grammar tip: differences and similarities between must / have to / should (Verbs of urgency)

(March 2023)

It is important to keep in mind that certain verbs in English have more urgency than others in terms of to do or to complete or to work on. This is a key part of English grammar knowledge but also how to become a better writer as well. There are differences when you use verbs of urgency depending on how soon or how fast you need something to get done, whatever that may be.

The three verbs of urgency for action that I would like to focus on for this grammar tip would be must, have to, and should. We will begin with ‘must’, which conveys the most urgency in English to complete a task, an action, or to do something with quickness. That is followed by ‘have to’, which is an obligatory verb where it is mandatory to do something or complete an action but not necessarily right away or with urgency as ‘must’ implies in a sentence.

Lastly, ‘Should’ is the least urgent of these three verbs because it is implied that it not necessary or mandatory and does not have a time limit imposed on it like ‘must’ or ‘have to’. While I would not say ‘should’ is optional as it is a recommended verb, there is more flexibility with using this verb if something would need to get done but not necessarily right away and perhaps there is another option besides completing the action in question.

Let’s look at a few examples to see how must, have to, and should are different from each other:

1. You must complete this assignment as it is due tomorrow or there will be a penalty imposed on you.

2. She must comply with her office’s rules or she will be reported to human resources.

3. We have to go home soon for dinner or my mother will get upset at us for being late.

4. They have to be liable for my car’s damages because they were speeding through the stop light.

5. Mr. Smith should offer extra credit on this test given how hard the questions were on it.

6. The students should apologize to the guest speaker for yelling at him constantly and not letting him get a word in for his speech.

As you can see, there are some subtle differences with ‘must’ being the most urgent followed by ‘have to’ with a little bit more flexibility and then ‘should’ implying that it is the right course of action but for which it is unclear if it will happen or not despite the recommendation. Be sure to understand the differences and similarities between these three verbs of urgency. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment and let me know.

grammar tip: substitutes for ‘they’, ‘we’ as plural Pronouns

(January 2023)

When it comes to plural pronouns, ‘They’, “We’, ‘Their’ are the most commonly used but the English grammar student should know that there are some variations on these plural pronouns that can be changed, substituted, or made informal. Substitutes for ‘We’, ‘They’, ‘Their’ are not as popular but are good to have in your knowledge base especially if you are dealing with pronouns where slang is involved. I am going to provide a list of alternative plural pronouns that make sense and then include some sentences where these plural pronouns are used in sentences with the mainstay ones that I’ve cited above.

Alternative Plural Pronouns

• You all

• Y’all

• You guys

• They’re

• They all

• Others

• Those people

• These people

• Our

• Our people

• All of us

• Everyone

• Everybody

Example of Use

• They all were so excited to go to the movies together after school this weekend.

• John was not used to the waitress calling him and his friends, ‘y’all’ since he was not from the South originally.

• You guys should get something to eat at the rest stop since this is the last one for another hour.

• Others may disagree but I think that ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ was the best film of 2022.

• My grandmother told my friends and I to never complain about technology because she would say, “you all have so much information available at your fingertips these days.”

While some of these pronouns for plural use may not be as personal or as common as ‘they’, ‘we’, they are grammatically correct to use to refer to more than one person in that sentence. It is important to understand that there are gender neutral pronouns in English to describe a group of people and that they can appear at the beginning of a sentence primarily but also at the middle or even towards the end of one too.

Make sure to study this list of plural pronouns because it will help make your grammar correct when you differentiate them from singular pronouns and know just when and where they are to be placed within a sentence. You’ll avoid silly mistakes that way and even improve on your vocabulary and writing capabilities by diversifying your pronoun usage.

Grammar Tip: When to Use He / She / It for Our Pronoun(s) Expressions

(November 2022)

When we are talking about a single thing that is not related to the gender of a person or an animal such as a place or a thing, we almost always use it as the subject.

However, there are a few exceptions:

We may sometimes refer to an animal as he/him or she/her, especially if the animal is domesticated or is a pet. Ships (and some other vessels or vehicles) as well as some countries are often treated as female and referred to as she/her.

Here are some examples:

• The Titanic was a great ship but she sank on her first voyage to America.

• My first car was a Mini Cooper and I treated her like my girlfriend.

• Thailand has now opened up her border with Cambodia.

For a single person, sometimes we don't know whether to use he or she. There are several solutions to this problem that we have in the English language:

• If a teacher needs help, he or she should see the principal.

• If a teacher needs help, he should see the principal.

• If a teacher needs help, she should see the principal.

• If a teacher needs help, they should see the principal.

We often use the subject, it, to introduce a remark:

• It is nice to have a vacation sometimes.

• It is important to dress well for an interview.

• It's difficult to find a job these days.

• Is it normal to see them together?

• It didn't take long to walk to the store.

We also often use it to talk about the weather, temperature, time, and distance:

• It is snowing.

• It will probably be hot out tomorrow.

• Is it nine o'clock yet?

• It's 100 kilometers from here to New York.

Grammar Tip: How do we make singular nouns possessive?

(August 2022)

Being able to make singular nouns possessive in English is one of the most important grammar rules when it comes to understanding the grammar of the language.

The rule as it is usually written is to: Add an apostrophe (‘) + the letter ‘s’ to most singular nouns and to plural nouns that do not end in s.

You’ll use this rule the most when it comes to both your English writing, speaking, and even when you listen to other people speak the language so please pay particular attention to it. English has some words that are plural but do not add an ‘s’, which make them the exception to this rule.

Regarding this exception to the rule, words like children, sheep, women and men are such plural words. These plural words are treated as if they were singular words when making the noun possessive because you are not adding an ‘s’ to them or an apostrophe (‘).

More Examples:

·       Singular nouns: kitten’s toy, Joe’s car, MLB’s ruling

·       Plural nouns not ending in the letter ‘s’: women’s dresses, sheep’s pasture, children’s toys

While it is not a very difficult rule of English grammar to follow, it is perhaps the most important one when it comes to the grammatical subject of ‘nouns’ and you are often going to be making the noun possessive in English whether the noun is singular or plural.

grammar tiP: exceptions to the rule of countable vs. uncountable Nouns

(June 2022)

Some nouns are countable in other languages but are uncountable in English even though you may think that they should be by adding a ‘1’ or a ‘one’ or an ‘s’ after the noun itself. Therefore, they must follow the rules for uncountable nouns as you will see below.

The most common ones are:

accommodation, advice, baggage, behavior, bread, furniture, information, luggage, news, progress, traffic

• I would like to give you some advice.

• How much bread should I bring?

• I didn't make much progress today.

• This looks like a lot of trouble to me.

• We did an hour of work yesterday.

When it comes to expressing the quantity of these nouns in terms of amount, you can use supporting words such as ‘some’, ‘much’, ‘a lot of’, ‘a little’, ‘an hour’, etc. to quantify these uncountable nouns such as advice, bread, progress, trouble, work.

Be careful with the noun hair, which is normally uncountable in English, so it is not used in the plural form. However, it can be countable only when referring to certain examples such as the individual hairs on someone’s head.

Examples:

1) Did you wash your hair last night?

2) Your dad is getting some grey hairs on his beard.

When it comes to these exceptions, it’s important to not force nouns like ‘information’ to add ‘informations’ to make it countable but to instead add words like ‘some’, ‘a lot of’, ‘a little’, ‘too much’ to ‘count’ the amount of information as an exception to the rule.

Grammar Tip: The Many forms of The Verb ‘To Be’

(March 2022)

Let’s dive in further to the most popular verb in the English language: The Verb 'To Be'.

The verb ‘to be’ has the following forms in English depending on the kind of form that is being used and in what context is the verb being used for:

• Present simple tense:

Affirmative form:

I am
You are
He/She/It is

We are
You are
They are

Question form:

Am I?
Are you?
Is he/she it?

Are we?
Are you?
Are they?

Negative form:

I am not/ I’m not
You are not/ aren’t
He/She/It is not/ isn’t

We are not/aren’t
You are not/aren’t
They are not/aren't

• Past simple tense:

I was
You were
He/She/It was

We were
You were
They were

• The past participle:

 -Been

•  Present perfect tense:

-Has/Have been

•  Past perfect tense:

 -Had been

 The verb to be is used in the following patterns:

1. With a noun:

My mother is a Math teacher.
Bill Clinton was the president of the United States for two terms.

2. With an adjective:

This chicken soup is very tasty.
The children were good today.

3. With the -ing form to make the continuous aspect:

We were walking down the street.
Everything was wet. It had been raining for hours.

4.  With the -ed form to make the passive voice:

The house was built in 1905.
The street is called Williams Street.
This car was made in Italy.

5. With a prepositional phrase:

John and his wife are from San Francisco.
The flowers are on the table.

Now we know how ‘To be’ is used in both the past and the present along with how to use it with other grammar concepts such as ‘prepositions’, ‘adjectives’, ‘nouns’, etc., you will be able to master the simple yet most common verb in the English language.

Grammar TiP: The relation of Personal pronouns to Subject and Object Pronouns

(January 2022)

Like all personal pronouns, subject pronouns and object pronouns are used to eliminate repetition within a sentence. Additionally, they are always associated with a specific person, group, animal, or inanimate object.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell the difference between subject and object pronouns. It can be helpful to remember that a subject is what a sentence is about, while an object is affected by the action of the subject earlier on in that sentence.

