{"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"categoryState":{"relatedCategories":{"headers":{"timestamp":"2023-05-31T12:01:07+00:00"},"categoryId":33688,"data":{"title":"Grammar & Vocabulary","slug":"grammar-vocabulary","image":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Language & Language Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33687"},"slug":"language-language-arts","categoryId":33687},{"name":"Grammar & Vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"},"slug":"grammar-vocabulary","categoryId":33688}],"parentCategory":{"categoryId":33687,"title":"Language & Language Arts","slug":"language-language-arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33687"}},"childCategories":[],"description":"Become a real-live grammarian with dozens of articles on the English language and its many quirks. Get help with helping verbs, master the verb tenses, punctuate like a pro, and more.","relatedArticles":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles?category=33688&offset=0&size=5"},"hasArticle":true,"hasBook":true,"articleCount":205,"bookCount":9},"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"}},"relatedCategoriesLoadedStatus":"success"},"listState":{"list":{"count":10,"total":206,"items":[{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T21:03:24+00:00","modifiedTime":"2023-05-03T19:34:34+00:00","timestamp":"2023-05-03T21:01:03+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Language & Language Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33687"},"slug":"language-language-arts","categoryId":33687},{"name":"Grammar & Vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"},"slug":"grammar-vocabulary","categoryId":33688}],"title":"Past & Past Participles of Common Irregular Verbs","strippedTitle":"past & past participles of common irregular verbs","slug":"past-and-past-participles-of-common-irregular-english-verbs","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Dozens of English verbs have irregular past tense forms, as well as irregular past participles. Here's a list of the most common ones.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Dozens and dozens of English verbs have irregular past tense forms, as well as irregular past participles. If you are studying English grammar, you may want to memorize the common irregular past and past participles listed here. This list is not exhaustive by any means, but these are common verbs English speakers use every day.\r\n\r\nLucky for you, <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/education/language-arts/grammar/how-to-form-present-and-past-participles-of-regular-english-verbs/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">English present participles</a>, except for the occasional change from the letter <i>y</i> to the letter <i>i</i>, are fairly straightforward. Just add <i>ing</i>.\r\n\r\nIf you have questions about a particular verb, check your dictionary. In the following table, the first column is the <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/education/language-arts/grammar/how-to-avoid-dangling-infinitives/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">infinitive form</a> of the verb. (The infinitive is the “to + verb” form — to laugh, to cry, to learn grammar, and so on.) The second column is the simple past tense. The third column is the past participle, which is combined with <i>has </i>(singular) or <i>have </i>(plural) to form the present perfect tense. The past participle is also used with <i>had</i> to form the past perfect tense.\r\n<table><caption>Forms of Irregular Participles</caption>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Verb</th>\r\n<th>Past</th>\r\n<th>Past Participle</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>bear</td>\r\n<td>bore</td>\r\n<td>borne</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>become</td>\r\n<td>became</td>\r\n<td>become</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>begin</td>\r\n<td>began</td>\r\n<td>begun</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>bite</td>\r\n<td>bit</td>\r\n<td>bitten</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>break</td>\r\n<td>broke</td>\r\n<td>broken</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>bring</td>\r\n<td>brought</td>\r\n<td>brought</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>catch</td>\r\n<td>caught</td>\r\n<td>caught</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>choose</td>\r\n<td>chose</td>\r\n<td>chosen</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>come</td>\r\n<td>came</td>\r\n<td>come</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>do</td>\r\n<td>did</td>\r\n<td>done</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>drink</td>\r\n<td>drank</td>\r\n<td>drunk</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>drive</td>\r\n<td>drove</td>\r\n<td>driven</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>eat</td>\r\n<td>ate</td>\r\n<td>eaten</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>fall</td>\r\n<td>fell</td>\r\n<td>fallen</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>feel</td>\r\n<td>felt</td>\r\n<td>felt</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>fly</td>\r\n<td>flew</td>\r\n<td>flown</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>freeze</td>\r\n<td>froze</td>\r\n<td>frozen</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>get</td>\r\n<td>got</td>\r\n<td>got or gotten</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>go</td>\r\n<td>went</td>\r\n<td>gone</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>know</td>\r\n<td>knew</td>\r\n<td>known</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>lay</td>\r\n<td>laid</td>\r\n<td>laid</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>lead</td>\r\n<td>led</td>\r\n<td>led</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>lend</td>\r\n<td>lent</td>\r\n<td>lent</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>lie</td>\r\n<td>lay</td>\r\n<td>lain</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>lose</td>\r\n<td>lost</td>\r\n<td>lost</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>ride</td>\r\n<td>rode</td>\r\n<td>ridden</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>ring</td>\r\n<td>rang</td>\r\n<td>rung</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>rise</td>\r\n<td>rose</td>\r\n<td>risen</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>run</td>\r\n<td>ran</td>\r\n<td>run</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>say</td>\r\n<td>said</td>\r\n<td>said</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>see</td>\r\n<td>saw</td>\r\n<td>seen</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>set</td>\r\n<td>set</td>\r\n<td>set</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>shake</td>\r\n<td>shook</td>\r\n<td>shaken</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>sing</td>\r\n<td>sang</td>\r\n<td>sung</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>sink</td>\r\n<td>sank or sunk</td>\r\n<td>sunk</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>sit</td>\r\n<td>sat</td>\r\n<td>sat</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>sleep</td>\r\n<td>slept</td>\r\n<td>slept</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>speak</td>\r\n<td>spoke</td>\r\n<td>spoken</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>steal</td>\r\n<td>stole</td>\r\n<td>stolen</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>swim</td>\r\n<td>swam</td>\r\n<td>swum</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>take</td>\r\n<td>took</td>\r\n<td>taken</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>throw</td>\r\n<td>threw</td>\r\n<td>thrown</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>wear</td>\r\n<td>wore</td>\r\n<td>worn</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>win</td>\r\n<td>won</td>\r\n<td>won</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>write</td>\r\n<td>wrote</td>\r\n<td>written</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>","description":"Dozens and dozens of English verbs have irregular past tense forms, as well as irregular past participles. If you are studying English grammar, you may want to memorize the common irregular past and past participles listed here. This list is not exhaustive by any means, but these are common verbs English speakers use every day.\r\n\r\nLucky for you, <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/education/language-arts/grammar/how-to-form-present-and-past-participles-of-regular-english-verbs/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">English present participles</a>, except for the occasional change from the letter <i>y</i> to the letter <i>i</i>, are fairly straightforward. Just add <i>ing</i>.\r\n\r\nIf you have questions about a particular verb, check your dictionary. In the following table, the first column is the <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/education/language-arts/grammar/how-to-avoid-dangling-infinitives/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">infinitive form</a> of the verb. (The infinitive is the “to + verb” form — to laugh, to cry, to learn grammar, and so on.) The second column is the simple past tense. The third column is the past participle, which is combined with <i>has </i>(singular) or <i>have </i>(plural) to form the present perfect tense. The past participle is also used with <i>had</i> to form the past perfect tense.\r\n<table><caption>Forms of Irregular Participles</caption>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Verb</th>\r\n<th>Past</th>\r\n<th>Past Participle</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>bear</td>\r\n<td>bore</td>\r\n<td>borne</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>become</td>\r\n<td>became</td>\r\n<td>become</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>begin</td>\r\n<td>began</td>\r\n<td>begun</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>bite</td>\r\n<td>bit</td>\r\n<td>bitten</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>break</td>\r\n<td>broke</td>\r\n<td>broken</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>bring</td>\r\n<td>brought</td>\r\n<td>brought</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>catch</td>\r\n<td>caught</td>\r\n<td>caught</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>choose</td>\r\n<td>chose</td>\r\n<td>chosen</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>come</td>\r\n<td>came</td>\r\n<td>come</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>do</td>\r\n<td>did</td>\r\n<td>done</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>drink</td>\r\n<td>drank</td>\r\n<td>drunk</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>drive</td>\r\n<td>drove</td>\r\n<td>driven</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>eat</td>\r\n<td>ate</td>\r\n<td>eaten</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>fall</td>\r\n<td>fell</td>\r\n<td>fallen</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>feel</td>\r\n<td>felt</td>\r\n<td>felt</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>fly</td>\r\n<td>flew</td>\r\n<td>flown</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>freeze</td>\r\n<td>froze</td>\r\n<td>frozen</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>get</td>\r\n<td>got</td>\r\n<td>got or gotten</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>go</td>\r\n<td>went</td>\r\n<td>gone</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>know</td>\r\n<td>knew</td>\r\n<td>known</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>lay</td>\r\n<td>laid</td>\r\n<td>laid</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>lead</td>\r\n<td>led</td>\r\n<td>led</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>lend</td>\r\n<td>lent</td>\r\n<td>lent</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>lie</td>\r\n<td>lay</td>\r\n<td>lain</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>lose</td>\r\n<td>lost</td>\r\n<td>lost</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>ride</td>\r\n<td>rode</td>\r\n<td>ridden</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>ring</td>\r\n<td>rang</td>\r\n<td>rung</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>rise</td>\r\n<td>rose</td>\r\n<td>risen</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>run</td>\r\n<td>ran</td>\r\n<td>run</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>say</td>\r\n<td>said</td>\r\n<td>said</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>see</td>\r\n<td>saw</td>\r\n<td>seen</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>set</td>\r\n<td>set</td>\r\n<td>set</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>shake</td>\r\n<td>shook</td>\r\n<td>shaken</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>sing</td>\r\n<td>sang</td>\r\n<td>sung</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>sink</td>\r\n<td>sank or sunk</td>\r\n<td>sunk</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>sit</td>\r\n<td>sat</td>\r\n<td>sat</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>sleep</td>\r\n<td>slept</td>\r\n<td>slept</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>speak</td>\r\n<td>spoke</td>\r\n<td>spoken</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>steal</td>\r\n<td>stole</td>\r\n<td>stolen</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>swim</td>\r\n<td>swam</td>\r\n<td>swum</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>take</td>\r\n<td>took</td>\r\n<td>taken</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>throw</td>\r\n<td>threw</td>\r\n<td>thrown</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>wear</td>\r\n<td>wore</td>\r\n<td>worn</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>win</td>\r\n<td>won</td>\r\n<td>won</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>write</td>\r\n<td>wrote</td>\r\n<td>written</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":" <p><b>Geraldine Woods</b> is a grammarian and writer with more than 35 years’ experience teaching and writing about English. She is the author of <i>English Grammar For Dummies, SAT For Dummies</i>, and <i>Research Papers For Dummies</i>. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8977"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33688,"title":"Grammar & Vocabulary","slug":"grammar-vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":243219,"title":"Illogical Comparisons in English Grammar","slug":"illogical-comparisons-english-grammar","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/243219"}},{"articleId":243216,"title":"Incomplete Comparisons in English Grammar","slug":"incomplete-comparisons-english-grammar","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/243216"}},{"articleId":243213,"title":"Conjunction Pairs","slug":"conjunction-pairs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/243213"}},{"articleId":243210,"title":"Using and Maintaining the Right \"Person\" in English Grammar","slug":"using-maintaining-right-person-english-grammar","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/243210"}},{"articleId":243207,"title":"Subordinate and Independent Clauses in English Grammar","slug":"subordinate-independent-clauses-english-grammar","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/243207"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":297744,"title":"English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"english-grammar-all-in-one-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/297744"}},{"articleId":252134,"title":"How to Climb the Ladder of Language Formality","slug":"climb-ladder-language-formality","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252134"}},{"articleId":252131,"title":"How to Match Your Message to the Situation","slug":"match-message-situation","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252131"}},{"articleId":252128,"title":"Choosing the Correct Verb for Negative Expressions","slug":"choose-correct-verb-negative-expressions","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252128"}},{"articleId":252125,"title":"How to Question with Verbs","slug":"how-to-question-with-verbs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252125"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282174,"slug":"english-grammar-for-dummies-3rd-edition","isbn":"9781119376590","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119376599/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119376599/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119376599-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119376599/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119376599/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/english-grammar-for-dummies-3rd-edition-cover-9781119376590-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"English Grammar For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"<p><b data-author-id=\"8977\">Geraldine Woods</b> has more than 35 years of teaching experience. She is the author of more than 50 books, including <i>English Grammar Workbook For Dummies</i> and <i>Research Papers For Dummies</i>. </p>","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":" <p><b>Geraldine Woods</b> is a grammarian and writer with more than 35 years’ experience teaching and writing about English. She is the author of <i>English Grammar For Dummies, SAT For Dummies</i>, and <i>Research Papers For Dummies</i>. