The first word every sentence

Presentation on theme: «Capitalize the first word in every sentence. Capitalize “I” Capitalize Proper Nouns and Proper Adjectives Proper Nouns – name a specific person, place.»— Presentation transcript:

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Capitalize the first word in every sentence. Capitalize “I” Capitalize Proper Nouns and Proper Adjectives Proper Nouns – name a specific person, place or thing – organizations, teams, business firms, institutions, buildings, government sections (i.e. Joshua, Brazil, New York State United Teachers [NYSUT]) Proper Adjectives – use Proper Nouns to describe something. (i.e. Brazilian) Do not capitalize every letter.

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Long works are italicized or underlined. Novels, memoirs, plays (i.e. The Scarlet Letter or A Streetcar Named Desire) Short works are in quotation marks. Poems, short stories (i.e. “The Monkey’s Paw” or “The Road Less Travelled”)

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If the information is given directly to you (written on the test or handout) or easily accessible (the title of a work you are analyzing), then you must spell the information correctly.

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Text and IM lingo and abbreviations are not to be used in formal writing. You may not use a letter to stand for a whole word. (i.e. “u r,” “cuz,” “idk,” “wat,” “lol”)

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Do not use personal pronouns unless you are writing a personal narrative, instructions or a piece of fiction. 1 st Person – I, me, my, we, mine, us, our and ours 2 nd Person – You, your, yours

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Contractions should be avoided in formal writing. (i.e. I’m, let’s, he’d, etc.)

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Run-on Sentence – when two sentences are run together as if they were a single thought. Fused – no punctuation between the two thoughts. The children ran to the store they had to get milk. Comma Splice – just a comma between the two thoughts. The children ran to the store, they had to get milk.

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Independent Clause – expresses a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence. The boy ran down the street. Subordinate/Dependent Clause – doesn’t express a complete thought and can’t stand alone as a sentence. It is a sentence fragment. Getting home quickly.

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When an independent clause is joined with another independent clause punctuation is needed and sometimes the addition of a word is needed. The boy ran down the street; he got home quickly. The boy ran down the street, and he got home quickly. NOTE: The punctuation goes after the last word of the first clause.

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One independent clause can be made into a subordinate clause using a joining word or punctuation. The boy loved running down the street and getting home quickly. The boy enjoyed running down the street, getting home quickly. In order to get home quickly, the boy enjoyed running down the street.

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Whatever tense you are using should be consistent. WRONG: Susan went (past) to the store yesterday, so that she can (present) buy some milk. RIGHT: Susan went (past) to the store, so that she could (past) buy some milk.

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Their = It is their right to know the crime they are being charged with. There = You need to go there right after school. They’re = They’re all going to the concert on Friday night.

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Its (Possessive)= The computer stores information in its memory. It’s = It’s time to go to sleep now.

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Where = Where are you going in such a hurry? We’re = We’re going to the gym right after work. Were = Were you planning on going to the store right now? Wear = He will wear that shirt tomorrow.

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Your = Your zipper is down on your pants. You’re = You’re a superstar!!!

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Whether = Whether or not you are right or wrong is irrelevant. Weather = People seem to enjoy complaining about the weather.

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Belief = My beliefs are based on Christian values. Believes = Rochelle still believes in the tooth fairy.

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Rite = As the leader of the program, she needs to study the rite of the ceremony to be performed. Right = Make a right at the corner. Write = Please write your name on the document please.

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Through = She drove through the tunnel on the way to NYC. Threw = John threw the ball and hit the car window.

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Lose = If you lose my diamond earrings, we are going to have a problem. Loose = Your pants are too loose, so pull them up.

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Two = I have two cars. To = Mario went to the store to buy beef. Too = A woman can never have too many shoes. John walked around the park too.

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By – The table is by the chair. Buy – I am going to buy some milk. Bye – He said, “Good bye.”

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Choose = I choose to have high expectations for my students. Chose = I chose to become a teacher because I wanted to make a difference in my student’s lives.