Examples of Sentences Containing Both Subject Pronouns & Object Pronouns:

1.     I (subject) want you (object) to read this book.

2.     You are the fastest runner on the Track team, and we’re (subject) depending on you (object).

3.     They (subject) talked to me (object) about acting in the play.

4.     We (subject) enjoyed hearing her (object) sing in the opera performance.

As you can see from the examples above, personal pronouns can be both subject and object pronouns depending often on where they are placed in the sentence. You’ll also notice that object pronouns are used in the third person when they are referenced in the sentence. Personal pronouns such as me, myself, you, and even I can be used as object pronouns within the sentence as they are used from a third person perspective.

Remember that subject pronouns will come before object pronouns even if they are all personal pronouns. You should also note that English verbs like want, hear, talk, be among others are used in between the subject pronoun (1st) and the object pronoun (2nd). These kinds of sentences always follow the SVO rule in English, which you should remember as the Subject-Verb-Object rule.

grammar tip - the role of determiners in Defining definite and indefinite articles

(November 2021)

It is almost impossible to discuss the noun phrase without referring at some stage to the class of words known as determiners, since more often than not a noun will occur with one or more words from this grammatical class. Determiners include articles (a/an, the) and different quantifiers.

Determiners consist of a relatively small number of mainly grammatical items that change very little and tend to serve only one specialized function in a sentence. Unlike verbs, nouns and adjectives as word classes, it is difficult, if not impossible, to add any new words to the class of determiners and for this reason it is called a closed set.

Which type of words make up this limited set? The most instantly recognizable is probably the articles, either definite or indefinite, namely the most well known being the (definite), a/an (indefinite). In addition, there are others like: that, those, every, some, several, all, much, both, no, which can occupy the space before a noun.

A determiner, when combined together with a noun or noun phrase serves to express the reference of that noun or noun phrase in the context of the entire sentence. It is also important to know that there four kinds of determiners in the English language and while they are mostly used for definite and indefinite articles; they can also be used as demonstratives, possessive, and quantifiers as mentioned above. Determiners can also be used as specific words such as ‘my, your, the, his’ or they can be more general with examples being ‘many, other, what, a/an.’

Not only is it important to know about the four kinds of determiners but to also know what examples of determiners are there and in what cases are they used such as for specific or general purposes depending on the situational context.

Here is a prime example of how to use determiner(s) for a specific purpose:

My dog would not stop barking at the bird outside.

Here also is a prime example of how to use a determiner(s) for a general purpose:

Many cats have few owners in certain countries despite being mostly friendly to people.

Remember to keep the use of determiners in mind especially when it comes to their relation to defining definite and indefinite articles in English language sentences.

grammar tip - forming the Future perfect progressive Tense (Structure + Usage)

(October 2021)

The future perfect progressive tense is used for an ongoing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future.

Examples of the Future Perfect Progressive Tense

• In July next year, you will have been studying Portuguese for three years.

("In July next year" is the specified time)

• I will have been playing poker for 20 years by then.

("by then" is the specified time)

Of course, you can also have the negative version, which is formed "will not have been" + [present participle]:

• In July next year, you will not have been studying Portuguese for three years.

• I will not have been playing poker for 20 years by then.

And the question form:

• In July next year, will you have been studying Portuguese for 3 years?

• Will I have been playing poker for 20 years by then?

Forming the Future Perfect Progressive

The future perfect progressive verb tense is fairly easy to create. The only variables are the subject and the present participle. The verb phrase remains the same regardless of subject.

To form the future perfect progressive:

Subject + will have been + present participle (and “-ing” to end of the verb)

• with “to work”

• I will have been working.

• You will have been working. (singular)

• He/She/It will have been working.

• We will have been working.

• You will have been working. (plural)

• They will have been working.

• with “to play”

• I will have been playing.

• You will have been playing. (singular)

• He/She/It will have been playing.

• We will have been playing.

• You will have been playing. (plural)

• They will have been playing.

Uses of the Future Perfect Progressive

The future perfect progressive tense is most often used to express actions that will last for a set time at a specific moment in the future. This tense is also used to show cause. Both uses are outlined below.

The future perfect progressive tense is used to express:

Actions that will have a specific timeframe in the future:

This means that an action will occur in the future. This action has not yet occurred or been completed. Furthermore, when this action occurs in the future, it will express a specific amount of time that action occurred.

Example: We will have been waiting for 45 minutes when Jason arrives.

The action that will occur in the future is the waiting. The waiting is given a specific time frame—45 minutes. When Jason arrives, 45 minutes of waiting will have transpired.

The cause of something in the future:

This means that something in the future has not yet occurred but is likely to be the cause of another action that will also occur in the future.

Example: We will be in significant debt because we will have been overspending on both food and clothes for a month.

The overspending is an action that will cause the debt. Both of these actions will occur at some point in the future.

grammar tip - forming the present perfect progressive Tense (Structure + Usage)

(August 2021)

The Structure of the Present Perfect Progressive Tense:

Subject word + [have been + present participle (Verb)] + Object = Present Perfect Progressive Tense

Main Form of the Tense:

have/has + been + infinitive + -ing —-> See examples below.

Example #1: We have been dancing for over four hours at the ballroom.

Uses of the Present Perfect Progressive Tense:

1. Actions beginning in the past and which are still continuing (focus is on the action) – mostly with since (point of time) or for (period of time).

I have been waiting for you for three hours. (It was too long.)

2. Recently completed actions (focus is on the action)

She has been playing too many video games. (It took up too much time.)

Signal words for the Present Perfect Progressive Tense:

• All day

• The whole day

• Since

• For

• Questions that begin with - how long?

Example #2: How long have you and your friends been playing basketball for?

Grammar tip - forming the past perfect progressive tense (Structure + Usage)

(July 2021)

Past Perfect Progressive Tense - Subject word + [had been + present participle (Verb)] + Object.

Examples:

• You had been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.

• Had you been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived?

• You had not been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.

We use the Past Perfect Progressive tense to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past. "For five minutes" and "for two weeks" are both durations, which can be used with the Past Perfect Progressive tense.

Examples:

• They had been talking for over four hours before Galen finally arrived.

• She had been working at Facebook for three years when it went out of business.

• How long had you been waiting to get on the train?

• Michael wanted to sit down because he had been standing all day at work.

• Rick had been teaching at the university for more than a year before he left for Africa.

• A: How long had you been studying Turkish before you moved to Ankara?
  B: I had not been studying Turkish very long.

Using the Past Perfect Progressive tense to describe a distinct action before another action in the past is a good way to show cause and effect.

Examples:

• Jason was tired because he had been running.

• Samantha gained weight because she had been overeating.

• Rebecca failed the final exam because she had not been attending classes.

When forming the past perfect progressive tense, make sure to include ‘had’ (positive) or ‘had not’ (negative) as well as ‘been’ before the verb in your sentence which could come at the beginning, middle, or even towards the end of a sentence as you see from the examples above.

grammar tip - What To do when you have multiple adjectives in a sentence (Correct order)

(May 2021)

It is easy enough to write a sentence when you have one or two adjectives in a descriptive sentence. However, what do you do when you have multiple adjectives? How do you organize them correctly without them being out of place? In order to develop your English grammar skills, you should know what the correct order is when it comes to placing adjectives from first to last without skipping a beat. Here is the template that you should use when working with multiple adjectives in the same sentence:

Native speakers of English tend to put them in the correct order naturally, but if you’re learning English, you’ll have to memorize the order. It goes like this:

·       Determiner – This means an article (a, an, the), a number or amount, a possessive adjective (my, his, her, its, your, our, their), or a demonstrative (this, that, these, those).

·       Observation/Opinion – Beautiful, expensive, gorgeous, broken, delicious, ugly

·       Size – Huge, tiny, 4-foot-tall

·       Shape – Square, circular, oblong, rectangular

·       Age – 10-year-old, new, antique, old

·       Color – Black, red, blue-green

·       Origin – Roman, English, Mongolian, Turkish

·       Material – Silk, silver, plastic, wooden

·       Qualifier – A noun or verb that is acting as an adjective

Examples:

• My beautiful, tiny 10-year old nephew has green eyes.

• Their English table had silver cutlery and four wooden legs to it.

This is the correct order for adjectives that come directly before a noun, and the commas that separate them from each other. Make sure you follow this order of adjective usage listed above to help you put them in the correct order without any issues as an English learner.

grammar tip - Using compound prepositions in sentences

(March 2021)

Prepositions do not have to be only one word of a shorter nature in terms of length. In English, you can often have a preposition that is compound in nature, which means they are called 'compound prepositions' because they are made up of more than one word).

Compound prepositions are not as common in English as single-word prepositions but they can come in handy though especially when you are writing a longer or more complex sentence. I believe that in order to get to an advanced level of grammar, you should be able to utilize compound prepositions in both spoken and written English.

Here are some examples of what ‘compound prepositions’ are and how they can be used in formal sentences.

Compound Prepositions: According to, ahead of, because of, in place of, in regard to, prior to, out of

1.) According to the weatherman’s forecast this morning, it is going to be both rainy and cold today in the city.

