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ENHANCING COMMUNICATION SKILLS THROUGH ENGLISH GRAMMAR
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Index
Adjectives and Modifiers
Adjective Summary
a summary of content for adjectives and modifiers
Adj–Mod Diagnostic
adjective and modifier diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Adjective Order
putting adjectives in natural sounding word order:
a big, new, shiny, red wagon
,
a white and tan, Persian cat.
Adjective Suffixes
forming adjectives from other word forms:
-al, -ary, -ful, -ic, ical, -ish, -less, -like, -ly, -ous, -y, -able, -ant, -ive
Adj Complements
verbs followed by adjectives with resultive states; object complements:
wash X clean, wipe X dry, get X ready
Modifiers to Adj
quantities and adverbs:
two feet high / tall / long
; color modifiers:
moss green
,
emerald green
Number Modifiers
using numbers as modifiers to nouns:
a five-course meal, a six-step ladder
Noun Modifiers
using nouns as modifiers:
soup spoon, door bell,
Particpl Modifiers 1
agent vs. receiver:
amused
vs.
amusing
,
-ed
vs.
-ing
endings
Particpl Modifiers 2
ongoing vs. completed:a
roasting
vs.
roasted
chicken;
-ed
vs.
-ing
endings
Particpl Modifier Qz
auto-correcting quiz:
surprised
vs.
surprising
,
aged
vs
. aging
Comparisons
describing similarities and differences:
the same, alike, unlike, different from, similar to
Same / As ... as
comparing the similarity of two items:
the same
(noun)
as, as
(adj / adv)
as
More / /-er...than
comparing the quality of two items or the manner of two actions:
more, less, -er ,than
Most / /-est
indicating the unique quality of an item in a group or unique manner of an action:
most, least, -est
,
of all, ever
Much / / More
increasing the amount of something:
much, more, too
,
many more
and
much more
Fewer / Less
decreasing the amount of something:
fewer
,
less,
count, non count nouns
The more, the more
RELATED PAGE: two things vary together:
the bigger, the better, the fewer, the lesser, the greater
The–Group
RELATED PAGE: adjectives without nouns:
the poor, the young, the restless, the former, the latter, the English, the Japanese
Adverbs
Adverb Summary
a summary content for adverbs
Adverb Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Adverb Uses
using modifiers to other words; words modified by adverbs and word order
Adverb for Manner
Telling
how
something is done: uses, word forms, spellings, adverb list;
happily, lengthwise,,well, hard, early
Adv Manner Placmnt
putting words in natural sounding word;
He will silently turn away. He will turn away silently.
Adverb for Time
telling
when
an action happens: aspects of time; present, past, future, present perfect, progressive;
next week
Adv for Frequency
telling
how often
an action happens:
usually, often, frequently, occasionally, rarely, hardly ever, never
Adverb for Place
expressing movement in a particular direction:
out, out of, outside, behind, back, backward
, etc.
.
Adverb for Degree
intensifiers, modifying verbs, adverbs and adjectives:
rather, extremely, totally; so, such, too, very, enough
Adverb for Focus
drawing attention to information:
also, just, only, even, really, mostly, mainly, neither–nor, either–or
Indeed / Even
emphasizing unexpected or extraordinary details:
even, indeed, in fact, even / even though / even if
Splitting Verbs
deciding on adverb placement when auxiliary verbs are present; word order options, variations based of adverb type
Adv for Evaluation
expressing attitude about a situation; evaluative adjuncts; attitude stance adverbials:
fortunately, hopefully, sadly
Adverb for Opinion
truth or belief about a situation; modal adjuncts, epistemic stance adverbials:
possibly, evidently, likely, actually
Adv for Speech Acts
truth or belief about a situation; modal adjuncts, epistemic stance adverbials:
possibly, evidently, likely, actually
Adverb for Linking
conditions under which something is being said; style stance adverbials:
frankly, confidentially, briefly, in short
Discourse Markers
indicating a relationship between two clauses:
finally, namely, consequently, alternatively, incidentally
Adjective Clauses
See
Modifying Clauses
Agreement
Agrmnt Summary
a summary of content for sentence agreement
Agrmnt Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Reg Plural Nouns
plural noun markers ending in -S:
-s, -es, -ies, -ves
Irreg Plural Nouns
plural noun markers with other endings:
-ee-, -en, -oes, -a, -ae, -ices, -i;
varieties:
fish vs. fishes
Irreg Plural Practice
with irregular plural suffixes:
-i, oes, -a, -es, -ves
Irreg Agreement
recognizing unusual singular or plural forms– exceptions; irregular agreement:
English is
vs.
