Grammar Review - Unit 3: Aggreement

Grammar Review - Unit 2: Punctuation

Grammar Review - Unit 1: Sentences

Citing Prose and Poetry

How to Cite Prose

(books, short stories, essays, etc.)

When citing an author, put the author's last name and page number in parenthesis after the sentence. Remember, (1) do NOT include a comma, and (2) put the period AFTER the entire sentence. Like this:

Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).


When including the author's name in the sentence itself, don not repeat it in the parenthetical citation. Like this:

Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).

In both cases, the quotation should BE A PART OF YOUR SENTENCE. Like this:

As Weir examines Shane's bullet wounds, he reports that Shane is "alive all right" (Schaefer 146).

The quotation should NOT be jammed in there in its own sentence. Like this:

Weir examines Shane's bullet wounds and reports that Shane did not yet die. "He's alive all right" (Schaefer 146).

How to Cite Poetry

The rules for poetry differ from the rules for quoting prose in two key ways:

• Poetry requires writers to cite line numbers not page numbers.
• Poetry requires writers to keep line breaks in tact.

Use quotation marks around the quotation. Use a slash to indicate the break between lines. Put the line numbers in parentheses. Place the period at the end of the line number(s). Like this:

The speaker explains that he enjoys the little things in life, like going to the horse track and settling "for the 6 horse / on a rainy afternoon" (Bukowski 1-2).

Again, when including the author's name in the sentence itself, do not repeat it in the parenthetical citation. Like this:

Bukowski describes the simple pleasures in life, like going to the horse track and "settling for the 6 horse / on a rainy afternoon" (1-2).

Just like when citing prose, the quotation should NOT be jammed in there in its own sentence. Like this:

The speaker explains that he enjoys the little things in life, like betting at the horse track. "I'll settle for the 6 horse / on a rainy afternoon" (Bukowski 1-2).

Junior Grammar Notes - Confused Words

They’re, There, Their

• ’They’re’ refers to ‘they are.’
• ’There’ often refers to a place. If you take away the ‘t,’ it’s ‘here.’
• ’Their’ shows ownership.

Your and You're

• ‘You’re’ refers to ‘you are.’
• ‘Your’ shows ownership.

Its and It's

• It’s’ refers to ‘it is’ or ‘it has.’
• ‘Its’ shows ownership.

Affect (VERB) and Effect (NOUN)

• Affect is most widely used as a VERB meaning “to influence.”
• His decision affected the entire family.
• Her time in New Orleans affected her outlook on life.
• Effect is most widely used as a NOUN meaning “consequence, result, outcome.”
• I worried about the effect on his eyes.
• What effect will that have?

Whose and Who's

• ‘Who’s’ refers to ‘who is’ or ‘who has’ and is an apostrophe used for compression.
• ‘Whose’ shows possession.

Junior Grammar Notes - 9/21

ITS and IT’S

•       ‘It’s’ refers to ‘it is’ or ‘it has.’

•       ‘Its’ shows ownership.

Comma Tip #4

•       Use commas to set off parenthetical and transitional expressions.

•       Hint: parenthetical [P] expressions add comments or information.  They often interrupt the flow of a sentence.

•       Hint: transitional [T] expressions, conjunctive adverbs (words such as however and furthermore), and other words and phrases used to connect parts of sentences are set off with commas.

Tip #4 Examples

•       Some studies, incidentally, have shown that chocolate, of all things, helps to prevent tooth decay. [P]

•       Roald Dahl’s stories, it turns out, were often inspired by his own childhood. [P]

•       Ozone is a by-product of dry cleaning, for example. [T]

•       Ceiling fans are, moreover, less expensive than air conditioners. [T]

Comma Tip #5

•       Use commas to set off dependent clauses.

•       Hint: Dependent clauses

¡  Cannot stand alone.

¡  Contain a subject and verb but not a complete thought

¡  Markers: after, although, as, as if, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order to, since, though, unless, until, whatever, when, whenever, whether, and while

•       Hint 2: Independent clauses

¡  Can stand alone.

¡  Contain a subject, verb, and complete thought

¡  Sentence

Tip #5 Examples

•       The two drivers involved in the accident, who have been convicted of drunken driving, should lose their licenses. [dependent clause]

•       Drivers who have been convicted of drunken driving should lose their licenses. [independent clause]

•       Colin went to the ski lounge, which was crowded with many skiers. [dependent clause]

•       Colleen went to the pawn shop that was located near her home. [independent clause]

Junior Grammar Notes - 9/14

 YOUR and YOU’RE

•       ‘You’re’ refers to ‘you are.’

•       ‘Your’ shows ownership.

Comma Tip #1

•       Use commas to set off introductory words and phrases that describe the subject or tell when, where, how, or why the main action of the sentences occurs.

•       While the snow was falling, we drank hot chocolate by the fire.  [When]

•       Slowly, she became aware of the severe problem. [How]

•       To ace the test, John needed to study. [Why]

•       Pen poised in anticipation, Logan waited for the test to be distributed. [Describes subject]

Comma Tip #2

•       Use commas before a coordinating conjunction that join two independent clauses (parts) in a compound sentence.

•       Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, nor, for, so, or yet

•       Independent clauses: two clauses that can stand alone (subject and verb are present)

•       The show started at last, and the crowd grew quiet.

•       He saw the cake sitting on the counter unattended, so he took it and ran.

•       We can go the movie tonight, or we can go the concert.

•       My students in England said aluminium, and I said aluminum.

Comma Tip #3

•       Use commas to separate items in a series (three items or more NOT two).

•       Use commas to separate more than one adjective that describes a noun

•       All the cafeteria’s vegetables—broccoli, green beans, peas, and carrots were cooked to a gray mush.

•       I bought shoes, a shirt, socks, and trousers.

•       He used yellow, green, and blue to color his picture.

•       They are sincere, talented, and inquisitive researchers.

•       The long, twisting, muddy road led to a shack in the woods.

Junior Grammar Notes - 9/7

THEY’RE, THEIR, THERE

•       ’They’re’ refers to ‘they are.’

•       ’There’ often refers to a place. If you take away the ‘t,’ it’s ‘here.’

•       ’Their’ shows ownership.

Fragment Tips

•       Phrase fragments: lack a subject, a verb, or both

•       A piece of a complete thought that has been punctuated like a sentence using a period

•       Pieces of sentences that are disconnected

•       “Guess what?” Test

Run-on sentences

•       Two sentences written together without any punctuation at all—a sentence that goes on and on and on…

•        When a comma is used between two sentences without any connecting word (COMMA SPLICE!)