Happy National Grammar Day! ! ! 

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A Brief History:
Origination: National Grammar Day is a day dedicated to celebrating the field of linguistics, grammar refers to the collection of principles that govern the structure of a natural language, as exhibited by its users, whether they are speaking or writing. These grammatical rules may pertain to the arrangement and usage of clauses, phrases, and individual words. English grammar has special rules

grammar minibook adjectives courtesy of Openverse

Structure: English grammar is a set of rules that govern how words are used in sentences and across texts. It includes the structure of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. A sentence structure characterized by “subject-verb” indicates that the subject appears first, succeeded by the verb, adhering to the sequence: Subject + Verb. This structure serves as the fundamental component of a sentence in English, where the subject represents the individual, location, or entity executing the action, while the verb conveys the action itself.

• Key aspects of subject-verb structure include:
  
  • Example sentence: “The dog barked.” (Subject: “The dog”, Verb: “barked”)
    
  • Subject-verb agreement: It is essential for the verb to correspond with the subject in terms of number (singular or plural).
    
• The majority of English sentences conform to this arrangement, which is recognized as the “SVO” (subject-verb-object) structure, where the object follows the verb when present.

Not all worldwide sentence structures are the same. In fact, most are different from English. For instance most Latin languages use the Verb + Subject structure, meaning the action is more important than the subject. Also most Latin languages also have different rules with sentence structure going around description as to the sex it is directed at, meaning the sentence can be much different when written to be stated to a man, boy or to a woman, girl. Also it can vary to a member or majority or minority. We will be focusing on the English language for the majority of this article.

Photo by Ivan Shilov on Unsplash

Here are Some Basic Grammar Rules:

• Subject and verb agreement: The subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number:
  • In the case of a singular subject, it is necessary to employ a singular verb. For instance, “The dog consumes his water daily.”
    
  • Conversely, when the subject is plural, a plural verb should be utilized. For
  • example, “The boys are scaling the walls.”
    
  • Additionally, when the subject consists of several nouns or pronouns connected by “and,” a plural verb is required.
    
  • When utilizing linking verbs such as “is,” “are,” “was,” or “were,” it is important to ensure that the verb agrees with the subject rather than the complement.
• Tenses: Be consistent with tenses. The primary tenses in English grammar include the simple present, present continuous, present perfect, past continuous, past perfect, and present perfect continuous tenses:
  • Simple present tense: This tense is employed to convey facts, habitual actions, and events anticipated in the future.
    
  • Present continuous tense: This tense is utilized to indicate actions currently taking place and that may extend into the future.
    
  • Present perfect tense: This tense serves to express situations or events that have occurred and possess immediate relevance.
    
  • Past continuous tense: This tense is used to depict actions or events that were occurring at a specific time in the past.
    
  • Past perfect tense: This tense describes actions or events that transpired in the past prior to another event or action.
    
  • Present perfect continuous tense: This tense is applied to actions that commenced in the recent past and continue into the present.
• Articles: Choose the right articles. In the English language, there exist three articles: a, an, and the. These articles precede nouns or noun equivalents and function as a specific category of adjectives. The definite article (the) is employed before a noun to signify that the identity of the noun is familiar to the reader. It is important to note that articles are necessary when needed, and not demonstrative pronouns. For instance, the term “this” functions as a demonstrative pronoun, indicating a particular object or concept that is in close proximity.
• Capitalization: Capitalize where needed. Capitalization conventions in English dictate that proper nouns, titles, and the initial word of a sentence should be capitalized:
  
  • Proper Nouns: Names of individuals, locations, or specific entities should be capitalized. For instance, “Washington” and “Mount Rushmore” are examples of proper nouns that require capitalization.
    
  • Titles: The first and last words of titles must be capitalized, even if they appear in lowercase elsewhere in the title. Additionally, all significant words in the titles of books, films, poems, and other creative works should be capitalized, except for words consisting of three letters or fewer.
    
  • Sentence Initiation: The first word of any sentence should be capitalized, irrespective of whether it is a common noun or a proper noun.
    
  • Additional Capitalization Guidelines: Days of the week, months, and holidays should be capitalized, while seasons should not. The pronoun “I” must always be capitalized. Locations and direct addresses also require capitalization, as do familial terms. The initial letter of a title of a work of art should be capitalized.
    