2.) Jamie is practicing his guitar every day this month to stay ahead of the competition on who is the best classical guitarist in his age range with the tournament coming up soon.

3.) Because of your discovery, people will now be able to receive a vaccine within the next few weeks, which is a miraculous accomplishment.

4.) I ordered my cheeseburger with onions and jalapenos in place of tomatoes and lettuce, which makes it a bit spicier to eat.

5.) In regard to your latest email, unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the work conference in Dallas due to other work obligations this month.

6.) I got accepted to this prestigious Doctorate program of five years prior to being accepted to my top Masters degree program of only two years.

7.) I came out of the gym today stronger, faster, and more disciplined after having not gone for the past year.

In each of these examples, you’ll notice how the sentences are longer and often more complex than with singular prepositions. You also should note too how the compound prepositions can be used at either the beginning of a sentence or in the middle of the sentence. Rarely are the compound prepositions found at the end of a sentence in proper English and please make sure to read the sentence out loud with the preposition included before you decide to write it into the sentence.

Definitely do your best to incorporate compound prepositions into your English sentences and you will start to see your English grammar proficiency get better and more advanced.

grammar tip - What are conjunctive adverbs?

(January 2021)

Conjunctive adverbs are those English words that join two or more independent clauses into one complete sentence. A conjunctive adverb helps you create a shorter sentence.
When you use a conjunctive adverb, put a semicolon (;) before it and a comma (,) after it.

• We have many different sizes of this shirt; however, it comes in only one color.

Some examples of conjunctive adverbs are: 

 accordingly, besides, finally, however, instead, meanwhile, nevertheless, otherwise, therefore

• The due date for the midterm paper has passed; therefore, I could not submit mine on time.

• There are many history books; however, some of them may not be accurate.

• The law does not permit drinking and driving anytime; otherwise, there would be many more car accidents.

Conjunctive adverbs can look similar to coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so, for, yet, nor); however, they are not as common as coordinating conjunctions and they are punctuated differently. A conjunctive adverb is also used in a single main clause. In this case, a comma (,) is used to separate the conjunctive adverb from the sentence.

• I woke up very late this morning. Nevertheless, I wasn't late to school.

• She didn't take a bus to work today. Instead, she took the commuter train.

• Jack wants a toy car for his birthday. Meanwhile, Jill wants a dollhouse for her birthday.

grammar Tip: An introduction to ‘Double The Word’

(December 2020)

The phenomenon of the ‘double word’ or being back to back is not that complicated. It only takes an example or two for you to get the deeper meaning underlying the expression. I also think you will be able to use them after reading these examples. Hopefully, you will be able to take this knowledge gained to expand your English vocabulary and to explain the ‘double word phenomenon’ to your friends and family. A good skill to develop with English is to become acquainted with our various phrases expressions that you won’t find in your average textbook.

1.)   “It is what it is.” This phrase means that sometimes, you can’t change things or people to be what you want and that the situation will not change so it’s not worth fighting it. You have to pick your battles but sometimes it’s best to leave things as is. An example of this ‘double word phenomenon’ would be: “Jamie does not want to change jobs at the moment because of the economy; it is what it is.”

2.)   “Business is business.” This phrase is a bit neutral in its meaning in that business could be good or it could be bad, but it goes on as usual and remains uninterrupted or in danger of not going on. The meaning behind its positive or negative significance really depends upon the speaker’s tone and body expressions so it’s something to be on the look-out for. “We are making do with what we have in the store: business is business.”

3.)   “Rules are rules.” Rules are not meant to be broken and this phrase makes it clear. Usually, an authority figure of some sort would say this to you to say there are no shortcuts or no easy ways out and laws or rules have to be obeyed. This kind of phrase does not lend it to leniency and means that you have the follow the rules whatever they may be. “There is no diving or jumping into the pool. Rules are rules.”

There are many more examples I could cite with regards to using this concept in actual sentences and that they would be grammatically correct. This ‘double the word’ phenomenon is related to both English grammar and vocabulary but I would put it in the category of still having proper grammar while being understood in terms of meaning.

The ‘double the word’ phenomenon does not come up that often because it’s considered a bit out there in terms of usage but it can happen from time to time. English learners should know that they are not incorrect by repeating the same word twice within the same sentence especially if you are putting a ‘is’, ‘are’ or other kind of main verb in between that same word. As you can see from the examples above, you are not using ‘rules rules’ back to back or using ‘business business’ together but you are dividing them with the verb ‘to be’, which is necessary grammatically in order to make the sentence function correctly. While you can repeat the same word in the same sentence in English, you have to put a verb between the word in order to make it be understood by a native speaker.

Grammar tip: The basics of using the passive voice

(November 2020)

The passive voice occurs when you make the object of an action into the subject of a sentence. This is because of whoever or whatever is performing the action is not the grammatical subject of the sentence.

Take a look at this passive rephrasing of a familiar joke in the English language:

Why was the road crossed by the chicken?

Who is doing the action in this sentence? The chicken is the one doing the action in this sentence, but the chicken is not in the spot where you would expect the grammatical subject to be. Instead, the road is the grammatical subject.

The more familiar phrasing (why did the chicken cross the road?) puts the actor in the subject position, the position of doing something—the chicken (the actor/doer) crosses the road (the object). We use active verbs to represent that “doing,” whether it be crossing roads, proposing ideas, making arguments, or invading houses (more on that shortly).

Once you know what to look for, the passive voice is easy to spot. Look for a form of “to be” (is, are, am, was, were, has been, have been, had been, will be, will have been, being) followed by a past participle. (The past participle is a form of the verb that typically, but not always, ends in “-ed.” Some exceptions to the “-ed” rule are words like “paid” (not “payed”) and “driven.” (not “drived”).

Here’s a sure-fire formula for identifying the passive voice:

Form of “to be” + past participle = passive voice

For example:

The metropolis has been destroyed by the dragon’s fire blasts.

When her house was invaded, Penelope had to think of ways to delay her auction.

Not every sentence that contains a form of “have” or “be” is passive! 

Let’s briefly look at how to change passive voice sentences into active ones. You can usually just switch the word order, making the actor and subject one by putting the actor up front:

The metropolis has been destroyed by the dragon’s fire blasts.

The passive sentence, when converted into an active sentence:

The dragon destroyed the metropolis with his fire blasts.

When her house was invaded, Penelope had to think of ways to delay her auction.

This passive sentence, when it is converted into an active sentence:

After robbers invaded her house, Penelope had to think of ways to delay her auction.

To repeat, the key to identifying the passive voice is to look for both the form of “to be” and the past participle, which usually, but not always, ends in “-ed.”

Let’s keep in mind how to use the passive voice in terms of the sentence structure, what the examples show above, and in which types of English writing in which the passive voice is being used.

If you would like to take your English writing to the next level, you must first know what the passive voice is and how it can be created in terms of forming an actual sentence. I hope these examples above will help make it clearer in terms of knowing what the basics of the ‘passive voice’ are and how to get started with this form of writing.

grammar tip: The Basics of using the active voice

(October 2020)

Every writer has a voice but it's important to be able to distinguish which is the correct voice to use depending upon the context. There are two main voices in English writing to be aware of: the active voice and the passive voice. In this grammar tip, I will be focusing specifically on how to use the active voice in your writing, which means that the subject of the sentence is actually creating the action and not the other way around.

The "active voice" adds more impact to your writing, which is why most writers use the active voice instead of the passive voice. Overall, I would argue that the active voice is more important than the passive voice, yet you should know how to use both effectively as an English writer.

Active Voice Usage

Sentences written in an active voice flow better and are easier to understand. When you use the active voice, the emphasis is on the subject of the sentence, which is doing the action itself. This makes the sentence straightforward and concise. Examples include:

I really love this TV show.

Gorillas live in the jungle.

In most English sentences with an action verb, the subject performs the action denoted by the verb. These examples show that the subject is doing the verb's action:

          The boy must have eaten all of the hot dogs.

                        The boy (subject) is doing the eating (verb).

          Jennifer mailed him the love letter.

                        Jennifer (subject) is doing the mailing (verb).

         Colorful iguanas live in the Amazon rainforest.

                       Iguanas (subject) are doing the living (verb).

Because the subject does or "acts upon" the verb in such sentences, the sentences are said to be in the active voice. As you go through an individual essay, article, or paper, please be sure to check that you are primarily using the active voice.

The active voice always places the subject within the first word or two at the beginning of the sentence so that the reader will be well aware of who is committing the action.

Please keep in mind how to use the active voice in terms of the sentence structure, what the examples show above, and in which types of writing the active voice is mainly used. If you would like to take your English writing to the next level, you must first know what the active voice is and in a later grammar tip, the passive voice will be discussed in terms of its usage and some examples.

grammar tip: Can you use the same english word back to back? It Depends.

(September 2020)

The English language comes with its own peculiarities and exceptions to the rule when it comes to certain grammar subjects. Using the same word twice is one of those situations when you usually would not need to or nor should you but it is not necessarily grammatically incorrect if you were to do so. I want to make clear that you can use the same English word back to back but it isn’t necessary when you consider the alternatives. I am going to highlight a few examples to show you how the same word can be repeated twice back to back in a sentence and also a substitute that you can use to avoid this uncommon peculiarity.

