English Grammar for the Utterly confused ! (something i want to share )

Chapper1 art of speech

Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe nouns and pronouns. Adjectives answer the questions:
What kind? How much? Which one? How many? For example:

What kind? red nose
How much? more sugar
Which one? second chance
How many? several chances

There are five kinds of adjectives: common adjectives, proper adjectives, compound adjectives,articles, and indefinite adjectives.

1. Common adjectives describe nouns or pronouns.

strong man
green plant
beautiful view
2. Proper adjectives are formed from proper nouns.

California vegetables (from the noun ?oCaliforniâ?)
Mexican food (from the noun ?oMexicô?)

3. Compound adjectives are made up of more than one word.

far-off country
teenage person

4. Articles are a special type of adjective. There are three articles: a, an, the.

The is called a ?odefinite articlê? because it refers to a specific thing.
A and an are called ?oindefinite articles? because they refer to general things. Use a with consonant sounds; use an before vowel sounds.

5. Indefinite adjectives don?Tt specify the specific amount of something.

all another any both each either few manymore most neither other
several some

Follow these guidelines when you use adjectives:

1. Use an adjective to describe a noun or a pronoun.
Jesse was unwilling to leave the circus.
noun adj. adj. noun

2. Use vivid adjectives to make your writing more specific and descriptive.
Take a larger slice of the luscious cake.
adj. noun adj. noun

3. Use an adjective after a linking verb. A linking verb connects a subject with a descriptive
word. The most common linking verbs are be (is, am, are, was, were, and so on), seem,
appear, look, feel, smell, sound, taste, become, grow, remain, stay, and turn.

Chicken made this way tastes more delicious (not deliciously).

Quick tip : Predicate adjectives are adjectives separated from the noun or pronoun by a linking verb. Predicate adjectives describe the subject of the sentence.
The weather was cold all week

Adverbs
Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Adverbs answer the
questions: When? Where? How? or To what extent?
When? left yesterday
Where? fell below
How? happily sang
To what extent? partly finished
Follow these guidelines when you use adverbs:
1. Use an adverb to describe a verb.
Experiments using dynamite must be done carefully.
verb adv.
2. Use an adverb to describe an adjective.
Sam had an unbelievably huge appetite for chips.
adv. adj.
3. Use an adverb to describe another adverb.
They sang so clearly.
adv. Adv
Quick tip : Conjunctive adverbs are used to connect other words and to link ideas and paragraphs.
accordingly again also besides consequently finally for example
furthermore however indeed moreover on the other hand otherwise nevertheless then therefore
Conjunctions
Conjunctions connect words or groups of words and show how the words are related. There are three kinds of conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and subordinating conjunctions.
1. Coordinating conjunctions link similar words or word groups. There are seven coordinating
conjunctions:
for and nor but or yet so
Quick tip : Use this mnemonic to help you remember the seven coordinating conjunctions: FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
2. Correlative conjunctions also link similar words or word groups, but they are always used
in pairs. Here are the correlative conjunctions:
both . . .and either . . . or
neither . . . nor not only . . . but also whether . . . or
3. Subordinating conjunctions link an independent clause (complete sentence) to a dependent
clause (fragment). Here are the most often used subordinating conjunctions:
after although as as if
as long as as soon as as though because
before even though if in order that
since so that though till
unless until when whenever where wherever
Interjections
Interjections show strong emotion. Since interjections are not linked grammatically to other
words in the sentence, they are set off from the rest of the sentence with a comma or an exclamation
mark. For example:
_ Oh! What a shock you gave me with that gorilla suit.
_ Wow! That?Ts not a gorilla suit!

Được kindnesss sửa chữa / chuyển vào 09:55 ngày 02/10/2007

Chap 2: The 25 Most Common Usage Problems
The 25 Top Writing Errors
*Grammar and Usage
1. Lack of clarity
2. Redundancy (unnecessary words)
3. Problems with subject-verb agreement
4. Lack of parallel structure
5. Wrong verb tense
6. Mixed metaphors
7. Dangling modifiers
8. Misplaced modifiers
9. Incorrect idioms
10. Biased language
11. Incorrect voice (active versus passive voice)
*Sentences
12. Fragments (incomplete sentences)
13. Run-ons (two sentences run together)
*Spelling
14. Missing letters
15. Extra letters
16. Transposed letters
17. Incorrect plurals
18. Errors in confusing word pairs (such as weather/whether)
*Punctuation
19. Missing commas or extra commas
20. Missing or misused apostrophes
21. Misused exclamation marks
22. Misused semicolons
*Capitalization
23. Proper nouns not capitalized
24. Errors in titles
*Proofreading
25. Missing words