  • Exceptions to Capitalization Rules: Minor words within titles, such as “a,” “an,” “the,” “but,” “as,” “if,” “and,” “or,” “nor,” and prepositions, should not be capitalized.
• Pronouns: Use the right pronouns:
  • The Seven Categories of Pronouns: It is essential for both native English speakers and those learning English as a second language to be aware of the seven categories of pronouns:
    • Personal pronouns serve to substitute for an individual’s name, proving beneficial when discussing oneself or others.
    • Reflexive pronouns are utilized to replace the object in a sentence when it refers back to the same individual or entity as the subject. Singular reflexive pronouns conclude with “-self,” while plural reflexive pronouns end with “-selves.”
    • Indefinite pronouns are employed to refer to an unspecified person or thing in a general context.
    • Possessive pronouns indicate ownership, signifying that something belongs to someone or something else.
    • Relative pronouns function to connect one phrase or clause to another, with examples including “who,” “whom,” “that,” and “which.”
    • Demonstrative pronouns illustrate the distance between a noun and the speaker, and they can also indicate whether the noun is singular or plural.
    • Interrogative pronouns are used to replace an unknown entity and are most frequently found in questions.
    • Reciprocal pronouns express a mutual relationship between two subjects or objects, with examples such as “each other” and “one another.”
  • Singular, Plural: The subsequent points outline several rules regarding pronoun-antecedent agreement. When the antecedent is singular, the corresponding pronoun must also be singular. Conversely, if the antecedent is plural, the pronoun should likewise be plural. Additionally, if the antecedent is in the first person, the pronoun must reflect the first person as well.
  • Use the 2 3 1 rule regarding pronouns: The designation 1 represents the first person, 2 signifies the second person, and 3 denotes the third person. The hierarchy of usage is as follows: first person takes precedence over second person, and second person takes precedence over third person. Arranging the structure of a sentence involves positioning the second most significant information at the forefront, followed by the less critical details in the middle, and concluding with the most impactful or essential information.
• Prepositions: Add the right preposition. Prepositions begin what is known as a “prepositional phrase,” a section of a sentence all its own to indicate the connections between words within a sentence, encompassing various relationships, including those of purpose. Here are several instances of prepositions:
  
  • By: This term can function as a preposition, adverb, or noun. When used as a preposition, it signifies “according to.”
    
  • Into: This preposition indicates entry, introduction, insertion, or inclusion.
    
  • Against: This term conveys opposition, contradiction, or adversity.
    
  • Among: This preposition denotes being surrounded by or situated in the midst of.
    
  • Around: This word indicates a position or direction that encircles or follows the edge of something.
    
  • Along: This is classified as a preposition.
    
  • Across from: This is a compound preposition.
    
  • Ahead of: This is also a compound preposition.
    
  • Along with: This term is categorized as a compound preposition.
    
  • Apart from: This is another example of a compound preposition.
    
  • As well as: This phrase is classified as a compound preposition.
    
  • Additional common prepositions include: Other terms deemed as prepositions include: “at,” “before,” “behind,” “below,” “beneath,” “beside,” “between,” “down,” “from,” “in.”
• Participles:A participle is a verb form that functions as an adjective, meaning it describes a noun or pronoun, and is typically formed by adding “-ing” (present participle) or “-ed” (past participle) to the end of a verb; for example, “the crying baby” or “the broken chair” where “crying” and “broken” act as adjectives modifying the nouns “baby” and “chair” respectively.
• Conjunctions: Link ideas with conjunctions. Conjunctions, like “and,” “but,” “or,” and “because,” are important for connecting different parts of a sentence. They help express complex ideas without much thought. Using conjunctions properly makes communication clearer and smoother. Types of Conjunctions:
  
  • Coordinating Conjunctions: These conjunctions link words, phrases, or independent clauses that hold equal significance. Examples are “and,” “but,” “or,” “for,” “nor,” “yet,” and “so.”
    
  • Subordinating Conjunctions: These conjunctions connect a dependent clause to an independent clause. Examples include “although,” “because,” “that,” and “while.”
    