the English are
Final -S Practice
editing nouns and verbs for final -S / -ES: Listening for final
-s [s] / [z]
in words (audio
Final S sounds
)
3rd Person Agrmnt
third person agreement: spelling patterns, irregular forms: final
-s. -es, -oes, -ies
Count / Noncount
referring to mass nouns or units:
determiners
;
money vs. dollars, coins, cents (the, this, that, these, those)
Group Nouns
referring to items collectively:
equipment – computers; candy – candy bars
Count/NonCntPrac1
sentences with group (mass) nouns vs. items in the group:
jewelry vs. rings
Count/NonCntPrac2
paragraph :
lessons – homework; messages – communication
Determiners
a, the, this, that, my, our, some, any, all, each, every, either, neither, none, such, which
Quantity Phrases
indicating
how much
or
how many
:
some of, all of, the/a number of, none, neither...nor
Some / Any
indicating an indefinite quantity or number:
some, any
Much-Many
indicating quantity for count and noncount nouns
much, many, so much, so many, much more, many more
Little / Few
indicating an insufficient amount:
little, a little, few, a few
Quantifiers for Food
referring to specific amounts:
slice, cup, stick, bottle, spoonful
;
pig - pork; calf–veal
Nouns w/ Modifiers
subject-verb agreement when modifiers come between; The silly looking
monkey
under the bananas
is
hiding.
Possessive Nouns
indicating possession for people or groups:
girl's
vs.
girls'
Common Mistakes
top 20 agreement errors: Everyone
is
; two percent
is
; two-thirds of the book(s)
is/are
Sentence Edit
editing for articles, pronouns and singular-plural agreement
Paragraph Edit
using agreement within an essay
Agreemnt inContext
Identifying subject-verb agreement
Ch 6-8 Agreement
RELATED PAGE: a review of Azar's
Understanding and Using English
agreement chapters
Pronoun Section
RELATED SECTION: personal, indefinite, and possessive pronoun agreement
Articles
Article Summary
a summary of content for articles
Article Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
A–Unspecific
referring to one as an example of all
A–Specific
referring to one in particular;
A / An
blending article sounds before nouns
All/ The-class
Making generalizations about the group
The-class/A-unspec
stating quality, characteristics and behavior;
the lion
vs
. a lion
All / The-Specfic
referring to all vs. a specific, identified one;
People
(all)/
The people
(specific)
The–Earlier Mention
referring to an already known noun
The–Included Parts
in a city: the fire department, the doctor, the police department
The–Later Mention
identified by information after the noun
The-SharedKnowldg
a noun identified by other means-uniqueness, name, or shared knowledge
A–Nationality
referring to a person from a country (Demonyms – nouns and adjectives)
The–Group
adjectives without nouns: the poor, the young, the restless, the unemployed, the latter, the English
The–Landmarks
The Statue of Liberty, The Golden Gate Bridge
The–Geography
The San Joaquin Valley
The–Countries
The Republic of China, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates
Most–Most of the
referring to a quantity of an unspecific or specific group
Another/ The other
referring to one more or the rest
2nd Mention Prac
unidentified -
the
identified (indefinite-definite)
Identifying Nouns
many ways in which nouns can be identified (definite)
Article Expressions
wars, eras, dates, worlds events
Superlatives
stating a unique degree of a noun; the best movie, the worst acting
Known or New
using definite and indefinite markers:;
The,
A, no marker
Sentence editing
SpeakingInGeneral
sentence wording; discussing in general or specifically
ParagraphEdit
a restaurant review; fill the blanks in with articles
ArticlesInContext
Identifying article use; a 3-step process to determine which article to use; luxury items on Survivor TV show.
ArticleSummary.pdf
FOR PRINT: "Article Summary" print (PDF)
ArticlesGeneric.pdf
"Generic Articles" print (PDF)
Artprac.pdf
"Articles in Context" print (PDF)
Conditional & Hypothetical Tenses
ConditionSummary
a summary of content for conditionals
ConditionDiagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Pres-Future Real
stating present facts and future predictions under specific conditions:
if, will, can, be going to, should, happen
Pres-Past Real
stating present and past habits and customs under specific conditions; hypothetical statements:
if, whenever
Present Unreal
stating strategy with hypothetical statements;
if, could, might, would
Past Unreal 1
analyzing with hypothetical statements;
if, had had, would have
Past Unreal 2
analyzing an accident:
if, could have, would have
Should/Could have
late advice: analyzing past options and determining importance;
should have, could have
Mixed Tenses
hypothetical situations in mixed time frames: If you
had fed
the dog, she
wouldn't be
hungry now.
Implied Conditions
a real or unreal situation? If he has time, Jack
will/ would
cut the grass.