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8977"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;academics-the-arts&quot;,&quot;language-language-arts&quot;,&quot;grammar-vocabulary&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119376590&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-6452cb8f9fb12\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;academics-the-arts&quot;,&quot;language-language-arts&quot;,&quot;grammar-vocabulary&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119376590&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-6452cb8fa021f\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Solve","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2021-09-13T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":190723},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2018-05-02T18:40:26+00:00","modifiedTime":"2023-04-17T20:05:53+00:00","timestamp":"2023-04-17T21:01:03+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Language & Language Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33687"},"slug":"language-language-arts","categoryId":33687},{"name":"Grammar & Vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"},"slug":"grammar-vocabulary","categoryId":33688}],"title":"Choosing the Correct Verb for Negative Expressions","strippedTitle":"choosing the correct verb for negative expressions","slug":"choose-correct-verb-negative-expressions","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Three little letters — not — turn a positive comment (“I like your boots”) to a negative one (“I do not like your boots”). Apart from the fashion critique, what","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Three little letters — <em>not — </em>turn a positive comment (“I like your boots”) to a negative one (“I do not like your boots”). Apart from the fashion critique, what do you notice about the negative statement? The verb changes from <em>like </em>to <em>do like. </em>You need that extra part because “I not like” isn’t proper English.\r\n\r\nNegative verbs don’t always rely on a form of the verb <em>do. </em>Sometimes <em>have, has, </em>or <em>had </em>does the job. Sentences with a <em>be </em>verb can turn negative without any help at all.\r\n\r\nYou can try your hand at <em>not </em>creating the wrong negative verb. Take a look at this example. <span style=\"display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; cursor: text; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;\">Rewrite the sentence as a negative expression.</span>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Mark's acting received an Academy Award.</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Mark's acting did not receive an Academy Award. </strong>Two things change when the positive verb (<em>received) </em>becomes negative (<em>did not receive). Received, </em>a past-tense form, turned into the basic, no-frills, bare infinitive (<em>receive). </em>The helping verb <em>did </em>pairs with it. As you probably noticed, <em>not </em>is tucked between the two parts of this verb, its usual spot.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Practice questions</h2>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>She wanted to be a beekeeper.</li>\r\n \t<li>The bee flying near our picnic table left Sheila alone all afternoon.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Answers to practice questions</h2>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong>She did not want to be a beekeeper.</strong> The past-tense verb form <em>wanted </em>turns to <em>did want. Not </em>completes the negative transformation.</li>\r\n \t<li><strong>The bee flying near our picnic table did not leave Sheila alone all afternoon.</strong> The past-tense verb form <em>left </em>changes to <em>did leave, </em>which becomes negative with the addition of <em>not. </em>Were you confused by <em>flying</em>? Although <em>flying </em>expresses action, it isn’t the verb.</li>\r\n</ol>","description":"Three little letters — <em>not — </em>turn a positive comment (“I like your boots”) to a negative one (“I do not like your boots”). Apart from the fashion critique, what do you notice about the negative statement? The verb changes from <em>like </em>to <em>do like. </em>You need that extra part because “I not like” isn’t proper English.\r\n\r\nNegative verbs don’t always rely on a form of the verb <em>do. </em>Sometimes <em>have, has, </em>or <em>had </em>does the job. Sentences with a <em>be </em>verb can turn negative without any help at all.\r\n\r\nYou can try your hand at <em>not </em>creating the wrong negative verb. Take a look at this example. <span style=\"display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: transparent; color: #333333; cursor: text; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;\">Rewrite the sentence as a negative expression.</span>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Mark's acting received an Academy Award.</p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Mark's acting did not receive an Academy Award. </strong>Two things change when the positive verb (<em>received) </em>becomes negative (<em>did not receive). Received, </em>a past-tense form, turned into the basic, no-frills, bare infinitive (<em>receive). </em>The helping verb <em>did </em>pairs with it. As you probably noticed, <em>not </em>is tucked between the two parts of this verb, its usual spot.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Practice questions</h2>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>She wanted to be a beekeeper.</li>\r\n \t<li>The bee flying near our picnic table left Sheila alone all afternoon.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Answers to practice questions</h2>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong>She did not want to be a beekeeper.</strong> The past-tense verb form <em>wanted </em>turns to <em>did want. Not </em>completes the negative transformation.</li>\r\n \t<li><strong>The bee flying near our picnic table did not leave Sheila alone all afternoon.</strong> The past-tense verb form <em>left </em>changes to <em>did leave, </em>which becomes negative with the addition of <em>not. </em>Were you confused by <em>flying</em>? Although <em>flying </em>expresses action, it isn’t the verb.</li>\r\n</ol>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":" <p><b>Geraldine Woods</b> is a grammarian and writer with more than 35 years’ experience teaching and writing about English. She is the author of <i>English Grammar For Dummies, SAT For Dummies</i>, and <i>Research Papers For Dummies</i>. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8977"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33688,"title":"Grammar & Vocabulary","slug":"grammar-vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Practice questions","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Answers to practice questions","target":"#tab2"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":252134,"title":"How to Climb the Ladder of Language Formality","slug":"climb-ladder-language-formality","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252134"}},{"articleId":252131,"title":"How to Match Your Message to the Situation","slug":"match-message-situation","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252131"}},{"articleId":252125,"title":"How to Question with Verbs","slug":"how-to-question-with-verbs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252125"}},{"articleId":252122,"title":"How to Properly Add Helping Verbs","slug":"properly-add-helping-verbs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252122"}},{"articleId":252119,"title":"How to Form Noun Plurals","slug":"form-noun-plurals","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252119"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":297744,"title":"English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"english-grammar-all-in-one-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/297744"}},{"articleId":252134,"title":"How to Climb the Ladder of Language Formality","slug":"climb-ladder-language-formality","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252134"}},{"articleId":252131,"title":"How to Match Your Message to the Situation","slug":"match-message-situation","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252131"}},{"articleId":252125,"title":"How to Question with Verbs","slug":"how-to-question-with-verbs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252125"}},{"articleId":252122,"title":"How to Properly Add Helping Verbs","slug":"properly-add-helping-verbs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252122"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282175,"slug":"english-grammar-workbook-for-dummies-with-online-practice-3rd-edition","isbn":"9781119455394","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119455391/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119455391/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119455391-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119455391/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119455391/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/english-grammar-workbook-for-dummies-3rd-edition-cover-9781119455394-204x255.jpg","width":204,"height":255},"title":"English Grammar Workbook For Dummies with Online Practice","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"<p><b data-author-id=\"8977\">Geraldine Woods</b> has taught every level of English from 5th grade through AP. Her more than 50 books include <i>English Grammar For Dummies</i> and many children's books. At www.grammarianinthecity.com, Woods blogs about current language trends and amusing signs she spots around New York City. </p>","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":" <p><b>Geraldine Woods</b> is a grammarian and writer with more than 35 years’ experience teaching and writing about English. She is the author of <i>English Grammar For Dummies, SAT For Dummies</i>, and <i>Research Papers For Dummies</i>. 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Not only do you want to tell","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"<p>The verb <i>to be</i> is possibly the weirdest verb in the English language, but you have to know it because you will use it all the time. Not only do you want to tell other people all about you, you need to be able to conjugate the verb <i>to be </i>to create prefect and progressive tenses of regular English verbs. Here it is, tense by tense.</p>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Present tense </h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Singular</th>\r\n<th>Plural</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I am</td>\r\n<td>we are</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>you are</td>\r\n<td>you are</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>he, she, it is</td>\r\n<td>they are</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</table>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Note that the singular forms are in the first column and plural forms are in the second column. Singulars are for one person or thing and plurals for more than one. “You” is listed twice because it may refer to one person or to a group. (Just one more bit of illogic in the language.)</p>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Past tense </h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Singular</th>\r\n<th>Plural</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I was</td>\r\n<td>we were</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>you were</td>\r\n<td>you were</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>he, she, it was</td>\r\n<td>they were</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</table>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Future tense </h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Singular</th>\r\n<th>Plural</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I will be</td>\r\n<td>we will be</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>you will be</td>\r\n<td>you will be</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>he, she, it will be</td>\r\n<td>they will be</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</table>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab4\" >Present perfect </h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Singular</th>\r\n<th>Plural</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I have been</td>\r\n<td>we have been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>you have been</td>\r\n<td>you have been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>he, she, it has been</td>\r\n<td>they have been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</table>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab5\" >Past perfect </h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Singular</th>\r\n<th>Plural</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I had been</td>\r\n<td>we had been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>you had been</td>\r\n<td>you had been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>he, she, it had been</td>\r\n<td>they had been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</table>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab6\" >Future perfect</h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Singular</th>\r\n<th>Plural</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I will have been</td>\r\n<td>we will have been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>you will have been</td>\r\n<td>you will have been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>he, she, it will have been</td>\r\n<td>they will have been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</table>","description":"<p>The verb <i>to be</i> is possibly the weirdest verb in the English language, but you have to know it because you will use it all the time. Not only do you want to tell other people all about you, you need to be able to conjugate the verb <i>to be </i>to create prefect and progressive tenses of regular English verbs. Here it is, tense by tense.</p>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Present tense </h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Singular</th>\r\n<th>Plural</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I am</td>\r\n<td>we are</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>you are</td>\r\n<td>you are</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>he, she, it is</td>\r\n<td>they are</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</table>\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">Note that the singular forms are in the first column and plural forms are in the second column. Singulars are for one person or thing and plurals for more than one. “You” is listed twice because it may refer to one person or to a group. (Just one more bit of illogic in the language.)</p>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Past tense </h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Singular</th>\r\n<th>Plural</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I was</td>\r\n<td>we were</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>you were</td>\r\n<td>you were</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>he, she, it was</td>\r\n<td>they were</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</table>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Future tense </h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Singular</th>\r\n<th>Plural</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I will be</td>\r\n<td>we will be</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>you will be</td>\r\n<td>you will be</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>he, she, it will be</td>\r\n<td>they will be</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</table>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab4\" >Present perfect </h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Singular</th>\r\n<th>Plural</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I have been</td>\r\n<td>we have been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>you have been</td>\r\n<td>you have been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>he, she, it has been</td>\r\n<td>they have been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</table>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab5\" >Past perfect </h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Singular</th>\r\n<th>Plural</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I had been</td>\r\n<td>we had been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>you had been</td>\r\n<td>you had been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>he, she, it had been</td>\r\n<td>they had been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</table>\r\n<h2 id=\"tab6\" >Future perfect</h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Singular</th>\r\n<th>Plural</th>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I will have been</td>\r\n<td>we will have been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>you will have been</td>\r\n<td>you will have been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>he, she, it will have been</td>\r\n<td>they will have been</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</table>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":" <p><b>Geraldine Woods</b> is a grammarian and writer with more than 35 years’ experience teaching and writing about English. She is the author of <i>English Grammar For Dummies, SAT For Dummies</i>, and <i>Research Papers For Dummies</i>. