Rebekah Hendershot
Commas
Slide Duration:Table of Contents
Section 1: Punctuation
End Punctuation
11m 28s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:08
- What is End Punctuation?0:44
- End Punctuation Contributes to Tone or Meaning of Sentence0:53
- Period, Question Mark, and Exclamation Point1:06
- Kinds of Sentences1:28
- Three Kinds of Sentences: Declarative, Interrogative, Exclamatory1:35
- Imperative and Subjunctive Sentences Don't Have Single Kind of Punctuation1:56
- Declarative Sentences2:05
- Declarative Sentences State a Fact2:08
- Examples of Declarative Sentences2:13
- Interrogative Sentences2:42
- Interrogative Sentences Ask a Question3:00
- May Have Inverted Subject-Verb Order3:04
- May be Constructed Like Declarative Sentences3:12
- Can be One Word Long3:30
- Examples of Interrogative Sentences3:35
- Exclamatory Sentences4:25
- Exclamatory Sentences Express Strong Emotion4:30
- May be Constructed Like Declarative Sentences4:33
- May be Grammatically Incomplete4:37
- Can be One Word Long4:40
- Examples of Exclamatory Sentences4:42
- Imperative Sentences5:05
- Imperative Sentences Give a Command5:11
- Have No Grammatical Subject, Implied Subject is 'You'5:16
- Examples of Imperative Sentences5:22
- Subjunctive Sentences5:52
- Subjunctive Sentences Describe Events Contrary to Fact6:04
- More on the Subjunctive Mood in Basic Grammar Course6:14
- Examples of Subjunctive Sentences6:18
- Periods6:47
- Period is Used for Declarative, Some Imperative, and Some Subjunctive Sentences7:04
- Examples of Using Periods7:11
- Question Marks7:16
- Question Mark is Used for Interrogative Sentences and Fragments7:21
- Speak Questions with a Rising Inflection at the End7:33
- Examples of Using Question Marks7:42
- Exclamation Points8:21
- Exclamation Point is Used for Exclamatory, Some Subjunctive, and Some Imperative Sentences for Emphasis8:29
- Examples of Using Exclamation Points8:45
- Choose the End Punctuation9:04
- Choose the End Punctuation Answers9:41
Apostrophes & Quotation Marks
23m 45s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:09
- Quotation Marks0:32
- Quotation Marks Indicate that Someone is Speaking0:35
- Examples of Using Quotation Marks0:44
- Rules for Quotation Marks1:23
- When Quoting Within a Quote, Use Double Quotation Marks Outside and Single Quotation Marks Inside1:28
- British Commonwealth Reverse This Custom1:53
- Periods and Commas Go Inside Quotation Marks2:13
- Examples of Using Periods, Commas, and Single Quotation Marks in Double Quotation Marks2:20
- Place a Question Mark Inside or Outside of Quotation Marks3:00
- Use Only One Ending Punctuation Mark3:16
- Examples of Using Quotation Marks and Question Marks3:40
- When You Have a Question Inside and Outside Quoted Material, Put One Question Mark Inside the Quotation Marks4:08
- Set Off a Quotation With Comma(s)4:24
- Question Marks May be Used Only to Set Off a Direct Quotation4:35
- Examples of Commas, Quotation Marks, and Question Marks4:40
- Quoting Paragraphs5:50
- Quoting Spelling or Grammatical Errors with [sic]6:27
- Apostrophes7:25
- Apostrophes Take the Place of Missing Letters in Contractions and Form Possessives7:28
- Examples of Using Apostrophes7:36
- Rules for Apostrophes8:14
- Place an Apostrophe to Replace Missing Letters in Contractions8:15
- Double Contractions8:30
- Examples of Using Apostrophes in Contractions9:00
- Place an Apostrophe to Show Possession9:57
- Showing Possession when the Name Ends in 'S'10:13
