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Grammar Rules
This paper provides a general overview of the correct rules of
our language. The rules and examples were gleaned from
several sources, and an example illustrates the correct usage of
each rules. Occasionally an incorrect sentence demonstrates a
common error. The rules appear in no particular order.
Affect and Effect
Affect, usually a verb means to influence or concern. Effect as a verb means to cause, and
as a noun means a result.
EXAMPLE:
How does the price increase affect your purchasing decisions?
In this instance, we are asking how the increase influences your purchasing decisions.
EXAMPLE:
What is the effect of the price increase?
In this sentence, we are asking what the result of the price increase is. In short, if you can
substitute the word influence, use affect. If you can substitute the words cause or result,
use effect.
Lie and Lay
Lie means to recline and requires no object. Lay means to put or place and requires an
object.
EXAMPLE:
I will lie down and rest for a few minutes.
Here there is no object (something receiving the action of the verb) after lie.
EXAMPLE:
I will lay my weary body down for a short nap.
In this instance, my body is the object of the verb lay. I am putting or placing something
(the body) down. The body is not reclining of its own accord.
Plural Subjects
Some subjects are always plural and require plural nouns. Examples are: many, few, both,
and several.
EXAMPLE:
Offense and defense are a whole unit; both are necessary for a good team.
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Victoria Batten
Some, Any, Most, All, and None
These five words depend on the nouns that follow them. In each case, you can look at the
prepositional phrase to determine subject-verb agreement.
EXAMPLE:
Some of the bread is stale.
Since bread is singular, some requires a singular verb.
EXAMPLE:
Some of the rolls are fresh.
Since rolls is plural, some requires a plural verb.
Prepositional Phrases and Subject-Verb Agreement
Prepositional phrases do not affect subject-verb agreement in most cases. This means that
when you are trying to determine whether to use a singular or a plural verb, ignore the
prepositional phrase.
EXAMPLE:
The height of the mountains is astonishing.
Height is the subject; of the mountains is a prepositional phrase and should be ignored.
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns are singular and require singular verbs and pronouns. Some examples of
collective nouns are: club, organization, government, and union.
EXAMPLE:
The student government is holding a car wash to raise money for its budget.
Note that is holding and its are singular. A common error is to state, for example, that
“the student government are holding a car wash to raise money for their budget.” Be sure
to check for both verb and pronoun number.
Hope and Hopefully
Hopefully is an adverb, meaning “full of hope.” It must not be used to mean “I hope” or
“it is hoped.”
EXAMPLE:
Hearing an adult, Allison looked up hopefully, thinking her mother might be
near.
I t would be wrong to state, “Hopefully my mother will be here.” To correct the above
error, state, “I hope my mother will be here.”
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Victoria Batten
Illusion, Delusion, and Allusion
An illusion is a mistaken belief. A delusion is a seriously mistaken belief, a fantasy. An
allusion is a reference to something.
.
EXAMPLE:
Kevin had the illusion that he was a good singer.
EXAMPLE:
George had a delusion that he was the king of England
EXAMPLE:
Amy made an allusion to her past success.
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