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8977"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33688,"title":"Grammar & Vocabulary","slug":"grammar-vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Present tense ","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Past tense ","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"Future tense ","target":"#tab3"},{"label":"Present perfect ","target":"#tab4"},{"label":"Past perfect ","target":"#tab5"},{"label":"Future perfect","target":"#tab6"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":297744,"title":"English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies Cheat 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It includes the parts of speech, sentence essentials, tips on using pronouns and punctuation, adding style to your writing, and more.","description":"If you're learning English grammar or trying to brush up on some of it, this Cheat Sheet will come in handy. It includes the parts of speech, sentence essentials, tips on using pronouns and punctuation, adding style to your writing, and more.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":" <p><b>Geraldine Woods</b> has taught every level of English from 5th grade through AP. Her more than 50 books include <i>English Grammar For Dummies</i> and many children&#39;s books. At www.grammarianinthecity.com, Woods blogs about current language trends and amusing signs she spots around New York City. 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Her more than 50 books include <i>English Grammar For Dummies</i> and many children&#39;s books. At www.grammarianinthecity.com, Woods blogs about current language trends and amusing signs she spots around New York City.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":" <p><b>Geraldine Woods</b> has taught every level of English from 5th grade through AP. Her more than 50 books include <i>English Grammar For Dummies</i> and many children&#39;s books. At www.grammarianinthecity.com, Woods blogs about current language trends and amusing signs she spots around New York City. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8977"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;academics-the-arts&quot;,&quot;language-language-arts&quot;,&quot;grammar-vocabulary&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781394159444&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-640a733f4f19b\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;academics-the-arts&quot;,&quot;language-language-arts&quot;,&quot;grammar-vocabulary&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781394159444&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-640a733f4fb79\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":0,"title":"","slug":null,"categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/"}}],"content":[{"title":"Parts of speech","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Parts of speech are the building blocks of the English language. If you know how to use them properly, you can communicate more effectively. Here they are, with a few examples in parentheses:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Noun: </strong>Names a person, place, thing, idea <em>(</em><em>Lulu, jail, cantaloupe, loyalty)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Pronoun: </strong>Takes the place of a noun <em>(</em><em>he, they, who, I, what)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Verb: </strong>Expresses action or being <em>(</em><em>scrambled, was, should win</em>, <em>must study)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Adjective: </strong>Describes a noun or pronoun <em>(</em><em>messy, strange, alien</em>, <em>hilarious)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Adverb: </strong>Describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb <em>(</em><em>willingly, woefully, very</em>, <em>soon, here)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Preposition: </strong>Relates a noun or a pronoun to another word in the sentence <em>(</em><em>by, for, from</em>, <em>according to, of)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Conjunction: </strong>Ties together two words or groups of words <em>(</em><em>and, but, after, although, because)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Interjection: </strong>Not grammatically connected to the sentence, generally expresses strong emotion <em>(</em><em>yikes! wow! ouch!)</em></li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Sentence essentials","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>The smallest writing unit that reflects your personal style, a sentence is the vehicle that drives your message home to the reader.</p>\n<p>Here’s what you need in a sentence, according to the rules of Standard English:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Complete thought: </strong>Don’t leave the reader hanging, wondering what comes next. Long or short, the sentence must express at least one complete idea.</li>\n<li><strong>Subject–verb pair: </strong>The verb expresses action or state of being, and the subject is the person or thing performing that action or existing in that state of being. The pair must match: <em>Gene is marching </em>(subject = <em>Gene, </em>verb = <em>is marching) </em>matches, but <em>Gene marching </em>doesn’t.</li>\n<li><strong>End mark:</strong> A period, a question mark, or an exclamation point must appear at the end of a sentence.</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Here’s what to avoid:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Run-ons and comma splices: </strong>Don’t jam together two or more subject-verb expressions with no punctuation or just a comma. Link them with a conjunction (<em>and, or, but, nor, for, since, although, because, </em>and similar words) or a semicolon ( ; ).</li>\n<li><strong>Fragments: </strong>Don’t spool out a string of ideas with no matching subject-verb pair or complete thought, as this fragment does: <em>Because Pete, moving sheets of paper on his desk, everyone thinking he was working.</em> It looks important and official, right? It’s a fragment, though. The correct version: <em>Because Pete was moving sheets of paper on his desk, everyone thought he was working.</em></li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Pronoun tips","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Pronouns have undergone some changes in recent years — just as they have for centuries. (That’s why this isn’t <em>thy </em>book.) Pronouns streamline expression, show possession, and unify ideas. Here are different types of pronouns:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pronouns that may be used only as subjects or subject complements: <em>I, he, she, we, they, who, whoever</em></li>\n<li>Pronouns that may be used only as objects or objective complements: <em>me, him, her, us, them, whom, whomever</em></li>\n<li>Common pronouns that may be used as either subjects or objects: <em>you, it, everyone, anyone, no one, someone, mine, ours, yours, theirs, either, neither, each, everybody, anybody, nobody, somebody, everything, anything, nothing, something, any, none, some, which, what, that</em></li>\n<li>Pronouns that show possession: <em>my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs, whose</em></li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Adding style","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>To liven up your writing, consider these elements:</p>\n<h3><strong>Descriptions</strong></h3>\n<p>Add some adjectives (describing nouns and pronouns) or adverbs (describing verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs). Throw in some single-word descriptions <em>(solid, slowly), </em>a few phrases <em>(by the sea, in the sky), </em>and maybe a longer, subject-verb statement <em>(that Henry wrote, where Julie paddles). </em></p>\n<p>Take your descriptive powers to the next level with verb forms that also act as descriptions <em>(running around in circles, having joined the circus).</em></p>\n<h3><strong>Complements</strong></h3>\n<p>Objects (nouns or pronouns that receive the action of a verb) and subject complements (nouns, pronouns, or adjectives that complete the linking verb statement) allow you to <em>scold the dog </em>(<em>dog = </em>direct object) and notice that the room is <em>bright (bright = </em>subject complement).</p>\n<h3><strong>Active voice</strong></h3>\n<p>When you can, opt for active voice <em>(Juliet spoke from her balcony)</em>, which is generally stronger and more fluid than passive <em>(Romeo was spoken to by Juliet).</em></p>\n<h3><strong>Sentence length and pattern</strong></h3>\n<p>Have you ever read a paragraph in which all the sentences are long and boring, following the same pattern (usually, subject-verb-complement) without a single change? Snoozefest!</p>\n<p>Play around with long and short sentences. Move some elements around to create interest <em>(All day and all night worked Luke</em> instead of the more common <em>Luke worked all day and all night)</em>.</p>\n"},{"title":"Tips for subject-verb agreement","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Grammarians argue a lot, but they agree that grammatical elements should agree: Singular subjects pair with singular verbs, and plural subjects with plural verbs. Consider these tricky points:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Amounts of time and money are usually singular. (Ten dollars <em>is . . . </em>three years <em>was</em> . . .)</li>\n<li>For <em>either–or</em> and <em>neither–nor,</em> match the verb to the closest subject. (Neither the boys nor the girl <em>is. . . </em>Either the girl or the boys <em>are</em> . . .)</li>\n<li><em>Either</em> and <em>neither</em>, without their partners <em>or</em> and <em>nor,</em> always take a singular verb. <em>(</em><em>Either </em>of the apples <em>is . . . Neither </em>of the boxes <em>was . . .)</em></li>\n<li>All subjects preceded by <em>each</em> and <em>every</em> take a singular verb.</li>\n<li><em>Both, few, several, </em>and <em>many</em> are always plural.</li>\n<li><em>Any, some, none, most, </em>and <em>all</em> may be either singular or plural. If you’re talking about something plural, use a plural verb. <em>(</em><em>All </em>of the shoes <em>are . . .)</em> If you’re talking about something singular, use a singular verb. <em>(</em><em>Some</em> of the land <em>is . . .)</em></li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Punctuation tips","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Punctuation can express emotion, create questions, indicate quoted material, and do all sorts of other useful tasks, such as these:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Comma</strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Sets apart the name of a person being addressed</li>\n<li>Follows an introductory expression</li>\n<li>Separates extra, nonessential statements from the rest of the sentence</li>\n<li>Follows the greeting (<em>Dear Aunt Janet, </em>for example) in an informal letter</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li><strong>Semicolon</strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Joins two complete sentences without using <em>and, but,</em> or similar words</li>\n<li>Separates items in a list when at least one item contains a comma</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li><strong>Colon</strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Introduces a long quotation</li>\n<li>Introduces a long list</li>\n<li>Follows the greeting (for example,<em> Dear Mr. Jones:</em>) in a formal letter</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li><strong>Dash</strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Separates and adds emphasis to an extra comment in a sentence</li>\n<li>Shows a range <em>(numbers 1–64)</em></li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li><strong>Apostrophe</strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Shows possession (<em>Herman’s </em>hermit, <em>the girls’</em> gym class)</li>\n<li>Substitutes for missing numerals <em>(’07)</em></li>\n<li>Substitutes for missing letters in contractions <em>(isn’t, what’s, </em>and<em> he’s)</em></li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li><strong>Hyphen</strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Divides words or syllables at the end of a line</li>\n<li>Links two descriptions of one word <em>(second-string violinist)</em></li>\n<li>Attaches prefixes to words that start with capital letters <em>(anti-Nazi)</em></li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Verb tense","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Verbs change in form to tell the time period, or <em>tense</em>. You use different verb forms to indicate whether an action has already happened, is happening now, will happen in the future, and several different variations:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Present:</strong> Happening at the current time <em>(I talk, he talks, they talk)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Present progressive: </strong>In the process of happening <em>(I am talking, he is talking, they are talking)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Past:</strong> Happened before now <em>(I talked, he talked, they talked)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Past progressive:</strong> Happened over a period of time before now <em>(I was talking, he was talking, they were talking)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Future: </strong>Will happen after the present time <em>(I will talk, he will talk, they will talk)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Future progressive:</strong> Will happen over a period of time after the present time <em>(I will be talking, he will be talking, they will be talking)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Present perfect: </strong>Started in the past and continues in the present <em>(I have talked, he has talked, they have talked)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Past perfect: </strong>Happened in the past before another event in the past <em>(I had talked, he had talked, they had talked)</em></li>\n<li><strong>Future perfect: </strong>Will happen in the future before a deadline <em>(I will have talked, he will have talked, they will have talked)</em></li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Advance","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2023-03-09T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":297744},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:48:24+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-05-13T14:55:39+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:43+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Language & Language Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33687"},"slug":"language-language-arts","categoryId":33687},{"name":"Grammar & Vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"},"slug":"grammar-vocabulary","categoryId":33688}],"title":"Grammar: 1001 Practice Questions For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"grammar: 1001 practice questions for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"1001-grammar-practice-questions-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"This Cheat Sheet is a quick reference for checking your grammar, writing stylish sentences, and what to avoid in electronic communications.