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Essentials of English Grammar: The Quick Guide to Good English » (Third Edition)

Book cover image of Essentials of English Grammar: The Quick Guide to Good English by L. Sue Baugh

Authors: L. Sue Baugh
ISBN-13: 9780071457088, ISBN-10: 0071457089
Format: Paperback
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies, The
Date Published: June 2005
Edition: Third Edition

Author Biography: L. Sue Baugh

L. Sue Baugh is the bestselling author of numerous books on grammar usage and writing.

Book Synopsis

Perplexed by prepositions?

Stymied by semicolons?

Solve the puzzle of good grammar.

A quick reference for people with grammar questions and an excellent primer for anyone learning the basics, Essentials of English Grammar features a glossary of grammar terms and updated coverage of stylistic conventions.

Easy-to-follow examples guide you through the rules for parts of speech, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, frequently confused words, and much more. Also included are important style tips on how to write with economy, clarity, and accuracy.

An indispensable, easy-to-use reference to the English language, Essentials of English Grammar includes information on:

Grammar Essentials

Parts of speech and their functions
Pronoun-antecedent agreement
Common errors in using verb tenses
Correct use of punctuation and punctuation style
Sentence constructions
Errors to avoid with prepositions
Spelling and word division
Correct use of capitalization, abbreviations, and numbers

Style Considerations

Effective sentence patterns
Brevity in writing
Using words that are specific and concrete for clarity
Achieving accuracy
Salutations and titles
Gender-inclusive language

Appendixes

Principal parts of irregular verbs
Verb-preposition combinations
Frequently confused words
Frequently misspelled words

