Download Grammar Rules for Corrections

Grammar Rules for Corrections
Questions with NOT or EXCEPT in the question:
1. When NOT or EXCEPT are in a question, the answer is what is WRONG and not what is
RIGHT.
Lesson #1: Apostrophes
1. ’s is for a singular, possessive noun.
2. s’ is for a plural, possessive noun.
3. It’s always means “it is.”
4. Its’ is not a word.
5. Its is possessive.
6. They’re always means “they are.”
7. Their is a possessive form of “they.”
8. There is a place.
9. Who’s always mean “who is.”
10. Whose is a possessive form of who.
Lesson #1.5: Sentences and Fragments
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A sentence must contain a subject and a conjugated verb.
A sentence must be a complete thought.
“-ing” words are NOT verbs.
The subject of a sentence must be a noun or a pronoun.
A subordinate clause (beginning with a subordinate conjunction or a relative pronoun)
will contain a subject and a verb but will NOT form a complete sentence. It cannot stand
alone.
6. To make a subordinate clause into a complete sentence, a main clause must be attached to
it.
7. If you add the main clause AFTER the subordinate clause, use a comma to separate them.
8. If you add the main clause BEFORE the subordinate clause, you do NOT need a comma.
Lesson #2: Semicolons, Periods, Comma, and FANBOYS
1. Semicolon = Period. Semicolons are used between two complete sentences.
2. Don’t use semicolons with FANBOYS conjunctions.
3. A comma + a FANBOYS conjunction = Period. This is used between two complete
sentences.
4. A semicolon is used before conjunctive adverbs such as however, moreover, and
therefore when they are used to begin a clause.
5. Two complete sentences CANNOT be separated with just a comma.
Lesson #3: Non-Essential and Essential Clauses
1. Commas should be used around non-essential words and phrases. (If we don’t need the
phrase in the sentence, the phrase should be surrounded by commas.)
2. The word “which” should always have a comma before it.
3. The word “that” should not have a comma before or after it.
4. If conjunctive adverbs like “however,” “therefore,” or “moreover” are used as interrupters
in the middle of ONE sentence, surround the word with commas.
Lesson #3.5: Commas with Names and Titles
1. If you can removed the name or title from the sentence and it still makes sense—it must
be surrounded by commas.
2. When a name or title can be removed from the sentence and/or has the word “a,” “an,” or
“some,” before it, use a comma.
Lesson #4: Additional Comma Uses and Misuses
1. Commas should be used to separate items in a list.
2. Commas should be used to separate adjectives whose order could be reversed.
3. Commas should be used after a close-parenthesis where a comma would normally be
necessary.
4. Commas should be used after introductory words and phrases.
5. Commas should NOT be used between compound subjects and compound objects.
6. Commas should NOT be used between subjects and verbs.
7. Commas should NOT be used before or after prepositions.
8. Commas should NOT be used between adjectives and nouns.
9. Commas should NOT be used between two adjectives separated by “but” or “yet.”
10. Commas should NOT be used before or around an emphatic pronoun (e.g., myself, herself,
himself, themselves, itself, ourselves, etc.)
11. Two complete sentences CANNOT be separated with just a comma.
Lesson #5: Colons and Dashes
Colons
1. Colons are used to announce/introduce a list or explanation.
2. There must be a complete sentence before (to the left of) a colon.
Dashes
3. (Dash = colon) One dash is used to announce/introduce a list or explanation.
4. One dash can be used to create a deliberate/dramatic pause.
5. (2 dashes = 2 commas) Two dashes are used to set off a non-essential clause in the same
way as two commas do.
Lesson #6: Verbs—Agreement and Tense
1. A verb must agree in number with its subject (singular or plural).
2. The subject of a sentence CANNOT be part of a prepositional phrase or an appositive (a
phrase between commas that can be removed from the sentence.)
3. A verb must match in tense with other surrounding verbs.
4. Present tense means an action is occurring now.
5. Past tense means an action happened in the past and it ended.
6. Present perfect (has, have, any form of “to be” + a verb) means an action started in the
past and is still continuing now.
7. Past perfect (had + a verb) means an action happened in the past that occurred before
some other action in the past.
8. Future tense means an action will occur in the future (definitely).
9. Conditional tense (would + a verb) means an action might occur in the future if some
condition happens.
10. Prepositional phrases start with a preposition and end with a noun (the object of the
preposition). These nouns CANNOT be the subject of the sentence.
11. Nouns within commas, parentheses, or dashes CANNOT be the subject of the sentence.
Lesson #7: Pronouns—Agreement and Case
1. All pronouns must have a clear antecedent.
2. Pronouns must agree in number (singular or plural) with their antecedents.
3. You cannot mix and match. If the word “you” is used, “you” must continue to be used. If
the word “one” is used, “one” must continue to be used.
4. When it is unclear whether a singular noun refers to a male or a female, the phrase “he or
she” (not “they”) or “his or her” (not “their”) should be used.
5. A subject pronoun (like “he” or “she” or “I”) must be used if the pronoun is the subject of
the sentence and an object pronoun (like “him” or “her” or “me”) must be used if the
pronoun is the object of the sentence.
Lesson #8: Adjectives, Adverbs, Comparisons, and Word Pairs
Adjectives
1. Adjectives can only modify nouns and pronouns.
2. Adjectives typically are placed before the nouns or pronouns they modify. They can also
be used with verbs of being (e.g.; to be, to become, and to seem/appear), in which case
they appear after verbs.
