Section 1: Grammar

Pearson Business Reference and Writer’s Handbook

Section One

Grammar

Pearson Business Reference and Writer’s HandbookMoore, Seraydarian, and Fruehling

© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.2

This section provides Fundamentals of effective writing through

mastery of basic sentence structure and the foundations of correct grammar.



Objectives Recognize basic sentence structure Write complete sentences by properly using the

parts of speech to logically form a complete thought

Place phrases and clauses correctly to form complete sentences

Locate verbs, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs within sentences



Grammar helps you …

Write sentences that clearly convey your message and reflect an educated command of English

Use proper word forms and functions to clearly state your meaning.

Vary the style of the sentences you write, which makes your writing more interesting to read.



Grammar is important because Grammar rules provide the framework for

using words correctly as different parts of speech to construct sentences

When you routinely use correct grammar, you can easily spot mistakes and correct them in your writing



Basic sentence structure

Every sentence must include a subject and a verb

The subject and verb must agree in number Objects answer the question whom? or

what?



Phrases

Phrases play different roles in sentences. They can function as subjects, verbs, and

modifiers. Their placement is crucial to clarity.



Phrases Phrases may be essential or nonessential to the

meaning of the sentence To ensure that sentences make sense, notice

whether phrases are connected properly to other parts of the sentence



Clauses

Clauses contain a subject and a verb. A clause may be dependent or independent.

Dependent - cannot stand alone and make sense Independent - can stand alone and make sense



Connect independent clauses with:

Coordinating conjunctions Transitional words and expressions Punctuation



Recognize comma splices and run-ons Comma splice - occurs when you place a

comma between independent Run-on sentence - occurs when you join

independent clauses with no punctuation at all.



Recognize fragments A sentence fragment is a group of words

lacking a subject or a verb but punctuated as if it were a complete sentence



Verbs

A verb is a word that expresses action or state of being.

State-of-being verbs, also called linking verbs, include forms of the verb to be and verbs of the senses, as well as others.



Helping verbs, also called auxiliary verbs, are used with other verbs to show time, possibility, or emphasis.

Verbs are also categorized as transitive or intransitive. A transitive requires an object to complete the

meaning of the sentence. An intransitive verb does not need an object to

complete its meaning.



Verb Tense Verb tense indicates the time that an action

takes place. The four simple tenses are

Present Past Present participle Past participle



Forming verb tenses Regular verbs form the past and past participle

by adding d or ed. Irregular verbs form the past tense by changing

their spelling in other ways. Most irregular verbs are so commonly used that

we know their forms without thinking



Active Voice of Verbs

The subject performs the action Places emphasis on the doer of the action Is clear and direct and, in general, makes

writing more effective



Passive Voice of Verbs

The subject is the receiver of the action. Use it to invoke a formal tone. Use it to de-emphasize the doer of the action. Use it to create tactful expression of the action.

Otherwise, use the active voice

for more lively, clear



Types of Pronouns

Demonstrative Indefinite Interrogative Personal Possessive Reflexive Relative



Pronoun Case Three forms of personal pronouns that perform

different functions in sentences Nominative case Objective case Possessive case



Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Personal pronouns replace specific nouns used

elsewhere in a sentence. For clarity, the pronoun reference must agree in

number and gender with its noun or pronoun antecedent.



Adjectives and Adverbs Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other

adverbs.



Types of Adjectives Descriptive adjectives - tell “what kind.” Limiting adjectives - tell “how many.” Articles - are the words a, an, and the. Pointing adjectives - are similar to articles; they

signal a noun and tell “which one.”



Adverbs Answer How? When? Where? Why? and To what

extent? Many adverbs end in ly.

However, do not assume that all words

ending in ly are adverbs.



Adjective and Adverbs show comparison Positive form (first degree) Comparative form (second degree) Superlative form (third degree)



Prepositions Words that connect a noun or pronoun to another word

in the sentence to show relationships A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition



Using prepositions Avoid unnecessary prepositions. Avoid prepositions at the end of a sentence. Use the correct preposition.



Grammar must be correct in all written documents.

When you are unsure, use the Pearson Reference Manual and Writer’s Handbook to check your writing.