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Because = Sara didn’t go to the movie because she did not feel well. Cause = The heaviness of the snow was the cause of the roof collapsing.

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Affect = Strong-willed people do not allow others to affect their decisions. Effect = The effect of 9/11 was that airports increased security measures.

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A singular subject takes singular verbs Her grandfather trains dogs. The Senator is in favor of the bill. She owns and operates a video store. Plural subjects take plural verbs. Her grandparents train dogs. The senators are in favor of the bill. They own and operate a video store.

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A compound subject is two or more subjects that have the same verb. Singular and plural subjects joined by “and” usually take a plural verb. Her grandfather and grandmother train dogs. The Senator and his brother are in favor of the bill. Sara and Johnny own and operate a video store.

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Singular subjects joined by “or” or “nor” take a singular verb. Neither her grandfather nor her grandmother trains dogs. Either the Senator or his brother is in favor of the bill.

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When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by “or” or “nor” the verb agrees with the subject nearer the verb. Neither her grandfather nor her friends train dogs. Either the Senator or his brothers are in favor of the bill. Neither the girls or the boy goes to the park each day.

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Pronoun – Usually refers to a noun or another pronoun. Antecedent – The word to which a pronoun refers. Johnny went to his house. Pronoun – “his” Antecedent – “Johnny” A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number and in gender.

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Singular pronouns refer to singular antecedents. Jane’s brother went to his game. Plural pronouns refer to plural antecedents. Jane’s brothers went to their game.

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Masculine pronouns (he, him, his, etc,) refer to masculine antecedents (brother, father, Joseph, etc.). Feminine pronouns (she, her, hers, etc.) refer to feminine antecedents (sister, mother, Mary, etc.) Neuter – unspecific gender – pronouns (it, its, itself) refer to neuter antecedents (book, dog, lawn, etc.)

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Singular pronouns are used to refer to the following antecedents: anybody, anyone, each, either, everybody, everyone, neither, nobody, no one, one, somebody and someone. Everyone is going to do well on his or her mid-term. A plural pronoun is used to refer to two or more singular antecedents joined by “and”. Ms. Anderson and Mrs. Singleton are going to celebrate their birthdays together in March.

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A singular pronoun is used to refer to two or more singular antecedents joined by “or” or “nor”. Neither Mary nor Margaret is going to start her car. Either John or Bob is going to win his race.

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Introduction

When you want to write something (like an article, letter, CV, etc) in the English Language, you will make sure that it is meaningful and error-free, but it’s obvious that you make a lot of mistakes in Grammar.

Grammar errors like spelling, prepositions, sentence structure & formation, etc are common while writing.

So as we know that every language has its own grammar, we are going to explain these 12 rules of Grammar to avoid those errors and write well.

Also Read: What is Grammar? | (Grammar definition, rules & examples) | Best Guide 2021

Here are some sets of rules that you need to follow in order to avoid mistakes in English grammar.

Rule 1: Every sentence should start with a Capital letter in the first word.

In the English Language, when you are starting a sentence, then make sure that you capitalize the first letter of the first word. Also, remember that you need to capitalize even when you start a new paragraph.

Example Statements:

• Incorrect: my best friend’s name is Rohan. he is a good boy. (X)
• Correct: My best friend’s name is Rohan. He is a good boy. (_/)

• Incorrect: i live in Mumbai. it is a wonderful place. (X)
• Correct: I live in Mumbai. It is a wonderful place. (_/)

Rule 2: Every sentence should either end with a full stop (or) a question mark (or) an exclamation mark.

If you want to end a sentence, then make sure that you need to use a full stop (.), a question mark (?) or an exclamation mark (!) based on the type of the sentence.

The above, any of the three mentioned should be used depending on the situation of the sentence. For example, let us consider a few examples with its usages (purpose).

1) Full Stop/Period (.):

Here, the full stop is used when a sentence completes a proper message (meaning). The symbol used for the full stop is (.).

