#separator:tab #html:false #tags column:4 Subject-verb agreement A singular subject takes a singular verb: The dog barks la-grammar-rules Plural subject A plural subject takes a plural verb: The dogs bark la-grammar-rules Compound subjects with and Take a plural verb: Tom and Sara are here la-grammar-rules Compound subjects with or The verb matches the nearer subject: Neither Tom nor the girls are here la-grammar-rules Collective noun Usually takes a singular verb: The team is ready la-grammar-rules Everyone, somebody, each Indefinite pronouns that take singular verbs: Everyone is here la-grammar-rules Both, few, many Take plural verbs: Both are ready la-grammar-rules I vs. me Use I as a subject, me as an object: Sam and I went; she gave Sam and me a gift la-grammar-rules Who vs. whom Who is the subject; whom is the object: Who called? To whom did you speak? la-grammar-rules Fewer vs. less Fewer for things you count, less for amounts: fewer cookies, less milk la-grammar-rules Between vs. among Between for two, among for three or more la-grammar-rules Good vs. well Good is an adjective, well is an adverb: She sings well la-grammar-rules Lie vs. lay Lie means to rest; lay means to place something down la-grammar-rules Sit vs. set Sit means to be seated; set means to put something la-grammar-rules Bring vs. take Bring toward the speaker; take away from the speaker la-grammar-rules Its vs. it's Its shows ownership; it's means it is la-grammar-rules Your vs. you're Your shows ownership; you're means you are la-grammar-rules Their, there, they're Their shows ownership, there is a place, they're means they are la-grammar-rules Whose vs. who's Whose shows ownership; who's means who is la-grammar-rules Then vs. than Then is time; than compares la-grammar-rules Double negatives Avoid two negatives: I have no apples, not I don't have no apples la-grammar-rules Pronoun agreement Pronouns match their antecedents in number la-grammar-rules Parallel structure Use the same form in a list: running, jumping and swimming la-grammar-rules Dangling modifier A modifier that does not clearly attach to what it describes la-grammar-rules Misplaced modifier A modifier placed too far from the word it describes la-grammar-rules Sentence fragments Every sentence needs a subject and a verb and a complete thought la-grammar-rules Run-on sentences Fix with a period, semicolon, or a comma plus conjunction la-grammar-rules Verb tense consistency Keep the same tense unless time changes la-grammar-rules Active voice Prefer subject doing the action: Maria wrote the letter la-grammar-rules Adjectives before nouns Opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose la-grammar-rules Comparatives with -er Short adjectives: taller, faster la-grammar-rules Comparatives with more Longer adjectives: more beautiful la-grammar-rules Superlatives with -est Short adjectives: tallest, fastest la-grammar-rules Irregular comparisons good, better, best; bad, worse, worst la-grammar-rules A vs. an Use an before a vowel sound: an hour, a university la-grammar-rules Adverbs end in -ly Often, but not always: quickly, but fast la-grammar-rules Possessive pronouns have no apostrophe his, hers, its, ours, yours, theirs la-grammar-rules Singular possessive Add 's: the girl's bike la-grammar-rules Plural possessive Add ' after plural s: the girls' bikes la-grammar-rules Irregular plural possessive Add 's: the children's toys la-grammar-rules Prepositions at the end It is acceptable in plain speech: What are you looking at? la-grammar-rules Split infinitive Putting a word between to and the verb: to boldly go; usually fine la-grammar-rules Capitalizing the first word Every sentence starts with a capital letter la-grammar-rules Ending punctuation Statements end with a period, questions with a question mark la-grammar-rules Gerund as subject Takes a singular verb: Swimming is fun la-grammar-rules Conditional sentences If it rains, we will stay home la-grammar-rules Reflexive pronouns Use only when the subject also receives the action: I hurt myself la-grammar-rules Redundancy Avoid saying the same thing twice: not "very unique" la-grammar-rules Absolute adjectives Words like unique, perfect, complete cannot be compared la-grammar-rules Past participle Used with have: have gone, not have went la-grammar-rules Irregular verbs go, went, gone; see, saw, seen; eat, ate, eaten la-grammar-rules Subjunctive Use were for wishes: I wish I were taller la-grammar-rules Apostrophe in contractions Shows missing letters: don't = do not la-grammar-rules Nonrestrictive clause Extra information set off with commas la-grammar-rules Restrictive clause Needed information with no commas la-grammar-rules Passive voice Subject receives the action; use when the doer is unknown la-grammar-rules Pronoun case Use the case that fits the pronoun's job in the sentence la-grammar-rules Comparative with than Use than after comparisons: taller than me la-grammar-rules Quantity words Many for count nouns, much for mass nouns: many books, much water la-grammar-rules Amount vs. number Amount for things you cannot count, number for things you can la-grammar-rules Farther vs. further Farther for distance, further for degree la-grammar-rules Should have, not should of Write should have, would have, could have la-grammar-rules