<p> English III AP Grammar Rules</p><p>Grammar Rule #1</p><p>Part A: Do not use a comma with a conjunction (and, but, or, yet, so) when you have a simple sentence (subj. + verb) with a compound verb (one subject doing two things). </p><p>Examples:</p><p>The boy ran and jumped.</p><p>At the party Sally ran into the wall with her foot but stayed with her friends in the room.</p><p>** The following elements of a sentence cannot make it compound or complex:</p><p>Prepositional phrase: in the house, on the phone, around the corner, beyond the border, among the people, to the store, between the lines, through the woods * If a sentence begins with two consecutive prepositional phrases, they must be set off with a comma.</p><p>Direct object: Chester baked the cake. Manny threw the ball.</p><p>Predicate nominative: Dr. Day is my teacher. The man over there is a policeman.</p><p>Predicate adjective: Dr. Day is sympathetic. The man over there is handsome.</p><p>Gerund phrase: A noun that ends in “-ing”</p><p>Examples:</p><p>Running through the park is great exercise. (subject) I enjoy running through the park. (direct object) My favorite hobby is running through the park. (predicate nom.)</p><p>Infinitive phrase: “To” + a verb</p><p>Examples:</p><p>To fly was his dream. (subj.)</p><p>The boat began to sink. (D.O.)</p><p>The person to ask is your teacher. (adj.) Part B: Always use a comma with a conjunction (and, but, or, yet, so) when there is a simple sentence on both sides. This is a compound sentence.</p><p>Examples: </p><p>The teacher entered the classroom with the tests, and the students cried in fear.</p><p>You can go to the movies now, or you can go later.</p><p>Rule #2</p><p>Part A: Avoid fragments.</p><p>Examples:</p><p>Thinking that the class would be over in a few minutes. (only a participial phrase)</p><p>In the back of the car with an ice cream in her hand. (only 4 prepositional phrases)</p><p>After the team lost the game. (only an adverb clause)</p><p>Part B: Avoid lack of parallelism.</p><p>Examples:</p><p>Incorrect = She likes to hunt and fishing. Correct = She likes to hunt and to fish OR She likes hunting and fishing.</p><p>Incorrect = Jane will succeed because of her honesty and because she is industrious. Correct = Jane will succeed because of her honesty and industry. Correct = Jane will succeed because she is honest and industrious.</p><p>Incorrect = This book is interesting, instructive, and it is also up-to-date. Correct = This book is interesting, instructive, and also up-to-date.</p><p>Grammar Rule #3</p><p>Part A: Adverb clauses with subordinating conjunctions (AAAWWUUBBIS) must be set off with a comma when they BEGIN a complex sentence.</p><p>Complex sentences have an independent and dependent clause.</p><p>AAWWUUBBIS = although, after, as, when(ever), while, unless, until, because, before, if, since Examples:</p><p>When the bell rings, my students leave.</p><p>After my students leave, I teach the next class.</p><p>Because we needed milk, I went to the store.</p><p>** No comma if the adverb clause comes second</p><p>Example:</p><p>I went to the store because we needed milk.</p><p>Part B: For adjective clauses, use commas as follows: that = never, which = always, and who/whom = sometimes (if info is essential, omit commas)</p><p>Examples:</p><p>A television show that I enjoy is Modern Family.</p><p>I selected the book that was on the table.</p><p>I enjoy Las Vegas, which is a fun travel destination.</p><p>The remote control, which I can never find, slipped under the cushions.</p><p>The man who delivers the mail walked across my street. (essential info, subj. is vague)</p><p>Mr. Jones, whom I admire, ran in the marathon. (nonessential info, subj. is specific)</p><p>Warning: Avoid faulty references. This occurs most often with which. It should modify a noun rather than an entire clause. For example:</p><p>Incorrect = Sam is habitually tardy, which annoys his parents. Correct = Sam’s tardiness is a habit, which annoys his parents.</p><p>Warning: Do not confuse an adjective clause with an appositive, which simply renames the subject without using that, which, who(m) and is set off with commas. For example:</p><p>The can of Dr. Pepper, my favorite soda, is on the table. Noun clauses can act as subjects or direct objects. They begin with: who, what, when, where, why, how, that, which (+ever).