English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies (+ Chapter Quizzes Online) E-Book

Geraldine Woods

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 820

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Learn to get your ideas across clearly and correctly--the easy way English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies is packed with everything you need to know to communicate with confidence--in your writing, on standardized tests, at work, on social media, and everywhere else. Strong verbal and written skills can help you get where you want to be, and this easy-to-understand Dummies guide will help you understand the English grammar principles you need to know so you can improve your understanding of basic grammar and punctuation rules, easily identify parts of speech, and communicate more effectively. * Learn the basics of punctuation--periods, commas, semicolons, and beyond * Write clearer e-mails and messages, or ace the writing section of your test * Navigate pronouns and make sure you're using inclusive language * Practice with end-of-chapter quizzes and even more online practice English Grammar All-In-One For Dummies is an excellent resource for students, professionals, job seekers, non-native-English learners, and anyone who wants to brush up on using this crazy language we call English.

Leseprobe

English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies®

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Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2023931512

ISBN 978-1-394-15944-4 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-394-15949-9 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-394-15950-5 (ebk)

English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies®

To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies? Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Unit 1: Exploring Grammar and Style

Chapter 1: Sampling the Ingredients of Grammar and Style

What This Year’s Sentence Is Wearing: Understanding Grammar and Style

Getting to Know the Elements of Grammar and Style

Recognizing Your Grammar Profile

Chapter 2: Adapting Language to Every Situation

Grasping the Power and Limits of Standard English

Adjusting Language to Suit Your Audience

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 2 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 2 Quiz

Unit 2: Exploring Parts of Speech

Chapter 3: People to See, Places to Go, Things to Remember: Recognizing Nouns

Identifying Nouns

Sorting Out Singular and Plural Nouns

Attaching “This,” “These,” and Other Words to Nouns

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 3 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 3 Quiz

Chapter 4: Meeting the Pronoun Family

Working Hard: Pronouns and Their Jobs

Tracing Pronoun Traits

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 4 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 4 Quiz

Chapter 5: Existing and Acting with Verbs

Expressing Meaning with Verbs

Meeting the Families: Linking and Action Verbs

Pop the Question: Locating the Verb

Calling the Help Line for Verbs

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 5 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 5 Quiz

Chapter 6: Two

Real

Really Good Parts of Speech: Adjectives and Adverbs

Clarifying Meaning with Descriptions

Adding Adjectives

Stalking the Common Adverb

Choosing Between Adjectives and Adverbs

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 6 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 6 Quiz

Chapter 7: Tiny but Mighty: Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections

Proposing Relationships: Prepositions

Connecting with Conjunctions

Interjections Are Easy!

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 7 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 7 Quiz

Unit 3: Basic Elements of a Sentence

Chapter 8: Who’s Doing What? Identifying the Subject-Verb Pair

Baring the Bones of a Sentence: The Subject–Verb Pair

When One Is Not Enough: Compound Subjects and Verbs

Pop the Question: Locating the Subject–Verb Pairs

Don’t Get Faked Out: Avoiding Fake Verbs and Subjects

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 8 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 8 Quiz

Chapter 9: Handling Complements

Getting a Piece of the Action: Complements for Action Verbs

Completing the Equation: Subject Complements

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 9 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 9 Quiz

Chapter 10: When All Is Said and Done: Complete Sentences

Completing Sentences: The Essential Subjects and Verbs

Complete Thoughts, Complete Sentences

Reaching the End of the Line: End Marks

Connecting Ideas

Breaking Away from Sentence Fragments

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 10 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 10 Quiz

Chapter 11: No Santas but Plenty of Clauses

Grasping the Basics of Clause and Effect

Sorting Subordinate and Independent Clauses

Defining the Three Legal Jobs for Subordinate Clauses

Untangling Subordinate and Independent Clauses

Deciding When to Untangle Clauses

Choosing Content for Subordinate Clauses

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 11 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 11 Quiz

Unit 4: Clearing Up Confusing Grammar Points

Chapter 12: Relax! Understanding Verb Tense, Voice, and Mood

It’s All in the Timing: Tense

Giving Voice to Verbs

Getting Your Verbs in the Proper Mood

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 12 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 12 Quiz

Chapter 13: Agreement: Choosing Singular or Plural Verbs and Pronouns

Agreeing Not to Disagree

Making Subjects and Verbs Agree: The Basics

Matching Subjects and Verbs in Some Tricky Situations

Agreeing with Relative Pronouns

Politics and Other Irregular Subjects

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 13 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 13 Quiz

