Grammar+Center

=Grammar Center= Here's an overview of topics covered at Grammar Center. Click on the links to get more detailed information about each topic. toc

Parts of Speech
The part of speech depends upon how the word functions in a sentence. If you want to figure out the part of a speech for a word, then you have to think about the word's meaning, position, and use.

Basic Parts of a Sentence
A sentence, which is the largest independent unit of grammar, expresses a complete thought. It must include a subject and a predicate. It begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point.

Phrases and Clauses
You can use phrases and clauses to add description to your written work so you can "show" instead of "tell."
 * 1) **Phrase:** Any small group of words that functions as a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. They can be absolute, appositive, participial, or adjective out of order.
 * 2) **Dependent Clause:** A group of words that contains a subject and verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence.
 * 3) **Independent Clause:** A group of words that contains a subject and verb and can stand alone as a sentence. A sentence is an independent clause.

Types of Sentences
A mix of different sentence types is key to improve sentence fluency. Also, if you know about the different types of sentences, then it will be easier to spot and correct fragments and run-on sentences. It also will help you identify rambling sentences that can confuse your reader.


 * 1) **Simple Sentence:** A sentence with only one independent clause
 * 2) **Compound Sentence:** A sentence that contains at least two independent clauses
 * 3) **Complex Sentence:** A sentence that contain an independent clause and at least one dependent clause
 * 4) **Compound Complex Sentence:** A sentence that contains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause