Writers' Guide

Links to entries containing tips for writers  and points of grammar and usage:

Taken from:  http://www.grammarmudge.cityslide.com/page/page/426348.htm.

Parts of Speech . . . and Beyond A detailed discussion of parts of speech – not just definitions but extensive treatment of subdivisions and rules for use.  Those Pesky Verbals An examination of gerunds, infinitives, and participles. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement The rules for making pronouns agree with their antecedents, with some notes on how to avoid "sexist" pronouns. Parallelism A discussion of balanced sentence structure. Uses of the Semicolon Short and simple guide to use of the semicolon. Comma Splices How to avoid and correct one of the most common errors – the comma splice. Brief Guide to Comma Usage Outline of the rules for when to use commas and when not to use them. Toward Concise Writing Some pointers on how to make writing more concise. Possessive Nouns: The Apostrophe An explanation of the rules for forming the possessive case of nouns by adding either an apostrophe + s or just an apostrophe. The Pronoun Trap Among the most embarrassing errors are those involving common pronouns.  Here is how to avoid such errors. Agreement of Subject and Verb Rules for subject–verb agreement, with illustrative sentences. Hyphenated Words: A Guide When should a word be hyphenated and when not hyphenated?  Here are some answers. "Which" Versus "That" A brief explanation of when to use which and when to use that. Active and Passive Voice of Verbs The voice of verbs – where the subject does the action (active) and where the action is done to the subject (passive). Sentence Patterns A fairly detailed account of types of sentences and how they are structured. The Five C's A description of the five components of effective writing.