English Grammar Quiz Study Guide

Coordination​: Coordinators ( also known as coordinating conjunctions ​connect​ words, phrases,

and clauses of ​equivalent​ value (independent clause w/ independent clause) or of
non-equivalent value (independent clause w/ dependent value) or as transitions between
sentences (FANBOYS-- for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
Full Sentence Coordination: ​Joins 2 independent clauses. Can do it with the following:
- Simple coordination w/ 2 independent clauses and coordinating conjunctions - always
use comma when joining 2 independent clauses (​Ex: ​ Wendy was late for work, so she
received a cut in pay)
- Use coordinating conjunction to begin a sentence (end first sentence w/ period and
begin 2nd one with coordinating conjunction) ​Ex: ​Wendy was late for work. ​And​ she
received a cut in pay.
- Use a semicolon to join 2 independent clauses that are closely related. ​Ex:​ Wendy was
late for work; she received a cut in pay.
- Use a colon when the 1st independent clause is a generalization and the 2nd/3rd/4th is
an illustration or explanation. ​Ex: ​Wendy was late for work: she received a cut in pay,
her boyfriend dumped her, her landlord evicted her.
Interrupted Coordination: ​This is just like simple coordination but w/ an added phrase
after the coordinator that is set apart by commas or dashes. ​Ex: ​I was excited to start
high school in July, but, surprisingly, I was more nervous about starting when August
came
Paired Coordination: ​This strategy is coordination, but using a “paired set of words like:
- Both + and
- Either + or
- Neither + or
- Whether + or
- Not only + also
- Ex:​ Neither the newspaper nor the book was good.
Paired and interrupted Coordination​: Like paired coordination, but has an interrupter,
which is an unnecessary word/phrase in the sentence separated by commas or dashes
Ex:​ Both Mr. Smith and, ​unsurprisingly, M ​ rs. W agree on the proper sentence format.
Series Coordination and Parallelism:​ It lists 3 or more items and typically uses a
coordinating conjunction (fanboy) at the end of the list, but this conjunction is not a
grammatical requirement -- parallelism is important when structuring the series
- Ex:​ Yesterday, I went to the store, the mall, and the post office.
- Ex:​ On my days off, I prefer running, eating, and fishing (each item is a gerund as they
all end with “ing”)
- NOTE: ​don’t mix forms (infinitives “to + verb”/gerunds/etc.) (make sure each phrase
begins with the same phrase or they won’t be parallel)
Subordination:​ ​It makes independent clauses into dependent clauses
- Ex:​ Erica likes your haircut → Although Erica likes your haircut...
- Since it is now a dependent clause it can not stand alone anymore you now need an
independent clause for it to lean on
- Ex: ​Although Erica likes your haircut, she likes your hair better when it’s long
- It creates an unequal relationship between the two clauses - the subordinate clause
depends on the other clause.
- Subordinating clause is identifiable by subordinating conjunction - ex:
Contrast Subordinates​: Although, even though, even so, even when, despite
Place Subordinates:​ Where, wherever
Negative Condition Subordinates:​ Unless
Cause Subordinates:​ Because, Since, As, Due to
Time Subordinates:​ After, Soon after, as soon as, during, until, when, whenever, once,
before, since, while
Condition Subordinates:​ If, when, as long as, provided that, in case, assuming that
Alternative Condition Subordinate:​ Whether or not
Degree:​ To the extent that, inasmuch as, insofar as
- Punctuation​: if the subordinate clause begins the sentence you must separate it from
the independent clause w/ a comma. If the subordinate clause ends the sentence, no
comma is needed
- Ex:​ As long as I get good grades, I can go to the movies.
- Ex: ​I can go to the movies as long as I get good grades
Coherence:​ ​Takes 2 ideas and “coheres” them using conjunctive adverbs/adverbials. It is a way
to help transition from one idea to the next.
