GRAMMAR CHEAT SHEET saved under Grammar

1.Prepositions: function as either adjective or adverb-but can never be subject of sentence

About Behind During Off To According to
Above Below Except On Toward As of
Across Beneath For Onto Under Aside From
After Beside From Out Underneath In addition to
Against Besides In Outside Until In front of
Along Between Inside Over Up In place of
Among Beyond Into Past Upon In spite of
Around By Like Since With Out of
At Despite Near Through Within Prior to
Before Down Of Throughout without
2.Coordinating Conjunctions (fanboys):
Connects 2 nouns without a comma
Connects 2 main clauses: I like Parker, and he likes me.
For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
3.Subordinating Conjunctions: begins subordinate clauses
After Because That
Although Even though Though
As Even if unless
As if If until
As far as In order that When
As much as Provided that whenever
As soon as since where
As though So that wherever
before than while
4.Relative Pronouns: begins subordinate clauses
Who which
Whom when
Whoever how
whomever where
what why
whatever whose
that whether
5.Main & Subordinate Clauses And Phrases:
Phrases are just a group of words like prepositional phrases.
There are two types of clauses:
*Subordinate clauses, which have a subject and a verb but begin with either a relative
pronoun or a subordinating conjunction.
*Main clauses, which have a subject and a verb. A main clause is a sentence.
3.There are 3 Ways to write a Fragment:
a.No subject
b.No verb c.A subordinate alone or not connected to a main clause.
6.Adverbs-modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. answer the questions when, where, how, why, to what extent, or under
what conditions. Prepositional phrases can act like adverbs.

7.Gerunds-always end in ing. Used as a noun.

subject-beginning of the sentence
Direct object-follows an action verb and answers What?
Predicate Nominative-follows a linking verb and renames or describes the subject
Appositive-renames the noun it follows-ex: Sprinkle, my teacher, is a
8.Participles-ends in-ing or ed past participial of the verb. Used as an adjective; therefore, it
modifies a noun or pronoun.-ex: Taken by surprise, Blankenship screamed
9.Infinitive-to + any verb. Ex: to walk, to run, to dance
Used as an noun, adjective, or adverb.
As a noun, infintives function as subject, direct object, predicate
Nominative, or appositive
As an adjective-will modify noun or pronoun
As an adverb-will modify verb, adjective, or adverb
10.Linking Verbs:
Am been appear is look become are smell
Get was taste grow were sound remain be
Feel stay being seem turn
11.Do not write over used boring vague words like a lot, good, great, things, pretty, stuff, really, big,
bad, interesting, exciting, etc. use vivid w/c or verbs-no says or said-use explained, questioned,
whispered, etc. No well-no writing in personal journal. Do not write like texting!!!!
Use active voice: Keith made the announcement-not passive voice: The announcement was made by
Keith.
12.Apostrophes
Ex: Singular noun-squirrels food
Ex: Plural Noun-dogs vomit
XXXThe snake sees
13.Types of Sentences:
Simple: 1 Main clause, which has a subject and predicate (or verb phrase)
Compound: 2 or more simple sentences connected with a coordinating conjunction (fanboys) and
a ,,,,,comma.
Complex: 1 simple sentence + 1 or more subordinate clauses
Compound complex: 2 or more simple sentences + 1 or more subordinate clauses. Ex: Although
we had difficulty deciding, we finally chose a destination, and Dad bought the airline tickets.
13.Pronouns:
Use nominative case for subject of sentence. Ex: Bart and I (nominative case) went to the movies.
Use objective case for direct object of sentence. Ex: Those boys threw the cell phone to Sarah and me.
14.Commas:
Set off introduction prepositional phrase with a comma. Ex: During the winter,.