  • Correlative Conjunctions: These conjunctions function in pairs to connect words, phrases, or clauses of equal importance. Examples are “either/or” and “neither/nor.”
• Adjectives: Adjectives go directly before the noun they describe.In English grammar, an “adjective” refers to a word that characterizes or alters a noun or pronoun, offering supplementary details regarding its attributes or features. Essentially, it conveys “what type” of something is by incorporating specifics such as size, color, or quality.Key aspects of adjectives include:
  • Function: They serve to describe nouns and pronouns.
    
  • Example adjectives: “large,” “tiny,” “blue,” “joyful,” “challenging,” “attractive.”
    
  • Placement: Typically positioned before the noun they modify.
  • Degree: The terms “good,” “better,” and “best” represent the positive, comparative, and superlative forms of the adjective “good.” The base form “good” denotes a satisfactory or high-quality state, while “better” is employed to compare two entities, signifying that one surpasses the other in quality. The term “best” is utilized when comparing an item to a group, indicating it possesses the highest quality or rank among them. This progression illustrates a movement from a basic level of quality to a superior level, culminating in the highest distinction. The key points are:
    
    • Positive: “Good” serves as the base form, describing something as satisfactory or of high quality.
      
    • Comparative: “Better” functions as the comparative form, used to indicate superiority between two items.
      
    • Superlative: “Best” acts as the superlative form, highlighting the highest quality or top choice within a group.
  • Negative degree: The same positive terms can be used in negative terms, as in “bad,” “worse,” and “worst”.
• Adverbs: In English grammar, an adverb is defined as a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, typically providing details regarding the manner, time, place, reason, or extent of an action. Adverbs are often formed by appending “-ly” to an adjective. Key aspects of adverbs include:
  
  • Function: They enhance the meaning of a verb, adjective, or another adverb by adding supplementary information.
    
  • Identification: A significant number of adverbs conclude with “-ly” (for instance, “quickly,” “slowly,” “happily”).
    Categories of adverbs:
    
  • Adverbs of manner: These describe the manner in which an action is executed (e.g., “carefully,” “rapidly”).
    
  • Adverbs of time: These indicate the timing of an action (e.g., “yesterday,” “soon,” “now”).
    
  • Adverbs of place: These specify the location of an action (e.g., “here,” “there,” “everywhere”).
    
  • Adverbs of frequency: These express how often an action takes place (e.g., “always,” “sometimes,” “never”).
    
  • Adverbs of degree: These denote the intensity or extent of an action (e.g., “very,” “extremely,” “slightly”).
• Commas: Use commas to connect two ideas.Here are several rules regarding the use of commas:
  
  • Separate items in a series: Commas should be employed to distinguish items within a list of nouns, verbs, phrases, or clauses. The final comma preceding “and” is referred to as the Oxford or serial comma.
    
  • Separate coordinate adjectives: Commas are necessary to separate two or more adjectives that describe the same noun.
    
  • Separate nonrestrictive clauses: Commas should be used to separate nonrestrictive clauses, which offer supplementary information about the main clause.
    
  • Use commas before coordinating conjunctions: A comma is required before conjunctions such as “for,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet,” and “so” when linking two independent clauses.
    
  • Use commas to indicate direct address: Commas are utilized to signify when someone is being directly addressed.
    
  • Use commas when quoting someone: Proper comma usage is essential in quotations.
    
  • Use commas after an introductory phrase: Commas should follow an introductory phrase or clause.
    
  • Use commas to enclose non-essential parts of a sentence: Commas are employed to enclose non-essential elements within a sentence.
    
  • Differentiate statements: Additionally, commas can indicate the commencement of a main statement, a shift in direction, or to differentiate complete statements.
• Semicolons instead of commas: A semicolon serves multiple purposes: it can connect closely related independent clauses, delineate items in a list, or introduce a conjunctive adverb.
  • To connect independent clauses, employ a semicolon between two clauses that share a close relationship in meaning. For instance, “I have a meeting; it starts at noon.” Additionally, a semicolon can link independent clauses that lack a coordinating conjunction, such as “and” or “but.” An example would be, “I like working outside; I also enjoy reading.”
  • Furthermore, a semicolon should precede conjunctive adverbs like “however,” “therefore,” “nevertheless,” “consequently,” and “hence.”
  • When it comes to separating list items, utilize a semicolon if the items themselves contain commas or other punctuation. For example, “I’ve lived in Paris, France; London, England; and Rome, Italy.”
• More. . .