Chapter 14: Solving Pronoun Case

While We’re on the Subject: Choosing Pronouns to Act as Subjects

Taking an Objective Viewpoint: Choosing Pronouns to Act as Objects

Knowing the Difference Between Who and Whom

Attracting Appositives

Picking Pronouns for Comparisons

Dealing with Pronouns and -ing Nouns

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 14 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 14 Quiz

Chapter 15: Getting Specific: The Power of Descriptions

Creating Comparisons with Adjectives and Adverbs

On Location: Placing Descriptions Correctly

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 15 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 15 Quiz

Unit 5: Spelling, Punctuation, and Capitalization

Chapter 16: Becoming a Better

Speler

Speller

Following the Rules of English Spelling

Taming Spelling Demons

Checking the Dictionary for Spelling Help

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 16 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 16 Quiz

Chapter 17: Little Hooks, Big Problems: Apostrophes

The Pen of My Aunt or My Aunt’s Pen? Using Apostrophes to Show Possession

Shortened Words for Busy People: Contractions

Managing Tricky Contraction/Pronoun Pairs

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 17 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 17 Quiz

Chapter 18: Quotations: More Rules Than the Strictest Teacher

And I Quote

Punctuating Quotations

Germ-Free Quotations: Using Sanitizing Quotation Marks

Punctuating Titles: When to Use Quotation Marks

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 18 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 18 Quiz

Chapter 19: The Pause That Refreshes: Commas

Distinguishing Items: Commas in Series

Using “Comma Sense” to Add Information to Your Sentence

You Talkin’ to Me? Direct Address

Using Commas in Addresses and Dates

Getting Started: The Introductory Comma

Punctuating Independently

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 19 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 19 Quiz

Chapter 20: Useful Little Marks: Dashes, Hyphens, and Colons

Inserting Information with Dashes

H-y-p-h-e-n-a-t-i-n-g Made Easy

Creating a Stopping Point: Colons

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 20 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 20 Quiz

Chapter 21: Capital Letters

Knowing What’s Up with Uppercase

Capitalizing (or Not) References to People

Capitalizing Geography: Directions and Places

Marking Seasons and Other Times

Capitalizing Work and School Terms

Capitalizing Titles

?4U: Cn U AbbreV8?

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 21 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 21 Quiz

Unit 6: Developing Style

Chapter 22: Adding Meaning with Well-Chosen Words

Going Vivid with Verbs

Pinpointing Meaning with Nouns and Descriptions

Saving Time: Cutting Unnecessary Words

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 22 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 22 Quiz

Chapter 23: Grammar Gremlins

Deleting Double Negatives

Sounding Incorrect

Pairs of Trouble: Complicated Verbs

One Word or Two?

Three for the Road: Other Common Errors

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 23 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 23 Quiz

Chapter 24: Writing Stylish Sentences

Speaking Verbally

Sprucing Up Boring Sentences with Clauses and Verbals

Mixing It Up: Changing Sentence Patterns and Length

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 24 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 24 Quiz

Unit 7: Grammar in Action

Chapter 25: Adapting Your Style to Electronic Media

Hitting the Screen with Formal or Informal Language

Communicating Clearly in Texts, Tweets, and Posts

Emailing Your Way to Good Grammar

PowerPoint to the People

Autocorrect and Other Error Magnets

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 25 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 25 Quiz

Chapter 26: Writing at School and on the Job

A Is for Accomplished: Writing at School

Get to Work: Writing on the Job

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 26 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 26 Quiz

Index

About the Author

Connect with Dummies

End User License Agreement

List of Tables

Chapter 1

Table 1-1 Checklist of Common Grammar Problems

Chapter 7

Table 7-1 Common Prepositions

Chapter 12

Table 12-1 Present Tense

Table 12-2 Past Tense

Table 12-3 Future Tense

Table 12-4 Present Perfect Tense

Table 12-5 Past Perfect Tense

Table 12-6 Future Perfect Tense

Table 12-7 Examples of Regular Present Participles

Table 12-8 Forms of Irregular Participles

Chapter 15

Table 15-1 Single-Word Comparisons with Adjectives

Table 15-2 Two-Word Adjective Comparisons

Table 15-3 Comparisons with Adverbs

Chapter 17

Table 17-1 Contractions

Chapter 26

Table 1 Number of flowers with and without fertilizer treatment

Guide

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

Index

About the Author

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Introduction

Does this resemble the inside of your head when you’re preparing to talk with an authority figure?

Glad to have met … to be meeting … Uh-oh. Maybe just Hi! How’s it going? No, that’s too friendly. New direction: You asked to see whoever … whomever … wrote the report. Or is it had written?

