p>below are both correct:</p><p>The March 2014 issue of Golf Digest has an article</p><p>you should read.</p><p>The March 5, 2014, issue of Golf Digest has an article</p><p>you should read.</p><p>For more information about writing the numbers in</p><p>dates, refer to Section 11.8.</p><p>Commas with Numbers</p><p>Use a comma in numbers of four or more numerals.</p><p>1,000 12,000 350,000 2,000,000</p><p>Use a comma to separate two numbers that happen to</p><p>fall in a row in a sentence (or, better yet, rewrite the</p><p>sentence to avoid the situation).</p><p>Out of the total of 350, 45 were women.</p><p>With Too</p><p>If you use too, meaning also, in the middle of a sentence,</p><p>it is set off with commas. However, if too is used at the</p><p>end of the sentence, there is no comma.</p><p>I, too, would love to see that play.</p><p>I would love to see that play too.</p><p>Commas 2 73</p><p>Direct Address</p><p>When you are talking to someone using their name,</p><p>regardless of where the name falls in the sentence, use</p><p>commas to set off the name. Here are some examples,</p><p>including examples using another word that also needs</p><p>to be set off.</p><p>Charlie, eat that sandwich!</p><p>Eat that sandwich, Charlie!</p><p>Eat that sandwich, Charlie, and then you can go out</p><p>to play.</p><p>No, Charlie, you cannot go out to play.</p><p>Well, Charlie, did you finish your sandwich yet?</p><p>Setting off Academic Degrees</p><p>A comma is used to set off academic degrees. Here are</p><p>some examples.</p><p>Marc Jones, Ph.D., is speaking at graduation.</p><p>Peter Wolf, M.D., has just started to work here.</p><p>Addresses</p><p>Commas are used in addresses, whether they are on an</p><p>envelope, on the top of a letter, or used in a sentence.</p><p>Here are some examples:</p><p>Envelope: Margaret Toll</p><p>151 Broadway Avenue</p><p>Savannah, Georgia 21456</p><p>Text: I live at 15 Market Street, Boston, MA 02215.</p><p>Use a comma to set off the name of the state in text,</p><p>when it follows the name of a city.</p><p>I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in a small farmhouse.</p><p>I was born in Atlanta in a small farmhouse.</p><p>Company Names</p><p>Spell and punctuate company names exactly as the</p><p>company does, whether you think it is correct or not.</p><p>Contrasting Expressions and Elements</p><p>Use a comma in contrasting expressions (they generally</p><p>begin with but, not, or rather than).</p><p>I like chocolate, but not milk chocolate.</p><p>I like nonfat milk, not cream.</p><p>I like my pizza with pesto, rather than with tomato</p><p>sauce.</p><p>Use a comma in contrasting expressions.</p><p>Here today, gone tomorrow.</p><p>Garbage in, garbage out</p><p>When a Word Is Left Out</p><p>Sometimes when a word is left out of a sentence (inten-</p><p>tionally), the sentence is difficult to understand. Use</p><p>a comma if that is the case. Most of the time, when a</p><p>word is left out, the sentence is perfectly clear.</p><p>The fact of the matter is, they never liked us. (That</p><p>before they is left out.)</p><p>This sentence is perfectly clear without a comma:</p><p>I know she doesn’t like us.</p><p>Commas for Emphasis</p><p>You may use a comma for emphasis, but don’t overdo it.</p><p>Here are some examples:</p><p>I agree, completely, with what you have to say.</p><p>I, myself, will bake and decorate the wedding cake.</p><p>Letters and Emails</p><p>Use a comma after both the greeting and the closing of</p><p>a letter, note, or email. (In business letters or business</p><p>emails, the greeting is generally followed by a colon</p><p>rather than a comma. See Section9.6.)</p><p>Dear Jerry,</p><p>Hi, Stacy,</p><p>Yours truly,</p><p>Sincerely,</p><p>74 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Unusual Word Order in a Sentence</p><p>If you choose to write a sentence that has an unusual</p><p>word order, you might need a comma for clarity.</p><p>Why he wants to move to Michigan, I will never</p><p>understand.</p><p>Setting off However and Therefore</p><p>When however and therefore are in the middle of a sen-</p><p>tence, sometimes you can set them off with commas.</p><p>Other times you will need a period or semicolon on</p><p>one side of them. How do you know? Take out the how-</p><p>ever or therefore. Read the sentence. If the sentence is</p><p>fine without however or therefore, you can set the word</p><p>off with commas. But if you are left</p><p>with a run-on sen-</p><p>tence, you need a period or semicolon before however</p><p>or therefore. (Instead, you can add a conjunction like</p><p>and or but.)</p><p>I know, however, that he is coming with us. (I know</p><p>that he is coming with us is fine. Therefore, com-</p><p>mas are enough.)</p><p>I know that he is coming with us; however, I don’t</p><p>know how long he is staying. (I know that he is</p><p>coming with us, I don’t know how long he is stay-</p><p>ing is a run on. You need a semicolon before</p><p>however.)</p><p>Anyplace Where Not Using a Comma</p><p>Would Be Confusing</p><p>Here is the best rule of all! Use a comma wherever not</p><p>using one would be confusing. Here are some examples:</p><p>After eating ants invaded our blanket. (Place a</p><p>comma after eating to avoid eating ants!)</p><p>The two dresses were blue with white dots, and yel-</p><p>low with red dots.</p><p>Practice 65—</p><p>More Comma Rules</p><p>Insert commas where necessary. One or more of the</p><p>sentences may not need commas.</p><p>1. I was born in Boston Massachusetts in July 1990.</p><p>2. The population of Ourtown is 67000.</p><p>3. The math department offers algebra, geometry, sta-</p><p>tistics etc.</p><p>4. I too would love to visit France.</p><p>5. I agree completely that you need a vacation.</p><p>6. I love scary movies; therefore I want to see the new</p><p>monster movie.</p><p>7. Please mow the lawn, Phil.</p><p>8. I counted the books, and there are 75 35 of them</p><p>children’s books.</p><p>9. There is an old saying, “Here today gone tomorrow.”</p><p>10. What he meant I don’t know.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>8.8. Don’t Put Commas Here!</p><p>Although there are many comma rules and places where</p><p>you do need commas, there are also places where you</p><p>don’t put commas. Don’t use a comma unless you have</p><p>a reason. Here are some places where you don’t use</p><p>commas.</p><p>1. Do not use a comma before a FANBOYS conjunction</p><p>(for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) if the words that follow the</p><p>conjunction are not a complete sentence.</p><p>I washed the dishes and swept the floors. (Swept the</p><p>floors is not a complete sentence.)</p><p>Would you like pizza or chicken? (Chicken is not a</p><p>complete sentence, and two items do not make a</p><p>series.)</p><p>✎ The conjunction but is an exception, and you can use</p><p>a comma before it when the words on either side of</p><p>it contrast.</p><p>She is tiny, but strong.</p><p>He took the sofa, but left the chairs and table.</p><p>2. Do not use a comma before or after something in</p><p>parentheses unless the sentence would have a comma</p><p>there anyway.</p><p>Right: The company president (he is my cousin)</p><p>offered me a job.</p><p>Wrong: The company president (he is my cousin),</p><p>offered me a job.</p><p>Commas 2 75</p><p>Right: Although he is my cousin (the company</p><p>president), I think I would have gotten the job any-</p><p>way. (Ifyou left out what is in parentheses, there</p><p>would still be a comma.)</p><p>3. You do not need a comma after Jr. or Sr. or Esq. in a</p><p>name.</p><p>Martin Luther King, Jr. is a well-known American.</p><p>4. Never put a comma between a subject and its verb</p><p>unless there is an interrupter set off in commas between</p><p>them.</p><p>Wrong use of comma: Hannah and her brothers,</p><p>went to Paris last week.</p><p>Wrong use of comma: The bright blue dress, is in</p><p>the closet.</p><p>5. Never put a comma between a verb and its object.</p><p>Wrong use of comma: He threw, the ball into the</p><p>window.</p><p>Wrong use of comma: He is baking, a cake and</p><p>brownies.</p><p>6. Never put a comma between an adjective and its</p><p>noun.</p><p>Wrong use of comma: She wore a blue, dress to the</p><p>party. (No comma between blue and dress.)</p><p>Wrong use of comma: It was a huge, airplane.</p><p>7. Never put a comma between a noun or verb and a</p><p>prepositional phrase that immediately follows it.</p><p>Wrong use of comma: She was making cookies, in</p><p>the kitchen.</p><p>Wrong use of comma: There are football fields, ten-</p><p>nis courts, and a swimming pool, at the new school.</p><p>(There should be no comma after pool.)</p><p>8. Sometimes you use a comma to avoid confusion.</p><p>However, sometimes putting a comma in causes confu-</p><p>sion, so you leave it out.</p><p>Richard, my boss, and I are taking a break. In this</p><p>sentence you can’t tell if the writer is talking</p><p>about two or three people. Is Richard my boss?</p><p>We can’t tell. It is best to rewrite a confusing sen-</p><p>tence like this. Here are two possibilities:</p><p>Richard, who is my boss, and I are taking a break.</p><p>I am taking a break with Richard and my boss.</p><p>✎ A Few Helpful Notes</p><p>1. Sometimes you have a choice of whether or not to use</p><p>a comma.</p><p>Of course, I will go with you.</p><p>Of course I will go with you.</p><p>2. If you are setting off something with commas, make</p><p>sure you have your commas in the correct place. To</p><p>check read the sentence without the words within the</p><p>commas. If it makes sense, you are okay. (Incidentally,</p><p>the same rule applies for words set off by dashes.)</p><p>This car is as good as, but not better, than my</p><p>old one. (This car is as good as than my old one</p><p>doesn’t make sense.)</p><p>This car is as good as, but not better than, my old</p><p>one. (Now, the sentence is correct.)</p><p>76 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Chapter 8 Test</p><p>Commas</p><p>Some of these sentences are missing commas; some</p><p>of them have commas that don’t belong there. Some</p><p>sentences are correct as they are. Rewrite the incorrect</p><p>sentences. Write “correct” if the sentence is fine as it is.</p><p>These are comma mistakes only.</p><p>1. Angie made a great presentation and the audience</p><p>loved it.</p><p>2. Bring me a pencil, a pen and some paper, Jack.</p><p>3. In June, 2000, my sister was born in New York.</p><p>4. The January 6, 1950 issue of this magazine is very,</p><p>valuable.</p><p>5. Send the money to me at 555 Wisconsin St. Bakers-</p><p>field, CA, 93677.</p><p>6. My dog, whose name is Fred is a terrier.</p><p>7. Because of the wind we, can’t sail today.</p><p>8. The difficult classes, e.g. calculus are offered only in</p><p>the evening.</p><p>9. Yes, we are all going on vacation to Miami, Florida.</p><p>10. The woman who is wearing the yellow hat, is my aunt.</p><p>11. She is very thin but very strong too.</p><p>12. He cleaned the house, and then mowed the lawn.</p><p>13. When I took the exam for the second time I passed</p><p>it; however I did poorly the first time I tried it.</p><p>14. We visited an old beautiful castle on a warm sunny</p><p>day.</p><p>15. Uncle Joe, Aunt Betty, and I love to play Scrabble,</p><p>whenever we have the chance.</p><p>16. As we were eating ants invaded our picnic blanket.</p><p>17. The two dogs were black and white and brown and</p><p>white, respectively.</p><p>18. I was late for school because there was traffic.</p><p>19. The suit, that is on the back rack, is on sale for $100.</p><p>20. John Rivers, M.D. received his degree from Winchell</p><p>College, in Nebraska.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Chapter 9</p><p>Punctuation (Except Commas)</p><p>9.1. Introduction</p><p>Punctuation makes our writing easier to read. With-</p><p>out punctuation our words would be just that—words.</p><p>Punctuation puts in the pauses, the stops, the tones</p><p>of questions and exclamations. It also shows what</p><p>is possessive, what is a contraction, and what is an</p><p>abbreviation.</p><p>Now that commas are out of the way (Chapter 8), let’s</p><p>move on to the other—and less complicated—punctua-</p><p>tion marks.</p><p>9.2. Periods (.)</p><p>Obviously, the most common use of the period is to</p><p>put one at the end of a sentence unless the sentence is a</p><p>question or an exclamation.</p><p>If a question is indirect, rather than direct, you will also</p><p>use a period rather than a question mark:</p><p>He asked who was coming with us.</p><p>The question is how to find out who did it.</p><p>Abbreviations</p><p>Periods are used in some abbreviations. For example, Jr.,</p><p>Sr., Dr., Mr., Ms., Mrs., Esq., and Ph.D. generally have a</p><p>period at the end.</p><p>✎ If an abbreviation that uses a period comes at the</p><p>end of the sentence, only one period is used.</p><p>I was always in awe of Martin Luther King, Jr.</p><p>Abbreviations that are made up of all capital letters usu-</p><p>ally do not use periods:</p><p>IBM, FBI, YMCA, NHL, VIP (but Washington D.C.</p><p>does have periods)</p><p>Some words in our language are merely “shortened”</p><p>and should not have periods after them. Here are some</p><p>examples:</p><p>typo, exam, memo, limo, logo, info, lab, rep, photo</p><p>Generally speaking, most abbreviations should be</p><p>avoided in text; some are fine to use</p><p>in tables or graphs.</p><p>In text, avoid using abbreviations for names of the</p><p>months or days, measurements, etc.</p><p>There are so many abbreviations it is best to look up the</p><p>correct punctuation of a specific abbreviation if you are</p><p>unsure.</p><p>✎ If an abbreviation or acronym (an acronym is an</p><p>abbreviated form of a name that uses all capital let-</p><p>ters and spells out its own word, such as OSHA or</p><p>EPCOT) might not be understood by your reader, it</p><p>is customary to spell it out the first time it is used</p><p>and to put the acronym in parentheses. Then the</p><p>other times you use it, you can use just the acronym</p><p>or abbreviation.</p><p>Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)</p><p>✎ Hints for Using Abbreviations</p><p>1. When in doubt, don’t use an abbreviation. Spell the</p><p>words out.</p><p>2. The abbreviations a.m. and p.m. generally use periods.</p><p>3. U.S. is commonly used as an adjective, but United</p><p>States is spelled out as a noun: U.S. Navy, but the</p><p>population of the United States.</p><p>4. The abbreviation OK has no periods, but it is better</p><p>to just spell it out (okay).</p><p>5. When in doubt about an abbreviation, look it up or</p><p>spell it out.</p><p>78 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Decimals</p><p>Periods are used in decimals: 11.05, 3.2, $5.00</p><p>Lists or Outlines</p><p>Periods are usually used after the numbers in a num-</p><p>bered list, or numbers and letters in an outline:</p><p>1.</p><p>2.</p><p>a.</p><p>b.</p><p>Measurements</p><p>Measurements are often abbreviated. In text you can</p><p>always spell them out. However, they do deserve some</p><p>special attention here.</p><p>Just remember that although ft (foot), yd (yard), and m</p><p>(meter) are not followed by periods, in. (inch) always is,</p><p>to avoid confusion with the preposition in.</p><p>Practice 66—</p><p>Using Periods</p><p>There are no periods in any of these sentences. Insert</p><p>periods where necessary.</p><p>1. Dr L Martin, MD is my skin doctor</p><p>2. My cousin, Walter Hummel, Jr used to work for the</p><p>FBI</p><p>3. He stands 6 ft and 3 in tall</p><p>4. I work at H Hall Corp</p><p>5. Please meet me at my house at 7:45 pm</p><p>6. Here is my address: 54 Elm St, Albany, NY</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>9.3. Question Marks (?)</p><p>Obviously, the most common use of the question mark</p><p>is after a question!</p><p>Besides putting a question mark after a complete sen-</p><p>tence that is a question, you also use a question mark</p><p>after a question that may not be a complete sentence:</p><p>Why? When?</p><p>Did he say he was coming with us? When?</p><p>If a short question is embedded within a sentence, set</p><p>off the question with commas (or sometimes even a</p><p>dash will do) and use a question mark after it.</p><p>I can come with you, can’t I, if I finish all my chores?</p><p>You can also use a question mark at the end of a state-</p><p>ment if it is said with the tone of a question:</p><p>You expect to go to the party dressed like that?</p><p>✎ Question marks with quotations: We will cover</p><p>this topic later in this chapter, but for now: Ques-</p><p>tion marks can go either inside or outside quotes,</p><p>depending on the sentence. If the entire sentence</p><p>is a question, but the quote isn’t, the question mark</p><p>goes outside. If the quote is a question, but the entire</p><p>sentence is not, quotes go inside. If both the quote</p><p>and the sentence are questions, use one question</p><p>mark, inside the quotes.</p><p>He asked, “When will we get there?”</p><p>Did he say, “I hope we get there soon”?</p><p>Did he ask, “When will we get there?”</p><p>Practice 67—</p><p>Question Marks</p><p>Insert question marks in the necessary places in the fol-</p><p>lowing sentences. Some sentences may not need any</p><p>question marks.</p><p>1. She asked if I could go with her tonight</p><p>2. Do you know the way</p><p>3. Did she say, “I can’t go with you this time”</p><p>4. Did he ask, “When will we be there”</p><p>5. He asked, “When will we be there”</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>9.4. Exclamation Points (!)</p><p>Exclamation points are used to express emotion after</p><p>either a complete sentence, an expression, or a word</p><p>(interjection).</p><p>Help! The house is on fire!</p><p>Punctuation 2 79</p><p>Gee whiz! Did you see the size of that dog!</p><p>Notice that in the second example, the sentence is actu-</p><p>ally a question. However, it is said with such emotion</p><p>that you could use an exclamation point instead of a</p><p>question mark.</p><p>Tips for using exclamation points correctly.</p><p>Do not overuse them. (Yes, I did in this book.)</p><p>Do not use two or more in a row (!!).</p><p>Do not use them with question marks (!?).</p><p>A novelist told me that an author should use no more</p><p>than two exclamation points in an entire novel. And</p><p>they really have no place at all in formal writing. So</p><p>please don’t use them unnecessarily! (like there)</p><p>✎ The rules for using exclamation points with quota-</p><p>tion marks are the same as the rules for question</p><p>marks with quotations. Refer to Section9.3.</p><p>Practice 68—</p><p>Exclamation Points</p><p>Insert exclamation points where necessary.</p><p>1. She shouted that there was a fire in the kitchen</p><p>2. She shouted, “There’s a fire in the kitchen”</p><p>3. I hate it when you say to me, “I forgot to call you”</p><p>4. If you are just joking, don’t ever shout, “There’s a fire</p><p>in the kitchen”</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>9.5. Semicolons (;)</p><p>Despite the fears that some people have about using</p><p>them, semicolons are not too complicated. Unlike com-</p><p>mas, semicolons really have only three rules. A semi-</p><p>colon is not interchangeable with either a comma or a</p><p>colon but is probably closer to a comma than to a colon.</p><p>Compound Sentences</p><p>Use a semicolon in a compound sentence (two sen-</p><p>tences that could be joined together with the conjunc-</p><p>tions for, and, nor, but, or, yet, or so—the FANBOYS)</p><p>to join the two sentences if you don’t want to use the</p><p>FANBOYS conjunction. Or, alternately, use a semicolon</p><p>to join to two closely related sentences instead of using</p><p>a period. The second part of the sentence, following the</p><p>semicolon, does not begin with a capital letter.</p><p>I took an airplane, but my brother took the train.</p><p>I took an airplane; my brother took the train.</p><p>✎ If you looked at the second sentence and thought</p><p>that however might fit in nicely, you are right. How-</p><p>ever, you will need to put a semicolon (or period)</p><p>before it. However is not a conjunction, and you can-</p><p>not separate two sentences with it.</p><p>My brother took a train. My sister and I flew.</p><p>My brother took a train; my sister and I flew.</p><p>The examples above are all correct. It is your choice</p><p>whether you want to use (1)comma with conjunction,</p><p>(2)semicolon, or (3)period.</p><p>Incidentally, two sentences connected with a conjunc-</p><p>tion or with a semicolon are both called compound</p><p>sentences.</p><p>Compound Sentences with Series or</p><p>Other Commas</p><p>If you have a compound sentence, and one or both of</p><p>the sentences in it already have a series or commas,</p><p>you might want to separate the two sentences with a</p><p>semicolon rather than just a comma for clarity. You can</p><p>either leave the conjunction between the two sentences</p><p>or take it out.</p><p>She visited Rome, Paris, and Barcelona, and London,</p><p>Belfast, and Stockholm are on her itinerary for the</p><p>next trip. (unclear)</p><p>She visited Rome, Paris, and Barcelona; and London,</p><p>Belfast, and Stockholm are on her itinerary for her</p><p>next trip. (clearer) (You can take out the and right</p><p>after the semicolon, or you can leave it there.</p><p>Of course, you can also rewrite the sentence to</p><p>avoid the issue.)</p><p>80 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Confusing Series</p><p>Check out this sentence:</p><p>Please pack these items for our trip: jeans, dress</p><p>pants, shorts, tee shirts, white, blue, and red uniform</p><p>shirts, socks, and black and brown shoes.</p><p>Or this one:</p><p>We will be joined in the meeting by John, the</p><p>president of the company, Sandy, the director of the</p><p>department, Larry, Carmen, the personnel director,</p><p>and the treasurer.</p><p>Both sentences are difficult to understand. Rewriting</p><p>can solve the problem. Otherwise, you will want to use</p><p>semicolons to separate the main items so that you can</p><p>see what goes with what:</p><p>Please pack these items for our trip: jeans; dress</p><p>pants; shorts; tee shirts; white, blue, and red uniform</p><p>shirts; socks; and black and brown shoes.</p><p>We will be joined in the meeting by John, the</p><p>president of the company; Sandy, the director</p><p>of the</p><p>department; Larry; Carmen, the personnel director;</p><p>and the treasurer. (Now you now that there will be</p><p>five people joining you.)</p><p>✎ Don’t use a semicolon for other things. Semicolons</p><p>never replace colons for introducing lists, etc.</p><p>9.6. Colons (:)</p><p>When we think of colons, we most often think of them</p><p>introducing lists—and that is a common use of a colon.</p><p>There are, however, some other common uses for a</p><p>colon:</p><p>Digital Time</p><p>There is a colon between the hours and minutes in digi-</p><p>tal time.</p><p>12:45 means 45 minutes past the hour of 12.</p><p>Salutation of a Business Letter</p><p>While you put a comma after the salutation (greeting)</p><p>of a friendly letter or email, you put a colon after the</p><p>salutation of a business letter.</p><p>Dear Sirs:</p><p>Dear President Hamilton:</p><p>Between the Title and Subtitle of a Book</p><p>While you do not put a colon on the cover itself, if you</p><p>write the name of a book in text and want to include the</p><p>subtitle as well as the title, use a colon between the two.</p><p>I am reading The Best Little Grammar Book Ever:</p><p>101 Ways to Impress With Your Writing and Speaking.</p><p>✎ A colon is also used to separate chapter from verse</p><p>in scripture references.</p><p>Romans 1:16</p><p>In a Compound Sentence</p><p>We have already talked about using either a comma</p><p>and a FANBOYS conjunction, or a semicolon to sepa-</p><p>rate the two parts of a compound sentence. In some</p><p>instances you can also use a colon, but be very careful.</p><p>You can use a colon if the second sentence is either an</p><p>explanation of the first sentence or a result of the first</p><p>sentence. However, in either case, it is not necessary to</p><p>use the colon. A semicolon, or a comma with a conjunc-</p><p>tion is also fine.</p><p>He brought a variety of vegetables to the party: he</p><p>was going to make a salad. (No capital letter is</p><p>required to begin the second sentence.)</p><p>Introducing a Quote</p><p>Sometimes a colon is used to introduced a quote of a</p><p>sentence or longer (not in dialogue).</p><p>Mayor Jones said in his speech to the city: “I am com-</p><p>mitted to cutting crime in the city. We have already</p><p>made great strides in this area.”</p><p>Introducing Lists</p><p>Finally we get to the most common use for colons:</p><p>introducing lists. (Yes, the preceding sentence is cor-</p><p>rect. You need a complete sentence before the colon,</p><p>but not after it.)</p><p>Punctuation 2 81</p><p>Your list can be vertical or horizontal. Just remember</p><p>that you need to have a complete sentence before your</p><p>colon. Don’t put a colon after a verb.</p><p>Please bring pencils, pens, and paper to the test.</p><p>(correct)</p><p>Please bring: pencils, pens, and paper to the test.</p><p>(incorrect)</p><p>Please bring these items with you: pencils, pens,</p><p>and paper. (correct)</p><p>Here are some examples of horizontal lists.</p><p>Please bring the following items to the test:</p><p>pencils</p><p>pens</p><p>paper</p><p>Please bring</p><p>pencils</p><p>pens</p><p>paper</p><p>Please bring</p><p>pencils,</p><p>pens, and</p><p>paper.</p><p>All of the above lists are correct. This one is not. No</p><p>colon should be used in this case.</p><p>Please bring:</p><p>pencils</p><p>pens</p><p>paper</p><p>✎ Notes: If your list items are complete sentences, they</p><p>should be followed by periods. If one list item is a</p><p>complete sentence, all list items should be complete</p><p>sentences, and they should all be constructed simi-</p><p>larly (see Section11.7, “Parallel Structure”). You can</p><p>use bullets or numbers before your list items if you</p><p>wish. If you use numbers (such as in steps), the order</p><p>of your items should be important. Otherwise, don’t</p><p>use numbers.</p><p>✎ Colons are also used in citations and bibliographical</p><p>entries. Consult a style guide for information about</p><p>citations.</p><p>Practice 69—</p><p>Semicolons and Colons</p><p>These sentences have missing colons and semicolons.</p><p>Put the correct mark (either semicolon or colon) in the</p><p>blanks:</p><p>1. My favorite season is winter___ my sister prefers</p><p>summer.</p><p>2. The title of the book is Adopting a Dog__ Which</p><p>Breed Is for You?</p><p>3. Dear Department Chair__</p><p>4. Mayor Jones said the following in his speech___</p><p>“Ibelieve that the best is yet to come for the city.”</p><p>5. I have visited Paris, France__ Rome, Italy__ and</p><p>London, England.</p><p>These sentences may have missing or incorrect punc-</p><p>tuation. Please correct them. If you add or change any</p><p>punctuation, use either a semicolon or colon. Some</p><p>sentences may be correct as they are.</p><p>6. We invited Mr. and Mrs. Greeley, our next door</p><p>neighbors, Mr. Jagger, our realtor, and Mr. Thomas.</p><p>7. Please bring a jacket, warm gloves, and extra socks</p><p>on the hike.</p><p>8. Please bring these items with you</p><p>jacket</p><p>warm gloves</p><p>extra socks</p><p>9. The choice of dresses was the blue and white or the</p><p>red and black.</p><p>10. I don’t know what is wrong with my computer, how-</p><p>ever, the technician might know.</p><p>11. I haven’t gotten paid yet and, therefore, I can’t buy</p><p>the gift yet.</p><p>12. I have to wait for a phone call, then I can go with you.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>9.7. Parentheses ( ) and Brackets [ ]</p><p>Parentheses and brackets are used to add additional</p><p>information to text. Let’s talk about brackets first, since</p><p>there are two obvious places to use them.</p><p>82 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Brackets</p><p>If you should need parentheses inside other parenthe-</p><p>ses, you use brackets inside the parentheses. However, it</p><p>is generally better to rewrite your sentence so you don’t</p><p>need two levels of parentheses.</p><p>Look at the illustration on page 67 (Figure A [Item 7])</p><p>for instructions.</p><p>The example above is correct. However, it is easy to</p><p>avoid using the brackets:</p><p>Look at the illustration on page 67 (Figure A, Item 7)</p><p>for instructions.</p><p>Brackets are also used to add information to a quote,</p><p>making the quote easier to understand. For example,</p><p>you may be quoting part of a speech in a newspaper</p><p>article you are writing. Because you are not quoting the</p><p>entire speech, something may be unclear to the reader.</p><p>The explanation can be put in brackets. The information</p><p>in the brackets is NOT part of the quote.</p><p>The mayor said, in his speech to the City Council last</p><p>night, “I feel that it [the new mall] will greatly help the</p><p>economy in this city.”</p><p>Parentheses</p><p>Extra information can be placed in parentheses. Some-</p><p>times this information can also be set off by commas</p><p>(but never if the information is a complete sentence) or</p><p>dashes (see Section 9.8). Parentheses can be included in</p><p>a sentence or can be a separate sentence. The following</p><p>examples are all correct.</p><p>Please look at the information on verbs (Chapter 12)</p><p>for help.</p><p>Please look at the information on verbs (see Chap-</p><p>ter 12) for help.</p><p>Please look at the information on verbs. (See</p><p>Chapter 12.)</p><p>Please look at the information on verbs. (This informa-</p><p>tion is located in Chapter 12.)</p><p>Please look at the information on verbs, Chapter 12,</p><p>in this book.</p><p>As you see above, if the parentheses are around a com-</p><p>plete sentence that is standing on its own after a sentence</p><p>(rather than part of the sentence), it is treated as a sen-</p><p>tence, with a capital letter and a period. However, often</p><p>the parentheses are not needed at all in cases like that.</p><p>With parentheses that appear in the middle of a sen-</p><p>tence, no commas are needed before or after the paren-</p><p>theses unless there would be a comma there anyway:</p><p>My uncle, who was a famous painter (he died last</p><p>year), is featured in this art book. (Correct: the</p><p>comma would be needed even without the</p><p>parentheses.)</p><p>Practice 70—</p><p>Parentheses and Brackets</p><p>Insert parentheses, brackets, and necessary periods and</p><p>commas in these sentences:</p><p>1. You can park for two hours the parking lot is on your</p><p>left if you have a parking pass.</p><p>2. Please look at page 75 the figure of the dinosaur bot-</p><p>tom left to see the complete skeleton.</p><p>3. The President was quoted as saying, “They the Sen-</p><p>ate will meet in a special session to discuss the new</p><p>laws.”</p><p>4. Uncle Morris 1899–1990 was a fairly famous artist.</p><p>5. We are leaving the children with a babysitter tomor-</p><p>row evening no children are allowed in the theater.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>9.8. Hyphens and Dashes (-/–/—)</p><p>There are three varieties of hyphens and dashes: short,</p><p>medium, and</p><p>long. Each of them has a different function.</p><p>Hyphen (-)</p><p>The hyphen is the shortest line, easily made on your</p><p>keyboard on the number line. The hyphen is used to</p><p>separate words. It can separate a word at the end of a</p><p>line (on the syllable break only) if there is no room on</p><p>the line for the entire word. This use is not as common</p><p>anymore, since most writing is on the computer. Often</p><p>the computer adjusts spacing to avoid dividing words.</p><p>Hyphens are also used in compound words: ex- husband,</p><p>self-esteem. However, in many cases, compound words</p><p>Punctuation 2 83</p><p>are not hyphenated. Here are some things to keep in</p><p>mind about word hyphenation.</p><p>1. Many words are not hyphenated: cooperate, rees-</p><p>tablish, nonfat, etc. If you cannot determine whether</p><p>or not to hyphenate a word, look it up in the diction-</p><p>ary. If you cannot find it, or if two sources say different</p><p>things, the most important thing is just to be consistent</p><p>throughout your piece of writing.</p><p>2. Some compound words use a hyphen if they are</p><p>placed before a noun they modify, but not if placed after</p><p>the noun. Here are some examples:</p><p>She won a well-deserved award.</p><p>The award she won was well deserved.</p><p>She is the mother of a five-year-old boy.</p><p>Her son is five years old.</p><p>I would like a well-done steak.</p><p>I like my steak well done.</p><p>She had a lost-puppy look.</p><p>She looked like a lost puppy.</p><p>En Dash (–)</p><p>The en dash is longer than a hyphen and shorter than</p><p>the long dash (called an em dash). Often people use</p><p>this dash instead of the long dash because it might be</p><p>easier to create on the computer. On my Mac, I make</p><p>an en dash by pressing Option along with the hyphen.</p><p>Sometimes people just use the hyphen for either dash.</p><p>Often, people type two hyphens in a row to represent</p><p>any type of dash. Sometimes your computer will put the</p><p>two hyphens together for you. Mine doesn’t.</p><p>The en dash doesn’t have many purposes in writing. It is</p><p>used as the minus sign in math. In writing, it is gener-</p><p>ally used to indicate a range:</p><p>John Marks (1935–1990) wrote this poem.</p><p>verbs, 12–20 (index entry)</p><p>Spring is March–June every year.</p><p>Em Dash (—)</p><p>The em dash is longer than the en dash. On my Mac,</p><p>I press Shift+Option+hyphen simultaneously to cre-</p><p>ate it. It is the dash most often used in text. It is used</p><p>to indicate a distinct and abrupt break in thought. Yes,</p><p>sometimes you can use parentheses or commas (only</p><p>if the words do not make a complete sentence) instead.</p><p>We found the dog—he disappeared over a week ago—</p><p>all the way across town.</p><p>Notice that if you take the words inside the dashes</p><p>out, the sentence makes sense. You can check to make</p><p>sure your dashes are in the right place by taking out</p><p>the information between the dashes and reading the</p><p>sentence. It should make sense. If it doesn’t, check the</p><p>location of your dashes.</p><p>Dashes work well in the above sentence. However, you</p><p>could also use parentheses:</p><p>We found the dog (he disappeared over a week ago)</p><p>all the way across town. OR</p><p>We found the dog all the way across town. (He disap-</p><p>peared over a week ago.)</p><p>You cannot use commas to set off the above material in</p><p>dashes because it is a complete sentence. However, you</p><p>can change the wording:</p><p>We found the dog, which disappeared over a week</p><p>ago, all the way across town. (Yes, animals are which,</p><p>not who.)</p><p>✎ There are generally no spaces before or after hyphens</p><p>and dashes.</p><p>Practice 71—</p><p>Hyphens and Dashes</p><p>Add hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes where needed.</p><p>Some sentences may be correct as they are.</p><p>1. She was very well suited for her position as chief</p><p>nurse.</p><p>2. My cat he disappeared for eleven days had gone all</p><p>the way over to the next neighborhood.</p><p>3. Please read the information on pages 6 8. (Place</p><p>the correct mark between the numbers).</p><p>84 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>4. The two and a half year old boy was climbing the</p><p>tree.</p><p>5. Tom Bowers (1903 1969) lived in this house. (Place</p><p>the correct mark between the numbers).</p><p>6. I don’t know perhaps you do what time the wedding</p><p>begins.</p><p>7. I have seen a number of purple haired people in the</p><p>parade.</p><p>8. The girl is three years old.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>9.9. Italics</p><p>While italics are not actually punctuation, we can</p><p>include them here, since they do have rules for use.</p><p>(Italics are the slanted letters you can make on your</p><p>computer.) You cannot make italics in handwriting, so</p><p>don’t even try! If you are writing by hand, underlining</p><p>indicates italics. If using a computer, use italics. Do not</p><p>use both italics and underlining at the same time!</p><p>Words Used as Themselves</p><p>Italicize a word you use as itself, rather than as a gram-</p><p>matical part of a sentence:</p><p>You used the word blatant incorrectly in your essay.</p><p>What does defenestrate mean?