Wishes
expressing wishes, regrets, upset, lost opportunity:
wish
,
wish vs. if only!
Wish Agreement
tense agreement in conditional statements: My father
wished
I had gone / would go.
If / Unless
expressing conditions for desirable outcomes:
if, unless, otherwise
,
only if
vs. If only
If / Whether
stating a condition vs. an alternative:
if, whether
Omitting If
giving advice in hypothetical situations; rephrasing an
if-
clause:
had, should, were
If / In / In Case
stating a conditioned vs. a precautionary action
in the event
,
in case
and
should
Confusing Word Pairs
ConfWord Summary
a summary of content for confusing word pairs
Accept / Except
Is the action one of approving or rejecting?
Affect / Effect
Is it the cause or result?
Another / The other
Is it “one more" or “the rest"?
Because / Though
Is it an expected or unexpected outcome?
During / In
Is it a time with duration or an exact time?
Even / Though
Are you emphasizing something or stating an unexpected outcome?
For / Since
Is it a quantity of time or a specific time?
Fewer / Less
Are you decreasing the amount of a count or noncount noun?
If / In case
Is it a conditioned action or a precaution?
If only / Only If
Is it a regretful wish or a particular condition?
If / Unless
Will the desired outcome be favorable or unfavorable?
If / Whether
Is it a condition or an alternative?
Lie / Lay
Who is lying down – the subject or the object?
Like / As
Are you comparing something to a noun or to a clause?
Little / Few
Is the quantity a “count" or a “noncount" noun?
Loose / Lose
Is it not tight or gone?
Make / Do
Is the action creating or performing?
Most / Most of the
Is the quantity or number for an unspecific or specific group?
Much / Many
Is it a quantity for a count or a noncount noun?
Much / More
Are you increasing the amount of a count or noncount noun?
Rise / Raise
Who/What is rising – the subject or the object?
Say / Tell
Are you quoting or reporting?
Sit / Set
Who/What is sitting – the subject or the object?
So that / So… that
Are you stating purpose or emphasizing the quality of something?
Some / Any
Is it a quantity in a positive or a negative sentence?
There / Their
Is it location, existence or possession?
their, there, they're, there's, theirs
Used to/ Be used to
Is it a former habit or a habit you are becoming accustomed to?
When / While
Is it a simultaneous activity of short or long duration?
Phrasal / Verbs
RELATED / PAGE: two-word verbs–
do up, get up, give up, go after, have over, let on, look up, make over, etc.
Connectors
Connect Summary
a summary of content for connectors, conjunctions and transition words
Connect Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
FANBOYS
joining independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions;
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
And / In addition
joining sentence elements and sentences;
and, as well as, and also, In addition, moreover, furthermore, besides
And / so / / too
shortening a repeated verb in a joined clause:
and so do I, and I do too, but I don't
;
tag-questions
:
don't I
?
Too / Either
adding a positive or negative comment:
and too, and not either, but not too
Both...and
joining sentence elements with paired conjunctions;
both...and, either... or, not only...but also, neither...nor,
(or else)
But / But / still
stating contrast or contrary outcome;
but, but still, while, whereas, in contrast to, yet, even so
But / not / Except
stating an exception:
but not, but for, nothing but, all but
,
except, except for
,
cannot help, cannot but, cannot help but
But / Though
expressing defeat versus challenge; implied meanings;
but vs. though
Rather / than
comparative preference; would rather than, rather than ( X and not Y), (X to avoid Y)
Because / of
using adverbial prepositional phrases to introduce “cause";
because vs. because of ; though vs. in spite of
Because of / By
indicating reason or method;
because of, by, with
Cause / Effect
indicating a causal relationship;
consequently, therefore, as a result, for this reason, due to
Because / Though
expected and unexpected outcomes;
because, though
Cause-Effect Rev
expressing a cause and effect relationship;
because
,
since
,
consequently
,
therefore
,
as a result, so
Because Clauses
shortening cause-effect clauses:
because,
same-time, earlier time
So / Such that
emphasizing qualities and characteristics;
so . . . that
&
such . . . that
So phrases
expressing purpose, cause-effect, or result;
so that, so... that
After / Before / When
indicating time-relative activities:
before, after, as soon as, when, while, as
When / While
indicating same-time activities:
when, while
By the time
indicating a future completion time: future perfect:
by the time
While walking
reducing a time-relative clause:
when, while, before, after
Connector Review
conjunctions, adverbs, and transition words;
addition, alternative, cause-effect, comparison, condition, contrast, emphasis
Connector Edit
finding conjunction, adverb and transition word errors;
but, even, not only, because
Connector Paragr
: using cause and effect connectors;
main cause, as a result, because
Parallel Phrasing
joining like items with and and but; My English is improving
slowly
but
surely
.
