Student Grammar Tutorials
- Adjectives & Adverbs
- Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
- Pronoun Use and Reference
- Agreement Between Subjects and Verbs
- Who vs. Which vs. That
- Practice Test: Grammar
ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS
Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. They may precede the word that they describe (That is a beautiful child.) or follow it (That child is beautiful.).
Adverbs are words that modify any words but nouns and pronouns. Adverbs answer the questions How? When? Where?
Some words can be used as adjectives and adverbs depending on which word they modify.
The noisy tenant was scolded by his landlord.
The dishes fell noisily to the floor.
The doctor received a sudden telephone call.
The doctor was called away suddenly.
RULE 1. The word good is an adjective. The word well is an adverb. But when referring to health, always use well.
You did a good job. You smell good.
The word "well" describes How.
You did the job very well. You look well today.
RULE 2. Generally if a word answers the question How?, it is an adverb and if it can have an "ly" added to it, place it there.
She feel (bad/badly) about the situation.
You can find your way (easy, easily) from here.
RULE 3. To compare things using adjectives and adverbs often causes errors in writing. To compare two things, one should say for instance-
He is cheap.
He is the cheaper of the two men.
He is the cheapest of all of them.
Some words do not take -er or -est and instead use more or most.
beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
MISPLACED AND DANGLING MODIFIERS
RULE 1. When you use a descriptive action clause to start a sentence, make certain it modifies the proper actor or action.
Incorrect: While walking into the parking lot, the bus hit her.
Correct : While walking across the parking lot, she was hit by the bus.
RULE 2. Anytime that you can, place modifiers near the words they modify.
Incorrect: I have some chicken Mom fried in my lunchbox.
Correct: In my lunchbox, I have some chicken that Mom fried.
MISPLACED: Gnawing on its bone, the man disciplined the dog.
(Grammatically, the sentence says the man is doing the gnawing.)
DANGLING: Watching the river, the house was spotted floating down the current toward the sea.
(The participle dangles because the word "people" which should be there somewhere since they watch the river, is not there. Instead it appears the house managed to watch and float.
PRONOUN USE AND REFERENCE
A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun. Pronouns can be used as subject, objects or possessives.
RULE 1. To decide which pronoun form to use in a compound subject, try each part of the subject by itself with the verb.
Brian and (I, me) went to the movies. (Brian went; I went, not me went)
The O'Briens and (they, them) are in the Club. (The O'Briens are; they are, not them are)
The plural forms of we and they sound awkward in many places, so it is often best to rewrite the sentence.
We and they planned to swim in the lake.
We all planned to swim in the lake.
The boys and we are all going there.
We and the boys are going there.
RULE 2. To decide which pronoun form to use in a compound object, try each part of the object by itself with the verb.
The teacher wanted to see Mary and (I, me). (See Mary; see Me-not I)
Did you ask (he, him) and (I, me) to dinner? (ask him; ask me)
RULE 3. A personal pronoun must be in the same person as its antecedent.
This is one of the most common errors encountered in papers.
The court decided the prisoner's fate when they reached their decision.
RULE 4.Collective nouns such as "court," "board," "union," "jury" are referred to as "it."
The court decided the prisoner's fate when it reached its decision.
(NOTE: the only use for it's is to mean "it is." It is a possessive pronoun. No possessive pronouns need apostrophes. (Mine, ours, his hers, theirs, yours.) If you are unsure about its use-do not ever use its.)
RULE 5. To avoid ambiguity, every personal pronoun should refer clearly to its antecedent.
Indefinite:The yearbook is good, but they did not include enough pictures.
The yearbook is good, but the editors did not include enough pictures.
Indefinite: Read what they say about the product.
Read what Consumer Reports says about the product.
Ambiguous: Vince told Joe that he had won the lottery.
Vince had won the prize, he told Joe.
Incorrect: Not one of the neighbors offered their support.
Not one of the neighbors offered his/her support.
AGREEMENT BETWEEN SUBJECTS AND VERBS
There are two numbers in grammar: singular and plural. A word is singular in number if it refers to one person or thing. It is plural if it refers to more than one person or thing.
RULE 1. A singular subject takes a singular verb. A plural subject takes a plural verb. The test is deciding whether the subject is singular or plural and then recognizing whether the verb is.
A verb agrees with its subject in person.
One of his classmates (is, are) a guide at the U.N.
(One is the subject)
The aim of the debates (is, are) to keep you informed.
RULE 2. Sometimes, the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides. Ignore these expressions when choosing a singular or plural verb.
The revolution, led by the guerrillas, has been won.
The singer, along with her band, is on tour for six months.
RULE 3. When there are two or more subjects, the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it.
Neither the police nor the suspect (wants, want) to make a statement. (The subject is compound but "suspect" is closer to the verb than "police"-so the verb is wants.
RULE 4. INDEFINITE PRONOUNS:
SOME INDEFINITE PRONOUNS ARE ALWAYS SINGULAR. each, either, everyone, anyone, no one, nobody
everybody, someone, neither, somebody, one,
SOME ARE ALWAYS PLURAL: several, few, both, many
WHO vs. WHICH vs. THAT
RULE 1.Who refers to people. That and which refer to groups or things.
Robbie is the one who found the ship that was made by Coastal Hobby Co.
RULE 2. That is used to introduce essential clauses (restrictive) while which is used to introduce nonessential or non-restrictive clauses.)
HINT: Essential clauses are not set off with commas.
I dislike reading editorials that argue for points I disagree with.
The editorial arguing a point I disagreed with, which appeared in the Sunday paper, was upsetting to me.
RULE 3.If that or those starts the sentence, then use which to connect.
That is a decision, which you mist live with.
Those ideas which we discussed at the meeting, will be implemented soon.
PRACTICE TEST: GRAMMAR
(Correct each sentence below)
1. He and she were real close friends.
2. John did good on the driving test.
3. Michael is the oldest of the two boys.
4. My Dad talks slower so my mother can understand him.
5. What will be the affects of global warming?
6. Neither of those people have talked to me.
7. They mailed the resumes to him and I.
8. None of the neighbors offered his support.
9. He took the plate off of the table.
10. It is us law clerks who work hard.
11. It was I whom called you.
12. Tom is the smartest of the two boys.
13. This phone call is for Susan and I.
14. That was Karin and me whom you saw.
15. There is only four days until classes start.
16. The players, not the coach, has been ill.
17. Each of the students were scheduled to take the final.
18. Neither Allison nor I are to go there after work.
19. The couch and the chair sits in the space.
20. How good he writes.