basic grammar rules - north ridgeville（基本的语法规则u2014u2014北ridgeville）.pdf

Basic Grammar Rules 1. Spelling Errors • There is no good excuse for spelling errors in a final draft. • Everyone should use a dictionary or turn on Spell Check. When in doubt, check it out! 2. Run-on Sentences • Run-ons occur when you try to make one sentence do too much. For example: William gazed across the broad Pacific his heart was filled with dread. • Avoid run-ons by: a. breaking the long sentence into separate sentences: William gazed across the broad Pacific. His heart was filled with dread. b. reducing one of the clauses to a subordinate clause and adding a comma: When William gazed across the broad Pacific, his heart was filled with dread. c. adding a comma and coordinating conjunction between the two clauses: William gazed across the broad Pacific, but his heart was filled with dread. 3. Sentence Fragments • Fragments occur when you’ve written only part of a sentence. For example: Because there was no other way of escaping the fire. • Fix fragments by making sure your sentence contains both a subject and a verb: He leaped out of the window because there was no other way of escaping the fire. 4. Subject/Verb Agreement • If the subject is singular, use a singular verb; if the subject is plural, use a plural verb: The arrival of many friends promises a good time. Either the principal or the coach usually attends the dance. • Remember: the subject of a sentence is never contained within a prepositional phrase! 5. Pronoun Agreement • Almost everyone makes this mistake: Everyone should get out their books. • A pronoun must agree in number with its antecedent (the word to which the pronoun r