book

Grammar Essentials For Dummies

by Geraldine Woods

May 2019

Beginner

192 pages

3h 44m

English

For Dummies

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About This BookConventions Used in This BookFoolish AssumptionsIcons Used in This BookWhere to Go from Here
Grammar: What It Is!The Big Ideas of GrammarPutting Grammar to Work in the Real World
Getting Reacquainted with VerbsIdentifying SubjectsGive Peace a Chance: Making Subjects and Verbs AgreeComing to an Agreement with Difficult Subjects
Playing Matchmaker with Pronouns and NounsSelecting Singular or Plural PronounsGetting Possessive with Your PronounsKeeping Your Pronouns and Antecedents ClosePairing Pronouns with Pronoun AntecedentsAvoiding Sexist Pronouns
Creating Complete Sentences from Complete ThoughtsBanning Fragments from Formal WritingEnough Is Enough: Avoiding Run-onsAttaching Sentences LegallyConnecting Unequal IdeasCombining Sentences with PronounsDon’t Keep Your Audience Hanging: Removing Danglers
Seeking BalanceStriving for ConsistencyUsing Conjunction Pairs CorrectlyConstructing Proper Comparisons
Spotting AdjectivesHunting for AdverbsSorting through Some Sticky ChoicesGetting Picky about Word PlacementCreating Comparisons
More Rules Than the IRS: Using ApostrophesQuoting CorrectlyMaking Comma SenseMastering DashesWielding Hyphens with EaseCreating a Stopping Point: Colons
Covering the Basic RulesCapitalizing (Or Not) References to PeopleGetting a Geography Lesson: Places, Directions, and MoreLooking at Seasons and Times of DayGetting Schooled in Education TermsWrestling with Capitals in TitlesWriting about Events and ErasCapitalizing Abbreviations

One Word or Two?Separating Possessive Pronouns from ContractionsUsing Words That Seem Interchangeable but Aren’tA Word and a Phrase to Avoid
Creating Noun PluralsPerfecting PrepositionsDeleting Double Negatives
Identifying Your AudienceCutting Ties with Your Computer Grammar CheckerGiving Your Writing Punch with Great VerbsDeleting All That’s ExtraSpicing Up Boring SentencesWriting for Electronic Media
Pick Up a Good BookRead the NewspaperSample Some MagazinesDelve into Strunk and WhiteSurf the WebReview Style ManualsWatch High-Quality TV ShowsPeruse the NewsDownload PodcastsListen to Authorities

Content preview from Grammar Essentials For Dummies

Chapter 12

Ten Ways to Improve Your Grammar Every Day

IN THIS CHAPTER

Making reading a priority

Training your ear to hear proper grammar

This book helps you learn grammar, but it’s not the only way to improve your communication skills. Lots of other resources can also help you in your quest for perfect language. In this chapter, I suggest ten ways you can improve your grammar just by making small changes to your daily routine.

Pick Up a Good Book

You probably won’t get far with Biker Babes and Their Turn-ons or You’re a Butthead: The Sequel to Snot-Nose. But good books usually contain good writing, and if you read some, pretty soon your own speech and writing will improve.

How do you know whether a particular volume contains good writing? Check the reviews, ask the bookstore clerk, or read the comments on the book’s jacket. Classics are always a good choice, but you may also find modern texts, both fiction and nonfiction, written according to the best grammar rules.

The point is to expose your mind to proper English by reading a few pages every day. When you read, you hear the author’s voice, and you become accustomed to proper language. After a while, correct grammar sounds natural ...