Short Sentences
Short sentences can pack a punch. They can create tension. They can be beautiful and rhythmic. They also stand out more when surrounded by longer sentences.
verbs
Grammar Tip: Sentence Writing
Don’t use unnecessary instances of āwhich,ā āas,ā āwith,ā and āwhile;” use modifiers instead.
Two example: 1. Ā Change the sentence, āI drove down the freeway, which made me feel carsickā suffers from the āwhich.ā TO: āI drove down the freeway, feeling carsick.ā Example 2:Ā āThe teacher cleaned her desk while listening to The Beatles.ā TO: Ā āThe teacher cleaned her desk, listening to The Beatles.ā
š¤ Grammar Tip: Do We Have to Agree?
The Short Answer: Yes if we’re talking about subjects and verbs.Ā
The subject and verb of a sentence must agree with one another in number whether they are singular or plural. If the subject of the sentenceĀ is singular, its verbĀ must also be singular; and if theĀ subject is plural, the verbĀ must also be plural.
Example 1:
Incorrect: An important part of my life have been the people who stood by me.
Correct: An important part of my life has been the people who stood by me.
Example 2:
Incorrect: The two best things about the party was the food and the music.
Correct: The two best things about the party were the food and the music.
š¤ Grammar Tip: Do I Capitalize or Not Capitalize?
When To Capitalize and When Not to Capitalize
- Capitalize ‘I’
- Capitalize nations, national nouns and adjectives – French, Russian, English, Italy, Canadian, etc.
- Capitalize the first letter of the first word in a new sentence or question
- Do NOT capitalize common nouns, nouns are only capitalized if they are the name of something
- Capitalize proper names of people, institutions, festivals, etc.
BUT
I go to the University of Texas. (noun used as proper name)
š¤ Grammar Tip: Do You Have a Knew or New Coat?
New or knew:
TheĀ wordsĀ knew and new areĀ homophonesĀ whichĀ meansĀ theyĀ soundĀ alike but meanĀ differentĀ things.
New is anĀ adjectiveĀ thatĀ meansĀ unused.
Knew is the pastĀ tenseĀ form of the verb know,Ā whichĀ means toĀ understandĀ or to beĀ awareĀ of.
If you areĀ havingĀ troubleĀ usingĀ theseĀ wordsĀ correctly,Ā rememberĀ that knew is a verb and has to do with knowledge.Ā SinceĀ both ofĀ theseĀ wordsĀ startĀ with the same two letters, you can link themĀ togetherĀ in your mind.
š¤ Grammar Tip: Is Your Conscience or Conscious Bothering You?
“The nounĀ conscienceĀ refers to a state of awareness or a sense that one’s actions or intentions are either morally right or wrong, along with a feeling of obligation to do the right thing. . . . Conscious, on the other hand, is an adjective that indicates that a person is awake and alert and able to understand what is happening around them, such as a patient who becomes fully conscious after being administered anesthesia.”
š Grammar Tip: It’s Not Aerobics – It’s Run On Sentences
Run-on sentence
A run-on sentence is two complete sentences joined by a simple comma. This is different from a really long sentence. Ā You need conjunctions to fix a run-on sentence. Here’s an example:
- Incorrect: Practice is over at 5pm, you need to pick John up in time.
- Correct: Practice is over at 5pm, so you need to pick John up in time.
You can also replace the comma with a semi-colon or a period to make two complete sentences correctly.
š¤ Grammar Tip: Will You Attain or Obtain Your Dream Job?
AttainĀ andĀ obtainĀ have the same ending, and they both meanĀ to get something. Ā AttainĀ is a verb that meansĀ to get an achievement. For example, “After a lot of hard work, she attained her dream of being able to speak 7 languages.”
ObtainĀ is also a verb. It meansĀ to get possession of something. For example, “The men obtained the tools they needed to cut down the tree.”
š¤ Grammar Tip: Are You “All Ready” or “Already”?
Know the Difference Between All Ready and Already.
All readyĀ meansĀ completely prepared.
AlreadyĀ meansĀ prior to a specified or implied time.
š¤ Grammar Tip: Do You Want to Allude or Elude Confrontation?
Do You Know the difference between allude and elude?
AlludeĀ meansĀ to refer to indirectly.
EludeĀ meansĀ to avoidĀ orĀ to evade.
