Download 11 RULES OF WRITING

11 RULES OF WRITING
November 27th, 05
Hi everybody,
Here is the first "tip" in your general flashback into all things we've
studied. I hope it will help you.
You can work here or simply go directly to the site . These 11 rules
cover lots of important items both in writing and in grammar.
Anyway, there is no time to waist. The doom's day - January 16th- is
coming.
http://www.junketstudies.com/rulesofw/
This site is a concise guide to some of the most commonly violated rules of writing,
grammar, and punctuation. It is intended for all writers as an aid in the learning and
refining of writing skills. Explore each of the rules to see examples of its application,
and use the references to find additional explanations and examples on the Web or in
print. Look up grammatical terms in the glossary. For a wider variety of information,
check related FAQs and other writing resources. Also, click on the Word of the Day
until you've learned a few new words. If you would like to use this set of rules as an aid
in your own teaching, see the teacher's note.
1. To join two independent clauses, use a comma followed by a
conjunction, a semicolon alone, or a semicolon followed by a
sentence modifier.
2. Use commas to bracket nonrestrictive phrases, which are not
essential to the sentence's meaning.
3. Do not use commas to bracket phrases that are essential to a
sentence's meaning.
4. When beginning a sentence with an introductory phrase or an
introductory (dependent) clause, include a comma.
5. To indicate possession, end a singular noun with an
apostrophe followed by an "s". Otherwise, the noun's form seems
plural.
6. Use proper punctuation to integrate a quotation into a
sentence. If the introductory material is an independent clause,
add the quotation after a colon. If the introductory material
ends in "thinks," "saying," or some other verb indicating
expression, use a comma.
7. Make the subject and verb agree with each other, not with a
word that comes between them.
8. Be sure that a pronoun, a participial phrase, or an
appositive refers clearly to the proper subject.
9. Use parallel construction to make a strong point and create a
smooth flow.
10. Use the active voice unless you specifically need to use the
passive.
11. Omit unnecessary words.
Glossary -- 11 Rules of Writing
Active Voice -- A sentence style in which the subject performs
the action. Usually preferable to passive voice unless the
passive is specifically called for.
Active Voice example: The lightning struck the tree.
Passive Voice example: The tree was struck by lightning.
See for more information:
Rule 10
Passive vs. Active Voice
Adjective -- A word or group of words that describe or modify a
noun.
example: The slow, meandering creek sang a gentle song.
Agreement -- A singular noun or pronoun must take a singular
verb, and a plural noun or pronoun must take a plural verb.
See for more information:
Rule 7
Agreement
Apostrophe -- A punctuation mark ( ' ) used to show possession.
Also used in contractions, which should be avoided in formal
prose.
possession example: "That was Jack's favorite coffee mug."
contraction example: "You shouldn't have dropped it."
See for more information:
Apostrophe
Appositive -- A noun or pronoun set beside another noun or
pronoun to modify it. Usually accompanied by modifiers.
example: An experienced backpacker, she left no trace of where
she had camped.
Clause -- A group of words containing both a subject and a
predicate.
Independent Clause example: The hobo passed through town
unnoticed.
Dependent Clause example: As the hobo passed through town...
Conjunction -- A word that joins words or phrases (i.e. and,
but, or).
example: I'll pass on the pork and beans, but I'd love some
pizza or ziti.
See for more information:
Conjunctions
Dependent (Subordinate) Clause -- A clause that can not stand
alone as a sentence and must be combined with an independent
clause.
Independent Clause example: The hobo passed through town
unnoticed.
Dependent Clause example: As the hobo passed through town...
See for more information:
Dependent vs. Independent Clauses
Independent Clause -- A clause that can stand alone as a
sentence.
Independent Clause example: The hobo passed through town
unnoticed.
Dependent Clause example: As the hobo passed through town...
See for more information:
Dependent vs. Independent Clauses
Introductory Phrase -- A group of words that cannot stand alone
found at the beginning of a sentence.
example: Hoping to improve his writing, he never went to sleep
before jotting down a page of random thoughts.
See for more information:
Rule 4
Nonrestrictive Phrase -- A subordinate clause that is not
essential to the meaning of the sentence but adds a relevant
detail.
Nonrestrictive Phrase example: I gave a few coins to the street
musician, who gave me a smile back.
Restrictive Phrase example: I gave a few coins to the street
musician who played the sweetest song.
Noun -- A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea.
example: A noun is a word that represents a person, place,
thing, or idea.
Parallel Construction -- A sentence construction where equal
parts are expressed using similar grammatical forms. Each part
of speech in each idea has a counterpart in the next idea.
See for more information:
Rule 9
Participle -- A verb form used as an adjective.
See for more information:
of Writing Rule 8
Participial Phrase -- A phrase containing a participle and any
modifiers.
See for more information:
Rule 8
Passive Voice -- a sentence style in which the action is
performed on the subject. Usually inferior to the active voice
unless specifically called for.
Active Voice example: The lightning struck the tree.
Passive Voice example: The tree was struck by lightning.
See for more information:
Rule 10
Passive vs. Active Voice
Predicate -- The part of a sentence that tells what the subject
does or has done to it.
example: I always forget the difference between a verb and a
predicate.
Pronoun -- A word used as a substitute for a noun (known as the
antecedent).
example: The pronoun is a lonely word; it must always be paired
with an antecedent.
See for more information:
Pronoun
Restrictive Phrase -- A subordinate clause that is essential in
specifying something about the thing it modifies.
Nonrestrictive Phrase example: I gave a few coins to the street
musician, who gave me a smile back.
Restrictive Phrase example: I gave a few coins to the street
musician who played the sweetest song.
Semicolon -- a punctuation mark (;) used to separate independent
clauses or items in a series.
See for more information:
Semicolon
Sentence Modifier -- A word or phrase that is not the subject or
predicate but adds to the meaning of the sentence.
Subject -- The thing in the sentence that is being discussed.
Usually a noun or a noun phrase.
example: The butterfly had a short but beautiful existence.
Verb -- A word that expresses action or being.
example: A verb is a word that expresses action or being.