</p><p>If you use a word as itself and make it plural, sources</p><p>disagree about whether or not you need an apostrophe.</p><p>However, the s is not in italics.</p><p>You have too many thes in your sentence. OR</p><p>You have too many the’s in your sentence.</p><p>Although I tend to dislike putting apostrophes in, I think</p><p>the second sentence is clearer. Up to you.</p><p>Letters and Numbers Used as Themselves</p><p>Italicize a letter or number you use as itself.</p><p>You left out the final e when you spelled this word.</p><p>You left out one of the 4s in the phone number.</p><p>You don’t really need an apostrophe when making</p><p>a number plural. The apostrophe can be used when</p><p>making letters plural if you think it improves clarity.</p><p>Sometimes, you do need to put an apostrophe:</p><p>I got all A’s. (not to be confused with the word as)</p><p>I grew up in the 1970s.</p><p>I know my ABCs.</p><p>✎ With capital letters, you can decide whether to itali-</p><p>cize. I like to, but if you don’t want to, just make sure</p><p>you are consistent.</p><p>Foreign Terms and Phrases</p><p>Uncommon foreign terms and phrases are generally</p><p>italicized, but commonly used ones are not. Once a</p><p>word or phrase becomes common in English, you don’t</p><p>need to italicize it. These are among the many foreign</p><p>words and phrases that do not require italics:</p><p>a la carte, alma mater, bona fide, chutzpah, en</p><p>route, et al., etc., non sequitur, per annum, per</p><p>diem, magnum opus, rendezvous, savoir faire,</p><p>status quo, summa cum laude, and vice versa</p><p>Consult a dictionary if you have questions.</p><p>Titles? Italics or Quotes?</p><p>A common use for italics is for titles. However, some</p><p>titles are quoted rather than italicized. So how do you</p><p>know which is which? Generally speaking, large things</p><p>are in italics, and parts of those things are in quotes:</p><p>Italics Quotes</p><p>Book title Short story, poem, or chapter title</p><p>Movie title Title of a scene</p><p>Play title Title of an act or scene</p><p>TV series title Title of an episode</p><p>Opera title Title of an aria</p><p>CD title Song title</p><p>Paintings</p><p>Planes, boats, spacecraft</p><p>if given names other than their brand or model</p><p>Punctuation 2 85</p><p>Other Uses for Quotes</p><p>Sometimes quotes are used in text for emphasis. This</p><p>is fine, but don’t get carried away and emphasize too</p><p>much. Using italics is better than boldface, quotes, or</p><p>all capital letters for emphasis.</p><p>Often a fiction or memoir writer will use italics to rep-</p><p>resent thoughts rather than dialogue or background text.</p><p>Practice 72—</p><p>Italics</p><p>Underline any words you would put in italics. Some</p><p>sentences may be correct as they are.</p><p>1. Please look up the word incoherent in the dictionary.</p><p>2. You have used I to begin your sentences too many times.</p><p>3. I would like my steak served a la carte.</p><p>4. He has a new boat, which he named Lucille.</p><p>5. I told you the suspect had blonde hair, not brown.</p><p>6. I flew on a Boeing 757 to Miami.</p><p>7. I just read a book called The Silent Spring.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Practice 73—</p><p>Italics Versus Quotation Marks</p><p>Please underline (italics) or use quotes, as appropriate.</p><p>1. Please turn to Chapter 2, The Order of Operations.</p><p>2. The Mona Lisa is my favorite painting.</p><p>3. I was excited to see the movie Star Wars for the</p><p>tenth time!</p><p>4. I always watch the television show From Now to Then,</p><p>and my favorite episode is called Going to the Future.</p><p>education, and intelligence. Dress for success.</p><p>Speak for success. Write for success.</p><p>My first book, The Best Little Grammar Book Ever: 101</p><p>Ways to Impress With Your Writing and Speaking, is</p><p>a small guide to avoiding the most common errors in</p><p>grammar and punctuation. It also includes an introduc-</p><p>tion to the basics of grammar and sentence structure.</p><p>Each chapter contains a quiz at the beginning. Also</p><p>included are lists of the most commonly misspelled</p><p>and mispronounced words, a writing lesson, a gram-</p><p>mar glossary, and a complete index.</p><p>My second book, Correct Me If I’m Wrong: Getting Your</p><p>Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage Right, is also</p><p>a small guide to avoiding common grammar, punctua-</p><p>tion, and word usage errors. It presents all the issues in</p><p>alphabetical order and includes more word usage and</p><p>comma rules than the first book. Omitted are the quiz-</p><p>zes and glossary.</p><p>I also have produced a small e-book, The Great Gram-</p><p>mar Cheat Sheet: 50 Grammar, Punctuation, Writing,</p><p>and Word Usage Tips You Can Use Now, for writers who</p><p>might be in a hurry—who want a no-frills explanation</p><p>and perhaps a shortcut to their questions.</p><p>I have wanted to write a workbook for some time, and</p><p>I am happy to present it to you now. I have included</p><p>all the information—and more—that is in both of my</p><p>previous books, updated and presented in easy-to-read</p><p>language, logical order, and friendly format, with plenty</p><p>of examples and exercises. There is a Pretest at the</p><p>beginning of the book and chapter tests at the conclu-</p><p>sion of each chapter. Inside each chapter are numerous</p><p>“practices,” or exercises, so you can practice the infor-</p><p>mation you are reading. To see what you have learned,</p><p>there is also a Final Test. Of course, all the answers are</p><p>included in the final appendix!</p><p>The most frequent comment I get about my books is</p><p>that in addition to providing helpful information, they</p><p>are friendly and easy to read. I hope you find that</p><p>describes this workbook as well.</p><p>The Best Grammar Workbook Ever contains everything</p><p>you need to become a better and more confident writer</p><p>and speaker. It concentrates on the most common</p><p>grammar issues and provides all the basic information</p><p>about grammar that you will need to understand the</p><p>more advanced topics.</p><p>Enjoy!</p><p>Arlene Miller, “The Grammar Diva”</p><p>How to Use This Book</p><p>This workbook begins with basic grammar and builds</p><p>up to more complex ideas and grammatical issues.</p><p>You will probably want to begin by taking the Pretest to</p><p>check your current knowledge level. Then, you might</p><p>want to begin at the beginning and work through the</p><p>book in order. However, you may find it more helpful to</p><p>skip to the areas with which you have the most trouble.</p><p>I will leave that up to you!</p><p>This book begins with a Pretest and ends with a Final</p><p>Test. Each chapter contains exercises, or “practices,”</p><p>and ends with a Chapter Test. All answers are in the</p><p>final appendix, before the index.</p><p>Please note that all conventions in this book reflect</p><p>American English, rather than British English. And</p><p>there are differences. For example, rules about quota-</p><p>tion marks with other punctuation are the opposite in</p><p>American versus British English style.</p><p>Here is a more specific overview of the contents.</p><p>Chapter 1 begins with the parts of speech, the building</p><p>blocks of writing, breaking grammar down into single</p><p>words and their uses in sentences.</p><p>Chapter 2 talks about the elements of a sentence and</p><p>the basic types of sentences.</p><p>Chapter 3 introduces phrases: small groups of words</p><p>that make your sentences more interesting and varied.</p><p>Chapter 4 continues with longer groups of words, clauses.</p><p>Chapter 5 discusses complete sentences (and what are</p><p>not sentences) as well as a variety of different sentence</p><p>patterns using the phrases and clauses you learned</p><p>about in Chapters 3 and 4.</p><p>Chapter 6 begins talking about some common problems</p><p>with grammar, concentrating on pronoun problems.</p><p>Chapter 7 reviews verbs and some of the specific issues</p><p>connected with verbs.</p><p>Chapter 8 is devoted to commas. There are so many</p><p>comma rules that commas deserve a chapter of their</p><p>own!</p><p>Chapter 9 talks about the other punctuation marks.</p><p>Chapter 10 reviews capitalization conventions.</p><p>Chapter 11 discusses some really important grammar</p><p>issues including agreement, parallel structure, compar-</p><p>ison, possessives, using numbers, and plurals.</p><p>Chapter 12 contains a Dictionary of Usage, explaining</p><p>the word pairs and groups that often get confused: lay</p><p>and lie, capital and capitol, imply and infer, and many,</p><p>many others.</p><p>Throughout each chapter, there are a number of prac-</p><p>tice exercises; there is a chapter test at the end of each</p><p>chapter. Then there is a final test. All answers are in</p><p>Appendix G.</p><p>Appendix A includes a list of common redundancies</p><p>that we often use in our writing and speaking.</p><p>Appendix B contains a list of commonly misspelled</p><p>words.</p><p>Appendix C contains a list of commonly mispro-</p><p>nounced words.</p><p>Appendix D contains a list of common prefixes, suffixes,</p><p>and word roots to help improve vocabulary and help</p><p>you figure out the meaning of a word by looking at parts</p><p>you might recognize.</p><p>Appendix E contains writing tips.</p><p>Appendix F is a glossary of grammar terms.</p><p>Appendix G includes all the practice and test answers.</p><p>There is a complete index at the end of the workbook.</p><p>If you have any comments on this book, or if you have</p><p>a question about something that is not included here</p><p>4 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>(and you think it should be), please contact me. I can be</p><p>reached at info@bigwords101.com.</p><p>Visit my website at www.bigwords101.com and sub-</p><p>scribe to my weekly blog post!</p><p>Conventions Used in This Book</p><p>1. I have tried to make the format as simple as pos-</p><p>sible. I have used a different typeface for exam-</p><p>ples, and bold italics for words that are used as</p><p>themselves.</p><p>2. ✎ indicates a special note you should read.</p><p>3. I have used a conversational tone in this book to</p><p>make it easy to read. In some cases you might</p><p>notice I have done something I have told you to</p><p>avoid—using a sentence fragment or beginning a</p><p>sentence with a conjunction—in order to keep a</p><p>casual tone and get my point across. I would not</p><p>do these things in more formal writing.</p><p>http://www.bigwords101.com</p><p>Pretest</p><p>Answer these questions before you go through the book to see what you know.</p><p>1. Which of these is not considered a part of speech?</p><p>a. adjective b. subject c. preposition d. noun</p><p>2. Which of these is a conjunction?</p><p>a. is b. anyone c. and d. of</p><p>3. Which of these is a verb?</p><p>a. it b. in c. is d. if</p><p>4. Which of these is an interjection?</p><p>a. ouch b. whom c. it d. because</p><p>5. Every sentence needs a subject and a(n) _________</p><p>a. object b. noun c. verb d. period</p><p>6. I gave my brother a hug. The subject of this sentence is</p><p>a. I b. gave c. brother d. hug</p><p>7. Simple predicate is the same as</p><p>a. subject b. verb c. phrase d. clause</p><p>8. Which of the following is a proper noun?</p><p>a. he b. Jack c. I d. school</p><p>9. Give the book to Steve. The direct object of this sentence is</p><p>a. Steve b. book c. give d. there is none</p><p>10. Give the book to Steve. What type of sentence is this?</p><p>a. interrogative b. declarative c. exclamatory d. imperative</p><p>11. Which of these is a prepositional phrase?</p><p>a. into the house b. Wow! c. locking the door d. He went</p><p>12. Which of these phrases contains a participle?</p><p>a. to be a farmer b. singing loudly c. up the stairs d. a dark-haired boy</p><p>13. Which sentence has a participle that makes sense?</p><p>a. Driving down the road, my car broke down.</p><p>b. Reading a book by the window, my cat fell asleep.</p><p>c. He read from his book wearing glasses.</p><p>d. Running down the street, the dog wouldn’t come back.</p><p>14. Which one contains an infinitive?</p><p>a. to go to the store b. running down the street c. my neighbor d. to the bank</p><p>6 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>15. A clause is a group of words with</p><p>a. a phrase b. two verbs c. a sentence d. a subject and a verb</p><p>16.</p><p>5. I thought it was weird that he called his new airplane</p><p>Honey.</p><p>6. Gone with the Wind is a great book.</p><p>7. I just sent for tickets to the play The Book of Mormon.</p><p>8. There was an article in The New York Times called</p><p>Children and Technology.</p><p>9. I subscribe to Time magazine.</p><p>10. Hey! That boat is named Sue, just like you!</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>9.10. Quotation Marks (“”)</p><p>Quotation marks are most commonly used to enclose</p><p>direct quotations, the exact words said by someone.</p><p>They are not used for indirect quotes.</p><p>Direct quote: Mary said, “It’s really cold outside.”</p><p>Indirect quote: Mary said that it is really cold outside.</p><p>(Indirect quotes often have the word that in</p><p>them.)</p><p>Here are some examples of using quotations marks</p><p>correctly.</p><p>Mary said, “It is really cold outside.”</p><p>“It is really cold outside,” Mary said.</p><p>“It is really cold outside,” said Mary, “but I need to</p><p>go out.”</p><p>A quotation, of course, can be more than one sentence</p><p>long. If it is, do not put quotes around every sentence.</p><p>Just put quotes at the beginning of the quote and again</p><p>at the end. If a single quote by one person goes on for</p><p>more than one paragraph, put quotes at the beginning of</p><p>the quote and at the beginning of each paragraph, but at</p><p>the end of only the last paragraph (the end of the quote).</p><p>Dialogue</p><p>If you are writing dialogue, you need to begin a new</p><p>paragraph every time a different person speaks.</p><p>“I am going to the movies. Do you want to come</p><p>along?” Mary asked Joe.</p><p>Joe replied, “I don’t think so. I have so much to do.”</p><p>“Suit yourself,” said Mary, “but you are going to miss a</p><p>good one.”</p><p>Other Uses for Quotation Marks</p><p>There are several other rules for using quotes. We</p><p>already talked about using quotation marks for titles</p><p>in Section9.9.</p><p>1. Quote a word or phrase that comes directly from</p><p>another person or source.</p><p>She said that she had a “secret magical plan” for</p><p>accomplishing her goal.</p><p>86 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>2. You do not need to quote Yes and No.</p><p>When I ask the questions, please just answer yes or</p><p>no.</p><p>3. You do not need to quote well-known sayings, prov-</p><p>erbs, or colloquial expressions.</p><p>It is raining cats and dogs.</p><p>You know that the early bird catches the worm!</p><p>4. Put quotation marks around slang expressions, or</p><p>words and phrases that are intentionally misspelled or</p><p>grammatically incorrect.</p><p>She replied that she had gotten the book at the</p><p>“liberry.”</p><p>5. Put quotation marks around a word or phrase that</p><p>has an unusual or “abnormal” place in a sentence.</p><p>I admire his “stick-to-it” attitude.</p><p>6. In Section 9.9, we talked about putting words used as</p><p>words and foreign words in italics. If you define a word,</p><p>put the definition in quotes.</p><p>The word defenestrate means “to throw out of a</p><p>window.”</p><p>7. If you use business or other jargon, put the word in</p><p>quotation marks the first time you use it.</p><p>We were unable to get the computer “booted up”</p><p>with the new operating system.</p><p>8. Use quotation marks after such verbs as marked and</p><p>labeled.</p><p>The package was labeled “personal and confidential.”</p><p>Quotation Marks with Other Punctuation</p><p>Quotation marks are often used in combination with</p><p>other punctuation: commas, periods, question marks,</p><p>exclamation points, and possibly semicolons and colons.</p><p>There are specific ways to use quotation marks with</p><p>other punctuation. I am giving you the American way</p><p>to do things. The British style is often different and</p><p>sometimes opposite of the American style.</p><p>Periods and commas always go inside the quotation</p><p>marks.</p><p>“I said I didn’t do it,” said Jack.</p><p>Jack said, “I didn’t do it.”</p><p>I read the short story, “Jack and Jill.”</p><p>Colons and semicolons always go outside the quota-</p><p>tion marks.</p><p>She said, “I have had enough”; then she left the room.</p><p>Bring the following items “just in case”: toothbrush,</p><p>extra clothes, and a towel.</p><p>Question marks and exclamation points can go</p><p>either inside or outside quotation marks, depending</p><p>on the sentence.</p><p>He asked, “Are we there yet?” (Inside: quote is a</p><p>question.)</p><p>Did he say, “I hope we get there soon”? (Outside:</p><p>quote is not a question, but the whole sentence is.</p><p>Quote does not get a period.)</p><p>Did he ask, “Are we there yet?” (Inside: both quote</p><p>and sentence are questions.)</p><p>Exclamation points are treated exactly the same way.</p><p>Single Quotation Marks</p><p>Single quotation marks are used if you need quotes</p><p>inside of quotes. That is their only use, so do not use</p><p>single quotes for emphasis or for any of the reasons you</p><p>might use double quotes.</p><p>He said, “I just finished listening to ‘Take Five.’ I love</p><p>that song.”</p><p>She said, “I really love the song ‘Take Five.’” (Three</p><p>quotes in a row? Yes. The first is the ending quote</p><p>for the song. The other two are for the end of the</p><p>quote.)</p><p>Practice 74—</p><p>Quotation Marks</p><p>Put quotation marks in the following sentences where</p><p>necessary. You may need to add other punctuation with</p><p>the quotation marks. Some of the sentences may be</p><p>correct as is.</p><p>1. Judy said I think it is going to rain today.</p><p>2. Judy said that it will probably rain today.</p><p>Punctuation 2 87</p><p>3. Please just answer yes or no!</p><p>4. I hired her because of her I can do anything attitude.</p><p>5. It’s raining cats and dogs this morning.</p><p>6. Yesterday is one of my favorite Beatles songs she said</p><p>7. I am running late she said, and I will probably miss</p><p>the beginning of the movie.</p><p>8. She asked me if I would like to see her new digs,</p><p>which she just painted and carpeted.</p><p>9. The box was marked fragile, so I put it in the closet</p><p>right away.</p><p>10. Please do some backwards planning before you</p><p>complete these lesson plans.</p><p>11. In his speech the valedictorian began with the fol-</p><p>lowing words: This is a day all you graduates will</p><p>remember. Wherever life takes us, we will remem-</p><p>ber the friends we made in this place.</p><p>12. I don’t think we can solve this problem he said I</p><p>think we will need to hire outside help.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>9.11. Ellipses ( . . . )</p><p>Personally, I don’t like ellipses—probably because I</p><p>never learned how to use them correctly. However,</p><p>fiction writers like to use them—and they do come in</p><p>handy. They are used to indicate an omission in a quote</p><p>or a trailing off at the end of a sentence.</p><p>An ellipsis consists of three periods with spaces between</p><p>each. If the omission occurs at the end of the sentence,</p><p>add the fourth period for the end of the sentence (or</p><p>another suitable end mark, such as a question mark).</p><p>If you are indicating trailing off at the end of the sen-</p><p>tence, use the three periods only.</p><p>“I think there are many reasons for this situation . . .</p><p>and the final reason is the most important.”</p><p>“. . . and it seems that the most important reason is</p><p>lack of action.”</p><p>She thought and thought about the mess she had</p><p>gotten herself into, sinking into deeper and deeper</p><p>despair . . .</p><p>88 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Chapter 9 Test</p><p>Punctuation</p><p>Punctuate the following sentences correctly. You can</p><p>use all the punctuation marks: periods, commas, semi-</p><p>colons, colons, parentheses, brackets, hyphens, dashes,</p><p>quotation marks, ellipses, question marks, underlining</p><p>(italics), and exclamation marks. There will sometimes</p><p>be options as to what punctuation you can use. Do your</p><p>best. Some sentences may be correct as they are.</p><p>1. I finished the project should I send it to you?</p><p>2. My coworker and her friends are coming to visit.</p><p>3. He said I heard the song Forget You.</p><p>4. Life of Pi didn’t win the Oscar.</p><p>5. Bob was usually a quiet man however he screamed</p><p>upon entering the room.</p><p>6. To whom it may concern</p><p>7. I love the television show Detectives of New York</p><p>and my favorite episode is called The Man in the</p><p>Tan Shirt.</p><p>8. It is a cold rainy day.</p><p>9. This book which was written by William Golding is</p><p>my favorite.</p><p>10. The cookies that are on top of the table are for you</p><p>and your friends.</p><p>11. I decided not to attend the meeting and went to the</p><p>movies instead.</p><p>12. don’t know if I will ever get over this she said as her</p><p>voice trailed off.</p><p>13. I packed these three items for</p><p>my hike water a jacket</p><p>and a knife.</p><p>14. I was born on August 10 1980 in Lincoln Nebraska.</p><p>15. The only four items on the agenda are budgets vaca-</p><p>tions report formats and marketing.</p><p>16. I did not do very well on the test however so I failed</p><p>the course.</p><p>17. The word collaborate means to work together.</p><p>18. He was very self confident when he went on</p><p>interviews.</p><p>19. My neighbor he was gone for five months sailed</p><p>around the world.</p><p>20. Please read the information on pages 60 85. (Place</p><p>the correct mark between the numbers.)</p><p>21. My six and a half year old cousin looks like my sister.</p><p>22. Jean Smith MD has just started to work here.</p><p>23. I think you should pack these clothes for the trip a</p><p>suit shoes black brown and white socks and three</p><p>shirts.</p><p>24. Yes Elaine the party is at my house.</p><p>25. My address is 6800 Park St Albany New York 01987</p><p>please send my mail there not to my old address.</p><p>26. Although this food tastes terrible I will eat it anyway.</p><p>27. I failed the test because I didn’t study.</p><p>28. I am running late she said, and I will probably miss</p><p>the beginning of the movie</p><p>29. I love his can’t fail attitude.</p><p>30. I can’t believe since I didn’t do anything wrong that</p><p>I got fired.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Chapter 10</p><p>Capitalization</p><p>10.1. Introduction</p><p>Capitalization can be tricky. While the basic rules are</p><p>easy, you will always find something that makes you</p><p>stop and wonder. If you have a question about whether</p><p>or not a word or phrase should be capitalized, consult</p><p>a comprehensive style guide or dictionary. If there is</p><p>disagreement, be consistent in your capitalization if the</p><p>word(s) is used in the same context, whether or not you</p><p>decide to capitalize.</p><p>In this chapter we will go over some primary capitaliza-</p><p>tion conventions, but mainly some of the more confus-</p><p>ing aspects of capitalization.</p><p>10.2. The Basic Rules</p><p>Here are some easy ones:</p><p>1. Capitalize the first word of a sentence.</p><p>Always be consistent in your capitalization.</p><p>Also capitalize phrases or clauses that are used as com-</p><p>plete sentences:</p><p>Enough said.</p><p>Also capitalize an independent question within a</p><p>sentence:</p><p>The question is Did you or did you not steal the car?</p><p>2. Always capitalize the pronoun I, as well as I’ve and</p><p>I’m and I’d.</p><p>3. Capitalize proper nouns and proper adjectives. A</p><p>common noun is a person, place, thing, or idea.</p><p>Aproper noun is a specific person, place, thing, or</p><p>idea.</p><p>Common Noun Proper Noun</p><p>boy Michael</p><p>school Wilson High School</p><p>soup Campbell’s soup</p><p>(Soup isn’t really part of the name.)</p><p>computer Apple computer</p><p>(Computer isn’t part of the name,</p><p>unless you are talking about the company.)</p><p>theory Theory of Relativity</p><p>newspaper The New York Times</p><p>(The is actually part of the name, so it would</p><p>be capitalized. This is not always the case.)</p><p>magazine Seventeen magazine</p><p>(In this case, magazine is not actually</p><p>part of the name of the magazine.</p><p>Therefore, it is not capitalized or italicized.</p><p>The next several rules are more specific rules about</p><p>proper nouns.</p><p>4. Capitalize cities, states, countries, continents, oceans,</p><p>islands, streets, mountains, forests, and regions of</p><p>the country</p><p>Examples: Boston, Massachusetts, France, Asia,</p><p>Pacific Ocean, Bahamas, Jones Street,</p><p>Rocky Mountains, Sherwood Forest,</p><p>New England, the Midwest</p><p>5. Capitalize the names of clubs, teams, and govern-</p><p>ment bodies.</p><p>Examples: Boy Scouts, New York Mets, House of</p><p>Representatives</p><p>90 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>6. Capitalize holidays, events, and historical periods.</p><p>Examples: Thanksgiving, Sonoma County Fair,</p><p>Bronze Age, Civil War</p><p>7. Capitalize the names of nationalities, races, and</p><p>peoples.</p><p>Examples: Japanese, Native American, Aztecs</p><p>8. Capitalize businesses and brand names</p><p>Examples: First Union Bank, Kleenex tissues</p><p>9. Capitalize the names of ships, trains, spacecraft, and</p><p>aircraft.</p><p>Examples: Mayflower, Gemini V, Spirit of St. Louis</p><p>10. Capitalize the names of buildings and other</p><p>structures.</p><p>Examples: Empire State Building, Hoover Dam</p><p>11. Capitalize the names of awards, monuments, and</p><p>memorials.</p><p>Examples: Nobel Peace Prize, Washington Monu-</p><p>ment, Lincoln Memorial.</p><p>12. Capitalize religions, holy books, and some deities.</p><p>Examples: Buddhism, the Bible, Allah, God</p><p>(Note that the word god is not capi-</p><p>talized when it refers to a mythologi-</p><p>cal god.)</p><p>13. Capitalize planets, stars, constellations, and other</p><p>heavenly bodies</p><p>Examples: Jupiter, the Milky Way, Orion’s Belt</p><p>(Note that sun, moon, and, often,</p><p>earth are not capitalized.)</p><p>14. Capitalize a person’s title if it comes before the name.</p><p>Examples: Mr. Jones, Dr. Abbott, Mayor Flynn, Presi-</p><p>dent Seymour.</p><p>15. Capitalize a word that shows a family relationship if</p><p>it comes before the name or is used in place of the</p><p>name.</p><p>Examples: Aunt Joan (but Joan, my aunt), Mom</p><p>(but my mom), Grandma Wallis (but my</p><p>grandma).</p><p>Practice 75—</p><p>Basic Capitalization Rules</p><p>Some of the words in these sentences should be capi-</p><p>talized and are not. Others are capitalized and should</p><p>not be. Circle any word that is incorrectly capitalized</p><p>or incorrectly not capitalized. Some sentences may be</p><p>correct as they are.</p><p>1. i love the Spring because the weather begins to get</p><p>warm.</p><p>2. The fourth of July is my favorite holiday.</p><p>3. i’m going to visit aunt Joyce in Florida over winter</p><p>break.</p><p>4. I think Mayor Jost will win the Election again.</p><p>5. I think there will be a full Moon tonight.</p><p>6. The Celtics Basketball Team won the championship</p><p>that year.</p><p>7. In history class, we are learning about the Greek</p><p>Gods.</p><p>8. Mike Scott is the new mayor of our city.</p><p>9. The President of the United States is about to make</p><p>a speech.</p><p>10. we traveled over the Rocky mountains on our vaca-</p><p>tion, and we stayed in a really nice Hotel.</p><p>11. The question is what time should we leave?</p><p>12. until we meet again.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>10.3. More Capitalization Rules</p><p>Here are some less obvious, but very important, capi-</p><p>talization rules:</p><p>Titles</p><p>There are several styles in capitalizing titles (book titles,</p><p>movie titles, chapter titles, headlines, etc.):</p><p>Capitalize the first word only.</p><p>Capitalize the first letter of every word.</p><p>Capitalize every letter.</p><p>The most common, and traditional style, however, is as</p><p>follows:</p><p>Capitalization 2 91</p><p>Capitalize the first letter of all words with these three</p><p>exceptions:</p><p>• Articles (a, an, the) unless the article is the first</p><p>or last word of the title. First and last words are</p><p>always capitalized.</p><p>• Coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or,</p><p>yet, and so—be careful because sometimes yet</p><p>and so can be used as adverbs).</p><p>• Prepositions of four letters or fewer (such as in,</p><p>out, by, with, for, as, to)</p><p>✎ Make sure you always capitalize the words is, am,</p><p>are, was, and other forms of the to be verb. They</p><p>are short, but they are verbs, and verbs are always</p><p>capitalized in titles.</p><p>Directions</p><p>Do not capitalize north, south, east, and west when they</p><p>are directions. However, do capitalize them when they</p><p>refer to a geographic area.</p><p>Head south down Broadway.</p><p>The population in the South is growing.</p><p>He comes from southern California.</p><p>He is from the Midwest.</p><p>Letter/Email Salutations and Closings</p><p>The first words of both the greetings and closings of</p><p>letters/memos/emails are capitalized. Many times, all</p><p>the words in a greeting are capitalized because they are</p><p>titles or names.</p><p>Dear Mayor:</p><p>Dear Sir:</p><p>Dear Mr. Smith</p><p>To whom it may concern:</p><p>Sincerely yours,</p><p>Yours truly,</p><p>13. Thank you is not really an appropriate closing to a let-</p><p>ter. If you say thank you, make it a sentence and put a</p><p>period after it. Then, put a more appropriate closing.</p><p>Also, avoid the sentence Thank you in advance.</p><p>Earth</p><p>Many people feel that earth should always be capital-</p><p>ized (except when it refers to dirt), but this is not the</p><p>case. Earth is capitalized when it is used in a sentence</p><p>with other heavenly bodies that are capitalized.</p><p>Jupiter and Saturn are larger than Earth.</p><p>Otherwise, you can use lowercase for</p><p>earth. Alterna-</p><p>tively, you can choose to capitalize Earth when it is not</p><p>preceded by the article the.</p><p>Life on Earth is relatively new in the scheme of the</p><p>cosmos.</p><p>We need to save the resources of the earth for future</p><p>generations.</p><p>Seasons</p><p>The seasons are not capitalized. The months, days of the</p><p>week, and holidays are, but the seasons are not unless</p><p>they are part of a title.</p><p>I would say that summer is my favorite season.</p><p>Are you going to the Snowflake Winter Festival next</p><p>weekend?</p><p>Some “Common” Proper Nouns</p><p>A few words have become so common that they are no</p><p>longer capitalized:</p><p>french fries</p><p>roman numerals</p><p>✎ It is best to consult a dictionary to see if other words</p><p>such as these are capitalized.</p><p>President of the United States and Other Titles</p><p>Titles are capitalized when they precede, and are thus</p><p>part of, a name. Otherwise, they are generally lowercase.</p><p>Listen carefully when Mayor Jones is speaking.</p><p>The mayor is speaking.</p><p>92 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>An exception is President, but only when it refers to the</p><p>President of the United States.</p><p>The company president is resigning.</p><p>The speech was made by President Jones of ABC</p><p>Company.</p><p>You should vote to reelect President Jones.</p><p>The President will be going by as the parade passes</p><p>the White House.</p><p>Departments</p><p>Company departments are generally not capitalized</p><p>unless they refer to the writer’s own company.</p><p>I spoke to the credit department about my bill.</p><p>The Advertising Department is meeting in five</p><p>minutes.</p><p>School Courses</p><p>The names of languages are always capitalized in course</p><p>titles. Otherwise, general course topics are not capital-</p><p>ized, but the names of specific courses are capitalized.</p><p>I am taking French, math, World History II, art, and</p><p>science this semester.</p><p>Decades</p><p>Do not capitalize the names of decades and centuries</p><p>unless they are special expressions.</p><p>the twenties</p><p>the twenty-first century</p><p>the Roaring Twenties</p><p>Dog Breeds/Names</p><p>Dog breeds are generally not capitalized unless there</p><p>is a proper noun or adjective in the name. That word is</p><p>then capitalized.</p><p>German shepherd</p><p>Boston terrier</p><p>poodle</p><p>Words That Come Before Numbers</p><p>Do not capitalize line, paragraph, page, note, step, and</p><p>size before a number. Do capitalize chapter, figure, room,</p><p>and most other words that precede numbers.</p><p>Refer to line 5.</p><p>See Chapter 7.</p><p>Go to page 550.</p><p>I am in Room 110.</p><p>This dress is a size 8.</p><p>Go back to step 10.</p><p>Hyphenated Words</p><p>If a capitalized word happens to be hyphenated, the sec-</p><p>ond part of the word is not usually capitalized:</p><p>I live on Thirty-fourth Street.</p><p>In a hyphenated word, capitalize only the part of the</p><p>word that is a proper noun or adjective:</p><p>He is a Spanish-speaking student.</p><p>I am going to a mid-December party.</p><p>Practice 76—</p><p>More Capitalization</p><p>Some of the words in these sentences should be capi-</p><p>talized and are not. Others are capitalized and should</p><p>not be. Circle any word that is incorrectly capitalized</p><p>or incorrectly not capitalized. Some sentences may be</p><p>correct as they are.</p><p>1. I like my French fries with ketchup, and my french</p><p>toast with butter only.</p><p>2. I did my report on the differences between Mars and</p><p>Earth.</p><p>3. (letter salutation) Dear sirs:</p><p>(letter closing) Yours truly,</p><p>4. We are voting for class President today.</p><p>5. Please turn to chapter 6, page 111.</p><p>6. I just found out I need to take an Algebra class to</p><p>graduate on time.</p><p>7. We need to stop the destruction of earth by control-</p><p>ling climate change.</p><p>Capitalization 2 93</p><p>8. Sometimes I wish I lived back in the Thirties because</p><p>I love the fashion!</p><p>9. I heard that algebra II is a very difficult class.</p><p>10. My friend just wrote a book called The Color Of My</p><p>Dress is Blue.</p><p>11. Head East on North Street.</p><p>12. I just adopted an Alaskan Malamute from the local</p><p>shelter.</p><p>13. The meeting is in room 715.</p><p>14. I am trying to make some irish stew for dinner</p><p>tomorrow night.</p><p>15. I can tell from her accent that she is from the south.</p><p>16. Back to the future is one of my favorite movies.</p><p>17. I was so young I barely remember president Carter.</p><p>18. She moved to 445 West thirty-third Street.</p><p>19. She is from Mid-Texas.</p><p>20. I read A Tale of two Cities last week.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>94 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Chapter 10 Test</p><p>Capitalization</p><p>Most of these sentences have capitalization errors:</p><p>words that should be capitalized and are not and words</p><p>that are capitalized that shouldn’t be. Circle all the capi-</p><p>talization errors in each sentence. Some sentences may</p><p>be correct as they are.</p><p>1. My brothers both joined the United States army</p><p>when they graduated from high school.</p><p>2. I like to read The New York times every day.</p><p>3. I don’t really like Winter, but I enjoy going to the</p><p>Winter Festival in our town.</p><p>4. The answers to the questions in chapter 8 are on</p><p>page 122.</p><p>5. On St. Patrick’s day, my Mom and my cousin Frankie</p><p>go to the Parade.</p><p>6. I wrote to the complaint department at ABX Com-</p><p>pany to discuss my computer.</p><p>7. I am really excited about going to the middle east</p><p>next month with mom and dad.</p><p>8. I spoke to both a senator and mayor Blue last night.</p><p>9. I can see both Mars and the Moon tonight.</p><p>10. Polytheism refers to the belief in many gods rather</p><p>than just one.</p><p>11. I signed the letter with “Sincerely Yours.”</p><p>12. better luck next time!</p><p>13. I learned the roman numerals at Burke Elementary</p><p>school, but i don’t remember them any longer.</p><p>14. The question I always ask myself is Did I leave a big</p><p>enough tip?