- Examples of Using Apostrophes to Show Possession10:28
- Showing Plural Possession10:57
- Examples of Using Apostrophes to Show Plural Possession11:18
- Use Apostrophes where the Noun that should Follow is Implied12:12
- Examples of Using Apostrophes where the Noun that should Follow is Implied12:20
- Don't Use Apostrophes for the Plural of a Name12:40
- Examples of Not Using Apostrophes for the Plural of a Name12:44
- Singular Compound Nouns13:14
- Plural Compound Nouns13:30
- Two People Owning the Same Item vs. Two People Owning Different Items14:00
- Never Use an Apostrophe with a Possessive Pronoun14:45
- It's vs. Its15:17
- Examples of It's vs. Its15:40
- Don't Use Apostrophes for Plurals for Capital Letters and Numbers16:52
- Use Apostrophes with Capital Letters and Numbers when the Meaning would be Unclear Otherwise17:20
- Use Possessive Case in Front of a Gerund18:09
- Use the Possessive Form of Pronouns before Gerunds19:02
- Quotation Mark Practice19:26
- Quotation Mark Practice Answers20:03
- Apostrophe Practice21:27
- Apostrophe Practice Answers21:59
Commas
20m 17s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:07
- Commas0:21
- Commas Indicate Pauses Within Sentences0:24
- Rules for Commas1:05
- Commas Separate Words and Word Groups in a Series of Three or More1:11
- Oxford Commas1:30
- Use Commas Surrounding the Name or Title of a Person Being Addressed2:02
- Use Commas to Separate Two Adjectives when 'and' can be Inserted Between Them2:35
- Use Commas when an -ly adjective is Used with Other Adjectives3:20
- Use Commas to Separate the Day of the Month from the Year4:10
- Use Commas Between City and State4:47
- Use Commas to Surround Degrees or Titles Used with Names5:18
- Use Commas to Set Off Expressions that Interrupt Sentence Flow6:05
- Use Commas After Weak Clauses that Begin Sentences6:32
- Use Commas After Phrases of More than Three Words that Begin Sentences7:29
- Use Commas to Surround Nonessential Descriptions8:11
- Use Commas to Separate Two Strong Clauses Joined by a Coordinating Conjunction9:10
- Use Commas to Separate Two Independent Clauses To Avoid Confusion9:50
- Comma Splices10:49
- Run-On Sentences11:47
- If Subject Doesn't Appear in Front of Second Verb, Don't Use Comma12:40
- Use Commas to Introduce or Interrupt Quotations Shorter than Three Lines13:02
- Use Commas to Separate Statements from Questions and Contrasting Parts13:40
- Use Commas When Beginning Sentences With Introductory Words14:08
- Use Commas to Surround Interrupters14:35
- Use Either Commas or Semicolons before Introductory Words When Followed by Series of Items14:45
- Comma Practice15:20
- Comma Practice Answers16:11
Colons & Semicolons
13m 49s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:09
- Colons vs. Semicolons0:28
- Colons0:32
- Semicolons0:46
- Rules for Colons1:11
- Use Colons after Complete Sentences to Introduce Lists1:13
- Don't Use Colons Unless it Follows a Complete Sentence1:41
- Capitalization and Punctuation are Optional when Listing in Bulleted Form2:10
- Use Colons Instead of Semicolons Between Two Sentences When The Second Explains the First, and There's No Coordinating Conjunction3:29
- Use Colons to Introduce Direct Quotations More Than Three Lines Long4:44
- Use Colons to Follow Salutations of Business Letters6:06
- Rules for Semicolons6:40
- Use Semicolons to Separate Two Independent Sentences Without Conjunctions6:45
- Use Semicolons Before Introductory Words7:21