Sentence Editing
correcting connector use: connectors, transitions, sentence boundaries and punctuation
Diagnostic Quizzes
Diagnostic Summary
a summary of content for diagnostic tests
Adj-Mod Diagnostic
Adjective and modifier diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Adverb Diagnostic
Adverb diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Agrmnt Summary
Sentence agreement diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Article Diagnostic
Article usage diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
ConditionDiagnostic
Conditional clause diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Connect Diagnostic
Connector diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Gerund Diagnostic
Gerund diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Infinitive Diagnostic
Infinitive diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Modal Diagnostic
Modal diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Mod Cls Diagnostic
Modifying clause (adjective clause) diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Nom Cls Diagnostic
Nominal clause (noun clause) diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Passive Diagnostic
Passive diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Past Diagnostic
Past tense diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Prep Diagnostic
Preposition diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
PresPerfDiagnostic
Present perfect tense diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Present Diagnostic
Present tense diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Pronoun Diagnostic
Pronoun diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Punc Diagnostic
Punctuation diagnostic for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Modifying Cls Quiz
INT-ADV: modifying nouns with clauses (adjective clauses) multiple choice, auto-correcting quiz
Modal Quiz
INT-ADV: expressing mood with modals; multiple choice, auto-correcting quiz,
Noun Clause Quiz
INT-ADV: embedding clauses as the subject or object of a clause, multiple choice, auto-correcting quiz
Partcpl Modifier Quiz
INT-ADV: modifying nouns with participial modifiers, multiple choice, auto-correcting quiz on using participles as modifiers
Report Speech Quiz
INT-ADV: changing speech to indirect speech (reported speech) multiple choice, auto-correcting quiz
Pop-Q Archive
ADVANCED: Sentence examples that focus on the improvement of word choice in English
Gerunds
Gerund Summary
a summary of content for gerunds
Gerund Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Gerund as Subject
referring to activities; parallel phrasing, bulleted lists, spelling adding -ing
Verb + Gerund
expressing attitudes about activities
Verb+Prep+Gerund
commenting on activities;
insisted on
going ;
looking forward to
seeing
Gerund Cls w/Subj
expressing attitudes about activities; excused
him for leaving
; excused
his leaving
; thanked
him for giving
By + Gerund
stating means and methods;
by
followed by a gerund,
with
followed by a noun
For + Gerund
stating function
by
verb+ing,
for
verb+ing,
to
+verb
Prep + Gerund
stating activities:
about, against, after, before, by, for, from instead of, without
Sensory Verbs
stating observations, perceptions;
see, hear, find, catch, watch, sit, stand,
etc.
Gerund / Infin Prac1
verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives
Gerund / Infin Prac2
verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives
Verb + PP Prac1
gerund clause as object of the prepositional phrase:
about, against, after, for, etc.
Verb + PP Prac2
gerund clause as object of the prepositional phrase:
put off doing, keep from hearing, etc.
Verb + PP Prac3
gerund clause as object of the prepositional phrase
By / With Practice
means or method
Parallel Gerunds
using similar word forms in a series
Gerunds In Context
identifying gerund use
Infinitives
Infinitive Summary
a summary of content for infinitives
Infinitive Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Infinitive as Subject
referring to activities, quotes and definitions;
to be or not to be
Verb + Infinitive
expressing intent and wishes;
hope, wish, like, expect
Verb + Noun + Infin
getting other people to do things;
persuade, intend, ask
,
have, do, let, make
"Order"+Noun+Infin
imposing one's will on others;
advised, order, command, expect
"It takes" + Infinitive
expressing how much is needed;
it takes
X + infinitive
"Too/ Enough"+Infin
stating minimum and maximum requirements;
too, enough
"Be" adj + Infinitive
expressing feelings and reactions;
happy to see; amazed to find
"It's" adj+Infnitive
expressing opinion;
It's difficult, easy, important, impossible to…
"In order" + Infinitive
stating purpose:
in order to
…
Infinitives In Context
identifying infinitives in an article
Gerund/ Infin Prac1
RELATED PAGE: identifying verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives
Gerund/ Infin Prac2
RELATED PAGE: identifying verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives
Splitting Verbs
RELATED PAGE: optimizing adverb placement; the split infinitive argument
Modals
Modal Summary
a summary of content for modals
Modal Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Will / Might
expressing degrees of certainty:
will, may, might could, may have, might have
Be going / Will
expressing intent vs. prediction:
be going, will
Will / Would
expressing determination, refusal and failure:
will, would, would have
,
won't, wouldn't
; lexical verb:
will
Would
stating preference, request, habit or excuse:
would, would have, would rather have
Should
expressing expectation, convention or advice:
should, will be, supposed to, ought to, should have
Could / Should
offering options and advice
should, should have, could, could have
Should / Must
expressing advisability and necessity;
should, ought to, should have, must, had to, needed to
Must / Must have
making guesses, inferences and conclusions:
might /might have
vs.
