Grammar Archives - Writing Commons

Pronouns and Inclusivity – How Are Pronouns Tied to Inclusive Language?

Barbara McLain — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 14:17:59 +0000

Related Concepts: Ableist Language – Disability Metaphors – Disability Studies; Inclusivity – Inclusive Language The way we use pronouns—in particular the use of the traditionally plural pronouns they/them in reference to both males and females—has recently been a subject of intense debate. This furor over pronoun use feels very current, yet linguistic scholars trace this ... Read more

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Subjects, Verbs, & Objects

Joe Moxley — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 08:58:13 +0000

Subject, Verbs, & Objects are the basic build blocks of a sentence in Standard Written English. Subject and Verb (SV) The subject is whom or what the sentence is all about. The subject performs the action of the verb. He or she (or it) is the actor, the protagonist. The predicate – says something significant (complete idea) about the subject. It ... Read more

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Parts of a Sentence

Joe Moxley — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 12:24:59 +0000

Parts of a Sentence refers to the basic building blocks of Standard Written or Spoken English. Generally speaking, when subject matter experts use the term, Parts of a Sentence, they are referring to Subjects (S) Verbs (V) and, sometimes, 3. Objects (O), either Indirect Objects (IO) or Direct Objects (D0). Additionally, subject matter experts may ... Read more

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Common Sentence Errors and How to Avoid Them

Joe Moxley — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 11:49:08 +0000

What are Sentence Errors? Sentence errors are deviations from the norms of Standard Written English, including grammar and mechanical rules, that disrupt the clarity, coherence, and flow of discourse. These errors violate established discourse conventions, affecting the text’s brevity, unity, and simplicity. By failing to adhere to grammatical standards and mechanical precision, such mistakes make ... Read more

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Coordination & Subordination

Joe Moxley — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 20:57:57 +0000

What is Coordination and Subordination? Coordination and Subordination are commonplace ways for writers, speakers, knowledge workers . . . to combine sentences. Related Concepts: Independent Clauses, Dependent Clauses & Phrases Coordination Writers, speakers, knowledge workers . . . use coordination when they want to join sentences when the ideas expressed in those sentences are coequal ... Read more

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Sentence Patterns

Joe Moxley — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 14:30:37 +0000

Related Concepts: Parts of a Sentence; Sentence Sentence patterns refer to the way sentences are constructed in terms of their grammatical structure. In Standard English, as in many languages, there are specific patterns that sentences tend to follow. These patterns are based on the arrangement of subjects, verbs, objects, and other elements. The basic building ... Read more

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Sentence Types

Joe Moxley — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 12:37:33 +0000

Sentence Types in English are Declarative Imperative Interrogative Exclamatory. Sentence Types categorize sentences by their function—i.e., by what the sentence is doing Declarative declare something! Imperative make requests, give orders Interrogative ask questions Exclamatory give emphasis and an excited tone! Examples of Sentence Types 1. Declarative Sentences Declarative Sentences literally declare something. Ex: Today is ... Read more

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Independent Clauses, Dependent Clauses & Phrases

Joe Moxley — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 21:06:02 +0000

What are Clauses & Phrases? Clauses & Phrases are the building blocks of a sentence in Standard Written English. Related Concepts: Modifiers, Modification Clauses A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb. Clauses are divided into Independent Clauses Dependent Clauses. Independent Clauses An independent clause has a subject and ... Read more

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Phrases, Essential and Non-essential Phrases

Joe Moxley — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 14:20:40 +0000

A phrase is a group of words that lacks a subject (an actor) and a verb (an action): after the market correction (prepositional phrase) the clever stock traders (noun phrase) were ready to buy the dip (verb phrase). An Essential Phrase is a phrase that contains the information needed to complete the meaning of the sentence. ... Read more

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Verb-Tense Shift

Joe Moxley — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 15:07:16 +0000

A verb-tense shift occurs when a writer changes tense within a single piece of writing. Tense is the term for what time frame verbs refer to. Standard American English has a number of tenses, each of which is a variation on past, present, or future. Any switching of tense within a sentence, paragraph, or longer ... Read more

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