Grammar Handbook

Commas are commonly used either too often or too little. It is a plague in a writer’s style when either of these instances happen. The…

English expressions of time (those that indicate a specific time period during which certain events occur) generally follow the main rules of syntax, which you…

What is It? The present perfect continuous tense shows how an action which started in the past is still going on. When to Use? Cases…

What is a Preposition? We can think of prepositions (on, at, in…) as small verbs that help describe something. But without a word following it…

What is It? Using had + past verb (past particle) to express actions or events that could of happened or someone had wished had happened.…

What is It? The past perfect continuous tense is had been + a verb in passive voice (past particle). When to Use? Cases Examples *Show…

What is It? It deals with the verbs used to or would, or the simple past tense of a verb (I saw, you called). When…

What is It? It lets readers know an event happened for sure by confirmation. When to Use? Case Examples * To make clear how a…

What is Inconsistent Writing? Imagine you have written three chapters of your novel, describing the main character as a nice person with pleasant manners and…

What is Incorrect Word Usage? Along with words that are usually misspelled (such as “there” and “their,” for example) there is also a group of…

What is a Typo? Any skilled writer is familiar with such a typical but pesky flaw as typos. A typo is often an entirely mechanical…

What is a Possessive? We can guarantee you that you cannot speak the English language without using possessives (or possessive determiners). Possessives are everywhere, and…

What is Syntax? Syntax is a crucial part of English grammar. In general, syntax is a system of principles used to organize words in sentences.…

What is It? A pattern or list of words with each word having the same importance or having the same form. -ing Phrases Examples: David…

What is It? The present simple tense is needed to show long-term and permanent actions. When to Use? Cases and Examples * To indicate actions…

What is It? The present continuous tense shows that an action or event is happening now and will be happening in the future as well.…

What is It? It shows unfinished actions in the past―such that have begun before now, and are still in process at the moment of speaking.…

What is It? The future tense is needed to show that certain events are just about to happen. When to Use? Cases: * When a…

What is It? It is used to show that in the past, a speaker thought about something that would happen in future. It does not…

What is It? Uses will have + a verb in the past tense (part particle) or am/is/are + going to have + a verb in…