Grammatical tips
Grammar. Most cringe at the thought of it. Whether we choose to admit it or not, grammar is one of the most crucial aspects to success in school, college, and eventually our professions. Grammar can, however, be confusing and just downright weird. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to understand it, it’s just impossible to get.
Over the past few years, teachers have begun to use the infamous grammar practice website, NoRedInk. Though not a popular website among the student body, NoRedInk can be helpful in improving students’ grammar and writing.
There are some common grammatical rules that are easy to follow and can make the difference between a 3 and a 4 in the polish standard. They are as follows:
Comma splices are one of the most common grammatical errors made by both students and adults alike. A comma splice is basically when a comma is put where a period should be. In other words, the comma separates two sentences that are complete on their own.
An example of a comma splice would be “She wants to take a nap after school but has a lot of homework, it is a big struggle for her.” Instead, the comma needs to be replaced with either a period or semicolon. The correct way is “She wants to take a nap after school but has a lot of homework. It is a big struggle for her.”
When starting a sentence with a SWABI (since, while, about, because, or if), place a comma after the clause. Ex. “Since I was four years old, my favorite color had been purple.”
When listing nouns or verbs, place a comma between the second to last noun/verb you’re listing and the and that comes before the last noun/verb listed.
For example, if I were to say, “I went to the mall to get shoes, sweaters and jeans,” that would be incorrect. The correct way to write this sentence is “I went to the mall to get shoes, sweaters, and jeans.” Sweaters and jeans are two separate items and are not categorized together, so we put a comma between “sweaters” and “and.”
FANBOYS is an acronym standing for for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. These words connect two independent clauses within a sentence. Place a comma after the first clause, before the FANBOYS word, and then follow the word and the second clause.
For example, if I wanted to connect the sentences “I want to hang out with my friends” and “I have a lot of homework,” I would use the FANBOYS “but.” The combined sentence would end up being “I want to hang out with my friends, but I have a lot of homework.”
THAMO stands for therefore, however, although, moreover, and otherwise. The most important thing to remember when using a THAMO is that it should never follow a comma. Doing so would create a comma splice, so THAMO words should only follow a period or semicolon. The exception to this
The correct way to use a THAMO word is as follows: “Most of the time I dread doing my homework. However, I can see the potential benefits of completing it.”
Another way to improve upon your writing is to extend your vocabulary. Replace simple words with synonyms that add more depth and sophistication to your paper. You can also use figurative language and rhetorical devices to make your paper stand out to your teachers, who have to grade paper after paper.
Knowing the difference between your and you’re could be the key to you’re success.