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"As the old saying goes, \"practice makes perfect,\" and while you're on the road to grammar perfection, a quick glance at the rules for proper grammar usage may help.\r\n\r\nReview some basic — and important — points related to sentence creation, common errors in new media communication, and overall polished grammar.","description":"As the old saying goes, \"practice makes perfect,\" and while you're on the road to grammar perfection, a quick glance at the rules for proper grammar usage may help.\r\n\r\nReview some basic — and important — points related to sentence creation, common errors in new media communication, and overall polished grammar.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8977"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33688,"title":"Grammar & Vocabulary","slug":"grammar-vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":252134,"title":"How to Climb the Ladder of Language Formality","slug":"climb-ladder-language-formality","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252134"}},{"articleId":252131,"title":"How to Match Your Message to the 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1001 Practice Questions For Dummies (+ Free Online Practice)","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8977"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;academics-the-arts&quot;,&quot;language-language-arts&quot;,&quot;grammar-vocabulary&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119883746&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3f57d31\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" 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Here’s what you need in a sentence, according to the rules of Standard English:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Complete thought: </strong>Don’t leave the reader hanging, wondering what comes next. Long or short, the sentence must express at least one complete idea.</li>\n<li><strong>Subject–verb pair: </strong>The verb expresses action or state of being, and the subject is the person or thing performing that action or existing in that state of being. The pair must match: <em>Gene is marching </em>(subject = <em>Gene, </em>verb = <em>is marching) </em>matches, but <em>Gene marching </em>doesn’t.</li>\n<li><strong>Endmark:</strong> A period, question mark, or exclamation point must appear at the end of your sentence.</li>\n</ul>\n<p>And here&#8217;s what to avoid:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Run-ons and comma splices: </strong>Don&#8217;t jam together two or more subject-verb expressions with no punctuation or just a comma. Link them with a conjunction (<em>and, or, but, nor, for, since, although, because, </em>and similar words) or a semicolon (  ;  ).</li>\n<li><strong>Fragments: </strong>Don&#8217;t spool out a string of ideas with no matching subject-verb pair or complete thought, as this fragment does: <em>Because Pete, moving sheets of paper on his desk, everyone thinking he was working. </em>Looks important and official, right? It’s a fragment, though. The correct version: <em>Because Pete was moving sheets of paper on his desk, everyone thought he was working. </em></li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Adding style","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>How boring life would be if all you had was the essentials! The same is true for sentences. To liven things up, consider these elements:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Descriptions: </strong>Add some adjectives (describing nouns and pronouns) or adverbs (describing verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs). Throw in some single-word descriptions (<em>solid, slowly), </em>a few phrases (<em>by the sea, in the sky), </em>and maybe a longer, subject-verb statement (<em>that Henry wrote, where Julie paddles). </em>Take your descriptive powers to the next level with verb forms that also act as descriptions (<em>running around in circles, having joined the circus).</em></li>\n<li><strong>Complements:</strong> Objects (nouns or pronouns that receive the action of a verb) and subject complements (nouns, pronouns or adjectives that complete the linking verb statement) allow you to <em>scold the dog </em>(<em>dog = </em>direct object) and notice that the room is <em>bright (bright = </em>subject complement).</li>\n<li> <strong>Active voice:</strong> When you can, opt for active voice (<em>Juliet spoke from her balcony)</em>, which is generally stronger and more fluid than passive (<em>Romeo was spoken to by Juliet). </em></li>\n<li><strong>Parallelism: </strong>In Standard English, everything performing the same function in a sentence or list must have the same grammatical identity (all nouns, all phrases, and so forth). Parallel elements have the same degree of importance — a quality you can exploit when you wish to emphasize equality.</li>\n<li><strong>Sentence length and pattern: </strong>Have you ever read a paragraph in which all the sentences are long and boring, following the same pattern (usually subject-verb-complement) without a single change? Snooze fest! Play around with long and short sentences. Move some elements around to create interest (<em>All day and all night worked Luke</em> instead of the more common <em>Luke worked all day and all night</em>).</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Texting, tweeting, presenting","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>How did we ever function without electronic media? No email, no tweets, no posts, no presentation software. With new (well, relatively new) media come new problems with grammar and style. The rules are still evolving, but most people agree that you should avoid these mistakes:</p>\n<ul>\n<li> <strong>Unclear abbreviations:</strong> Especially when you’re typing on a keyboard the size of a fingernail, it’s tempting to abbreviate. Go for it, as long as you’re sure the person reading your message will understand what you’re trying to say. Your safest bet is <em>CAO. </em>(See what I mean? I just made up an abbreviation for “common abbreviations only.” )</li>\n<li><strong>Omitting elements essential to your meaning: </strong>Don’t drop a word or punctuation mark that adds an important fact. <em>Dinner 8 p.m. </em>may be a command or an assumption. <em>Dinner 8 p.m.? </em>is an invitation.</li>\n<li><strong>Inappropriate level of formality:</strong> Powerful people can break as many grammar rules as they wish, as long as the meaning is clear. If you’re writing or presenting information to someone with more power, however, be careful. Bulleted lists should be parallel, capital letters should be in their proper place, and punctuation should be inserted as needed.</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Checklist for grammatical perfection","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>How did we ever function without electronic media? No email, no tweets, no posts, no presentation software. With new (well, relatively new) media come new problems with grammar and style. The rules are still evolving, but most people agree that you should avoid these mistakes:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Unclear abbreviations:</strong> Especially when you’re typing on a keyboard the size of a fingernail, it’s tempting to abbreviate. Go for it, as long as you’re sure the person reading your message will understand what you’re trying to say. Your safest bet is <em>CAO. </em>(See what I mean? I just made up an abbreviation for “common abbreviations only.” )</li>\n<li><strong>Omitting elements essential to your meaning: </strong>Don’t drop a word or punctuation mark that adds an important fact. <em>Dinner 8 p.m. </em>may be a command or an assumption. <em>Dinner 8 p.m.? </em>is an invitation.</li>\n<li><strong>Inappropriate level of formality:</strong> Powerful people can break as many grammar rules as they wish, as long as the meaning is clear. If you’re writing or presenting information to someone with more power, however, be careful. Bulleted lists should be parallel, capital letters should be in their proper place, and punctuation should be inserted as needed.</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Advance","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-01-28T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":207758},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:56:42+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-05-02T21:04:45+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:42+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Language & Language Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33687"},"slug":"language-language-arts","categoryId":33687},{"name":"Grammar & Vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"},"slug":"grammar-vocabulary","categoryId":33688}],"title":"English Grammar Workbook For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"english grammar workbook for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"english-grammar-workbook-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"If you're one of the many people who struggle with punctuation and grammar in their writing, this Cheat Sheet is a handy, quick reference.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"This handy Cheat Sheet will help you grapple with English grammar problems, clear up confusion caused by similar-sounding words, and improve your writing skills, in general.","description":"This handy Cheat Sheet will help you grapple with English grammar problems, clear up confusion caused by similar-sounding words, and improve your writing skills, in general.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8977"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33688,"title":"Grammar & Vocabulary","slug":"grammar-vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":252134,"title":"How to Climb the Ladder of Language 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Grammar Workbook For Dummies with Online Practice","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"<p><b data-author-id=\"8977\">Geraldine Woods</b> has taught every level of English from 5th grade through AP. Her more than 50 books include <i>English Grammar For Dummies</i> and many children's books. At www.grammarianinthecity.com, Woods blogs about current language trends and amusing signs she spots around New York City. </p>","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8977"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;academics-the-arts&quot;,&quot;language-language-arts&quot;,&quot;grammar-vocabulary&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119455394&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3e6c365\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" 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class=\"first-para\">To join two complete sentences without using <i>and, but</i> and similar words</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">To separate items in a list when at least one item contains a comma</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Colon:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">To introduce a long quotation</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">To introduce a list</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Dash:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">To separate and add emphasis to an extra comment in a sentence</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">To show a range (<i>numbers 1 – 64</i>)</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Apostrophe:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">To show possession (<i>Herman’s </i>hermit, <i>the girls’</i> gym class)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">To substitute for missing numerals (<i>’07</i>)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">To substitute for missing letters in contractions (<i>i</i><i>sn’t, what’s</i><i> </i>and<i> he&#8217;s</i>)</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Hyphens:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">To divide words or syllables at the end of a line</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">To link two descriptions of one word (<i>second-string </i><i>violinist</i>)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">To attach prefixes to words that start with capital letters (<i>anti-</i><i>Nazi</i>)</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Add interest to your writing with these tricks:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Start with a description (<i>Dangling over the cliff</i>, Martha considered her options)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Combine sentences by inserting one idea into another (Martha, <i>who hated heights</i>, looked at the ground)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Occasionally reverse the usual subject-verb order (<i>On</i><i>to</i><i> the valley floor</i> thumped Martha)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Cut unnecessary words (The mountain was 3,000 feet high <b><i>in altitude</i><i>. </i></b>No need for <i>in altitude</i>.)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Look for strong verbs (<i>Strolled</i> or <i>rushed</i> instead of <i>went</i>, for example)</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Commonly confused words and descriptions","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>It’s easy to mix up similar sounding words. Refer to this handy list when you need a helpful reminder of the most commonly confused words:</p>\n<p><b>Affect:</b> Generally a verb meaning &#8220;to influence&#8221;<br />\n<b>Effect:</b> Usually a noun meaning &#8220;result&#8221;</p>\n<p><b>Good:</b> Describes a person, place, thing or idea<br />\n<b>Well:</b> Describes an action</p>\n<p><b>Lie:</b> As a verb, &#8220;to rest or recline&#8221;<br />\n<b>Lay:</b> As a verb, &#8220;to place in a certain position&#8221;</p>\n<p><b>Its:</b> Shows possession<br />\n<b>It’s:</b> Contraction of &#8220;it is&#8221;</p>\n<p><b>There:</b> Indicates a position or place<br />\n<b>Their:</b> Shows possession<br />\n<b>They’re:</b> Contraction of &#8220;they are&#8221;</p>\n<p><b>Like:</b> As a preposition, means &#8220;similar to&#8221;<br />\n<b>As:</b> Precedes a subject/verb statement</p>\n<p><b>That:</b> Preceding a subject/verb statement, usually introduces <i>essential</i> information and isn’t preceded by a comma<br />\n<b>Which:</b> Preceding a subject/verb statement, indicates extra information and is preceded by a comma</p>\n<p><b>Between:</b> For two choices<br />\n<b>Among:</b> For a group of three or more</p>\n<p><b>Farther:</b> Used for distance<br />\n<b>Further:</b> Used for time or intensity</p>\n<p><b>Who’s:</b> A contraction meaning &#8220;who is&#8221;<br />\n<b>Whose:</b> A possessive pronoun (belonging to who)</p>\n<p>You can’t really compare words that express absolute states. Take the following, for example:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Unique</b> (not <i>really unique</i> or <i>very unique</i>)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Round</b> (never <i>rounder</i> or <i>the </i><i>roundest</i>)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Perfect</b> (not <i>more perfect</i> or <i>extremely perfect</i>)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>True</b> (stay away from <i>most true</i>)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Dead</b> (<i>deader</i> or <i>deadest</i>? Neither!)</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Sorting out the finer points of English grammar","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>The finer points of English grammar can be tricky to get your head around, but use the following reminders to brush up your writing skills.</p>\n<p>Tricky singular/plural situations:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Companies are singular; they take a singular verb and pronoun (<i>it</i>, not <i>they</i> or <i>their</i>).</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">In sentences that contain <i>neither/nor</i> or <i>either/or</i>, match the verb to the closest subject.