If you answered yes, you’re in the right place. English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies helps you navigate the sea of grammar without wrecking your grades, your career, or your mind. I mention grades and career because the ability to speak and write according to the rules of Standard English gives you an advantage in school and in the working world. This book presents the latest guidelines for Standard English. Yes, latest. When an English teacher is pounding them into your head, the rules of Standard English usage seem set in stone. But language is anything but static. It moves along just as people do — sometimes quickly and something at the speed of a tired snail. To keep you sharp in every 21st century situation, English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies gives you information and then practice with the current, commonly accepted language of texts, tweets, presentation slides, emails, and more traditional forms of writing.

About This Book

In English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies, I address all your grammar questions about written and spoken language, including a few you didn’t know you had. I do so without loading you up with obscure terminology, defining terms only when you need them to understand what you’re supposed to do as well as why you’re supposed to do it. I also explain which rules of formal English you can and should ignore in various situations. The goal is to ensure that the language you use conveys your ideas accurately and makes a good impression on your reader or listener.

Every chapter but one provides

Explanations of grammar rules and common usage

Sample questions with answers

A slew of extra practice questions (and more online)

Chapter quizzes with answers and explanations

Are you wondering which chapter breaks this pattern? It’s the first. Instead of a quiz, Chapter 1 ends with a diagnostic tool — a chart of common grammatical dilemmas (capital letter or lowercase? gave or had given? comma or colon? and the like) and points you toward the chapter addressing that topic. You can turn immediately to the chapters that meet your needs, or you can work through the book in order, moving from an overview of grammar and style to parts of speech, parts of a sentence, and onward to punctuation, capitalization, and common errors. The last unit focuses on useful information for writing at school and on the job, with special attention to electronic media.

Foolish Assumptions

I assume you’re reading this book because you want one or more of the following:

Skill in communicating exactly what you mean

Better grades or a better job

Speech and writing that serves you well in formal situations

A good score on standardized exams

Of course, you may be reading this book because an authority figure has threatened to fail, fire, or ground you if you don’t. Even so, I hope you’ll learn something — and smile along the way.

Icons Used in This Book

Five types of icons steer your journey:

Wherever you see this icon, you’ll find helpful strategies for understanding the structure of the sentence or for choosing the correct word form.

Not every grammar point has a built-in trap, but some do. This icon tells you how to avoid common mistakes as you construct a sentence.

You can test your knowledge of a topic by trying a sample question or two, checking your answers, and reading the accompanying explanations.

Put on your thinking cap when you see this icon, because it identifies a set of practice questions. Answers and explanations appear in a separate section near the end of the chapter.

This icon identifies key grammar points to deposit in your memory bank.

Beyond the Book

For additional reference material and writing tips, check out www.dummies.com to find the accompanying Cheat Sheet for this book. Just type “English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies cheat sheet” in the search box.

You can also test yourself with online quizzes oriented to a single chapter or to a heftier amount of information. To gain access to the online practice, all you have to do is register. Just follow these simple steps:

Register your book or ebook at Dummies.com to get your PIN. Go to

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Select your product from the drop-down list on that page.

Follow the prompts to validate your product, and then check your email for a confirmation message that includes your PIN and instructions for logging in.

If you don’t receive this email within two hours, please check your Spam folder before contacting us through our Technical Support website at https://support.wiley.com or by phone at 877-762-2974.

Now you’re ready to go! You can come back to the program as often as you want. Simply log in with the username and password you created during your initial login. No need to enter the access code a second time.

Where to Go from Here

To the refrigerator for a snack. Nope. Just kidding. Take the grammar diagnostic in Chapter 1, or simply think for a few moments about the aspects of writing or speaking that make you pause. Then select the chapters that meet your needs. If you’re unsure whether a topic is a problem, no problem! Look for the example icons and try a couple of questions. If you get the right answer — or if you don’t but the explanation cleared up your confusion — move on. If you stub your toe, work on the practice questions or take an online quiz until you master the topic. And you will!

A NOTE ABOUT PRONOUNS

Much has changed in the world of pronouns in the past few years. Change isn’t always comfortable, but it's here and, I believe, necessary and good.

Let me explain. A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun or another pronoun. Pronouns streamline language, allowing you to say “George said that he forgot his phone” instead of “George said that George forgot George's phone.” A pronoun is supposed to match, or agree, with the word it refers to: Singular pairs with singular, plural with plural. Gender also matters. Some pronouns are masculine (he, him, his); some are feminine (she, her, hers); and others are neuter (it, they when referring to objects, ideas, or places). The rules for these pronouns have stayed the same. Ditto for gender-neutral pronouns referring to a group (they, them, their, theirs).