- Use Either Semicolons or Commas Before Introductory Words When They Introduce Lists7:55
- Use Semicolons to Separate Units in Series When Units Contain Commas8:49
- Use Semicolons Between Two Sentences Joined by Coordinating Conjunctions when Commas Appear in First Sentence9:48
- Colon and Semicolon Practice11:06
- Colon and Semicolon Practice Answers11:55
Dashes, Hyphens, Ellipses, & Parentheses
21m 47s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:12
- Hyphens0:32
- Hyphens Connect Words together into Compound Nouns, and are Not Dashes0:37
- Rules for Hyphens1:04
- Refer to a Dictionary1:07
- Phrases with Different Forms should be Separate as Verbs and Together as Nouns or Adjectives1:46
- Compound Verbs are either Hyphenated or Appear as One Word2:32
- Hyphenate Between Two or More Adjectives when Before a Noun and are Single Idea3:35
- Hyphenate Adverbs Not Ending in -ly that are Used as Compound Words in Front of Nouns4:33
- Use Commas, not Hyphens, between Two Adjectives when you can Insert 'and' between Them5:35
- Hyphenate Compound Numbers and Spelled-Out Fractions6:09
- Attach Prefixes and Suffixes Without Hyphens6:38
- Hyphenate Prefixes before Proper Nouns6:56
- Hyphenate Prefixes to Avoid Doubled 'a' and 'I'7:32
- Hyphenate All Words Beginning with 'self' except 'Selfish' and 'Selfless'8:48
- Use Hyphens with the Prefix 'ex-'9:06
- Use Hyphens with 're-' when 're-' means 'Again'9:32
- Ellipses10:34
- Ellipses Mark Where Words have been Omitted from Quoted Passages10:43
- Use No More than Three Marks when Omission Occurs in Middle of a Sentence or Between Sentences11:02
- Use Ellipsis Marks after the Last Punctuation Mark when Omitting Paragraphs11:40
- Dashes12:12
- Em Dashes Show Pause or Digression in a Sentence12:26
- En Dashes Show Connections Between Two Equivalent Things12:37
- En Dashes13:36
- Use En Dashes for Periods of Time Instead of 'to'13:39
- Use En Dashes to Combine Open Compounds14:12
- Em Dashes14:43
- Use Em Dashes Sparingly in Formal Writing14:46
- Em Dashes in Informal Writing May Replace Commas, Semicolons, Colons, and Parentheses14:58
- Parentheses16:18
- Use Parentheses to Enclose Words or Figures that are Used as an Aside16:23
- Use Parentheses to Enclose Numbers or Letters Used for Listed Items17:03
- Periods go Inside Parentheses only if an Entire Sentence is Inside the Parentheses17:21
- Practice17:57
- Practice Answers18:56
Capitalization
12m 26s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:08
- Rules for Capitalization0:24
- Capitalize the First Word of a Sentence and the First Word of a Quoted Sentence0:29
- Capitalize Proper Nouns0:52
- Capitalize a Person's Title when it Precedes the Name1:07
- Capitalize a Title when it Appears after a Name in an Address or Signature Line1:40
- Capitalize the Titles of High-Ranking Government Officials When Used with Their Names1:52
- Capitalize Any Title When Used as a Direct Address2:30
- Capitalize Points of the Compass Only when they Refer to Specific Regions2:50
- In Titles of Publications, Capitalize the First and Last Words, Plus Other Words within Titles3:31
- Capitalize 'Federal' or 'State' when Used as part of an Official Agency Name or in Government Documents5:10
- Don't Capitalize Names of Seasons5:46
- Capitalize the First Word of a Salutation and the First Word of a Complimentary Close6:09
- Capitalize Words Derived from Proper Nouns6:35
- Capitalize Names of Specific Course Titles7:07
- After a Sentence Ending with a Colon, Do Not Capitalize the First Word if it Begins a List7:26
