Search results for “sentence”

The basics of English grammar can seem simple, especially when we are looking at sentence structures. Three basic components of a sentence include: Nouns, which are things Verbs, which are actions Adjectives, which are descriptive words But the better you get, the more complexities there are. For instance, did you know that there are such …

Most American-born people will have heard of direct and indirect objects at some point in their schooling years. And yet, some English speakers—even those who grew up in the U.S.—may have a hazy understanding of the difference between a direct and indirect object. Today, we will review the distinction. We'll explain what an indirect object …

A subject pronoun—also referred to as a subjective pronoun—replaces a noun that is in the subject position of a dependent or independent clause. This means that it performs rather than receives the action of the clause. Subject pronouns serve language by helping us avoid redundancy and be more frugal with language. Consider the following text: …

The decision of whether to capitalize the word "the" in front of a country name can be a tricky one for a couple of reasons. First, you will likely see capitalization used in different ways depending on who is writing and where the writing appears. Second, there isn't one consistent rule you can follow that …

Even among those who pay attention to grammar, the none is versus none are debate can be a spirited one. Do you know which one is correct? We don't want you to get it wrong or to follow misguided advice. That's why we are going to clear things up in today's post. As a starting …

The ampersand (the "&" symbol) is an unusual feature of the English language. It supposedly has survived in a limited form since the days of the Roman Empire. Despite the mark's longevity, people may still sometimes have questions about when and how to use it. In formal writing, use of the ampersand to replace the …

Grammar in American English includes many finer details. One topic that involves several is punctuation in a quote, a subject that still often prompts questions from our readers. In this review, we'll explore proper punctuation in quoted content. Punctuation in a Quote: Quotation Marks Use quotation marks to set off all direct quotations. Quotation marks …

As Independence Day approaches, many of you may be wondering how to write the name of the holiday—is it Fourth of July or 4th of July? The Chicago Manual of Style refers to the holiday as "the Fourth of July" or "the Fourth." The Associated Press Stylebook lists "Fourth of July" and "July Fourth" as …

Do you ever wonder about whether to use while or although in a sentence? This discussion will help guide you. While and although are two common words that also happen to be often misunderstood. By understanding the difference between them, you can further ensure you use each one properly. The Meaning of Although We'll start …

Desert and dessert are similar words, so it's no wonder why they're so often mistaken for each other. In today's post we'll discuss the difference, as well as offer a tip you can use to remember which one is which. Before we dive into the definitions, however, let's start by pointing out that both desert …