Any grammar questions?

It's the start of a new term for the online university for which I teach. As always, I have a slew of new students, some of whom haven't written a formal essay in some time.

It is these students whom I ask: Do you have any grammar questions? In the several years I've been maintaining this blog, I think I've answered the most pressing, but please feel free to send me an email if you'd like to see more topics.

To those new students this term: I'm looking forward to working with you and helping you to find that writing is painless!

Keep pen to paper!
Prof. Rinehart

Possessives or Plurals ... That is the question ...

I'm in the middle of grading a slew of essays for another group of students, and it's making me a bit ... um ...

Well, let's just say, one of my pet peeves is being prodded (and you know what they say about poking a bear with a stick?).

It's this whole issue of possessives versus plurals. I wrote an entire blog about possessive use in April 2014 (please read it for even more detail), but because it is front of mind, I thought I'd post a quick refresher.

Possessive form is NOT the same as plural. Possessive form means ownership. Plural means more than one. They are not interchangeable. HOWEVER, there is such a thing as plural possessive (ownership by more than one)... have I confused you yet?

Let's take them one at a time.

Possessive form:

It is the student's book. (In other words, the book belongs to one student.)

Plural:

Several students bought their books. (In other words, more than one student bought books.)

Plural possessive:

The students' books are on the table, (In other words, the books of more than one student are on the table.)

It's really very simple.

So let's take a little quiz.

A student writes:

The stories theme is about fate.

Questions: Is she writing about multiples stories? Then the word stories should still be possessive, and the noun and verb need to be changed. Is she writing about a single story? Then the word stories should be single possessive.

If it's the first (multiple stories), then the sentence should be:

The stories' themes are about fate.

If it's the second (single story), the the sentence should be:

The story's theme is about fate.

Again, I go into much more detail in the entry I mentioned above. If this is something you struggle with, PLEASE review that entry.

Okay. I'm glad I got that off my chest. Now, back to grading!

Keep pen to paper!
Prof. Rinehart

What do you want to know?

I'm about ready to start a new semester teaching a whole new group of students.

As I'm preparing my course-work and reviewing assignments, I'm reminded that some (many?) students are anxious about this course because they haven't written an academic composition in a while, or they just haven't had good experiences with writing.

If you're a former student (or someone who has stumbled on this blog), and you have a question about writing that is not addressed elsewhere, would you please send me an email? I'd like to add more relevant content.

Thank you!

Keep pen to paper!

Prof. Rinehart

Gerunds ... using "-ing' verbs

Well, hello ...

It's been a while since I gave a grammar tip. Hectic times.

As I was thinking about what I wanted to share with you, I decided to focus on a lesser-known concept: the Gerund.

Simply put, a gerund is a -ing verb. For example:

swimming
driving
eating

Gerunds function as nouns and can be used as subjects, direct objects, and objects of prepositions.

Subjects:

Running is my favorite way to exercise.
Singing is her greatest pleasure.

Direct objects:

My dogs do not like bathing.
Sharon wants to do more traveling.

Objects of prepositions:

Karen wrote a book about cooking.
Annie won first prize for acting. 

A key when using a gerund is using the possessive form of the noun or pronoun that precedes it. Because the gerund is a noun, your sentence needs to be structured correctly. So, if you wrote a sentence like:

I like your dress, you'd know to use the possessive form of the pronoun, right? Dress is a noun, so you'd use the possessive form of the pronoun. Easy!

However, we often see sentences written like:

Her family loves Karen cooking.
Joe enjoys his sister playing the piano.

Do these look right to you? If so, ask yourself: How are the words cooking and playing functioning in the sentences? Hopefully, you can see they're functioning as nouns; therefore, they're gerunds. Cooking and playing are things (as in "people, places, or things") not actions. So, the sentences should be:

My family loves Karen's cooking.
Joe enjoys his sister's playing the piano.

Do you see the difference?

Your goal as a writer is to look closely at each sentence you write and make certain you're using the correct structure. So when you find yourself using an -ing verb, ask yourself: Is this word functioning as a verb? Or as a noun? If it's the latter, then make certain you're using the possessive form of the noun or pronoun that precedes it.

If this isn't clear, feel free to comment (and if you're a Liberty student, send me an email via my Liberty email address).

As always, keep pen to paper!

Prof. Rinehart

I'm a bit ... possessive!

Sometimes, I am rather shocked when I see how some of my students seem to have forgotten ... or were never taught ... what I think are just basic grammar concepts.

One of these is possessives ... a simple use of a tiny piece of punctuation. Leaving out a simple apostrophe makes a HUGE difference, yet many students don't seem to use it correctly. Without that simple apostrophe, your reader usually thinks you're writing a plural noun.

