Rebekah Hendershot
Forming Plurals
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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For more information, please see full course syllabus of Advanced English Grammar
For more information, please see full course syllabus of Advanced English Grammar
Advanced English Grammar Forming Plurals
Lecture Description
In this lesson, our instructor Rebekah Hendershot gives an introduction to forming plurals. She gives the five rules for English plurals, shows the plurals of foreign words, gives rules for Greek and Latin plurals, and provides practice, as well as ways to improve spelling.
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1 answer
Last reply by: Professor Hendershot
Tue Oct 22, 2013 12:36 PM
Post by Beverly Terry on October 14, 2013
I am confused by one of the practice sentences: If one legal brief is good, two legal briefs is better. I thought it should say, "...two legal briefs are better."
Also, English Rule #4: Dominos (no es) is listed with potatoes. Is that plural correct?