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>What to capitalize:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Proper names</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">The first word in a sentence</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Titles before and attached to names</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Titles used as substitutes for names</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">The first word and all other important words in a title or subtitle</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Each letter in an acronym</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Some abbreviations</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>What to put in lower case:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Years in school (<i>primary 4</i>, <i>second year</i>, and so forth)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">School subjects, except for languages (<i>history, science</i> and <i>algebra</i>, for example)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Titles not attached to or used as names (she’s a<i> professor</i>)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Directions (<i>north, south, inward, up</i> and so on)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">General terms for geographical features (<i>canyon, river, mountain</i> and the like)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Academic degrees (<i>a</i> <i>master’s</i>, a<i> bachelor’s </i>degree)</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>To use possessive nouns and pronouns properly, follow these rules:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Make a possessive noun by adding an apostrophe and the letter <i>s </i>to a singular noun</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Add an apostrophe to a plural noun that ends in the letter <i>s</i> to create a possessive</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">To show possession, add an apostrophe and the letter <i>s</i> to a plural noun that doesn’t end in the letter <i>s</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Possessive pronouns (<i>my, his, theirs, whose</i> and so forth) never contain apostrophes</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Place a possessive noun or pronoun in front of an <i>-ing</i> verb form used as a noun (<i>her</i> drawing, <i>Kate’s </i>running, and the like)</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Advance","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-05-02T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":209125},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:56:46+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-12T18:13:01+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:36+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Language & Language Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33687"},"slug":"language-language-arts","categoryId":33687},{"name":"Grammar & Vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"},"slug":"grammar-vocabulary","categoryId":33688}],"title":"Copyediting and Proofreading For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"copyediting and proofreading for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"copyediting-and-proofreading-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Refer to this Cheat Sheet for references copyeditors and proofreaders should access, as well as helpful websites and proofreading symbols.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"As a copyeditor or proofreader, you can’t possibly remember everything, so you need outside resources and references, and lots of them. Although most resources are available online, it’s still helpful to have certain books on hand. And, of course, you need to know your proofreading symbols so that you can make changes and understand other editors’ changes.","description":"As a copyeditor or proofreader, you can’t possibly remember everything, so you need outside resources and references, and lots of them. Although most resources are available online, it’s still helpful to have certain books on hand. 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Verbs","slug":"properly-add-helping-verbs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252122"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282116,"slug":"copyediting-and-proofreading-for-dummies","isbn":"9780470121719","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470121718/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0470121718/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/0470121718-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0470121718/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/0470121718/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/copyediting-and-proofreading-for-dummies-cover-9780470121719-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"Copyediting and Proofreading For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"<p><b data-author-id=\"10425\">Suzanne Gilad</b> has proofread or copyedited over 1,200 titles for more than 20 prominent publishing imprints. </p>","authors":[{"authorId":10425,"name":"Suzanne Gilad","slug":"suzanne-gilad","description":" <p><b>Suzanne Gilad</b> has proofread or copyedited over 1,200 titles for more than 20 prominent publishing imprints.</i> ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10425"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;academics-the-arts&quot;,&quot;language-language-arts&quot;,&quot;grammar-vocabulary&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9780470121719&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3856a80\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;academics-the-arts&quot;,&quot;language-language-arts&quot;,&quot;grammar-vocabulary&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9780470121719&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3857536\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":193233,"title":"Must-Have References for Copyediting and Proofreading","slug":"must-have-references-for-copyediting-and-proofreading","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/193233"}},{"articleId":193232,"title":"Web Sites for Proofreaders and Copyeditors","slug":"web-sites-for-proofreaders-and-copyeditors","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/193232"}},{"articleId":193234,"title":"The Proofreading Symbols","slug":"the-proofreading-symbols","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/193234"}}],"content":[{"title":"Must-have references","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>If you’re a copyeditor or proofreader, you know the importance of good reference sources. Much of the information in desk references can be found online, but a good copyeditor or proofreader should have hard-copy references as well. (You never know when your internet connection may slow to a crawl.)</p>\n<p>The following list contains five references you can’t live without:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>House style sheet:</b> You get this reference from the company you work for or, if you freelance, the person who hires you. When you question how something is presented in a document, it’s the first reference you check.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Style manual:</b> Your employer or client is likely to have a favored style manual, which may be <i>The Chicago Manual of Style</i><i>, </i><i>The Associated Press Stylebook,</i> or<i> The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage.</i> If the house style sheet doesn’t answer your question, check the style manual. And make sure you know which edition of the style manual is being used.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Dictionary:</b> Don’t copyedit or proofread without one. <i>Merriam</i><i>&#8211;</i><i>Webster’s </i><i>Collegiate Dictionary,</i> 11th Edition is preferred by many professionals, but you must use whatever dictionary your employer or client prefers. Get the latest edition; language changes quickly, especially in the technical realm.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Grammar and usage guide:</b> Some examples are <i>Garner’s </i><i>Modern American Usage</i>, <i>The Elements of Style</i>, <i>Words Into Type</i>, and <i>The Merriam-Webster Usage Dictionary</i><i>.</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Specialty references:</b> Some books that may be helpful include <i>The Synonym Finder</i> by Rodale,<i> Merriam-Webster’s Geographical Dictionary</i><i>,</i><i> </i><i>Wired Style</i><i>,</i> and<i> </i><i>Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations</i><i>.</i> Depending on the types of projects you work on, your bookshelf may soon sport specialty references you never imagined needing.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Websites for copyeditors and proofreaders","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Whether you’re a copyeditor or a proofreader, you probably do a lot of your work electronically. And the internet is a great place to find helpful and interesting resources, such as those in the following list:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><a href=\"http://www.bartleby.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Bartleby.com</b></a><b>:</b> Letting the resource speak for itself, “Bartleby.com combines the best of both contemporary and classic reference works into the most comprehensive public reference library ever published on the web.”</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><a href=\"http://www.google.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Google</b></a> will be your gracious fact-checking workhorse.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><a href=\"http://www.merriam-webster.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Merriam-Webster OnLine</b></a> provides the 10th edition of <i>Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary</i> for free and the 11th edition for a subscription fee as well as a host of other resources.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b></b><a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/navigator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><i>T</i><i>he </i><i>New York Times’</i> Newsroom Navigator</b></a> is a fact-checking launchpad for its reporters.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Proofreading symbols","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>As copyeditor or proofreader, you need to become familiar with the proofreading symbols so that you can make your edits understood. The following tables list proofreading symbols every proofreader and copyeditor should know.</p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/184824.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"315\" height=\"500\" /></p>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Advance","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-04-12T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":209131},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:57:32+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-03-18T18:41:59+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:28+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Language & Language Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33687"},"slug":"language-language-arts","categoryId":33687},{"name":"Grammar & Vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"},"slug":"grammar-vocabulary","categoryId":33688}],"title":"Vocabulary For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"vocabulary for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"vocabulary-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Are you a sesquipedalian (someone who likes big words)? Wanna become one? Improve your vocabulary with these easy tips.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"If you use word games and flashcards, improving your vocabulary can be not only fun but key to increasing your general knowledge. Knowing the parts of speech and the meanings of prefixes and suffixes can help you understand English and some foreign words.","description":"If you use word games and flashcards, improving your vocabulary can be not only fun but key to increasing your general knowledge. Knowing the parts of speech and the meanings of prefixes and suffixes can help you understand English and some foreign words.","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33688,"title":"Grammar & Vocabulary","slug":"grammar-vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":252134,"title":"How to Climb the Ladder of Language Formality","slug":"climb-ladder-language-formality","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252134"}},{"articleId":252131,"title":"How to Match Your Message to the Situation","slug":"match-message-situation","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252131"}},{"articleId":252128,"title":"How to Choose the Correct Verb for Negative Expressions","slug":"choose-correct-verb-negative-expressions","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252128"}},{"articleId":252125,"title":"How to Question with Verbs","slug":"how-to-question-with-verbs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252125"}},{"articleId":252122,"title":"How to Properly Add Helping Verbs","slug":"properly-add-helping-verbs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252122"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;academics-the-arts&quot;,&quot;language-language-arts&quot;,&quot;grammar-vocabulary&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b307cc47\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;academics-the-arts&quot;,&quot;language-language-arts&quot;,&quot;grammar-vocabulary&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b307d6ce\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":194366,"title":"How to Identify the Parts of Speech","slug":"how-to-identify-the-parts-of-speech","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194366"}},{"articleId":194381,"title":"Vocabulary Tip: Prefixes that Mean \"Not\"","slug":"vocabulary-tip-prefixes-that-mean-not","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194381"}},{"articleId":194370,"title":"Common Vocabulary Prefixes — Co-, De-, and In-","slug":"common-vocabulary-prefixes-co-de-and-in","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194370"}},{"articleId":194369,"title":"Common Vocabulary Suffixes","slug":"common-vocabulary-suffixes","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194369"}},{"articleId":194380,"title":"Web Sites for Building Your Vocabulary","slug":"web-sites-for-building-your-vocabulary__trashed","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194380"}},{"articleId":194383,"title":"How to Make Vocabulary Word Flash Cards","slug":"how-to-make-vocabulary-word-flash-cards","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194383"}},{"articleId":194382,"title":"Reading Tips to Improve Your Vocabulary","slug":"reading-tips-to-improve-your-vocabulary","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/194382"}}],"content":[{"title":"How to identify the parts of speech","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p class=\"SortTitle\">If you’re increasing your vocabulary and adding new words to your repertoire, you need to know the part of speech the words belong to so that you can use them correctly. The following list shows the eight parts of speech in English. Note that some words, like <i>open</i> or <i>yellow,</i> can be used as more than one part of speech.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Nouns:</b> Words that name a person, place, thing, or idea <i>(sofa, democracy)</i></p>\n<p class=\"child-para\"><i>Proper nouns</i> — specific names of people and places, such as Peyton Manning and Indianapolis — are capitalized.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Pronouns:</b> Words that take the place of a noun or another pronoun <i>(I, you, me, he, she, it, we, who, they)</i></p>\n<p class=\"child-para\"><i>Possessive pronouns</i> show ownership: <i>my</i><i>/</i><i>mine, </i><i>your/</i><i>yours, </i><i>their/</i><i>theirs, </i><i>our/</i><i>ours.</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Adjectives:</b> Words that describe nouns and pronouns <i>(red, more, second, several)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Verbs:</b> Words that name an action or describe a state of being <i>(run, seem)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Adverbs:</b> Words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs <i>(yesterday, below, happily, partly)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Conjunctions:</b> Words that connect words or groups of words and show how they are related <i>(and, or, for, but, after, although, because)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Prepositions:</b> Words that link a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence <i>(by, about, behind, above, across, at, with</i>)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Interjections:</b> Words that show strong emotion <i>(Oh! Wow!)</i></p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Prefixes that mean \"not\"","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p class=\"SortTitle\">Expanding your vocabulary is made a little easier with tips that help you understand the meaning of new words. A prefix can often offer a clue to a word’s meaning, and in the case of the prefixes in the following list, the prefix makes the word mean the opposite of the root. All of the prefixes in the list mean &#8220;not&#8221; sometimes; a few of them have additional meanings:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>A-:</b> <i>Atypical</i> means not the usual.