Still though, do not be discouraged if you use the same English word back to back as it will make sense to the native teacher or speaker. However, do your best to consider an alternative form for the sentence if you can come up with a potential substitute. There are some substitutes out there and in my examples, I will show you how they can be exchanged for the ‘word repetition’ that you decide to use primarily to give you a way out if you do not feel comfortable writing the same word again and would like to avoid it in either your English writing or speaking.

Example #1: “What you do do on vacation is none of my business.”

Repeated word: ‘Do.’

Ways to avoid: The first do is a bit unnecessary and can hinder the overall meaning of the sentence.

Alternatives: “What you end up doing on vacation is none of my business.”

“What you intend to do on your vacation is none of my business.”

“What you do on vacation is none of my business.”

Example #2: “They had had a lot of time doing their homework together.”

Repeated word: ‘Had.’

Ways to avoid: You can use a different prepositional phrase or a different verb after ‘had’ to avoid using the same word twice.

Alternatives: “They had spent a lot of time doing their homework together.”

“They had been spending a lot of time doing their homework together.”

Example #3: “We will talk about this this afternoon.”

Repeated word: ‘This.’

Ways to avoid: Put a ‘noun’ word in between the two ‘this’ to make the sentence flow better and to be more specific. You could also use a different subject word like ‘it’ to describe generally what will be talked about too.

Alternatives: “We will talk about this issue this afternoon.”

“We will talk about it this afternoon.”

As you can see from the examples, repeating an English word twice is not so abnormal or wrong but it is very uncommon. My advice is to use it sparingly and try to find another phrase or word substitute in your speaking or in your writing to get the point across. Even a native speaker would be confused if you use the same word back to back and ask for you to clarify what you mean. It is not wrong to use the same word twice but make sure you use the same word twice correctly before doing so at all.

grammar tip: rules of colon usage

(July 2020)

In a previous tip, I discussed why it’s important to use colons in your sentences and also how to use them in different situations. Now, I want to discuss the rules of colon usage and when and where they can be applied in different English sentences. For their uses, colons have certain rules that can be utilized to make sure they are being used in the correct way. I have listed below how they are used and under what circumstances these rules can be applied.

Rules of Colon Usage

1. Colons are used in the middle of most sentences and are usually followed by a list of items or words belonging to the same or similar categories.

2. Colons can also be used between two sentences especially if the second sentence relates to the meaning of the first sentence.

3. A colon should always be used to introduce a numbered or a bulleted list, such as for grocery items or different types of grammar concepts.

4. As mentioned earlier, colons can be used to introduce a quote from a speaker who was reported to have said the following words and sentences. This kind of long quotation does not need quotation marks if you have already introduced who the speaker is and what they are talking about followed by the comma (:).

5. Colons can also be used at the beginning of a letter or an e-mail in both formal and informal settings for co-workers, bosses, friends, and family members. From seeing the examples above, you can note that instead of a comma (,), a colon (:) is being used instead to introduce the salutation or the greeting for the reader of the letter or e-mail.

These are the main rules for how to use colons and it’s important to keep in mind that a colon can:

1. Never start a formal sentence.

2. Never end a formal sentence.

3. It is rare to have more than one colon used in a single sentence.

4. Colons can be used between two sentences provided there is no period (.) separating them.

5. While not very prominently used like a comma or a period, this form of punctuation has its uses which you should know how to utilize.

Colons are a tricky subject but once you understand both the main uses and the main rules, you will be well on your way to creating better sentences and more detailed quotes from the use of this punctuation. Similar to semicolons, colons are an advanced topic that separate an advanced English grammar learner from an intermediate learner. Once you can list items, introduce quotes, and start an e-mail off right, you will know that you are using colons correctly and for the right reasons.

grammar tip: understanding verb moods better

(June 2020)

As you become more advanced in English grammar, it becomes even more important to understand the four moods that English verbs can take on in sentences. This is also key for your writing proficiency as well to be able to create these moods within your sentences but to also point them out to yourself when you are reading something in English. Now, you may be asking yourself, what is a verb mood and how do I identify it as such?

A verb mood in English shows the writer's attitude toward what he/she is saying. There are four different and distinct verb moods that we use in the English language to highlight a kind of behavior or belief that needs to be expressed independently or dependently. The four verb moods that we will cover in this article are indicative, imperative, subjunctive, and infinitive.

We will cover how, when, and why these four moods are used along with giving some example sentences of how they can be expressed in the written form. The verb moods are similar to each other but they are also distinct in how they are utilized. If you are able to use all four of them correctly, your English proficiency and understanding will increase a good amount as a result.

Indicative Mood states an actuality or fact.

• We will go to see a movie this Sunday.

• I'll follow you to the park.

Imperative Mood makes a request or a demand.

• Let's go to see a play this weekend!

• Please stop touching me!

Subjunctive Mood expresses a doubtful condition (contrary to fact) and is often used with an "if" clause.

• If I were you, I wouldn't buy a house.

• I wish I were more organized.

Infinitive Mood expresses an action or state without reference to any subject. It can be the source of sentence fragments when the writer mistakenly thinks the infinitive form is a fully-functioning verb.

 When we speak of the English infinitive, we usually mean the basic form of the verb with “to” in front of it: to go, to sing, to walk, to speak.

Verbs that are in the infinitive mood can include participle forms ending in -ed and -ing. Verbs in the infinitive mood are not being used as verbs, but as other parts of speech.

·       To err is human; to forgive, divine.

·       He is a man to be admired.

·       He came to see you.

Hopefully, these four verb moods are clearer to you now and you will be able to use them correctly once you have a solid foundation down of sentence order and of sentence structure. Often times, you will be using one of these moods without you even knowing that you are utilizing them. It’s just important, however, to take these examples from each of the four moods and be able to know when and under what circumstances they should be used. Once you have that down, your grammar will improve as well as your writing.

grammar TiP: The Basics of Superlative adjectives

(April 2020)

Superlative adjectives are used to describe objects, which are at the upper or lower limit of a quality (the tallest, the smallest, the fastest, the highest). They are used in sentences where a subject is compared to a group of objects.

Structure: Noun (subject) + verb + the + superlative adjective + noun (object).

Examples

Our house is the largest one in our neighborhood.

This is the smallest spider I've ever seen.

Your dog ran the fastest of any dog in the race.

We all threw our rocks at the same time. My rock flew the highest. ("of all the rocks" is understood by the implication given by the word ‘highest.’)

Forming Superlatives

Forming the superlative is relatively easy to do. The form depends on the number of syllables being used in the adjective itself.

One Syllable Adjectives

Simply Add -est for the adjective to become superlative. If the adjective has a consonant + single vowel + consonant spelling, the final consonant must be doubled before adding the ending.

Examples: tallest, fattest, biggest.

Adjectives

tall, fat, big, sad

Superlative Forms

tallest, fattest, biggest, saddest

Two Syllable Adjectives

Adjectives with two syllables can form the superlative by adding -est or by preceding the adjective with the indicative word, most.

In many cases, both forms are used, although one usage will be more common than the other. If you are not sure whether a two-syllable adjective can take a superlative (-est) ending, play it safe and use most instead. For adjectives ending in y, change the Y to an I before adding the ending.

Adjectives

happy, simple, busy, tilted, tangled

Superlative Forms

happiest, simplest, busiest, most tilted, most tangled

When you are forming the superlative, either in its -est or most form, remember to count the amount of syllables or distinct sounds within the word. If there is only one syllable, you will likely use -est to make it a superlative adjective. However, usually if there are two or more syllables in the adjective such as dominant, you will want to put most in front of the adjective ‘dominant’ to become most dominant instead of adding -est to the end of that adjective and making it grammatically incorrect.

Remember to use practice examples and worksheets to help you master or memorize this particular part of English grammar since it will take some memorization in order to remember the ‘syllable’ rule for both comparative and superlative adjectives.

grammar tip: When and how to use a question mark

(March 2020)

A question mark is a critical example of punctuation that can be used in various cases in English but it is important to understand when and how to use it. The question mark had many uses but can also be abused as well when it would be better to use a period or a comma instead. In order to improve our English writing and/or speaking skills, it’s important to understand when it is best to use a question mark.

There are multiple ways to use a question mark including posing a query regarding seeking information in an interrogative kind of sentence. The speaker is seeking some kind of information in order to be better informed.

Examples:

Are there going to be any desserts to share at the party?

Will I need to bring my homework to class today for the teacher?

A regular statement can also be turned into a question as well in order to confirm what you already know but you need to ask somebody who probably knows to feel comfortable with that exact confirmation.

Examples:

You can finish those spreadsheets for the accounting department by the close of business?

You need help in order to get the documents that you need in order to sign-up for insurance?

You can use question tags as well to help you out in terms of forming the question to another person. The ending word is formed to be asking a query to the other person and include examples such as “okay?, right?, did you?, is that so, eh?”

Examples:

Just leave these report papers on my desk, okay?

Classes are cancelled for the semester starting on Monday, right?

You didn’t follow the recipe directions correctly, did you?

You won the lottery last night and won a lot of money, is that so?

