A colon has multiple uses: explaining a statement, introducing a list, introducing a quotation or excerpt, and being part of ratio, numeric terms, titles, and citations. (The previous sentence used colon to introduce a list.) In this post, we’ll cover…
Semicolon is a termination punctuation mark that is milder than a period but stronger than a comma. Its symbol, in fact, is a sum of the symbols of period and comma, with a period sitting on top of a comma.…
In this post, we’ll cover ins and outs of adverb phrase. What’s an adverb phrase? An adverb phrase is a phrase that has an adverb as its head word (or the most important word), and it functions as an adverb…
In this post, we’ll cover ins and outs of noun phrase. What’s a noun phrase? Also called nominal phrase, a noun phrase is a phrase that has a noun as its head word (or the most important word), and it…
It can be challenging to tell if a dependent clause is noun, relative, or adverb clause. Try identifying the clauses underlined below. The process through which they do it depends on the software they use. The analysis by the news…
A clause is a group of words that contains both subject and verb. It can be an independent clause representing a complete idea (he runs fast) or a dependent clause representing an incomplete idea (because he was ill). In this…
A dependent clause is a group of words that contains both subject and verb. Unlike an independent clause though, it doesn’t form a complete idea and hence can’t stand on its own as a sentence. Therefore, you’ll find them as…
In this post, we’ll cover length and breadth of relative adverb, including how it’s used in sentences. What’s a relative adverb? Consider these two sentences. Let’s shop in the mall. We get good discounts there. You can join the two…
Have you wondered which of the three sentences is correct? We went to the restaurant which Lucy recommended. We went to the restaurant, which Lucy recommended. We went to the restaurant that Lucy recommended. Third is unambiguously correct, but first…
Which of the two is correct? Who should we invite to the event? Whom should we invite to the event? If you get confused over which of the two – who or whom – to use in such sentences, then…
In this post, we’ll cover relative pronoun comprehensively, including how it’s used in sentences. What is relative pronoun? Consider these sentences about my visit to hospital. I went to the hospital. There, I met Dr Johnson. He attended the same…
A dependent clause, also called subordinate clause, is a grammatical group of words containing both subject and verb that doesn’t represent a complete idea. Since it doesn’t represent a complete idea, it can’t stand as a sentence and hence requires…