</p><p>15. My new courses include Introduction to Music,</p><p>Advanced Calculus, and a Sociology course.</p><p>16. Please save the earth by taking care of it!</p><p>17. Guess who’s Coming to Dinner was a very popular</p><p>movie decades ago.</p><p>18. Love is all You Need was written by the beatles, a</p><p>very popular singing group in the Sixties.</p><p>19. You should head North to get home.</p><p>20. There were poodles, collies, Dalmations, and an</p><p>Irish Setter at the Animal Shelter today.</p><p>21. She is from an Italian-Speaking family, although she</p><p>speaks english very well.</p><p>22. My address is 4457 Twenty-Third Street, Portland,</p><p>Oregon.</p><p>23. I was a member of the Girl scouts when I was a child,</p><p>and I also took Piano Lessons from John Smith, ph.d.</p><p>24. I was amazed at the beauty of the Golden Gate</p><p>bridge when I visited California to see my cousin</p><p>Sue.</p><p>25. I work in the Human Resources Department, and</p><p>my job consists of interviewing recent College grad-</p><p>uates for Sales jobs.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Chapter 11</p><p>Some Really Important Grammar Issues</p><p>11.1. Introduction</p><p>This is really the most important chapter in this book</p><p>because it most affects the way you write and speak.</p><p>However, you need to go through the rest of the book</p><p>to gain the background for understanding the issues</p><p>in this chapter. Some of the issues have been touched</p><p>upon in other chapters; others are new here.</p><p>11.2. Run-on Sentences</p><p>(and Fragments)</p><p>One of the most important things to do when you are</p><p>writing is to avoid run-on sentences. Another is to</p><p>avoid writing sentence fragments, although there is a</p><p>time and place for them (but not in formal writing).</p><p>Run-on Sentences</p><p>A run-on sentence can be any length. Some people</p><p>think a run-on sentence is just a really long sentence,</p><p>but a sentence can be a mile long and still be a perfectly</p><p>legitimate sentence, although perhaps not a very well-</p><p>written one.</p><p>1. After I got up this morning, I went out for a run, and</p><p>then I came back and took the dog for a walk, and</p><p>then I ate breakfast and got dressed because I had</p><p>to go to work.</p><p>2. I read, my sister sewed.</p><p>Sentence 1 is not a run on, although it is very long and</p><p>not well written.</p><p>Sentence 2 is a run on.</p><p>A run on is a sentence that is actually two or more sen-</p><p>tences that are strung together and not separated prop-</p><p>erly. Look at sentence 2 above. It contains two complete</p><p>sentences separated by a comma. YOU CANNOT</p><p>SEPARATE TWO COMPLETE SENTENCES</p><p>WITH JUST A COMMA. Yes, I am yelling to make</p><p>my point here.</p><p>Here are some correct ways to separate</p><p>sentences:</p><p>• You can put a period to separate them instead of the</p><p>comma, and then start the second one with a capital</p><p>letter. (I read. My sister sewed.)</p><p>• You can use the comma, but add a conjunction. (I</p><p>read, and my sister sewed.)</p><p>• You can use a semicolon if the sentences are closely</p><p>related. Do not use a capital letter after a semicolon.</p><p>(I read; my sister sewed.)</p><p>• You can use a colon if the second sentence is a result</p><p>of the first sentence or explains the first sentence. (I</p><p>read to my sister: she does not know how to read</p><p>yet.) Any of the other three ways to fix this sentence</p><p>would work just as well as using the colon, which</p><p>isn’t used too often to connect sentences.</p><p>There is never a right time to use a run-on sentence.</p><p>Fragments</p><p>Sentence fragments are words that are put together</p><p>and followed by a period, but that are not complete</p><p>thoughts. Sometimes writers use fragments for effect,</p><p>and that is okay, as long as they are aware that they are</p><p>fragments. If you are trying to pass something off as a</p><p>sentence, but it is a fragment, that is a problem. Usually</p><p>the fragments that a writer thinks might be a real sen-</p><p>tence are dependent adverb clauses—the clauses that</p><p>begin with although, since, whenever, wherever, until,</p><p>and especially because.</p><p>Because I just met you yesterday is not a sentence.</p><p>You need to add a whole independent clause to it</p><p>to make it a sentence. This sentence is fine:</p><p>96 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Because I just met you yesterday, I cannot go in the</p><p>car with you.</p><p>I wouldn’t recommend using fragments in cover letters</p><p>or college essays. However, there is a time and a place</p><p>for a well-written fragment for effect. Many authors,</p><p>including me, use them in our books. Enough said.</p><p>(Fragment!)</p><p>Here is a sample paragraph from a short story that uses</p><p>two fragments for effect:</p><p>She was tall. Very tall. She made her way over to</p><p>the buffet line, and he couldn’t help staring at her.</p><p>He wanted to follow her and to say something witty.</p><p>Something to catch her attention.</p><p>Practice 77—</p><p>Run Ons and Fragments</p><p>Identify each group of words as either a proper sen-</p><p>tence, a fragment, or a run on. Fragments and run ons</p><p>can be fixed in a number of ways. Try to fix the frag-</p><p>ments and run ons.</p><p>1. I am getting ready to give a party on Friday night.</p><p>2. Since everyone will be bringing a snack to share.</p><p>3. I am providing drinks and some great desserts.</p><p>4. Many of my friends are coming, some of my neigh-</p><p>bors are too.</p><p>5. Maybe having a costume party.</p><p>6. I am baking my specialty: chocolate chip apple pie.</p><p>7. Apples, cinnamon, chocolate chips, butter, all mixed</p><p>together.</p><p>8. Are you coming, I sent you an invitation and didn’t</p><p>hear back from you.</p><p>9. It is going to be a fun time.</p><p>10. Come.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>11.3. Agreement</p><p>Agreement means that verbs agree in number with their</p><p>subjects, and pronouns agree in number and gender</p><p>with their antecedents. Huh? Okay. Let’s simplify that.</p><p>If your subject is singular, the verb that goes with that</p><p>subject must also be singular. If the subject is plural, its</p><p>verb must be plural. Yes, there are singular and plural</p><p>verb forms (generally the distinction is mostly in pres-</p><p>ent tense): Take the verb run. You would say she runs.</p><p>But you would say they run. Runs, then, is the singular</p><p>form of the verb, since it sounds right with he, a singular</p><p>pronoun. We don’t say he run; we say they run, because</p><p>run is the plural form of the verb. It is the opposite of</p><p>nouns. The noun with the -s at the end is the plural one</p><p>(usually), but the plural verb form is generally the one</p><p>without the -s.</p><p>The purpose of a pronoun is to take the place of a noun</p><p>or another pronoun. The antecedent is the word that</p><p>the pronoun is taking the place of. The pronoun must</p><p>agree in both number (singular or plural) and gender</p><p>(male or female) with its antecedent:</p><p>Judy brought her suitcase. Judy is singular and</p><p>female, so we use her to replace it; we don’t use</p><p>him (male) or they (plural).</p><p>Usually agreement is pretty simple, and we do it right</p><p>just because it “sounds right” that way. And while that</p><p>is true, there are some issues that make it more com-</p><p>plicated than it seems. We will discuss those in the fol-</p><p>lowing sections.</p><p>Interrupting Words and Phrases with Subject/</p><p>Verb Agreement</p><p>Sue goes to college. (Goes is singular and agrees</p><p>with Sue.)</p><p>Sue, along with her brother and her cousins, goes to</p><p>college. (still singular)</p><p>Sue, accompanied by her brother, goes to dance les-</p><p>sons. (still singular)</p><p>Phrases such as along with, together with, as well as, in</p><p>addition to, accompanied by, including, except, and and</p><p>not do not make a singular subject plural.</p><p>If you have a positive subject and then a negative sub-</p><p>ject, the verb agrees with the positive subject:</p><p>Sue, but not her brothers, is going to college. (still</p><p>singular)</p><p>Important Grammar Issues 2 97</p><p>Prepositional and other phrases inserted between sub-</p><p>ject and verb also do not change the number of the</p><p>subject:</p><p>The photographer for the three weddings has not</p><p>been selected. (singular)</p><p>The painting that we ordered when we ordered the six</p><p>frames has not arrived yet. (still singular)</p><p>Practice 78—</p><p>Agreement</p><p>Choose the verb that agrees with the subject.</p><p>1. Mary, along with her three brothers, (is, are) going</p><p>to college in New England.</p><p>2. They (walk, walks) three miles every morning.</p><p>3. The dresses for the wedding party (has, have) not yet</p><p>been chosen.</p><p>4. The pizza, in addition to the salad and desserts, (is,</p><p>are) dinner for tonight.</p><p>5. The dog that I adopted when I still had the other two</p><p>dogs (live, lives) in the garage at night.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Using and, or, neither, either Between Subjects</p><p>Two (or more) subjects joined by and will always be plu-</p><p>ral, even if each one is singular on its own, because we</p><p>are adding them together:</p><p>Jack and Jill are going up the hill. (plural)</p><p>The boy and the girl are going up the hill. (plural)</p><p>Both the boy and the girls are going up the hill.</p><p>(plural)</p><p>Both the boys and the girl are going up he hill.</p><p>(plural)</p><p>Both the boys and the girls are going up the hill.</p><p>(plural)</p><p>Two subjects joined by or or nor can be either singular</p><p>or plural depending on the subjects. We are not adding</p><p>them together, as we do with and. Look at the following</p><p>examples:</p><p>John or his brother is going with us. (singular: one</p><p>or the other one)</p><p>The boys or the girls are going first. (plural: It is</p><p>either boys or girls and each is plural by itself.)</p><p>What about this one, where one subject is singular and</p><p>the other is plural?</p><p>Either the girl or her brothers ____ going with us. Is</p><p>this one is (singular) or are (plural)? It is plural.</p><p>In this case, the verb agrees with the noun closer</p><p>to it. So,</p><p>Either the girls or the boy is going with us is also</p><p>correct because this time the singular subject</p><p>(boy) is closer to the verb.</p><p>Practice 79—</p><p>More Agreement</p><p>Choose the correct verb that agrees with the subject(s).</p><p>1. John and his friends (is, are) going fishing on</p><p>Saturday.</p><p>2. Either John or Uncle Fred (is, are) renting a boat.</p><p>3. Either Juliet or her sister (has, have) your books.</p><p>4. Either the red dress with the bows or the three green</p><p>shirts (was, were) on sale, but I don’t remember</p><p>which!</p><p>5. Neither the trumpet players nor the tuba player (is,</p><p>are) tuned up yet.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement</p><p>All the rules in the preceding section apply to pronoun/</p><p>antecedent agreement, as well as subject/verb agree-</p><p>ment. Look at these examples:</p><p>Judy, along with her friends, is bringing her suitcase.</p><p>(singular)</p><p>Judy, accompanied by her friends, is going to her</p><p>prom. (singular)</p><p>Judy, but not her friends, is going to her prom.</p><p>(singular)</p><p>The painting that we ordered when we ordered the</p><p>three frames is in its box. (singular)</p><p>98 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Either Judy or her sister is bringing her guitar.</p><p>(singular)</p><p>Either Judy or her sisters are bringing their guitars.</p><p>(plural)</p><p>Either</p><p>her sisters or Judy is bringing her guitar.</p><p>(singular)</p><p>What about this?</p><p>Either Judy or her brother is bringing ____ guitar.</p><p>One is female and the other is male. What do we do?</p><p>How about just saying a guitar? Rewriting to avoid an</p><p>issue is often the best solution.</p><p>Sentences That Begin with There</p><p>Even though a sentence may begin with the word there,</p><p>there is never a subject. In this type of sentence, the</p><p>subject will be right after the verb, so you can figure out</p><p>if the verb should be singular or plural by looking at the</p><p>noun or pronoun after the verb.</p><p>There are three books on that shelf. Yes, plural.</p><p>There is three books on that shelf. No, not singular.</p><p>Practice 80—</p><p>More Agreement</p><p>Choose the correct answer for each sentence:</p><p>1. Ellen, along with her sisters, (is bringing her lunch,</p><p>are bringing their lunches).</p><p>2. Either my cousin or my uncles (is taking his vacation,</p><p>are taking their vacations) in France.</p><p>3. There (is, are) three pieces of pizza left in the box.</p><p>4. Either John or Kate is singing in (his, her, his or her,</p><p>their) first concert ever!</p><p>5. There (is, are) not many apples left on the tree.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Indefinite Pronouns</p><p>Indefinite pronouns probably present the biggest issue</p><p>with pronoun/antecedent agreement. We have dis-</p><p>cussed these pronouns before (Section 6.7). Some of</p><p>these pronouns are singular, some are plural, and oth-</p><p>ers can be either singular or plural.</p><p>1. Everyone, everything, everybody, anyone, anything,</p><p>anybody, someone, something, somebody, no one, noth-</p><p>ing, nobody, each, neither, either, nothing, and one are</p><p>singular.</p><p>Everyone is bringing his or her suitcase.</p><p>Everyone is singular. The verb is agrees and is also singu-</p><p>lar. The pronoun his or her, which refers back to every-</p><p>one agrees because it is also singular.</p><p>Most people would say</p><p>Everyone is bringing their suitcase.</p><p>Is this okay? Their is plural, but everyone is singular.</p><p>Yes and no. The English language doesn’t have one word</p><p>for the singular that can be either male or female. Of</p><p>course, if we know that only girls are going, we can eas-</p><p>ily say her suitcase. Problem solved. But if both girls</p><p>and boys are going, we have no singular word for that</p><p>without using his or her.</p><p>It is perfectly fine and correct to use his or her. It is</p><p>also now acceptable (in some style guides and to some</p><p>people) to use their as a singular in this case. I wouldn’t</p><p>recommend using their in the singular in a formal letter</p><p>or college application.</p><p>Avoid using he/she, (s)he, or alternating between he</p><p>and she. The best thing to do is to rewrite; why not just</p><p>say</p><p>Everyone is bringing a suitcase.</p><p>2. Both, few, several, and many are indefinite pronouns</p><p>that are plural:</p><p>Several are bringing their suitcases.</p><p>Few are bringing their suitcases.</p><p>Both are bringing their suitcases.</p><p>Many are bringing their suitcases.</p><p>3. All, any, more, most, none, and some can be either</p><p>singular or plural, depending upon how they are used.</p><p>Usually they are followed by a prepositional phrase.</p><p>Look at the noun in that phrase. The verb generally</p><p>agrees with the noun in the phrase.</p><p>All of the pie is gone.</p><p>Important Grammar Issues 2 99</p><p>All of the cookies are gone.</p><p>Any of the children can take their naps.</p><p>Any of the cake is available to cut.</p><p>More of the pizza is gone than left on the plate.</p><p>More of the pieces have been eaten.</p><p>Most of the cake is gone.</p><p>Most of the cookies are gone.</p><p>None of the pizza is left.</p><p>None of the pieces are left.</p><p>Some of the people have left.</p><p>Some of the crowd has gone.</p><p>One of is generally singular.</p><p>One of my books is missing.</p><p>Singular Nouns That Look Plural</p><p>News, mathematics, thermodynamics, and other such</p><p>words that end in -s are singular, although they may</p><p>look plural. So, we use singular verbs with them.</p><p>The news is good.</p><p>Mathematics is my favorite subject.</p><p>Collective Nouns</p><p>We discussed collective nouns in Section1.2. They are</p><p>nouns that, while singular, represent a group. They can</p><p>generally also be made plural. Here are some singular</p><p>forms of collective nouns:</p><p>group, band, family, flock, class, herd, tribe, bunch,</p><p>committee, clan, club, pack, cast</p><p>People usually use singular verbs and pronouns with</p><p>these words:</p><p>The band is playing in the parade.</p><p>The class is having its party today.</p><p>However, there is a distinction to be made, and some-</p><p>times these collective nouns are plural. When we use</p><p>plural verbs to agree with them, however, sometimes</p><p>we sound wrong because most everyone just uses them</p><p>as singular all the time. Check this out:</p><p>The band are tuning their instruments.</p><p>In the above example, we used a plural verb and a plural</p><p>pronoun, thus assuming that band is plural. Is it?</p><p>Collective nouns are singular when they are thought of</p><p>as a single unit. They are considered plural when we</p><p>are talking about the members of the collective noun as</p><p>individuals rather than a unit.</p><p>The band are tuning their instruments. (Plural: They</p><p>are acting as individuals.)</p><p>The band is having a party after the show. (Singular:</p><p>They are having a party together, as a unit.)</p><p>Can you see the difference in these sentences?</p><p>My family is coming over for Christmas dinner.</p><p>My family are coming from all over the country to</p><p>visit us for Christmas.</p><p>In the first sentence the family is a unit, all coming over</p><p>together. In the second sentence, the individuals in the</p><p>family are being talked about, since they are coming</p><p>from different places; they are not a unit.</p><p>Will the sky fall if you use a singular verb with a collective</p><p>noun? No. In fact, if you use a plural, it may sound wrong</p><p>to some people. However, it is correct to make the dis-</p><p>tinction between singular and plural collective nouns.</p><p>A Quirky Little Issue</p><p>All the girls wore a gown to the prom.</p><p>Be careful here. Did all the girls wear the same gown?</p><p>The sentence is confusing. The correct way to say or</p><p>write this sentence is</p><p>All the girls wore gowns to the prom.</p><p>Practice 81—</p><p>More Agreement</p><p>Choose the correct answer in the following sentences:</p><p>1. The news about my dogs (is, are) good.</p><p>2. One of these songs (is, are) my favorite.</p><p>3. Everyone who has a ticket can take (his or her, their)</p><p>seat now.</p><p>4. Few (is, are) selected to be in the show.</p><p>100 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>5. Many of my friends (is, are) coming to the party.</p><p>6. Most of the pizza (is, are) gone.</p><p>7. The vase, along with all the flowers, (was, were)</p><p>thrown away.</p><p>8. None of the boys (is, are) old enough to drive.</p><p>9. (Is, Are) physics or economics you favorite subject?</p><p>Correct any of the following sentences that isn’t already</p><p>correct:</p><p>10. All of the bridesmaids wore a purple dress.</p><p>11. The band are tuning up their instruments.</p><p>12. My company is having a picnic on Friday.</p><p>13. The family is all going their separate ways for Christ-</p><p>mas this year.</p><p>14. One of the men are wearing a red hat.</p><p>15. All of the students are carrying a dog.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>11.4. Comparison</p><p>Adjectives and adverbs have comparative and superla-</p><p>tive forms, used for comparison:</p><p>I am taller than you.</p><p>First of all, remember to use than in comparisons, not</p><p>then. Then is an adverb that has to do with time.</p><p>Use the comparative form of the adjective or adverb</p><p>when comparing two items.</p><p>I am taller than you.</p><p>Use the superlative form of the adjective or adverb</p><p>when comparing three or more items.</p><p>I am the tallest of the three of us brothers.</p><p>Forming Comparatives and Superlatives</p><p>One-syllable adjectives and adverbs:</p><p>• Add -er to adjectives and adverbs to form the com-</p><p>parative: taller, smaller, colder, warmer, hotter, sooner</p><p>• Add -est to adjectives and adverbs to form the super-</p><p>lative: tallest, smallest, coldest, warmest, hottest,</p><p>soonest</p><p>✎ There are, of course, exceptions. One of them is fun.</p><p>There is no funner or funnest! It is more fun and most</p><p>fun.</p><p>Two-syllable adjectives and adverbs:</p><p>• Most add -er for comparative. If they end in -y, the</p><p>y generally changes to an i, thus making the ending</p><p>-ier. Others have no form</p><p>ending in -er (particularly</p><p>adverbs). In that case, use more for comparative:</p><p>funnier, prettier, lonelier, more sudden, more quickly,</p><p>more slowly.</p><p>• Most add -est for superlative. If they end in -y the y</p><p>generally changes to an i, thus making the ending -iest.</p><p>Others have no form ending in -est. In that case use</p><p>most for superlative: funniest, prettiest, loneliest, most</p><p>sudden, most quickly, most slowly.</p><p>✎ If there is a form that ends in -er or -est, use it. Do</p><p>not use more or most before the adjective unless no</p><p>-er or -est form exists. Consult your dictionary to</p><p>find out. For example, do not say more happy, since</p><p>there is the correct word happier.</p><p>✎ Avoid double comparisons: Do not say more happier.</p><p>Three-syllable or more adjectives and adverbs:</p><p>Use more and most before the adjective or adverb:</p><p>more beautiful, most adventurous, more happily,</p><p>most glorious.</p><p>✎ Adjectives that end in a suffix such as -ous or -ful will</p><p>never have an -er or -est ending. Use more or most.</p><p>For example, more wonderful, not wonderfuler.</p><p>What If It Isn’t More? What If It Is Less?</p><p>If you are going the other direction in your comparison,</p><p>always use less for comparative and least for superlative:</p><p>I am less intelligent than you are.</p><p>My brother is the least intelligent of us all.</p><p>This ride is less fun than that one.</p><p>This ride is the least fun of all.</p><p>I am less pretty than my sister.</p><p>My cousin is the least pretty of the three of us.</p><p>I snore less quietly than my brother.</p><p>My sister snores the least quietly of us all.</p><p>Important Grammar Issues 2 101</p><p>Irregular Forms</p><p>There are some adjectives and adverbs that add neither</p><p>-er/-est or more/most to make them comparative or</p><p>superlative. Here are some:</p><p>good better best</p><p>bad worse worse</p><p>many more most</p><p>Faulty Comparisons</p><p>Look at this sentence:</p><p>She likes pizza more than me!</p><p>What does the sentence mean? Does it mean she likes</p><p>pizza more than I like pizza? Or does it mean that she</p><p>likes pizza more than she likes me?</p><p>Well, you probably would think it means that she likes</p><p>pizza more than I like pizza. And that is usually the</p><p>intention of the writer. However, the sentence actually</p><p>means that she likes pizza more than she likes me.</p><p>When you write a comparison like the one above, put in</p><p>the missing words, if even just in your head. Then, you will</p><p>use the correct pronoun. Compare these two sentences:</p><p>She likes pizza more than I like pizza.</p><p>She likes pizza more than she likes me.</p><p>If you are writing a comparison like this, you can leave</p><p>out the words, but pretend they are there to figure out</p><p>which pronoun to use:</p><p>She likes pizza more than I. (more than I like pizza)</p><p>She likes pizza more than me. (more than she</p><p>likes me)</p><p>Practice 82—</p><p>Comparison</p><p>Choose the correct answer:</p><p>1. She is the (taller, tallest) of the two sisters.</p><p>2. She likes school more than (I, me).</p><p>3. She says she likes me, but I really think she likes my</p><p>sister more than (I, me).</p><p>4. You would be (more smart, more smarter, smarter)</p><p>if you used more common sense!</p><p>5. The roller coaster was (funner. more fun) than the</p><p>Ferris wheel.</p><p>6. Which do you like (least, less), poetry or opera?</p><p>7. This doll is (fragiler, more fragile) than that one.</p><p>8. Who makes (more, the most) money, you or your</p><p>brother?</p><p>9. Of all the types of food, I know (less, the least) about</p><p>Asian food.</p><p>10. He talks (louder, more loudly) when he is angry.</p><p>11. The poodle is the (taller, tallest, most tall) of the six</p><p>dogs here.</p><p>12. The weather is (more worse, worse, worser) today</p><p>than it was yesterday.</p><p>13. He is the (less, least) adventurous of the two of us.</p><p>14. She is shorter than (I, me).</p><p>15. My older brother is (more truthful, truthfuler, most</p><p>truthful) than my twin brother.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>11.5. Misplaced Modifiers</p><p>One of the easiest mistakes to make when you are writ-</p><p>ing is the misplaced or dangling modifier. A modifier is</p><p>a word or phrase (or clause) that describes or modifies</p><p>something. Adjectives and adverbs are modifiers.</p><p>Participles are, if you remember from Section3.4, adjec-</p><p>tives that come from verbs. Prepositional phrases (Sec-</p><p>tion3.2) are also modifiers and can be used as adjectives</p><p>or adverbs. And it is participles and prepositional</p><p>phrases that are most often misplaced.</p><p>In the English language, it is assumed that modifiers</p><p>are placed near what they are modifying, or describing.</p><p>Look at these sentences:</p><p>Sitting in my lap, my cat yawned and stretched.</p><p>Laughing, she ran down the hill.</p><p>She heard on the news that there was a big parade</p><p>on Thanksgiving.</p><p>These sentences are all correct. Now look at these</p><p>sentences:</p><p>Reading a book by the window, my cat scratched</p><p>my hand.</p><p>102 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Laughing, that joke seemed very funny to me.</p><p>She heard about the parade on the news.</p><p>These sentences are all incorrect. The modifiers are mis-</p><p>placed (not near what they are modifying in the sentence)</p><p>or dangling (not modifying anything in the sentence).</p><p>The first sentence says that the cat is reading a book by</p><p>the window. The participial phrase reading a book by</p><p>the window is dangling because it doesn’t describe any-</p><p>thing in the sentence. It is meant to describe I, but there</p><p>is no I in the sentence. Note that it doesn’t describe my</p><p>hand, because my hand wasn’t reading either! Here is</p><p>one of the ways to correct the sentence:</p><p>While I was reading a book by the window, my cat</p><p>scratched my hand.</p><p>The second sentence says that the joke was laughing.</p><p>However, I was laughing. Here are some ways to cor-</p><p>rect the sentence:</p><p>Laughing, I thought the joke was funny.</p><p>I laughed because I thought the joke was funny.</p><p>I laughed at the funny joke.</p><p>The third sentence says that the parade was on the news.</p><p>The prepositional phrase on the news is in the wrong</p><p>place. Most anyone reading the sentence would prob-</p><p>ably understand what you meant, but it really isn’t writ-</p><p>ten correctly. Here is a way to fix the sentence:</p><p>On the news I heard about the parade.</p><p>It is very easy to unintentionally put misplaced modi-</p><p>fiers in your writing, so be very careful!</p><p>Practice 83—</p><p>Misplaced Modifiers</p><p>Some of the following sentences are correct; others have</p><p>some type of misplaced or dangling modifier. Identify</p><p>which sentences are incorrect and fix them if you can.</p><p>There are always multiple ways to fix a sentence.</p><p>1. He read from his new book wearing glasses.</p><p>2. I heard about the volcano on the evening news.</p><p>3. While still in diapers, my mother went back to college.</p><p>4. Forgetting I had a cake in the oven, I took the dog</p><p>for a walk.</p><p>5. Growling loudly, I knew it was time to feed my hun-</p><p>gry dog.</p><p>6. Freshly baked, I took the cookies out of the oven.</p><p>7. Looking around, I spotted my cousins in the crowd.</p><p>8. Many of the people in the audience after her perfor-</p><p>mance congratulated her and gave her flowers.</p><p>9. At 5 p.m. next Monday, the employees who attended</p><p>the meeting said there would be a follow-up</p><p>discussion.</p><p>10. Take this big bag and go to the library with all the</p><p>books.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>11.6. Possessives</p><p>Possessives are forms of nouns and pronouns that show</p><p>ownership. Most of the time, making a noun possessive</p><p>is pretty simple, but some problems can arise.</p><p>Singular Nouns</p><p>Add an apostrophe and an s to most singular nouns to</p><p>make them possessive.</p><p>boy—the boy’s toy</p><p>book—the book’s plot</p><p>dog—the dog’s bone</p><p>✎ Sometimes you have what looks like a compound</p><p>possessive. Here is what you do:</p><p>My mom and dad’s new car is in the driveway. (Just</p><p>make the last noun possessive because it belongs</p><p>to both of them.)</p><p>My mom’s and dad’s new cars are in the driveway.</p><p>(Make them both possessive, since cars is plural;</p><p>they each have a new car.)</p><p>Plural Nouns</p><p>Add just an apostrophe to plural nouns that end in s.</p><p>boys—the boys’ toys (belonging to more than one</p><p>boy)</p><p>books—the books’ plots (belonging to more than</p><p>one book)</p><p>Important Grammar Issues 2 103</p><p>dogs—the dogs’ bones (belonging to more than</p><p>one dog)</p><p>buses—the buses’ routes (belonging</p><p>to more than</p><p>one bus)</p><p>Add apostrophe and s to plurals that end in something</p><p>other than s.</p><p>children—children’s toys</p><p>men—men’s suits</p><p>mice—mice’s cheese</p><p>Words That Already End in -s</p><p>Some singular words end in -s or even -ss. These words</p><p>are generally treated the same as any other noun. To</p><p>form the possessive, you still add an apostrophe and</p><p>an s (you can usually go by how you pronounce the</p><p>possessive).</p><p>boss—boss’s (belonging to the boss)</p><p>bosses—bosses’ (belonging to more than one boss)</p><p>Note that the two words above are pronounced the</p><p>same, but spelled differently. One is singular possessive</p><p>and the other plural possessive.</p><p>princess—princess’s (belonging to one princess)</p><p>princesses—princesses’ (belonging to more than</p><p>one princess)</p><p>Thomas—Thomas’s (belonging to Thomas)</p><p>Mr. Douglass—Mr. Douglass’s (belonging to</p><p>Mr.Douglass)</p><p>Words that end in -x actually have an -s sound at the end</p><p>and are treated the same way:</p><p>fox—fox’s (belonging to the fox)</p><p>foxes—foxes’ (belonging to more than one fox)</p><p>Last Names</p><p>Last names can be tricky because when you make them</p><p>possessive, you are often also making them plural.</p><p>First, let’s look at some singular possessives:</p><p>Jean Thomas’s desk</p><p>John Smart’s book</p><p>Annie Green’s dress</p><p>How about plural possessive last names? First, you need</p><p>to figure out how to make the name plural. Then you</p><p>need to figure out how to make that possessive. (Once</p><p>again it is best to go by how you would pronounce the</p><p>name.) Of course, you can always rewrite to avoid hav-</p><p>ing to use the possessive (often the best idea).</p><p>The Thomases’ house (singular: Thomas, plural:</p><p>Thomases)</p><p>The Gonzaleses’ house (singular: Gonzales, plural:</p><p>Gonzaleses)</p><p>The Greens’ house (this one is easy)</p><p>To avoid the situation?</p><p>The Thomas family’s house</p><p>The house that belongs to the Gonzales family</p><p>Exceptions</p><p>Some words that end in -s do not add an apostrophe and</p><p>an s to make the possessive. These are the exceptions.</p><p>Words and names that end in -es with the sound of -ez</p><p>add simply an apostrophe. Here are some examples:</p><p>Socrates—Socrates’ (belonging to Socrates)</p><p>Hercules—Hercules’ (belonging to Hercules)</p><p>✎ Note that Jesus and Moses are also exceptions and</p><p>simply add an apostrophe for the possessive: Jesus’</p><p>and Moses’</p><p>Possessive Pronouns</p><p>Here are the possessive pronouns:</p><p>my, mine, our, ours, your, yours, his, her, hers, its,</p><p>their, theirs, whose</p><p>Notice that none of them has an apostrophe in it.</p><p>Remember this next time you are confused about its</p><p>versus it’s.</p><p>✎ Please do not put apostrophes in your plain old plu-</p><p>ral words, because you will usually be wrong. There</p><p>are very few plurals that have apostrophes (see</p><p>Section11.10).</p><p>104 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Practice 84—</p><p>Possessives</p><p>Choose the correct answer:</p><p>1. This is Mr. (Glass’, Glass’s, Glasses) book.</p><p>2. This is my older (brothers’, brother’s, brothers)</p><p>motorcycle.</p><p>3. Our new house has room for a (childrens’, children’s)</p><p>playroom.</p><p>4. The cat hasn’t finished (its, it’s, its’) food yet.</p><p>5. These are my three (sisters, sister’s, sisters’, sisters’s)</p><p>rooms.</p><p>6. This is my (boss’, boss’s) office.</p><p>7. We read about (Socrates’s, Socrates, Socrates’) ideas</p><p>in this course.</p><p>8. That house on the corner is (ours, our’s).</p><p>9. (Who’s, Whose, Who’se) new car is that?</p><p>10. This is the (Clarks, Clark’s, Clarks’ house), where five</p><p>children and their parents live.</p><p>11. My (horses, horse’s) stable is right over there.</p><p>12. (John and Jane’s, John’s and Jane’s) house is across</p><p>the street.</p><p>13. (John and Jane’s, John’s and Jane’s) houses are across</p><p>the street from each other.</p><p>14. (My mother and father, My mother and father’s, My</p><p>mother’s and father’s) new car is red.</p><p>15. (Her’s, hers) is the green gown.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>11.7. Parallel Structure</p><p>What do we mean by parallel structure? Let’s look at a</p><p>simple example of a sentence that is not written with</p><p>parallel structure:</p><p>My friends and I like shopping, going to movies, and</p><p>to hike.</p><p>When you are writing about similar things you need to</p><p>use similar structure. Shopping and going are parallel,</p><p>but to hike is a different grammatical construction. It is</p><p>not parallel. This sentence is parallel:</p><p>My friends and I like shopping, going to the movies,</p><p>and hiking.</p><p>Here is an example that is a little more complicated:</p><p>Jon felt that to do well in his new job he had to</p><p>impress his boss by writing his reports on time, by</p><p>answering all his e-mails in a timely manner, and to</p><p>be courteous to his customers. (Make it parallel by</p><p>saying by being courteous to his customers.)</p><p>Here is another example:</p><p>Sarah thought that she was being a good parent</p><p>when she let her kids do whatever they wanted and</p><p>not telling them when they made bad choices.</p><p>Here is the same sentence with parallel construction:</p><p>Sarah thought that she was being a good parent</p><p>when she let her kids do whatever they wanted and</p><p>when she kept quiet when they made bad choices.</p><p>Parallel Structure in Lists</p><p>It is important to make your lists parallel. If one of your</p><p>list items is a compete sentence, all your items should</p><p>be complete sentences. If all items are phrases, they</p><p>should be constructed in the same way. Here is a list</p><p>that is not parallel.</p><p>In this class, you will learn</p><p>• how to use the new software</p><p>• how to design a newsletter</p><p>• how to use special effects</p><p>• writing effective text</p><p>• how to publish your newsletter</p><p>You would change writing effective text to how to write</p><p>effective text.</p><p>Practice 85—</p><p>Parallel Structure</p><p>All of the following have problems with parallel struc-</p><p>ture. Identify the problems and rewrite them correctly.</p><p>1. I love shopping, going to the movies, and to eat out.</p><p>2. I thought I would do well on the exam because I</p><p>memorized all the words and that I made flashcards.</p><p>Important Grammar Issues 2 105</p><p>3. Here are the things you need to do: Go to the library.</p><p>Returning all the phone messages. Pick up the gro-</p><p>ceries. Take out the trash.</p><p>4. Here is the agenda for the meeting:</p><p>• Introduce new members</p><p>• Reading the minutes</p><p>• Discuss new issues</p><p>• Review old issues</p><p>• Close the meeting</p><p>5. Whenever I think of you I remember when we went</p><p>fishing and going to that concert at midnight.