Whether you’re engaging in everyday speech or writing the perfect paper, you need to be familiar with the various parts of English grammar. Knowing how to correctly use nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions, and punctuation as well as how to properly structure a sentence can make or break a good grade or a professional presentation.
Parts of Speech in English Grammar
Every time you write or speak, you use nouns, verbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and other parts of the English language. Knowing how to use these parts of speech can help you speak more eloquently, write more clearly, and feel more confident when communicating with others.
Noun: names a person, place, thing, idea (Lulu, jail, cantaloupe, loyalty, and so on)
Pronoun: takes the place of a noun (he, who, I, what, and so on)
Verb: expresses action or being (scrambled, was, should win, and so on)
Adjective: describes a noun or pronoun (messy, strange, alien, and so on)
Adverb: describes a verb, adjective, or other adverb (willingly, woefully, very, and so on)
Preposition: relates a noun or a pronoun to another word in the sentence (by, for, from, and so on)
Conjunction: ties two words or groups of words together (and, after, although, and so on)
Interjection: expresses strong emotion (yikes! wow! ouch! and so on)
English Grammar Basics: Parts of a Sentence
After you get a good grip on the different parts of speech, it’s time to put them all together to form the proper sentence. The right words and punctuation in the right order can make all the difference in good communication. Keep in mind that you need a minimum number of parts to make a complete sentence: subject/predicate/endmark.
Verb (also called the predicate): expresses the action or state of being
Subject: the person or thing being talked about
Complement: a word or group of words that completes the meaning of the subject-verb pair
Types of complements: direct and indirect objects, subject complement, objective complement
Pronoun Tips for Proper English Grammar
The Beatles sang of “I, Me, Mine,” but understanding pronouns takes a little practice. Pronouns can be objective or subjective, and can show possession. You, me, him, her, them, us . . . everyone can speak and write more clearly by understanding pronouns.
Pronouns that may be used only as subjects or subject complements: I, he, she, we, they, who, whoever.
Pronouns that may be used only as objects or objective complements: me, him, her, us, them, whom, whomever.
Common pronouns that may be used as either subjects or objects: you, it, everyone, anyone, no one, someone, mine, ours, yours, theirs, either, neither, each, everybody, anybody, nobody, somebody, everything, anything, nothing, something, any, none, some, which, what, that.
Pronouns that show possession: my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs, whose.
English Grammar Tips for Subject-Verb Agreement
Someone or something must be present in a sentence, and that someone or something doing the action or being talked about is the subject. Verbs are the words that express the action the subject is doing or the state of being the subject is in. Subjects and verbs must agree if you’re going to get your point across as clearly as possible. Otherwise, you end up with an incomplete sentence or a sentence that makes no sense.
Match singular subjects with singular verbs, plural subjects with plural verbs (I run, she runs, they run).
Amounts of time and money are usually singular (ten dollars is).
Either/or and neither/nor: Match the verb to the closest subject (neither the boys nor the girl is).
Either and neither, without their partners or and nor, always take a singular verb (either of the apples is).
All subjects preceded by each and every take a singular verb (each CD is mine; every one of the cheeses is different).
Both, few, several, and many are always plural (both/many are qualified; few want the job; several were hired).
Placing Proper Punctuation
Can you imagine what a sentence without any punctuation would be like? Without proper punctuation, it would be unreadable. Knowing when and how to use the period, comma, colon, semicolon, and other punctuation marks will make your writing smoother and more understandable.
Endmarks: All sentences need an endmark: a period, question mark, exclamation point, or ellipsis. Never put two endmarks at the end of the same sentence.
Apostrophes: For singular ownership, generally add’s; for plural ownership, generally add s’.
Commas: In direct address, use commas to separate the name from the rest of the sentence. In lists, place commas between items in a list, but not before the first item. Before conjunctions, when combining two complete sentences with a conjunction, place a comma before the conjunction. If you have one subject and two verbs, don’t put a comma before the conjunction.
Hyphens: If two words create a single description, put a hyphen between them if the description comes before the word that it’s describing. Don’t hyphenate two-word descriptions if the first word ends in -ly.