A.Most Common Grammar and Usage Errors
1. Lack of clarity
Incorrect: Prehistoric people used many inorganic substances difficult to find at archaeological sites, which included clay and rock.
Correct: Prehistoric people used many inorganic substances, including clay and rock,which are difficult to find at archaeological sites.
Sentences can be confusing for many different reasons. In the previous example, too many phrases come between the pronoun and its antecedent. As a result, the pronoun reference gets confusing. This can happen even if the intervening material is logically related to the rest of the sentence, as is the case here.. Herê?Ts the quick and dirty lowdown:
-One sentence = one complete thought. Don?Tt cram too much into one sentence.
-The more complex your ideas, the shorter and more simple your sentences should be.
-Check that all parts of the sentence are logically related. Are they in the same tense,for example?
-Reread your sentences to make sure all pronouns refer to their antecedents and are placed as close as possible to them.
-Check that you have punctuated your sentences correctly.
2. Redundancy (unnecessary words)
Incorrect: If you reread your work, you will find upon serious reconsideration that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by careful e***ing and revising and attentive reevaluation. Scrupulous e***ing can also help you make your writing less wordy.
Correct: If you reread your work, you will find that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by careful e***ing.
Long-winded writing may sound educated and impressive, but it actually turns off your audience because it wastes their time. Say what you need to say concisely. Since your writing will be more intelligible, it will communicate its message directly.
3. Problems with subject-verb agreement
Incorrect: Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
Correct: Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
Agreement means that sentence parts match, singular to singular and plural to plural.Since the subject verbs is plural, it takes a plural verb, agree.This is confusing because we add -s or -es to make the third-person singular form of most verbs but add -s or -es to make the plural form of most nouns.
4. Lack of parallel structure
Not parallel: To avoid getting hit by lightning, never seek protection under a tree, lying down on wet ground, or staying on a bike.
Parallel: To avoid getting hit by lightning, never seek protection under a tree, lie down on wet ground, or stay on a bike.
Parallel structure means putting ideas of the same rank in the same grammatical structure. Your writing (and speech) should have parallel words, phrases, and clauses.
-Parallel words share the same part of speech (such as nouns, adjectives, or verbs) and tense (if the words are verbs).
-Parallel phrases create an underlying rhythm in your speech and writing.
-Parallel clauses also give your writing balance.
5. Wrong verb tense
Incorrect: President John Quincy Adams owns a pet alligator, which he kept in the East Room of the White House.
Correct: President John Quincy Adams owned a pet alligator, which he kept in the East Room of the White House.
The tense of a verb shows its time. English has six verb tenses. Each of the six tenses has two forms: basic and progressive (also known as ?operfect?). In the example here, the action takes place in the past, so the past tense must be used
Được kindnesss sửa chữa / chuyển vào 11:42 ngày 02/10/2007

( i cant display no.6 and 7 ''cause that texts have a unknown html code )
8. Misplaced modifiers
Incorrect: My parents bought a kitten for my sister they call Paws.
Correct: My parents bought a kitten they call Paws for my sister.
A misplaced modifier is a phrase, clause, or word placed too far from the noun or pronoun it describes. As a result, the sentence fails to convey your exact meaning. As this sentence is written, it means that the sister, not the kitten, is named Paws. That?Ts because the modifier they call Paws is in the wrong place in the sentence. To correct a misplaced modifier, move the modifier as close as possible to the word or phrase it describes.
9. Incorrect idioms
Incorrect: It?Ts raining cats and puppies.
Correct: It?Ts raining cats and dogs.
The phrase ?oIt?Ts raining cats and dogs? is an idiom, an expression that has a figurative rather than literal meaning. Expressions such as ?omake a big deal out of it,? ?oon the double,? and ?odown and out? are idioms. If you decide to use idioms in your writing, be sure to use the correct phrase. For instance, it?Ts idiomatic to say, ?oShe talked down to him.? It?Ts not idiomatic to say, ?oShe talked under to him.?
Idiomatic prepositions are very common and just as hard to use.
10. Biased language
Incorrect: That old geezer is taking my parking space!
Correct: That man is taking my parking space!
Avoid language that denigrates people because of their age, gender, race, or physical con***ion. This is especially crucial in business, where such language could result in a lawsuit
11. Incorrect voice (active versus passive voice)
Passive voice: The meeting was attended by the executive.
Active voice: The executive attended the meeting.
As you learned in Chapter 3 in the section on active and passive voice, English has two voices: active and passive. A verb is active when the subject performs the action. A verb is passive when its action is performed upon the subject. The active voice is clearer and
more concise than the passive voice.
Even though the active voice is stronger than the passive voice, you should use the passive voice in these two situations:
-To avoid placing blame (?oA mistake was madê? rather than ?oYou made a mistake.?)
-To avoid identifying the doer of the action (?oThe letter was sent? rather than ?oNicole sent the letter.?)
ĐỈợc kindnesss sửa chữa / chuyfn vào 11:58 ngày 02/10/2007
Được kindnesss sửa chữa / chuyển vào 12:02 ngày 02/10/2007

B. Most Common Sentence Errors
12. Fragments (incomplete sentences)
Fragment: If you want to be clearly understood.
Correct: Don?Tt write sentence fragments if you want to be clearly understood.
Every sentence must have three things:

A subject: the ?odoer? of the action. The subject will be a noun or pronoun.

