English Grammar For Dummies

Geraldine Woods

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781119376613
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Grammar & Punctuation
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Get the last word on English grammar

Grasping the intricacies of the English language doesn't need to be tricky, and this down-to-earth guide breaks everything down in ways that make sense—Revealing rules, tips, and tricks to eliminate confusion and gain clarity, English Grammar For Dummies gives you everything you need to communicate with confidence!

Good grammar lays the foundation for speaking and writing clearly. This easy-to-follow book will help you become a more articulate, effective communicator. Covering everything from the building blocks of a sentence to those pesky rules of punctuation, it offers the practical guidance you need to communicate in a way that would make any English teacher proud.

• Improve your speaking skills
• Clearly compose written communications
• Get the latest techniques for continuous improvement
• Write a winning college entrance exam or compelling business presentation

Stop worrying about the grammar police and become more confident with your words!

Part 1

Building a Firm Foundation: The Parts of the Sentence

IN THIS PART …

Become familiar with the conventions of formal and informal language when speaking, texting, and writing.

Figure out how sentences are constructed, starting with verbs.

Identify the subjects in sentences.

Learn how to build complete and coherent sentences.

Explore an important building block of sentences: the complement.

Chapter 1

Using the Right Words at the Right Time

IN THIS CHAPTER

Distinguishing between grammar rules and style guidelines

Choosing language to suit your audience, message, and medium

Using grammar-checking apps and programs effectively

In the Middle Ages, grammar meant the study of Latin, the language of choice for educated people. In fact, grammar was so closely associated with Latin that the word referred to any kind of learning. This meaning of grammar shows up when people of grandparent-age and older talk about their grammar school, not their elementary school. The term grammar school is a leftover from the old days. The very old days.

These days the word grammar refers to the nuts and bolts of language, specifically, how words are put together to create meaning. Most people also apply the term to a set of rules you have to follow in order to speak and write better. However, the definition of better changes according to situation, purpose, and audience.

In this chapter, I show you the difference between formal and informal English and explain when each is called for. I also tell you what apps, speech-to-text, and word-processing programs can and can’t do to help you write proper English. I also give you some pointers about generally accepted grammar for texting, tweeting, emailing, and other forms of electronic communication.

What This Year’s Sentence Is Wearing: Understanding Grammar and Style

Fresh from the shower, you’re standing in front of your closet. What should you select? Some options aren’t open to you. You can’t show up at work wearing nothing — not if you want to keep your job and, in addition, stay out of jail. That’s a law (in the real world) and a rule (in the world of grammar). You can choose a bright purple jacket and a fluorescent green scarf. The fashion police may object, but real cops will leave you alone. In both the real world and Grammar Land, this sort of decision is a matter of style. A style point is more flexible than a grammar rule. Take that jacket-scarf selection. Your friends may stare and suggest a subtler color combination, or they may praise you for team loyalty if your school colors are purple and green and you’re cheering at a pep rally.

The grammar rules of proper English can and do change, but not often — maybe a few times every 500 years. (Sometimes people break grammar rules on purpose. See the next section, “Distinguishing Between the Three Englishes,” for more information.) Style, on the other hand, shifts much more frequently. A sentence from the early 20th century may look odd to 21st century readers, and a sentence from the 19th century will seem even stranger. Style also changes with context. Science publications and literary journals, for example, capitalize titles differently. Geography matters, too. In the United States, a comma often appears before and in a list of three or more items. British writers generally omit that comma.

In English Grammar For Dummies, 3rd Edition, I discuss the most common style points. If I tackled every situation, though, you’d be reading a thousand-page book. For your most important writing projects, you may want to consult a manual of style. Many institutions publish this sort of book, listing their preferences for punctuation, capitalization, and a whole bunch of other -ations you’ve never heard of. A few popular style manuals are the Modern Language Association Handbook (for academic writing in the humanities), The Chicago Manual of Style (for general writing), the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, and the MIT Guide to Science and Engineering Communication (for science writing).

These examples illustrate the difference between grammar and style:

• SENTENCE: Am going basketball game I to the.
• WHAT’S WRONG: The word order is scrambled.
• GRAMMAR OR STYLE? Grammar.
• CORRECTED SENTENCE: I am going to the basketball game.
• SENTENCE: She was born on March 18 2009.
• WHAT’S WRONG: Most writers would insert a comma after 18.
• GRAMMAR OR STYLE? Style. Some writers prefer a completely different format for the date.
• CORRECTED SENTENCE: She was born on March 18, 2009. Or, She was born on 18 March 2009.
• SENTENCE: Them enjoy playing baseball.
• WHAT’S WRONG: The word them isn’t appropriate for that spot in the sentence. (Why? Check Chapter 8.)
• GRAMMAR OR STYLE: Grammar.
• CORRECTED SENTENCE: They enjoy playing baseball.
• SENTENCE: Ann spends too much time surfing the Internet.
• WHAT’S WRONG: When it was first invented, “Internet” was generally capitalized. These days, many publications prefer lowercase (internet).
• GRAMMAR OR STYLE: Sty...