Grammar

Cleft sentences consist of a two-clause construction and often start with the introductory subjects of what or it. The word cleft is an adjective that means to split or divide something into two parts. In grammar, we use this division to add more emphasis to the first clause in a sentence. There are a lot of…

Gapping in grammar means the omission of a verb in the second of two coordinated clauses. Crossword lovers probably know this clue. A grammar rule that deletes the repetition of verbs. The answer is gapping. John R. Ross, an American poet and linguist, coined the word around 1970. Before then, it was probably referred to as a…

In general, you don’t use a comma before because, in most sentences. When you add a second clause to a sentence starting with because the meaning is usually quite clear. You are explaining the reason why something happened in the first clause. For example, I’m always hungry now because I’m on a strict diet. Of course,…

Yes, of course, you can start a sentence with because to indicate a reason. You probably won’t use it very often. But when you do, you only need to be a little careful and make sure you use it correctly. There is a simple way to check that your grammar is correct when you use…

You probably use the grammatical expletive very often in your writing. But what is it? The definition of the word expletive is an oath or a swear word. But in grammar, it means to use a word or phrase to fill out a sentence without adding to the meaning or sense. The word derives from…

You might think that all words that end in LY are adverbs. But it’s not true because there are also LY adjectives. Not only can some LY words be either adjectives or adverbs, but they can also be both. Knowing your parts of speech is the only way to understand when an LY word is…

In fact, there’s no reason why you can’t start a sentence with a preposition. As with all aspects of writing, though, you should use it in moderation. However, it is an easy way of adding variety. By using it occasionally, it helps you vary the syntax of your sentences. With that in mind, let’s look…

When do you use a comma before which? Here are the quick answers. YES. You use a comma when the word which introduces a nonrestrictive phrase, which is also called a non-defining clause. NO. You don’t add a comma when which comes before a restrictive or defining clause. NO. There is no comma when which…

Learning how to change passive sentences to active voice is a skill all writers need. In most instances, all you need to do is move the subject before the verb. In a passive sentence, there is often the operator word, by before the object. But without one, it can be unclear who or what performs…