Specific types of Conjunctive Adverbs/Adverbials:
Contrast/opposites: ​Still, however, Even so, By contrast, On the contrary, In contrast,
nevertheless, On the other hand, instead
Added point:​ Besides, equally, furthermore, Above all, In addition, Finally, Moreover, Similarly
Conclusion/Result:​ Indeed, In fact, AS a result, hence, Consequently, Therefore, Thus,
Accordingly, In other words
Illustration/Example: ​To illustrate, for instance, for example, thus
- Combining 2 sentences: ​ when combining 2 independent clauses using coherence you
must use a semicolon, the conjunctive adverb, and then a comma
- Ex: ​I find fall is a wonderful time of year​; nevertheless, ​summer is still my favorite
season.
- Combining IDEAS using Coherence-​ You can also use coherence at the beginning of
a sentence or paragraph as a transition to connect ideas\
- Ex:​ I find that fall is a wonderful time of the year. ​Nevertheless, ​ summer is still my
favorite season
Relative Clauses: ​always begin with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, that, or which)
and always tell something about the noun. It’s a dependent clause (can’t stand on its own) and it
has a noun and a verb
Purposes: ​To indicate which ideas in the sentence are less significant than the main clause, to
combine sentences and create concise writing, and to add extra info to the sentence.
- Ex: ​Ms. V was tall. Ms. V lived in an apartment. The Apartment was by a post office.
- Combined: ​Ms. V was a tall woman ​who lived in an apartment by a post office.
When to Use each relative pronoun (4 rules)
When a relative pronoun replaces a noun that refers to ​things or animals​, use ​that​ or ​which
- Ex: ​ The building that was demolished smelled of sewage.
- Ex:​ Sam’s dog that liked to chase squirrels had a missing leg
When a relative pronoun replaces a noun that ​refers to people​, use ​who ​or ​that​.
- Ex: ​George who lives down the street from me believed soup should be served hot
When a relative pronoun replaces an ​object noun phrase that refers to people, ​use ​whom o ​ r
that.
- Ex: ​ The woman ​to whom you have spoken is my teacher.
- Ex: ​The students ​whom the principal honored​ had got all A’s.
A possessive pronoun​ can only be replaced by the relative pronoun ​whose.
- Ex: ​ The football player ​whose shoulder was broken​ left the field
Sometimes relative pronouns will be preceded by a qualifier or preposition often noting the
quality or other relationship:
- Ex: ​Students many ​of whom played multiple sports​ are often tired.
- Ex: ​The theater ​in which the play debuted ​housed 3 hundred people
Relative Clauses and Comma usage:
- Defining (essential) clauses provide info that is necessary to the meaning of a sentence
(​Don’t use commas​ with defining/essential relative clauses)
- Ex: ​students who are going to the track meet can take the bus at 2 pm
- Non-defining (non-essential) clauses​ provide additional info that can be omitted w/out
changing the meaning of a sentence - commas are needed. The commas act as “hooks”
to omit the extraneous info out of the sentence
- Ex:​ Jesse Brown, ​whose mother is a dermatologist, ​ plans to study medicine
Participle Phrases:​ ​are non-essential verb phrases that modify a noun or pronoun in a
sentence and act as adjectives. They will always begin with a participle and must be places ad
close to the noun/pronoun they modify - they will always be punctuated with commas or dashes
which serve as hooks that imply a phrase is not essential to the meaning of the sentence
Present participles: a verb + “ing”
Ex: ​ carry = carrying or stand = standing
Standing against the wall​, the child managed to blend into the crowds of other children.
The child, ​standing against the wal​l, managed to blend into the crowds of other children.
Past participles: a verb + “ed”, “n”, etc (past tense verb)
Carried away by the rescue team, ​ the survivors shed tears of joy.
The survivors, ​carried away by the rescue team, ​shed tears of joy.
Perfect Participles: having + a verb + “ed”, “n”, etc. (past tense verb)
Ex: ​Having stood up to the bully​, the child gleefully skipped home.
Passive Perfect Participles: having + been + a verb + “ed”, “n”, etc. (past tense verb)
Ex: ​The survivors, ​having been carried through the wreckage,​ shed tears of joy.