Grammar Essentials For Dummies

Index

Symbols

• & (and), 126
• ’ (apostrophes), 37, 95–98, 129
• : (colons), 114–116
• , (commas). See commas
• – and — (dashes), 111–113
  • long (em dash), 111–112
  • short (en dash), 111–113
• … (ellipsis), 48, 53
• ! (exclamation points), 53, 101
• - (hyphens), 113–114
• . (periods). See periods
• ? (question marks), 53, 100–101
• (“ ”) (quotation marks), in titles, 102
• ; (semicolons), 9, 56, 101

A

• a lot, 128
• a while/awhile, 129
• a/an, 77
• abbreviations
  • acceptability of, 161
  • capitalization of, 126
  • in electronic communications, 161
  • measurements, 126
  • for morning and afternoon, 123
  • states, 126
• acronyms, 126
• ACT test, topics on
  • prepositions, 145
  • repetition, 157
  • subject-verb agreement, 23
  • verb voice, 153
• action verbs, 15, 17, 48
• active voice, 69–70, 152–153
• active-verb sentences, 153
• addresses, punctuation of, 109
• adjectives
  • as adverbs, 83
  • articles as, 77
  • definition, 9, 75
  • describing nouns, 76
  • describing pronouns, 76
  • how to identify, 78, 81
  • with linking verbs, 76
  • as object complements, 50
  • as subject complements, 50–51
  • subordinate clauses as describing, 58
  • use of comma with, 104–108
• adverbs
  • as adjectives, 83
  • definition, 9, 79
  • describing adjectives, 80
  • describing other adverbs, 80
  • how to identify, 80–81
  • subordinate clauses as describing, 58
  • with unique, 90
• affect/effect, 131
• agreement, of subjects and verbs, 22, 27–29, 30
• all, 28
• all right, 128
• all together/altogether, 128
• almost, 83, 85
• also, 55
• although, 59, 72
• altogether/ all together, 128
• among/between, 9, 132
• an/a, 77
• and, 9, 51, 54, 72
• and (&), 126
• and/both, 72
• antecedents, ...