A verb: what the subject does.

A complete thought.
The fragment in this example is missing a subject and a verb. As a result, the group of words does not express a complete thought. See Chapter 8 for a complete discussion of sentence fragments.
13. Run-ons (two sentences run together)
Run-on: Daddy longlegs spiders are more poisonous than black widows, daddylonglegs spiders cannot bite humans because their jaws won?Tt open wide enough.
Correct: Daddy longlegs spiders are more poisonous than black widows, but daddy longlegs spiders cannot bite humans because their jaws won?Tt open wide enough.
or
Daddy longlegs spiders are more poisonous than black widows; however, daddy longlegs cannot bite humans because their jaws won?Tt open wide enough.
A run-on sentence occurs when two complete sentences (?oindependent clauses?) are incorrectly joined. Sentences can only be joined with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) or a semicolon?"a comma doesn?Tt cut the mustard. See Chapter
8 for a complete discussion of sentences.
Được kindnesss sửa chữa / chuyển vào 12:06 ngày 02/10/2007

Most Common Punctuation Errors
19. Missing commas or extra commas
Incorrect: Avoid commas, that are not necessary.
Correct: Avoid commas that are not necessary.
Have you ever been advised to â?oadd commas where you would take a breathâ?? Sometimes this advice worksâ?"but sometimes it doesnâ?Tt. Itâ?Ts especially dangerous when youâ?Tve gone over and over your writing. At that point, nothing looks correct. To avoid confusion
and frustration, donâ?Tt wing it. Instead, review the comma rules covered in Chapter 10.
Use these rules as you write to help you correctly punctuate your documents.
20. Missing or misused apostrophes
Incorrect: Save the apostrophe for itâ?Ts proper use and omit it where itsâ?T not needed.
Correct: Save the apostrophe for its proper use and omit it where itâ?Ts not needed.
As discussed in Chapter 10, the apostrophe (â?T) is used in three ways: to show possession (ownership), to show plural forms, and to show contractions (where a letter or number has been omitted). The following chart shows how its, itâ?Ts, and itsâ?T are used:
21. Misused exclamation marks
Incorrect: Of all U.S. presidents, none lived to be older than John Adams, who died at the age of 91!
Correct: Of all U.S. presidents, none lived to be older than John Adams, who died at the age of 91.
Never overuse exclamation marks. Instead of using exclamation marks, convey emphasis through careful, vivid word choice. Exclamation marks create an overwrought tone that often undercuts your point.
22. Misused semicolons
Incorrect: Use the semicolon correctly always use it where it is appropriate; and never where it is not suitable.
Correct: Use the semicolon correctly; always use it where it is appropriate, and never where it is not suitable.
A semicolon has two primary uses: to separate two complete sentences (â?oindependent clausesâ?) whose ideas are closely related or to separate clauses that contain a comma.

D.Most Common Capitalization Errors
23. Proper nouns not capitalized.
Incorrect: louisa adams, Wife of john quincy Adams, was the first (and only) foreignborn First Lady.
Correct: Louisa Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams, was the first (and only) foreignborn first lady.
Here are the basic rules of capitalization:

Capitalize all proper nouns. These include names, geographical places, specific historical events, eras, and documents, languages, nationalities, countries, and races.

Capitalize the first word at the beginning of a sentence.
See Chapter 11 for a complete discussion of capitalization
24. Errors in titles
Incorrect: The Wind In The Willows
Correct: The Wind in the Willows
Capitalize the major words in titles of books, plays, movies, newspapers, and magazines.

Do not capitalize the articles: a, an, the.

Do not capitalize prepositions: at, by, for, of, in, up, on, so, on, to, etc.

Do not capitalize conjunctions: and, as, but, if, or, nor.

E. Improve Your Writing, One Step at a Time
How can you use the previous 25 guidelines to improve your writing? Try these ideas:
1. Donâ?Tt try to master all the rules of grammar and usage at once; itâ?Ts both futile and frustrating.
2. Instead, listen to the comments your readers mention when they discuss your writing.
3. Keep track of the writing errors you make by checking your own work against the guidelines.Review this checklist every time you write an important document. To isolate your most common writing errors, select several pieces of your writing, such as memos, letters,
or reports.

Read the documents you selected for analysis several times.

Circle all the errors you find. Donâ?Tt panic if you canâ?Tt identify each type of error at this point. Just do the best you can.

Ask a friend or family member to read the documents and find ad***ional errors.

Count up the number of errors in each category.

Reread the chapters that explain your specific writing problems.

Concentrate on these areas as you write.
4. Be patient. Learning the rules takes both time and effort. Remember that using standard grammar with confidence will help you build the credible image you wantâ?"and need.
Correct grammar and usage are vital for educated professionals.
Learn the rules of standard written English, but never let usage guidelines make your writing clumsy or obscure.
Track your writing errors and concentrate on correcting the ones you make most often.
PS : what do u think about this topic ? if it''s too boring, i will close it and creat another topic to learn French in E .