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>11.8. Using Numbers:</p><p>When to Spell Them Out</p><p>Numbers. We could write a whole book about them,</p><p>but let’s keep it short and simple. The basic rules are</p><p>as follows:</p><p>• In technical and scientific writing, write out num-</p><p>bers through nine, and use numerals (10) for all</p><p>numbers higher than nine.</p><p>• In formal writing, nontechnical, and more literary</p><p>writing, spell out all numbers up through ninety-nine.</p><p>Here are some other rules for using numbers:</p><p>1. In tables and diagrams, generally use numerals</p><p>(numbers).</p><p>2. If you have two numbers referring to the same thing</p><p>in a sentence, treat them both the same way, either</p><p>both written out or both numerals.</p><p>There are 9 girls and 21 boys in the group.</p><p>This is not necessary if the numbers refer to different</p><p>things:</p><p>There are 350 children in the school and they each</p><p>have four textbooks.</p><p>3. Never begin a sentence with a numeral. Rewrite the</p><p>sentence or spell out the number.</p><p>Four hundred students graduated today.</p><p>4. If you have two numbers in a row, rewrite the sen-</p><p>tence or separate them with a comma.</p><p>In 2009, 435 people worked for the company,</p><p>5. Really large numbers, over a million, for example,</p><p>may be expressed as follows:</p><p>The company sold 21 million widgets last year.</p><p>6. If a day comes before the month (or stands by itself )</p><p>use an ordinal, either spelled out or numeric.</p><p>The 6th of September OR</p><p>The sixth of September</p><p>7. If a day comes after the month, the number is used.</p><p>September 6, 2000</p><p>Refer to Section 8.7 for information about commas with</p><p>dates.</p><p>8. Sometimes well-known numbers and dates of grad-</p><p>uation are abbreviated.</p><p>The blizzard of ’09</p><p>The class of ’75</p><p>9. Money is usually expressed in figures.</p><p>We made $59 at our garage sale.</p><p>10. For amounts less than a dollar, use the</p><p>numeral and</p><p>the word cents.</p><p>This fan costs only 75 cents.</p><p>11. Spell out approximate amounts.</p><p>We have a few hundred dollars.</p><p>12. As a rule, we spell out fractions.</p><p>I have two-thirds of a pizza left.</p><p>✎ Some style guides tell you to hyphenate the fraction</p><p>only if it is an adjective directly before a noun. You</p><p>can decide this one. For example,</p><p>We need a three-fourths majority to pass the rule.</p><p>Three fourths of the people voted to pass the rule.</p><p>13. Measurements should generally be expressed in</p><p>numerals, even if they are below 10.</p><p>The room is 5 feet wide and 9 feet long.</p><p>14. Birthdays and anniversaries are generally spelled out.</p><p>We are celebrating our tenth anniversary.</p><p>15. References to periods of time are generally spelled out:</p><p>We bought the house thirty years ago.</p><p>16. More technical timeframes are often numerals.</p><p>My new job requires a 45-hour workweek.</p><p>106 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>17. Centuries can be either spelled out or expressed as</p><p>numerals:</p><p>I remember the 1970s well.</p><p>I remember the seventies well.</p><p>18. When expressing time, always use numerals with</p><p>a.m. and p.m.</p><p>Meet me at 3:45 p.m.</p><p>However, if there is no time mentioned, use morning or</p><p>evening; do not use p.m. or a.m.</p><p>Meet me in the morning.</p><p>If a.m. or p.m. is not mentioned, you can spell out the</p><p>time or use numerals.</p><p>Meet me at eight.</p><p>Meet me at 8:00.</p><p>19. Write decimals as numbers.</p><p>I measured the window as 35.7 inches wide.</p><p>20. For percentages, use numbers, but spell out percent</p><p>unless it appears in a table or figure, in which case</p><p>you can use the percent symbol (%).</p><p>Only 7 percent of the class received an A.</p><p>21. If you refer to a number as itself, always use a figure:</p><p>Please count to 99.</p><p>Add 30 and 64, and then multiply by 7.</p><p>22. To make a number plural, add s. NO apostrophe,</p><p>please.</p><p>The 1990s was a good decade for me.</p><p>It was in the 70s all day today.</p><p>23. When spelling out numbers, hyphenate all numbers</p><p>between twenty-one and ninety-nine whether the</p><p>number stands alone or is part of a greater number:</p><p>twenty-seven</p><p>twenty-seven thousand</p><p>Practice 86—</p><p>Numbers</p><p>Many of the following sentences have mistakes using</p><p>numbers. Some of the sentences may be correct as they</p><p>are. Find and correct the mistakes.</p><p>1. The class is made up of nine boys and 18 girls.</p><p>2. 350 people were in the audience.</p><p>3. My birthday is on September 6th.</p><p>4. There are a total of 450 diagrams in the science book.</p><p>5. I have only $.50 left in my pocket because I spent</p><p>twenty-five dollars at the movies.</p><p>6. There are over 3,000,000 people in our county.</p><p>7. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m.</p><p>8. I am a member of the class of ’75.</p><p>9. ¾ of the class is on a sports team.</p><p>10. I moved to California thirty years ago.</p><p>11. I got a score of 85 percent on my project.</p><p>12. The answer to the math question is 31.66.</p><p>13. I have a problem writing 5’s so that you can read</p><p>them!</p><p>14. The total count is 150, 50 of whom are teenagers.</p><p>15. There are sixty five poems in this anthology.</p><p>16. Could you please write your two’s more clearly.</p><p>17. He has been working 16-hour workdays!</p><p>18. My room measures 8 feet wide by 12 feet long.</p><p>19. I begin my workday at nine a.m.</p><p>20. I begin my workday at 8 in the morning.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>11.9. Double Negatives</p><p>There are negatives, and then there are double nega-</p><p>tives. No and not are often part of a negative sentence.</p><p>I have no bananas.</p><p>I do not have any bananas.</p><p>Even though two wrongs don’t make a right, two nega-</p><p>tives do make a positive. Sometimes you might pur-</p><p>posely use two negatives. Other times you might use a</p><p>double negative by mistake.</p><p>I cannot sit here and say nothing.</p><p>That sentence is a perfectly good double negative. It</p><p>means that you want to say something. It comes out as</p><p>a positive.</p><p>I can’t say nothing about that.</p><p>Important Grammar Issues 2 107</p><p>This sentence is likely incorrect. The writer probably</p><p>means I can’t say anything about that.</p><p>Here are some sentences in which the double negative</p><p>is probably incorrect:</p><p>I don’t need no pencil. (I don’t need a pencil?)</p><p>I can’t see no one. (I can’t see anyone?)</p><p>She don’t have no children. (She doesn’t have any</p><p>children?)</p><p>There are some words that don’t sound like negative</p><p>words, but they are, so do not use another negative with</p><p>them by mistake.</p><p>Barely, hardly, and scarcely are negative words:</p><p>I can’t barely see anything in the dark theater.</p><p>(Should be I can barely see anything in the dark</p><p>theater.)</p><p>I can’t scarcely read the writing because it is so small.</p><p>(Should be I can scarcely read the writing because it</p><p>is so small.)</p><p>I can’t hardly believe it is you!</p><p>(Should be I can hardly believe it is you!)</p><p>✎ I suppose that if you use three negatives in a sen-</p><p>tence, the sentence goes back to having a negative</p><p>meaning, but I wouldn’t try it:</p><p>I can’t barely see nothing in this dark theater.</p><p>Practice 87—</p><p>Double Negatives</p><p>Some of the sentences below contain incorrect double</p><p>negatives. Some of the sentences are correct. Correct</p><p>the incorrect sentences:</p><p>1. I don’t want no more pizza.</p><p>2. I can hardly see anything.</p><p>3. We couldn’t scarcely see in the fog.</p><p>4. I didn’t barely eat anything for dinner.</p><p>5. There are no words for this situation.</p><p>6. Please don’t wait and end up doing nothing about it.</p><p>7. They don’t have any more candy left.</p><p>8. No animals were harmed in this experiment.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>11.10. Apostrophes in Plurals</p><p>I have one word to say about putting apostrophes in</p><p>plurals: DON’T!</p><p>There are very few exceptions. The great majority of the</p><p>time there is no apostrophe in a plural. Apostrophes go</p><p>in possessives, not plurals (unless the plural is posses-</p><p>sive, of course. See Section11.6.)</p><p>When should you use an apostrophe in a plural? Answer:</p><p>When not doing so would cause confusion.</p><p>• With the capital letters A, I, and U:</p><p>I got all A’s on my report card.</p><p>You have too many I ’s beginning your sentences.</p><p>There are two U ’s on that sign.</p><p>• With lowercase letters or abbreviations for clarity.</p><p>However, note that if you are using a letter or word</p><p>as itself, you would italicize the word but not the s</p><p>on the end.</p><p>Don’t forget to dot your i ’s.</p><p>Are you still wearing your pj’s?</p><p>That is just about it. No other plurals need to be written</p><p>with apostrophes including numbers.</p><p>Remember the 1990s?</p><p>She must be in her 60s.</p><p>She must be in her sixties.</p><p>108 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Practice 88—</p><p>Plurals with Apostrophes</p><p>Some of these sentences are correct. Others have errors</p><p>with apostrophes. Circle any incorrect plurals.</p><p>1. I took these photo’s this morning.</p><p>2. You put too many as in the word accommodate.</p><p>3. I am too young to remember the 1950’s.</p><p>4. My godmother is in her sixties’.</p><p>5. This is my little sister’s doll.</p><p>6. My cousin’s are coming to visit us next month.</p><p>7. Does the baby know her ABC ’s yet?</p><p>8. The book takes place in the ’80s.</p><p>9. This dollhouse belongs to the girls’.</p><p>10. I never get any Ds on my report card.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>11.11. Let’s Be Clear:</p><p>Avoiding Vagueness</p><p>Writing can be vague or unclear in several ways. Most</p><p>of the ways we will discuss here have to do with words</p><p>that refer to something we are not quite sure about.</p><p>This and It</p><p>We might begin a sentence with this or it. While in cer-</p><p>tain situations, that may be all right in itself, if we don’t</p><p>know what this or it is referring to, there will be a prob-</p><p>lem. Look at this paragraph, for example:</p><p>Last summer my family and I visited relatives in</p><p>France. We stayed for three weeks and wished we</p><p>could have stayed longer. While we didn’t visit Paris,</p><p>we did see many of the small villages in the country-</p><p>side. We got to eat real French food, prepared by the</p><p>villagers, and we got to stay in small country cottages.</p><p>This made it the best trip I have ever taken.</p><p>What made what the best trip? Here is a better way to</p><p>write the ending to this paragraph:</p><p>Eating real French food, prepared by the villagers, and</p><p>staying in small country cottages made this trip to</p><p>France the</p><p>best trip I have ever taken.</p><p>The Lonely Which</p><p>Which is one of those pronouns that is used to begin an</p><p>adjective clause that describes a noun or pronoun that</p><p>precedes it. Here is an example:</p><p>I bought this painting, which is by a local artist.</p><p>Which refers back to painting.</p><p>However, sometimes when which is used, we don’t really</p><p>know what it is referring back to. Technically, which</p><p>should refer back to a word, rather than an entire idea.</p><p>Here is an unclear which.</p><p>We went to France, where we ate real French food</p><p>and stayed in French country cottages, which made it</p><p>the best trip I have ever taken.</p><p>Which is a little fuzzy in the above sentence. Here is a</p><p>clearer use of which:</p><p>The best trip I ever took was to France last summer,</p><p>where I ate authentic French food, which was pre-</p><p>pared by the owners of the little French cottages we</p><p>stayed in.</p><p>In the above sentence, it is clear that which refers to the</p><p>food.</p><p>Unclear People</p><p>Sometimes he and she (and other personal pronouns</p><p>too) can be confusing and unclear.</p><p>When Betsy passed Lucy waking down the street, she</p><p>waved.</p><p>Who waved? Betsy? Lucy? We have no idea unless the</p><p>sentence is rewritten.</p><p>Betsy waved as she passed Lucy walking down the</p><p>street.</p><p>When Betsy passed by her, Lucy waved.</p><p>Practice 89—</p><p>Clarity</p><p>Find the word (or words) that are unclear and under-</p><p>line it (them). Then, rewrite the sentence(s) to make it</p><p>(them) clear. Some sentences may be fine as they are.</p><p>1. I had a good time on the trip, which was important.</p><p>2. I saw Ben and Joe on the rollercoaster, and he waved.</p><p>Important Grammar Issues 2 109</p><p>3. Holding up a pretty blue dress, Mary said, “This is</p><p>the dress I was talking about.”</p><p>4. Which of these two books did you write?</p><p>5. I saw two movies last week, which were pretty good.</p><p>6. Joe saw his cousin at the park and he stopped to talk</p><p>to him.</p><p>7. I have a deadline at work, which is Tuesday.</p><p>8. I got a raise last year, and I think I will get a larger</p><p>raise this year. This is unheard of!</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>11.12. Can I Do These Things?</p><p>Writers (and speakers) often have questions about what</p><p>is okay to do and what is not. Sometimes what is okay</p><p>in a text or a memo, or in an informal conversation, is</p><p>not okay in formal writing and speaking. In this book,</p><p>we are mostly talking about more formal and academic/</p><p>business writing and speaking.</p><p>Use Abbreviations</p><p>It is best not to use too many abbreviations in formal</p><p>or academic writing. This includes resumes. Although</p><p>a resume needs to be concise, you don’t want to use too</p><p>many abbreviations. However, there are indeed some</p><p>things that are usually abbreviated. Here are some</p><p>guidelines for abbreviations:</p><p>1. Mr., Dr., Jr., Ms., and Mrs. are always abbreviated</p><p>when they are used as part of a name: Mr. Smith,</p><p>Dr.Lang, Henry Foster, Jr.</p><p>2. If a company uses an abbreviation in its name, write</p><p>the company name the same way they write it.</p><p>3. Abbreviations that consist of all capital letters gener-</p><p>ally do not have periods: FBI, CIA, ASPCA</p><p>4. If you want to use an abbreviation, for example, FBI,</p><p>spell it out the first time you use it and then put the</p><p>abbreviation in parentheses. After that, you can just</p><p>use the abbreviation: The Federal Bureau of Investi-</p><p>gation (FBI)</p><p>5. Names of academic degrees are generally abbrevi-</p><p>ated, except in very formal writing. And although</p><p>they often consist of capital letters, they do use</p><p>periods: B.A., B.S., Ph.D. M.D., M.Ed, MBA (generally</p><p>does not have periods).</p><p>6. Be consistent. Don’t go back and forth between</p><p>spelling out and abbreviating. If you write Federal</p><p>Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and then start to use</p><p>the abbreviation, use the abbreviation throughout</p><p>the whole piece of writing.</p><p>If you are compiling a graph, table, or illustration, and</p><p>you are using many abbreviations, make sure your audi-</p><p>ence will know what they mean, even if you have to give</p><p>them a guide.</p><p>Use Contractions</p><p>Like abbreviations, most contractions are best avoided</p><p>in formal writing. While you might want to use I’m,</p><p>can’t, she’s, etc., I would definitely avoid the contrac-</p><p>tions where have is shortened: would’ve, should’ve,</p><p>could’ve. I recommend spelling those out.</p><p>Use Slang</p><p>Slang; shortened spellings; trite, overused, general</p><p>words: These have no place in your writing:</p><p>1. If you must use a lot, remember it is two words.</p><p>Avoid it whenever possible.</p><p>2. Good, bad, great: There must be a more colorful and</p><p>specific adjective you could use. Same goes for nice</p><p>and fun.</p><p>3. Stuff, things, bunch: Rid your writing of these words.</p><p>Use bunch only if you are talking about bananas.</p><p>4. Really and very are also boring. How about extremely,</p><p>particularly, exceedingly, or some other more</p><p>descriptive adverb?</p><p>5. Cool, awesome, and whatever is the newer version</p><p>of these words have no place in formal writing. You</p><p>can use them in dialogue in fiction, or in informal</p><p>writing.</p><p>6. Gonna, coulda, woulda, shoulda, ’cuz, nite, and lite</p><p>are not words at all. In dialogue or some type of</p><p>informal or humor writing, be my guest.</p><p>Start a Sentence with And, So, or But</p><p>Many people say that you shouldn’t start a sentence</p><p>with a conjunction. Most people today think it is fine.</p><p>Ihave mixed feelings about it. I still wouldn’t use it on a</p><p>college or job application or a business letter. However,</p><p>110 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>using and, so, or but at the beginning of a sentence can</p><p>have a certain effect you might want in fiction, creative</p><p>nonfiction, more informal writing, and certainly in pro-</p><p>motional writing and advertisements.</p><p>End a Sentence with a Preposition</p><p>The rule that you shouldn’t end a sentence with a prep-</p><p>osition has become more of an old wives’ tale. Many</p><p>times a sentence sounds a lot better with a preposition</p><p>at the end:</p><p>Whom are you going with? rather than With</p><p>whom are you going?</p><p>Whom did you bake the cake for? rather than For</p><p>whom did you bake that cake?</p><p>However, the rule still applies when there should be no</p><p>preposition at all!</p><p>Where are you at? No. It’s just Where are you?</p><p>Split an Infinitive</p><p>This rule is another old wives’ tale. Remember Star Trek’s</p><p>To boldly go where no man has gone before?</p><p>The infinitive to go is split by the adverb boldly. Don’t</p><p>worry about it. Yes, it can always be rewritten, usually</p><p>without losing too much of the effect.</p><p>To quietly sing to the baby.</p><p>To sing quietly to the baby.</p><p>Six of one, a half dozen of the other. Avoid it if you can,</p><p>but don’t worry about it too much.</p><p>Use They as a Singular</p><p>Yes and no. Please refer back to the discussions in Sec-</p><p>tions 6.7 and 11.3.</p><p>Practice 90—</p><p>Can I Do These Things?</p><p>For this exercise, assume that we are writing formal</p><p>English, not conversational. There is something in each</p><p>sentence that is not appropriate for formal English.</p><p>Please identify what it is.</p><p>1. I could’ve done this better if I had had more time.</p><p>2. Dear Doc Mitchell: I am writing to you for my test</p><p>results.</p><p>3. This job sounds really cool to me.</p><p>4. So I graduated from college last year.</p><p>5. I have a bunch of letters of recommendation if you</p><p>need to see them.</p><p>6. I live on 55 Maple St.</p><p>7. Each student should bring their test booklets.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Important Grammar Issues 2 111</p><p>Chapter 11 Test</p><p>Important Grammar Issues</p><p>Whoa! Chapter 11 covered a wide range of issues! See</p><p>how well you do on this test. You may find a sentence</p><p>or two that is correct, but most of them have problems</p><p>with any of these issues from Chapter 11: run ons, frag-</p><p>ments, agreement of subject and verb, agreement of</p><p>pronoun and antecedent, comparison, misplaced mod-</p><p>ifiers, possessives, parallel structure, using numbers,</p><p>double negatives, apostrophes in plurals, clarity, abbre-</p><p>viations, slang, contractions, and ending sentences with</p><p>prepositions. Some sentences may have more than one</p><p>problem. Rewrite the sentences correctly:</p><p>1. I think Jane is more pretty than Ellen.</p><p>2. There is three choices for dinner.</p><p>3. Mayor Jones, along with two of the police</p><p>officers,</p><p>are coming to the court.</p><p>4. My class consists of 15 girls and seven boys.</p><p>5. Polished until gleaming, I picked up my ring from</p><p>the jeweler.</p><p>6. I walked to work in the morning, ran two miles at</p><p>lunch, and resting at home after work.</p><p>7. I can’t hardly see you hiding in the closet!</p><p>8. As I was walking to school, I saw Jim, who waved at</p><p>me.</p><p>9. I wish you woulda come with us!</p><p>10. I will meet you at eight a.m.</p><p>11. Because I didn’t see you coming.</p><p>12. Neither my cousin nor I see the point in this</p><p>argument.</p><p>13. This is my younger sisters’ doll; I bought it for her</p><p>birthday.</p><p>14. During my interview I told the boss that I had a</p><p>bunch of experience.</p><p>15. My brother swims much better than me.</p><p>16. The president of the club, but not the other officers,</p><p>have special privileges.</p><p>17. I have the report for you, I think it is complete.</p><p>18. One of us are going to be promoted.</p><p>19. He is the less intelligent of the four brothers.</p><p>20. All these boys play a clarinet.</p><p>21. The cast of the play are going over their lines before</p><p>the opening.</p><p>22. Whom are you going to the meeting with?</p><p>23. Anyone who is going with us should pack their</p><p>heaviest clothes.</p><p>112 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>24. I took some picture’s on my business trip to Paris.</p><p>25. I read six books over vacation, which is alot for me!</p><p>26. And where will my office be if I am hired?</p><p>27. 1650 people work in this building.</p><p>28. I saw a beautiful poodle driving to work this morning.</p><p>29. Both Sue and her brother is going with us.</p><p>30. Getting up early, going to work, having an important</p><p>lunch date, going to the gym, having guests for din-</p><p>ner, and reading an hour before going to bed.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Chapter 12</p><p>Commonly Confused Words/</p><p>A Dictionary of Usage</p><p>This chapter contains an alphabetical list of words</p><p>(and word pairs and groups) that are commonly</p><p>confused. Examples are given for correct usage.</p><p>12.1. A Through D</p><p>Advice/Advise: These two words are different parts of</p><p>speech and are pronounced differently. In advice, the c</p><p>has an s sound, and the word is a noun. In advise, the s</p><p>has a z sound, and the word is a verb. Examples:</p><p>I have some good advice for you.</p><p>Could you advise me on this legal matter?</p><p>Affect/Effect: This troublesome pair is the granddaddy</p><p>of troublesome! Once again, these words are different</p><p>parts of speech. Affect is a verb, an action. Effect is a</p><p>noun, a thing. You can put an article in front of effect</p><p>(the effect, an effect). Examples:</p><p>The hot weather has a positive effect on my mood.</p><p>The hot weather affects me and improves my mood.</p><p>Allusion/Illusion: These words are both nouns, but have</p><p>entirely different meanings. An allusion is a reference to</p><p>something; its verb is to allude. An illusion is something</p><p>you see that isn’t there, and there is no verb. Examples:</p><p>He made an allusion to Shakespeare in his speech about</p><p>playwriting.</p><p>The water you sometimes think you see ahead on the</p><p>highway is just an illusion.</p><p>Almost/Most: The general rule: If you can use almost in</p><p>a sentence, use it. Don’t use most. When it is correct</p><p>to use most, almost will not make sense in its place.</p><p>Examples:</p><p>Almost everyone is here by now. (Don’t say most</p><p>everyone.)</p><p>Most of the pizza is gone. (Almost doesn’t make sense</p><p>there, so use most.)</p><p>Already/All ready: Already is an adverb that tells when.</p><p>All ready is an adjective. Examples:</p><p>Is it already time to go?</p><p>I am all ready to go.</p><p>Alright/All right: This one is easy. Always use all right as</p><p>two words. Alright isn’t a word (or is a really slang word,</p><p>so avoid it). Examples:</p><p>Everything will be all right.</p><p>All right. I will go with you.</p><p>Alter/Altar: To alter something is to change it in some</p><p>way. The altar is at church.</p><p>Altogether/All together: Altogether means totally or</p><p>completely. This pair is best shown by example:</p><p>It is altogether too cold for me!</p><p>Let’s sing all together! (Or Let’s all sing together, where</p><p>you split the words.)</p><p>Among/Between: These two words are both preposi-</p><p>tions. Between is used when you are talking about two</p><p>114 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>people or things; among is used when you are referring</p><p>to more than two people or things. Examples:</p><p>Divide the cake between you and your sister.</p><p>Divide the cake among the four of you.</p><p>Anymore/Any more: Anymore is an adverb that tells</p><p>when and means any longer. Any more means addi-</p><p>tional. Anymore is generally referred to in a negative</p><p>sense and sounds wrong when there is no negative in</p><p>the sentence. Examples:</p><p>I can’t find that type of candy anymore. (negative can’t)</p><p>I don’t want any more pasta, thank you.</p><p>I wish I could find that type of candy anymore. (Not cor-</p><p>rect. No negative in the sentence. Sounds very weird to</p><p>me, but I hear people say it.)</p><p>Anyone/Any one: Anyone refers to a person. Any one</p><p>doesn’t necessarily refer to a person, and is generally</p><p>followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with of.</p><p>Examples:</p><p>Anyone can eat the leftover pizza.</p><p>Any one of us can make pizza.</p><p>Anyway/Anyways/Any way: Anyways is not the plural of</p><p>anyway! (Just kidding.) There is no anyways. That goes</p><p>for anywhere, everywhere, and somewhere. There are</p><p>no anywheres, everywheres, or somewheres. And here</p><p>is the difference between anyway and any way:</p><p>I never liked pizza anyway.</p><p>There isn’t any way I would eat pizza with anchovies!</p><p>Bad/Badly: This is a tough one. Bad is an adjective. For</p><p>example: Bad taste, bad dog. Bad describes a noun.</p><p>Badly is an adverb and, as such, describes a verb. For</p><p>example: I did badly, I play tennis badly. Okay, that is</p><p>the easy part. But there is, of course, an exception to</p><p>this rule. When you use certain verbs, called linking</p><p>verbs or being verbs, you use the adjective rather than</p><p>the adverb. These verbs include the verb to be (I am,</p><p>you are, etc.) and the verbs that can sometimes express</p><p>emotions or senses (feel, taste, smell, look, sound). Some</p><p>verbs can be either action verbs (taking an adverb) or</p><p>linking verbs (taking an adjective), depending on how</p><p>they are used. Examples:</p><p>The dog is bad. (but The dog is behaving badly.)</p><p>I feel bad. (If you feel badly, there is something wrong</p><p>with your fingertips.)</p><p>The pizza tastes bad. (Compare to the action meaning of</p><p>taste: I taste sugar in this.)</p><p>This meat smells bad. (Compare to the action meaning</p><p>of smell: I smell chocolate.)</p><p>This dinner looks bad. (Compare to the action meaning</p><p>of looks: I look at the cake.)</p><p>The CD sounds bad. (Compare to the action meaning of</p><p>sound: I sound the horn.)</p><p>Note: It is also proper to say I feel good. However, you</p><p>can also say I feel well (an adverb) because well is accept-</p><p>able as meaning a state of health.</p><p>Bring/Take: These two words go in opposite directions.</p><p>You take something away, but you bring it back.</p><p>By accident/On accident: It has always been by accident,</p><p>but lately I hear young people saying on accident. After</p><p>all, we say on purpose, right? But as far as I know, the</p><p>correct way to say it is by accident.</p><p>Capital/Capitol: Usually the word you want is capital</p><p>with an -al. It is capital letters, and Sacramento is the</p><p>capital of California. Capitol with an -ol is used to refer</p><p>to an actual Capitol building.</p><p>Cite/Site/Sight: Cite is a verb meaning to refer to some-</p><p>thing: She cited my new book in her speech. Site is a</p><p>noun and refers to a place: There was an accident at the</p><p>construction site. Sight is usually a noun, but can also be</p><p>a verb: That is a great sight to see. I can sight the build-</p><p>ing from here.</p><p>Commonly Confused Words 2 115</p><p>Climactic/Climatic: The first one, climactic, comes from</p><p>climax. The second one, climatic, has to do with the</p><p>weather and comes from climate.</p><p>Cloths/Clothes: When I wash the car, I use cloths. When</p><p>I go shopping, I buy clothes. These two words are pro-</p><p>nounced differently. The first has a short o, and ends</p><p>with an s sound. The second word has a long o sound</p><p>and</p><p>An independent clause is the same as</p><p>a. a sentence b. a phrase c. a subject d. an infinitive</p><p>17. Which of the following is a clause?</p><p>a. because I can’t talk on the phone</p><p>b. running down the street</p><p>c. Jack and Jill</p><p>d. going to the movies</p><p>18. Which of these is a complete and correct sentence?</p><p>a. Because I can’t go with you.</p><p>b. Going to the movies.</p><p>c. She ran.</p><p>d. She ran, he walked.</p><p>19. Which one of these is a run-on sentence?</p><p>a. I told you so.</p><p>b. She ran; he walked.</p><p>c. I didn’t go, he did.</p><p>d. Give me the book, and then go to bed.</p><p>20. Which of these is a compound sentence?</p><p>a. Jack and Jill went up the hill.</p><p>b. Jack went up the hill and then fell down.</p><p>c. Jack went up the hill, and Jill fell down.</p><p>d. Jill climbed and climbed up the hill.</p><p>21. Paul and (me, I, myself ) cooked dinner tonight.</p><p>22. Give the tickets to my sister and (me, I, myself ).</p><p>23. (Him and I, He and I, Me and him, He and myself ) loved that movie!</p><p>24. With (who, whom) are you going?</p><p>25. (Who, Whom) are you?</p><p>26. (Who, Whom) did you invite to the party?</p><p>27 . I know (who, whom) you went with.</p><p>28. I love (this, these) kind of apples.</p><p>29. Anyone on the boys’ basketball team can buy (his, their) uniform here.</p><p>30. Either Mary or Jane (is, are) coming with us.</p><p>31. Neither one of them (is, are) here.</p><p>32. Somebody is studying (his, his or her, their) math in the library.</p><p>33. Either the dogs or the cat (is, are) making a mess.</p><p>Pretest 2 7</p><p>34. Which sentence is written clearly?</p><p>a. Bev waved at Carol as she was walking down the street.</p><p>b. As she was walking down the street, Carol waved at Bev.</p><p>c. As Bev was walking down the street, she waved at Carol.</p><p>d. As she was walking down the street, she waved at Bev.</p><p>35. Which sentence is written in passive voice?</p><p>a. He stopped when he reached the corner.</p><p>b. Did you put the groceries away?</p><p>c. This dress was made for me!</p><p>d. I got all the way home before I realized I had lost my keys.</p><p>36. Which sentence has a verb in present perfect tense?</p><p>a. I will tell you a story later.</p><p>b. I had pizza for dinner yesterday.</p><p>c. I went to the movies yesterday.</p><p>d. I have gone to the movies three times this week.</p><p>37. Which sentence is written using correct verb tenses?</p><p>a. I have run last night.</p><p>b. I had run five miles before I fell.</p><p>c. I go to the movies last night, and I see my friends.</p><p>d. She failed the test five times before she finally passed.</p><p>38. Which sentence is written correctly?</p><p>a. I did good on the test.</p><p>b. She looked bad in that dress.</p><p>c. The band played loud.</p><p>d. The steak tasted really badly.</p><p>39. Which sentence is not correct?</p><p>a. I have went to Alaska before.</p><p>b. I have swum in two different oceans.</p><p>c. I have drunk all the milk.</p><p>d. I saw a rainbow this morning.</p><p>40. Which sentence is using subjunctive mood?</p><p>a. I dreamed I was a whale.</p><p>b. If I were rich, I would be really happy.</p><p>c. I wish I was smarter.</p><p>d. They were really happy to see me.</p><p>41. Which sentence is not correct?</p><p>a. The bell rung three times.</p><p>b. I had rung the bell three times.</p><p>c. She shrank my dress in the dryer.</p><p>d. She has fallen into the snow.</p><p>42. Add commas in the correct places in this sentence. There are two commas:</p><p>Mary who had three dogs was a real animal lover.</p><p>8 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>43. Add commas in the correct places in this sentence if any are needed.</p><p>The book that has the old torn cover belongs to me.</p><p>44. Which sentence is not punctuated correctly?</p><p>a. I am going to college next year, my sister is too.</p><p>b. I am going to college next year; my sister is too.</p><p>c. John, Mary and I have finished the exam.</p><p>d. John, Mary, and I have finished the exam.</p><p>45. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?</p><p>a. She said, “I can’t go with you”.</p><p>b. Did she say “I can’t go with you?”</p><p>c. Did she ask, “Can I go with you”?</p><p>d. Did she say that she can’t go with you?</p><p>46. Italics are used for (choose only one):</p><p>a. The titles of songs.</p><p>b. The titles of books.</p><p>c. The titles of newspaper articles.</p><p>d. None of the above.</p><p>47. Colons are used for (choose only one):</p><p>a. Introducing a list.</p><p>b. In the greeting of a business letter.</p><p>c. Introducing a long quotation.</p><p>d. All of the above.</p><p>48. What is the difference between a hyphen and a dash? (choose one)</p><p>a. There is no difference.</p><p>b. Hyphens are used to indicate a break in thought in a sentence.</p><p>c. Hyphens are used in some compound words; dashes are not.</p><p>d. Dashes are used in indexes.</p><p>49. Insert two dashes (—) into the following sentence in the correct places.</p><p>My cat I don’t know how she got there was living in the neighbor’s garage.</p><p>50. Brackets [] are used for (choose one):</p><p>a. Parentheses inside of other parentheses.</p><p>b. Added information to explain a quote.</p><p>c. Neither of these.</p><p>d. Both of these.</p><p>51. Correctly capitalize the following sentence:</p><p>I work at the first national bank in boston.</p><p>52. Correctly capitalize the following sentence:</p><p>out of all the seasons, summer is my favorite.</p><p>53. Correctly capitalize the following sentence:</p><p>I said, “don’t go without me.”</p><p>54. Correctly capitalize the following sentence:</p><p>“take this book,” he said, “and return it to the library.”</p><p>Pretest 2 9</p><p>55. Correctly capitalize the following sentence:</p><p>The title of the movie is once upon a time in rome.</p><p>56. Correctly capitalize the greeting of this letter:</p><p>dear mr. and mrs. foster:</p><p>57. Correctly capitalize the closing of this letter:</p><p>yours truly,</p><p>john jones, jr.</p><p>58. Which sentence is written correctly?</p><p>a. Both Jim and Pete is going.</p><p>b. Jim, along with his friends, are going.</p><p>c. Neither Jim nor Pete is going.</p><p>d. None of them is correct.</p><p>59. Which sentence is written correctly?</p><p>a. Neither the boy nor the girl are going.</p><p>b. Neither the boy nor the girls are going.</p><p>c. Neither the boys nor the girl are going.</p><p>d. They are all correct.</p><p>60. Ted is the (taller, tallest) of the twins.</p><p>61. She is the (less, least) friendly girl in the class.</p><p>62. Which sentence is correct?</p><p>a. She likes pizza more than me.</p><p>b. She likes pizza more than I.</p><p>c. They are both correct.</p><p>d. Neither is correct.</p><p>63. Which sentence is correct?</p><p>a. Freshly painted, my car looked great when I picked it up today.</p><p>b. Freshly painted, I picked my car up from the shop today.</p><p>c. Freshly painted, the shop gave me a great deal on the car.</p><p>d. They are all incorrect.</p><p>64. Which sentence is correctly written?</p><p>a. I read about the earthworm in the science book.</p><p>b. I heard about the hurricane on the news.</p><p>c. I saw the tornado on the news.</p><p>d. None of the sentences is written well.</p><p>65. This is my (sisters, sisters’, sister’s, sister’s’) pair of shoes.</p><p>66. I think this is (James’, James’s, James, James’s’) house.</p><p>67. The bicycle belongs to my (sister’s, sisters’, sisters, sisters’s).</p><p>68. Write the following sentence correctly:</p><p>I like to swim, to fish, and lying in the sun.</p><p>10 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>69. Fix the punctuation in this sentence:</p><p>Mrs. Apple, the president of the company; Mr. Jones, the vice-president; Mr. Green; Ms. Young, Mr. Fox; and I</p><p>are going to the meeting.</p><p>70. In which sentence are the numbers written correctly?