Now, these are only a few ways to form a question and there are other ways to decide how and when to use this form of punctuation, which is so necessary in order to do better with your English grammar skills. Feel free to develop your own examples on a separate sheet of paper and be sure to find out other supplementary ways in which question marks can be formed.

grammar tip: the basics of comparative adjectives

(january 2020)

Comparative adjectives are used to compare differences between the two objects or people or places that they modify. Examples: (larger, smaller, faster, higher). They are used in sentences where two nouns are compared in any kind of manner.

Here is how the structure of a sentence would look like when using a comparative adjective within one:

Structure: Noun (subject) + verb + comparative adjective + than + noun (object).

The second item of comparison can be omitted if it is clear from the context of the sentence. (Look at the final example below).

Examples:

My house is larger than hers.

This baseball is smaller than the one I lost.

Your cat runs faster than Jane's car.

The rock flew higher than the pebble did.

Jim and John are both my friends, but I like John better. ("than Jim" is understood and can also be added at the end of this sentence to clarify the comparison.)

It is also important to note that the main verb, whether in the past or present tense(s) always goes before the adjective in the sentence. You also want to be sure to add ‘-er’ when making the adjective comparative to make the sentence work grammatically. The word ‘than’ will often come after the adjective is used as well and never before the adjective.

Here are some additional adjectives with -er to describe in comparative terms for your future studying of this topic:

bigger

wider

deeper

longer

slower

lower

weaker

stronger

tighter

looser

grammar tip: fun with using colons

(november 2019)

A colon is very useful in English if it is a bit underused as a means of punctuation usage within the world of grammar. You have to understand the circumstances for which a ‘colon’ can be used as well as a few examples of when it can show up in a regular sentence. If you can master colons, you can definitely count yourself as being advanced as an English learner. It will take time, but I hope that this tip will help you get a little bit better in making the colon work to your advantage as a writer.

What is a colon? Well, a colon indicates the meaning of what you want to say as well as to list what is necessary for the reader or the listener to understand. Colons and semicolons are very different in terms of meaning and use. They should never be used in the same sentence or are very rarely used together.

There are a number of uses for colons but the three top ones would be the following:

Use #1: To introduce two or more items and to list them together separated by a comma(s).

Examples:

1. You should do the following tonight: Practice your instrument, study for the test, and help clean the dishes.

2. He got what he wanted today: A big promotion and an increase in his salary.

Use #2: To start a letter or an e-mail to somebody.

1. Dear Mrs. Jones:

2. To Whom It May Concern:

Use #3: To introduce a quote or a short summary of a few sentences:

1. John F. Kennedy once spoke: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

2. The author of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, wrote in the second chapter:

   “Tom Sawyer went back to his bed and stared at the fence where Jim was painting for Tom’s father. Tom wondered whether his father and Jim were friends or even if they spoke to each other.” (Not a real quote from the book, just an example)

   As you can see now, there are three main uses for colons as well as some rules that have to be observed. While this tip does not cover the rules, now you know why you use colons and a few examples to show how colons can be written within English sentences.

grammar tip: how to apply the use of interjections

(October 2019)

You need nouns, verbs, and even adjectives to make a complete sentence that makes grammatical sense but you do not an interjection to make that happen. However, to convey the depths of emotion within a sentence, interjections are an important part of speech that must be used in those cases.

However, You can express either emotions or feelings with interjections but they are not as grammatically important as other parts of speech. If you plan on using interjections in academic or professional forms of writing, I would not recommend doing that. Instead, interjections would be perfect for more artistic or creative forms of writing that allow you as the author to express your emotions or feelings to the readers.

When it comes to the placing of interjections within a sentence itself, there are a couple of options for you to consider. It is quite common to put an interjection like “Wow!” or “Oh no!” with an exclamation at the beginning of a sentence to signal that it is a strong emotion.

Examples:

“Oh no! I forgot to do my homework last night!”

“Wow! That was an exciting football match!”

Interjections don’t solely need to be at the beginning of a sentence but can also be found in the middle or at the end of a sentence. Emotions and feelings can be conveyed in any part of a sentence as long as it makes sense within the story or article you’re writing.

Example: So, it’s going to rain today, huh?”

In this case, the interjection here is “huh?” which comes at the end of the sentence to express disappointment or bewilderment that it’s going to rain. When you use ‘huh’ as an interjection in English, it mainly conveys confusion rather than excitement or wonder, which would allow you to place an exclamation point after a different interjection (!) such as wow!

There are over hundreds of examples of interjections that you can look up to start using in your own stories or articles. These examples above are just a few of the most commonly used ones that you’ll see in the English language.

grammar tip: The utility of semicolons

(July 2019)

Similar to commas, Semicolons are an important punctuation mark that plays a key role in many English sentences. When you think of a semicolon, think of it being a slight pause in a sentence between the two main clauses or parts that should be separated as you would do with a comma. You will want to use the semicolon in between two independent clauses within a basic sentence and this is especially true if there is no coordinating conjunction being used such as and, or, but, etc. A good example of when semicolons can be used is when you are writing a list of items or things that need to be separated from one another. This is probably the most important use of a semicolon, but it is far from being the only usage.

Semicolons are often used in the middle or towards the end of a sentence if apart of a multi-item list. You won’t see a semicolon being used at the beginning or the end of a sentence as you would with a period or a question mark. Semicolons, colons, and commas are all part of what is known as ‘internal punctuation’, which forms the backbone of a complete sentence. Semicolons can be used with other semicolons within the same sentence as it would be the case when commas are used with commas in a similar sentence.

Semicolons can be used interchangeably with commas as well within the same sentence depending on whether two different people, places, or things are being referenced separately. It is perhaps most common that the semicolon is used with another semicolon or more, but it can be used with other forms of internal punctuation. In addition, semicolons can be used with a colon (:) because the colon often precedes the semicolon(s) in a complete sentence in terms of usage.

            Let us look at a few examples where semicolons are being used with a colon preceding it:

1.)   Jackie bought the following items from the supermarket today: Corn; String beans; Tomatoes; Bread.

2.)   James listed his worst fears for his teacher in the following order: Flying; Being in front of an audience; Heights; Spiders.

Let us look at how semicolons (;) can be used with commas (,) correctly within the same sentence:

1.)   George’s family included John, his older brother; Jenny, his younger sister; and Jerry, his younger brother.

2.)   There are McDonald’s restaurants all over the world including Istanbul, Turkey; Mexico City, Mexico; and Bogota, Colombia.

3.)   The astronauts had to decide about the countdown: Would they count from three, two, one; or one, two, three?

All these examples show how interchangeable punctuation marks are within a complete sentence especially when you are listing family members or restaurant chains in different cities. You can see how commas and semicolons can be used together, especially to highlight pauses within a sentence to show differences between places and/or people. Semicolons are not used as often as commas but they play an important role.

grammar tip: commas are your friend

(June 2019)

An important point about English grammar that gets overlooked is the utility involved with using correct punctuation within sentences. There is no bigger role to play in terms of punctuation that that which is the role of the comma. (,) is an integral part of correct English grammar and does an excellent job of breaking up run-on sentences. As I have mentioned previously, run-on sentences can distort the meaning or the impact of your sentences and actually leave the reader feeling bored or confused.

The comma has an integral role in breaking up the sentence or “pausing” it in order for the reader and the writing to catch their collective breath. Nowhere is the comma more important than after a conjunction word such as ‘and, but, or’, which also help to connect sentences together without making it seem awkward.

Let’s compare two sentences with one using commas and one without commas and try to note the difference(s) between them:

1. Alex was tired of losing to Janie in Scrabble believing that he was a better player than her for which he even reminded her of despite losing in a landslide fashion.

2. Alex was tired of losing to Janie in Scrabble, believing that he was a better player than her, and for which he even reminded her of, despite losing in a landslide fashion.

If you want to see why a regular sentence is better with a comma (,), then simply read these two example sentences out loud to see why #2 with commas is much better than #1 without commas. Sentence #1 is long-winded and you can’t pause it to digest the meaning of what’s happening with Alex and Janie. Whereas, Sentence #2 has well-placed commas to break up the sentence a bit and pause as well as to put a conjunction word like ‘and’ in order to bring the sentence together without ruining the meaning of it.

The next time you feel that you are on your way to writing a run-on sentence, stop and think about putting in a well-placed comma in order to keep the sentence going a bit longer but with a needed pause to reflect a bit. A complete sentence without a comma will not be complete and it will not sound good when you read it out loud to yourself or to others. Remember, commas are your friend and you are going to be utilizing them a lot as an English writer and grammar enthusiast.

Grammar tip: using main and auxiliary verbs together

(April 2019)

Within English grammar, it’s important to consider the fact that there are often more than one verb used within a single sentence. You have your main verb for which the sentence relies upon for its complete sentence as well as the auxiliary verb which supports the meaning but for which would be incomplete without being followed by the main verb.

It’s not enough to sometimes have just one verb in your sentence especially when it’s just the auxiliary verb. The auxiliary verb should also be known as the ‘secondary’ verb of the sentence while the main verb should also be seen as the ‘primary’ verb. Without either verb, the sentence will not make complete grammatical sense and it will lack meaning for what you intend to write.

Examples:

You can money.

I am the homework.

You playing the instrument.

