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This is the text only version of the front page to the Guide to Grammar and Writing.
For the "gui," graphical user version, CLICK HERE.

GUIDE TO GRAMMAR AND WRITING

Sentence Level Sentence Parts and Word Functions Skip to Verbs and Verbals Clauses The Garden of Phrases Diagramming Sentences Sentence Fragments Run-on Sentences Rules for Comma Usage Punctuation Marks Besides the Comma Punctuation Between Two Independent Clauses Notorious Confusables: words we get mixed up or A Confusables Menu (use pop-up or random selector) Plague Words and Phrases we should avoid Articles and Determiners Noun Forms: Plurals and Possessives Pronouns and Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Placement of Modifiers Subject-Verb Agreement Tense Sequence among Verbs, Infinitives, and Participles Compound Nouns and Modifiers Capitalization Abbreviations Using Italics and Underlining Using Numbers, Making Lists Writing Concise Sentences Parallel Structures Confusion: Sources and Remedies Vocabulary Builders: Suggestions, Quizzes, Pop-Up Lexicon Spelling: Rules, Suggestions, Quizzes

Paragraph Level Sentence Variety Consistency of Tense and Pronoun Reference Avoiding Primer Language Sentence-Combining Skills Coherence and Transitions Paragraph Development

Essay Level PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION An entire Web site for writers in English composition courses — featuring handouts on Getting Started, Structure, Tone, Transitions, Editing, Logic, Formats, Rhetorical Patterns, Argumentative Essays, Research Papers, and more — accompanied by an abundance of successful sample essays.

Forms of Communication Samples (in .pdf format) for business letters, memos, application letters, thank-you letters, resumes, meeting minutes and agendas, and the research paper.

PowerPoint Presentations If you have PowerPoint on your computer, you can take advantage of the several PowerPoint presentations available with the Guide. Click HERE for a list and for additional information.

Finding Grammar Topics on These Pages First, we recommend the hyperlinked INDEX. The index does not reference the quizzes or the Grammar Logs (see below). See also the FAQ File, frequently asked questions. You can also try the new Search Engine

Interactive Quizzes Over 150 challenging computer-graded (cgi-based and javascript) quizzes to test your knowledge of grammar! Take the quizzes as a challenge or just for fun, or read the digital handouts listed above first. Many of the quizzes are also listed at the end of the appropriate sections.

Ask Grammar! Click here to get a form that will allow you to submit a question about English usage or grammar. It's a good idea to check the FAQ File first to see if your question has already been answered. Also, look in the Index and consult the Search Engine to make sure the answer is not already part of the Guide. Answers are posted in the Grammar Logs (below) — sometimes within hours, almost always within a day or two. Full responses are sometimes sent through e-mail, or you will be notified that answers have been posted in the Grammar Logs (listed below).

GRAMMAR LOGS This is where Grammar keeps track of questions and answers. Once filled, each volume contains 100 questions, ten "logs" of ten questions each. We suggest you look through these volumes to see if your question has been asked and answered before; in the process, you will surely find many interesting questions from other users around the world. There is also an FAQ File, a list of Frequently Asked Questions, hyperlinked to appropriate answers within the Guide. So far, questions have been submitted from 123 countries — click HERE for a list — and all fifty states of the U.S.A. Current Grammar Log, #54: November 3, 2002, to _____ Or, from the archives, select the Grammarlog you want to review. GRAMMARLOGS ARCHIVE

Select a Volume Frequently Asked Questions Volume 53 Volume 52 Volume 51 Volume 50 Volume 49 Volume 48 Volume 47 Volume 46 Volume 45 Volume 44 Volume 43 Volume 42 Volume 41 Volume 40 Volume 39 Volume 38 Volume 37 Volume 36 Volume 35 Volume 34 Volume 33 Volume 32 Volume 31 Volume 30 Volume 29 Volume 28 Volume 27 Volume 26 Volume 25 Volume 24 Volume 23 Volume 22 Volume 21 Volume 20 Volume 19 Volume 18 Volume 17 Volume 16 Volume 15 Volume 14 Volume 13 Volume 12 Volume 11 Volume 10 Volume 9 Volume 8 Volume 7 Volume 6 Volume 5 Volume 4 Volume 3 Volume 2 Volume 1

Grammar English’s Bookshelf When Grammar English needs help, what books does she grab first? Other Online Resources for Writing Grammar English thinks she has the best online resource for writing but there are others. See also the Academic Weblist for English. Eminent Quotables Over 200 quotations from famous writers and thinkers — from William Shakespeare to Steve Martin, from Yeats to Eeyore — about the craft and passion of writing. Anomalous Anonymies Grammar Goofs and uproarious misspellings harvested from college essays, high school papers, and other sources over the years. Just for fun! Caveat Lector A brief but important caution about the uses of this Guide. Grammar’s Trophy Cabinet Grammar English is proud of the awards bestowed upon this page. The award icons (that take you to the pages of the kind bestowers of such awards) have been put away in this digital cabinet, where they are kept well shined. Click HERE, please, to see them. Prepared by Professor of English/Humanities Charles Darling for English courses at Capital Community College and for the general online public. For Darling's credentials, click HERE. Suggestions are always welcome. If your browser is forms-capable, questions about grammar and writing should be submitted by means of the ASK GRAMMAR form, above; otherwise, use this e-mail form for suggestions or questions. Merriam-Webster's WWWebster Dictionary and Thesaurus. Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate ® Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Linked with permission from Merriam-Webster, Inc. Capital Community College Unless otherwise indicated, all written material on this website and its associated web-pages—which are updated daily—is the property of Professor Charles Darling and Capital Community College and is published here for free use by the college's students and staff and for the general online community. This Guide may not be reproduced wholly or in part, by any means whatsoever, including mirroring on other web-servers, without prior hard-copy written consent of the author. Printing out sections for a student's personal reference or class practice is permitted as long as the source is indicated. Linking to this site is encouraged; notifying us is appreciated. Copyright 2002; Hartford, Connecticut.