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Anti-:</b> <i>Antipathy</i> means not with love.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Dis-:</b> <i>Disagree</i> means not in harmony with.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Il-:</b> <i>Illegible</i> means not readable.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Im-:</b> <i>Immodest</i> means not shy.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>In-:</b> <i>Individuality</i> means not divided.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Ir-:</b> <i>Irremediable</i> means not able to be corrected.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Un-:</b> <i>Unhappy</i> means not content.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Common vocabulary prefixes — co-, de-, and in-","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p class=\"SortTitle\">Adding to your vocabulary is easier if you know meaning of common prefixes, which help you understand the meaning of words. The following list contains three common prefixes and their meanings:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><i>Co-</i> means &#8220;with.&#8221; Variations include <i>col-, com-,</i> and <i>con-.</i> (<i>cofounder, commemorate, concussion</i>)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><i>De-</i> can mean “reduce,” “remove,” and “to get off of.” (<i>decaffeinate, decapitate, deplane)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><i>In-</i> and its variations — <i>em</i><i>&#8211;</i><i>, en</i><i>&#8211;</i><i>, il-, im-, </i>and <i>ir- — </i>can mean &#8220;not,&#8221; &#8220;in,&#8221; &#8220;within,&#8221; &#8220;put into,&#8221; and &#8220;surround.&#8221; (<i>incapable</i><i>, enrage, impassioned</i>)</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Common vocabulary suffixes","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p class=\"SortTitle\">When you’re stretching your vocabulary, pay attention to the endings of new words (their <i>suffixes</i>) for clues to their meaning. The following table lists common suffixes and their meanings:</p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Suffix</th>\n<th>Meaning</th>\n<th>Examples</th>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>able/ible</td>\n<td>capable or worthy of, fit for; tending to, causing, given to,<br />\nor liable to</td>\n<td>commendable, edible, impressionable</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>d/ed</td>\n<td>indicates past tense of a verb</td>\n<td>baffled, flummoxed, wasted</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ence/ance</td>\n<td>quality or state; an action or process</td>\n<td>clearance, reference, remembrance</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ing</td>\n<td>indicates the present-perfect tense of a verb (such verbs are<br />\ncalled <i>gerunds</i>)</td>\n<td>admiring, discussing, perplexing</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ion</td>\n<td>act, result of an act, or state or condition</td>\n<td>integration, obsession, possession</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ment</td>\n<td>an action, process, or act of a specified kind</td>\n<td>bereavement, merriment, movement</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>s/es</td>\n<td>indicates the plural form of a noun</td>\n<td>analyses, arguments, results</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n"},{"title":"How to make vocabulary word flash cards","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p class=\"SortTitle\">The simple act of writing down a new word and its definition can help you remember it. Vocabulary word flash cards are pretty easy to make and serve you and anyone else interested in building their vocabulary — just use the following steps:</p>\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Buy a stack of 3-by-5 index cards.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Write new words on the front of a card (one word per card).</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Write the definition, part of speech, and pronunciation on the back of the card.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Take your cards with you and study them.</p>\n</li>\n</ol>\n"},{"title":"Reading tips to improve your vocabulary","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p class=\"SortTitle\">You can build your vocabulary using flash cards, word games, and plain, old, everyday reading. Whether you’re reading cereal boxes, the newspaper, Web articles, office memos, or research papers, use the tips in the following list to improve your vocabulary as you read:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Read slowly.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Read confusing text over again.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Look at the pictures.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Create your own mental picture.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Summarize the main idea of the text in your own words.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Look up definitions of words you&#8217;re not familiar with or are uncertain about.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-03-18T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":209288},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:46:55+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-02-24T17:22:40+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:13+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Language & Language Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33687"},"slug":"language-language-arts","categoryId":33687},{"name":"Grammar & Vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"},"slug":"grammar-vocabulary","categoryId":33688}],"title":"Basic English Grammar For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"basic english grammar for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"basic-english-grammar-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn the rules of Standard English so you can express yourself and communicate with confidence.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"English grammar is not a mystery; it's a set of traditions and patterns of language handed down through the ages. With a little practice, you can learn the rules of Standard English so you can express yourself confidently and correctly.","description":"English grammar is not a mystery; it's a set of traditions and patterns of language handed down through the ages. With a little practice, you can learn the rules of Standard English so you can express yourself confidently and correctly.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8977"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33688,"title":"Grammar & Vocabulary","slug":"grammar-vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":252134,"title":"How to Climb the Ladder of Language Formality","slug":"climb-ladder-language-formality","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252134"}},{"articleId":252131,"title":"How to Match Your Message to the Situation","slug":"match-message-situation","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252131"}},{"articleId":252128,"title":"How to Choose the Correct Verb for Negative Expressions","slug":"choose-correct-verb-negative-expressions","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252128"}},{"articleId":252125,"title":"How to Question with Verbs","slug":"how-to-question-with-verbs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252125"}},{"articleId":252122,"title":"How to Properly Add Helping Verbs","slug":"properly-add-helping-verbs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252122"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;academics-the-arts&quot;,&quot;language-language-arts&quot;,&quot;grammar-vocabulary&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b21a9d99\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;academics-the-arts&quot;,&quot;language-language-arts&quot;,&quot;grammar-vocabulary&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b21aa6b1\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":141022,"title":"Sorting Pronouns","slug":"sorting-pronouns","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/141022"}},{"articleId":141026,"title":"Dealing with Verb Tenses","slug":"dealing-with-verb-tenses","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/141026"}},{"articleId":141024,"title":"Elements of a Complete English Sentence","slug":"elements-of-a-complete-english-sentence","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/141024"}},{"articleId":141020,"title":"When to Use Capital Letters","slug":"when-to-use-capital-letters","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/141020"}}],"content":[{"title":"Sorting pronouns ","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Pronouns are handy words that take the place of the names of people, places, and things. Be sure to give every pronoun a proper job. Here is what you need to know about pronouns:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Singular subject pronouns (when one person or thing does the action or exists in the state of being): <i>I, you, he, she, it, who, whoever.</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Plural subject pronouns (when more than one person or thing does the action or exists in the state of being):<i> we, you, they, who, whoever.</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Singular object pronouns (one person or thing receiving the action): <i>me, you, him, her, it, whom, whomever.</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Plural object pronouns (more than one person or thing receiving the action): <i>us, you, them, whom, whomever.</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Singular possessive pronouns (showing ownership by one person or thing): <i>my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, whose.</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Plural possessive pronouns (showing ownership by more than one person or thing): <i>our, ours, your, yours, their, theirs, whose.</i></p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Dealing with verb tenses","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>In English grammar, verbs change in form to tell the time period, or <i>tense</i>. You use different verbs to indicate whether an action has already happened, is currently happening, will happen in the future, and several different variations. Remember these tenses:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Present:</b> happening at the current time <i>(I talk, he talks, they talk)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Present progressive:</b> in the process of happening <i>(I am talking, he is talking, they are talking)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Past:</b> happened before now (<i>I talked, he talked, they talked)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Past progressive:</b> happened over a period of time before now <i>(I was talking, he was talking, they were talking)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Future: </b>will happen after the present time (<i>I will talk, he will talk, they will talk)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Future progressive:</b> will happen over a period of time, after the present time (<i>I will be talking, he will be talking, they will be talking)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Present perfect: </b>started in the past and continues in the present (<i>I have talked, he has talked, they have talked)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Past perfect: </b>happened in the past before another event in the past (<i>I had talked, he had talked, they had talked)</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Future perfect: </b>will happen in the future before a deadline (<i>I will have talked, he will have talked, they will have talked)</i></p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Elements of a complete English sentence","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Learning to write in complete sentences is a necessary skill. In order to fully understand the construction of a complete sentence, we need to define what a sentence actually is.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Sentences serve as a framework for people to clearly express their ideas in writing. There are several characteristics that must be met in order for a written thought to be considered a complete sentence. A complete sentence must: begin with a capital letter, end with a punctuation mark (period, question mark, or exclamation point), and contain at least one main clause. A main clause includes an independent subject and verb to express a complete thought.</p>\n<p>As any English grammar teacher will tell you, a complete sentence has at least one main clause, or subject-verb pair. They’re a pair because they match. They match because, well, they work smoothly as a team. One half of the pair (the verb) expresses action or being, and the other half (the subject) is whatever or whoever does the action or exists in the state of being. Here are subject-verb pairs that match:</p>\n<blockquote><p>Eggworthy scrambled.</p></blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>Ms. Drydock has repaired.</p></blockquote>\n<p>Just for comparison, here is one mismatch:</p>\n<blockquote><p>Eggworthy scrambling</p></blockquote>\n<p class=\"Tip\">When you’re texting or IMing (instant messaging), space is tight. Every character counts, including spaces. Therefore, many people opt for “sentences” that contain only verbs, when the meaning is clear. Check out this text: Went home. Fed cow. Cleaned barn.</p>\n<p>Complete sentences may also include more than one subject-verb pair:</p>\n<blockquote><p>Dorothy fiddled while the orchestra pit burned. (<i>Dorothy</i> = subject of the verb <i>fiddled,</i> <i>orchestra pit</i> = subject of the verb <i>burned</i>)</p></blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>Not only did George swim, but he also sipped the pool water. (<i>George</i> = subject of the verb <i>did swim, he</i> = subject of the verb <i>sipped</i>)</p></blockquote>\n<p>Complete sentences may also match one subject with more than one verb, and vice versa:</p>\n<blockquote><p>The lizard with a British accent appeared in three commercials but sang in only two. (<i>lizard</i> = subject of verbs <i>appeared, sang</i>)</p></blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>Alice and Archie will fight endlessly over a single birdseed. (<i>Alice, Archie</i> = subjects of the verb <i>will fight</i>)</p></blockquote>\n<p>Complete sentences that give commands may match an understood subject (you) with the verb:</p>\n<blockquote><p>Visit Grandma, you little creep! (<i>you-understood</i> = subject of the verb <i>visit</i>)</p></blockquote>\n<h2 id=\"tab1\">What’s an incomplete sentence?</h2>\n<p>Simply put, an incomplete sentence is one that does not express a full thought (also referred to as sentence fragments which usually do not include both a subject and a verb). It’s the moment in the television show just before the last commercial. You know what I mean. <i>The hero slowly edges the door open a few inches, peeks in, gasps, and . . . FADE TO DANCING DETERGENT BOTTLE.</i> You were planning to change the channel, but instead you wait to see if the villain’s cobra is going to bite the hero’s nose. You haven’t gotten to the end, and you don’t know what’s happening.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>A complete sentence is the opposite of that moment in a television show. You have gotten to the end, and you do know what’s happening. In other words, a complete sentence must express a complete thought.</p>\n<h2 id=\"tab2\">Complete sentence examples and context</h2>\n<p>Check out these complete sentences. Notice how they express complete thoughts:</p>\n<blockquote><p>Despite Eggworthy’s fragile appearance, he proved to be a tough opponent.</p></blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>I can’t imagine why anyone would want to ride on top of a Zamboni.</p></blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>Did Lola apply for a job as a Zamboni driver?</p></blockquote>\n<p>For comparison, here are a few incomplete<b><i> </i></b>thoughts:</p>\n<blockquote><p>The reason I wanted a divorce was</p></blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>Because I said so</p></blockquote>\n<p>Yes, in context those incomplete thoughts may indeed express a complete thought:</p>\n<blockquote><p>Sydney: So the topic of conversation was the Rangers’ season opener?