Writing Guides - Page 2

What is It? It lets readers know an event happened for sure by confirmation. When to Use? Case Examples * To make clear how a situation happened. Usually, it is in the form of a question or a serious statement.…

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 a positive background; however, in the fourth chapter, this person suddenly acts completely opposite to…

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 words whose meaning are usually misunderstood. This leads to a mistake called “incorrect word usage.”…

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 mistake in writing (grammar, punctuation, a misspelling, or incorrect word usage, and so on), that…

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 you most likely use them regardless of whether you know what it is or not,…

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. Though many languages (such as German or Russian) have rather vague rules for the order…

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 loves walking, skiing, and skateboarding. We totally went hiking, bungee jumping, and snowboarding last week.…

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 or events that are regular or permanent. Example: I usually get up at 6 a.m.…

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. When to Use? Cases Examples * Describe an action or event that takes place at…

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. When to Use Cases Examples * To express a sudden change of mind. – Jake…

What is It? The future tense is needed to show that certain events are just about to happen. When to Use? Cases: * When a future event is predicted Example: – Alien invaders from outer space will arrive to Earth…

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 matter if it is true or false. When to Use? Case  1: * To express…

What is It? Uses will have + a verb in the past tense (part particle) or am/is/are + going to have + a verb in the past (past particle) to show that an action will be completed before an event…

What is It? An article is a type of adjective that is always used together with a noun and carries information about it. Articles are used to show what kind of noun follows it—definite (use the) or indefinite (use a/an).…

What is a Colon Needed For? A colon (:) is a punctuation mark used to start any kind of enumeration or lists. It is also used in titles and subtitles of books, business or formal letters, to distinguish hours from…

What is It? The past simple tense is used to express the notion that an action began and was completed at a certain time in the past. At times, the speaker may not tell the specific time, but he or…

What is It? The past perfect is had + a verb in passive voice (past particle). When to Use? Cases Examples *Show how something happened before another action in the past. 1. I had never seen such a beautiful desert…

What is It? Uses will have been + a verb in the present tense (present particle) or am/is/are + going to have been + a verb in the present tense (present particle) to show how much time it will take…

What is It? Using will/won’t + be + verb (present particle) when you want to say an action will be in progress in the future or to describe something that has been scheduled. When to Use? Cases Examples * When…