- Do Not Capitalize When Only One Sentence Follows a Sentence Ending with a Colon7:54
- Capitalize when Two or More Sentences Follow a Sentence Ending with a Colon8:14
- Practice8:52
- Practice Answers10:02
Section 2: Spelling
Spelling Basics
10m 56s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:07
- History of Spelling0:19
- English Uses Roman Phonetic Alphabet Designed to Represent Latin Sounds0:30
- Writers 'Sounded Out' Words and Different Accents Produced Different Spellings0:59
- The Standard for Spelling After the Norman Conquest of 10661:31
- Advent of Printing in 1400's and An Explosion of Documentation, Reading, and Writing2:12
- London English Became the Basis of Standard Spelling2:28
- The Great English Vowel Shift of the 1500's and The Creation of the Silent E2:45
- Bible Translated to English King James Version of 1611 Had Impact on Spelling3:24
- Nonstandard Spelling Slows Down Silent Reading4:01
- 1700's Rise of Dictionaries and The First Dictionary by Samuel Johnson5:12
- Noah Webster Created a Standard Dictionary of American Spellings5:55
- Spelling Reform Movements Have Little Effect After Dictionary6:26
- English Speakers Adopt American Variations of British Spelling in United States6:38
- Languages Change All The Time7:17
- Why Spelling Matters7:52
- Spelling Is a Regional And Cultural Identifier7:58
- Good Spelling is Considered a Mark of Good Education8:12
- Bad Spelling Makes Writing More Difficult to Understand8:22
- Bad Spelling Is Unprofessional8:54
- Ways to Improve Your Spelling9:06
- Read9:08
- Play Word Games9:33
- Use Mnemonics9:48
- Spell-Check10:12
I Before E
6m 52s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:10
- The Rule0:27
- I Before E, Except After C, Or When Sounding Like A As in Neighbor or Weigh0:34
- Examples1:01
- Examples After C1:09
- Examples Sounding Like A1:25
- Exceptions To The Rule1:59
- Loanwords or Words Pronounced Differently Before Great Vowel Shift2:00
- List of Major Exception Words2:24
- Practice3:22
- Practice Answers4:13
- Ways To Improve Your Spelling5:36
- Read5:38
- Play Word Games5:59
- Use Mnemonics6:15
- Spell-Check6:24
Forming Plurals
9m 23s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:10
- Five Rules for English Plurals0:43
- 1. Add an 'S' to Most Words0:46
- 2. Add an 'es' to Words Ending In 'x', 's', 'sh', or 'ch'0:56
- 3. When a Word Ends in a Consonant Plus 'y', Change the 'y' to 'ie' then Add 's'1:33
- 4. Add 'es' to Nouns Ending in a Long 'o' Preceded by a Consonant (Except Musical Terms and Loanwords)1:52
- 5. For Many Words Ending in 'f' or 'fe' Change 'f' or 'fs' to 'v' then Add 's' or 'es'2:53
- Plurals for Foreign Words3:22
- How English Creates Plurals From Foreign Words3:23
- Most Relevant with Words Derived from Greek and Latin4:10
- Latin Words Ending With 'um' Usually Form a Plural with Ending 'a'4:15
- Latin Words Ending With 'us' Usually Form a Plural with Ending 'i'4:30
- Latin Words Ending With 'a' Usually Form a Plural With The Ending 'ae'4:50
- Greek Words Ending With 'is' Usually Form a Plural With Ending 'es'5:01
- Greek Words Ending With 'on' Usually Form a Plural With Ending 'a'5:11
- Practice5:23
- Practice Answers6:13
- Ways To Improve Your Spelling8:14
- Read8:19
- Play Word Games and Word Puzzles8:37
- Use Mnemonics8:52
- Spell-Check and Dictionary9:06
Final Consonants and Final Es
8m 38s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:11
- Doubling Final Consonants0:30