</p></blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>Alice: No! “The reason I wanted a divorce” was!</p></blockquote>\n<p>and</p>\n<blockquote><p>Sydney: Why do I have to do this dumb homework?</p></blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>Alice: Because I said so.</p></blockquote>\n<p>Fair enough. You can pull a complete thought out of the examples. However, the context of a conversation is not enough to satisfy the complete thought/complete sentence rule. To be “legal,” your sentence must express a complete thought.</p>\n<p class=\"Warning\">In deciding whether you have a complete sentence or not, you may be led astray by words that resemble questions. Consider these three words: <i>who knits well. </i>A complete thought? Maybe yes, maybe no. Suppose those three words form a question:</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\n<blockquote><p>Who knits well?</p></blockquote>\n<p>This question is understandable and its thought is complete. Verdict: legal. Suppose these three words form a statement:</p>\n<blockquote><p>Who knits well.</p></blockquote>\n<p>Now they don’t make sense. This incomplete sentence needs more words to make a complete thought:</p>\n<blockquote><p>The honor of making Fido’s sweater will go to the person who knits well.</p></blockquote>\n"},{"title":"When to use capital letters ","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>In English grammar, you need to know when to capitalise words. Sometimes the capital letter signifies the part of a sentence or simply indicates someone&#8217;s name (proper nouns). Use capital letters for the following:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Specific names: </b>Capital letters are used for the names of people, places, and brands. <i>(</i><i>Bill, Mrs. Jones, River Dee, Burberry). </i>Lowercase letters are for general names <i>(</i><i>girls, mountains, clothing).</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>First word: </b>The first word in a sentence, a title, or a subtitle is always capitalised.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Personal pronoun:</b> The pronoun <i>I, </i>referring to the speaker or writer, should be capitalised.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Titles of full-length literary works: </b>The first word in the title of a book, play, newspaper, or magazine, plus all the important words, should be capitalised. <i>(</i><i>God Save the Queen, The Times, A Tale of Two Cities). </i>If you have a subtitle, capitalise only the first word, specific names, and the personal pronoun <i>I.</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Titles of songs, poems, and articles: </b>Capitalise the first word, proper names, and the personal pronoun <i>I.</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Titles for people:</b> When a title comes before a name, capitalise it <i>(</i><i>Reverend Ames). </i>After the name, capitalise titles only when they refer to very important positions <i>(</i><i>Prime Minister, Secretary General of the United Nations).</i></p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Advance","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-02-24T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":207450},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:57:27+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-01-19T20:17:35+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:02+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Language & Language Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33687"},"slug":"language-language-arts","categoryId":33687},{"name":"Grammar & Vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"},"slug":"grammar-vocabulary","categoryId":33688}],"title":"English Grammar For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"english grammar for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"english-grammar-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Use this handy Cheat Sheet to remind you of sentence structure, proper punctuation, verb tenses, and other aspects of English grammar.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Whether you’re engaging in everyday speech or writing the perfect paper, you need to be familiar with the various parts of English grammar. Knowing how to correctly use nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions, and punctuation as well as how to properly structure a sentence can make or break a good grade or a professional presentation.","description":"Whether you’re engaging in everyday speech or writing the perfect paper, you need to be familiar with the various parts of English grammar. Knowing how to correctly use nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions, and punctuation as well as how to properly structure a sentence can make or break a good grade or a professional presentation.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":8977,"name":"Geraldine Woods","slug":"geraldine-woods","description":"","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/8977"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33688,"title":"Grammar & Vocabulary","slug":"grammar-vocabulary","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33688"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":243219,"title":"Illogical Comparisons in English Grammar","slug":"illogical-comparisons-english-grammar","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/243219"}},{"articleId":243216,"title":"Incomplete Comparisons in English Grammar","slug":"incomplete-comparisons-english-grammar","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/243216"}},{"articleId":243213,"title":"Conjunction Pairs","slug":"conjunction-pairs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/243213"}},{"articleId":243210,"title":"Using and Maintaining the Right \"Person\" in English Grammar","slug":"using-maintaining-right-person-english-grammar","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/243210"}},{"articleId":243207,"title":"Subordinate and Independent Clauses in English Grammar","slug":"subordinate-independent-clauses-english-grammar","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/243207"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":252134,"title":"How to Climb the Ladder of Language Formality","slug":"climb-ladder-language-formality","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252134"}},{"articleId":252131,"title":"How to Match Your Message to the Situation","slug":"match-message-situation","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252131"}},{"articleId":252128,"title":"How to Choose the Correct Verb for Negative Expressions","slug":"choose-correct-verb-negative-expressions","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252128"}},{"articleId":252125,"title":"How to Question with Verbs","slug":"how-to-question-with-verbs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252125"}},{"articleId":252122,"title":"How to Properly Add Helping Verbs","slug":"properly-add-helping-verbs","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/252122"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282174,"slug":"english-grammar-for-dummies-3rd-edition","isbn":"9781119376590","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","language-language-arts","grammar-vocabulary"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119376599/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119376599/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119376599-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119376599/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119376599/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/english-grammar-for-dummies-3rd-edition-cover-9781119376590-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"English Grammar For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"<p><b data-author-id=\"8977\">Geraldine Woods</b> has more than 35 years of teaching experience. 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Knowing how to use these parts of speech can help you speak more eloquently, write more clearly, and feel more confident when communicating with others.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Noun:</strong> names a person, place, thing, idea (<em>Lulu, jail, cantaloupe, loyalty</em>, and so on)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Pronoun:</strong> takes the place of a noun (<em>he, who, I, what</em>, and so on)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Verb:</strong> expresses action or being (<em>scrambled, was, should win</em>, and so on)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Adjective:</strong> describes a noun or pronoun (<em>messy, strange, alien</em>, and so on)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Adverb:</strong> describes a verb, adjective, or other adverb (<em>willingly, woefully, very</em>, and so on)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Preposition:</strong> relates a noun or a pronoun to another word in the sentence (<em>by, for, from</em>, and so on)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Conjunction:</strong> ties two words or groups of words together (<em>and, after, although</em>, and so on)</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><strong>Interjection:</strong> expresses strong emotion (<em>yikes! wow! ouch! </em>and so on)</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Parts of a sentence","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>After you get a good grip on the different parts of speech, it’s time to put them all together to form the proper sentence. The right words and punctuation in the right order can make all the difference in good communication. Keep in mind that you need a minimum number of parts to make a complete sentence: subject/predicate/endmark.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Verb (also called the predicate):</b> expresses the action or state of being</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Subject:</b> the person or thing being talked about</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Complement:</b> a word or group of words that completes the meaning of the subject-verb pair</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Types of complements:</b> direct and indirect objects, subject complement, objective complement</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Pronoun tips for proper English grammar","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>The Beatles sang of “I, Me, Mine,” but understanding pronouns takes a little practice. Pronouns can be objective or subjective, and can show possession. You, me, him, her, them, us . . . everyone can speak and write more clearly by understanding pronouns.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Pronouns that may be used only as subjects or subject complements:</b> I, he, she, we, they, who, whoever.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Pronouns that may be used only as objects or objective complements:</b> me, him, her, us, them, whom, whomever.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Common pronouns that may be used as either subjects or objects:</b> you, it, everyone, anyone, no one, someone, mine, ours, yours, theirs, either, neither, each, everybody, anybody, nobody, somebody, everything, anything, nothing, something, any, none, some, which, what, that.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Pronouns that show possession:</b> my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs, whose.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Tips for subject-verb agreement","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Someone or something must be present in a sentence, and that someone or something doing the action or being talked about is the <i>subject.</i> Verbs are the words that express the action the subject is doing or the state of being the subject is in. Subjects and verbs must agree if you’re going to get your point across as clearly as possible. Otherwise, you end up with an incomplete sentence or a sentence that makes no sense.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Match singular subjects with singular verbs, plural subjects with plural verbs (I run, she runs, they run).</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Amounts of time and money are usually singular (ten dollars <i>is</i>).</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><i>Either</i><i>/</i><i>or</i> and <i>neither</i><i>/</i><i>nor</i>: Match the verb to the closest subject (neither the boys nor the girl <i>is)</i>.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><i>Either</i> and <i>neither</i>, without their partners <i>or</i> and <i>nor,</i> always take a singular verb (<i>either </i>of the apples <i>is</i>).</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">All subjects preceded by <i>each</i> and <i>every</i> take a singular verb (each CD <i>is</i> mine; every one of the cheeses <i>is</i> different).</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><i>Both, few, several,</i> and <i>many</i> are always plural (both/many <i>are</i> qualified; few <i>want</i> the job; several <i>were</i> hired).</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Placing proper punctuation","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Can you imagine what a sentence without any punctuation would be like? Without proper punctuation, it would be unreadable. Knowing when and how to use the period, comma, colon, semicolon, and other punctuation marks will make your writing smoother and more understandable.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Endmarks:</b> All sentences need an endmark: a period, question mark, exclamation point, or ellipsis. Never put two endmarks at the end of the same sentence.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Apostrophes:</b> For singular ownership, generally add<i>’s</i>; for plural ownership, generally add <i>s’</i>.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Commas:</b> In direct address, use commas to separate the name from the rest of the sentence. In lists, place commas between items in a list, but not before the first item. Before conjunctions, when combining two complete sentences with a conjunction, place a comma before the conjunction. If you have one subject and two verbs, don’t put a comma before the conjunction.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Hyphens:</b> If two words create a single description, put a hyphen between them if the description comes before the word that it’s describing. Don’t hyphenate two-word descriptions if the first word ends in <i>-ly.</i></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Colon:</b> Use a colon after an independent clause that precedes a list and to separate an explanation, rule, or example from a preceding independent clause.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Semicolon:</b> Use a semicolon to join independent clauses in compound sentences that do not have coordinating conjunctions (and, or, but, nor, for, so, yet) and commas as connectors. Words like <i>however, moreover, thus,</i> and <i>therefore,</i> are often used as connectors in these sentences. You can also use semicolons to separate long or complicated items in a series that already includes commas, and to separate two long or complex independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction if confusion would result from using a comma.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Verb tense tips","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Besides showing the action or state of being in the sentence, the verb also indicates the time the action or “being” took place. By learning about the different kinds of simple, perfect, past, and present tenses, your speaking and writing will be clear and concise.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Simple present tense:</b> tells what is happening now</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Simple past tense:</b> tells what happened before now</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Simple future:</b> talks about what has not happened yet</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Present perfect tense:</b> expresses an action or state of being in the present that has some connection with the past</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Past perfect tense:</b> places an event before another event in the past</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Future perfect tense:</b> talks about something that has not happened yet in relation to another event in the future</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Advance","lifeExpectancy":"Five 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Grammar & Vocabulary Articles