For example:

I need to buy my dog's food. This means I need to buy the food that belongs to my one and only dog.

VERSUS

I need to buy my dogs food. This means I need to buy food for two or more dogs.

See the difference? Without the possessive form, you can cause confusion for your reader, and what do I often say? The only way you can tell your reader what you want him to know is how you use your words.

Making words possessive is really very simple.

Use #1:

When you have a singular noun that does NOT end in an -s, add an apostrophe AND an -s:

It is my dog's toy.
The girl's hat is cute.
Marie's dress is lovely.

Use #2:

When you have a singular noun that DOES end in an -s ... well, opinions differ about this. Some recommend that an apostrophe and an -s be added to common nouns (e.g., the class's homework, the bus's schedule), but only an apostrophe to proper nouns (e.g., Jones' car, Ross' computer). Others adhere to the "sound" rule: If when you speak out loud, you'd pronounce the -s, then put the apostrophe AND the -s; otherwise, just put the -s.  For example:

You might not say Mrs. Herringses house, so you would write Mrs. Herrings' house.
However, you might say Mr. Joneses boat, so you would write Mr. Jones's boat.

The main "rule of thumb" is to be consistent.

Use #3:

When you have a plural noun that does NOT end with an -s, add an apostrophe AND an -s:

The children's playground is not open.
The women's club meets on Tuesdays.

Use #4:

When you have a plural noun that DOES end with an -s, add an apostrophe ONLY:

The classes' schedules are now posted.
The dogs' water bowls are empty.

Use #5:

When two or more nouns possess the same thing, add an apostrophe AND an -s to the last noun listed:

Karen and Tom's house is for sale.
The coach and the team's bus is late.

EXCEPTIONS:

Apostrophes are NOT used with possessive pronouns: yours, ours, theirs, his, hers, its.

NOTE: Don't confuse the contractions you're (you are) and it's (it is) with their possessive forms yours and its.

You're going to buy your car from whom?
It's the dog playing with its toy.

I can't encourage you enough to keep an eye out for this simple concept. It will make such a difference in your writing!

Keep pen to paper!

Prof. Rinehart

Modifiers ... don't misplace them or let them dangle!

Hello everyone!

It's been a few weeks since my last posting. With classes and doing a bit of community theater, it's been a bit hectic. Things are calming down, though, so (hopefully), I'll be able to keep up with a more "normal" blog schedule!

Today, we're going to talk about an issue that sometimes comes up with modifiers, such as adverbs and adjectives (see posting on 7/26/13 for more about these).

When used properly, they enhance your writing. When used improperly, however, they can confuse your reader ... or just make them laugh!

Misplaced Modifiers:






Dangling Modifiers:




Limiting Modifiers:



Other Modifier Issues:




As I often say, the only way you can communicate with your readers is how you use your words. If you want to communicate clearly, keep an eye on those modifiers!

Keep pen to paper!

Prof. Rinehart

Subject-Verb Agreement

Hello!

I'm a week behind in posting this, but life is very, very hectic right now. Juggling nine classes, even temporarily, certainly keeps me on my toes! I'm reminded, though, how many people have forgotten (or never learned?) some of the basics of English composition. Thus, I continue to write this blog!

Today, we're going to look at a concept that should be relatively simple ... and it can be. However, I still see issues with this in some of my students' writing.

The concept is: Subjects and verbs must agree in "number." This means that singular forms of the noun or pronoun in the subject must agree with the singular form of the verb; plural forms of the noun or pronoun in the subject must agree with the plural form of the verb.

Please note I said the singular form of the verb or the plural form of the verb. Some students get hung up on the fact that plural forms of nouns have an s on the end, so they think that the plural form of the verb also means an s at the end.

What I recommend to students is looking at the verb and conjugating it using pronouns:

I think ...
He thinks ...
She thinks ...
We think ...
They think ...
Who thinks ...
One thinks ...

So, if you're writing

John _______ in the morning,

you'd use the third person singular form of the verb:

John walks in the morning.

If you're writing

The students ________ for each test the night before.

you'd use the third person plural form of the verb:

The students cram for each test the night before.

Simple, right?

The issues arise when other elements come between the subject and the verb:

It's extremely important to break your sentence down to its absolute basics to make certain your subjects and verbs agree.

Another issue is what to do with compound subjects connected with and and those connected with or or nor.











Finally, you need to be aware indefinite pronouns (both singular and plural) and collective nouns:

As I've written before, writers communicate only with the words they use ... and how those words are used. Understanding simple concepts goes a long way towards your being more effective communicators.