Example Statements:

• John loves to play football. He dreams to become a football player.
• I am living in London for 2 years.
• I purchased a new car. It is very expensive.

2) Question Mark (?):

Question marks are used only for questioning (or) interrogating sentences. It is used at the end of the sentence, to make it questionable. The symbol used for questioning is “?”.

Example Statements:

• Which college are you studying from?
• Do you know who I am?
• Where do you live?
• Are you still playing these old games?
• Do you know how to swim?

3) Exclamation Mark (!):

An Exclamation Mark is used when you are expressing your feelings or emotions. So, when you are expressing it in a sentence, you need to remember that exclamation should be done at the end.

The symbol which is used for the sentence is “!”.

Example Statements:

• She actually won the lottery!
• Wow, such a wonderful place it is!
• You are late again!
• You did a great job!

Rule 3: Every sentence should have SVO (Subject – Verb – Object).

The basic rule of grammar in the English Language is that you must include Subject and Verb. The object is optional depending on the usage.

This order is only applicable for positive sentences, not for sentences with negatives or question marks (?) or exclamation marks (!) because they may have different orders.

The Subject usually plays a major role in the entire sentence. It helps you to give an idea of who is performing an action, who is talking to whom, etc.

The verb is usually the action which is performed by the Subject, and the object is usually on which the action is performed.

Sometimes, a few sentences don’t mention the subject. Actually, it has a subject, and it is understood even if it is not shown. For example, consider the word “Stop!” – which means that you must stop (here “you” is hidden).

Example Statements:

• Mary loves to play with cats. (S – Mary, V – play, O – cats)
• Michael teaches French. (S – Michael, V – teaches, O – French)
• We are planning to visit Singapore. (S – We, V – planning, O – Singapore)
• I am happy. (S – I, V – am, O – happy)
• Come here! (It means – “You come here!”) (Here, the subject is hidden)

Rule 4: The Subject and Verb forms are interrelated in the sentence.

If you are using a singular Subject, then you need to use a singular Verb for the whole sentence and if you want to use a Plural subject, then you must use a plural verb.

If you are using he/she/it as a Subject, then use its corresponding verb and when using we/they/I/you, then use its verb.

Example Statements:

• Harry wants to buy a new bike.
• We are going to a restaurant this weekend.
• We don’t like to go to the library.
• They are watching a football match on TV.
• She likes to stay in London.
• They want to have coffee this evening.

Rule 5: Use Either – or (or) Neither – nor depending on the Sentence while using singular nouns.

In English sentences, Either – or and Neither – nor is used when two singular nouns are connected. These two are different in usage. Also, remember that the singular verb is used for singular nouns.

Either – or:

Either – or is used when any one of the two cases is true. This means that either this must be true or that.

Example Statements:

• Raju and Srikanth must be either friends or enemies.
• I want either Tea or Coffee.
• I think either Team A or Team B will win this match.

Neither – or:

Neither – or is used when two of the (subject) cases are false. This means that both are false.

Example Statements:

• Neither I nor you broke the vase.
• Neither John nor Mike are late today.
• Neither I nor you must win this game.

Rule 6: Proper Nouns should be capitalized anywhere in the sentences (including at the beginning) when used.

It is important to capitalize on the words which are Proper Nouns. This can be at the beginning, middle and end of the sentences (in short, anywhere in the sentence).

Example Statements:

• I love to drink coffee at Starbucks.
• I will eat only high-protein foods.
• I have final exams from tomorrow.
• Mount Everest is the highest mountain located in Nepal.

Rule 7: Common Nouns should be capitalized only at the beginning of the sentences.

When common nouns are used, then you need to capitalize them only at the beginning of the sentences.

Example Statements:

• I have beautiful flowers in my garden.
• I love to read books in the library.
• My school is located near the railway station.
• Tina went to a supermarket to buy groceries.

Rule 8: The words its – it’s, and you’re – your are not the same.

Some words in the English Language look like they are the same, but they have different meanings. Now let us take some examples to understand the concept well.