- Double Final Consonant Before Adding Suffix When Suffix Begins With Vowel1:27
- Double Final Consonant Before Adding Suffix When Last Syllable is Accented and Ends in Single Consonant2:05
- Dealing With Final Es2:35
- 1. Adding a Suffix That Starts With a Vowel to Word Ending in a Silent E2:51
- Exceptions3:19
- 2. Adding a Suffix That Starts With a Consonant to Word Ending in a Silent E3:58
- Exceptions4:24
- 3. Adding a Suffix to Words With Silent E Preceded by Another Vowel4:34
- Practice5:04
- Practice Answers5:52
- Ways to Improve Your Reading7:04
- Read7:09
- Play Word Games7:34
- Use Mnemonics7:45
- Spell-Check8:07
Writing Numbers
17m 25s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:08
- Two Ways to Write Numbers0:28
- Numerals and Spelled Out Words0:31
- The General Rule is to Spell Out Single Digit Whole Numbers and Use Numerals for Bigger Numbers0:51
- Rules for Writing Numbers1:20
- Be Consistent Within a Category1:23
- If Your Group of Numbers Has a Number Greater Than Nine, Use Numerals for All1:45
- If You Have Numbers in Different Categories Use Numerals for One and Spell Out the Other1:52
- Always Spell Out Simple Fractions and Use Hyphens4:11
- A Mixed Fraction Can be Expressed in Numerals Unless it is the First Word in a Sentence4:32
- The Simplest Way to Express Numbers is Best5:26
- Examples5:36
- Write Decimals in Figures7:24
- Use Commas With Numbers of Four Digits or More8:04
- But Do Not Use A Comma When Writing Out a Number of Four or More Digits8:29
- Writing Dates8:57
- Writing Decades, Spell Them Out and Lowercase Them9:54
- Expressing Decades Using Incomplete Numerals With Apostrophes10:23
- Spell Out the Time of Day in Text11:05
- Use Numerals With Time of Day When Exact Times Are Being Emphasized11:38
- Use Noon and Midnight Rather Than 12:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m.12:27
- Hyphenate All Compound Numbers From Twenty-One to Ninety-Nine12:58
- Write Out a Number if it Begins a Sentence13:20
- Practice14:00
- Practice Answers14:58
Tips to Improve Your Spelling
8m 41s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:08
- Make Your Own Spelling List0:27
- Keep a List of Words You Frequently Misspell and Add Words0:42
- Write Down the Definition of a Troublesome Word Beside It1:07
- Study Your List Often1:25
- Create Mnemonics1:35
- Mnemonics Definition and Examples1:42
- Organize and Reorganize Your List3:13
- Group Words3:24
- Come Up With Different Versions of List and Study Each Version3:40
- Make Flashcards3:58
- Test Yourself4:02
- Take Traditional Spelling Tests4:08
- One-Person Spelling Bee4:22
- Read Actively6:49
- Most of the Spelling We Absorb Comes From Reading6:55
- Focus On the Image of the Typed Words to Reinforce Correct Spelling7:18
- Imagine Sounds of Words or Try to Pronounce In Your Head7:36
- Keep Reading8:26
Forming Contractions
16m 31s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:08
- What is a Contraction?0:51
- Definition of Contraction0:52
- Quicker to Write and Pronounce, Are Considered Less Formal1:02
- Apostrophes Used to Create Possessives Are Not Contractions1:52
- Are Contractions2:26
- Forming a Contraction With the Verb 'Are'2:30
- Using 'Are' Contractions With Nouns or Pronouns in Conversation2:54
- Have Contractions3:39
- Forming a Contraction With the Verb 'Have'3:40
- Using 'Have' Contractions With Nouns or Pronouns in Conversation3:57
- Is/Has Contractions4:19
- Forming a Contraction With the Verb 'Is' and 'Has'4:21