L. Sue Baugh is the bestselling author of numerous books on grammar usage and writing.

	Preface	xi
	Acknowledgments	xv
Part I	Essentials of Grammar	1
1	Parts of Speech	3
	Nouns	4
	Proper, Common, and Collective Nouns	4
	Functions of Nouns	4
	Plural Nouns	5
	Possessive Nouns	5
	Pronouns	7
	Personal Pronouns	7
	Case of Personal Pronouns	8
	Indefinite Pronouns	8
	Possessive Pronouns	9
	Relative Pronouns	10
	Interrogative Pronouns	11
	Demonstrative Pronouns	11
	Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement	11
	Who or Whom?	13
	Verbs	14
	Basic Verb Forms	15
	Auxiliary Verbs	15
	Verb Tenses	16
	Regular Verbs	16
	Functions of the Six Tenses	18
	Irregular Verbs	21
	Common Errors in Using Verb Tenses	21
	Mood	24
	Active and Passive Voices	25
	Subject-Verb Agreement	26
	Special Subject-Verb Agreement Cases	27
	Adjectives	29
	Demonstrative Adjectives	30
	Limiting Adjectives	30
	Comparisons	31
	Compound Adjectives	32
	Predicate Adjectives	32
	Adverbs	32
	Forming Adverbs	32
	Types of Adverbs	33
	Comparisons	34
	Adverb Position and Meaning	34
	Adjective or Adverb?	35
	Prepositions	36
	Phrasal Prepositions	37
	Common Errors to Avoid	37
	Prepositions Used with Verbs	38
	Conjunctions	39
	Coordinating Conjunctions	39
	Correlative Conjunctions	39
	Subordinating Conjunctions	40
	Linking Adverbs	41
	Interjections	42
	Common Interjections	42
	Punctuation	43
2	Punctuation and Punctuation Style	45
	End Marks: Period, Question Mark, Exclamation Point	45
	Period	45
	Question Mark	46
	Exclamation Point	47
	Comma	47
	Series Comma	48
	Independent Clauses	48
	Introductory Clauses, Phrases, Expressions	49
	Nonrestrictive Clauses and Nonessential Material	49
	Direct Address	49
	Commas and Clarity	50
	Traditional Comma Uses	50
	Comma Faults	51
	Semicolon	51
	Independent Clauses	52
	Series	53
	Colon	53
	Before a Series or List	53
	Between Independent Clauses	54
	Time	54
	Formal and Business Communications	54
	Quotation Marks	54
	Punctuation with Quotation Marks	55
	Brief and Long Quotations	56
	Single Quotation Marks	56
	Titles	56
	Terms and Expressions	57
	Apostrophe	57
	Possessive of Singular Nouns	57
	Possessive of Plural Nouns	58
	Possessive of Indefinite and Personal Pronouns	58
	Individual and Joint Possession	58
	Units of Measure as Possessive Adjectives	59
	Plural Forms of Symbols	59
	Contractions	59
	Hyphen	60
	Compound Numbers and Fractions	60
	Continuous Numbers	60
	Prefixes and Suffixes	61
	Compound Adjectives	61
	Word Division	61
	Hyphenated Names	62
	To Avoid Confusion	62
	Dash	62
	Parentheses	63
	Brackets	63
	Ellipses	63
	Italics	64
	Emphasis	64
	Foreign Words and Phrases	64
	Titles	65
	Vehicles	65
3	Sentences and Sentence Patterns	67
	Sentences, Fragments, and Run-Ons	67
	Phrases and Clauses	68
	Phrases	69
	Clauses	69
	Subject and Predicate	70
	Forms of the Subject	70
	Forms of the Predicate	72
	Sentence Constructions	74
	Simple Sentence	74
	Compound Sentence	74
	Complex Sentence	75
	Compound-Complex Sentence	75
	Modifiers in Sentences	75
4	Capitalization, Abbreviations, and Numbers	77
	Capitalization	77
	Proper Nouns and Adjectives	77
	Hyphenated Names and Prefixes	78
	Family Relationships	78
	Nationalities and Races	79
	Languages and School Subjects	79
	Religious Names and Terms	79
	Academic Degrees and Personal Titles	81
	Historic Events, Special Events, and Holidays	81
	Historical Monuments, Places, and Buildings	82
	Calendar Days, Months, and Seasons	82
	Documents	82
	Titles of Publications	82
	Compass Points	83
	Geographic Names and Regions	83
	Scientific Terms	84
	Capitals with Numbers	86
	Abbreviations	86
	General Guidelines	86
	Personal Names and Titles	87
	Company Names	90
	Agencies and Organizations	90
	Geographic Terms	91
	Time	94
	Scholarly Abbreviations	96
	Measures	97
	Science and Technology	98
	Commercial Abbreviations	99
	Numbers	100
	Arabic Numbers and Roman Numerals	100
	Figures or Words	101
	Ages	103
	Names	104
	Governmental Designations	104
	Organizations	105
	Addresses and Thoroughfares	106
	Time of Day	106
	Dates	107
	Money	109
	Percentages	110
	Fractions and Decimals	110
	Measures	111
	Temperature	112
	Parts of a Book	112
	Inclusive Numbers	113
5	Spelling and Word Division	115
	Spelling Guidelines	115
	Prefixes	115
	Suffixes	118
	Plurals	126
	The i and e Rules	131
	Word Division	132
	General Rules	132
	Syllables and Word Division	132
	Single-Letter Syllables	133
	Final and Double Consonants	134
	Hyphenated Words	134
	Proper Names	135
	Figures and Abbreviations	135
Part II	Style Considerations	137
6	Sentences	139
	Use Clarity and Meaning as the Criteria for Good Sentences	139
	Include Only One to Two Ideas in Each Sentence	140
	Vary Sentence Patterns to Avoid Monotonous Use of Any Particular Construction	141
7	Brevity	145
	Avoid the Phrases There Is and There Are	145
	Condense Clauses Beginning with Which, That, or Who into Fewer Words	145
	Strike Out the Article the Wherever Possible	146
	Eliminate Wordy and Redundant Phrases and Expressions	146
8	Clarity	149
	Keep Words Fresh	149
	Jargon	149
	Buzzwords	150
	Cliches	151
	Keep Words Specific and Concrete	151
	Keep References Clear	152
	Keep Modifiers Close to Words They Modify	153
	Place Adverbs Close to Words They Modify	153
	Keep Subject and Verb Together	153
	Make Sure That Antecedents Are Clear	154
	Keep Structures Parallel	155
9	Accuracy	157
	Double-Check Figures, Dates, Specifications, and Other Details	157
	Be Sure That All Names, Titles, and Abbreviations Are Spelled Properly	157
	Verify the Accuracy of Direct Quotations	157
	Make Sure That Ideas Are Presented Clearly	158
	Make Sure Your Work Is Neat and Legible	158
10	Gender-Inclusive Language	159
	Nouns and Pronouns	159
	Alternative Noun Forms	161
	Suffixes ess, ette, ix, and ienne/ine	162
	Social Titles	164
	Salutations	164
	Occupational Titles	165
Appendix A	Principal Parts of Irregular Verbs	167
Appendix B	Verb-Preposition Combinations	169
Appendix C	Frequently Confused Words	175
Appendix D	Frequently Misspelled Words	183
	Glossary	189
	Index	195

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Author Biography: L. Sue Baugh

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