Colon: Use a colon after an independent clause that precedes a list and to separate an explanation, rule, or example from a preceding independent clause.
Semicolon: Use a semicolon to join independent clauses in compound sentences that do not have coordinating conjunctions (and, or, but, nor, for, so, yet) and commas as connectors. Words like however, moreover, thus, and therefore, are often used as connectors in these sentences. You can also use semicolons to separate long or complicated items in a series that already includes commas, and to separate two long or complex independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction if confusion would result from using a comma.
Verb Tense Tips in English Grammar
Besides showing the action or state of being in the sentence, the verb also indicates the time the action or “being” took place. By learning about the different kinds of simple, perfect, past, and present tenses, your speaking and writing will be clear and concise.
Simple present tense: tells what is happening now
Simple past tense: tells what happened before now
Simple future: talks about what has not happened yet
Present perfect tense: expresses an action or state of being in the present that has some connection with the past
Past perfect tense: places an event before another event in the past
Future perfect tense: talks about something that has not happened yet in relation to another event in the future
English grammar is not a mystery; it’s a set of traditions and patterns of language handed down through the ages. With a little practice, you can learn the rules of Standard English so you can express yourself confidently and correctly.
Sorting Pronouns
Pronouns are handy words that take the place of the names of people, places, and things. Be sure to give every pronoun a proper job. Here is what you need to know about pronouns:
Singular subject pronouns (when one person or thing does the action or exists in the state of being): I, you, he, she, it, who, whoever.
Plural subject pronouns (when more than one person or thing does the action or exists in the state of being): we, you, they, who, whoever.
Singular object pronouns (one person or thing receiving the action): me, you, him, her, it, whom, whomever.
Plural object pronouns (more than one person or thing receiving the action): us, you, them, whom, whomever.
Singular possessive pronouns (showing ownership by one person or thing): my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, whose.
Plural possessive pronouns (showing ownership by more than one person or thing): our, ours, your, yours, their, theirs, whose.
Dealing with Verb Tenses
In English grammar, verbs change in form to tell the time period, or tense. You use different verbs to indicate whether an action has already happened, is currently happening, will happen in the future, and several different variations. Remember these tenses:
Present: happening at the current time (I talk, he talks, they talk)
Present progressive: in the process of happening (I am talking, he is talking, they are talking)
Past: happened before now (I talked, he talked, they talked)
Past progressive: happened over a period of time before now (I was talking, he was talking, they were talking)
Future: will happen after the present time (I will talk, he will talk, they will talk)
Future progressive: will happen over a period of time, after the present time (I will be talking, he will be talking, they will be talking)
Present perfect: started in the past and continues in the present (I have talked, he has talked, they have talked)
Past perfect: happened in the past before another event in the past (I had talked, he had talked, they had talked)
Future perfect: will happen in the future before a deadline (I will have talked, he will have talked, they will have talked)
Elements of a Complete English Sentence
To write a complete sentence, applying proper rule of English grammar, you must use several different items. Make sure that your sentences have all of these elements:
Subject–verb pair: The verb is a “doing’ or a “being’ word. Someone or something has to do the action or exist in the state of being. That is the subject. Every complete sentences needs at least one subject–verb pair.
End punctuation: Every sentence ends with a punctuation mark. A statement ends with a full stop, a question with a question mark, and a strong statement with an exclamation mark.
Complete thought: The sentence must include one complete idea.
When to Use Capital Letters
In English grammar, you need to know when to capitalise words. Sometimes the capital letter signifies the part of a sentence or simply indicates someone’s name (proper nouns). Use capital letters for the following:
Specific names: Capital letters are used for the names of people, places, and brands. (Bill, Mrs. Jones, River Dee, Burberry). Lowercase letters are for general names (girls, mountains, clothing).
First word: The first word in a sentence, a title, or a subtitle is always capitalised.
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Personal pronoun: The pronoun I, referring to the speaker or writer, should be capitalised.
Titles of full-length literary works: The first word in the title of a book, play, newspaper, or magazine, plus all the important words, should be capitalised. (God Save the Queen, The Times, A Tale of Two Cities). If you have a subtitle, capitalise only the first word, specific names, and the personal pronoun I.