What do all these examples above have in common? Well, they are missing a verb, for one, and they are also missing either a main verb or an auxiliary verb to complete the sentence. If you can, try to figure out which verbs would fit in the sentence if you were asked to re-write them. It’s necessary to be able to point out not only the error in these example sentences but also how to make them correct and what changes you would make. Let’s now look at the corrected examples with the necessary added verbs:

Corrected Examples:

You can make money. (Main verb added)

I am doing the homework. (Main verb added)

You like playing the instrument. (Auxiliary verb added)

As you can see from these corrected examples, these sentences are not complete without either a main verb or an auxiliary verb. If you do not have either of them, these sentences will be lacking context and/or meaning.

Please do your best to remember that it’s likely that you will need more than one verb in your English sentences usually and that it will make your sentence become even better when you can use multiple verbs correctly and in the right order. Having the ability to use main verbs and auxiliary verbs in conjunction with each other is a great grammar skill to pick up and master.

GRAMMAR TIP: HOW DO WE USE ‘THESE’ AND ‘THOSE’ CORRECTLY?

(February 2019)

In a previous grammar tip, I covered ‘This’ and ‘That’ in terms of how they are used as pronouns in the singular context. You only refer to one subject when you use either word in a sentence. However, ‘These’ and ‘Those’ are also two important pronouns that we use in English to identify specific people, places, and things that are related to a plural subject, which means there is more than one subject.

However, they are distinct in their usage in that they are not used within the same kind of sentences and are usually kept separately. The main thing that separates these two pronouns of ‘These’ and ‘Those’ is measured in terms of distance.

What do I mean by ‘these’ and ‘those’ being separated by distance? Well, it’s actually quite simple when you think about it. ‘These’ refers to more than one person, multiple objects, things, etc. that are relatively close to us in their distance or are actually in the same place as the subject. You could always refer to ‘these’ in a situation or an event that uses ‘we, you all, us, they’ as subjects are part of. ‘These’ and ‘Those’ have a similar relationship to distance as ‘This’ and ‘That’, however, ‘these’ and ‘those’ deal with plural pronouns while ‘this’ and ‘that’ focus only on singular pronouns.

Let’s look at the examples below to see what I mean when I say that the pronoun ‘these’ refers to people, things, etc. that are close to us in terms of distance:

These

1. These are my close friends.

2. These waves are too big to surf.

3. These cobra snakes are very dangerous.

4. These doors are so heavy to open.

5. These cookies are delicious but I should stop eating them.

Now that we know that ‘these’ refers to multiple people and objects close to us in distance, we can assume that ‘those’ is the word which refers to the exact opposite with people and objects being far away from us in distance, relevance, or general importance. Let’s take a look at the examples below to see how ‘these’ are different from ‘those’ in its sentence usage:

Those

1. Those planes can’t fly in this snowy weather.

2. Those men are very angry about the basketball team losing.

3. Those sunny days in the Summertime are my favorite of the year.

4. Those pies we ate at Thanksgiving were delicious.

5. Those teachers need to be paid more from the government for their good work.

‘These’ and ‘Those’, like ‘This’ and ‘That’ are also very important pronouns to know how and when to use. They are not classified ‘personal pronouns’ so they may not come up as often in your written or spoken sentences in English. However, if you are able to use both of ‘these’ pronouns correctly, your English grammar will be much improved as a result. It is certain that you will be more confident in terms of your proficiency in the English language in mastering your knowledge of pronouns. Those are the facts!

grammar tip: Avoiding the misusage of singular and plural nouns in sentences

(december 2018)

A common yet easy to make mistake that ESL students sometimes do as beginners is to mix up singular and plural nouns. Knowing when and when not to use the 's' at the end of nouns is key to having grammatically correct sentences. It should be made clear that the letter 's' should only be added to the end of a noun when there are more than one item, place, or thing being referenced in that sentence.

The key difference from one example would be 'You eat one cookie' and then 'You eat two cookies', with 's' only being added to the noun 'cookie' when there is more than one cookie being referenced. You can also use 'many, a few, a lot of' before the noun 'cookies.' Countable and uncountable nouns go hand in hand with singular and plural nouns as grammatical concepts.

'Countable' nouns are usually plural nouns meaning that these nouns are referencing more than one thing or item in number while 'Uncountable' nouns are usually singular in nature and are not able to reference multiple (more than one) persons, places, and things. Being able to use singular and plural nouns in written and/or spoken sentences is key because it will come up very often. If you make a small mistake with this concept of mixing up their usage, it should be corrected as soon as possible in order to not become another bad habit.

A key tactic in avoiding this common mistake is to study which nouns can be made plural with an -s and also if they are countable or not. By doing that, you will be able to avoid saying that there are ‘two sheeps’ when you mean to say that there are ‘two sheep’ since ‘sheep’ as a word is both singular and plural. ‘Sheep’ is also countable as a noun but you do not need to add the letter ‘-s’ to make it plural. ‘One sheep’ is singular and countable as a noun and then so it ‘two sheep’, which is now plural because of the word ‘two’ but that the ‘s’ does not need to be added since ‘sheep’ is an exception to that rule of adding the ‘s.’

Be sure to study different nouns to see if they are either countable or uncountable and also if there is a difference between how they are formed as a singular noun and if they are formed as a plural noun. Being able to avoid this mistake will be key in developing your English grammar proficiency.

Grammar tip: How do we use ‘this’ and ‘that’ correctly?

(October 2018)

‘This’ and ‘That’ are two important pronouns that we use in English to identify specific people, places, and things that are related to us in some way. However, they are distinct in their usage in that they are not used within the same kind of sentences and are usually kept separately. The main thing that separates these two pronouns of ‘This’ and ‘That’ is distance.

What do I mean by ‘this’ and ‘that’ being separated by distance? Well, it’s actually quite practical when you look at it. ‘This’ refers to people, objects, things, etc. that are close to us in their distance or are actually in our position. You could always refer to ‘this’ in a situation or an event that you are apart of. Look at the examples below to see what I mean when I say that ‘this’ refers to things that are close to us in terms of distance:

This

1. This is my pen.

2. This is your birthday party.

3. This is the first day of his presidency.

4. This desk is right next to me.

5. This test is going to be so difficult.

Now that we know that ‘this’ refers to people and objects close to us in distance, we can assume that ‘that’ is the word which refers to the exact opposite with people and objects being far away from us in distance, relevance, or general importance. Let’s take a look at the examples below to see how ‘that’ is different from ‘this’ in its sentence usage:

That

1. That train is leaving the station right now.

2. That is my watch.

3. That jury decision was not fair.

4. That birthday party last night was a lot of fun.

5. That professor will be really difficult next semester.

‘This’ and ‘That’ are both very important pronouns to know how and when to use. They are not ‘personal pronouns’ so they may not come up as often in your written or spoken sentences. However, if you are able to use both of these impersonal pronouns correctly, your English grammar will be much improved as a result and you’ll be more confident in terms of your proficiency in the English language in a number of areas. That is the truth!

GRAMMAR TIP: THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AND, OR, BUT  (CONJUNCTIONS)

(September 2018)

The average student of the English language will know that 'conjunctions' are a key basic part of speech that is commonly used in many different types of sentences. Conjunctions, in a sense, is the connector word of the sentence and is able to bring two different parts or clauses of a sentence together quite seamlessly. There are multiple conjunctions to use but the three most important ones are 'and, but, or.' 

'And', the first highlighted conjunctions is meant to be used in sentences where are two or more people, places, or things being mentioned together. In the same sentence, you use 'and' in order to clarify that there are more than one or multiple 'people, places, or things' being referred to either directly or indirectly. Here are two examples below as to how best put the conjunction 'and' in a regular sentence: 

1.) He is captain of the football team and president of the glee club.

2.) They went to both Berlin and Munich for the holidays. 

'But' is different from 'and' as our 2nd conjunction in focus because it describes an exception in the sentence that has to be addressed in a clause within the sentence, which is usually the 2nd or last clause. Despite what the first part of the sentence has indicated, the 2nd clause will have contradicted it in some regard. In order to make this kind of sentence work, the conjunction 'but' has to be used to be considered grammatically correct.

1.) She was a nice lady but she has a bad habit of coming to our meetings late.

2.) We were going to go on a boat cruise tonight but the rainstorm caused the company to postpone it to next week.

'Or' is both different from 'but' or 'and' in that you have to often make a choice between two or more different options within the same sentence. The main reason to use 'or' is to highlight the idea of a choice being offered within the two or more clauses of the sentence. 'And' should be considered inclusive of your options and the fact that you don't have to make a choice. 'But' is to highlight an exception inherent in the choice of the action that you made and 'or' relates to the choice that must be made within the sentence for the action that you will take or could be taken. 

1.) I could study for my final exam or I could go to the movies instead.

2.) There were two ice cream flavor choices: chocolate chip or peanut butter. 

Remember to study these examples listed above for 'and, but, or' to get a better sense of how each of these three unique conjunctions are used. These three conjunctions are all similar in their aim of tying a regular sentence together but they are doing so for different purposes. Only by using these different conjunctions consistently for their unique uses will help you to become better at this English grammar topic. 

grammar tip: Don't forget to use definite and indefinite Articles (a, an, the) in sentences

(august 2018)

A key mistake that English learners make is to forget to use either definite and indefinite articles at the beginning of their written or spoken sentences. This is an easy mistake to make however it can become a bad habit unless you know why these definite and indefinite articles are to be used and for what purposes. 'a, an, the' are the articles for which I am referring to and they are three of the most used words in the entire English language. 