must / must have
Can / Could
expressing physical, mental and potential ability:
can, could, be able to
May / Can
requesting permission and offering suggestions:
may, can, could, would, shall, let's
Future Progressive
expressions w/ future interpretations;
will be doing, is going to be doing; can be doing
Modal Agreement
back shifting tense in an embedded clause;
will, would, be-going-to, so that, said that, which, who, if ... then
Future Perfect
making predictions:
will finish, will have finished
Modal Review
meanings in present and past tense;
will/would, shall/should, can/could, may/might, must/had to
Modal Practice
expressing mood and meaning with modals;
possibility, suggestion, ability, advice, necessity, conclusion
Modal Quiz
using modals in sentences;multiple choice, auto-correcting quiz
Modals In Context
identify modals and tense use in the context of an article
By the time
comparing relative events; future perfect, past perfect with modals
Should/Could have
late advice: analyzing past options and determining importance;
should have, could have
Modifying Clauses
(Relative Clauses / Adjective Clauses)
ModifyngClsSumary
a summary of content for adjective clauses, relative clauses, modifying clauses
Mod Cls Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
That–Clause
adding a descriptive clause for an inanimate noun ;
that
Who/m–Clause
adding a descriptive clause for an animate noun
Whose–Clause
adding descriptive information for possessive nouns:
whose
Of which / With
adding possessive clauses (inanimate):
of which, with, that, whose
When-Where
adding descriptive information for time or place:
when, where and in/on/at which
Wh-ever
using an indefinite pronoun to add a modifying clause:
whoever, whatever, whenever, wherever, however
All of which
using a quantity phrase to add a modifying clause:
all of which / some of whom
That / Which
adding a modifying clause for identifying which noun; restrictive vs. non-restrictive;
that, which
Some or All
restrictive vs. nonrestrictive clauses; using
commas
Which-clause
using which to modify an entire clause;
which
(all of the preceding clause) vs.
that
(preceding noun)
Clause Reduction1
shortening a relative clause with a
be
verb form:
[who is] living
Clause Reduction2
shortening a relative clause with an active verb form:
[who lives] living
Misrelated Clauses
placement and reference
Modifying Cls Quiz
modifying clauses for possessives and quantifiers:
whose, some of whose
Participial Clause1
RELATED PAGE: reducing a clause with a passive verb to a participial clause:
was located / located
Participial Clause2
RELATED PAGE: reducing a clause with a passive or active verb to a participial clause:
served as / serving as
Ch 13 Adj Clauses
RELATED PAGE: Review of chapter 13 in Azar v.3 “Understanding and Using English Grammar"
Nominal Clauses
(Noun Clauses)
Nom Cls Summary
a summary of content for embedded-questions, statements, and commands (reported speech)
Nom Cls Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Wh–QuestionClause
changing wh- questions to reported speech; tense agreement
She asked me
how
I was
.
Yes/NoQuesClause
changing questions answered by
yes
or
no
to reported speech;
She asked me
if
I was
sick.
Command Clause
changing commands to reported speech (subjunctive verb form)
Statement Clause
changing statements to reported speech (quoted speech); same vs. earlier -time agreement; deictic words:
here/there
Said Synonyms
other words for reported speech; formal vs. informal agreement;
stated, reported, responded, roared, protested, remarked
That–Subj Clause
using a clause as the subject of a sentence;
That he is still here is a miracle.
It–Subj Clause
shifting focus to another sentence part;
It is a miracle that he is here still .
What–Subj Clause
shifting focus to another sentence part;
What he said is that he is still here.
The reason is
expressions for specifying a reason;
the reason is, the reason why, the reason is because
Nominal Cls Quiz
multiple choice; auto-correcting quiz
Report Speech Quiz
multiple choice; auto-correcting quiz
Azar Chapter Rev12
RELATED PAGE: Chapter 12 review: noun clauses
"Order"+Noun+Infin
RELATED PAGE: imposing one's will on others (subjunctive);
order, command, expect; We advised him to leave.
Passive
Passive Summary
a summary of content for passives
Passive Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Receiver as Subject
changing the object to the subject of the sentence;
I was born,we were helped, they were seen
Focus on Project
focusing on the collective work rather than the team;
The human genome has been mapped.