</p><p>a. 5 boys were in the class.</p><p>b. Five boys and 3 girls were in the class.</p><p>c. Five boys and three girls were in the class.</p><p>d. 5 boys and 15 girls were in the class.</p><p>71. Which sentence is correct?</p><p>a. I was born on July 1, 1999.</p><p>b. I was born in July, 1999.</p><p>c. I was born July, 1, 1999.</p><p>d. None of them is correct.</p><p>72. Which sentence is correct?</p><p>a. I can’t hardly hear the music.</p><p>b. I can’t barely do this math problem.</p><p>c. I can barely finish this piece of cake.</p><p>d. They are all correct.</p><p>73. Which sentence is correct?</p><p>a. Have you seen my vacation photo’s?</p><p>b. Do you know your ABC ’s?</p><p>c. There are too many A’s in this word.</p><p>d. They are all correct.</p><p>74. Which sentence is written best?</p><p>a. I work at the Beverly Co.</p><p>b. I received a 70 percent on the quiz.</p><p>c. They stole about 50% of my money.</p><p>d. I sell, write reports, check the inventory, etc., and so on, at my job.</p><p>75. Which of the following should</p><p>ends with a z sound.</p><p>Conscience/Conscious: The first hurdle is being able to</p><p>spell these words in the first place! Conscience is a noun,</p><p>and is the thing that gets guilty and tells you that you</p><p>may have done something wrong. Conscious is an adjec-</p><p>tive and means that you are aware.</p><p>Complement/Compliment: If you say something nice to</p><p>me, you are paying me a compliment with an i. If you</p><p>are telling me that my dress brings out the green in my</p><p>eyes, you are telling me that the dress complements my</p><p>eyes—with an e. Complement means to go well together.</p><p>Complimentary with an i means free.</p><p>Continual/Continuous: These words have slightly dif-</p><p>ferent meanings. Continual means happening over and</p><p>over again, usually in rapid succession. Continuous,</p><p>however, means without stopping. Examples:</p><p>We have had continuous rain all day; it hasn’t stopped</p><p>for even a minute.</p><p>The continual snowstorms this year have made clearing</p><p>all the snow really difficult.</p><p>Could of/Would of/Should of: You’re right! These</p><p>are wrong! It is could have, would have, and should</p><p>have! You can use could’ve, should’ve, and would’ve if</p><p>you want, but I don’t really like the contraction when</p><p>the word being shortened is have. Obviously, woulda,</p><p>shoulda, and coulda are unacceptable!</p><p>Criteria/Data: These two words don’t have anything to</p><p>do with one another except for the fact that they are</p><p>actually plural forms. The singular form of criteria is cri-</p><p>terion, and the singular form of data is actually datum.</p><p>When you are talking about one criterion, use the singu-</p><p>lar. If you are taking about more than one, use criteria.</p><p>Sometimes, people will use criteria to mean just one.</p><p>Data, however, is now usually considered to be singular,</p><p>and datum is rarely used. Examples:</p><p>You need to meet one more criterion before you can be</p><p>considered for the promotion.</p><p>These are the four criteria for getting into the advanced</p><p>class.</p><p>The data is in, and it shows that our profit has increased this</p><p>year. (You could say data are, but you probably wouldn’t.)</p><p>Desert/Dessert: There are three of these to confuse.</p><p>There is the sweet one, the dry one, and the lonely one.</p><p>Here they are, used correctly:</p><p>I want chocolate cake for dessert.</p><p>It is too hot for me in the desert.</p><p>If you desert your fellow soldiers, you will be in big trou-</p><p>ble. (Pronounced that same as the sweet one.)</p><p>Different than/Different from: When comparing, use dif-</p><p>ferent from.</p><p>Coke is quite different from Pepsi.</p><p>Discrete/Discreet: Many of us don’t even realize there</p><p>are two different words here, and that they have com-</p><p>pletely different meanings.</p><p>Discreet is the one having to do with keeping a secret.</p><p>Discrete means separate.</p><p>I am telling you this secret because I know you will be</p><p>discreet.</p><p>Please put these folders into three discrete piles by date</p><p>of creation.</p><p>Disinterested/Uninterested: If you don’t like watching</p><p>baseball or football, you are probably uninterested in</p><p>116 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>sports (not interested). If you are judging a competi-</p><p>tion, we hope you are disinterested (impartial, having</p><p>no interest in who wins.)</p><p>I am uninterested in reading about history.</p><p>We need a disinterested person to decide which team</p><p>will go first.</p><p>Dived/Dove: These two words are both perfectly fine</p><p>past tenses of the verb dive. Use whichever you wish,</p><p>but be consistent in the same piece of writing.</p><p>He dove into the pool. He dived into the pool. You</p><p>choose.</p><p>Duel/Dual: The ones with the guns or swords is called a</p><p>duel. The one that simply means two is dual.</p><p>The cowboys decided who was boss with a duel.</p><p>This dual-purpose machine both grinds and brews the</p><p>coffee.</p><p>Practice 91—</p><p>Confusing Words A Through D</p><p>Choose the correct answer:</p><p>1. Everyone, (altogether, all together), let’s sing these</p><p>songs.</p><p>2. Please (bring, take) these books back to the library.</p><p>3. I am sure this happened (by accident, on accident).</p><p>4. The five (criterion, criteria) for qualifying for the job</p><p>are on this list.</p><p>5. I bought some new (cloths, clothes) to wear on</p><p>vacation.</p><p>6. Is everything (alright, all right) over there?</p><p>7. There are (dual, duel) remote controls for the TV, so</p><p>we each can have one.</p><p>8. Do you have any (advice, advise) on what I should do?</p><p>9. What is the (capital, capitol) city of Florida?</p><p>10. I know she won’t tell anyone about this; she is very</p><p>(discrete, discreet).</p><p>11. She made an (allusion, illusion) to Shakespeare in</p><p>her speech.</p><p>12. She (dived, dove) into the ocean from the cliff.</p><p>13. I saw that movie yesterday (anyway, anyways).</p><p>14. She is totally (disinterested, uninterested) in baseball.</p><p>15. She (complemented/complimented) me on my new</p><p>dress.</p><p>16. I have (already, all ready) finished reading this book.</p><p>17. That movie had a real (affect, effect) on me.</p><p>18. I had to (altar, alter) the recipe to make the cake for</p><p>16 people.</p><p>19. We visited the (cite/site/sight) where the movie was</p><p>made.</p><p>20. (Almost, Most) everyone in the class received a</p><p>good grade.</p><p>21. I don’t eat meat much (anymore, any more).</p><p>22. When you come home (bring, take) your jacket with</p><p>you.</p><p>23. The sun (affects, effects) my mood, always cheering</p><p>me up.</p><p>24. Share the pizza (among, between) the three of you.</p><p>25. You (should of, should have) told me you were</p><p>visiting.</p><p>26. The blue dress really (complements, compliments)</p><p>your eyes.</p><p>27. The water you think you see in the distance is just an</p><p>(allusion, illusion).</p><p>28. If you (desert, dessert) your group, you will be in</p><p>trouble.</p><p>29. I feel (bad, badly) about this argument.</p><p>30. The (climatic, climactic) changes in the area have</p><p>meant more rain.</p><p>31. I would (advice, advise) you not to change your</p><p>mind again.</p><p>32. I am (already, all ready) to go.</p><p>33. The two men got their swords ready for a (dual, duel).</p><p>34. We need someone who is (disinterested, uninter-</p><p>ested) in the results to judge the contest.</p><p>35. Please put these essays into three (discreet, discrete)</p><p>piles by class.</p><p>36. Would you like cake or pie for (desert, dessert)?</p><p>37. The water has been running (continuously, continu-</p><p>ally) for an hour in the leaky sink.</p><p>Commonly Confused Words 2 117</p><p>38. After he fell from the roof, I was surprised he was</p><p>(conscious, conscience).</p><p>39. (Anyone, Any one) of you could fix this chair.</p><p>40. Do you want (anymore, any more) pie?</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>12.2. E Through H</p><p>e.g./i.e.: These abbreviations come from Latin.</p><p>e.g. means exempli gratia, or for example.</p><p>i.e., means id est, or that is.</p><p>You can always forget about the abbreviation and just</p><p>spell out that is or for example. Either way, use commas</p><p>before and after the expression.</p><p>Long-haired dogs, e.g., poodles, don’t shed or cause</p><p>allergies. Long-haired dogs, for example, poodles, don’t</p><p>shed.</p><p>The shortest month of the year, i.e., February, has only</p><p>28days. The shortest month of the year, that is, Febru-</p><p>ary, has only 28days.</p><p>etc.: This abbreviation means and the others, not to be</p><p>confused with e.g. or i.e. It is usually used at the end of</p><p>the sentence and is preceded by a comma.</p><p>Music genres include jazz, rock, pop, classical, country,</p><p>rap, etc.</p><p>Earth/earth: Does earth begin with a capital E? Usually</p><p>it does not. The only time you begin earth with a capital</p><p>E is when you are using it in the same sentence or con-</p><p>text with other heavenly bodies that are capitalized. The</p><p>names of the other planets are capitalized, but the sun</p><p>and the moon are not. Examples:</p><p>Recycling is just one of the ways in which we can take</p><p>care of the earth.</p><p>Both Jupiter and Saturn are larger than Earth.</p><p>Emigrate/Immigrate: Emigrate has the prefix e-, which</p><p>means out. So to emigrate means to leave a country. To</p><p>immigrate is to go to a country.</p><p>They emigrated from Russia to the United States.</p><p>They left Russia and immigrated to the United States.</p><p>Eminent/Imminent: These two words are completely</p><p>unrelated. Eminent means well-known or renowned in</p><p>one’s field. Imminent means about to happen.</p><p>Dr. Ray is an eminent scientist in the field of cosmology.</p><p>Looking</p><p>at the dark sky, I would say a storm is imminent.</p><p>Everyone/Every one: Sometimes everyone is one word;</p><p>other times it is two. It depends on how you are using</p><p>it. When it should be two words, you will probably find</p><p>yourself pausing slightly.</p><p>Everyone on the list is coming to the party. (meaning</p><p>everybody)</p><p>Every one of the cakes arrived safely at the party. (mean-</p><p>ing every single one of them)</p><p>Fewer/Less: This pair of words is really not that confus-</p><p>ing. Use fewer with plurals, and use less with singulars</p><p>or things that cannot be counted.</p><p>There are fewer cookies on this plate than on the other</p><p>one.</p><p>There is less cake on this plate.</p><p>Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly, Lastly: As transition words, use</p><p>first, second, third, and last instead of adding the -ly at</p><p>the end. And please don’t use first off.</p><p>First, add sugar. Second, add butter. Third, cream them</p><p>together. Last, add the flour.</p><p>Formally/Formerly: Formally involves tuxedos and gowns</p><p>and is from the word formal. Formerly is what happened</p><p>before, from the word former.</p><p>You need to dress formally for the wedding.</p><p>Jane Smith was formerly known as Jane Mills before she</p><p>got married.</p><p>118 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Former/Latter: If you have mentioned two things, the</p><p>former is the first one you mentioned, and the latter is</p><p>the second.</p><p>I have two dogs, a chihuahua and a great Dane. The for-</p><p>mer is named Tiny, and the latter is named Big Boy.</p><p>Farther/Further: Farther has to do with distance. Further</p><p>means any more.</p><p>I live farther away from the college than you do.</p><p>I cannot talk about this any further today.</p><p>Good/well: Good is an adjective; well is an adverb.</p><p>Adjectives are usually used to describe nouns. Adverbs</p><p>are usually used to describe action verbs. Adjectives,</p><p>however, are used after linking verbs (for example, the</p><p>verbs to be, to look, to taste, to feel, etc.). Note that even</p><p>though it is an adverb, well can be used after the to be</p><p>verb to indicate a state of health. (See example below.)</p><p>He plays tennis well.</p><p>I did well on the test.</p><p>I feel good today.</p><p>That cake looks good.</p><p>I feel well.</p><p>Got/Have: Let’s say my birthday was last week. Let’s say</p><p>I got some gifts. Now I have those gifts. I don’t got them.</p><p>I have something. In the past I had something. Iget</p><p>something. In the past I got it. Got is not a present tense</p><p>verb, so to say I don’t got any isn’t correct. It also sounds</p><p>crummy.</p><p>Hanged/Hung: Let’s say that today I am hanging a pic-</p><p>ture. Yesterday, I hung a picture. Yesterday, I also hung</p><p>the laundry out to dry (Oh, yes, we all have dryers</p><p>these days.) But yesterday, they hanged a man. Hanged</p><p>is used as the past tense of hang only when there is a</p><p>noose involved.</p><p>Healthful/Healthy: If you whip up a wheatgrass and kale</p><p>smoothie (no thanks . . . I’ll pass), you will be healthy.</p><p>However, the smoothie is healthful. People are healthy.</p><p>Dogs too. But when something provides you with good</p><p>health, it is healthful.</p><p>However/Therefore: These are technically not confus-</p><p>ing words as far as when to use them. However, it can</p><p>be confusing to know whether you can put commas</p><p>around these words or whether you need a semicolon</p><p>(or a period). Look at these examples.</p><p>I think, therefore, that I am right and you are wrong.</p><p>I study; therefore, I do well on my tests.</p><p>Here is what you do: take out however or therefore, and</p><p>read the sentence without it. If you have a good sen-</p><p>tence, the comma is fine. However, if you are left with</p><p>a run-on sentence, you need a period or a semicolon.</p><p>In the first example, the commas are fine; the sentence,</p><p>without therefore, reads ... “I think that I am right and</p><p>you are wrong.” In the second sentence, if you take out</p><p>therefore, you get . . . “I study, I do well on my tests.”</p><p>Since that is a run on, you need a semicolon or a period</p><p>before therefore. You can also add a conjunction and</p><p>keep the commas. (I study and, therefore, I do well on</p><p>my tests.)</p><p>Practice 92—</p><p>Confusing Words E Through H</p><p>Choose the correct answer:</p><p>1. I did (good, well) on my exam.</p><p>2. The newborn baby was pronounced (healthful,</p><p>healthy).</p><p>3. Her name is now Mrs. Jackson, but she was (for-</p><p>mally, formerly) known as Ms. Whiting.</p><p>4. Here are the instructions: (First, Firstly), you must</p><p>unplug the appliance.</p><p>5. There are (fewer, less) papers in this pile than in that</p><p>one.</p><p>6. My backpack contains books, folders, binders, (e.g.,</p><p>ect., etc.).</p><p>7. I am sorry, but I don’t (got, have) any spare money.</p><p>Commonly Confused Words 2 119</p><p>8. Yesterday, I (hanged, hung) all the pictures in my</p><p>office.</p><p>9. This breakfast is much more (healthful, healthy)</p><p>than the one you have.</p><p>10. He is ten (period, semicolon, or comma) therefore,</p><p>he is in fifth grade.</p><p>11. (Everyone, Every one) is invited to my party.</p><p>12. I am an author, (e.g., i.e.), I write books.</p><p>13. The planet closest to the sun are Mercury, Venus,</p><p>and (earth, Earth.)</p><p>14. He is dressed (formally, formerly) for the wedding.</p><p>15. The prisoner was (hanged, hung) for committing his</p><p>crimes.</p><p>16. I know (semicolon, comma, period) however, that</p><p>he is coming to visit tonight.</p><p>17. I feel (good, well) about my exercise program.</p><p>18. I live (farther, further) away from my office than I</p><p>used to.</p><p>19. I like pizza, but I hate liver; the (former, latter) tastes</p><p>much better!</p><p>20. My family talks about (emigrating, immigrating) to</p><p>France someday.</p><p>21. I really cannot discuss this any (farther, further).</p><p>22. I would like (everyone, every one) of you to follow</p><p>me.</p><p>23. I love to feel the (Earth, earth) under my feet!</p><p>24. The sky is so dark, I think a storm is (eminent,</p><p>imminent).</p><p>25. I love to read science fiction, (e.g., i.e.,) Brave New</p><p>World, one of my favorite books.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>12.3. I Through L</p><p>I could care less: Yes, this one is still around. Now think</p><p>about it. If you could care less, you care some and you</p><p>probably wouldn’t be talking about this at all. You are</p><p>making the comment because you don’t care at all.</p><p>Therefore, you couldn’t care any less than you already</p><p>care, because you already care zero!</p><p>If/Whether: If is often used when whether should be</p><p>used. If is conditional; whether implies a choice. Here</p><p>are examples:</p><p>If it rains, we won’t go hiking</p><p>I don’t know whether I should go hiking or cycling today.</p><p>(I don’t know if I should go hiking today.)</p><p>When or not appears in the sentence, use whether.</p><p>I don’t know whether I should go or not.</p><p>Into/In To: Usually, there is not a problem with making</p><p>this one word or two. But sometimes, it really matters!</p><p>I turned my car into the shopping mall. This implies that</p><p>some magic was done! (should be in to the shopping</p><p>mall)</p><p>I turned my book into the library. Another magic trick!</p><p>(in to the library)</p><p>Most of the time into as one word will work fine!</p><p>Irregardless: This one is still around too! It is a non-</p><p>standard word, and it is best not to use it. It contains</p><p>two negatives: ir- and -less. The correct word is sim-</p><p>ply regardless. Often followed by of, it means without</p><p>regard to or in spite of.</p><p>We are going regardless of the weather.</p><p>Imply/Infer: These two words are sort of opposites and</p><p>go in different directions. Imply means to suggest or</p><p>hint at something without coming right out and saying</p><p>it. So you might imply by your smile that you are happy.</p><p>Someone looking at you would see your smile and infer</p><p>that you are happy. So implying is sending the informa-</p><p>tion out, and inferring is taking the information in.</p><p>Its/It’s: Most of us know this one by now (?). But if you</p><p>should have a moment of confusion, as we all do, it’s</p><p>easy. All contractions have apostrophes: I’m, can’t, don’t,</p><p>won’t, she’ll, etc. Well, so does it’s! It means it is, short-</p><p>ened to a contraction. So when it’s means it is, it is like</p><p>all other contractions: written with an apostrophe. On</p><p>120 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>the other hand, its without the apostrophe is possessive.</p><p>And like all the other possessive pronouns (yours, ours,</p><p>theirs, his), it has no</p><p>apostrophe.</p><p>Lay/Lie: If you are going to use lay, you need an object.</p><p>In other words, you need to lay something.</p><p>I am going to lie on the sofa.</p><p>I am going to lay my purse on the sofa.</p><p>It gets more confusing in the other tenses:</p><p>Yesterday, I lay on the sofa.</p><p>Yesterday, I laid my purse on the sofa.</p><p>Every day this week, I have lain on the sofa.</p><p>Every day this week, I have laid my purse on the sofa.</p><p>Lead/Led: The only type of lead that has an a in it is the</p><p>lead in your pencil. The verb to lead is spelled led in the</p><p>past tense.</p><p>He leads the band.</p><p>He led the band.</p><p>Leave/Let: This one doesn’t seem to be confused too</p><p>often any longer. To let is to allow. We leave someone</p><p>alone. We don’t let him alone. But you might let him be</p><p>alone.</p><p>Lend/Loan: Technically, lend is a verb and loan is a</p><p>noun. You lend someone money. You give them a loan;</p><p>you don’t loan them money.</p><p>Less /Fewer: Less is used with singular nouns or things</p><p>you cannot count. Fewer is used with plural nouns and</p><p>things you can count.</p><p>I have less money than you do. I have fewer dimes than</p><p>you do.</p><p>I ate less pizza than you did. I ate fewer pieces of pizza</p><p>than you did.</p><p>Libel /Slander: You don’t want to be accused of either</p><p>libel or slander. And you don’t want to be the victim of</p><p>either! Both will ruin your reputation. Libel is writing</p><p>something negative and untrue about someone. Slander</p><p>is speaking it.</p><p>Like/As if: These are both used for comparison. Like is</p><p>used for a simple comparison, usually followed by a</p><p>noun. As if is used when a noun and verb follow.</p><p>She acts like a queen.</p><p>She acts as if she were a queen.</p><p>Lose /Loose: If you lose too much weight, you will lose</p><p>your pants because they will be too loose. Nuff said.</p><p>Practice 93—</p><p>Confusing Words I Through L</p><p>Choose the correct answer:</p><p>1. You look (as if, like) you are angry.</p><p>2. Don’t (lose, loose) your keys again!</p><p>3. From her smile, I can (infer, imply) that she did well</p><p>on the test.</p><p>4. I turned my car (into, in to) the driveway.</p><p>5. I (could, couldn’t) care less if you come with us or</p><p>not.</p><p>6. The dog is (laying, lying) in its new bed.</p><p>7. I don’t know yet (if, whether) I will go to France or</p><p>to Italy on vacation.</p><p>8. He (lead, led) the marching band in the parade.</p><p>9. My dog loves (its, it’s, its’) new sweater.</p><p>10. Please (leave, let) me alone now.</p><p>11. This cash register is for ten items or (fewer, less).</p><p>12. She is dressed (as, like) a princess.</p><p>13. Can you (lend loan) me a few dollars?</p><p>14. I (laid, lay) my blanket on the grass for the picnic.</p><p>15. (Its, it’s, its’) almost three o’clock.</p><p>16. I want to (imply, infer) that I am unhappy with the</p><p>decision.</p><p>17. I have (laid, lain) out in the sun every day this week.</p><p>Commonly Confused Words 2 121</p><p>18. The newspaper article was deleted because it was</p><p>(libelous, slanderous).</p><p>19. She (lay, laid) in the sun all day and got quite a</p><p>sunburn.</p><p>20. I don’t know (if, whether) it is going to rain today.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>12.4. M Through P</p><p>Many/Much: Like fewer and less, one of this pair is for</p><p>countable objects (usually plural nouns) and the other</p><p>for things that can’t be counted (singular).</p><p>I don’t have many pencils (not much pencils), and I don’t</p><p>have much paper.</p><p>May/Might: May implies permission or probability;</p><p>might implies possibility. May and might meaning prob-</p><p>ability/possibility are very close and often interchange-</p><p>able. However, it is accepted that may is used when</p><p>something is more likely to happen than when might</p><p>is used.</p><p>I might go to the play, but I probably will stay home. If</p><p>you had taken the other route, you might have had an</p><p>accident! You may take the rest of the pizza. (I give you</p><p>permission.) You may take the rest of the pizza. (prob-</p><p>able, if you get hungry enough!)</p><p>More Important/More Importantly: More importantly</p><p>is an adverb and used most often as a transition.</p><p>More important is an adjective and usually used in a</p><p>comparison.</p><p>I need to finish the reading for this course. More impor-</p><p>tantly, I need to get started on my project.</p><p>Getting started on my project is more important than</p><p>going to the zoo today.</p><p>Moot/Mute: The point is moot, not mute. Mute means</p><p>unable to talk. Moot means not worth discussing.</p><p>News/Mathematics/Physics and Other Such Singulars:</p><p>Although these words end in -s, they are all singular and</p><p>use singular verbs.</p><p>The news is good. (not are good)</p><p>Physics is a difficult subject for me.</p><p>None is/None are: This one can be tricky. None is one</p><p>of the indefinite pronouns (other indefinite pronouns</p><p>include someone, nobody, several, anything, and many</p><p>more) that can be either singular or plural depending</p><p>upon the noun to which it refers. That noun is often in</p><p>a prepositional phrase that follows:</p><p>None of the cake is gone.</p><p>None of the people are here.</p><p>However, to confuse us more, none is singular when it</p><p>means “not one.”</p><p>None of the cookies has been eaten. (Singular—means</p><p>not one of the cookies has been eaten.)</p><p>The best thing to do is to say not one if that is what you</p><p>mean—and use the singular verb. Otherwise, have the</p><p>verb agree with the noun that is being referred to.</p><p>Only: I love this word, because so much depends upon</p><p>where you put it in the sentence. Only will generally go</p><p>with the word it is closest to:</p><p>Only she punched her friend in the arm. (no one else</p><p>did)</p><p>She only punched her friend in the arm. (she didn’t do</p><p>anything else)</p><p>She punched only her friend in the arm. (no one else)</p><p>She punched her only friend in the arm. (no wonder!)</p><p>She punched her friend only in the arm. (nowhere else)</p><p>She punched her friend in her only arm. (too bad)</p><p>Usually, we don’t make mistakes in sentences like this,</p><p>but there is a common mistake in the position of only:</p><p>We only have five dollars for the movie. (incorrect, but</p><p>understandable)</p><p>We have only five dollars for the movie. (correct)</p><p>Passed/Past: Passed is the past tense of the verb to pass.</p><p>Past is a preposition.</p><p>122 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>We passed the church on our way to school. (verb)</p><p>We went past the church on our way to school.</p><p>(preposition)</p><p>Precede/Proceed: Precede means “to come before”</p><p>something else. Proceed means “to continue along.”</p><p>The rally will precede the game.</p><p>The parade will proceed down Main Street.</p><p>Principal/Principle: There are actually four meanings of</p><p>these words: three of them are spelled principal, and</p><p>only one is spelled principle.</p><p>There is a new principal of the high school. (head of a</p><p>school)</p><p>I need to figure out the principal and interest of my</p><p>mortgage. (financial meaning)</p><p>I received a principal role in the play. (the only adjective</p><p>of the four; means the main one)</p><p>It is against my principles to lie. (rule or ethic)</p><p>Practice 94—</p><p>Confusing Words M Through P</p><p>Choose the correct answer:</p><p>1. You (may, might) have drown when you dove into</p><p>the deep water from the cliff!</p><p>2. There don’t seem to be (many, much) people in the</p><p>audience.</p><p>3. The parade usually (precedes, proceeds) the game.</p><p>4. None of the cake (are, is) gone.</p><p>5. I walk (passed, past) the church on my way to work.</p><p>6. Because she is unable to talk, she is (moot, mute).</p><p>7. He is really intelligent; more (important, impor-</p><p>tantly), he uses his brain!</p><p>8. Yes, of course you (may, might) go with me.</p><p>9. The rules of physics (are, is) confusing to me!</p><p>10. The (principal, principle) rule of the game is to get</p><p>the most fish.</p><p>11. I see the band (preceding, proceeding) down the</p><p>street.</p><p>12. I (passed, past) the slow truck on the road before it</p><p>hit my car.</p><p>13. None of my friends (are, is) going to the movies this</p><p>evening.</p><p>14. Eating meat is against my (principals, principles).</p><p>15. I (only) have (only) ten dollars. (which only is in the</p><p>correct place?)</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>12.5. R and S</p><p>Real/Really: Real is an adjective meaning “true.” It is</p><p>used to describe nouns. Really is an adverb (clue: Most,</p><p>but not all, words ending in -ly are adverbs) meaning</p><p>“to a great extent”; therefore, it is used to describe verbs.</p><p>Is this a real diamond?</p><p>Is</p><p>she really going out with him?</p><p>I did really well. (really describes the adverb well)</p><p>This is really beautiful. (really describes the adjective</p><p>beautiful).</p><p>I did real well. (Incorrect: adjectives don’t describe</p><p>adverbs)</p><p>This is real pretty. (Incorrect ... use really. How pretty?)</p><p>Regretful/Regrettable: Regretful means full of regret.</p><p>Regrettable means to be regretted. People are usually</p><p>regretful, but circumstances are regrettable. Here are</p><p>some examples:</p><p>I am regretful that I didn’t study harder as a kid.</p><p>It is regrettable that I didn’t make better use of my</p><p>education.</p><p>Respectfully/Respectively: These two words are entirely</p><p>different. Respectfully means full of respect. Respec-</p><p>tively means in the order given.</p><p>Please respectfully stand when the national anthem is</p><p>played.</p><p>My favorite colors are blue, green, and red, respectively.</p><p>(Blue, and then green, and then red.)</p><p>Commonly Confused Words 2 123</p><p>Rise/Raise: Refer back to lay and lie for this one. It is the</p><p>same rule. Rise is intransitive and has no direct object.</p><p>However, raise has a direct object. In other words, you</p><p>must raise something:</p><p>Please raise the flag when I give the instructions.</p><p>I watch the sun rise from my balcony every morning.</p><p>Note: The past tense of raise is raised. Past participle</p><p>is has/have raised. The past tense of rise is rose. Past</p><p>participle is has/have risen.</p><p>Say/Tell: Well, although it is difficult to describe, there</p><p>is a difference that is pretty easy for those of us who are</p><p>native English speakers. Saying is like speaking. Telling</p><p>usually involves saying something to someone. Some-</p><p>times say doesn’t have a direct object. Tell generally</p><p>does, and it often has an indirect object as well.</p><p>He told me a story. (He didn’t say me a story. Me is the</p><p>indirect object, and story is the direct object.)</p><p>He said that he was going. (Said doesn’t usually have a</p><p>direct object.)</p><p>Tell me the truth. (Don’t say me the truth. Me is the indi-</p><p>rect object, and truth is the direct object.)</p><p>Shall/Will: Shall is pretty much gone from our language</p><p>except in very formal writing. If you want to use shall,</p><p>use it with first person pronouns only (I, we); use will</p><p>for second (you) and third (he/she/it) person. In cases</p><p>where you want to appear determined or for special</p><p>emphasis, turn it around. Use will for first person and</p><p>shall for second and third person.</p><p>I shall go to the movies. You will go to the movies. He</p><p>will go to the movies.</p><p>I will overcome this obstacle. You shall overcome this</p><p>obstacle. He shall overcome this obstacle.</p><p>For the colloquialism, shall we? (or shall we dance?),</p><p>however, we cannot use will. Imagine saying Will we</p><p>dance? It has an entirely different meaning. Shall we</p><p>dance means Let’s dance.</p><p>Shined/Shone: Both are acceptable past tenses of shine.</p><p>However, shined is often used with a direct object and</p><p>shone is not.</p><p>I shined my shoes.</p><p>The sun shone.</p><p>Sit/Set: These two verbs are like lie/lay and rise/raise.</p><p>One takes a direct object and the other does not. In this</p><p>case, set needs a direct object. You must set something.</p><p>Note also that set is the same in the past tense and the</p><p>past participle (has or have set).</p><p>Set your book down on the table.</p><p>Sit in this chair.</p><p>Sole/Soul: There are several meanings for these words:</p><p>Sole is a fish—I ate fillet of sole.</p><p>Sole is the bottom of your foot—My sole hurts in these</p><p>shoes.</p><p>Sole means alone—She is the sole person living in this</p><p>big house.</p><p>Soul means a person or the spiritual essence of a person:</p><p>Don’t tell a soul! I love you with my heart and soul.</p><p>Sometimes/Sometime/Some Time: These three are all</p><p>different, although slightly.</p><p>Sometimes means some of the time: Sometimes I like to</p><p>eat candy all day.</p><p>Sometime means at some future time: You will have to</p><p>come over to my house sometime soon.</p><p>Some time means just what it says: I have some time to</p><p>spend with you tomorrow afternoon.</p><p>Stationary/Stationery: The one that ends in -ary means</p><p>“standing still.” You remember this by remembering that</p><p>there is an a in place (standing in place). Yes, there is</p><p>also an e in place, but it is silent! The one ending in -ery</p><p>is the pretty paper. (Does anyone use it anymore?)</p><p>I just bought a stationary bike.</p><p>My stationery has pretty pink flowers on it.</p><p>124 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Practice 95—</p><p>Confusing Words R and S</p><p>Choose the correct answer:</p><p>1. I polished my ring until it (shined, shone).</p><p>2. Do you have (some time, sometime) to help me with</p><p>the project?</p><p>3. The answers are 50 and 68, (respectfully, respectively).</p><p>4. It is (real, really) windy out today.</p><p>5. The sun (rised, raised, rose) at 5:30 a.m.</p><p>6. (Set, Sit) your suitcase right here.</p><p>7. Please don’t tell a (sole, soul) about this.</p><p>8. This pretty (stationary stationery) has my initials onit.</p><p>9. (Sometimes, Sometime, Some times) I wish I lived</p><p>closer to you.</p><p>10. You (shall, will) clear your room today!</p><p>11. He is the (sole, soul) person on the airplane!</p><p>12. Can you (say, tell) that word in French?</p><p>13. It is (regretful, regrettable) that you aren’t able to go</p><p>with us.</p><p>14. I signed the letter (“Respectfully, Respectively) yours.”</p><p>15. I am (regrettable, regretful) about what I said to him.</p><p>16. The man (shined, shone) my shoes.</p><p>17. That truck has been (stationary, stationery) since I</p><p>got here.</p><p>18. I am going to (set, sit) my dog in that chair.</p><p>19. Please come and visit me at work (sometime, some</p><p>time).</p><p>20. (Say, Tell) me what you said to her.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>12.6. T Through Z</p><p>Then/Than: Then is an adverb and refers to time. Than is</p><p>used for comparison. Much of the time the wrong one</p><p>indicates a typo.</p><p>Now and then I eat chocolate.</p><p>Chocolate is better than wheatgrass.</p><p>Please remember that then is not a conjunction, and</p><p>you can’t connect sentences with it! (I ate dinner, then I</p><p>watched TV. Wrong!)</p><p>There/Their/They’re: Yes, this one is still sometimes</p><p>written incorrectly!</p><p>There is a place: Go sit over there.</p><p>Their is possessive: I am their mother.</p><p>They’re is a contraction meaning they are. They’re with</p><p>their mother over there.</p><p>These/Those: These and those are plural. So don’t use</p><p>them to describe singular nouns:</p><p>Correct: these kinds of apples / this kind of apple</p><p>Incorrect: these kind of apples</p><p>Titles: Italics or quotes? Do you often wonder whether to</p><p>use italics or quotes when you are writing book titles?</p><p>Here is the general rule: Use italics (or underlining if</p><p>you are writing by hand) for big things. Use quotes for</p><p>parts of those things.</p><p>Italics: Book titles, CD titles, movie titles, magazine and</p><p>newspaper titles, play and opera titles, TV series titles.</p><p>Quotes: Chapter titles, song titles, poem titles, maga-</p><p>zine and newspaper article titles, TV episode titles,</p><p>titles of acts in plays.</p><p>Note that we are not talking about the title on the book</p><p>cover itself. We are talking about what to do with titles</p><p>when we write about them in text.</p><p>To/Too/Two: Yes, this one is still written incorrectly too!</p><p>To is a preposition that tells where: I am going to the</p><p>store.</p><p>Too is an adverb that means either “also” or “overly”:</p><p>Iam going too. This is too salty.</p><p>Two is a number. I have two pencils.</p><p>Note that when you use too at the end of a sentence, you</p><p>don’t need a comma before it, but when you use it in the</p><p>middle of a sentence, it is set off in commas if it means</p><p>also: I, too, am going OR I am going too.</p><p>Toward/Towards: Use either one. They are the same.</p><p>Americans generally drop the s; the British use the s.</p><p>Commonly Confused Words 2 125</p><p>Try and/Try to: The correct phrase is try to.</p><p>I will try to finish the cleaning this morning.</p><p>Warranty/Warrantee: A warranty is the agreement you</p><p>get with an appliance that says it will work or else! A</p><p>warrantee is the person who receives the warranty.</p><p>Weather/Whether: Look out the window. You will see</p><p>the weather. Now you can see whether or not the sun</p><p>is out!</p><p>Whose/Who’s: Whose is possessive. Who’s is a contrac-</p><p>tion that means who is.</p><p>Whose package is this?