A Review of Grammar and Punctuation

Introduction

Great writing, a well thought out thesis, and extensive research all count for a large part of creating an outstanding essay. However, the proper use of the English language is highly important too! This lesson will provide you with a brush-up on the most pertinent aspects of grammar and punctuation.

Review

Unless you are fresh out of high school or a college freshman, the odds are you haven't had the need to brush up on your grammar or punctuation skills in quite some time. The section below will provide you with a clear, basic re-fresher of the most important rules of grammar and punctuation that you will need when creating essays of any kind. The basics presented here will refresh the knowledge of those in high school, college, and those who are in the work force.

Grammar Review:

Nouns. Nouns name a person, place, action, quality, or thing. Nouns will answer the questions, "WHO?" and "WHAT?" Who or what is the subject of the sentence and what is he or she doing?

Concrete Nouns. A concrete noun names what can be taken in by the five senses of sight, taste, smell, sound, and touch. Examples of concrete nouns are bolded and underlined in the sentences below.

We saw a puppy playing in the grass.
The pepperoni pizza tastes great at Vinnie's Restaurant.
We enjoyed hearing the piano music at the concert.
The smell of her perfume was lovely
I could feel goosebumps rise on my skin when the cold wind blew.

Abstract Nouns. Abstract nouns name ideas, qualities, or things not directly sensed. Examples of abstract nouns are bolded and underlined below.

I would like the opportunity to study abroad.
She needs to have more confidence.
Happiness means different things to different people.
You should save your money for your education.

Subject. A noun that names who or what is the topic or idea of the sentence is called the subject. To find the subject of any sentence ask yourself who or what is the sentence about? or ask who or what is doing something in the sentence? The subject of each sentence is bolded and underlined below.

The cow was grazing in the field.
Our house was recently painted.
We went out on the deck to get a better view of the ocean.

Verbs. Verbs express action. Specifically, verbs express the past, present, or future action or actions of the subject. The verb is bolded and underlined in the sentences below.

The sun shines.
Rich went to the store to purchase glue.
Oscar was eating a hot dog.

A complete sentence only requires two things, a subject and a verb.
So, the following, although only two words in length, form a complete sentence.

Robins sang.
Richie fell.
Lightning flashed.
Sparks flew.

Verb tense. Verb tense expresses whether the action (verb) is occurring in the past, present, or future.

If we use the sentences above as examples, the tenses would be expressed thus:

Sentence One:

Past tense. Robins sang.
Present tense. Robins sing.
Future tense. Robins will sing.

Sentence Two:

Past tense. Richie fell.
Present tense. Richie is falling.
Future tense. Richie will fall.

Sentence Three:

Past tense. Lightning flashed.
Present tense. Lightning is flashing.
Future tense. Lightning will flash.

Sentence Four:

Past tense. Sparks flew.
Present tense. Sparks are flying.
Future tense. Sparks will fly.

Pronouns. Pronouns are used as replacements for nouns to avoid repetition and when a proper name is not known.

Personal Pronouns. These are used to express person and the number of people. Personal pronouns can be singular, indicating one of each, or plural, indicating two or more. Personal pronouns are also expressed in the First, Second, and Third Person.

Singular personal pronouns.

First person singular pronouns are as follows:

I, me, mine, myself

Second person singular pronouns are as follows:

You, yours, yourself

Third person singular pronouns are as follows:

He, him, his, himself
She, her, hers, herself
It, its, itself

Plural personal pronouns.

First person plural personal pronouns are as follows:

We, us, ours, ourselves

Second person plural personal pronouns are as follows:

You, yours, yourselves.

Third person plural personal pronouns are as follows:

They, them, theirs, themselves.

Adjectives. Adjectives are words used to describe a noun or pronoun.

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