By Phrases
deciding when to include the “agent";
The bank was robbed by the 'hoodie thief' / by someone
Verbs w/Two Objects
placing emphasis on the item or the recipient of the action;
I was sent a letter / A letter was sent to me.
Never Passive
intransitive and stative verbs with no passive voice:
happen, occur, remain, exist, belong, stand, become
"Get" Passives
using
get
in place of
be
in passive sentences
: I got hit, got lost, got married, got it done, got myself dressed
Particpl Modifiers 1
describing someone or something as the cause or the receiver of an emotion;
amused
vs.
amusing
;
-ed vs. -ing
endings
Particpl Modifiers 2
describing things with adjectives indicating ongoing versus completed states a
roasting
vs.
roasted
chicken;
-ed vs. -ing
Partcpl Modifier Quiz
multiple choice, auto-correcting quiz on using participles as modifiers
Participles w/ Preps
describing emotional reactions;
interested in, surprised at, worried about, overwhelmed with,
Participle-Prep Prac
review of verb + preposition phrases:
known for; concerned with; accustomed to
Participial Clause 1
reducing a clause with a passive verb to a participial clause:
was located / located
Participial Clause 2
reducing a clause with a passive or active verb to a participial clause:
served as / serving as
Been / Being
contrast the sounds/words;
been
and
being
;
he's being seen by the doctor, he's been seen.
Passive in Context
identifying passive sentences in the context of an article
Past
Past Summary
a summary of content for past and past perfect tenses
Past iagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Past Complete
reporting past activities or events;
did, talked, ate, spoke
Past Progressive
temporary past activities and setting background information;
was/were doing, was/were talking,
Past Habits
past behavior vs. habits, past states of possession, mind, being;
would visit, used to go
Reporting Source
telling source or emotional impact;
Where did you get that?
Past Series
reporting a past series of events;
He came in, sat down, and ate.
Past Perfect
contrasting earlier events from later events; past adverbs:
He had lived in Italy
before he moved here.
Past Perf Edit
using the past and past perfect in context
Participles1
practice using irregular verb forms:
awake - lay
Participles2
practice using irregular verb forms:
let - wear
Pop Questions
Pop-Q Archive
an index of the archives from 2008 to 2012.
Pop-Q 2012
Archive 2012: an index of the year's pop questions.
Pop-Q 2011
Archive 2011: an index of the year's pop questions.
Pop-Q 2010
Archive 2010: an index of the year's pop questions.
Pop-Q 2009
Archive 2009: an index of the year&'s pop questions.
Pop-Q 2008
Archive 2008: an index of the year's pop questions.
Prepositions
Prep Summary
a summary of content for prepositions
Prep Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Preps for Time
relating
when
:
in, on, at
Preps for Place
relating
where
–
in, on, at, aside, beneath, among, etc.
Prep Paragraph
using preposition of time and place:
in, on, at
During / In
expressing duration vs. exact time:
during, in
For / ince
Indicating a quantity of time vs. a specific time:
for, since
Phrasal Verbs
using two-word verb expressions:
go about, go at, go away, go down, go off, go on, go out of, go over, go with.
Ending w/ Prep
using a preposition at the end of the sentence: question, passive and infinitive structures; phrasal verbs
Adv/Prep for Place
RELATED PAGES: expressing movement in a particular direction:
out, out of, outside, behind, back, backward
, etc.
Verb + Gerund
RELATED PAGES: verbs followed by a gerund clause; expressing attitudes about activities;
He hates going out. He dislikes smoking.
Verb + Prep Phrases
RELATED PAGES: verbs followed by a prepositional phrase with a gerund clause as 'the object';
insisted on
going ;
looking forward to
seeing then again
Gerund Cls w/Subj
RELATED PAGE: expressing the subject of a gerund clause with
pronoun + for
: we excused
him for leaving
; excused
his leaving
; thanked
him for giving
Participles w/ Preps
RELATED PAGE: describing emotional reactions;
interested in, surprised at, amused with, divorced from, ashamed of, accustomed to, based on
Verb + PP Prac 1
RELATED PAGE: matching the preposition to the verb (verb+ prep combinations) :
about, against, after, for, etc.
Verb + PP Prac 2
RELATED PAGE: matching the preposition to the verb (verb+ prep combinations):
put off doing, keep from hearing, etc.
