Grammer Guide

Sentence fragment: an incomplete sentence because it lacks a subject, lacks a verb, or is a dependent clause.

Subordinate Conjunctions: after, although, as, as if, as though, because, before, except, if, since, though, unless, until, when, whereas

Relative Pronouns: that, what, whatever, which, who, whoever, whom, whose

EXAMPLE

Fragments

Although he wanted to go to the meeting. Whoever goes to the meeting.

Complete sentences

Although he wanted to go to the meeting, his doctor advised him to stay home. Whoever goes to the meeting should bring back handouts for the rest of the group.

Independent Clause: Subject verb “complete thought”

Run-ons

Fused: we went to the store i saw a cow

Comma splice: we went to the store, i saw a cow

        ^FANBOYS or ;

Capitalization and punctuation 

• The first and last word and important words in titles of literary or art works (books, songs, short stories, poems, articles, movie titles, magazines, paintings, sculptures, etc.). Conjunctions, articles, and prepositions with less than five letters are not capitalized unless they are first or last words
• Titles or degrees used with, or in place of, people’s names (Ms., Dr. Smith, Captain, President,  Sir, John Smith, Ph.D.), but not when used as a substitute or after a name. (Dwight D. Eisenhower was president after World War II.)
• The names of historical events, time periods, laws, documents, wars, and distinguished awards. (Civil War, Middle Ages, Medal of Honor, A.M., P.M., A.D., B.C.)
• The names of schools and specific school courses, but not general subjects except English. (McMath Middle School, Algebra II, American History, not reading, math, science, high school)
• North, south, east, and west when they refer to specific sections of the country but not directions (He drove east. She is from East Texas. We live in the South.
• Use a comma to separate the year from the rest of the sentence when the year follows the month and day. (We spent July 23, 2003, in France. NOTE:  No comma is used with just month and year. We vacationed May 2004 in Mexico.)
• Use commas to set off parenthetical expressions that provide additional information that can be easily removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. (Reserved seats are an extra cost, according to the brochure.  The actors, I believe, are not ready for the show.)
• Use semicolons to separate independent clauses that are brief and closely related.  This works best with cause and effect information. (Kristi’s skating routine is the best; she won six gold medals. It rained all day; our picnic was cancelled.)
• Use italics for the titles of books, newspapers, magazines, musical compilations, works of art, ships, television shows, movies, etc. (A famous movie is Gone with the Wind.  I read the Dallas Morning News on Sundays.)

Commonly confused words

• ALLUSION-an indirect reference
  • ex:The professor made an allusion to Virginia Woolf’s work.
• ILLUSION-a false perception of reality
  • ex: They saw a mirage: that is a type of illusion one sees in the desert.
• WHO-used as a subject or as a subject complement (see above)
  • ex: John is the man who can get the job done.
• WHOM-used as an object
  • ex: Whom did Sarah choose as her replacement?
• THAN-use with comparisons
  • ex: I would rather go out to eat than eat at the dining hall.
• THEN-at that time, or next
  • ex: I studied for my exam for seven hours, and then I went to bed.