Here, the main difference between its and it’s is,

1. its: It is a Possessive determiner and used to say that it belongs (holds or refers to) something.
2. it’s: Here “it’s” is the short form of “it is” and is used to mention things.

Example Statements (for its):

• This fish is too big for its aquarium.
• This bread has passed its expiration date.
• The dog has hurt its tail.

Example Statements (for it’s):

• It’s taking so much time to prepare this presentation.
• It’s always raining here.
• It’s good to know the current politics of your area.
• It’s been a wonderful day!

Rule 9: Use Indefinite Articles for Countable Nouns and Definite with specific Countable & all Uncountable Nouns.

The Indefinite Articles (a/an) are used mostly for Countable nouns. Definite Articles (the) are used for a few Countable nouns and mostly for Uncountable nouns.

Example Statements:

• I saw an eagle which is flying very high in the sky.
• The principal asked a student about his performance.
• Arun is a brilliant student in the class.
• An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
• Hari is a good boy. He likes to help others.
• I want to buy an iPhone this month.

Rule 10: Use the article “a” for Consonant sounds and “an” for vowel sounds.

Use the article “a” for the words which sound Consonant at the very beginning. For example, consider the below table.

Use the article “an” for the words which sound Vowel at the very beginning. For example, consider the below table.

Note: When you’re using “a” or “an” then make to focus on pronunciation rather than the word’s spelling. Few words look like consonants, but it actually pronounces like vowels. For example, “an hour”.

If you want to read more about Articles, then click on the button below or read from the suggestion link.

Also Read: What are Articles in English Grammar? | (with easy examples)

Rule 11: Use Apostrophe to show Possessions.

Possession is something which is usually owned by a person, place, thing, etc. It has two forms, which are Singular and Plural.

For Singular use (-‘s) and for plural use (-s’).

Example Statements:

• Boy’s car (Singular)
• Boys’ car (Plural)

• Raju’s car got damaged last night.
• Ravi’s friend came to Europe to visit Ravi.

Also Read: What is a Possessive Noun? (with examples) | Best Guide 2021

Rule 12: Active voice is more preferred than Passive voice in the English Language.

Most of them recommend writing Active voice rather than Passive voice while writing articles, letters, etc.

In simple terms, an Active voice is a sentence in which the subject performs an action (verb). Whereas in Passive Voice, the Verb (action) is displayed first and then the Subject.

Example Statements:

• Passive Voice: Football was played by Raju.
• Active Voice: Raju plays football.

Click the below button to learn about Active and Passive Voice in detail.

Quiz Time! (Test Your Knowledge Here)

Summary: (12 Rules of Grammar)

If you want to write better in the English Language, then you need to focus on these 12 Rules of Grammar, which I have mentioned above.

The 12 Rules of Grammar are:

1. Every sentence should start with a Capital letter in the first word.
2. Every sentence should either end with a full stop (or) a question mark (or) an exclamation mark.
3. Every sentence should have SVO (Subject – Verb – Object).
4. The Subject and Verb forms are interrelated in the sentence.
5. Use Either – or (or) Neither – nor, depending on the Sentence, while using singular nouns.
6. Proper Nouns should be capitalized anywhere in the sentences (including at the beginning) when used.
7. Common Nouns should be capitalized only at the beginning of the sentences.
8. The words its – it“a”’s, and you’re – your not the same.
9. Use Indefinite Articles for Countable Nouns and Definite with specific Countable & all Uncountable Nouns.
10. Use the article “a” for Consonant sounds and “an” for vowel sounds.
11. Use apostrophes to show Possessions.
12. Active voice is more preferred than Passive voice in the English Language.

Also Read: What is Grammar? | (Grammar definition, rules & examples) | Best Guide 2021

If you are interested to learn more, then you can refer to Wikipedia here.

I hope that you understood the topic “12 Rules of Grammar”. If you have any doubts regarding this topic, then comment down below, and we will respond to your questions as soon as possible. Thank You.