</p><p>It belongs</p><p>to the man who’s in the front row.</p><p>Your/You’re: Same as whose and who’s. Your is posses-</p><p>sive. You’re is a contraction that means you are.</p><p>Is this your package?</p><p>Yes, you’re correct.</p><p>Practice 96—</p><p>Confusing Words T through Z</p><p>Choose the correct answer:</p><p>1. I prefer (this, these) kind of apples.</p><p>2. Please point the car (toward, towards) the</p><p>intersection.</p><p>3. Do you know (whose, who’s) jacket this is?</p><p>4. I am five inches taller (than, then) my sister.</p><p>5. Are you going (to, too) the play on Saturday?</p><p>6. I just read a book called (“May Day,” May Day).</p><p>7. The box from my new television was missing the</p><p>(warrantee, warranty).</p><p>8. Do you know (weather, whether) or not it is going</p><p>to rain?</p><p>9. Please (try and, try to) come to the party.</p><p>10. Please decide if (your, you’re) coming with us.</p><p>11. Put the books over (their, there).</p><p>12. Water the flowers (comma, semicolon) then sweep</p><p>the walkway.</p><p>13. I love the poem (“In the Spring,” In the Spring).</p><p>14. Is this (your, you’re) pen?</p><p>15. (Who’s, Whose) at the door?</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>126 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Chapter 12 Test</p><p>Confusing Words</p><p>Choose the correct answer:</p><p>1. I spilled the milk (by accident, on accident).</p><p>2. Boston is the (capital, capitol) city of Massachusetts.</p><p>3. Music (affects, effects) my mood and always makes</p><p>me feel good.</p><p>4. He is totally (disinterested, uninterested) in roman-</p><p>tic movies.</p><p>5. It is (regretful, regrettable) that she heard what the</p><p>neighbors said about her.</p><p>6. I got the (principal, principle) role in the play.</p><p>7. If you go to the mall, (bring, take) some lunch back</p><p>with you.</p><p>8. The groom stood at the (altar, alter) of the church,</p><p>waiting for his bride.</p><p>9. I have been riding the (stationary, stationery) bicy-</p><p>cle for 30 minutes.</p><p>10. You can see the two exhaust pipes because the car</p><p>has (dual, duel) exhaust.</p><p>11. She is a school counselor, (e.g., i.e.), she doesn’t teach</p><p>in the classroom.</p><p>12. The six of us worked on fixing the house up (alto-</p><p>gether, all together).</p><p>13. She (cited, sited) a song by the Beatles in her speech.</p><p>14. From his expression, I (infer, imply) that the conver-</p><p>sation didn’t go well.</p><p>15. (Anyone, Any one) of you could do this easily.</p><p>16. This line is for customers with 15 items or (fewer,</p><p>less).</p><p>17. The answers on page 663 are a, a, c, c, and b, (respect-</p><p>fully, respectively).</p><p>18. I love getting (complements, compliments) when I</p><p>wear new clothes.</p><p>19. Have you (already, all ready) seen that movie?</p><p>20. I asked her if everything was (alright, all right).</p><p>21. Recycling helps save the (earth, Earth)!</p><p>22. If you (desert, dessert) your camping team, you will</p><p>face consequences.</p><p>23. I (laid, lay) my book on the counter at the library.</p><p>24. I made an (allusion, illusion) to the President in my</p><p>paper.</p><p>25. I was the (sole, soul) person walking on that street</p><p>last night!</p><p>26. We need someone who is (disinterested, uninter-</p><p>ested) in the results to judge the writing contest.</p><p>27. (Its, It’s, Its’) time to leave for the airport.</p><p>28. I am not going to give you any more (advice, advise)</p><p>if you don’t listen to what I say!</p><p>29. She talks to us (as if, like) she is the boss.</p><p>30. Are you (already, all ready) to go?</p><p>31. The ten (criterion, criteria) for getting a good grade</p><p>on the paper are on this list.</p><p>32. Please be (discreet, discrete), and don’t tell anyone</p><p>about this.</p><p>33. I think (almost, most) everyone is coming to the</p><p>party.</p><p>34. I sing really (bad, badly).</p><p>35. You (could of, could have) stayed with me during</p><p>your visit.</p><p>36. That movie had great special (affects, effects).</p><p>37. I don’t see my cousins too often (any more, anymore).</p><p>38. According to the (principals, principles) I follow, it</p><p>is wrong to lie.</p><p>39. I drive right (passed, past) your house on my way</p><p>to work.</p><p>40. The sauce really (complements, compliments) the</p><p>vegetables.</p><p>41. Who lives (farther, further) away from the airport,</p><p>you or I?</p><p>42. The big rock is (laying, lying) right in my way.</p><p>43. I wrote really (good, well) today.</p><p>44. (Who’s, Whose) knocking on the back door?</p><p>45. I drove (in to, into) the garage.</p><p>46. I would like (everyone, every one) of you to try this.</p><p>Commonly Confused Words 2 127</p><p>47. Please put the towels into three (discreet, discrete)</p><p>piles by color.</p><p>48. I don’t want (any more, anymore) cookies.</p><p>49. She is married now, but she was (formally, formerly)</p><p>known as Miss Jones.</p><p>50. I can’t (lend, loan) you any money until next week.</p><p>51. I love foods such as pizza, spaghetti, and lasagna,</p><p>(e.g., ect., etc., none of them).</p><p>52. I am sorry, but we don’t (got, have) any men’s clothes</p><p>in this store.</p><p>53. I (could, couldn’t) care less if it rains or not.</p><p>54. Spring (precedes, proceeds) summer.</p><p>55. Did you (lose, loose) your keys again?</p><p>56. I heard that the prisoner was (hanged, hung)</p><p>yesterday.</p><p>57. My grandparents (emigrated, immigrated) to the</p><p>United States.</p><p>58. We can talk about this (farther, further) later.</p><p>59. I try to eat foods that are (healthful, healthy).</p><p>60. There is the bird; can you see (its, it’s, its’) beautiful</p><p>feathers?</p><p>61. The water you think you see on the road is often just</p><p>an (allusion, illusion).</p><p>62. You need to dress (formally, formerly) for the prom.</p><p>63. I (hanged, hung) all the decorations.</p><p>64. The planet closest to the sun are Mercury, Venus,</p><p>and (earth, Earth.)</p><p>65. I didn’t mean to (imply, infer) that I am unhappy</p><p>with your actions.</p><p>66. I have (fewer, less) pieces of paper than you do.</p><p>67. The (eminent, imminent) scientist is very well-</p><p>known in the field of astronomy.</p><p>68. I like Jean more than I like Linda; the (former, latter)</p><p>is much nicer!</p><p>69. Please (bring, take) your coat when you go hiking.</p><p>70. He is acting (as, like) a clown.</p><p>71. I love to read poetry, (e.g., i.e.,) Frost and Keats, two</p><p>of my favorite poets.</p><p>72. I don’t know yet (if, whether) I will go to Harvard</p><p>or Yale.</p><p>73. Please don’t tell a (sole, soul) about this.</p><p>74. (Your, You’re) going too fast!</p><p>75. (Set, Sit) your backpack on the table.</p><p>76. He (lead, led) the class in the number of books he</p><p>has read.</p><p>77. I have (laid, lain) out in the sun every day this week.</p><p>78. He was sued because what he said about the mayor</p><p>in his speech was (libelous, slanderous).</p><p>79. None of the cakes (are, is) gone.</p><p>80. I (passed, past) by that same family on my way to</p><p>work today.</p><p>81. I love the song (“Yesterday,” Yesterday).</p><p>82. I (only) made (only) fifty cents at my lemonade stand.</p><p>(which only is in the correct place?)</p><p>83. I prefer (this, these) type of movie.</p><p>84. Please decide if (your, you’re) coming with us.</p><p>85. Please (try and, try to) study harder for the exam.</p><p>86. Do you know (whose, who’s) book is on the floor?</p><p>87. She (lay, laid) in the sun all day and got quite a</p><p>sunburn.</p><p>88. None of my friends (are, is) going to the movies this</p><p>evening.</p><p>89. Do you have (some time, sometime) to fix my com-</p><p>puter today?</p><p>90. Have you read the book (“Story of a Boy,” Story of a</p><p>Boy)?</p><p>91. It has been running (continuously, continually) for</p><p>an hour without stopping for a minute!</p><p>92. Clear your desk before we (precede, proceed) with</p><p>the test.</p><p>93. I signed the letter (“Respectfully, Respectively)</p><p>yours.”</p><p>94. I like fiction better (than, then) nonfiction.</p><p>95. The box from my new television was missing the</p><p>(warrantee, warranty, warrantey).</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Final Test</p><p>Part 1—English Language Basics</p><p>1. Which of these is not considered a part of speech?</p><p>a. interjection b. preposition c. direct object d. noun</p><p>2. Which of these is a preposition?</p><p>a. is b. anyone c. and d. of</p><p>3. Which of these is a verb?</p><p>a. it b. in c. is d. if</p><p>4. Which of these is a conjunction?</p><p>a. ouch b. whom c. it d. but</p><p>5. Every sentence needs a subject and a(n) _________</p><p>a. verb b. noun c. object d. period</p><p>6. After dinner I will play the piano. The subject of this sentence is</p><p>a. dinner b. piano c. I d. play</p><p>7. The simple predicate is the same as</p><p>a. subject b. object c. adjective d. verb</p><p>8. Which of the following is a proper noun?</p><p>a. I b. Jack c. he</p><p>d. everybody</p><p>9. Give the book to Steve. The direct object of the sentence is</p><p>a. Steve b. book c. give d. you</p><p>10. Give the book to Steve. What type of sentence is this?</p><p>a. interrogative b. declarative c. exclamatory d. imperative</p><p>11. Which of these is a prepositional phrase?</p><p>a. into the house b. He went c. locking the door d. to swim</p><p>12. Which of these phrases contains a participle?</p><p>a. to be a farmer b. pass the school c. up the stairs d. frozen food</p><p>13. Which sentence has a participle that makes sense?</p><p>a. Driving down the road, my car broke down.</p><p>b. He read from his book wearing glasses.</p><p>c. Reading a book by the window, my cat fell asleep.</p><p>d. Running down the street, the dog wouldn’t come back.</p><p>14. Which item contains an infinitive?</p><p>a. to go to the store b. running down the street c. while talking d. to the bank</p><p>130 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>15. A clause is a group of words with</p><p>a. a phrase b. two verbs c. a period d. a subject and a verb</p><p>16. An independent clause is the same as a(n)</p><p>a. phrase b. appositive c. infinitive d. sentence</p><p>17. Which of the following is a clause?</p><p>a. after I watch the movie</p><p>b. running down the street</p><p>c. Jack and Jill</p><p>d. before the movie</p><p>18. Which of these is a complete and correct sentence?</p><p>a. Because I can’t go with you.</p><p>b. Going to the movies with my mother and brother.</p><p>c. She ran.</p><p>d. She ran, he walked.</p><p>19. Which one of these is a run-on sentence?</p><p>a. I told you, but you didn’t listen.</p><p>b. She ran; he walked.</p><p>c. I didn’t go, he did.</p><p>d. Give me the book, put the games away, and then go to bed.</p><p>20. Which of these is a compound sentence?</p><p>a. Jack and Jill went up the hill.</p><p>b. Jack went up the hill and then fell down.</p><p>c. Jack went up the hill, and Jill fell down.</p><p>d. Jill climbed and climbed up the hill.</p><p>Part 2—Sentence Correction</p><p>Most of the following sentences have one or more of the grammar, punctuation, usage, or capitalization mistakes</p><p>you learned about in this workbook. Some of the sentences are correct as they are. Find all the mistakes and correct</p><p>them. Also identify the sentences that are already correct.</p><p>21. Jamie, Paul, and myself cooked dinner tonight.</p><p>22. You should of given those candy bars to my sister and me.</p><p>23. Him and I loved that movie, did you like it?</p><p>24. With whom are you going.</p><p>25. Who are you?</p><p>26. Whom did you invite to join my brother and me?</p><p>27. Do you want these kind of pencils or the newer ones?</p><p>28. Anyone whom is on the boy’s soccer team can buy their uniform here.</p><p>29. Neither of my brother’s are coming with us.</p><p>30. Either one of them is able to fix the computer.</p><p>Final Test 2 131</p><p>31. A bunch of students are studying in the library.</p><p>32. Either the dogs or the baby are making a mess.</p><p>33. Joe waved at his friend as he was walking down the street.</p><p>34. The book was read by me, and I really enjoyed it.</p><p>35. I have went to the movies three times this week all ready.</p><p>36. I have baked brownies last night, would you like one?</p><p>37. I did real good on that test, that I thought it was really difficult.</p><p>38. I have drunk all the milk, so I will go to the store to buy more.</p><p>39. If I was taller, I could probably be a model.</p><p>40. I had rung the bell five times, before she answered the door.</p><p>41. The dress, that I am holding, is on sale.</p><p>42. I too, like chocolate.</p><p>43. Jack, Ben, and I are going, but John, Frank, and him are not.</p><p>44. I am going to college next year, my two sisters’ are to.</p><p>45. Did she ask “Can I go with you”?</p><p>46. I think my favorite song is Summertime.</p><p>47. This recipe needs: salt, sugar, flour, milk, three types of chocolate, and four eggs.</p><p>48. She is the mother of a four year old boy who is in the kindergarten class I teach.</p><p>49. My cat-I don’t know how she got there-was living in the neighbors garage.</p><p>50. I read this quote in the newspaper; “Governor Ferry said that these (the new taxes) would help pay for the</p><p>roads to be fixed.</p><p>51. She attends Proctor High school, in Memphis Tennessee.</p><p>52. Out of all the seasons, summer is my favorite.</p><p>53. She said that “the weather should be nice today.”</p><p>54. “Take this book,” he said “And return it to the library.”</p><p>55. The title of the movie is “Where is Mr. Jones”?</p><p>56. Dear Mister Duple,</p><p>I am applying for the Accounting position at Tickner Inc.</p><p>57. Yours Truly,</p><p>John Jones, Jr.</p><p>58. Jim, along with his friends, are going to see a Concert.</p><p>59. All the girls are wearing a long dress to the School Prom.</p><p>60. “Which of your to poodles is tallest,” she asked?</p><p>61. I think this is the least interesting book of the three in the series.</p><p>132 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>62. He likes to swim more than me but I am a better swimmer.</p><p>63. Finally repaired, I picked up my car from the shop today.</p><p>64. She asked me if I read about the earthworm in the science book?</p><p>65. Both of my sisters’ are going, but we aren’t taking either of there cars.</p><p>66. I would’ve gone to Thomas’ house; but he is on vacation.</p><p>67. The motorcycle belongs to her brothers.</p><p>68. After I go to the gym, I will pick up my dry cleaning, and then going to the movies.</p><p>69. I met the following people at my interview: Ann Jones, the company president, the human resources manager,</p><p>Phil Cole, a project manager and a scientist.</p><p>70. Five boys and 6 girls are in the class, this is small.</p><p>71. I was born in June, 1982 in Boston.</p><p>72. I can barely finish this piece of cake anymore.</p><p>73. You put to many a’s in the word accommodate.</p><p>74. They almost stole 75% of my money!</p><p>75. I asked him if he was alright. And I asked him again when he didn’t reply.</p><p>76. This dress is altogether too tight.</p><p>77. After we hanged the pictures on the wall the apartment looked really well.</p><p>78. This notebook has dual functions: it is both a diary and a reminder list.</p><p>79. Bring these bottles back to the store and get some money for them</p><p>80. Do you feel as badly as me about the broken television?</p><p>81. I would appreciate if you would separate these essays into three discreet piles according to grade.</p><p>82. I turned the truck into Benson Drive and went straight from there.</p><p>83. Many people have always emigrated to the U.S. from other countries.</p><p>84. None of the pieces of chocolate cake from dessert is left.</p><p>85. Well, I didn’t want any cake anyways, did you?</p><p>86. We visited the capitol building when we visited the state capitol.</p><p>87. Because she acted like she was a professional actress you could tell she thought she deserved the lead in the</p><p>play.</p><p>88. She is a much better actress than I!</p><p>89. My dog ate all it’s food this morning, which is unusual.</p><p>90. She asked, “Are you going to your graduation?”</p><p>91. The principle rule of the game, is to get the ball in the basket.</p><p>92. The band has been tuning up their instruments for the past hour.</p><p>93. After the storm the rocks were laying all over the road.</p><p>Final Test 2 133</p><p>94. He lead the class in math but he wasn’t very good in english.</p><p>95. I am going to try and get a job in Sales.</p><p>96. “Who’s briefcase is this,” she asked.</p><p>97. If you will precede with this project; I will get started on the next assignment.</p><p>98. Since I live further away from school then you do, I always go passed the mall.</p><p>99. I only have five pencils, and she has even less than me.</p><p>100. If you can loan me 5 dollars, we can bring my sister to the movies.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Appendix A</p><p>Redundancy</p><p>Avoid being redundant and extra wordy in your writing.</p><p>Instead of Use</p><p>2:00 p.m. in the afternoon 2:00 p.m.</p><p>and also and OR also</p><p>(but not both)</p><p>as yet yet</p><p>at this point in time now</p><p>basic essentials essentials</p><p>collaborate together collaborate</p><p>completely unanimous unanimous</p><p>difficult dilemma dilemma (they are</p><p>all difficult!)</p><p>due to the fact that because OR due to</p><p>each and every each OR every</p><p>(but not both)</p><p>end result result</p><p>exactly the same the same</p><p>filled to capacity filled</p><p>final outcome outcome</p><p>for the purpose of to</p><p>I would appreciate if you would please</p><p>in close proximity to near</p><p>in the immediately vicinity of</p><p>near</p><p>Instead of Use</p><p>invited guests guests (guests are</p><p>generally invited)</p><p>it should be noted that notice</p><p>past history history</p><p>personal opinion opinion</p><p>plan ahead plan</p><p>postpone until later postpone</p><p>protest against protest</p><p>refer back refer</p><p>repeat again repeat</p><p>revert back revert</p><p>small in size small</p><p>spell out in detail spell out</p><p>such as ________, etc . use either such as</p><p>OR etc. (not both)</p><p>summarize briefly summarize</p><p>unexpected surprise surprise</p><p>very unique unique</p><p>we made a decision we decided</p><p>with regard to about OR regarding</p><p>136 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>It is important to avoid redundancy, or unnecessary</p><p>repetition, when we write. Redundancy can make writ-</p><p>ing overly wordy and often awkward. Read the follow-</p><p>ing paragraph, and see if you can spot the ten examples</p><p>of redundancy.</p><p>I woke up early because I had a meeting at 7 a.m.</p><p>this morning. It is a good thing I live in close proxim-</p><p>ity to my office, so I didn’t have to leave too early. I</p><p>stopped at Starbucks, which is in the immediate vicin-</p><p>ity of where I work. I am missed if I don’t show up at</p><p>a meeting, since the company is small in size. This</p><p>meeting was about our latest project. We made a</p><p>decision to collaborate together on it for the purpose</p><p>of getting a variety of different ideas. The creativity of</p><p>this company is the reason why I took the job. It is a</p><p>great job, but at this point in time I haven’t gotten a</p><p>raise as yet.</p><p>Did you find them? Here is the same paragraph with the</p><p>redundancy eliminated.</p><p>I woke up early because I had a meeting at 7 a.m.</p><p>It is a good thing I live close to my office, so I didn’t</p><p>have to leave too early. I stopped at Starbucks, which</p><p>is near where I work. I am missed if I don’t show up</p><p>at a meeting, since the company is small. This meet-</p><p>ing was about our latest project. We decided to col-</p><p>laborate on it to get a variety of ideas. The creativity</p><p>of this company is the reason I took the job. It is a</p><p>great job, but I haven’t gotten a raise yet.</p><p>Here are the redundancies that were in the first example:</p><p>1. 7 a.m. is the morning, so we don’t need to also write</p><p>this morning.</p><p>2. Close proximity? Close is enough.</p><p>3. Immediate vicinity means near.</p><p>4. We know small refers to size, so we don’t need to use</p><p>small in size.</p><p>5. Made a decision can be replaced by decided. This</p><p>redundancy is called a “nominalization,” which</p><p>means turning a verb into a noun, thus adding more</p><p>words.</p><p>6. You cannot collaborate unless you work together, so</p><p>together is redundant with collaborate.</p><p>7. Variety implies that the ideas will be different, so we</p><p>don’t need both words.</p><p>8. We can use is the reason or we can use is why, but we</p><p>don’t need to use is the reason why.</p><p>9. At this point in time is not necessary at all. You are</p><p>obviously referring to the present.</p><p>10. You don’t need as yet. Yet is enough.</p><p>It is easy to let these redundancies slip into our writing.</p><p>The best way to avoid them is to be familiar with them</p><p>and proofread your work (or have someone else proof-</p><p>read it) to tighten it up.</p><p>Appendix B</p><p>Commonly Misspelled Words</p><p>A</p><p>absence</p><p>accidentally</p><p>accommodate</p><p>accumulate</p><p>achieve</p><p>acquaintance</p><p>acquire</p><p>across</p><p>address</p><p>advertise</p><p>advice</p><p>amateur</p><p>among</p><p>apparatus</p><p>apparent</p><p>arctic</p><p>argument</p><p>ascend</p><p>athlete</p><p>attendance</p><p>awful</p><p>B</p><p>balance</p><p>basically</p><p>becoming</p><p>before</p><p>beginning</p><p>believe</p><p>benefited</p><p>breathe</p><p>brilliant</p><p>business</p><p>C</p><p>calendar</p><p>careful</p><p>category</p><p>ceiling</p><p>cemetery</p><p>certain</p><p>changeable</p><p>chief</p><p>citizen</p><p>colonel (military rank)</p><p>column</p><p>coming</p><p>committee</p><p>competition</p><p>conceivable</p><p>conscience (the guilty kind)</p><p>conscientious</p><p>conscious (aware)</p><p>controversial</p><p>convenience</p><p>criticize</p><p>D</p><p>decide</p><p>definite</p><p>definitely</p><p>deposit</p><p>describe</p><p>desperate</p><p>develop</p><p>difference</p><p>dilemma</p><p>disappear</p><p>disappoint</p><p>discipline</p><p>dissatisfied</p><p>does</p><p>during</p><p>E</p><p>easily</p><p>eight</p><p>eighth</p><p>either</p><p>eligible</p><p>138 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>embarrass</p><p>eminent</p><p>encouragement</p><p>environment</p><p>equipped</p><p>exaggerate</p><p>excellent</p><p>except</p><p>exercise</p><p>exhilarate</p><p>existence</p><p>expect</p><p>experience</p><p>experiment</p><p>explanation</p><p>F</p><p>familiar</p><p>fascinating</p><p>February</p><p>finally</p><p>foreign</p><p>forty</p><p>forward</p><p>fourth</p><p>friend</p><p>fundamental</p><p>G</p><p>gauge</p><p>generally</p><p>government</p><p>grammar</p><p>grieve</p><p>guarantee</p><p>H</p><p>harass</p><p>height</p><p>heroes</p><p>hindrance</p><p>humerus (arm bone)</p><p>humorous (funny)</p><p>I</p><p>immediately</p><p>incident (something that happens)</p><p>incidence (frequency of something</p><p>happening)</p><p>incidentally</p><p>incredible</p><p>independent</p><p>inoculate</p><p>irresistible</p><p>J</p><p>jewelry</p><p>judgment</p><p>K</p><p>knowledge</p><p>L</p><p>leisure</p><p>liaison</p><p>license</p><p>loneliness</p><p>M</p><p>maintenance</p><p>maneuver</p><p>millennium</p><p>minuscule</p><p>mischievous</p><p>misspell</p><p>N</p><p>necessary</p><p>ninety</p><p>noticeable</p><p>O</p><p>occasionally</p><p>occur</p><p>occurred</p><p>occurrence</p><p>omitted</p><p>optimistic</p><p>P</p><p>parallel</p><p>paralyze</p><p>pastime</p><p>perseverance</p><p>personal</p><p>personnel</p><p>picnicking</p><p>possession</p><p>precede</p><p>precedence</p><p>prejudice</p><p>prevalent</p><p>Commonly Misspelled Words 2 139</p><p>privilege</p><p>proceed</p><p>professor</p><p>pronunciation</p><p>pursue</p><p>Q</p><p>questionnaire</p><p>R</p><p>receive</p><p>recommend</p><p>referring</p><p>relevant</p><p>repetition</p><p>restaurant</p><p>rhyme</p><p>rhythm</p><p>S</p><p>schedule</p><p>seize</p><p>sense</p><p>separate</p><p>sergeant</p><p>severely</p><p>shining</p><p>similar</p><p>sincerely</p><p>sophomore</p><p>specifically</p><p>studying</p><p>succeed</p><p>succession</p><p>T</p><p>temperamental</p><p>tendency</p><p>tragedy</p><p>transferring</p><p>twelfth</p><p>tyranny</p><p>U</p><p>undoubtedly</p><p>unnecessary</p><p>until</p><p>V</p><p>vacuum</p><p>villain</p><p>W</p><p>weird</p><p>whether (or not)</p><p>Appendix C</p><p>Commonly Mispronounced Words</p><p>accessory The first C has a “hard” sound. Say ak-sess-</p><p>or-y, not ass-ess-or-y.</p><p>across There is no T at the end. Do not say a-crost.</p><p>arctic Note the C after the R. Say ark-tik, not ar-tik.</p><p>ask The S comes before the K. Say ask not aks.</p><p>asterisk Notice the second S. Say as-ter-isk, not</p><p>as-ter-ik.</p><p>athlete The word has two syllables, not three. Say</p><p>ath-lete, not ath-uh-lete.</p><p>cache The word is of French origin, but it does not</p><p>end with an accented syllable. Say kash, not ka-shay.</p><p>candidate Notice the first D. Say kan-di-date, not</p><p>kan-i-date.</p><p>cavalry (troops that fight on horseback) Say kav-ul-ry,</p><p>not kal-vuh-ry.</p><p>chaos Say kay-os, not tchay-os.</p><p>clothes Notice the TH spelling and sound. Say klothz,</p><p>not kloz.</p><p>daïs (a raised platform) The word is often misspelled</p><p>as well as mispronounced. Say day-is not dī-is.</p><p>dilate The word has two syllables, not three. Say di-</p><p>late, not di-a-late.</p><p>drowned This is the past participle form of the verb</p><p>drown. Say drownd, not drown-ded.</p><p>et cetera This Latin term is often mispronounced and</p><p>its abbreviation is frequently misspelled. Say et cet-er-a,</p><p>not ex cet-er-a. For the abbreviation, write etc., not ect.</p><p>February The spelling calls for feb-roo-ar-y, not</p><p>feb-u-ar-y.</p><p>foliage The word has three syllables. Say fo-li-uj, not</p><p>fol-uj or foil-uj.</p><p>forte The Italian word, a musical term meaning “loud,”</p><p>is pronounced with two syllables: for-tay. The French</p><p>word, an adjective meaning “strength” or “strong point,”</p><p>is pronounced with one syllable: fort.</p><p>Halloween Say hal-o-ween, not hol-lo-ween.</p><p>height The word ends in a T sound, not a TH sound.</p><p>Say hite, not hith.</p><p>heinous Say hay-nus, not heen-i-us.</p><p>hierarchy The word has four syllables. Say hi-er-ar-</p><p>ky, not hi-ar-ky.</p><p>Illinois As with Arkansas, the final S in Illinois is not</p><p>pronounced. Say il-i-noy, not il-li-noiz.</p><p>interpret The word has three syllables. Don’t add</p><p>one! Say in-ter-pret, not in-ter-pre-tate (or in-ter-pert).</p><p>jewelry The word has three syllables. Say jew-el-ry,</p><p>not jew-el-er-y or jewl-ry.</p><p>library Say li-brar-y, not li-ber-ry.</p><p>medieval The word has four syllables. The first E may</p><p>be pronounced either short (med) or long (meed). Say</p><p>med-ee-ee-val or mee-dee-ee-val, not mid-eval.</p><p>miniature The word has four syllables. Say min-i-a-</p><p>ture, not min-a-ture.</p><p>mischievous The word has three syllables with the</p><p>accent on the first syllable: mis-chi-vus. Don’t say mis-</p><p>chee-vee-us. Please.</p><p>niche Say neesh, not nitch.</p><p>old-fashioned Don’t leave off the ED. Say old-fash-</p><p>iond, not old-fashion.</p><p>orient This word has three syllables. Say or-i-ent, not</p><p>or-i-en-tate.</p><p>picture There’s a</p><p>K sound in picture. Don’t confuse</p><p>picture with pitcher. Say pik-ture, not pitch-er.</p><p>142 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>precipitation Say pre-cip-i-ta-tion, not per-cip-i-ta-tion.</p><p>prescription Note the prefix PRE in this word. Say</p><p>pre-scrip-tion, not per-scrip-tion or pro-scrip-tion.</p><p>preventive The word has three syllables. Say pre-ven-</p><p>tive/, not pre-ven-ta-tive.</p><p>probably This word as three syllables. Say prob-ab-ly,</p><p>not prob-ly.</p><p>pronunciation This word is a noun. It comes from</p><p>the verb pronounce, BUT it is not pronounced like the</p><p>verb. Say pro-nun-ci-a-tion, not pro-nounce-i-a-tion.</p><p>prostate This is the word for a male gland. Say pros-</p><p>tate, not pros-trate (which means lying down).</p><p>realtor Say re-al-tor, not re-a-la-tor or ree-la-tor.</p><p>recur Do not say reoccur.</p><p>sherbet The word has only one r in it. Say sher-bet</p><p>not sher-bert.</p><p>supposedly Do not say supposably.</p><p>ticklish The word has two syllables. Say tik-lish, not</p><p>tik-i-lish.</p><p>undoubtedly Do not say undoubtably</p><p>vehicle Although there is an H in the word, don’t pro-</p><p>nounce it. Say vee-ikl, not vee-hikl.</p><p>wintry The word has two syllables. Say win-try, not</p><p>win-ter-y.</p><p>Appendix D</p><p>Common Prefixes, Suffixes, and Word Roots</p><p>Prefixes, suffixes, and word roots are parts of words</p><p>that carry a specific meaning. They help you to fig-</p><p>ure out the meaning of a word you may not know. Pre-</p><p>fixes are added to the beginning of a word. Suffixes are</p><p>added to the end of a word. Roots can be anywhere in</p><p>the word, and are generally the main part of the word.</p><p>For example:</p><p>The prefix pre- means before.</p><p>Preheat the oven—heat up the oven before you put</p><p>something into it.</p><p>Suffixes usually don’t give much clue to the meaning</p><p>of a word. They usually change the part of speech. The</p><p>suffix -ful means full of, so adding -ful to beauty makes</p><p>the word beautiful, or full of beauty. It also changes the</p><p>word from a noun to an adjective. The suffix -ize means</p><p>to become. Add -ize to modern and you get modern-</p><p>ize, to become modern. That suffix changes words from</p><p>adjectives to verbs.</p><p>Let’s see an example with roots. Some words have more</p><p>than one root in them, and one may be at the beginning,</p><p>functioning as more of a prefix. Look at the word auto-</p><p>biography. Let’s break it apart:</p><p>auto means self.</p><p>bio means life.</p><p>graph means writing.</p><p>What is an autobiography? A writing about someone’s</p><p>life written by oneself.</p><p>Knowing roots and prefixes can improve your vocabu-</p><p>lary. Here are some common prefixes and roots, their</p><p>meanings, and sample words.</p><p>Prefix Meaning Sample Word</p><p>a/ab away from absent</p><p>ad toward advance</p><p>ante before antebellum</p><p>(before the war)</p><p>anti against anti-war</p><p>auto self automobile</p><p>bene good benefit</p><p>bi two bicycle</p><p>co together cooperate</p><p>contr against contradict</p><p>circum around circumference</p><p>de reverse, remove decompose</p><p>dec ten decade</p><p>dis opposite of distrust</p><p>dys bad dysfunction</p><p>du, duo two duet</p><p>ex/e out exhale</p><p>hyper over hyperactive</p><p>hypo under hypotension</p><p>in/ir/il not illegal</p><p>macro large macroeconomics</p><p>mal bad malfunction</p><p>micro small microscopic</p><p>milli thousand millipede</p><p>mis wrong misspell</p><p>144 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>multi many multimillionaire</p><p>non not nonfat</p><p>octa eight octagon</p><p>poly many polygon</p><p>post after postpone</p><p>pre before pregame</p><p>pro forward project</p><p>pseudo false pseudonym</p><p>quadr four quadruplets</p><p>re again redo</p><p>sub under submarine</p><p>super above/more than superhero</p><p>tele far away telescope</p><p>trans across transport</p><p>tri three triple</p><p>un not unnecessary</p><p>Root Meaning Sample Word</p><p>amphi/ambi both ways amphibian,</p><p>ambidextrous</p><p>anthro human anthropology</p><p>aqua water aquarium</p><p>aud/audit hear audience</p><p>biblio book bibliography</p><p>bio life biology</p><p>cent one hundred centipede</p><p>chrome color chromatic</p><p>chrono time chronological</p><p>cogn know recognize</p><p>cracy government democracy</p><p>demo people democracy</p><p>dia across/through diagonal</p><p>dict speak dictate</p><p>flect, flex bend, turn flexible</p><p>fract/frag break fracture, fragment</p><p>geo earth geography</p><p>grad/gress by steps gradual, progress</p><p>graph/gram write telegram</p><p>hetero different heterogeneous</p><p>homo same homonym</p><p>hydro water hydrate</p><p>init beginning initial</p><p>ject throw project</p><p>jus/jud/jur law/right justice, judge, jury</p><p>logy science, study of biology</p><p>mag great magnify</p><p>man hand manicure</p><p>mater mother maternal</p><p>meter measure centimeter</p><p>mis/mit send transmit</p><p>mono alone/one monotone</p><p>mort death mortal</p><p>omni all omnivore</p><p>opt sight, eye optical</p><p>ortho straight orthodontist</p><p>pater father paternal</p><p>patho suffering, feeling sympathy</p><p>ped/pod foot pedal, tripod</p><p>peri around perimeter</p><p>phob fear arachnophobia</p><p>phon sound telephone</p><p>photo light photosynthesis</p><p>phys nature physical</p><p>port carry transport</p><p>prim/princ first primary, princess</p><p>psych mind/soul psychology</p><p>Common Prefixes, Suffixes, and Word Roots 2 145</p><p>quer/quis/ques seek query, question</p><p>scope see telescope</p><p>scribe/script write manuscript</p><p>stat stand statue</p><p>strict tighten restrict</p><p>syn, sym together synonym,</p><p>symbiotic</p><p>terr land terrace</p><p>theo God monotheism</p><p>thermo heat thermometer</p><p>var different varied</p><p>vers, vert turn reverse</p><p>viv/vit live survive</p><p>Appendix E</p><p>Writing Tips</p><p>1. NO run ons. When you come to the end of a com-</p><p>plete thought, put a comma and a conjunction, or a</p><p>period, or a semicolon—not just a comma.</p><p>2. Do not start a sentence with and, but, or so.</p><p>3. Avoid singular indefinites by rewriting (none, any-</p><p>one, everyone, etc.). They cause confusion with the</p><p>singular verb and having to use his or her.</p><p>4. Avoid weak verbs like is and has. Also avoid the con-</p><p>struction there is...</p><p>5. Avoid it unless it is clear to what it refers!</p><p>6. Say things in a brief manner.</p><p>7. Short words actually have more PUNCH than long</p><p>words, especially at the end of a sentence, where</p><p>words get more emphasis.</p><p>8. Write in the positive rather than the negative.</p><p>9. Subject/verb/object should be placed fairly close</p><p>together without a lot of words in between them.</p><p>Move words between them to the beginning of the</p><p>sentence, or give them a sentence of their own.</p><p>10. Make a sentence subject something that has been</p><p>referred to already in the paragraph, so the reader is</p><p>familiar with it.</p><p>11. Start most (⅔) of your sentences with the subject.</p><p>12. Don’t use compound subjects and compound verbs</p><p>together.</p><p>13. Use parallel form.</p><p>14. Avoid using too many contractions. Write out</p><p>abbreviations in most cases. Do not use slang or</p><p>dead words.</p><p>15. Mix long and short sentences.</p><p>Appendix F</p><p>Glossary</p><p>Abstract noun A noun that you cannot see, hear,</p><p>touch, taste, or smell. Examples: happiness, thought.</p><p>Active voice Writing in which the subject of the sen-</p><p>tence is performing the action of the verb. Example: She</p><p>drove the car.</p><p>Adjective One of the eight parts of speech. An adjec-</p><p>tive describes a noun or another adjective and usually</p><p>tells what kind or how many. Examples: purple, pretty.</p><p>Adverb One of the eight parts of speech. An adverb</p><p>describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb and</p><p>usually tells how, when, or to what extent. Examples:</p><p>slowly, very, now.</p><p>Agreement The rule that singular subjects go with</p><p>singular verbs, plural subjects go with plural verbs, sin-</p><p>gular pronouns go with singular antecedents, and plu-</p><p>ral pronouns go with plural antecedents.</p><p>Antecedent A pronoun stands in for a noun. That</p><p>noun is called its antecedent. Example: Mary brought</p><p>her book.</p><p>Appositive A phrase that adds more information to a</p><p>noun or pronoun. Example: Ben, my older brother, is</p><p>twelve years old.</p><p>Article The words a, an, and the. They are adjectives.</p><p>Clause A group of words that has a subject and a</p><p>verb. Example: That book, which I read last night, is</p><p>a mystery.</p><p>Collective noun A noun that even in its singular</p><p>form represents a group. Examples: group, flock, bunch,</p><p>herd.</p><p>Common noun A person, place, or thing that does</p><p>not begin with a capital letter. Examples: boy, dog,</p><p>house, radio.</p><p>Comparative The adjective or adverb form that is</p><p>used when comparing two things, the -er or more form.