The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

An Easy-to-Use Guide with Clear Rules, Real-World Examples, and Reproducible Quizzes

Lester Kaufman, Jane Straus

• Verlag: Jossey-Bass
• Jahr: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781119652847
• Auflage: 12
• Thema: Languages & Linguistics
• Thema: Grammar & Punctuation

The bestselling workbook and grammar guide, revised and updated!

Hailed as one of the best books around for teaching grammar, The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation includes easy-to-understand rules, abundant examples, dozens of reproducible quizzes, and pre- and post-tests to help teach grammar to middle and high schoolers, college students, ESL students, homeschoolers, and more. This concise, entertaining workbook makes learning English grammar and usage simple and fun. This updated 12th edition reflects the latest updates to English usage and grammar, and includes answers to all reproducible quizzes to facilitate self-assessment and learning.

• Clear and concise, with easy-to-follow explanations, offering "just the facts" on English grammar, punctuation, and usage
• Fully updated to reflect the latest rules, along with even more quizzes and pre- and post-tests to help teach grammar
• Ideal for students from seventh grade through adulthood in the US and abroad

For anyone who wants to understand the major rules and subtle guidelines of English grammar and usage, The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation offers comprehensive, straightforward instruction.

CHAPTER 1
GRAMMAR

FINDING NOUNS, VERBS, AND SUBJECTS

Definitions

• A noun is a word or set of words for a person, place, thing, or idea. A noun of more than one word (tennis court, gas station) is called a compound noun.

There are common nouns and proper nouns. Common nouns are words for a general class of people, places, things, and ideas (man, city, award, honesty). They are not capitalized. Proper nouns are always capitalized. They name specific people, places, and things (Joe, Chicago, Academy Award).

• A verb is a word or set of words that shows action (runs, is going, has been painting); feeling (loves, envies); or state of being (am, are, is, have been, was, seem).

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NOTE

We will use the standard of underlining subjects once and verbs twice.

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Examples:	He ran around the block.
	I like my friend.
	They seem friendly.

State-of-being verbs are called linking verbs. They include all forms of the verb to be (be, being, been, am, is, are, was, were), plus such words as look, feel, appear, act, go, followed by an adjective. (See the “Adjectives and Adverbs” section later in this chapter.)

Examples:	You look happy.
	We feel fine.
	He went ballistic.

Verbs often consist of more than one word. For instance, had been breaking down is a four-word verb. It has a two-word main verb, breaking down (also called a phrasal verb), and two helping ve...