- 'Is' and 'Has' Contractions With Nouns and Pronouns in Written and Spoken English4:56
- Not Contractions5:44
- Forming a Contraction With the Adverb 'Not'5:45
- Contraction From 'Will Not' to Special Form 'Won't', and 'Are Not' to 'Aren't'6:22
- Will/Shall Contractions6:41
- Forming a Contraction With the Verb 'Will' or 'Shall'6:42
- Contraction Will/Shall With Nouns and Pronouns7:03
- Would/Had Contractions7:31
- Forming Would/Had Contractions7:32
- Would/Had Contractions With Nouns and Pronouns8:00
- Other Contractions8:21
- Ain't8:30
- Cause9:18
- D' is an Informal Contraction For Do9:48
- Let's10:06
- Ma'am10:35
- O'clock11:03
- Y'all11:39
- Doubling Contractions12:56
- Grammatically Correct but Highly Informal12:59
- Rules For Contractions13:44
- Contractions Are Almost Always Less Formal13:45
- Academic Writing and Professional Writing Prohibits Contractions14:06
- Always Use Contractions With Apostrophes14:27
- Avoid Doubling Contractions15:01
- Practice15:11
- Practice Answers15:51
Section 3: Problematic Words
Problematic Words (A-B)
14m 6s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:13
- Problematic Words0:45
- Affect Vs. Effect0:46
- Adverse Vs. Averse2:06
- Advice Vs. Advise3:01
- Allot Vs. A Lot3:25
- Already Vs. All Ready4:32
- Among Vs. Between5:33
- Amount Vs. Number6:20
- Assure/Ensure/Insure7:13
- Been Vs. Bin7:58
- Buy/By/Bye8:51
- Because Vs. Since9:32
- Practice10:56
- Practice Answers11:48
Problematic Words (C-E)
10m 20s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:12
- Problematic Words0:44
- Cannon Vs. Canon0:45
- Capital Vs. Capitol1:29
- Complement Vs. Compliment2:12
- Connote Vs. Denote2:44
- Desert Vs. Dessert3:40
- Different From Vs. Differently Than4:34
- Elicit Vs. Illicit5:34
- Emigrate Vs. Immigrate6:50
- Every Day Vs. Everyday7:31
- Practice8:03
- Practice Answers8:52
Problematic Words (F-J)
9m 34s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:14
- Fewer/Less/Under0:45
- For/Fore/Four1:55
- Foreword Vs. Forward2:37
- Gone Vs. Went3:19
- Hole/Whole3:58
- Holy/Wholly4:43
- Imply Vs. Infer5:14
- Irregardless Vs. Regardless6:10
- Practice6:55
- Practice Answers7:40
Problematic Words (K-P)
16m 10s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:09
- Problematic Words0:54
- Lay/Lie0:55
- Lay/Lie/Lying/Lain to Recline1:05
- Lay/Laying/Laid to Put or Place2:08
- Lie/Lied/Lying/Lied to Tell Falsehoods3:15
- Lightning/Lightening3:52
- Lightning/Lightening Examples4:49
- Loose/Lose5:03
- Medal/Meddle5:42
- Metal/Mettle6:09
- Of Vs. Have6:58
- On to Vs. Onto7:51
- Pair/Pare/Pear8:40
- Passed Vs. Past9:11
- Peak/Peek/Pique9:37
- Perpetrate Vs. Perpetuate10:40
- Pi Vs. Pie11:17
- Praise/Prays/Preys11:36
- Precedence/Precedents/Presidents12:02
- Principal/Principle12:50
- Profit/Prophet13:38
- Practice14:11
- Practice Answers14:55
Problematic Words (Q-U)
10m 43s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:12
- Problematic Words0:46
- Rain/Reign/Rein0:47
- Read/Read/Red2:03
- Right/Rite/Write2:36
- Role Vs. Roll3:19
- Root/Rout/Route4:08
- Set Vs. Sit4:47
- Stationary Vs. Stationery5:23
- Take Vs. Bring5:50
- Than Vs. Then6:24
- Threw Vs. Through6:47
- To/Too/Two7:19
- Their/There/They're8:03
- Practice8:44
- Practice Answers9:26
Problematic Words (V-Z)
13m
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:12
- Problematic Words0:59
- Vary Vs. Very1:00
- Verses Vs. Versus1:22
- Vice Vs. Vise2:12
- Wail Vs. Whale2:50
- Warrantee Vs. Warranty3:34