Adverbs
3. Adverbs can only modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
4. Comparatives (“more” + adjective or add “er” to the end of the word—but not both) are
used to compare only two things or people.
5. Superlatives (“most” + adjective or add “er” to the end of a word—but not both) are used
to compare more than two things or people.
Word Pairs
6. “As” goes with “as.” “As….as” is used to indicate that two people or things are equal. “As”
may NOT be used with another comparison word, such as “than.”
7. “Not only” goes with “but also.” “Not only…but also” is used to say that something is not
only x but also y means that it is x as well as y.
8. “More/less” goes with “than.” “Than” (not “then”) is used when comparing two things.
9. “Either” goes with “or” and “neither” goes with “nor.” You cannot mix and match.
10. “From” goes with “to.” “From” one thing “to” another.
Comparing Amounts
11. “Fewer” is used for things that CAN be counted.
12. “Less” is used for things that CANNOT be counted.
13. “Many” is used for things that CAN be counted.
14. “Much” is used for things that CANNOT be counted.
15. Similar things must be compared—beware of faulty comparisons.
16. “That of” is used to compare two singular things.
17. “Those of” is used to compare two plural things.
Lesson #9: Modification
1. Introductory modifying clauses before a comma are describing the very first noun that
comes after the comma.
2. Modifiers must be placed near the word or phrase they are intended to modify.
Lesson #10: Parallel Structure
1. Ideas that are parallel should be expressed in the same way with equal grammatical units.
For example, if the first item is a noun, then the following items must also be nouns; if the
first item is a verb, then make the other items verbs as well.
2. When there is a list of three or more items, “and” or “or” must appear before the last item.
No other words should be used. No comma should be used after the word “and” or “or.”
3. If a preposition follows a word/phrase that is part of a word pair, the same preposition
must follow the other word/phrase in the word pair.
Lesson #11: Relative Pronouns
1. If removing the words that follow would change the meaning of the sentence, use “that.”
Otherwise, “which” should be used.
2. For essential clauses, use “that” and for non-essential clauses, use “which” and a comma.
3. “Who” or “whom” refer to people.
4. “Which” refers to things.
5. “Whose” or “that” can refer to people or things.
6. “Whom” should NOT be used before a verb.
7. “Whom” SHOULD be used after a preposition.
8. “Whose” is the possessive form of both “who” and “which.”
9. “Where” refers to places (physical locations) only. It should not be used to refer to stories
or times/time periods.
10. “When” refers to times only.
11. Preposition + “which” (e.g.; “in which,” “during which,” “to which”) should be used instead
of “where” or “when.”
Lesson #12: Redundancy and Wordiness—Shorter is better!
1. When all of the answer choices are grammatically acceptable and express the same
essential information, the shortest option will usually be correct. Concise writing is
preferable. (shorter = better)
2. Never use two synonyms to describe something when you can use only one word.
3. The word “being” usually indicates passive voice. Avoid passive voice.
4. Avoid passive voice.
5. Sometimes a form of the verb “to be” is a hint of passive voice—was, were, am, are, etc.
Avoid passive voice.
Lesson #13: Diction and Register
Diction
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“Then” means next.
“Than” is used for a comparison.
“Could,” “should,” “would,” and “might” should always be followed by “have,” not “of.”
Certain verbs and nouns must be followed by specific prepositions.
For diction questions, identify which word has the correct meaning in context of the
sentence in which it appears.
Register
6. Avoid slang.
7. Avoid vague language.
8. Avoid unnecessary commentary, such as personal thoughts or opinions.
Lesson #14: Transitions
1. The transition word/phrase must be necessary in the sentence.
2. The transition word/phrase must reflect the correct relationship between what came
before and what came after (e.g.; continuation, contrast, or cause and effect).
3. If a transition is used to begin a clause, it should not be repeated in the preceding or the
following clause.
4. Only one transition necessary to indicate the relationship between the two clauses.
5. If two different types of transitions (e.g.; a continuer and a contradictor) are incorrectly
used within a sentence, you must not only eliminate one of the transitions but also
recognize which one creates a logical means between the parts of the sentence.
Lesson #15: Is It Relevant?
Inserting, Deleting, and Replacing Information
Inserting Information
1. Determine whether the answer is yes or no and state in your own words why the
information should be added or not and then look for the answer choice that matches
your answer.
Replacing Information
2. Underline the information or point of view that the correct answer must emphasize. Ask
yourself whether the information in each answer choice directly supports the emphasis
indicated in the question.
Deleting Information
3. Identify how particular words and phrases contribute to the overall presentation of an
idea. What information is contained in the indicated word/phrase/sentence?
Lesson #16: Sentence and Paragraph Order
1. Figure out the topic of the sentence/paragraph in question.
2. Back up and read the end of the previous paragraph.
3. Look for trigger words that indicate before/after relationship.
Lesson #17: Suppose the Writer’s Goal
1. Just because a paragraph or passage “talks about” a topic, doesn’t mean it “is about” that
topic.
2. The topic of a paragraph/passage is most often the word (or name, title, etc.) that appears
most frequently throughout the entire passage. Reread the title, the introduction, the
topic sentence of each body paragraph, and the conclusion.
3. Determine whether the topic of a paragraph/passage is general or specific.
4. Passages that are specific focus on a single person or event, which will be repeatedly
mentioned throughout the passage. Other people, events, or ideas may be referred to at
various points, but only in relation to the main topic.
5. Passages that are general focus on a broad topic or recurring event; they may use specific
people and events as examples, but these references will appear at isolated points in the
passage rather than being discussed throughout the entire passage.