My next blog (hopefully next week?) will be on writing thesis statements and outlines. I hope to "see" you then!

Keep pen to paper!

Prof. Rinehart

Agreeing Pronouns (pronoun-antecedent agreement)

Happy Friday!

I believe I left off the last blog stating I'd be writing about thesis statements this week, but based on some grading I've done lately, I think a discussion about pronoun-antecedent agreement is needed.

We know that pronouns are parts of speech that replace nouns in a sentence. Instead of saying:

Susan took Susan's children to school and then drove Susan's car to the mechanic. Bill, the mechanic, used Bill's tools to fix Susan's car.

you would probably write:

Susan took her children to school and then drove her car to the mechanic. Bill, the mechanic, used his tools to fix her car.

An exception would be if the mechanic were also female:

Susan took her children to school and then drove her car to the mechanic. Karen, the mechanic, used her tools to fix Susan's car.

The waterfall was majestic in its beauty.

The miniature horses were adorable as they
romped around the paddock.

So what's the key behind pronoun-antecedent agreement?

When you use a singular noun or pronoun, associated pronouns must also be singular.
When you use a plural noun or pronoun, associated pronouns must also be plural.

Simple? Well, not necessarily. I don't think the issues arise with regular nouns and pronouns. Most people won't argue that "Susan" is a singular noun, so any pronouns associated with that noun will be singular (i.e., "she" or "her"). Further, most people won't argue that "people" is a plural noun, so any pronouns associated with that noun will be plural (i.e., "they" or "them").

With me so far?

Indefinite pronouns, however, muddy the waters. Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that are ... well, indefinite. They refer to an undefined person(s) or thing(s). Some indefinite pronouns are singular; others are plural. When using a singular indefinite pronoun, any associated pronouns must also be singular, and plural indefinite pronouns must have associated plural pronouns.

Singular indefinite pronouns include: everyone, someone, somebody, no one, nobody, everything, nothing.

Plural indefinite pronouns include: all, many, some, few, several, both.

Examples:

Did everyone remember to bring his homework?

VERSUS

Did some of the students remember to bring their homework?

OR

Somebody forgot to call her mother.

VERSUS

A few forgot to call their mothers.

KEY: Look at the indefinite pronoun you're using. Does it have "one," "body," or "thing"? These are singular words, so you need to treat the entire indefinite pronoun as singular.

For a bit more detail, visit one of my favorite online writing resources. Come back in a couple of weeks ... I think I'll be writing on thesis statements then, but we'll see!

Keep pen to paper!

Prof. Saundra

All that pesky punctuation PART 1 (end punctuation, apostrophes, quotation marks)

Happy Friday!

I hope your week has gone well.

Last week, we looked at the common uses of commas. Today, we're going to take look at most other commonly-used punctuation marks.

Why is punctuation so important? The meaning of your sentence can change dramatically depending on the punctuation you use (or don't use). For example, in the book Eat, Shoots & Leaves, the author tells the story of a panda that goes into a restaurant, and after eating, he pulls out a gun and shoots it. The bewildered waiter asks, "Why did you do that?" The panda pulls out a wildlife magazine [from where, I'm not certain] and points to an article. "See?" he says. "This article says that a panda eats, shoots, and leaves." "Umm," says the waiter. "I believe there's a faulty comma here. It should say, 'A panda eats shoots and leaves.'"

Get it?

I've said before that the only way we writers can communicate to our readers is the words we use ... and the way we use them.

So let's look at how you can communicate to your readers by the simple use of punctuation:

Periods are hard stops that let your reader know your sentence is complete.

Exclamation points show excitement or anxiety. I can't believe you bought me a car!

Question marks ... Well, this one is clear, isn't it?

Apostrophes have two uses:

1) They show possession. The blue BMW is Scott's car.
2) They facilitate contractions. I don't want to go to the store.

IMPORTANT KEY: Two notable exceptions are the pronouns it and you. The possessive form of it is its; it's is the contraction it is. The possessive form of you is your; you're is the contraction you are.

Quotation marks indicate dialog or a quote that will be cited. Always use double quotation marks.

Sharon said, "I want to go to the store."

Discussing the importance of proper punctuation, Professor Rinehart wrote, "The meaning of your sentence can change dramatically depending on the punctuation you use (or don't use)."

NOTE: Single quotation marks are used only with quotes within quotes. I have an example of this at the end of the panda story.
IMPORTANT KEY: Periods and commas always go inside of quotation marks UNLESS you're using a citation. If I were including a citation (and I'm using MLA here) with the above quote, I'd write:

Discussing the importance of proper punctuation, Professor Rinehart wrote, "The meaning of your sentence can change dramatically depending on the punctuation you use (or don't use)" (Writing Is Painless).