In English, grammatical articles are a huge part of the spoken and written language whereas it isn't used at all or rarely such as in Japanese or in Russian. Let's take a closer look at what definite and indefinite articles are and how they are used specifically. 

'the' - This word is a definite article and is used to refer to specific nouns that has a known or exact amount, quantity or defined entity. 

'a' or 'an' - These two words are both indefinite articles and are used to refer to general nouns that have an unexact amount, quantity, or undefined entity. 

To give you some examples, here are ways you can use these articles 'a, an' and then 'the' in sentences:

1.) The ten boys went to the movies together.

2.) An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

3.) A large number of people go to work every day. 

4.) The end of the book was very satisfying to the reader.

There are a number of ways to improve your knowledge of definite and indefinite articles but the best way is to simply understand the reasoning behind these words being used in sentences. By knowing their uses, you'll better able to come up with examples of your own which you can put into use with your daily speaking or writing efforts in English. The main thing to keep in mind for this tip is that you will definitely run into definite and indefinite articles in English whether its 'a, an, the' because they must be used and they cannot be ignored by the non-native English learner. 

grammar Tip: The correct uses for 'i' and 'me' in a sentence

(July 2018)

If we are referring to someone in the third person in a sentence, how exactly do we phrase it the correct way? We know that in the English language that the basic structure of a regular sentence is subject + verb + object in that basic order but what happens when we have two different words 'me' and 'I' that can be used to refer to in the third person. 

This is a grammatical concept that trips up even native English speakers so it's important to know the differentiation of how 'I' and 'me' are used in sentences. I'll give you an example below to highlight which one is to be used as another subject in the right grammatical sense. 

'Jessica and me went for a run yesterday.' (Incorrect)

'Jessica and I went for a run yesterday.' (Correct)

Which of these sentences above is the correct version grammatically? If you said the first one, you would be wrong. It is in fact better to use 'I' as the other subject pronoun when it comes to referring to 'Jessica' as the subject and then the third person as 'I'. Many native English speakers may use 'me' as the second subject pronoun but that is grammatically incorrect. Instead of using 'I', a good alternative would be to use 'myself' instead of 'me' if you would need a second option to consider when it comes to using a personal pronoun as the second subject of the sentence. 

'I' is the right pronoun to use when it comes to referring to more than one subject in the same sentence. 'Jessica' and 'I' in the above example both function as subject pronouns. However, 'me' functions as an object pronoun rather than as a subject pronoun making it grammatically incorrect to use. 

A better usage for 'me' in that above example would be to change it around a bit and instead use it in this way:

'Jessica took me for a run yesterday.'

With this above example, 'Jessica' is clearly the subject of the sentence while 'me' functions as the object of the sentence with the verb 'took' (irregular verb - past tense) coming in between these two words as the main verb.

While this is not the most popular grammatical issue to come up, you would be surprised at how many native English speakers and/or English learners get it confused. However, if you're willing to remember this rule, your English grammar will improve a great deal by clearing up this common mistake.

Grammar tip: Can we use prepositions at the end of sentences?

(June 2018)

If you have been studying English for a while, you are likely to be familiar with prepositions and how they can be used at the beginning and/or middle of any sentence. However, can we extend the use of prepositions to be at the last word of a sentence and under which circumstances can that be possible for us? 

Indeed, there are a few instances where we can actually use preposition words to end a sentence. If you are creating a sentence that uses passive expressions, you should be able to end the sentence with a preposition word such as 'on, for.' Here are two examples of passive sentences where prepositions are the last word in the sentence.

1.) The tuxedo has not been paid for.

2.) I thought that your nightlight was on.

As you can see from these two examples above, preposition words can come at the end of sentences when it is a passive statement or assertion being made. 

Preposition words can also come at the end of sentences where there are 'relative clauses' and where questions that include verbs which are being linked to adverbs. Here are a few examples of sentences where preposition words can also end these sentences / questions:

1.) Why did you put that there for?

2.) They must be reasoned with. Their financial commitment is key to the play going on.

As you can see from these examples above, prepositions at the end of sentences in English are still relevant today albeit rare. However, if you do see them being used, please make sure that the way these preposition words are being used at the end of a sentence are correct instead of misplaced. There are a few occasions where prepositions come at the end of a sentence but it does not come up very often except for when there's a passive statement or general question being posed. 

Grammar tip: knowing the difference between its and it's (Contraction v. Possession) 

(May 2018)

Its and It's can be two very confusing words to master for the average English learner. However, in order to improve your grammar, knowing when and how to use both of these words will be crucial to bettering your proficiency in this area. The first word that I'll tackle is 'It's.' 

The main function of 'It's' is that it is a contraction for either the words 'it is' or 'it has' and is to be used in informal situations with friends, family, or with acquaintances.

Here are some examples of how to use 'It's' in some sentences:

I think it's been a fun birthday party today. Thank you for hosting it.

It's been a long time since I've played some Rock and Roll.

As the saying goes, It's a small world. 

*You will notice that two of those examples above show that the word 'been' comes after the contraction 'it's' so it is important to keep that in mind and that the two words often go together.*

When it comes to 'its', this word is not a contraction but rather a possessive pronoun. Its can modify a noun and is used to show ownership as well over an object or another thing. 

Here are some examples of how to use 'Its' in a few sentences:

The kangaroo carried the cub in its pouch. 

The Italian restaurant celebrated its twentieth anniversary recently.

The dog hurt its leg running after the ball.

As you can see from these examples, the main difference between it's and its is that it's uses an apostrophe while its does not. Its is also possessive in nature whereas it's does not claim possession over any other object or thing and is mainly a reference to an event or occurrence. 

There are many contractions out there in the English language but a common mistake that can be made is when it comes to using 'it's and 'its' correctly in a regular sentence. If you follow the rules and examples laid out above, you will be in good shape when it comes to using these two words in the future. 

Grammar Tip: The need to memorize irregular verbs IN the Simple past tense

(APRIL 2018)

The simple past tense in English is pretty straightforward with the exception of when it comes to irregular verbs. Regular verbs when put into the simple past tense have to simply add the letter -d or the letters -ed to the end of the verb to make the change necessary. This is a really easy switch to make but it gets a bit more complicated when it comes to changing irregular verbs into the simple past tense. 

Unfortunately, there is no rule or pattern to abide by in English grammar for the irregular verbs. There is no simple formula to always holds true to change irregular verbs from the simple present tense to the simple past tense. Because there is no 'magic bullet' here to master irregular verb changes, the best advice to be given is to really take your time and study the couple of hundred of irregular verbs that are out there. Only with serious effort and the ability to memorize the changes that need to be made will you be able to become proficient in using irregular verbs in the past tense.

Being able to hear people talk in English with normal conversation, listening to English language movies and music, and writing sentences with irregular verbs can also make a big difference in mastering this difficult grammar topic.

Here are some of the examples where irregular verbs are changed from the simple present tense to the simple past tense: 

Break ---> Broke

Take ---> Took

Bring ---> Brought

Drink ---> Drunk

Go ---> Went

Eat ---> Ate

Feel ---> Felt

Think ---> Thought

Drive ---> Drove 

Swim ---> Swam

These ten examples are just a few of the hundreds of irregular verbs that are out there. Do your best, take your time to study and memorize them and you'll be well on your way to becoming proficient in the simple past tense. 

GRAMMAR TIP: Using commas and semicolons effectively

(March 2018)

When it comes to putting two ideas together in an effective grammatical way, using commas and semicolons correctly is key. Instead of using 'and', 'but', among other conjunctions repetitively, it would be better to make constructive use of the comma (,) or the semicolon (;) instead in order to make the ideas flow better especially if they go together well. 

Examples with Commas

1. Jack went to park with his dog, and I stayed home to drink tea.

2. I didn't go to the baseball game last night, nor did my girlfriend. 

3. John earned a raise from his boss this Christmas, but I did not get anything.

Examples with Semicolons

1. Tina's cat sleeps a lot; it's very lazy and lethargic.

2. The band's music was a real hit at the party; everybody was dancing and grooving to the beat.

3. Alex and Jordan have to go food shopping every week; they eat out of house and home very quickly. 

As you can see from the examples above, using the commas with the help of 'coordinating conjunctions', or using semicolons instead to connect ideas are effective in sentence creation. When you use a comma, it's likely that it will come before a coordinating conjunction to form the second part of the sentence. However, using a semicolon instead allows you to bypass the use of a conjunction and create a separate sentence that is directly related to the first sentence but which can begin with a new subject, verb, and object(s).

Grammar Tip: Knowing The Difference between 'will' and 'going to' for the future tense

(February 2018)

The words 'will' and 'going to' are very commonly used to express oneself in the future tense. It's important however to know the difference in how they are used and under what circumstances should they be applied. 

