Having trouble identifying adjective clauses? It’s easier than you may think! Adjective clauses are just like adjectives in that they modify or describe the nouns or pronouns in a sentence. For example: Athletic students are usually good at sports. Here the word athletic is an adjective because it describes the noun students. However, adjectives are not always just one word. Sometimes they … [Read more...]
Adverbs
When adverbs are properly used they can make your writing exciting and descriptive. When used incorrectly they can make your sentences a bit cumbersome. Read on to find out more about adverbs so you can improve your written communication. What Are Adverbs? Quite simply, adverbs are words that modify the meanings of a verb, an adjective, or another adverb in a sentence. There purpose is to … [Read more...]
Comparative Adjectives
Often times in writing we wish to compare a noun to another noun. In order to do that we need to use a special form of adjective called a comparative adjective. Consider how the following sentence shows degrees of comparison. Chicago is a big city, but Los Angeles is bigger than Chicago, and New York City is the biggest city in the United States. Here the adjective bigger is used to compare … [Read more...]
Comparative Adverbs
Perhaps you’ve never given it much thought but adjectives and adverbs have two things in common. They both modify another word and they both can show degrees of comparison. Adjectives are used to modify a noun or pronoun. Adverbs modify the meanings of verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. But what about comparative adverbs? What are they and when do you use them? Read on to find out more. What … [Read more...]
Compound Words
Baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie: three words near and dear to many American hearts. Actually, the words have more in common than Americana; they are members of a category of words called compound words. What are Compound Words? Compound words are formed when two or more words are put together to form a new word with a new meaning. They can function as different parts of speech, which can … [Read more...]
Adjectives
If you want to add a little spice and flair to your writing, adjectives can make a dull sentence come alive. Most of us use adjectives quite naturally when we speak, so incorporating them into your writing should come naturally as well. However, you need to keep in mind that adjectives are delicate things. Don't over use them. Nouns and verbs should carry the brunt of the work in descriptive … [Read more...]
Contractions
One of the hallmarks of good writing is clarity. Unless you’re a fiction writer who specializes in lengthy convoluted prose, you’re goal should be to convey your message with as many words as it takes – and not one word more. That’s one reason why we revise and edit to get rid of extra words and phrases. Sometimes this is accomplished by shortening words. For example, we may say she’s … [Read more...]
Conjunctive Adverbs
The role of a conjunction is rather straightforward. Its job is to connect. Conjunctions are used to link words, phrases, and clauses together and provide a smooth transition between ideas. Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and they can be used as conjunctions as well. When they are, they’re known as conjunctive adverbs. What Are Conjunctive Adverbs? Conjunctive … [Read more...]
Homophones
Have you ever wondered which variation of the word “bear” to use in a sentence? “Bear” can mean to carry or it can mean to tolerate. The word “bare” sounds like “bear” but it is spelled differently and the two have different meanings. These tricky words and many others like them are members of a group of words called homophones. Homophones fall under the umbrella of the term … [Read more...]
Demonstrative Pronouns
Pronouns can be a tricky. There are so many of them plus they fall into different categories and have different purposes. To make things even more confusing certain pronouns can be used as other parts of speech. But of all the pronoun categories, demonstrative pronouns seem to cause the most bafflement. Let's take a closer look at demonstrative pronouns. What are Demonstrative … [Read more...]
Helping Verbs
In most cases, the words in sentences need a little help in order to make the intended meaning crystal clear. Verbs are no exceptions. Luckily, there are helping verbs to stand up and do just that. Let’s take a closer look at helping verbs. What are helping verbs? Just as the name implies, helping verbs, sometimes called auxiliary verbs, help out the main verb in a sentence. They … [Read more...]
Linking Verbs Explained
Verbs come in all shapes and sizes. Some show action and some do not. Some describe or rename the subject in the sentence. Verbs that describe or rename the subject are called linking verbs. What are linking verbs? Another way to define linking verbs is that linking verbs do not express action but connect the subject and verb to more information. Some words can function both as a linking verb … [Read more...]
Regular Verbs
There are so many types of verbs it might be helpful to review just exactly what a verb is. A verb is a word that shows action or state of being. You could say it's the most important part of a sentence because every sentence must contain a verb. As a matter of fact, recognizing the verb is essential to understanding the sentence meaning. In the sentence, “Lightning struck a tree,” struck … [Read more...]
Subject Verb Agreement
Subject Verb agreement can be tricky for many people. As a matter of fact, one of the common comments teachers write on student essays is, “Watch your subject verb agreement!” If you’ve ever had a comment like that written on one of your essays or if you’d just like to brush up on your subject verb agreement rules, here some tips that are sure to help. What is subject verb … [Read more...]
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Read the following sentences. The batter hit the ball. The bird sang. What is the difference between the two verbs in the above sentences? At first thought, you may say the definition but forget about the meaning. Instead, concentrate on the grammar. How do the verbs differ grammatically? Notice that the first sentence has two words following the verb hit. The second sentence doesn’t have … [Read more...]