- Wear Vs. Where4:00
- Weather Vs. Whether4:42
- Were Vs. We're5:13
- While Vs. Wile5:52
- Who's Vs. Whose6:37
- Who Vs. Whom7:05
- Won/Won't/Wont8:45
- Yore/Your/You're9:45
- Practice11:12
- Practice Answers11:48
Latin Terms & Abbreviations
13m 10s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:09
- The Big Three1:07
- Etc./Et Cetera1:08
- Use a Comma Before Etc. at the End of a List1:40
- Never Use Etc. More Than Once in a Row1:48
- When Using Etc. Make Sure All Items Are of the Same Kind2:19
- E.g./Exempli Gratia2:42
- I.e./Id Est.3:07
- I.E. or E.G.?3:35
- Use E.g. to Give Examples Not Necessarily the Only Example3:36
- Use I.e. to Demonstrate Equivalency4:20
- Some Situations Can Use Either I.e. or E.g.4:58
- More Latin Terms5:53
- Sic5:54
- Circa6:49
- Et Al.7:39
- Viz.8:09
- Problematic Words8:55
- Versus8:56
- Practice9:49
- Practice Answers10:30
Section 4: Improving Your Grammar
The Essential Sentence
13m 22s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:08
- A Complete Sentence0:32
- A Complete, Grammatical English Sentence Only Needs Two Elements0:33
- A Complete, Grammatical English Sentence Needs a Subject0:47
- A Complete, Grammatical English Sentence Needs a Predicate1:18
- Subject and Verbs Must Agree in Number1:44
- The Other Stuff1:58
- Other Stuff That Can Show Up in a Sentence: Phrases, Clauses, Parenthetical Statements and Interjections1:59
- A Few Examples2:44
- Rules for Subjects4:33
- A Subject Will Come Before a Phrase Beginning With Of4:34
- Sentences May Have Multiple Subjects5:23
- A Request or Command Has an Implied Subject5:50
- Rules for Verbs6:57
- An Infinitive6:58
- To Find a Subject and Verb, Look for the Verb First8:02
- Multiple Verbs in One Sentence8:58
- Practice9:36
- Practice Answers10:40
Problems With Subjects and Verbs
14m 32s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:10
- Singular Vs. Plural Verbs0:43
- Singular Subjects with Singular Verbs and Plural Subjects With Plural Verbs0:44
- Singular and Plural Subjects2:14
- Two Singular Subjects Connected by 'Or' or 'Nor' Require a Singular Verb2:15
- Two Singular Subjects Connected by 'Either/Or' or 'Neither/Nor' Require a Singular Verb2:42
- 'I' as One of the Subjects3:08
- Singular and Plural Subjects Connected by 'Either/Or' or 'Neither/Nor'4:06
- Plural Verb for Two or More Subjects Connected by 'And'4:37
- Subject Separated from Verb5:07
- Words Indicating Portions5:43
- Singular Pronouns Require Singular Verbs8:06
- Subjects 'Either' and 'Neither' Take a Singular Verb8:45
- Adverbs Here and There9:07
- Singular Verbs With Sums of Money or Periods of Time9:43
- Collective Nouns May be Singular or Plural10:10
- Pronouns That Become Plural According to Noun: Who, That, Which11:10
- Practice11:42
- Practice Answers12:33
Problems With Pronouns
15m 36s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:09
- Pronouns and Pronoun Cases0:36
- Pronoun Definition and The Three Cases0:37
- Subject/Nominative0:56
- Object/Objective1:02
- Possessive1:06
- Rules for Pronouns1:15
- Subject Pronouns as the Subject of a Verb1:16
- Subject Pronouns Used to Rename the Subject, Following To Be Verbs1:37
- Object Pronouns Following 'To Be' Verbs in Spoken English2:09
- Object Pronouns Everywhere Else2:40
- Weak Clauses Versus Strong Clauses When Using Pronouns3:19
- Strong Clauses3:29
- Weak Clauses3:36
- Deciding What Kind of Pronoun to Use4:12
- Completing The Sentence Differently Changes the Meaning4:48