Verb + PP Prac 3
RELATED PAGE: matching the preposition to the verb (verb+ prep combinations):
from, in, like, of, off, on, over, to, with
Participle-Prep Prac
RELATED PAGE:
known for; concerned with; accustomed to
Present and Present Progressive Tenses
Present Summary
a summary of content for present and present progressive tenses
Present Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
General Truth
referring to occurrences in nature; stating facts vs. making observations:
turns
vs.
is turning
Present Prac
talking about weather; El Niño:
is happens, comes, comes, drops
At the Moment
indicating temporary activities;
am, is, am working, am taking, am having
Habits and Customs
referring to current activities – temporary vs. permanent;
are preparing, are celebrating
Pres vs Progressive
referring to a temporary habit or something happening at the moment;
is jogging / is listening; is studying/ is taking classes
Scheduled Events
referring to planned activities and events;
the exhibition returns / is returning / will return
States of Being
referring to something in existence or its change in state of existence;
is, looks, seems, appears, resembles, becomes, gets, acts
Sensory States
indicating sensations and perceptions;
hear, see, sounds, tastes, feels
Mental States
indicating thinking, cognition and attitude;
knows, believes, thinks, understands, recognizes, remembers, etc.
Possession States
indicating possession or ownership;
have, belong, possess, own, hold
Emotion States
expressing emotional states;
surprise, impress, please, astonish, amaze
Measurement States
referring to measurement, weight, distance, height and count;
measures, reaches, weighs, consists of, contains, includes, etc.
Time-RelativeEvents
indicating the relative time of two planned events:
before, after, as soon as, while, when, as soon as
Narration
narrating or story telling;
"This guy walks into a bar.."
Transitive Verbs
verbs that take or do not take objects;
rise, raise, sit, set, lie, lay, agrees, hugs, breaks, studies, leaves, weighs
Indirect Objects
indicating receivers of actions;
me, to me, for me
(dative verbs)
Present In Context
identifying present tense verbs
Confusing Words
RELATED PAGE:
make/do, say/tell, lie/lay, rise/raise, sit/set
Never Passive
RELATED PAGE:intransitive and stative verbs with no passive voice:
happen, occur, remain, exist, belong, stand, become
After/ Before/ When
RELATED PAGE:indicating time-relative activities:
before, after, as soon as, when, while, as
Present Perfect Tense
PresPerf Summary
a summary of content for present perfect tense
PresPerf Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Up to Now
focusing on duration:
for, since, so far, to date
Duration/ Repetition
indicating a continuous vs. reoccurring activity:
several times
Permanent/ Temp
Indicating long- or short-term activity:
since, ever since, for, this morning, all morning
Experience
referring to an activity or event in the unspecified past:
ever, never, before;
short answers:
yes, I have / no, I haven't
Ongoing
referring to an activity in progress
Just / Recently
relating the past to the present time frame:
recently, just, lately
Already / Yet
happening sooner or later than expected;
already, yet
Implied Meanings
using adverb clues to understanding meaning
Pres State of Mind
connecting the past to the present;
He's just arrived. We've been there recently.
PresSentencePrac
matching verb tense and adverbs:
up to now, so far, since, this year, in my life; last year, yesterday, then
PresParagraphPrac
matching verb tense with adverbs
For / Since
RELATED PAGE:Indicating a quantity of time vs. a specific time
Participles1
RELATED PAGE:practice using irregular verb forms:
awake - lay
Participles2
RELATED PAGE:practice using irregular verb forms:
let - wear
Pronouns
Pronoun Summary
a summary of content for pronouns
Pronoun Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Personal Pronouns
referring to people:
he, she, we, they — him, her, us, them
Collective Pronouns
referring to groups or individuals; The Scouts value
its
rules /
their
people.
Double Pronouns
referring to two personal nouns; me and my dad / my dad and I
Indefinite Pronouns
using agreement with possessive pronouns:
everyone has his / their hat;
gender neutral phrasing
Reflexive Pronouns
referring to oneself; referring to all or part:
myself, yourself, himself, herself, oneself, itself, ourselves
Possess Pronouns
indicating ownership:
his, hers, ours, theirs;
generalizations:
one-one's, you-your
(impersonal)
they-their
There–Existence
referring to the existence of something;
there is a lot of traffic
It /There Pronouns
referring to weather, time, or existence;
It is late, It is noon
It / This Reference
referring back to something; emphasis,
former, latter
;
it this / that
Pronoun Placement
making noun reference clear;
He
was hungry, Jack decided.
Gender & Pronouns
referring to both male and females;
Everyone
has
his
vs.
their
hat.
