English grammar for the utterly confused

Laurie Rozakis0071399224, 9780071399227, 9780071430975

For students who want to learn the nuts and bolts of English grammar

A generation ago, the United States public school system stopped formal instruction in English grammar and consequently created a legion of students and professionals notoriously weak in writing and language skills.

English Grammar for the Utterly Confused is a must-have for anyone who gets that “deer-in-the-headlights” look when asked to recognize a misplaced modifier or even find the verb in a sentence.

This user-friendly, witty guide helps everyone-from students taking the GED to professionals writing business plans-learn the structures of English grammar and how to use them easily and proficiently. Demystifying grammar once and for all, this handbook will help all readers acquire the ability to speak and write competently, correctly, and confidently.

Key features include:
Exercises throughout to develop facility in writing skills Clear explanations of complex concepts Handy icons More than 200 solved problems and examples Test Yourself section in each chapter

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Table of contents :
Cover……Page 1
Acknowledgments……Page 9
Contents……Page 11
Preface……Page 17
Organization of the Text……Page 19
Parts of Speech……Page 25
Adjectives……Page 26
Adverbs……Page 27
Interjections……Page 29
Nouns……Page 30
Pronouns……Page 31
Verbs……Page 34
Using Pronouns Correctly……Page 41
Using the Nominative Case……Page 42
Using the Objective Case……Page 43
Using the Possessive Case……Page 44
Three Other Rules for Using Pronouns……Page 45
Use Correct Pronoun Reference……Page 46
Using……Page 48
Using Verbs Correctly……Page 53
The Six Verb Tenses……Page 54
Regular and Irregular Verbs……Page 55
How to Use Tenses……Page 59
Active and Passive Voice……Page 61
Using Adjectives and Adverbs Correctly……Page 69
Is It an Adjective or an Adverb?……Page 70
Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Degrees of Comparison……Page 71
Comparing with Adjectives and Adverbs……Page 73
Using Predicate Adjectives after Linking Verbs……Page 74
Double Negatives……Page 76
Agreement: Matching Sentence Parts……Page 83
Like Peas in a Pod……Page 84
A Singular Subject Must Have a Singular Verb……Page 85
A Plural Subject Must Have a Plural Verb……Page 87
Collective Nouns and Indefinite Pronouns……Page 88
Special Problems in Agreement……Page 91
Agreement of Pronouns and Antecedents……Page 92
The 25 Most Common Usage Problems……Page 99
Top Trouble Spots in Writing……Page 100
Most Common Grammar and Usage Errors……Page 101
Most Common Spelling Errors……Page 105
Most Common Punctuation Errors……Page 114
Most Common Proofreading Errors……Page 115
Improve Your Writing, One Step at a Time……Page 116
Phrases and Clauses……Page 123
Prepositional Phrases……Page 124
Verbal Phrases……Page 125
Infinitive Phrases……Page 126
Dependent Clauses……Page 127
Writing Correct and Complete Sentences……Page 137
What is a Sentence?……Page 138
The Four Different Sentence Types……Page 139
Choosing Sentence Types……Page 142
Sentence Errors: Run- on Sentences and Comma Splices……Page 143
Sentence Errors: Fragments……Page 144
Sentence Coordination and Subordination……Page 153
Coordinating Sentence Parts……Page 154
Subordinating Sentence Parts……Page 156
Coordination versus Subordination……Page 158
Parallel Structure……Page 159
Punctuation……Page 169
Apostrophes……Page 170
Brackets……Page 171
Commas……Page 172
Ellipsis……Page 175
Parentheses……Page 176
Quotation Marks……Page 177
Slashes……Page 178
Capitalization and Abbreviations……Page 185
Capitalize Names and Titles……Page 186
Capitalize Names of Languages and Religions……Page 189
Capitalize Proper Adjectives and Product Names……Page 190
Capitalize Names of Days, Months, and Holidays……Page 191
Capitalize the First Word of . . …….Page 192
Good Things Come in Small Packages: The Rules of Abbreviations……Page 194
Developing Your Own Writing Style……Page 205
What is in Writing?……Page 206
The Elements of Style……Page 207
Audience and Style……Page 209
Purpose and Style……Page 210
Developing Your Style……Page 211
Diction and Conciseness……Page 219
Levels of Diction……Page 220
Choosing the Appropriate Level of Diction……Page 222
Less Is More: Be Concise……Page 223
Three Ways to Write Concise Sentences……Page 225
Words and Expressions to Avoid……Page 233
Use Nonbiased Language……Page 234
Replace Clichés with Fresh Expressions……Page 236
Avoid Empty Language……Page 237
George Orwell on Style……Page 239
Index……Page 249