- Possessive Pronouns Do Not Need Apostrophes5:43
- Using Reflexive Pronouns; The 'Self' Pronouns6:38
- When to Use Who or Whom8:17
- Choosing Between Whoever and Whomever9:08
- Who Refers to People, That or Which Refer to Groups or Things9:38
- That and Which, Essential and Nonessential Clauses10:04
- Practice12:32
- Practice Answers13:17
Problems With Adjectives and Adverbs
11m 9s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:10
- Adjectives Vs. Adverbs0:30
- What Are Adjectives and When to Use Adjectives?0:31
- What are Adverbs and When to Use Adverbs?0:58
- General Rules2:03
- If a Word Answers the Question 'How?', it is an Adverb2:05
- Rule Change: If a Verb is Being Used Actively, Use an Adverb2:38
- If a Verb is Not Being Used Actively, Use an Adjective3:21
- Good Vs. Well3:59
- Good is an Adjective, Well is an Adverb4:00
- Well When Referring to Health, Good When Referring to Emotional State4:58
- Comparisons5:24
- The Comparative, and the Superlative5:25
- Making a Comparison Using -ly Adverbs6:21
- This/That/These/Those6:54
- Adjectives or Pronouns?6:55
- This and That Are Always Singular, This is Nearer Than That7:24
- These and Those Are Always Plural, These are Nearer Than Those7:41
- Than Vs. Then7:51
- Use Than to Show Comparison, Use Then to Answer the Question When7:52
- Practice8:21
- Practice Answers9:06
Problems With Prepositions
7m
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:10
- What is a Preposition?0:22
- Defining a Preposition0:23
- The Log0:29
- Rules for Prepositions1:40
- Ending a Sentence With a Preposition1:41
- Do Not Use Extra Prepositions2:12
- Indicating Dates With a Preposition2:43
- 'Of' Versus 'Have'2:59
- Between Versus Among3:27
- The Word Like as a Preposition4:06
- Practice4:43
- Practice Answers5:32
Section 5: Effective Writing
Concrete Language
10m 39s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:08
- What is Concrete Language?0:26
- Concrete language is Not Abstract0:27
- Concrete Language is About the Real World0:54
- Specificity1:50
- The First Rule of Concrete Language is Specificity1:51
- Sensory Details3:11
- Concrete Nouns3:12
- Sensory Details Can be Applied to Abstract Concepts3:47
- Vivid Verbs4:31
- Vivid Verbs Can Make Sentences Come Alive!4:32
- Use a Thesaurus to Find Vivid Verbs5:38
- Do Not Overuse Vivid Verbs5:46
- Active Voice6:35
- What is the Active Voice?6:36
- Fun Tip7:18
- Practice7:51
- Practice Answers8:37
Clumsy Sentences & Double Negatives
6m 29s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:09
- What Makes a Sentence Clumsy?0:23
- English Includes a Tremendous Variety of Sounds0:24
- Clumsy Sentences0:44
- What is a Double Negative?1:02
- In English, Two Negative Words Make a Positive1:03
- Avoiding Clumsy Sentences2:11
- Use Active Voice Whenever Possible2:12
- Fun Tip2:48
- Avoid These Phrases3:17
- Practice4:32
- Practice Answers5:02
Parallel Structure & Flow
12m 12s
- Intro0:00
- Lesson Overview0:09
- What is Flow?0:30
- Writers and Teachers Use of the Term Flow0:31
- Flow is a Matter of Practice but Has Several Key Elements1:04
- Parallel Structure1:22
- Parallelism (Word Lists, Phrases, Clauses, Etc.)1:23
- Modifiers4:04
- What is a Modifier?4:05
- If You Start a Sentence With an Acton, Follow it Up Immediately With an Actor4:33
- Place Modifiers as Close as Possible to the Thing Being Modified5:37
- Fragments7:05
- What is a Sentence Fragment?7:06
- Practice8:23
- Practice Answers9:03
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