Last week, we started discussing the differences between a phrase, clause and a sentence. We defined a phrase as a group of words without a subject and a predicate, though standing together to form a ...

An independent clause is basically a complete sentence; it can stand on its own and make sense. An independent clause consists of a subject (e.g. “the dog”) and a verb (e.g. “barked”) creating a ...

A dependent clause cannot stand alone, though they often contain both a subject and a verb. Where independent clauses express complete thoughts, dependent clauses do not, and left on their own, ...

SPEAKER 1: Sometimes in your writing, you need to link ideas. SPEAKER 2: Because they are related. SPEAKER 1: Good example. ‘Because’ is a conjunction. SPEAKER 2: Conjunctions are linking words.

The preceding chapter showed how sentences can be streamlined by reducing their adjective clauses to adjective phrases — a simple process that omits the relative pronouns “that,” “which,” “who,” “whom ...

Speaker 1: It’s important to use sentences that give your writing the effect that you want. Speaker 2: There are three types of sentences: simple, compound, and complex. Speaker 1: Simple sentences ...

To many people, the word “grammar” connotes a bunch of nitpicky rules expressed in scary terms and enforced with cruel glee. Dangling participles, split infinitives, misplaced modifiers and assertions ...

Today’s topic is going to be a bit technical. Although it centres on three common grammatical elements, it involves some technicalities, the type we usually want to as much as possible play down in ...