English Grammar Quiz #1

Comma:

• used when a coordinating conjunction (FANBOY) connects 2 independent clauses

  • Ex: “It was raining, so I took an umbrella with me when I left the house”

• used at the end of introductory phrases

  • "Ex: “After finishing her homework, she relaxed by watching a movie.”

• used to set off non-restrictive phrases in the middle of a sentence (add info, but doesn’t change meaning)

  • Ex: “The new restaurant, which is located downtown, has a great selection of seafood”

• used when a dependent clause precedes an independent clause

  • Ex: “Since I forgot to charge my phone, it died in the afternoon.”

    • usually begins with a subordinating conjunction:

      • After, As Though, Since, Unless, Wherever, Although, Because, In Order That, Until, Whether, As, Before, So That, When, While, As If, Except, Than, Whenever, As Long As, If, Though, Where"

• NOT used when an independent clause precedes a dependent clause

  • Ex: My phone died in the afternoon since I forgot to charge it.

Sentences

• Every sentence consists of

  • subject

  • verb

  • phrase

• Clause: a group of words containing a subject & a verb used as part of a sentence

• Independent clause: stands by itself as a sentence

• Dependent clause: not a sentence by itself, must be attached to independent clause

Semicolons

• Use a semicolon in place of a period when you want to show that there is a connection in terms of meaning between two sentences/independent clauses.

  • Ex: Her favorite dessert is soft-serve ice cream; she ordered a cone at our stand every day this summer.

• Use a semicolon in place of a period when the sentences are seperated with a transition word like “However” or “Nevertheless”. Put the semilcolon before the transition word and a comma after it.

  • Ex: She ordered an extra-large cone of vanilla; however, chocolate is her favorite flavor!”

• Use a semicolon to stop the reader after each item in a list where the items in the list themselves contain commas (complete thoughts, look at end for clues).

  • Ex: In search for the perfect frappe, she traveled to Detroit, Michigan; Dubuque, Iowa; Paris, Texas; and Boston, Massachusetts.”

Subject Verb Agreement

• The pronouns who, that, and which become singular or plural depending on the subject. If the subject is singular, use a singular verb. If the subject is plural, use a plural verb.

  • Ex:

    • He is the only one of those men who is always on time.

    • He is one of those men who are always on time.

• Pronouns that are singular (I, he, she, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, no one, nobody, someone, somebody, each, either, neither) require singular verbs.

  • especially when each, either and neither are followed by of (still singular)

  • Exception: The singular pronouns I and you technically take plural verbs.

• Antecedent (noun replaced by a pronoun), pronouns, and their antecedents must agree in number.

  • When referring to a single person, if their gender is unknown, use singular they, or pick a consistent gender.

  • When using conjunctions like or, the pronoun must agree with the antecedent closest to it.

    • Ex: The cat or the dogs will eat (its/their) food.

• It must be clear what or whom the pronoun refers to, can’t have his refer to two possible people.

  • Ex:

    • NO: Adam and Noah returned to the house to grab his car keys

    • YES: Adam and Noah returned to the house to grab Noah’s car keys.

Apostrophes

• Used to form the posessive case of a singular noun, add an apostrophe and an s

  • Ex: Tess’s skis (one syllable, ends in s)

• Exception: proper nouns having two or more syllables and ending in s. Use only an apostrophe.

  • Ex: Alexis’ paper (two syllables, ends in s)

• Used to form the possessive case of a plural noun not ending in s, add an apostrophe and s.

  • Ex: men’s clothing (plural, doesn’t end in s)

• Used to form the possessive case of a plural noun ending in s, add apostrophe only

  • Ex: girls’ opinion (plural, already ended in s)

• Personal pronouns in the possessive case (his, hers, its, ours, yours, theirs, whose) do not require an apostrophe

  • Ex:

    • Is that house yours?

    • Every dog has its day

• Used in compound (hyphenated) words, names of business firms, and words showing joint possession. Only last word in possessive form.

  • Ex:

    • compound word: brother-in-law’s car

    • business firm: Lewis and Clark’s annual sale

      • not Lewis and Clark that own separately but a title)

    • joint possession: Laura and Bill’s canoe

    • individual possession: Laura’s and Bill’s canoes

• Used as possessives (minute, hour, day, week, month, year) require an apostrophe. Words indicating the amount in cents or dollars, when used as possessives, require an apostrophe.

  • Ex:

    • singular:

      • an hour’s work

      • one dollar’s worth

    • plural:

      • two hours’ work

      • ten dollars’ worth

• Used when letters have been omitted in a contraction

  • Ex: it’s raining (it is)

• Describing decades or special cases when there is a danger of misreading

  • Ex: Three A’s and two B’s