Spelling & grammar
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22 guides
Spelling & grammar
Active vs Passive Voice: Conversion Steps, Examples and When to Use Each
In active voice the subject performs the action ("The committee approved the plan"); in passive voice the subject receives it ("The plan was approved by the com
Spelling & grammar
Adjectives: Types, Order and Examples
An adjective is a word that describes or limits a noun or pronoun: a tall building, three apples, this book. English adjectives do not change for number or gend
Spelling & grammar
Adverbs: Definition, Types and Examples
An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb or a whole sentence. It usually answers how, when, where, how often or how much: she spok
Spelling & grammar
Complex Sentences: Definition, Subordinators, Comma Rules and Examples
A complex sentence contains one independent clause (a complete thought) and at least one dependent clause that cannot stand alone, joined by a subordinator such
Spelling & grammar
Conditional Sentences: Zero, First, Second, Third and Mixed (With Formulas and Exercises)
A conditional sentence has an if-clause (the condition) and a main clause (the result). English has four basic types: zero (if you heat ice, it melts), first (i
Spelling & grammar
Conjunctions: Coordinating, Subordinating and Correlative (With Examples and Comma Rules)
A conjunction is a word that joins words, phrases or clauses. English has three kinds: coordinating (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), subordinating (because, a
Spelling & grammar
Contractions in English: Full List, Apostrophe Rules and When to Avoid Them
A contraction is a shortened form of two words in which an apostrophe marks the missing letters: do not becomes don't, it is becomes it's, should have becomes s
Spelling & grammar
Em Dash (—): How to Type It, How to Use It and Why It Does Not Prove AI Wrote a Text
An em dash (—) is a long dash, about the width of a capital M, used to set off an aside, mark an abrupt break or add emphasis. On Windows type Alt+0151 on the n
Spelling & grammar
Has vs Have, Was vs Were, To vs Too: Basic English Confusions Explained
Use "has" with he, she, it and singular nouns, and "have" with I, you, we, they and plural nouns. Use "was" with I, he, she, it and singular nouns, and "were" w
Spelling & grammar
Hyphen vs Dash: When to Use a Hyphen, En Dash or Em Dash (With Keyboard Shortcuts)
A hyphen (-) joins words or word parts: well-known author, twenty-one. An en dash (–) shows a range or connection: pages 10–15, London–Paris. An em dash (—) mar
Spelling & grammar
Latin Abbreviations in English: etc., i.e., e.g., vs., cf., viz. and More
E.g. means "for example" and introduces some examples; i.e. means "that is" and restates something in other words; etc. means "and so on" and ends a list. Ameri
Spelling & grammar
Ms, Mrs, Miss or Mx? How to Address People in Writing
Use Ms for a woman when you do not know her preference, Mrs or Miss only when she has told you she uses it, Mr for a man, and Mx for a person who is non-binary
Spelling & grammar
Nouns: Definition, Types and Examples (Common, Proper, Countable, Collective and More)
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, idea or quality: teacher, Manchester, laptop, honesty. English nouns fall into overlapping types: common or
Spelling & grammar
The 8 Parts of Speech in English (With a Quiz)
English has eight traditional parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection. A word's class depends on the
Spelling & grammar
Past Perfect Tense: Formula, Uses and Examples
The past perfect tense is formed with had + past participle (She had finished). Use it for an action that was completed before another past action or a stated p
Spelling & grammar
Prepositions: Definition, a Full List by Time, Place and Direction, and Common Errors
A preposition is a word such as in, on, at, by, with or after that links a noun, pronoun or noun phrase to another part of the sentence and shows a relationship
Spelling & grammar
Present Perfect Continuous: Formula, Uses, For vs Since and Practice
The present perfect continuous is formed with have/has been + the -ing form: "I have been studying since nine." Use it for an action that started in the past an
Spelling & grammar
Sentence Structure: Simple, Compound, Complex and Compound-Complex (With Examples)
English has four sentence structures, defined by their clauses. A simple sentence has one independent clause. A compound sentence joins two or more independent
Spelling & grammar
The 4 Types of Sentences (With Examples)
English sentences are classified by purpose into four types. A declarative sentence makes a statement and ends with a full stop. An interrogative sentence asks
Spelling & grammar
Verb Tenses in English: All 12 With Examples
English has twelve verb tenses: past, present and future, each in four forms (simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous). The tense tells the reader wh
Spelling & grammar
Verbs: Definition, Types and Examples
A verb is a word that names an action (run, write), a state (be, seem) or helps another verb form a tense or question (is, have, will). Every complete English s
Spelling & grammar
When to Use a Semicolon: The Three Rules, Examples and a Quick Quiz
Use a semicolon in three situations: to join two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction, to join them before a word like "however" or "theref
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