Titles of songs, poems, and articles: Capitalise the first word, proper names, and the personal pronoun I.
Titles for people: When a title comes before a name, capitalise it (Reverend Ames). After the name, capitalise titles only when they refer to very important positions (Prime Minister, Secretary General of the United Nations).
Punctuation Mark Hp format tool sd card. | Use to.. |
( . ) Period | End a sentence: Dinner was delicious. |
( ? ) Question Mark | End a sentence and denote inquiry: What time is it? |
( ! ) Exclamation Point | End a sentence and denote excitement or emphasis: Watch out for that tree! |
( , ) Comma | Denote a break within a sentence or direct address of a person or group: Mary, listen to me. Separate any of the following: Mitchell auto repair free software. - Two or more adjectives: He is a charming, attentive listener. - Items in a list: Please buy eggs, milk, butter and flour. - The name of a city from the name of a state: I live in Salt Lake City, Utah. - Two independent clauses: The waiter still hasn’t taken our order, and the play starts in five minutes. - Direct quotations: Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.” |
( ; ) Semicolon | Separate two related but independent clauses: I asked Anne to look at my computer; she has a knack for them. Separate a series of items that already contain commas: - For our wedding colors, I chose white, the color of innocence; red, the color of passion; and yellow, the color of lemons. - I have lived in Detroit, Michigan; Paris, France; and Sydney, Australia. |
( : ) Colon | Introduce a list. For Christmas, I would like the following presents: a hula hoop, a hippopotamus, and my two front teeth. Introduce a statement that expands upon the clause before the colon. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. |
( - ) Hyphen | Add a prefix: Trans-Atlantic flights are costly. Create compound words: Spider-Man is my favorite superhero. Write numbers as words: I have lived in this house for thirty-three years. |
(– or —) Dash | Make a brief interruption within a sentence or a parenthetical phrase: Johnny asked me—with a straight face, I might add—if he could borrow the car for the weekend. |
( “ ) Double Quotation | Enclose a direct quotation: “If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.” |
( ‘ ) Single Quotation | Denote possession: I believe that is Allen’s pen. Denote contraction: I know it’s his because of the distinct monogram. Denote a quotation within a quotation: He told me just last week, “I do enjoy this monogrammed pen. My wife said, ‘Allen, it isn’t like people go around mistaking your pens for theirs all day.’” |
( ( ) ) Parentheses | Indicate clarification: Please bring home some real butter (as opposed to margarine). Indicate an afterthought or personal commentary: Anyone can edit Wikipedia (not that there’s anything wrong with that). |
Printable Basic Grammar Rules
You know who’s not impressed with shoddy grammar, run-on sentences, misused words, and five typos per page? Your professors, editors, parents, bosses, colleagues, and potential dates. Nobody’s perfect—but when it comes to grammar and word usage, you can come pretty close.
The infographic below by The Expert Editor provides a compact visual guide to common mistakes that writers make. The dangling modifier and the comma splice, for example, are frequent visitors in university halls and professional workplaces. Banish these grammar errors for tighter, clearer writing.
You’ll also find a primer on words that often cause trouble. These frequent offenders include the dreaded “alot” and “irregardless,” neither of which are actually words! Use “a lot” and “regardless” instead. The more you hone your writing skills, the more you may find yourself brutally eliminating certain turns of phrase and unnecessary filler words. That’s writing! Sacrifices have to be made.
Sometimes, even if your grammar is perfect, your text might still be lacking a certain je ne sais quoi. That’s where word choice comes into play. If you find yourself relying on words like “confused” or “surprised” to describe emotions, you may want to check out the cheat sheet below, which offers alternatives for overused words. Would “baffled” or “rattled” be a better choice? Does your original sentence still make sense? Does it make more sense or convey your meaning more precisely?
Finally, we’ve also included our top ten proofreading tips, from reading your text aloud to marking up a hard copy with a pen or highlighter. Following these tips will help you catch pesky errors and evaluate the overall flow of your text.