On the other hand, where you place exclamation points and question marks are determined by the meaning of your sentence.

If either is part of the quotation, then it goes inside of the quotation mark.

Susan asked, "Where is the remote?"
Lisa cried, "I lost my phone!"

If either is not part of the quotation, then it does outside of the quotation mark.

Was it John who said, "I don't agree"?
I was so excited when I heard you say, "I'll be home Thursday"!

If I were standing in front of you, this would be the time I'd ask, "Any questions?" If you have some, feel free to comment! I'll get back to you by next Friday, at the latest.

Next week, we'll finish up punctuation marks, including semi-colons, colons, hyphens, m-dashes, and more!

Keep pen to paper!

Prof. Rinehart

The Common Uses of Commas

Happy Friday!

This is "crunch" week for me. I'm finishing up the grades for a summer class, just started four online classes, and am gearing up for my two on-campus classes that start on Tuesday. Suffice it to say, it's a bit crazy. I love what I do, though, so I'm doing what I need to get done. This time reminds me of all the concepts of grammar and how students often struggle with them.

Today's blog and video deal with the lowly comma. It's such a tiny, teeny punctuation mark, but it's misused so often. Students tend either to overuse it or under-use it. The good news? You can learn the most common uses, and when you use them correctly, your instructors will be quite impressed! Before we start, let's look at it from the comma's point of view (yes, we English teachers do have a warped sense of humor!):

Okay. Now to more serious matters.

First, take a look at the video ...

Now that you've learned the concepts, go back to my introductory paragraph. Can you see real-life examples of the concepts? Test yourself. Feel free to comment your answers, and I'll respond next week.

Speaking of next week, come back and we'll look at other punctuation marks (the apostrophe, the semi-colon, and the colon, among others).



Keep pen to paper ... and keep practicing!

Professor Rinehart

Ooops! How to avoid common sentence errors.

Hello again!

Last week, we looked at the four ways sentences are structured in English writing. Can you name them? (No peeking! Okay, if you need to peek, go ahead and do so!) Even more, can you use them correctly in your writing?

As I said, once you grasp the proper way to structure sentences, you're well on your way to building a solid foundation in your essays. However, it's really easy to make mistakes. Take a look at today's video about common sentence errors (good news: there are only three!):

Come back next week and learn about the exciting world of prepositions!

Keep pen to paper!

Professor Rinehart (or Saundra or Sauni ... you pick a title!)

Make your writing POP! (adjectives and adverbs)

So ... I'm telling you about my day at the beach, and I say, "The sunset was lovely."

What do you know about that sunset? You know it's "lovely," but what does lovely mean to you? Do you really see that sunset? What if I said this instead?

Yesterday, I took my nephew to the beach. After a fun day energetically playing in the surf and sand, we quietly sat on the shore. With him closely cuddled by my side, we watched the vibrant hues pervade the horizon. Extraordinary oranges and astonishing reds quickly filled the sky. "Isn't that the most amazingly beautiful sunset you've ever seen?" I whispered. "Yes, auntie," he lisped. "It's the prettiest sunset ever!"

When we speak face-to-face, we communicate with more than just our words. In fact, only about 7 percent of our face-to-face communication happens through words. The rest is body language and facial expressions. When we write, however, the only way we communicate is through our words, and how we use them changes how our readers understand what we're trying to say.

We can certainly write basic sentences and adequately communicate, but using modifiers can help us more than just adequately communicate. Let's talk about how to to this.

Adjectives

Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns (see "Let's start at the very beginning ..." for more on nouns and pronouns). If the noun is "man," adjectives describe him. What does he look like? What other characteristics does he have?

The man came into the restaurant.

OK. That tells us the person who came in was male rather than female, but that's about it. We don't know much, do we?

The tall, thin, dark-haired man came into the restaurant.

Do you have a better picture of what this man is like? Adjectives not only tell us about how something looks, but they also describe characteristics.

The loud-mouthed, obnoxious man came into the restaurant.

Adjectives add richness and depth to our writing.

Adverbs

Adverbs modify verbs (see "Lights. Camera. ACTION!" for more information about verbs), adjectives, and other adverbs. Most (but not all) adverbs end in -ly. Adverbs help to tell us to what extent something is or does. For example:

I cheered joyfully as I watched my son run really quickly across the finish line and win the especially important award.

The adverb joyfully modifies the verb cheered, and tells my reader how I cheered. Really modifies the adverb quickly, which in turn, modifies the verb run. These adverbs tell my reader how he ran. Especially modifies the adjective important, and tells my reader how important the award really is.

