Contents









Introduction: How to Use This Book


Part ONE Parts of Speech
The Subject
The Predicate
Verbs
Action and Linking Verbs
Helping Verbs and Verb Phrases
Verbs in Contractions
Nouns
Common and Proper Nouns
Plural Nouns
Possessive Nouns
Compound Subjects
Compound Verbs
Nouns as Direct Objects
Nouns as Indirect Objects
Pronouns and Antecedents
Personal Pronouns
Pronouns in Contractions
Review of Verbs, Nouns, and Pronouns
Adjectives
Predicate Adjectives and Predicate Nouns
Adverbs
Forming Adverbs from Adjectives
Recognizing Adverbs and Adjectives



















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1
3
7
10
13
16
19
22
24
27
34
38
41
45
48
52
55
58
61
68
72
79
84
86


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Review of Adjectives and Adverbs
Prepositions
Prepositional Phrases
Conjunctions
Interjections
Review of Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections


Part TWO Sentence Composition
Characteristics of Good Sentences
Comparing Sentences
Writing Sentences
Revising Sentences
Clear, Forceful Sentences
Conciseness (Economy)
Clarity and Specificity
Varying Sentences
Unity


Part THREE Common Usage Errors
Problems with Sentence Structure
Simple Sentences
Compound Sentences
Complex Sentences
Sentence Fragments
Run-on Sentences
Problems with Nouns
Plurals of Nouns
Possessives of Nouns
Problems with Verbs
Using the Correct Tense
Principal Parts of Verbs
Agreement of Subject and Verb
Troublesome Verb Pairs
Problems with Modifiers
Adjectives and Adverbs Confused
Double Negatives
Other Errors


iv


89
94
98
102
108
111


115
116
117
120
121
123
123
126
132
145


149
150
150
151
152
155
164
171
171
172
175
175
177
181
185
189
189
190
191


C O N T E N T S


Problems with Pronouns
Personal Pronouns
Indefinite Pronouns
Possessive Pronouns
Problems with Punctuation
End Punctuation
The Comma
Quotation Marks
Punctuating Titles
Problems with Capitalization
In Letters
In Quotations
First Words
Proper Nouns and Proper Adjectives
Problems with Spelling
Frequently Misspelled Words
Words Often Confused
Seven Helpful Spelling Rules
Contractions


Part FOUR Basic Paragraph Composition
The Paragraph
A Note About Paragraph Length
Unity in the Paragraph
The Topic Sentence
The Clincher Sentence
Developing a Paragraph with Reasons
Arranging the Reasons
Arranging the Reasons—Another Look
Developing a Paragraph with Examples
Varying Sentence Beginnings



Index







C O N T E N T S


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214
214
214
214
215
221
221
223
224
230


231
232
233
235
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242
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248
249
253



259







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Introduction







How To Use This Book
Grammar and Usage for Better Writing is a basic workbook that can provide a founda-
tion for further study in English grammar and usage. It will benefit students who are learn-
ing the essentials for the first time as well as those who wish to review concepts they have
previously learned. The premise of this book is that understanding how language works
enables us to use it more effectively. This skill can enhance our personal communications,
schoolwork, and professional lives.
The workbook is organized into four major parts. The parts in turn consist of brief
lessons, each with explanations, examples, and practice to ensure that students understand
the concepts being introduced. The book is structured sequentially, with the most basic
elements—the parts of a sentence—introduced in Part One, followed by the composition
of sentences in Part Two. Part Three focuses on some common problems that people en-
counter when using English, and it places more emphasis on applying the rules. Students
who are new to grammar study should begin with Part One and work through each section
in order; more advanced students who already know the parts of speech may want to start
with Part Two and use the first section for reference.
Once writers learn the parts of sentences and how they work together to determine the
meaning and