Punctuation
Punct Summary
a summary of content for punctuation
Punc Diagnostic
a diagnostic quiz for identifying specific grammar points that need review
Apostrophes
marking contractions and possessive nouns
Bullet Lists
punctuating items in vertical lists; parallel phrasing, introductory phrases,
colons, semicolons, periods, capitals
Capitals
using upper and lowercase letters
Colons
explaining or illustrating; introductory phrases, time and proportions, mail, email, book citations, chapter, verse
Comma Uses
separating and setting of elements in a sentence: punctuating clauses and sentences with
commas
Comma Series
separating elements in a sentence; Word Play – clarifying word form meaning with punctuation:
commas
Comma Comments
inserting a comment within a sentence;
commas, parentheses and dashes, appositives
Dashes
setting elements of from the rest of the sentence; aside comments, lists, after thoughts
Hyphens
and capitalization in headings: linking words to clarify meaning; capitalization of hyphenated words in titles and headlines
Italics
including titles of major works, and other terms in your writing
Parentheses
adding explanation and clarification to sentences
Periods
marking sentence ends, abbreviations and decimals; a.m. / AM, p.m. / PM
Quotation Marks
marking quoted speech, titles of minor works and terms;
ellipsis
Semicolons
punctuating joined phrases
semicolons, commas, colons
COMMAS IN CLAUSES:
So / So that
Using a comma with a
so
(result) but not with
so
that (purpose)
Punc Conjunctions
Using commas with coordinating conjunctions:
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
Punc WordOrder
Using a comma to mark a word order change
Punc Conditionals
Using a comma with a conditional sentence
Punc Even–Indeed
Using a comma with an adverb of emphasis -
even
Punc Mod/AdjClause
Using a comma with a non-restrictive clause
Punc Restrictive Cls
Using a comma with a clause to include “all" or “some"; restrictive vs. non-restrictive
Punc-Which
Using a comma with
which
to refer to a whole sentence instead of just one word
Review
Review Summary
a summary of content for review practices
Ch6-8 Agreement
Chapter review of singular-plural agreement (follows Azar v.3 text chapters)
Ch12–NounClauses
Chapter review of noun clauses
Ch13–Adj Clauses
Chapter review of adjective clauses
Ch16-19 Adv Phr
Chapter review of adverbials and other miscellaneous words and phrases
Ch19 Connectors
Chapter review of sentence connectors and coordinators
Ch20 Conditionals
Chapter review of conditional and hypothetical sentences
Sentence Structure
SentStruc Summary
a summary of content for sentence structure and sentence diagramming
Complete Thought
including a topic and a controlling idea; stream of consciousness; a spoken vs. written sentence
Subject / Predicate
identifying basic elements in a sentence; subject and modifiers, predicate, verb, adverbial modifiers
Finite / Nonfinite
verbs and clauses (Advanced); inflected v. noninflected (reduced) verbs, nonfinite clauses, tree diagrams
Auxiliary Verbs
distinct properties (Advanced) ; NICE properties: negation, inversion, code and emphasis, BE & modals verbs
Clauses/Fragments
Identifying larger elements in a sentence: phrase, dependent clause, independent clause, fragment, sentence–spoken/written
Run-On Sentences
identifying simple and compound sentences: coordinating conjunctions, semicolons
Cleft Sentences
shifting focus to another sentence part; it-clauses, what-clauses, that-clauses (clefts and pseudo-clefts)
Writing
Writing Summary
a summary of content for writing and composition
Planning Guide
foundation work for writing (pyramid)
Focusing Your Topic
selecting a reasonable amount as a topic
Topic & Thesis
creating your thesis sentence
Introductions
writing four types
Copyright– Fair Use
ethics and fair use; giving credit to other people's work
Fair Use Practice
determining what is or isn't copyrighted
Plagiarism
strategies for avoiding plagiarism
Plag Examples
identifying plagiarized work from an example paragraph
Citing Sources
What is MLA Style? Examples of in-text and bibliographic citations; resources
Citation Order
(This page has been replaced by pages below, which include citation changes made in the year 2009.)
DragDrop-Book
MLA Citation Drag & Drop – Book: practice arranging elements into proper citation order
DragDrop–Mag
MLA Citation Drag & Drop – Magazine: practice arranging elements into proper citation order
DragDrop–Journal
MLA Citation Drag & Drop – Journal: practice arranging elements into proper citation order
DragDrop–Newsp
MLA Citation Drag & Drop – Newspaper: practice arranging elements into proper citation order
DragDrop–Web
MLA Citation Drag & Drop – Web: practice arranging elements into proper citation order
DragDrop–Music
MLA Citation Drag & Drop – Music: practice arranging elements into proper citation order
DragDrop–Film
MLA Citation Drag & Drop – Film: practice arranging elements into proper citation order
Citation Practice
identifying correctly written citations
WebPageEvaluation
separating fact from fiction; resources
Evaluation Practice
web page criteria