If you're making a quick decision about something or someone, you're going to use 'will' instead of the alternative of 'going to.' Also if you're offering to help or assist someone, then you would use 'will' as well. When it comes to making a promise or a threat, 'will' is what you should be using before the verb. Lastly, 'will' is also used when you want to refuse a gesture or a gift from somebody. The five instances of making a quick decision, offering something, making a promise and/or threat, and refusing a gesture or a gift will all use 'will' when it comes to the future tense.

Examples:

1.) I will buy you dinner tomorrow night.

2.) He will help you get out of the car.

3.) She will promise us to watch the dog while we go out to brunch.

4.) If they don't stop marching, we will shut down the bridge to stop them.

5.) They won't help us if we are not willing to cooperate with them.

When it comes to using 'going to', the circumstances of usage are not as frequent when compared to using 'will' for the future tense. When 'going to' is placed in a sentence, it's often for discussing a prior plan that you have confirmed with friends, family, or other people in your life and is a definitive plan. When something is likely to happen and the result is inevitable based on the current evidence, you would also use 'going to' to describe the outcome. The last instance where you would use 'going to' over 'will' is when something imminent is about to happen and there's not much time left until it occurs such as an event.

Examples: 

1.) I'm going out dancing with my best friends tonight at the Salsa club in Havana.

2.) New England is likely going to win this football game. They're up by 21 points at halftime. 

3.) The race is going to start immediately after the gun fires in the air. 

The one instance where 'will' and 'going to' overlap with each other in terms of usage deals with making predictions that are likely to happen in the future. In this regard, both 'going to' and 'will' are equal and both create the same kind of meaning in the sentence. 

Example:

1.) I think it's going to rain tomorrow evening in Seattle.

2.) I think it will rain tomorrow evening in Seattle.

As you can see in this example above, there is no discernible difference between these two sentences in terms of meaning even though they use 'going to' or 'will' interchangeably without any issues. If a student of the English language is to master the future tense in grammar, he or she will need to know the differences and similarities between the phrases 'will' and 'going to.' They can be applied in a number of different ways so it's important to study the examples above and also think about their reasons for being used in the future tense. 

Grammar tip: adding -D or -ed to words in the present tense to make the simple past tense form (Regular)

(January 2018)

An important grammar rule to keep in mind with the simple past tense is how to form it correctly. We use the past tense for a variety of reasons and the most common kind of past tense usage is the 'simple past tense.' Out of the four past tense forms, the simple past tense is easiest to form and the easiest to use. 

For regular simple past tense words, all you have to do is add the letter 'd' or the letters 'ed' together to the end of the word in question to form this grammar tense. 

Examples:

Work --> Worked

Dance --> Danced

Call --> Called

Play --> Played

Sentences:

I worked overtime this week to make some extra money at my job.

She danced salsa every Saturday evening at Club Havana.

We called the doctor's office to make an appointment but nobody picked up the phone.

They played against the New York Yankees in the 2000 MLB World Series.

Whether you're referring to a one-time event or something that has occurred multiple times in the past, you're going to need to know the basics of the simple past tense. The regular form of the simple past tense is the easiest to grasp based on the simplicity of adding -d or -ed to the end of any verb. However, you should not confuse the regular simple past tense with the irregular form of the simple past tense which is a lot more complicated and requires memorization on behalf of the student. 

Grammar TIp: Remember the 'You' exception with the verb 'to be'

(December 2017)

The first verb that most English students learn first is the verb 'to be.' It is a pretty easy verb to remember and to conjugate with the subject words as well. The one trick that beginner students often don't get at first usually is how to match the particular subject pronoun of 'you.' This subject pronoun is singular in its' meaning only for one person or thing. However, 'you' does not go with the word 'is' in the simple present tense form of 'to be' or for the word 'was' in the simple past tense form of the 'to be' verb. 

I know it can be confusing for English language learners to be confused by this fact but it is a grammar rule and it must be observed in order to have correct grammar. The best way to avoid this pitfall is through consistent usage and memorization of the 'you' subject pronoun and how it fits with the 'to be' verb. I've listed below the singular and plural subject pronoun chart along with the 'to be' verb so that students will know how to match the subject + the verb together properly.

Singular Pronouns + 'To be'        (Past Tense)        Plural Pronouns + 'To be'

I was                                                                        They were

He / She was                                                              We were 

It was

You were

Singular Pronouns + 'To be'       (Present Tense)       Plural Pronouns + 'To be'

I am                                                                              They are

He is / She is                                                                   We are

It is

You are

As you can see from the two charts above, 'you' is the only singular pronoun that has a plural form of 'to be' so it fits more with 'they, we' than it does with 'I, he/she, it.' I call this grammar rule the 'you' exception so it's important as an English student to study this rule because it's not going to change and it's a key part of basic English grammar. Unfortunately, 'you was' or 'you is' do not go together in the same sentence and is grammatically incorrect. A native English speaker would know what you are saying but you would sound a bit funny to them putting 'you' and 'is' together. 

Here are some examples of how to use the 'you' subject pronoun and the verb 'to be' together:
1. You are my best friend.

2. You were very late to the dinner party.

3. You are a really kind person.

4. You were thinking about going to graduate school. 

There are hundreds of examples that can make this rule seem easy to remember but just take the time to study the charts above, write some sentences using 'you' and the plural form of 'to be' down on a piece of paper and eventually it will start to become normal for you. You won't need to worry about 'is' and 'was' when it comes to starting a sentence with 'you.' 

GRAMMar TIP: Using subject and object pronouns together

(november 2017)

As discussed in the previous grammar tip, it's important for all English learners to follow the 'subject + verb + object' (SVO) rule. This is especially the case when it comes to putting subject and object pronouns together. 

Object pronouns are a type of personal pronoun and can be used as the direct or indirect object of a particular verb. The formula of SVO remains the same, but there is a direct relationship between the subject pronouns and the object pronouns. 

Subject and object pronouns are almost the same in that they can be singular or plural, masculine or feminine, or gender neutral. When the gender is known, the object pronoun reflects that based off of what the subject pronoun is. If you're dealing with an object, animal, or thing, then the gender neutral form of 'it' is used as an object pronoun. 

Here's a list of the subject pronouns and object pronouns that go together in a sentence: 

I --> Me

You --> You (singular or plural use)

He --> Him

She --> Her

It --> It 

We --> Us

They --> Them

'You' and 'It' don't change as subject or object pronouns even when their meaning is singular or plural. It's important to remember that you can guess which subject or object pronoun should be used in your sentence based on what the other one is. As an English student, you have to be able to understand the correlation between the subject and object pronouns. 

Here are some examples of subject and object pronouns being used together in a sentence: 

1. She likes her pocket book. She wants to buy the same one.

2. They were with them when we all left the movie theater.

You can also mix and match the different subject and object pronouns together in a sentence when referring to people, objects, things, etc.

1. He wants her to be his girlfriend. 

2. They bought us tickets to tonight's Yankees - Astros ALCS game.

3. You know me better than anyone else in the world. 

When learning about subject and object pronouns, it's almost like putting a puzzle together. You have to know where exactly to put the pieces in order to write a grammatically correct sentence. 

Grammar Tip: Remember subject + Verb + Object for Correct Sentence Structure

(october 2017)

It is important to remember that the grammatical structure in English can be different than your native language. 

When you're trying to begin forming sentences in English, remember that Subject + Verb + Object = Correct sentence. You should always try to be aware of the SVO rule and formula before you start to write basic sentences.

The subject (I, He, You) always comes first in English followed by the verb (to be, to do, to like) and ends with the object (person, place, or thing). Once you have the SVO down, you'll be able to start writing correct sentences, paragraphs and even essays as your English proficiency starts to increase. 

It's important to take the time to memorize the subject words, a good amount of verbs, and different objects so you'll have the vocabulary necessary in order to create complete sentences. Without the S, the V, and/or the O, your sentence(s) will not make grammatical sense. Listed below are some examples that use the SVO rule in the correct order to form complete sentences.

Examples

1. I washed the dog. 

2. He plays baseball.

3. She dances ballet.

4. You created a TV show.

5. They went to the movies. 

6. We are friends. 

Remember, the subject always comes first in any English sentence followed by the verb and then the object. As you can see above, all of these example sentences follow the SVO rule.

Here's a breakdown below of one of our previous example sentences and to see which word fits with the SVO rule: 

He --> Subject

To play (plays) --> Verb

Baseball --> Object

By becoming comfortable with the SVO rule for English, your grammar comprehension will improve quite a bit and you'll become more proficient overall! 

Grammar TIP: Good vs. Well

(September 2017)

Good is an adjective while Well is used to answer 'how' questions as an adverb. When it comes to performing a job, completing some homework, or finishing up a project, we need to differentiate when to use good and when to use well. 

Examples:

• We did a good job on the Science project.

'Good' is the adjective that describes the noun, which is 'job.' 

• He did well on his Science Project. He earned an 'A' from his professor.

'Well' is the adverb that describes how the science project was performed. 

When it comes to describing someone's health or physical state, you should use 'well.' However, when it comes to a person's emotional state, you should use 'good' instead. 

Lastly, you can use 'good' or 'well' when it comes to any of the five senses such as hearing, taste, touch, smell, sight. These kind of active sentences often can be used with either 'good' or 'well' but use your own discretion when creating an active sentence and figure out if 'good' or 'well' sounds better to use either verbally or expressed in the written form.