03+-+Grammar



Grammar is important for a variety of reasons. Proper grammar infuses a written work with a higher level of sophistication. Also, it is important to know how to write proper English for academic and workplace purposes. Commas: Commas are used for separating items or phrases in a series. Example: Job interviews can be stressful, exciting, and rewarding. Commas and a coordinating conjunction can be used to link two complete sentences.  Example: Job interviews can be stressful, but they can also be rewarding. Commas are placed after introductory phrases or words. Example: Oftentimes, people forget where to put commas. Commas are placed around nonrestrictive elements. Incorrect: Her father, who is sixty retired early. Correct: Her father, who is sixty, retired early. Semicolon: Semicolons can be used to link independent related clauses. Example: The Gators won the game; they looked much better than the other team. Semicolons can link independent clauses joined by conjunctive adverbs. Example: The Gators won the game; however, they always do. Semicolons are used to separate items in a series containing other punctuation. Example: We visited Miami, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; and Nashville, Tennessee.

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-size: 150%;">Hyphen: <span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);">Hyphens combine two or more words as a single adjective before a noun. <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">Example: chocolate-covered raisins Hyphens are used with compound numbers. <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">Example: forty-five Hyphens are used with the prefixes ex-, self-, and all-. <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">Example: ex-husband, self-assured, all-inclusive

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-size: 150%;">En dash: <span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);">En dashes are used to express a range of values or distance. <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">Example: The Gators beat the <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">Sooners 24 – 14.

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-size: 150%;">Em dash: <span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);">Em dashes are used to separate parenthetical elements, which are abrupt. <span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0,128,0); font-size: 90%;">The pizza—with cheese and mushrooms—was delicious. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0,128,0); font-size: 80%;"> <span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-size: 150%;"><span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);">Question Marks: Avoid using question marks more than two times.
 * How to create an en dash on Microsoft Word: You type two hypens, followed by typing = en dash**
 * <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">How to create an em dash on Microsoft Word: Hold Alt, followed by typing 0150 = em dash **

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);"><span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-size: 150%;">Exc<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);">lamation Points : <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">Never use exclamation points. They can be interpreted in several different ways.

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-size: 150%;">Use of the word 'that' in a<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);"> sentence: <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);"><span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);">Try not to use 'that' in a sentence where it is not needed. Ex. This is the question <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">that I wanted answered.

Words that are commonly misused: The following sentences include words which are commonly misused. The incorrect choices appear in red.

<span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">Affe<span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">ct/Effect Example: How does this <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">attitude (a <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);"><span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);"><span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">ffect / effect <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);">) <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">you? Cite/Sited Example: She (cited/<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">sited ) many relevant examples for her paper. Accept/Except Example: Everything belonged to her, (<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">accept /except) the DVD. To/Too Example: He went<span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);"> <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);"><span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">(to/ too ) West Virginia during his summer break. Led/Lead Example: The tools in my father's shed were mainly composed of<span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);"> <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);"><span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">( led /lead). Than/Then Example: She<span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);"> <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);"><span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">( than /then) went home and went to sleep.

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);">Other words commonly misused: Again, the incorrect choices appear in red. Its/It's Example: (<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">Its <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">/<span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">It's ) necessary to use proper grammar. Everyday/Every day Example: I go to school (<span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">every day /<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">everyday ). Whose/Who's Example: (<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">Whose /<span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">Who's ) that boy sitting across the lawn? You're/Your Example: Is that (your/<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">you're ) wallet?

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);"> <span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);">Pronouns : When a pronoun is replacing a singular noun, it must be singular. Singular pronouns include "he", "she", and "it". Only when the noun is plural can one use a plural pronoun, such as "they" or "their".

__Incorrect__: When a person has an interview, <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">//they// should arrive early. __Correct__: When a person has an interview, <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">//he// or <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">//she// should arrive early. The noun "person" is singular, so a singular pronoun must be used to replace it.

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-size: 150%;"><span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);">Prepositions: Avoid using prepositions at the end of sentences. Examples: Where is your house at? Who are they playing against?

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-size: 150%;">Capitalization: Proper nouns and titles of works must be capitalized. Examples: He entitled his work "The Scoop". She is from the city of Orlando.

<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0,0,128); font-size: 150%;">Proofreading: <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0,128,0);">After completing a writing assignment, it is necessary to proofread your work for any grammatical errors. Spelling errors, structural errors, punctuation errors, and subject-verb agreement errors need to be corrected in order for the paper to have overall cohesiveness. <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">

<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0,0,128); font-size: 150%;">Contractions: <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0,128,0);">It is a general rule to avoid using conjunctions in any formal written work, such as in research reports and formal business correspondences. In informal works (novels, memos, letters to friends), conjunctions are quite acceptable. Examples: A conclusion <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">(cannot/<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">can't ) <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0,128,0);">be reached with the acquired results. (I'd/ <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);"><span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">I would <span style="color: rgb(0,128,0);">) rather go to the beach today than go to class. <span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(0,0,0); font-size: 120%;">

<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 80%;">For more grammar tips, please click on one of the following images or links.

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Authored by: - Adam Jaffe - Sarah Knapp - Brittan Furness - Greg Flaig