</p><p>Examples: taller of the two girls, more fun than the</p><p>other game.</p><p>Complex sentence A sentence with one or more sub-</p><p>ordinate clauses and one independent clause. Example:</p><p>Although I am tired (subordinate), I will go with you</p><p>(independent).</p><p>Compound sentence A sentence with two or more</p><p>independent clauses. Example: I am tired, but I will</p><p>go with you.</p><p>Compound-complex sentence A sentence with one</p><p>or more subordinate clauses and two or more indepen-</p><p>dent clauses. Example: Although I am tired (subordi-</p><p>nate), I will go with you (independent) and I will have</p><p>fun (independent).</p><p>Concrete noun A person, place, or thing you can see,</p><p>hear, feel, taste, and/or smell. Examples: desk, teacher,</p><p>computer.</p><p>Dash (– en, — em) The en dash is used for ranges of</p><p>numbers and minus signs. The em dash is used for a</p><p>break in thought in a sentence.</p><p>Demonstrative pronoun The pronouns that are used</p><p>to point out: this, that, these, and those.</p><p>Direct object A noun or pronoun that generally</p><p>comes after the verb and receives its action. Example:</p><p>I threw the ball.</p><p>Double negative The use of two negatives, which</p><p>makes it a positive and is grammatically incorrect.</p><p>Examples: I don’t have no paper. I am not hardly ready.</p><p>Fragment A group of words that is intended to be a</p><p>sentence, but instead is an incomplete thought. Exam-</p><p>ple: Because I said so.</p><p>Gerund A verb form ending in -ing that is used as a</p><p>noun rather than a verb. Example: Reading is my favor-</p><p>ite hobby.</p><p>150 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Indefinite pronoun Pronouns such as anyone, any-</p><p>thing, anybody, everyone, everything, everybody, some-</p><p>one, something, someone, none, few, and all. Most, but</p><p>not all, of these pronouns are singular.</p><p>Independent clause A sentence or complete thought.</p><p>Indirect object Noun or pronoun that receives the</p><p>direct object in a sentence. Example: He gave me the</p><p>map.</p><p>Infinitive A verb preceded by the word to. Example:</p><p>to run.</p><p>Intensive pronoun A pronoun that ends in -self or</p><p>-selves. Example: I myself baked that cake.</p><p>Interjection One of the eight parts of speech: a word</p><p>that expresses emotion. Example: ouch! wow! oh!</p><p>Interrogative pronoun The pronouns that are used</p><p>to ask questions: which, who, whom, whose, and what.</p><p>Irregular verb A verb that does not form its past</p><p>tense with the addition of -ed. Examples: run (ran), see</p><p>(saw), sit (sat).</p><p>Italics Tilted letters in print. You cannot write by</p><p>hand in italics.</p><p>Linking verb A verb that functions as an equal sign</p><p>in a sentence, where both sides of the verb are equal.</p><p>The most common linking verb is to be (am, are, is).</p><p>Example: He is a boy.</p><p>Lowercase Another word for small letters, as opposed</p><p>to capital letters (uppercase).</p><p>Noun One of the eight parts of speech: a person, place,</p><p>thing, or idea. Examples: car, dog, city, sofa, thought.</p><p>Objective case The pronoun forms that are used as</p><p>direct and indirect objects, and objects of a preposition.</p><p>They are me, us, her, him, them, and whom.</p><p>Participle A verb form, usually the past tense or -ing</p><p>form, that is used as an adjective. Example: I drove past</p><p>the burning building.</p><p>Passive voice Grammatical construction where the</p><p>subject of the sentence is not performing the action of</p><p>the verb. Example: I was driven to school.</p><p>Phrase A small group of related words that does not</p><p>contain both a subject and a verb. Examples: in the sun,</p><p>jumping constantly.</p><p>Possessive A form of a noun or pronoun that shows</p><p>ownership. Examples: hers, Susan’s, the children’s.</p><p>Predicate The simple predicate is the verb in the sen-</p><p>tence. The complete predicate is the entire sentence</p><p>except the subject.</p><p>Preposition One of the eight parts of speech. A prep-</p><p>osition is always the first word in a prepositional phrase.</p><p>The phrase usually tells where or when. Examples: in</p><p>the box, after the party.</p><p>Pronoun One of the eight parts of speech. A pronoun</p><p>takes the place of a noun. Examples: She, this, who,</p><p>someone, I.</p><p>Proper noun A noun that names a particular per-</p><p>son, place, thing, or idea and begins with a capital letter.</p><p>Examples: John, Texas, Pacific Ocean, Buddhism.</p><p>Punctuation marks The symbols that make text</p><p>readable by telling the reader when to stop or pause.</p><p>Examples: periods, commas, colons, semicolons, quo-</p><p>tation marks, dashes, hyphens, parentheses.</p><p>Reflexive pronoun A pronoun that ends in -self or</p><p>-selves. Example: I made this pie myself.</p><p>Relative pronoun A pronoun that begins an adjec-</p><p>tive clause. They are that, which, who, whom, and whose.</p><p>Examples: This is the dress that I just bought. My neigh-</p><p>bor, who lives next door, is from Italy.</p><p>Run-on sentence Two sentences with either no</p><p>punctuation or a comma separating them. There needs</p><p>to be either a period or semicolon separating them, or</p><p>a conjunction added after the comma. Example: The</p><p>flower is pink, it is very pretty.</p><p>Simple sentence A sentence that consists of just one</p><p>independent clause. Example: Jack and I went to the</p><p>movies.</p><p>Subject Noun or pronoun that the sentence is about.</p><p>The subject generally performs the action of the verb.</p><p>Examples: She saw the art exhibit. The dog bit the</p><p>young child.</p><p>Subordinate clause (dependent) A clause (group of</p><p>words with a subject and a verb) that is not a complete</p><p>thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence. Example:</p><p>although I received my driver’s license.</p><p>Glossary 2 151</p><p>Superlative The adjective or adverb form that is used</p><p>when comparing more than two things, the -est or most</p><p>form. Examples: tallest of all the girls, the most fun of</p><p>the three games.</p><p>Tense Form of a verb that tells when the action was</p><p>done. The most common tenses are past, present, and</p><p>future. Examples: I walk, I walked, I will walk.</p><p>Uppercase Another word for capital letters, as</p><p>opposed to small letters (lowercase).</p><p>Verb One of the eight parts of speech. Every sentence</p><p>needs at least one verb. Represents action or a state of</p><p>being. Examples: run, talk, cook, is, looks.</p><p>Voice Active or passive. Tells whether the subject</p><p>performs the action of the verb or not. Examples: She</p><p>baked a cake (active voice). A cake was baked by her</p><p>(passive voice).</p><p>Appendix G</p><p>Answers to Practices and Chapter Tests</p><p>Pretest</p><p>1. b. subject</p><p>2. c. and</p><p>3. c. is</p><p>4. a. ouch</p><p>5. c. verb</p><p>6. a. I</p><p>7. b. verb</p><p>8. b. Jack</p><p>9. b. book</p><p>10. d. imperative</p><p>11. a. into the house</p><p>12. b. singing loudly</p><p>13. d. Running down the street, the dog wouldn’t come</p><p>back.</p><p>14. a. to go to the store</p><p>15. d. a subject and a verb</p><p>16. a. sentence</p><p>17. a. because I can’t talk on the phone</p><p>18. c. She ran.</p><p>19. c. I didn’t go, he did.</p><p>20. c. Jack went up the hill, and Jill fell down.</p><p>21. I</p><p>22. me</p><p>23. He and I</p><p>24. whom</p><p>25. Who</p><p>26. Whom</p><p>27. who</p><p>28. this</p><p>29. his (Their is also acceptable in some style guides.)</p><p>30. is</p><p>31. is</p><p>32. his or her. (Their is also acceptable in some style</p><p>guides.)</p><p>33. is</p><p>34. c. As Bev was walking down the street, she waved</p><p>at Carol.</p><p>35. c. This dress was made for me!</p><p>36. d. I have gone to the movies three times this week.</p><p>37. b. I had run five miles before I fell.</p><p>38. b. She looked bad in that dress.</p><p>39. a. I have went to Alaska before.</p><p>40. b. If I were rich, I would be really happy.</p><p>41. a. The bell rung three times.</p><p>42. Mary, who had three dogs, was a real animal lover.</p><p>43. The book that has the old, torn cover belongs to me.</p><p>44. a. I am going to college next year, my sister is too.</p><p>45. d. Did she say that she can’t go with you?</p><p>46. b. The titles of books.</p><p>47. d. All of the above.</p><p>48. c. Hyphens are used in some compound words;</p><p>dashes are not.</p><p>49. My cat—I don’t know how she got there—was living</p><p>in the neighbor’s garage.</p><p>50. d. Both of these.</p><p>51. I work at the First National Bank in Boston.</p><p>52. Out of all the seasons, summer is my favorite.</p><p>53. I said, “Don’t go without me.”</p><p>54. “Take this book,” he said, “and return it to the library.”</p><p>55. The title of the movie is Once upon a Time in Rome.</p><p>56. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Foster:</p><p>154 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>57. Yours truly,</p><p>John Jones, Jr.</p><p>58. c. Neither Jim nor Pete is going.</p><p>59.</p><p>b. Neither the boy nor the girls are going.</p><p>60. taller</p><p>61. least</p><p>62. b. She likes pizza more than I.</p><p>63. a. Freshly painted, my car looked great when I</p><p>picked it up today.</p><p>64. d. None of the sentences is written well.</p><p>65. sister’s</p><p>66. James’s</p><p>67. sisters</p><p>68. I like to swim, to fish, and to lie in the sun.</p><p>69. Mrs. Apple, the president of the company; Mr. Jones,</p><p>the vice-president; Mr. Green; Ms. Young; Mr. Fox;</p><p>and I are going to the meeting. (Just change the</p><p>comma after Ms. Young to a semicolon.)</p><p>70. c. Five boys and three girls were in the class.</p><p>71. a. I was born on July 1, 1999.</p><p>72. c. I can barely finish this piece of cake.</p><p>73. c. There are too many A’s in this word.</p><p>74. b. I received a 70 percent on the quiz.</p><p>75. d. Separate two sentences with a comma and no</p><p>conjunction.</p><p>76. all right</p><p>77. hung</p><p>78. dual</p><p>79. Take</p><p>80. bad</p><p>81. discreet</p><p>82. in to</p><p>83. emigrated</p><p>84. dessert</p><p>85. anyway</p><p>86. capital</p><p>87. as if</p><p>88. than</p><p>89. it’s</p><p>90. your</p><p>91. principal</p><p>92. their</p><p>93. lay</p><p>94. led</p><p>95. Try to</p><p>96. whose</p><p>97. precede</p><p>98. past</p><p>99. fewer</p><p>100. lend</p><p>Chapter 1</p><p>Practice 1—Recognizing Nouns</p><p>1. cake, brother</p><p>2. idea, place</p><p>3. stamps, hobby, scrapbooks, photos</p><p>4. department, meetings, month.</p><p>5. award, happiness.</p><p>Practice 2—Recognizing Types of Nouns</p><p>1. New York City</p><p>2. soil</p><p>3. rules</p><p>4. band</p><p>5. Bob, Ireland, Buddhism</p><p>6. idea, sadness, Christianity, hunger</p><p>7. group, committee, tribe, bunch, collection</p><p>Practice 3—Pronouns and Antecedents</p><p>1. June</p><p>2. cake</p><p>3. They</p><p>4. lessons</p><p>5. Bob</p><p>Practice 4—Personal Pronouns</p><p>1. I, him, I</p><p>Answers 2 155</p><p>2. My, me, my</p><p>3. We, our</p><p>4. I, it</p><p>5. your, we</p><p>Practice 5—Demonstrative Pronouns</p><p>1. This is new.</p><p>2. I want some of those.</p><p>3. Please take some of these.</p><p>Practice 6—Interrogative Pronouns</p><p>1. None</p><p>2. Whom</p><p>3. None. Sentence isn’t a question.</p><p>4. Which</p><p>5. None</p><p>6. who, whom, whose, which, what</p><p>Practice 7—Relative Pronouns</p><p>1. that</p><p>2. who</p><p>3. whose</p><p>4. whom</p><p>Practice 8—Intensive/Reflexive Pronouns</p><p>1. myself</p><p>2. herself</p><p>3. himself</p><p>4. yourself</p><p>5. himself</p><p>Practice 9—Indefinite Pronouns</p><p>1. something</p><p>2. anyone</p><p>3. Everyone (some is an adjective)</p><p>4. All, most</p><p>5. None</p><p>6. None</p><p>7. nothing</p><p>8. anything</p><p>Practice 10—Pronoun Review</p><p>1. you—personal, I—personal, him—personal</p><p>2. which—interrogative, you—personal, I—personal</p><p>3. this—demonstrative, that—relative, I—personal</p><p>4. they—personal, something—indefinite,</p><p>themselves—reflexive/intensive</p><p>5. I—personal, anything—indefinite, that—</p><p>demonstrative</p><p>6. you—personal, someone—indefinite, this—</p><p>demonstrative</p><p>Practice 11—Action Verbs</p><p>1. threw, caught</p><p>2. know</p><p>3. jumped, ate</p><p>4. wonder, likes</p><p>5. Tell</p><p>Practice 12—Linking Verbs</p><p>1. am</p><p>2. tastes</p><p>3. seems</p><p>4. None</p><p>5. is</p><p>Practice 13—Action and Linking Verbs</p><p>1. are—linking, is—linking</p><p>2. clean—action, mow—action</p><p>3. think—action, is—linking</p><p>4. is—linking, will (not) fit—action</p><p>5. shop—action, clean—action, visit—action</p><p>Practice 14—Tenses</p><p>1. have gone (or have been going—progressive)</p><p>2. will bake (or will be baking—progressive)</p><p>156 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>3. had gone (or had been going—progressive)</p><p>4. will have taken (or will have been taking—progressive)</p><p>5. studied (or was studying—progressive)</p><p>6. plays (or is playing—progressive)</p><p>Practice 15—Regular Verbs</p><p>1. rained</p><p>2. washed</p><p>3. studied</p><p>4. played</p><p>5. graduated</p><p>Practice 16—Active and Passive Voice</p><p>1. active</p><p>2. passive</p><p>3. active</p><p>4. active</p><p>5. active</p><p>6. passive</p><p>7. active</p><p>8. active</p><p>9. passive</p><p>10. active</p><p>Practice 17—Transitive and Intransitive Verbs</p><p>1. transitive (direct object: chess)</p><p>2. intransitive</p><p>3. transitive (direct object: suit)</p><p>4. transitive (direct object: cat)</p><p>5. transitive (direct object: report)</p><p>Practice 18—Adjectives</p><p>1. three, one, younger</p><p>2. the, tall, the</p><p>3. this, that, the</p><p>4. these, two, good</p><p>5. a, fabulous, Thanksgiving</p><p>Practice 19—Adverbs</p><p>1. quietly</p><p>2. soon</p><p>3. slowly</p><p>4. too</p><p>5. tenderly, softly</p><p>Practice 20—Placement of Adverbs</p><p>1. Carefully can be put at the very beginning or the</p><p>very end of the sentence. It can also be correctly</p><p>placed after we or walked.</p><p>2. Soon can be put at the very beginning or the very</p><p>end of the sentence, and it can also be placed after</p><p>he or after will.</p><p>3. Sentence is best as it is written.</p><p>4. Contentedly would be better if it were placed after</p><p>purred.</p><p>5. Sentence is written well. Gladly can also be placed</p><p>after I.</p><p>Practice 21—Prepositional Phrases</p><p>1. under the table</p><p>2. at the lake</p><p>3. into the house</p><p>4. around the track</p><p>5. to the museum</p><p>Practice 22—Coordinating Conjunctions</p><p>1. but</p><p>2. yet</p><p>3. or</p><p>4. and</p><p>5. nor</p><p>6. so</p><p>7. for</p><p>Practice 23—Subordinating Conjunctions</p><p>1. although</p><p>2. because</p><p>Answers 2 157</p><p>3. until</p><p>4. if</p><p>5. wherever</p><p>Practice 24—Interjections</p><p>1. wow</p><p>2. help</p><p>3. ouch</p><p>Brain Challenges</p><p>1. no adverb</p><p>2. no preposition</p><p>3. no adjective</p><p>4. interjection and noun or pronoun</p><p>5. verb and adjective</p><p>Chapter 1 Test</p><p>Part 1</p><p>1. around—f preposition</p><p>2. wow—h interjection</p><p>3. desk—a noun</p><p>4. think—c verb</p><p>5. but—g conjunction</p><p>6. really—e adverb</p><p>7. pretty—d adjective</p><p>8. them—b pronoun</p><p>Part 2</p><p>1. which</p><p>2. you</p><p>3. something</p><p>4. myself</p><p>5. this</p><p>6. who</p><p>Part 3 (counts as seven points)</p><p>for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so</p><p>Part 4</p><p>1. c—transitive</p><p>2. b—proper</p><p>3. c—future</p><p>4. a—four (you, I something, your)</p><p>5. b—three (that, interesting, difficult)</p><p>Part 5</p><p>1. Wow! or another appropriate interjection</p><p>2. a name, such as Suzie</p><p>3. around the track or another such phrase</p><p>4. her, him, or them.</p><p>5. will eat, will go to bed, or something similar.</p><p>How did you do? 31 is a perfect score.</p><p>27–31—Excellent!</p><p>24–27—Very good!</p><p>20–24—Pretty good!</p><p>Fewer than 20 correct—Need more review.</p><p>Chapter 2</p><p>Practice 25—Identifying Subjects</p><p>1. I</p><p>2. You and Jane (compound subject)</p><p>3. boss</p><p>4. we</p><p>5. I</p><p>6. Jack, Joan, and Fred (compound)</p><p>7. you</p><p>8. you (In a command the subject is always you,</p><p>although many times it isn’t there. It is called the</p><p>implied you: [You] clean your room before dinner.)</p><p>Practice 26—Identifying Verbs</p><p>1. went</p><p>2. climbed, was (linking)</p><p>3. has (helping) given</p><p>4. barked and growled (compound), walked</p><p>5. are (helping) going</p><p>158 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>6. am (helping) going, is (helping) taking</p><p>7. tell (command; subject is the implied you.)</p><p>Practice 27—Subjects and Predicates</p><p>1. The large dog/scared us.</p><p>2. Fourteen boys and nine girls/came to the party.</p><p>3. The chocolate cake in the kitchen/is for dessert after</p><p>dinner.</p><p>Practice 28—Direct Objects</p><p>1. chess</p><p>2. no direct object</p><p>3. pizza and salad (compound)</p><p>4. book</p><p>5. secret (tell what?)</p><p>6. no direct object</p><p>7. sweater</p><p>Practice 29—Indirect Objects</p><p>1. you (direct object is tickets)</p><p>2. none</p><p>3. me (direct object is cake)</p><p>4. none</p><p>5. none</p><p>6. none (direct object is us)</p><p>7. Jim and me (direct object is collection)</p><p>8. sister (direct object is story)</p><p>Practice 30—Objects of Prepositions</p><p>1. class</p><p>2. artist</p><p>3. birthday, money</p><p>4. cousin and uncle (compound)</p><p>5. college</p><p>6. track, river</p><p>Practice 31—Predicate Adjectives and</p><p>Nominatives</p><p>1. beautiful (predicate adjective)</p><p>2. terrible, great (predicate adjectives)</p><p>3. none—action verb</p><p>4. tall, taller (predicate adjectives)</p><p>5. none—action verb</p><p>6. actor (predicate noun)</p><p>Practice 32—Types of Sentences</p><p>1. Exclamatory</p><p>2. Declarative</p><p>3. Exclamatory</p><p>4. Interrogative</p><p>5. Imperative</p><p>Chapter 2 Test</p><p>Part 1</p><p>1. Jim reads</p><p>2. You and I will walk</p><p>3. grapes taste</p><p>4. I received</p><p>5. dog ate and drank</p><p>Part 2</p><p>1. That big brown dog/attacked the neighbor yesterday.</p><p>2. Suzie, Jack, Holly, Mike, and all the others/are</p><p>invited to our party.</p><p>3. Dinner/consists of steak, potatoes, salad, and bread.</p><p>Part 3</p><p>1. coat—direct, me—object of preposition</p><p>2. me—indirect, gift—direct</p><p>3. morning—object of preposition, night—object of</p><p>preposition</p><p>4. me—direct, game—object of preposition</p><p>5. Paris—object of preposition, train—direct, country-</p><p>side—object of preposition</p><p>Part 4</p><p>1. pretty—predicate adjective</p><p>Answers 2 159</p><p>2. tired—predicate adjective</p><p>3. cheerleader—predicate nominative</p><p>4. Santa Claus—predicate nominative</p><p>Part 5</p><p>1. dinner—direct, beach—object of preposition</p><p>2. me—indirect, story—direct,</p><p>you never do when you write?</p><p>a. Start a sentence with a conjunction (for example, and)</p><p>b. End a sentence with a preposition</p><p>c. Split an infinitive</p><p>d. Separate two sentences with a comma and no conjunction</p><p>76. Is it (alright, all right) if I come with you?</p><p>77. I (hanged, hung) the picture on my wall.</p><p>78. My car has (dual, duel) engines.</p><p>79. (Bring, Take) these books back to the library.</p><p>80. I feel (bad, badly) about the broken vase.</p><p>81. Please be (discreet, discrete), and don’t tell anyone this secret.</p><p>82. Turn the car (in to, into) Benson Street.</p><p>83. My grandparents (emigrated, immigrated) from Poland.</p><p>Pretest 2 11</p><p>84. I would like the chocolate cake for (desert, dessert).</p><p>85. I didn’t want any pie, (anyway, anyways).</p><p>86. Boston is the (capital, capitol) of Massachusetts.</p><p>87. She acted (as if, like) she liked being here.</p><p>88. He is much better at science (than, then) I am.</p><p>89. The weather forecast says (its’ its, it’s) going to be 100 degrees today!</p><p>90. I heard that (your, you’re) computer is missing.</p><p>91. My brother has the (principal, principle) role in the play.</p><p>92. All the cast members are going over (there, their, they’re) lines.</p><p>93. Please (lay, lie) these blankets on the sand.</p><p>94. The school band (lead, led) the parade.</p><p>95. (Try and, Try to) get some sleep.</p><p>96. I don’t know (whose, who’s) jacket this is.</p><p>97. The news will (proceed, precede, procede) the late movie.</p><p>98. I walked (passed, past) the library on my way to the theater.</p><p>99. I have (fewer, less) books than you have.</p><p>100. I will (lend, loan) you five dollars if you ask me nicely.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Chapter 1</p><p>The Parts of Speech</p><p>1.1. Introduction</p><p>The parts of speech are the categories into which every</p><p>word in the language fits. Each part of speech performs</p><p>a different function in a sentence, and some words can</p><p>be more than one part of speech, depending on their</p><p>use in a particular sentence. These parts of speech are</p><p>the building blocks of the language. When people refer</p><p>to the parts of speech, they mean these eight categories</p><p>into which all words can be placed.</p><p>Here are the eight parts of speech:</p><p>1. Noun</p><p>2. Pronoun</p><p>3. Verb</p><p>4. Adjective (and Articles)</p><p>5. Adverb</p><p>6. Preposition</p><p>7. Conjunction</p><p>8. Interjection</p><p>1.2. Nouns</p><p>A noun is a person, place, thing, idea, or emotion.</p><p>Here are some nouns:</p><p>sun</p><p>girl</p><p>dog</p><p>happiness</p><p>California</p><p>doctor</p><p>book</p><p>rain</p><p>family</p><p>religion</p><p>Susie</p><p>seashore</p><p>The words above are all people, places, things, ideas, or</p><p>emotions.</p><p>People: Susie, girl, doctor, family</p><p>Places: California, seashore</p><p>Things: dog, book, sun, rain</p><p>Ideas or emotions: happiness, religion</p><p>✎ You can check to see if something is a noun: Usually,</p><p>you can put the words a, an, the, or my before nouns.</p><p>Examples: the sun, a girl, a dog, a religion,</p><p>my happiness</p><p>This doesn’t work as well with words that start with cap-</p><p>ital letters, such as California or Suzie. However, most</p><p>words that start with capital letters are nouns anyway.</p><p>Remember that you don’t have to be able to see it for it</p><p>to be a noun. You can’t see ideas or emotions, but they</p><p>are still things.</p><p>Practice 1—</p><p>Recognizing Nouns</p><p>Identify all the nouns in the following sentences:</p><p>1. Peter gave his cake to his younger brother.</p><p>2. Do you know where this idea came from in the first</p><p>place?</p><p>3. I still collect stamps, but I have new hobby: making</p><p>scrapbooks of photos I have taken.</p><p>4. The department has had five meetings in the past</p><p>month.</p><p>5. He was sad until he learned he had won the award;</p><p>then he was filled with happiness.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>14 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>The Five Types of Nouns</p><p>There are five categories of nouns:</p><p>1. Common nouns are regular nouns that do not start</p><p>with capital letters, such as happiness, boy, desk, and</p><p>city.</p><p>2. Proper nouns are the nouns that start with capital</p><p>letters. They are specific people, places, things, or ideas</p><p>such as Florida, Buddhism, Joe, and Thanksgiving.</p><p>3. Concrete nouns are nouns that represent things you</p><p>can see, hear, smell, taste, or feel. Most nouns are con-</p><p>crete. Concrete nouns are either common or proper too.</p><p>Concrete nouns include grass, paper, perfume (you can</p><p>smell it), air (you can feel it), Susie, and Golden Gate</p><p>Bridge.</p><p>4. Abstract nouns are the nouns that represent ideas or</p><p>emotions; you cannot perceive them with your senses.</p><p>Religion, happiness, anger, and Buddhism fall into this</p><p>category.</p><p>5. Collective nouns are nouns that represent a group of</p><p>things or people without being plural (although they</p><p>can also be made plural). Family, group, orchestra, audi-</p><p>ence, flock, bunch, and herd fall into this category. These</p><p>nouns become important when we discuss noun and</p><p>verb agreement in Section 11.3.</p><p>✎ Most nouns can be counted (girls, pencils, stars), but</p><p>some cannot be (salt, wisdom, sand, beauty).</p><p>Practice 2—</p><p>Recognizing Types of Nouns</p><p>Find the type of noun asked for in the following sen-</p><p>tences. There is only one noun of the type asked for.</p><p>1. Find the proper noun: We went to New York City on</p><p>our vacation last summer.</p><p>2. Find the concrete noun: You need to add more soil</p><p>before you finish.</p><p>3. Find the abstract noun: You seem to know all the</p><p>rules of this game!</p><p>4. Find the collective noun: The band played all day in</p><p>the gymnasium.</p><p>Find all the nouns of the type requested in each series:</p><p>5. Find all the proper nouns: Bob, brother, summer,</p><p>Ireland, Buddhism, decision</p><p>6. Find all the abstract nouns: idea, book, school, dog,</p><p>sadness, shirt, Christianity, Empire State Building,</p><p>hunger</p><p>7. Find all the collective nouns: group, committee,</p><p>boys, tribe, happiness, bunch, clocks, collection</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>1.3. Pronouns</p><p>Pronouns take the place of nouns. For example, com-</p><p>pare these two sentences:</p><p>Mary baked Mary’s famous lasagna for dinner.</p><p>Mary baked her famous lasagna for dinner.</p><p>Her is a pronoun. It is used in the second sentence to</p><p>take the place of Mary, so we don’t have to repeat Mary.</p><p>Doesn’t the second sentence sound better?</p><p>Some common pronouns are I, you, he, she, them, they,</p><p>we, us, him, her, and it.</p><p>Antecedents</p><p>An antecedent is the word the pronoun is standing in for.</p><p>In the sentence above, Mary is the antecedent of her. An</p><p>antecedent can also be a pronoun. Pronouns can stand</p><p>in for other pronouns, as in the following sentence:</p><p>He showed the manager his report. (His and he are</p><p>the same person. He is the antecedent.)</p><p>In the following sentence, there are no antecedents</p><p>present in the sentence:</p><p>He showed the manager her report.</p><p>Obviously he is showing the manager the report of a</p><p>female (her), not his own. We would probably find the</p><p>antecedents in previous sentences in the text if we had</p><p>them. However, we can tell that he is not the antecedent</p><p>for her because they don’t agree in gender. Pronouns</p><p>must agree in gender and number (singular or plural)</p><p>with their antecedents.</p><p>✎ Make sure that when you write, your antecedents</p><p>are clear, so that you don’t confuse the reader. They</p><p>Parts of Speech 2 15</p><p>should be able to tell who is who. (See? In the previ-</p><p>ous sentence they is unclear. Does they refer to the</p><p>word antecedents or the word reader?)</p><p>Unclear antecedent: Mary and Jenny went to visit her</p><p>mother. (Whose mother?)</p><p>Practice 3—</p><p>Pronouns and Antecedents</p><p>Identify the antecedent for the italicized pronoun.</p><p>1. June brought her books back to the library.</p><p>2. I baked you a cake, but I burned it.</p><p>3. They came to the party and brought their costumes.</p><p>4. I want to take singing lessons, but my mother can-</p><p>not afford to pay for them.</p><p>5. Bob loves his younger brother, who worships him.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Types of Pronouns</p><p>Pronouns can be a little tricky. There are six different</p><p>types of pronouns.</p><p>1. Personal pronouns are the most commonly used</p><p>pronouns.</p><p>Here is the complete list:</p><p>First Person: I, me, my, mine (singular); we, us, our, ours</p><p>(plural)</p><p>Second Person: you, your, yours (both singular and</p><p>plural)</p><p>Third Person: he,</p><p>rabbit—object of prep-</p><p>osition, bear—object of preposition</p><p>3. work—object of preposition, reports—direct, Fri-</p><p>day—object of preposition</p><p>4. tasty—predicate adjective, ripe—predicate adjective</p><p>5. him—indirect, tickets—direct, game—object of</p><p>preposition, Sunday—object of preposition</p><p>Part 6</p><p>The first sentence in part 5 is imperative.</p><p>How did you do? 23 is a perfect score.</p><p>21–23—Excellent!</p><p>18–20—Very good!</p><p>15–17 Pretty good!</p><p>Fewer than 15 correct—Need more review.</p><p>Chapter 3</p><p>Practice 33—Prepositional Phrases</p><p>1. on the chair—adverb modifying slept</p><p>2. after dinner —adverb modifying wash</p><p>3. with the pillow—adjective modifying chair</p><p>4. under the tree—adverb modifying sitting</p><p>5. in blue—adjective modifying girl</p><p>6. around the park—adverb modifying walked</p><p>7. in the office—adverb modifying find</p><p>8. by Robert Frost—adverb modifying written</p><p>Practice 34—Infinitives</p><p>The rest of the infinitive phrase is in parentheses.</p><p>1. to go (to the movies)</p><p>2. to tell (the truth)</p><p>3. to hand in (my report)</p><p>4. to become (a doctor)</p><p>5. to eat (too many sweet things)</p><p>Practice 35—Infinitives as Subjects and Objects</p><p>1. to be an astronaut—subject</p><p>2. to read that new book—object</p><p>3. to see the new movie or the concert—object</p><p>4. To go to college—subject</p><p>Practice 36—Identifying Participles</p><p>1. running (after the car)— modifies dog</p><p>2. baked—modifies apple</p><p>3. frozen—modifies pond (skating is a gerund, not a</p><p>participle)</p><p>4. sitting (on my lap)—modifies dog</p><p>5. no participle</p><p>6. Sneezing and coughing—modify sister</p><p>7. no participle</p><p>8. chasing (the ball)—modifies dog</p><p>Practice 37—Identifying Gerunds</p><p>1. swimming</p><p>2. yelling</p><p>3. knitting</p><p>4. writing</p><p>5. tasting</p><p>Practice 38—Gerund or Participle?</p><p>1. running—participle (modifying I)</p><p>2. running—gerund</p><p>3. burning—participle (modifying building)</p><p>4. closing—participle (modifying she)</p><p>5. writing—gerund</p><p>6. reading and writing—gerunds</p><p>7. Lying—participle (modifying she)</p><p>8. talking—gerund and written—participle (modifying</p><p>instructions)</p><p>160 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Practice 39—Appositives</p><p>1. Jean</p><p>2. a psychology professor</p><p>3. a pearl necklace</p><p>4. one of my favorites</p><p>5. peppers and olives</p><p>Chapter 3 Test</p><p>Part 1</p><p>1. Smiling broadly—participial /for her birthday—</p><p>prepositional phrase</p><p>2. his girlfriend—appositive/ in high school—preposi-</p><p>tional phrase</p><p>3. Walking through the park—participial /through the</p><p>park—prepositional phrase</p><p>4. Giving gifts—gerundial/ receiving them—gerundial</p><p>5. Receiving a bicycle—participle/ for Christmas—</p><p>prepositional phrase/my cousin—appositive/to ride</p><p>it—infinitive</p><p>Part 2</p><p>1. swimming—participle modifying dog</p><p>2. going—gerund and subject</p><p>3. talking—gerund and object</p><p>4. frightened—participle modifying sister</p><p>5. speeding — participle modifying car</p><p>Part 3</p><p>1. to go</p><p>2. none</p><p>3. to see</p><p>4. to buy</p><p>5. none</p><p>Part 4</p><p>1. c. Jane</p><p>2. d. participle</p><p>3. a. prepositional phrase</p><p>4. c. prepositional phrase</p><p>5. d. none of those</p><p>How did you do? 20 is a perfect score.</p><p>18–20—Excellent!</p><p>16–17—Very good!</p><p>14–16 Pretty good!</p><p>Fewer than 14 correct—Need more review.</p><p>Chapter 4</p><p>Practice 40—Independent Clauses</p><p>1. independent clause</p><p>2. independent clause</p><p>3. not an independent clause</p><p>4. independent clause</p><p>5. independent clause (Yes, it really is a complete</p><p>sentence. Since it is a command, the subject is you,</p><p>which isn’t always there, but is understood: You sit.)</p><p>6. not an independent clause.</p><p>7. independent clause</p><p>8. not an independent clause; missing a subject</p><p>Practice 41—Subordinate Clauses</p><p>1. c. My brother, who is visiting from China, is in</p><p>college.</p><p>2. d. Although it isn’t dinner time yet, I am really hun-</p><p>gry. (Or, I am really hungry although it isn’t dinner</p><p>time yet.)</p><p>3. a. Stay in your seat until the game starts.</p><p>4. e. The blue dress, which I bought yesterday, was on</p><p>sale.</p><p>5. b. I am going this year because I couldn’t go last year.</p><p>(Or, Because I couldn’t go last year, I am going this</p><p>year.)</p><p>Practice 42—Identifying Adjective Clauses</p><p>1. that I just filled out—modifies application</p><p>2. none.</p><p>3. which I just made—modifies pasta</p><p>4. whose author I met at the meeting—modifies book</p><p>Answers 2 161</p><p>5. who is an expert on insects—modifies professor</p><p>Practice 43—Identifying Adverb Clauses</p><p>1. because I was in a traffic jam.</p><p>2. If my sister wants to go</p><p>3. since he moved away.</p><p>4. Wherever I go</p><p>5. although it is raining.</p><p>Chapter 4 Test</p><p>Part 1</p><p>1. Subordinate</p><p>2. Independent</p><p>3. Subordinate</p><p>4. Subordinate</p><p>5. Independent</p><p>6. Independent</p><p>7. Subordinate</p><p>Part 2</p><p>1. whenever I am with him—adverb</p><p>2. who is walking in front of us—adjective</p><p>3. that I am telling you—adjective</p><p>4. because I had a game that day—adverb</p><p>5. whose dog was lost—adjective</p><p>Part 3</p><p>1. who you are—object</p><p>2. whoever is making that noise —subject</p><p>3. whoever wants to go—object (of the preposition with)</p><p>Part 4 These answers are samples only. Yours will be</p><p>different.</p><p>1. Because it is cold, I am wearing a sweater.</p><p>2. That doll, which I really want, is very expensive.</p><p>(Your clause should start with which.)</p><p>3. Whoever is going should bring a heavy jacket.</p><p>4. You should take that vacation, although you think</p><p>you can’t afford it.</p><p>5. The pen that is on the table belongs to me. (Your</p><p>clause should begin with that.)</p><p>Chapter 5</p><p>Practice 44—Identifying and Rewriting</p><p>Sentence Fragments</p><p>1. Fragment. Sample rewrite: You don’t have to pay us,</p><p>since the work isn’t done and we need to leave, but</p><p>we can come back tomorrow.</p><p>2. Complete sentence.</p><p>3. Complete sentence (simply written in an unusual</p><p>word order).</p><p>4. Fragment. Sample rewrite: I don’t know where he is</p><p>calling from.</p><p>5. Fragment. Sample rewrite: Because your mother</p><p>told you to go, you must go immediately.</p><p>Practice 45—Identifying and Correcting</p><p>Run Ons</p><p>1. Run on. These are all correct:</p><p>I ate pizza. My brother ate a hamburger.</p><p>I ate pizza; my brother ate a hamburger.</p><p>I ate pizza, and (or but), my brother ate a</p><p>hamburger.</p><p>2. Sentence. It may be long, but it is fine.</p><p>3. Run on. Then cannot connect two sentences.</p><p>I took the train, and then I had to take two buses to</p><p>get there.</p><p>I took the train; then I had to take two buses to get</p><p>there.</p><p>I took the train. Then I had to take two buses to get</p><p>there.</p><p>4. Sentence.</p><p>5. Run on. However isn’t used to connect sentences.</p><p>Ifyou take out however, the rest of the sentence is</p><p>arun on. Here are some sample revisions:</p><p>She asked what kind of dog he wanted; however, he</p><p>was allergic to dogs, so he couldn’t have one.</p><p>She asked what kind of dog he wanted. However,</p><p>he was allergic to dogs, so he couldn’t have one.</p><p>She asked what kind of dog he wanted, but he was</p><p>allergic to dogs, so he couldn’t have one.</p><p>162 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Practice 46—Simple and Compound Sentences</p><p>1. Compound</p><p>2. Simple (with compound subject and object)</p><p>3. Compound</p><p>4. Simple (compound object)</p><p>5. Simple (compound subject and verb)</p><p>6. Simple</p><p>Practice 47—Complex Sentences</p><p>Of course your sentences will be different, but here are</p><p>some samples of what yours should resemble:</p><p>1. My pen, which I have been using every day, is out of</p><p>ink. (Your clause should start with which.)</p><p>2. Because I lost track of the time, I burned the cake.</p><p>3. I have met the president of the company, who is a</p><p>very rich man. (Your clause should start with who,</p><p>whom, or whose.)</p><p>4. My report is late, although I worked on it all week.</p><p>(Your clause may not need a comma.)</p><p>5. I want whatever you are eating. (Your clause should</p><p>be the direct object of want: Want what?)