The rules have shifted, though, when you refer to one person whose gender is unspecified — a person or a senator or an insurance agent, perhaps — or to a person who does not identify gender as binary (male or female) or who identifies as gender fluid. For an increasing number of grammarians and editors, they, them, their, and theirs have become the preferred pronouns for these situations. In other words, these pronouns may be either singular or plural, depending on the word they refer to. Take a look at some examples:

Someone forgot their homework; therefore, the teacher will give them a failing grade. (pairs the singular pronoun someone with the singular pronouns their and them)Each applicant should explain their reasons for leaving their previous job. (The singular noun applicant pairs with the singular pronoun their.)Alix arrived late because they were stuck in a traffic jam. (The singular noun Alix, the name of a person who identifies as nonbinary, pairs with the singular pronoun they.)

It's worth noting that this “change” in the usage of they, them, and their in the first two examples is actually a return to tradition. From the 14th century onward, ordinary people, as well as great writers (Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Austen, to name three) treated they, them, their, and theirs as flexible, gender-neutral pronouns, a grammatically correct way to refer to one person or to a group, just as the pronoun you does. In the 18th century, though, influential grammarians declared that the pronouns they, them, their, and theirs were correct only for references to a group. According to these grammarians, the forms he, him, and his and she, her, and hers were the only appropriate references to one person. If the gender was unknown, masculine pronouns were said to be the proper choice. In 1850, the British Parliament went so far as to enact that grammar rule into law! You can imagine how popular this decision was with supporters of women's equality. In the late 20th century, many writers reserved they, them, their, and theirs for plural references but, in an effort to be more inclusive, turned to pairs — he or she, him or her, and his or her — for singular references. That practice often results in sentences like this: “A student should ask his or her teacher about his or her pronoun policy during the first meeting with him or her.” As you see, providing two choices can result in a clunky sentence! Paired pronouns also ignore people who identify as nonbinary or gender fluid.

To solve these problems, some people have invented gender-neutral pronouns, such as ze and zir. These new words may catch on, but at the moment they’re not common. Much more widespread is the use of they, them, their, and theirs in both singular and plural situations. I've employed this usage in English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies, a decision that Wiley, the publisher of For Dummies books, supports.

It may take a while to get used to the singular they. If you're expecting one dinner guest and hear “they're on the way,” you may panic and cook an extra portion of pasta before you remember that they is your guest's preferred pronoun and they would never bring a friend without asking first. You may also find yourself writing for an authority figure who insists on restricting they, them, their, and theirs to plural situations. In that situation, you have some options. You can shift from third person (talking about someone) to second person (talking to the person with the flexible pronoun you):

If you forget to do the homework, you will receive a failing grade.

You can also reword and avoid the pronoun entirely:

Someone forgot to do the homework and will receive a failing grade.Each applicant should explain the reasons for leaving a previous job.Alix arrived late because of traffic.

Unit 1

Exploring Grammar and Style

In This Unit …

Chapter 1: Sampling the Ingredients of Grammar and Style

What This Year’s Sentence Is Wearing: Understanding Grammar and Style

Getting to Know the Elements of Grammar and Style

Recognizing Your Grammar Profile

Chapter 2: Adapting Language to Every Situation

Grasping the Power and Limits of Standard English

Adjusting Language to Suit Your Audience

Practice Questions Answers and Explanations

Whaddya Know? Chapter 2 Quiz

Answers to Chapter 2 Quiz

Chapter 2

Adapting Language to Every Situation

IN THIS CHAPTER

Recognizing how language adapts to suit the purpose, audience, and medium

Choosing the appropriate level of formality

Presumably, you’re reading this book because you want to learn good grammar. Excellent plan! The only problem is that good grammar is a moving target. What works in one situation may be completely inappropriate in another. In this chapter, I explain how to tailor your speech and writing to suit any purpose, medium, and situation. In Chapter 25, I go into more detail on the opportunities and demands of electronic communication — texts, tweets, posts, and presentation slides.

Grasping the Power and Limits of Standard English

During my grammar lessons, students sometimes ask me who made the rules I’m explaining. My answer: “You did.” That’s a collective you, however. When I state that made refers to an action in the past and make to an action in the present, I’m relaying what millions of English speakers have agreed on. If one person decides to fashion a new rule — say, that every sentence must begin with three exclamation points — it’s likely to puzzle whoever is on the receiving end of the communication. !!!Do you see what I mean?

Here's where standards come in, closely followed by English teachers who are eager to explain, enforce, and, if need be, hammer their version of the rules into students’ heads. When enough people agree on what to capitalize and how verb tenses designate time, English teachers teach that rule and grammar-book writers write about it. We’re always a little behind, though, because language continues to change. So we catch up, groaning about how in our student days we met higher standards. But we didn’t. We just met different standards, about which our own teachers undoubtedly complained.