Learn to Write

What's a verb?

Verbs express actions...
           Fatima will come to my home for dinner tonight.
...events...
           The party happened on Friday.
...or states of being.
           My teacher is very nice.

Verbs have tenses (past, present, future, etc.) so that we can refer to actions, events, or states of being at different points in time.

They are also written/spoken differently depending on the subject, or the person/thing the verb relates to.

Common mistakes

Watch out for these common verb errors when you proofread your writing:

Verb tense switch: changing verb tense when you're discussing actions, events, or states of being that happen in the same time frame.

 By the time I arrived home, my mother is cooking dinner.
By the time I arrived home, my mother was cooking dinner.

Subject/verb agreement: using the wrong form of the verb for the subject.

He go to school every day.
He goes to school every day.

What's an adjective?

An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun by describing...
           I got a beautiful coat for my birthday.
           My surly cat scratches everyone he meets.

...identifying...
           I don't like this song.
           Which assignment should I do?

...or quantifying it.
           Many people take the LRT to work.
           A few people laughed when he tripped.

Common mistakes

Watch out for these common adjective errors when you proofread your writing:

Double comparisons: using two comparative adjectives to modify the same noun.

Toronto is more farther than Ottawa.
Toronto is farther than Ottawa.

Much/many and less/fewer confusion: using much or less to modify countable nouns, and many/fewer to modify non-countable nouns.

You have so much books!
You have so many books!

I have fewer money than you.
I have less money than you.

What's an adverb?

Adverbs modify verbs...
           I quickly put on my shoes.
...other adverbs...
           The dog ate extremely messily.
...adjectives...
           The roses are very beautiful this year.
...phrases...
           The rapidly drying paint was very hard to clean.
...or clauses.
           Unfortunately, the manager is away today.

Basically, adverbs provide information about how, when, where, how much, and/or why something is done.

Common mistakes

Watch out for these common adverb errors when you proofread your writing:

Misplaced adverb: usually, adverbs are placed near the word(s) they are modifying; doing otherwise can confuse the meaning of your sentence.

I only like you. [I feel no other emotions for you]
I like only you. [I like no one except you]
Only I like you. [I like you, but no one else does.]

Adjective/adverb confusion: using an adverb to modify a noun, or an adjective to modify a verb, adverb, other adjective, phrase, or clause.

He drives very bad.
He drives very badly.

The pie tasted strangely.
The pie tasted strange.

What's a pronoun?

A pronoun replaces a noun or other pronoun so that our speech or writing sounds less repetitive.

           Judy went to the store and then Judy went to the vet.
           Judy went to the story and then she went to the vet.

Because nouns can play many different roles in a sentence, the same noun may be replaced by different pronouns depending on its function.

           She sent them her party invitations.
           They replied within two weeks.
           Many could come, but some could not.
           He didn't know which snacks to serve them.
           Everyone enjoyed themselves at the party.

Common mistakes

Watch out for these common pronoun errors when you proofread your writing:

Pronoun agreement errors: using the wrong type of pronoun to replace a noun.

Fatima went to she doctor.
Fatima went to her doctor.

Faulty pronoun reference: writing a sentence in which it is unclear what a pronoun is replacing.

If your dog does not eat its food, get rid of it.
If your dog does not eat its food, get rid of the food.

What's a preposition?

A preposition shows the relationship between a noun, pronoun, or phrase and the rest of the sentence.

This relationship can be temporal (related to time)...
           I read my textbook for twenty minutes.

...spatial (related to space)...
           He threw the ball through the window.

...or logical.
           She wrote an email about her vacation request.

Common mistakes

Watch out for these common preposition errors when you proofread your writing:

Improper preposition use: using the wrong preposition for your sentence.

I've been studying here since three hours.
I've been studying here for three hours.

What's an article?

An article modifies a noun. In other words, it's an adjective! There are two types of articles:

Indefinite articles indicate that you are referring to one item out of a group:

I brought an apple for lunch.
I got a book from the library.

Definite articles indicate that you are referring to a specific noun:

The apple was bruised, and I didn't want to eat it.
I dropped the book on my foot.

Most nouns can have a definite article attached to them, but indefinite articles only pair with countable nouns. Uncountable nouns do not need an article.

There was a bad rainstorm yesterday.
There was bad weather yesterday.

Common mistakes

Watch out for these common article errors when you proofread your writing:

Misuse of articles: using an article when you don't need one, or forgetting to use one when you do

Please close door.
Please close the door.

She wrote her notes on a paper.
She wrote her notes on paper.
She wrote her notes on a piece of paper.

What's a conjunction?

A conjunction links words...
           I'll have the soup and the sandwich, please.

...phrases...
           My mother and her best friend will have salads.

...or clauses.
           Call me when you're ready to order dessert.

There are three kinds of conjunctions:

A coordinating conjunction links two words, phrases, or independent clauses.

I tried to have a shower, but there was no hot water.
Roses and irises are my favourite flowers.

A subordinating conjunction links an independent clause to a dependent clause.

After I had studied for three hours, I took a nap.
I had to start my homework over again when my dog ate it.

Correlative conjunctions connect two equal grammatical items (nouns, phrases, etc.), and always come in pairs.

Both Fred and his mother are coming to dinner.
She will either take a class or work for the summer.

Common mistakes

Watch out for these common conjunction errors when you proofread your writing:

Overuse of conjunctions: using more than one conjunction to join two clauses.

Although I was tired, but I kept working.
I was tired, but I kept working.
Although I was tired, I kept working.

Conjunctions play a big role in sentence structure, so check out the "Sentences" tab for more information on how to use conjunctions correctly.

What's a phrase?

A phrase is a group of linked words without a subject and predicate.

There was a hush over the dark room.
Small dogs often bark the loudest.

Even though phrases are a group of words, collectively they can function as a verb...

She was bored, and decided to do something outrageous

...a noun...

She loved finding rare and inexpensive antiques at rummage sales.

...an adjective...

We had to prune all of the trees damaged in the storm.

...or an adverb.

Her voice shook when she spoke to the room full of people.

Common mistakes

Watch out for these common phrase errors when you proofread your writing:

The major errors that people tend to make involve treating a phrase like a sentence instead of a group of words that are part of a sentence.

In other words, using a phrase by itself results in a sentence fragment or incomplete sentence.

Eating a cheese sandwich.
The boy eating a cheese sandwich started to choke.

What's a clause?

A clause is a group of grammatically related words with a subject and predicate. There are two types of clauses. Click each link below to learn more about them:

Independent Clause

Dependent or Subordinate Clause

Common mistakes

Watch out for these common clause errors when you proofread your writing:

Sentence fragment: A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence. An independent clause by itself is a complete sentence, but if you use a dependent clause by itself, you have a fragment.

Because she was tired.
She could barely keep her eyes open because she was tired.
Because she was tired, she decided to stay home that night.