</p><p>Practice 48—Identifying Sentence Structures</p><p>1. Simple. One independent clause</p><p>2. Compound. Two independent clauses</p><p>3. Simple. One independent clause, although there are</p><p>some phrases.</p><p>4. Simple. One independent clause.</p><p>5. Complex.</p><p>6. Compound-Complex.</p><p>7. Complex</p><p>8. Simple. The text after the conjunction and is not a</p><p>complete sentence.</p><p>Practice 49—Writing Sentences with Different</p><p>Structures</p><p>(You may have figured out a way to write the sentence</p><p>that is not quite like my answer!)</p><p>1. Fred, who is a great student, is my best friend.</p><p>him, his, she, her, hers, it, its (singular);</p><p>they, them, their, theirs (plural)</p><p>Practice 4—</p><p>Personal Pronouns</p><p>Identify only the personal pronouns in each sentence.</p><p>There may be more than one.</p><p>1. I didn’t tell him about the new idea I had.</p><p>2. My brother told me who is coming to my party.</p><p>3. We students are having a carwash to support our</p><p>school.</p><p>4. The story about the accident was so terrible that I</p><p>didn’t believe it at first.</p><p>5. Don’t forget to bring your bathing suit when we go</p><p>to the beach.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>2. Demonstrative pronouns point things out. There are</p><p>only four of them: this, that, these, and those. Here are</p><p>some examples:</p><p>This is my new CD. (Once again, make sure your</p><p>reader knows what this refers to!)</p><p>I want those!</p><p>✎ If you say I want those cookies, those becomes an</p><p>adjective because it is describing cookies. More</p><p>about that in Section 1.5.</p><p>Practice 5—</p><p>Demonstrative Pronouns</p><p>Rewrite the following sentences using a demonstrative</p><p>pronoun instead of the words in italics:</p><p>Example: The pencil over there is mine. That is</p><p>mine.</p><p>1. The shirt I am holding is new.</p><p>2. I want some of the cookies in the kitchen.</p><p>3. Please take some of the books I am giving you.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>3. Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.</p><p>There are five of them: which, who, whose, whom, and</p><p>what. For example:</p><p>Who is that man? What is wrong?</p><p>Practice 6—</p><p>Interrogative Pronouns</p><p>The following sentences contain personal, demonstra-</p><p>tive, and interrogative pronouns. Find only the inter-</p><p>rogative pronouns. Remember that they must ask a</p><p>question, and that there are only the five of them that</p><p>16 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>are listed above. Not all the sentences will have an inter-</p><p>rogative pronoun.</p><p>1. Why are you asking me this question?</p><p>2. Whom are you going with?</p><p>3. This is where I live.</p><p>4. Which do you like better, dogs or cats?</p><p>5. When are you going to get here?</p><p>6. Write the five interrogative pronouns: ________</p><p>_________ _________ _________ _________</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>4. Relative pronouns begin adjective clauses (more</p><p>about that in Section 4.3). There are five of them:</p><p>which, whom, whose, who, and that. Notice that they</p><p>are almost the same as the interrogative pronouns we</p><p>just learned about. However, relative pronouns do not</p><p>ask a question, and they do not appear at the beginning</p><p>of a sentence. Here are some examples of how relative</p><p>pronouns are used:</p><p>You can borrow the book that I just finished.</p><p>My neighbor, who is a lawyer, just came back from</p><p>Paris.</p><p>(Yes, you will learn the difference between who and</p><p>whom in Section 6.2.)</p><p>Practice 7—</p><p>Relative Pronouns</p><p>Each of the following sentences contains one of the</p><p>relative pronouns. However, the sentences also contain</p><p>other types of pronouns, including interrogative and</p><p>demonstrative pronouns, which can look like relative</p><p>pronouns. Relative pronouns begin clauses and won’t</p><p>be at the beginning of a sentence. Find the relative</p><p>pronoun in each of the following sentences.</p><p>1. I have a dog that barks all the time.</p><p>2. Do you know who that man in the costume is?</p><p>3. That is my neighbor, whose daughter lives in Mexico.</p><p>4. I really like the girl whom I have invited to go with</p><p>us.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>5. Reflexive/intensive pronouns are personal pronouns</p><p>with -self at the end:</p><p>myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself,</p><p>herself, itself, and themselves</p><p>Here are some examples of how they are used. Notice</p><p>the difference between using them reflexively and</p><p>intensively:</p><p>I wrote that poem myself. (Reflexive—myself</p><p>reflects back to I)</p><p>She baked the wedding cake herself. (Reflexive—</p><p>herself reflects back to she)</p><p>I myself wrote that poem. (Intensive—used to</p><p>emphasize I)</p><p>I saw Jim himself at the wedding! (Intensive—used</p><p>to emphasize Jim)</p><p>✎ A reflexive pronoun must refer back to the subject of</p><p>the sentence. For example, you cannot use myself as</p><p>a reflexive pronoun unless I is the subject of the sen-</p><p>tence. Likewise, you cannot use herself as a reflexive</p><p>pronoun unless she (or the noun that she represents)</p><p>is the subject of the sentence. Here are examples of</p><p>the correct and incorrect uses of the reflexive myself.</p><p>Correct: I fixed the broken fence myself.</p><p>Incorrect: She gave Jim and myself new books. (Myself</p><p>should be me.)</p><p>Note that hisself, theirselves, and ourself are not words.</p><p>See more about reflexive/intensive pronouns in Sec-</p><p>tion 6.4.</p><p>Practice 8—</p><p>Intensive/Reflexive Pronouns</p><p>Fill in the blank with the appropriate reflexive/intensive</p><p>pronoun. Remember that the pronoun will refer to the</p><p>same person who is the subject of the sentence.</p><p>1. I made that dress _________.</p><p>2. She _____________said that it was true.</p><p>3. He made ______________a huge sandwich for a</p><p>snack.</p><p>4. You _______________ said it couldn’t be done, but</p><p>you did it!</p><p>Parts of Speech 2 17</p><p>5. The little boy made the tower of blocks all by</p><p>____________.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>6. Indefinite pronouns do not refer to a specific noun.</p><p>Here are some examples of indefinite pronouns: someone,</p><p>everyone, anyone, no one, somebody, anybody, every-</p><p>body, everything, something, anything, nothing, none, few,</p><p>many, several, all, and some (and there are more). They</p><p>are important because you need to know which ones are</p><p>singular and which ones are plural, so you know which</p><p>verb form and personal pronoun to use with them. We</p><p>will talk about these pronouns in Section 6.7.</p><p>Practice 9—</p><p>Indefinite Pronouns</p><p>We haven’t talked about indefinite pronouns very much</p><p>yet. However, see if you can find the indefinite pro-</p><p>nouns in the following sentences. I will help you. I will</p><p>put all the pronouns in italics. Since you should already</p><p>be able to recognize personal, demonstrative, inter-</p><p>rogative, relative, and intensive/reflexive pronouns, the</p><p>indefinite singular pronoun will be the other italicized</p><p>words! There may be none, one, or more than one indef-</p><p>inite pronoun in each sentence. Here we go:</p><p>1. You and I should eat something before we go.</p><p>2. Is anyone home?</p><p>3. Everyone who is going on this trip should bring some</p><p>books to read.</p><p>4. All of the pizza is gone, but most of the salad that I</p><p>made is still here.</p><p>5. She didn’t do it by herself; she had help from her</p><p>friends.</p><p>6. What are you doing with that?</p><p>7. We did nothing yesterday, but tomorrow we are</p><p>going to the movies.</p><p>8. Those who think they can do anything usually can!</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>✎ Do not confuse pronouns with proper nouns. Proper</p><p>nouns begin with capital letters and are nouns</p><p>(specific person, place, thing, or idea). Pronouns are</p><p>a separate part of speech.</p><p>Proper Nouns: New York, Nancy, Christianity, Canada,</p><p>Macy’s</p><p>Pronouns: she, anyone, they, which</p><p>Practice 10—</p><p>Pronoun Review</p><p>There are three pronouns in each of the following</p><p>sentences. Find each pronoun and tell which kind it</p><p>is: personal, demonstrative, interrogative, intensive/</p><p>reflexive, indefinite, or relative.</p><p>1. You and I should be friends with him.</p><p>_______________ ______________ ______________</p><p>2. Which shirt do you think I should buy?</p><p>_______________ ______________ ______________</p><p>3. This is the book that I read last summer.</p><p>_______________ ______________ ______________</p><p>4. They finally did something by themselves!</p><p>_______________ ______________ ______________</p><p>5. I have never heard of anything like that!</p><p>_______________ ______________ ______________</p><p>6. When are you going to tell someone about this?</p><p>_______________ ______________ ______________</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Brain</p><p>Challenge</p><p>Can you write a sentence with one pronoun of each</p><p>type in it? Hint: It will have to be a question in order to</p><p>use an interrogative pronoun. Here is an example:</p><p>What (interrogative) are you (personal) doing</p><p>all by yourself (reflexive) that (relative) sounds</p><p>like that (demonstrative) and disturbs everyone?</p><p>(indefinite)</p><p>No, you wouldn’t really write a sentence like that, but</p><p>sometimes it is fun to try!</p><p>18 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>1.4. Verbs</p><p>Verb: It’s what you do!</p><p>Action Verbs</p><p>Most verbs are action words. Jump, run, bake, study,</p><p>read, swim, give, and walk are examples of verbs.</p><p>Verbs can also indicate mental action, not just physical</p><p>action: think, wonder, plan, and consider are also verbs.</p><p>The boys hid in the forest. (Hid is a verb.)</p><p>I took the math test yesterday. (Took is a verb.)</p><p>The hotel provided us with rooms after the game.</p><p>(Provided is a verb.)</p><p>✎ Every sentence needs a verb. Without a verb, there</p><p>is no sentence!</p><p>Practice 11—</p><p>Action Verbs</p><p>Find the verbs in the following sentences. There may</p><p>be more than one verb in a sentence. Remember that</p><p>most verbs are action words, but they don’t necessarily</p><p>involve movement.</p><p>1. Jack threw the ball to Sam, who caught it.</p><p>2. Do you know anything about European history?</p><p>3. My cat jumped up on the table and ate the cookies.</p><p>4. I wonder if she likes me.</p><p>5. Tell me the truth.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Linking Verbs</p><p>In addition to action verbs, there is another impor-</p><p>tant type of verb called a linking verb. A linking verb</p><p>ties together the word or words before the verb and</p><p>the word or words after the verb. A linking verb is like</p><p>the equal sign in math. The most common linking verb</p><p>is the verb to be. That verb has many different forms.</p><p>You probably recognize the to be verb by these familiar</p><p>forms: is, am, are, will be, was, has been, have been,</p><p>etc. Here are some sentences with forms of the to be</p><p>linking verb:</p><p>I am hungry. (Hungry describes I; they are linked</p><p>by the verb am.)</p><p>She was a dancer. (Dancer describes she; they are</p><p>linked by the verb was.)</p><p>There are linking verbs other than the forms of the verb</p><p>to be. Taste, appear, look, sound, seem, and feel are also</p><p>examples of linking verbs. Usually, if you can substitute</p><p>a form of the to be verb and the sentence still makes</p><p>sense, you have a linking verb.</p><p>She felt tired today. (Tired describes she; they are</p><p>linked by the verb felt. She is tired today also</p><p>makes sense.)</p><p>He seemed angry at me. (Angry describes he; they</p><p>are linked by the verb seemed. He was angry at</p><p>me makes sense.)</p><p>Mary threw the ball. (Ball does not describe Mary;</p><p>threw is not a linking verb! Mary is the ball makes</p><p>no sense.)</p><p>To make things just a bit more confusing, words like</p><p>taste, smell, and feel are sometimes linking verbs and</p><p>sometimes action verbs. Notice the difference:</p><p>The cake tasted great! (Great describes cake; tasted</p><p>is a linking verb. The cake is great makes sense.</p><p>The cake didn’t do anything. There is no action</p><p>here.)</p><p>I tasted the cake. (Cake does not describe I; taste</p><p>is an action verb here. I am doing something.</p><p>And I am the cake doesn’t make sense.)</p><p>✎ Why does it matter which verbs are linking and</p><p>which are action? Good question! You will find out</p><p>in Chapter 7, “Special Issues with Verbs.”</p><p>Practice 12—</p><p>Linking Verbs</p><p>Identify the linking verbs in each sentence. There may</p><p>be more than one in a sentence. Some sentences may</p><p>have an action verb and NO linking verb. Other sen-</p><p>tences may have both action and linking verbs. Identify</p><p>only linking verbs.</p><p>1. I am tired, so I will go to bed.</p><p>2. This cake tastes burned.</p><p>Parts of Speech 2 19</p><p>3. She seems fine, but she says she is sick.</p><p>4. I study until my eyes hurt.</p><p>5. That cake is too pretty to eat!</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Practice 13—</p><p>Action and Linking Verbs</p><p>Identify all the verbs in the following sentences, and</p><p>tell whether each one is action or linking. There may be</p><p>more than one verb in a sentence.</p><p>1. If you are correct, then there is no answer to this</p><p>problem.</p><p>2. Clean your room, and then mow the lawn.</p><p>3. I think that she is the tallest girl in the room.</p><p>4. My office is too small, and my desk won’t fit.</p><p>5. I shop, clean, and visit my mother on weekends.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Tenses</p><p>Verbs have some qualities you should know about. One</p><p>of these is tense, which has to do with time. The tense</p><p>of a verb tells you when the action took place. Verbs</p><p>are the only action part of speech, so they are the only</p><p>part of speech with tense. As you know, things can take</p><p>place in the past, in the present, or in the future. There</p><p>are six main tenses, each representing a different time.</p><p>Each of these six has a partner (the progressive form),</p><p>making the total number of tenses twelve. Here they are,</p><p>using the action verb walk:</p><p>1. Present tense: I walk to the store. (It is happening</p><p>now.)</p><p>Present progressive tense: I am walking to the store.</p><p>2. Past tense: I walked to the store. (It happened in the</p><p>past, and it is over.)</p><p>Past progressive tense: I was walking to the store.</p><p>3. Future tense: I will walk to the store. (It will happen</p><p>in the future.)</p><p>Future progressive tense: I will be walking to the</p><p>store.</p><p>4. Present perfect tense: I have walked to the store</p><p>every day this week. (It happened in the past and is</p><p>possibly continuing.)</p><p>Present perfect progressive tense: I have been walk-</p><p>ing to the store.</p><p>5. Past perfect tense: I had walked for an hour by the</p><p>time I found the library. (It happened in the past</p><p>before something else happened in the past.)</p><p>Past perfect progressive tense: I had been walking to</p><p>the store when I met Sue.</p><p>6. Future perfect tense: I will have walked five miles by</p><p>the time I get to your house. (It will happen in the</p><p>future before some other future event.)</p><p>Future perfect progressive tense: I will have been</p><p>walking five miles a day for six years by the time I</p><p>graduate from high school.</p><p>The progressive tenses represent the same time as their</p><p>matching tenses. The words that we use to help specify</p><p>the tenses (such as will, have, and have been) are called</p><p>helping verbs.</p><p>✎ Although some helping verbs look like forms of the</p><p>linking verb to be, they are not. Because they are</p><p>with another verb (in this case, walk), they are called</p><p>helping verbs. For example, in “I will have been walk-</p><p>ing,” will have been are helping verbs, and walking is</p><p>the main verb. If “will have been” is used without a</p><p>main verb, then it is a linking verb. For example, in</p><p>“I will have been a teacher for three years,” will have</p><p>been is a linking verb. There is no other verb in the</p><p>sentence, and teacher describes I.</p><p>Here are the tenses for the linking verb to be, using the</p><p>pronoun you:</p><p>Present/Present Progressive: you are/you are being</p><p>Past/Past Progressive: you were/you were being</p><p>Future/Future Progressive: you will be/you will be being</p><p>Present Perfect/Present Perfect Progressive: you have</p><p>been/you have been being</p><p>Past Perfect/Past Perfect Progressive: you had been/you</p><p>had been being</p><p>Future Perfect/Future Perfect Progressive: you will have</p><p>been/you will have been being</p><p>20 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>Practice 14—</p><p>Verb Tenses</p><p>Fill in each blank with the verb and tense in parentheses.</p><p>You may use the progressive form if you like.</p><p>1. We __________________ to the movies three times</p><p>this week. (verb: to go—present perfect tense)</p><p>2. I ___________________ a cake for your birthday.</p><p>(verb: to bake, future tense)</p><p>3. We __________________ at that mall before. (verb:</p><p>to shop—past perfect tense)</p><p>4. I ___________________ piano lessons for seven</p><p>years by this winter. (verb: to take—future perfect</p><p>tense)</p><p>5. I ___________________ until I couldn’t study any</p><p>longer. (verb: to study—past tense)</p><p>6. She ___________________ football with all the boys</p><p>in her class. (verb: to play—present tense)</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Irregular Verb Forms</p><p>When we talk about different forms of a verb, we are</p><p>usually referring to how the verb changes in a different</p><p>tense, generally past or present perfect. Most verbs add</p><p>-ed to the end for the past tense, but many verbs have</p><p>other past tense forms; these verbs are called irregular.</p><p>We will talk more about irregular verbs in Section 7.2,</p><p>but here are a few examples of regular and irregular verbs.</p><p>Regular verbs:</p><p>I walked to the train station. (ends in -ed)</p><p>He wondered about his dream. (ends in -ed)</p><p>Irregular</p><p>verbs:</p><p>He thought about it for a while. (not thinked!)</p><p>The cat ate its food. (not eated!)</p><p>Practice 15—</p><p>Regular Verbs</p><p>Write the past tense of the following verbs. They are</p><p>all regular verbs. The first one is done for you. You will</p><p>find this easy!</p><p>1. rain rained</p><p>2. wash _____________</p><p>3. study _____________</p><p>4. play _____________</p><p>5. graduate _____________</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Voice</p><p>Another quality of verbs is voice. There are two voices:</p><p>active and passive. In active voice, the subject of the sen-</p><p>tence (usually, the noun or pronoun before the verb) is</p><p>doing the action. In passive voice the subject is usually</p><p>not doing the action of the verb. Can you see the differ-</p><p>ence between the voices?</p><p>He drove to the mall. (active—the subject of the</p><p>sentence, he, did the driving.)</p><p>He was driven to the mall by his sister. (passive)</p><p>✎ When you write, use active voice most of the time. It</p><p>is stronger and more effective. See Section 7.5.</p><p>Practice 16—</p><p>Active and Passive Voice</p><p>See if you can identify the verbs in the following sen-</p><p>tences as active voice or passive voice. The verbs are in</p><p>italics.</p><p>1. I mowed the lawn this morning. ____________</p><p>2. I was told a secret. ____________</p><p>3. Did you see that dog? ____________</p><p>4. We celebrated her birthday with cake and ice cream.</p><p>____________</p><p>5. She bought six dresses and four pair of pants.</p><p>____________</p><p>6. She was awarded the gold medal. ____________</p><p>7. I thought about it for a long while. ____________</p><p>8. The committee met for the last time on Friday.</p><p>____________</p><p>9. The school was built in 1970. ____________</p><p>10. I built a roller coaster out of Legos. ____________</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Parts of Speech 2 21</p><p>Transitive/Intransitive</p><p>One more thing about verbs (yes, they are rather com-</p><p>plicated). Verbs are also classified as either transitive or</p><p>intransitive. The dictionary refers to verbs as either vi</p><p>(verb intransitive) or vt (verb transitive) where it tells</p><p>you the part of speech.</p><p>Transitive verbs have a direct object; intransitive verbs</p><p>don’t. Direct objects are discussed in Section 2.4. Basi-</p><p>cally, if you ask what or who about the verb, the answer</p><p>is the direct object. Direct objects are always nouns or</p><p>pronouns. Here are some examples.</p><p>They played baseball. (Played what? Base-</p><p>ball. Baseball is the direct object, so played is</p><p>transitive.)</p><p>They played in the yard. (Played what or who? The</p><p>sentence does not tell you. There is no direct</p><p>object, and played is intransitive.)</p><p>Practice 17—</p><p>Transitive and Intransitive Verbs</p><p>In each of the following sentences, identify the italicized</p><p>verb as either transitive or intransitive. If it is transitive,</p><p>identify its direct object.</p><p>1. I played chess with George.</p><p>2. She walked to school.</p><p>3. Jess bought a new suit.</p><p>4. Did you see the cat jump over the fence?</p><p>5. I wrote the monthly report for my company.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>✎ You already learned in Section 1.2 that you can tell if</p><p>a word is a noun by putting a, an, or the in front of</p><p>it. How can you tell if a word is a verb? Put the word</p><p>to in front of it, for example, to jump, to think, to be,</p><p>to study, to allow.</p><p>1.5. Adjectives</p><p>Compared to verbs, Adjectives are pretty simple. They</p><p>are used to describe nouns (people, places, things,</p><p>ideas) and sometimes pronouns. Adjectives can also</p><p>describe other adjectives. They tell how many, what</p><p>kind, or which ones. Here are some examples of adjec-</p><p>tives describing (or modifying) nouns:</p><p>pretty bird</p><p>six trees</p><p>blue dress</p><p>handsome guy</p><p>good idea</p><p>Here is an example of an adjective that describes a</p><p>pronoun:</p><p>He is handsome.</p><p>Notice that the structure is a little different here. When</p><p>describing a pronoun, the adjective is usually after the</p><p>verb rather than right before the pronoun. Notice that</p><p>when the adjective comes after the verb, the verb is</p><p>always a linking verb (is, in the sentence above). Some-</p><p>times, of course, the adjective can come before the pro-</p><p>noun. For example</p><p>Silly me!</p><p>Here is an adjective describing another adjective:</p><p>bright blue dress</p><p>The adjective blue is describing the noun dress. How-</p><p>ever, the adjective bright is describing the type of blue</p><p>(not the dress).</p><p>What if you said old, torn dress? Old and torn are both</p><p>adjectives, but they both describe the noun dress. It is</p><p>an old dress, and it is a torn dress.</p><p>When both adjectives describe the noun (as in old,</p><p>torn dress), you generally put a comma between the</p><p>two adjectives. When one adjective describes the</p><p>other adjective (as in bright blue dress), do not use a</p><p>comma. One way to figure this out is to put the word</p><p>and between the two adjectives. If it makes sense, use</p><p>a comma.</p><p>Old and torn dress makes sense. Use a comma:</p><p>Old, torn dress</p><p>Other Types of Adjectives</p><p>There are a couple of special types of adjectives. How-</p><p>ever, they have the same function as any other adjective.</p><p>22 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>1. Demonstrative Adjectives: In Section 1.3 we discussed</p><p>demonstrative pronouns. They are this, that, these,</p><p>and those. These same four words, when placed right</p><p>before a noun, are demonstrative adjectives. Notice the</p><p>difference:</p><p>This is my book. (demonstrative pronoun)</p><p>This book is mine. (demonstrative adjective</p><p>describing book)</p><p>2. Proper Adjectives: Proper adjectives, like proper nouns,</p><p>begin with a capital letter. Here are a few examples:</p><p>Thanksgiving dinner, Italian food, Catholic religion</p><p>3. Articles: The words a, an, and the are called articles.</p><p>Sometimes they are thought of as a separate part of</p><p>speech, but they are really adjectives.</p><p>✎ Some words can be used as more than one part of</p><p>speech, depending on how they are used in a partic-</p><p>ular sentence. Nouns can often be used as adjectives.</p><p>Here are some examples: beef stew, bread pudding,</p><p>prom dress, Christmas vacation.</p><p>Practice 18—</p><p>Identifying Adjectives</p><p>Each of the following sentences contains three adjec-</p><p>tives. See if you can identify them by circling each</p><p>adjective. These adjectives may include articles, proper</p><p>adjectives, and demonstrative adjectives.</p><p>1. I had three books, but I gave one book to my younger</p><p>brother.</p><p>2. The tall tree in the yard has fallen.</p><p>3. This cat is mine, but that cat is from the shelter.</p><p>4. Which of these two cookies looks good to you?</p><p>5. We had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner!</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>1.6. Adverbs</p><p>Like adjectives, adverbs are describing words. How-</p><p>ever, while adjectives describe nouns or pronouns</p><p>(people and things), adverbs are used to describe verbs</p><p>(actions). Sometimes adverbs also describe adjectives</p><p>or other adverbs.</p><p>Adverbs tell where, when, how, or to what extent.</p><p>Adverbs usually end in -ly, but not always. Here are</p><p>some examples of adverbs:</p><p>She ran quickly. Quickly describes how she ran</p><p>(ran is the verb).</p><p>He is extremely intelligent. Extremely describes the</p><p>adjective intelligent.</p><p>He writes really quickly. Really describes quickly,</p><p>also an adverb. Quickly describes how he writes</p><p>(writes is the verb).</p><p>As we said above, not all adverbs end in -ly. And, some</p><p>words that end in -ly are adjectives, not adverbs, because</p><p>they describe nouns. Here are some examples:</p><p>What a lovely dress. Lovely describes the noun</p><p>dress, so it is an adjective.</p><p>I have three sisters, so I am never lonely. Lonely</p><p>describes the pronoun I. The two words are</p><p>linked with the linking verb am. (Note that the</p><p>word never is an adverb telling when. It describes</p><p>the adjective lonely.)</p><p>Many adverbs do not end in -ly. Some of these adverbs</p><p>include now, then, soon, very, only, often, and not.</p><p>✎ There is usually more than one place to put an adverb</p><p>in a sentence. Sometimes the location of an adverb</p><p>changes the meaning of a sentence (for example, see</p><p>Chapter 12 for a discussion about the adverb only).</p><p>Other times, the sentence is simply clearer if you</p><p>place the adverb close to the verb.</p><p>I go for a walk in the woods often.</p><p>I often go for a walk in the woods. (better way to</p><p>write it)</p><p>Often, I go for a walk</p><p>in the woods. (also good)</p><p>✎ Be careful not to overuse the adverbs really, so, and</p><p>very. Always avoid using two reallys, sos, or verys in</p><p>a row (for example, really, really good).</p><p>Practice 19—</p><p>Identifying Adverbs</p><p>Identify each adverb in the following sentences. Some</p><p>sentences may have more than one adverb. Every sen-</p><p>tence here has at least one adverb.</p><p>Parts of Speech 2 23</p><p>1. We went up the stairs quietly.</p><p>2. Soon I will be 12 years old.</p><p>3. He drives very slowly.</p><p>4. This is too heavy for me to carry.</p><p>5. She tenderly held the baby and kissed her softly.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Practice 20—</p><p>Placing Adverbs</p><p>In some of the following sentences, the adverb is not</p><p>in the best place. Find a better place to put the adverb.</p><p>Other sentences are correct. Identify which sentences</p><p>are written well. Remember that many times there is</p><p>more than one correct place to put the adverb.</p><p>1. We walked down carefully the stairs.</p><p>2. He will be soon coming home.</p><p>3. Put the toys away quietly.</p><p>4. The cat purred and ran up the stairs contentedly.</p><p>5. Gladly I gave him the old baby clothes I had collected.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>1.7. Prepositions</p><p>Prepositions are usually little words, and they are always</p><p>part of a phrase (a group of a few related words—see</p><p>Section 3.2) known, not surprisingly, as a prepositional</p><p>phrase. A prepositional phrase generally consists of a</p><p>preposition, sometimes an article (a, an, or the), and</p><p>a noun or pronoun (which is called the object of the</p><p>preposition). Prepositional phrases usually answer the</p><p>questions where? or when?</p><p>Here are some examples of prepositions in a phrase (the</p><p>preposition is in bold):</p><p>in the box down the stairs</p><p>with my friends beside the desk</p><p>at school within the city</p><p>around the room for the committee</p><p>of ours among the students</p><p>between the chairs beneath the table</p><p>by the author after the storm</p><p>to the movies before dinner</p><p>up the tree along the riverbank</p><p>There are many other prepositions, but you get the idea!</p><p>If a preposition does not have a noun or pronoun after</p><p>it, it is generally not a preposition; it is being used as an</p><p>adverb.</p><p>I am going inside the house (prepositional phrase;</p><p>inside is a preposition).</p><p>I am going inside. (There is no prepositional</p><p>phrase; inside is an adverb here.)</p><p>✎ You may have heard that you aren’t supposed to</p><p>end a sentence with a preposition. There are some</p><p>cases where you probably should not end a sentence</p><p>with a preposition; however, sometimes you should</p><p>because it sounds better.</p><p>Whom are you going with? It is fine to end the sentence</p><p>this way (with the preposition with). With whom are you</p><p>going? is also fine.</p><p>Where are you at? Please do not end a sentence this way.</p><p>You don’t need the at. Just leave it off.</p><p>What are you staring at? This is fine. You can’t leave at</p><p>off here. You can say, At what are you staring, but ending</p><p>this sentence with at is fine.</p><p>It is very important to be able to recognize prepositional</p><p>phrases. Often, recognizing a prepositional phrase will</p><p>help you decide whether to use who or whom, I or me,</p><p>him or he, etc. (more about this in Chapter 6). It is also</p><p>important to put your prepositional phrases in the correct</p><p>place in the sentence (more about this in Section 11.5).</p><p>Practice 21—</p><p>Identifying Prepositional Phrases</p><p>Each sentence below contains one prepositional phrase.</p><p>Can you find it?</p><p>1. The cat is under the table.</p><p>2. We camp at the lake every summer.</p><p>3. Come into the house before you freeze!</p><p>4. We ran around the track twenty times!</p><p>5. I went to the museum.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>24 1 Best Grammar Workbook Ever</p><p>1.8. Conjunctions</p><p>Conjunctions are joining words. They join words,</p><p>phrases (a short group of related words), or even sen-</p><p>tences together. (See Chapter 3 for more information</p><p>about phrases.) The most common conjunction is and.</p><p>Jack and Jill (joins two words together).</p><p>I went to school and to the movies (joins two</p><p>phrases together).</p><p>I am a student, and my brother is a dentist (joins</p><p>two sentences).</p><p>And is called a coordinating conjunction. There are seven</p><p>coordinating conjunctions. They are for, and, nor, but,</p><p>or, yet, and so. The first letters of these words spell out</p><p>FANBOYS.</p><p>Remember the “word” FANBOYS, and you will remem-</p><p>ber these conjunctions!</p><p>Practice 22—</p><p>Coordinating Conjunctions</p><p>Fill in the blank in each sentence with one of the seven</p><p>FANBOYS conjunctions. Use a different conjunction</p><p>for each sentence. Use the conjunction that makes the</p><p>most sense in that sentence.</p><p>1. I would buy that toy for you, _______ I don’t have</p><p>any money.</p><p>2. She is small, ______ very strong.</p><p>3. Do you want the chicken _____ the steak?</p><p>4. Bobbie _____ Jim are getting married.</p><p>5. I like neither liver ________ brussels sprouts.</p><p>6. I have other plans, ____ I won’t be going with you.</p><p>7. You will need to study more, ______ you got a bad</p><p>grade.</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>Subordinating Conjunctions</p><p>The FANBOYS conjunctions are called coordinating con-</p><p>junctions because they connect, or join, two or more</p><p>things. There is another kind of conjunction, called a sub-</p><p>ordinating conjunction. These conjunctions begin subordi-</p><p>nate clauses (see Section 4.3). Subordinating conjunctions</p><p>include (but are not limited to) these words: although,</p><p>since, if, because, until, when, whenever, before (some-</p><p>times) and after (sometimes).</p><p>Although I am small, I am strong (subordinate</p><p>clause begins with although).</p><p>Because I have no money, I cannot go to the mov-</p><p>ies (subordinate clause begins with because).</p><p>I cannot get my license until I turn sixteen (subordi-</p><p>nate clause begins with until).</p><p>✎ When you are joining two words, there is no comma.</p><p>However, in a series or more than two things, use</p><p>a comma after each item in the series except, of</p><p>course, the last item. The comma before the con-</p><p>junction (usually and) is optional and is called the</p><p>Oxford comma. I prefer to use it.</p><p>I packed shoes and socks. (two items only; no</p><p>comma)</p><p>I packed shoes, socks, pants, and shirts. (comma</p><p>after pants is optional)</p><p>✎ There is generally a comma before a FANBOYS con-</p><p>junction that connects two complete sentences.</p><p>I sprained my ankle, so I cannot go hiking today.</p><p>I cannot go with you, but my sister can.</p><p>✎ Can you begin a sentence with a FANBOYS con-</p><p>junction? Yes and no. Most people now say it is per-</p><p>fectly okay to begin a sentence with and, but, or so.</p><p>My opinion? I do it in this book. I do it in my blog</p><p>posts. Would I do it in a cover letter or a job applica-</p><p>tion? No.</p><p>Practice 23—</p><p>Identifying Subordinating Conjunctions</p><p>Fill in each blank with the best subordinating conjunc-</p><p>tion. Use a different conjunction for each sentence.</p><p>Choose from these five conjunctions:</p><p>Until Although Because Whenever If</p><p>1. _____________ I read that book, I don’t remember</p><p>it very well.</p><p>2. We never made it to Paris _____________ we ran out</p><p>of time.</p><p>Parts of Speech 2 25</p><p>3. I didn’t believe it _____________ I saw it with my</p><p>own eyes.</p><p>4. _____________ you see your cousin, tell him I miss</p><p>him.</p><p>5. _____________ I eat chocolate, I am happy!</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>1.9. Interjections</p><p>Wow! This is an easy part of speech. Interjections are</p><p>words that don’t add anything grammatically to the</p><p>sentence; they are usually exclamatory words, but not</p><p>always. Sometimes they are followed by an exclamation</p><p>point; other times they are connected to the sentence</p><p>with a comma. Interjections are generally not used in</p><p>formal writing like business letters.</p><p>Here are some interjections: hey, gosh, ouch, gee whiz,</p><p>wow, oh, well</p><p>Wow! What a nice car!</p><p>Ouch! That really hurt!</p><p>Well, I think I am going with you.</p><p>Oh, I am sorry about that.</p><p>Practice 24—</p><p>Adding Interjections</p><p>Fill in each blank with one of the following interjections.</p><p>Use each interjection only once.</p><p>Ouch Wow Help</p><p>1. ________! Look at that beautiful sunset.</p><p>2. ________! The garage is on fire!</p><p>3. ________! I stepped on a rock!</p><p>See Appendix G for the answers.</p><p>1.10. Using the Parts of</p>
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