Become a real-live grammarian with dozens of articles on the English language and its many quirks. Get help with helping verbs, master the verb tenses, punctuate like a pro, and more.

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206 results
Grammar & Vocabulary Past & Past Participles of Common Irregular Verbs

Article / Updated 05-03-2023

Dozens and dozens of English verbs have irregular past tense forms, as well as irregular past participles. If you are studying English grammar, you may want to memorize the common irregular past and past participles listed here. This list is not exhaustive by any means, but these are common verbs English speakers use every day. Lucky for you, English present participles, except for the occasional change from the letter y to the letter i, are fairly straightforward. Just add ing. If you have questions about a particular verb, check your dictionary. In the following table, the first column is the infinitive form of the verb. (The infinitive is the “to + verb” form — to laugh, to cry, to learn grammar, and so on.) The second column is the simple past tense. The third column is the past participle, which is combined with has (singular) or have (plural) to form the present perfect tense. The past participle is also used with had to form the past perfect tense. Forms of Irregular Participles Verb Past Past Participle bear bore borne become became become begin began begun bite bit bitten break broke broken bring brought brought catch caught caught choose chose chosen come came come do did done drink drank drunk drive drove driven eat ate eaten fall fell fallen feel felt felt fly flew flown freeze froze frozen get got got or gotten go went gone know knew known lay laid laid lead led led lend lent lent lie lay lain lose lost lost ride rode ridden ring rang rung rise rose risen run ran run say said said see saw seen set set set shake shook shaken sing sang sung sink sank or sunk sunk sit sat sat sleep slept slept speak spoke spoken steal stole stolen swim swam swum take took taken throw threw thrown wear wore worn win won won write wrote written

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Grammar & Vocabulary Choosing the Correct Verb for Negative Expressions

Article / Updated 04-17-2023

Three little letters — not — turn a positive comment (“I like your boots”) to a negative one (“I do not like your boots”). Apart from the fashion critique, what do you notice about the negative statement? The verb changes from like to do like. You need that extra part because “I not like” isn’t proper English. Negative verbs don’t always rely on a form of the verb do. Sometimes have, has, or had does the job. Sentences with a be verb can turn negative without any help at all. You can try your hand at not creating the wrong negative verb. Take a look at this example. Rewrite the sentence as a negative expression. Mark's acting received an Academy Award. Mark's acting did not receive an Academy Award. Two things change when the positive verb (received) becomes negative (did not receive). Received, a past-tense form, turned into the basic, no-frills, bare infinitive (receive). The helping verb did pairs with it. As you probably noticed, not is tucked between the two parts of this verb, its usual spot. Practice questions She wanted to be a beekeeper. The bee flying near our picnic table left Sheila alone all afternoon. Answers to practice questions She did not want to be a beekeeper. The past-tense verb form wanted turns to did want. Not completes the negative transformation. The bee flying near our picnic table did not leave Sheila alone all afternoon. The past-tense verb form left changes to did leave, which becomes negative with the addition of not. Were you confused by flying? Although flying expresses action, it isn’t the verb.

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Grammar & Vocabulary How to Conjugate the Verb To Be

Article / Updated 04-04-2023

The verb to be is possibly the weirdest verb in the English language, but you have to know it because you will use it all the time. Not only do you want to tell other people all about you, you need to be able to conjugate the verb to be to create prefect and progressive tenses of regular English verbs. Here it is, tense by tense. Present tense Singular Plural I am we are you are you are he, she, it is they are Note that the singular forms are in the first column and plural forms are in the second column. Singulars are for one person or thing and plurals for more than one. “You” is listed twice because it may refer to one person or to a group. (Just one more bit of illogic in the language.) Past tense Singular Plural I was we were you were you were he, she, it was they were Future tense Singular Plural I will be we will be you will be you will be he, she, it will be they will be Present perfect Singular Plural I have been we have been you have been you have been he, she, it has been they have been Past perfect Singular Plural I had been we had been you had been you had been he, she, it had been they had been Future perfect Singular Plural I will have been we will have been you will have been you will have been he, she, it will have been they will have been

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Grammar & Vocabulary English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-09-2023

If you're learning English grammar or trying to brush up on some of it, this Cheat Sheet will come in handy. It includes the parts of speech, sentence essentials, tips on using pronouns and punctuation, adding style to your writing, and more.

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Grammar & Vocabulary Grammar: 1001 Practice Questions For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-13-2022

As the old saying goes, "practice makes perfect," and while you're on the road to grammar perfection, a quick glance at the rules for proper grammar usage may help. Review some basic — and important — points related to sentence creation, common errors in new media communication, and overall polished grammar.

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Grammar & Vocabulary English Grammar Workbook For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-02-2022

This handy Cheat Sheet will help you grapple with English grammar problems, clear up confusion caused by similar-sounding words, and improve your writing skills, in general.

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Grammar & Vocabulary Copyediting and Proofreading For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-12-2022

As a copyeditor or proofreader, you can’t possibly remember everything, so you need outside resources and references, and lots of them. Although most resources are available online, it’s still helpful to have certain books on hand. And, of course, you need to know your proofreading symbols so that you can make changes and understand other editors’ changes.

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Grammar & Vocabulary Vocabulary For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-18-2022

If you use word games and flashcards, improving your vocabulary can be not only fun but key to increasing your general knowledge. Knowing the parts of speech and the meanings of prefixes and suffixes can help you understand English and some foreign words.

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Grammar & Vocabulary Basic English Grammar For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-24-2022

English grammar is not a mystery; it's a set of traditions and patterns of language handed down through the ages. With a little practice, you can learn the rules of Standard English so you can express yourself confidently and correctly.

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Grammar & Vocabulary English Grammar For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-19-2022

Whether you’re engaging in everyday speech or writing the perfect paper, you need to be familiar with the various parts of English grammar. Knowing how to correctly use nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions, and punctuation as well as how to properly structure a sentence can make or break a good grade or a professional presentation.

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