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GRAMMAR GIRL!
For a humourous look at grammar and some of the stickier grammatical situations, check out Grammar Girl. There is a site called Quick and Dirty Tips, and there is also a series of podcasts available. A book on the same topic has just been published. For those of you who are on Facebook, you might like to become a fan of Grammar Girl.
IDIOMS
If English is not your first language, then English idioms are probably difficult for you. The BBC has a site that provides interesting and crazy videos to explain a variety of idioms.
DEFINITIONS
Clause: A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb. Independent clause: A clause that can be used alone as a sentence and that does not need any other grammatical construction: e.g. He hit the ball over the fence. Dependent clause: A clause that cannot form a separate sentence; there must be an independent clause for it to modify: e.g. When Peter played baseball, he hit the ball over the fence. Phrase: A group of words used together to express an idea but without a subject and a verb: e.g. In the game yesterday, he hit the ball over the fence.
STUDENT AWARDS
Check out the Student Awards web site for all the details.
PUNCTUATION BASICS
1. When using an introductory phrase, remember to set it off with a comma. 2. If you have an introductory dependent clause, set it off with a comma. 3. Two independent clauses can be more difficult; use a semicolon to separate them if there is no coordinating conjunction, but use a comma if there is a one.
CONJUNCTIONS
Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS) For And Nor But Or Yet So
Subordinating Conjunctions (WISH ABOUT) Who, what, where, when, why, which, whether, while If Since, so that How
As, after, although Before, because Once Unless, until Than, that, though
Have you ever heard of the interrobang? It’s a symbol that is cross between a question mark and an exclamation mark. Check some background information about it, and listen to a CBC podcast that includes a discussion of this interesting punctuation mark. However, there is a word of warning--don’t use it in formal academic writing.
2 comments:
Wow - you should send that to Jay Leno!
Coll stuff.
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