Adverbs help us communicate more effectively to our readers.

Before I finish this blog on adjectives and adverbs, let me share one of my biggest pet peeves (in a few weeks I'll be dedicating an entire blog to all those things that drive English instructors crazy!).

Really is an adverb. It means "truly" or "genuinely." Real is an adjective. It means "true" or "genuine."

I become really frustrated when people say, "You're real frustrated, aren't you?"

To test this, substitute "true" for "real." You wouldn't say, "You're true frustrated, aren't you?"

Keep writing well!

Prof. Saundra Rinehart

Let's start at the very beginning ... (nouns and pronouns)

One of my very favorite musicals has a song:

Let's start at the very beginning,
a very good place to start.
When you read, you begin with ABC ...

Just as we start reading by learning our ABCs, writing begins with a complete understanding of the parts of speech. Now, many of you are beyond the basics, but sometimes it's good to be reminded.

So today, we're going to "start at the very beginning ..."

NOUNS ...

Nouns are words that represent people, places, or things.

People, like my husband
Places, like the top of the aerial tram at Palm Springs, California.
Things, like this tree

So I could write a sentence like:

My husband is above Palm Springs looking at a tree.

These are all nouns.

No problem with nouns, right?

PRONOUNS ...

Let's move on to pronouns. I think you all know that pronouns substitute for nouns in a sentence. Instead of "my husband," for example, I could write:

He is above Palm Springs looking at a tree. ["He" substitutes for "husband."]

The issues comes when we begin to talk about subjective versus objective pronouns.

Subjective pronouns function as subjects in a sentence:

I sing.
She sings.
He sings.
You sing.
They sing.
We sing.

Even when you have compound subjects, you still use the subjective form of the pronoun.

Sharon and I sing.
He and she sing.

Objective pronouns function as objects in a sentence:

Call me.
Call her.
Call him.
Call you.
Call them.
Call us.

NOTE: When we're talking about objects, we're usually referring to "objects of the verb" (I'll call you) or "objects of the preposition" (Give the present to her).

The issue comes when we have compound objects. For example, if you had the following sentence, which pronoun would you use?

Would you please call _______ and _______ before you leave?

In the first blank, would you write "he" or "him"? Most of you would rightly choose "him." The logical answer is "Would you please call him?"

In the second blank, would you write "I" or "me"?

This is where is gets confusing for some of us. We've been raised to say "Sharon and I ..." or "Susie and I ..."

So when we see a sentence like:

Would you please call _______ and _______ before you leave?

we think it should be

Would you please call him and I before you leave?

However, if you take the sentence apart, would you really say

Would you please call I before you leave?

No!!

So, the correct answer would be

Would you please call him and me before you leave?

I know some of you think that doesn't sound correct, but it is. (You can blame your moms for this because every time you said, "Mom, can me and Joey go to the park?" She'd reply, "You should say, 'May Joey and I go to the park.'")

So ... we've started at the very beginning.

Next Friday, we'll build on the foundation and talk about verbs and participles ... exciting, isn't it?!

Keep pen to paper!

Inaugral Post

Hello terrified writers!

If you've read my profile, you know I've been teaching composition and literature at the college level since 1999. I am passionate about the English language. Seriously passionate. I love to read more than just about anything else. In fact, the only thing better than reading is doing so by a clear mountain lake, just a whisper of a breeze through the trees.

As much as I love to read, I love to write. I've self-published several books, have seen my work in several anthologies, and have free-lanced for local papers. I have to admit: I'm also a "hopeful" novelist. I've finished the first books in two different trilogies. Perhaps one of these days, I'll actually do something about them.

Now, you may be asking yourself, why another blog about writing? Aren't there countless such sites already? Well, yes. However, this blog has a two-fold purpose.

The first (and more important) is that it is a resource for my students, especially those I teach online. While I certainly post information on the appropriate portal, there's only so much I can do online ... or even in the classroom. This blog gives me the opportunity to expand on classroom discussions, presentations, lectures, and readings. I'll be able to go into more detail or offer other ways of tackling assignments.

The second purpose is that we all learn differently. People who are looking for help with their writing might stumble upon a video or blog that I've produced, and for some reason, my approach makes more sense. In addition, I'll sometimes touch on issues, such as how to publish or how to combat writers block, that might be helpful for any writer.

Frankly, whatever we can do to get the message out and help people become more effective writers is fine with me.

I'll be posting lectures, presentations, and other helpful hints each Friday, so bookmark this page, and join the discussion. The first "real" post will be this Friday, July 12. See you then!

Keep that pen moving!

"Professor Rinehart" (as my students call me) or (more formally) "Saundra" or just plain "Sauni"