Grammar HELP! Student Handbook
Table of Contents
Preface
Editing and Editing Software
To the
Student
How to Use This Student Handbook
Chapter 1 Nouns and Pronouns
Introduction to Nouns and Pronouns:
What is a
noun? What is a pronoun?
Countable Nouns
Singular Countable Nouns
Plural Countable Nouns
Regular Plural Nouns
Irregular Plural Nouns
Non-Count Nouns
Subject-Verb
Agreement with Noncount Nouns
Noun Phrases
How to Quantify a Noun
How
to Quantify a Plural Countable Noun
How
to Quantify a Noncountable Noun
How
to Count a Noncountable Noun
some
Using a Noun to Modify Another Noun
Pronouns and Their Position
in a Sentence
Subject Pronouns
Demonstrative Pronouns
Object
Pronouns
Reflexive Pronouns
Pronoun/Noun Agreement
Pronouns
and Improper Use of Double Negatives
Noun Clause
Chapter 2 Articles
Introduction to Articles: What is an Article?
Countable Nouns
Articles and Countable
Nouns
The Singular Countable Noun: a and an
Singular
Countable Nouns: the
Articles and Plural Countable Nouns
Plural Countable Nouns: No Article
Plural Countable Nouns:
the
Articles and Noncountable Nouns
Non-Countable Nouns:
No Article
Non-countable Nouns: the vs. no article
Special
Cases
Names of -
Languages
and Nationalities
Countries
Chapter 3 Verbs
and Modals
Introduction to Verbs: What
Is a Verb?
Subject-Verb Agreement
Action Verbs vs. be Verbs
Simple Present Tense
Simple
Present Tense: Positive
Simple
Present Tense: Negative
Subject-Verb Agreement and Prepositional
Phrases
Simple Past Tense
Regular
Action Verbs
Irregular
Action Verbs
be Verb
Present Progressive (Continuous) Tense
Simple Present vs. Present
Progressive
Past Progressive (Continuous) Tense
Nonprogressive
Verbs
Present Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Future Time
Reference
who
Summary Chart of Verb Forms and Their Uses
Introduction to Modals: What is a Modal?
Uses and Forms of Modals
would
Troublesome
and Frequently Misused Verbs:
got,
have
fell, felt
going to, “gonna”
say, tell
Chapter 4 Adjectives and Adverbs
Introduction to Adjectives: What Is an Adjective?
Adjectives in Noun Phrases
Descriptive Adjectives
Nouns that Function as Adjectives
Possessive Adjectives
Demonstrative
Adjectives
Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives
Adjective
(Relative) Clauses
Introduction to Adverbs: What is an adverb?
Adverbs as Intensifiers
Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adverbs
Chapter 5 Possessives
Introduction to Possessives: What is a possessive?
What Is a Possessive Noun?
How to Form a Possessive Noun
Possessive
Pronouns
Possessive Adjectives
Commonly Confused
Plurals
and Possessives
you’re,
you/, he’s his/ it’s its/ they’re, their, there/ who’s, whose
Chapter 6 Prepositions
Introduction to
Prepositions: What Is a preposition?
Separable and Non-Separable Phrasal Verbs
Separable
Phrasal Verbs
Non-Separable
Phrasal Verbs
Transitive Verbs and Prepositions
Transitive Verbs That Require a Preposition When the Object Is Stated
Transitive Verbs That Do Not Take a Preposition
Two Objects:
Direct and Indirect
Commonly Confused
believe
in, believe (that)
think
about, think (that)
Modals and Prepositions
Chapter 7 Sentence Structure
Introduction to Sentence Structure: What
Is Sentence Structure?
Basics of
Sentence Structure
Three Basic Sentence Structures
The
Simple Sentence
The
Compound Sentence
The Complex Sentence
The Subject Positions
The
Basics
Faulty
Double Subjects
The Verb Position
There is, there are
Commonly Confused: they
are, there are
Joining Ideas with and and
or
Parallel Structure
Adverbs of Frequency
The
Basics
Position
Using a Negative Adverb to Begin a Sentence
Dependent Clauses
and Word Order
Run-On Sentences
Making a Comparison: the more
~, the less ~
Chapter 8 Questions
Introduction to Questions
Punctuating a Question
Punctuating
a Standard Question
Punctuating
a Question in Quoted Speech
Punctuating
a Question in Reported Speech
Auxiliaries (Helping Verbs)
Sentence Structure of an Information Question
When
the Main Verb Is An Action Verb
When
the Main Verb Is be, and the Verb Tense Is Simple Present or
Simple Past
Sentence Structure of a Yes/No Question
When
the Main Verb Is an Action Verb
When
the Main Verb Is be and the Verb Tense Is Simple Present
or Simple Past Tense
Negative Questions
Beginning a Question
with Who
When
the Answer Is the Subject of the Verb
When
The Answer Is the Object of the Verb or Preposition
Chapter 9 Punctuation
Introduction to Punctuation
Sentence Structure and Its Relationship to Punctuation
Commas
in Compound Sentences
What
Is a Compound Sentence?
Use
of Commas in a Compound Sentence
Commas with a List of Objects
Punctuating the Complex Sentence
Fragments: Introduction
Fragments
and Compound Sentences
Fragments and Complex Sentences
Conversational
English vs. Written English
Fragments
Beginning with… when, because, before and after, although,
but,
Using
but and although together
Review of Punctuation of Subordinate Clauses
Run-ons
Run-ons That Contains however
Commas
Commas and Noun Clauses
PPunctuating a Sentence with an Adjective Clause:
Restrictive
and Non-restrictive Adjective Clauses
Punctuation of
Questions br> PPunctuation of Quoted Speech and Indirect
Speech Questions
Punctuation
of Quoted Speech Questions
Punctuation
of Indirect Speech Questions
Capitalization
Proper
Nouns
...in
Quoted Speech
...in
Indirect Speech
Names
of Books, Short Stories, etc.
Chapter 10 Gerunds and Infinitive Phrases
Introduction
Position of Gerunds and Infinitives in a Sentence
Gerunds and Infinitives as Object of the Sentence
Sentence
Combining: Turning a Subordinate Clause into a Gerund
Chapter 11 Passive and Active Voice
Introduction
When Passive Voice Can Be Used
How to Form Passive
Voice
Passive Voice Chart for Each Verb Tense
The Past Participle
(3rd Part of a Verb)
Adjectives Derived from Passive Voice
Chapter 12 Conditional Sentences
Introduction
Overview of the 3 Conditionals
Punctuation of Conditional Sentences
1st
Conditional
2nd
Conditional
3rd
Conditional
Chapter 13 Indirect Speech and Thought
Introduction
Components of Indirect Speech and Thought
Change
of Punctuation
Change
of Pronouns
Change
of Verb Tenses
Sequence of Tenses (“back-shift”)
br> Sentence Structure of Indirect Speech
Quick Verb
Tense Chart for Sequence of Tenses in Noun Clauses
say
vs. tell
Chapter 14 Spelling
Introduction
Simple Present Tense Verbs:
3rd Person Singular
~ing Forms
Simple
Past Tense Verbs
Adverbs
Adjectives: Comparative and Superlative
Forms
Chapter 15 Word Forms
time, times, some time, sometimes
real, really, very
other,
others, another
Chapter 16 M
i x E d Bag
Chapter 17 British and Canadian Grammar
and Spelling
Answer Key
Index