</p><p>Examples:</p><p>I can’t explain what he did. (direct object)</p><p>What she said was mean. (subject)</p><p>I don’t understand how this works. (direct object)</p><p>Whoever stole the book must confess. (subject)</p><p>I admire who did it. (direct object)</p><p>We heard that Billy drowned. (direct object)</p><p>Grammar Rule #4</p><p>Do not separate two simple sentences only with a comma; this is a run-on (or comma splice)!</p><p>Examples: Zaroff enjoys his hunting game, he has a talent for tracking prey. (THIS IS WRONG – USE A SEMI-COLON OR PERIOD INSTEAD OF COMMA)</p><p>I like pizza; however, I also enjoy shrimp.</p><p>Grammar Rule #5</p><p>Verb tense must remain consistent throughout an essay unless you are changing tense with purpose, such as a flashback.</p><p>Example: </p><p>Tommy walks into the kitchen and sits down at the table. He sees the sunlight shining through the window. The dog trots up to him and barks for a biscuit.</p><p>Exception: When the sequence of the sentence makes sense to adjust the verb tense. For example: Columbus believed that the earth is round. Examples of Other Verb Tense Errors:</p><p>I have called you several times last evening. (present perfect for past) I had called you several times yesterday. (past perfect for past) Yesterday I found my hat where I left it at camp many weeks ago. (past for past perfect) ^ had</p><p>Grammar Rule #6</p><p>Participial phrases are big adjectives ending in –ing, –ed, and –en. They must be set off with a comma when they begin a simple sentence. If they occur elsewhere, it depends.</p><p>Examples:</p><p>Wondering about the test, the boy entered the class.</p><p>Guided by destiny, she found the love of her life.</p><p>Broken down by difficulties, they all gave up.</p><p>If the participial phrase occurs elsewhere in the sentence, does it need a comma? </p><p>Ask yourself: </p><p>Does it describe a specific subject? If so, needs a comma. Is the participial phrase essential information to the sentence? If not, needs a comma.</p><p>Examples:</p><p>He walked to the park whistling a tune to himself.</p><p>Dr. Day grimaced in pain, struggling to get out of the chair.</p><p>Dogs run quickly to the door thinking they will get a treat.</p><p>Warning: Do not let your participles dangle  (Modify an unintended noun)</p><p>Examples:</p><p>Incorrect = Coming across the campus, the library met my gaze. Correct = Coming across the campus, I saw the library. Incorrect = Bound in beautiful red leather, Mia received as first prize a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poems. Correct = Mia received as first prize a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poems, bound in beautiful red leather.</p><p>Grammar Rule #7</p><p>Part A: Punctuate text evidence with citations correctly (see Integrating Quotes handout)</p><p>Examples:</p><p>Regarding the Radley’s, Scout advises that the “misery of that house began” before she was born (Lee 11).</p><p>The reader may surmise that Calpurnia loves Scout when she “bent down and kissed [her]” (Lee 38).</p><p>Lee writes, “‘He ain’t company, Cal,’” argues Scout, “‘he’s just a Cunningham’” (33).</p><p>Part B: How to punctuate titles and dialogue: periods and commas are always inside of quotation marks. Books, plays, movies = italics Short stories, poems, songs = quotes</p><p>Examples:</p><p>After I read “The Necklace,” I learned something.</p><p>I decided to read “The Necklace.”</p><p>Have you read “The Necklace”?</p><p>I love “The Necklace”!</p><p>“You are my friend,” he announced.</p><p>“Where are we?” she asked.</p><p>She yelled, “I’m lost!”</p><p>“Join me in battle,” he remarked confidently, “unless you’re afraid.”</p><p>How could Mrs. Mallard be so cold when she whispered, “Free! Body and soul”? Grammar Rule #8</p><p>Personal pronouns should be in the correct case—subject vs. object.</p><p>Subjects Objects I Me We Us He/She Him/Her They Them Who Whom</p><p>They went to the store with him.</p><p>She and I went to the store with them.</p><p>EXCEPTIONS TO RULE #8: 1. The predicate nominative exception Example: The last person in line was I. Example: My friends are they. Example: The winner of the game is she. 2. Comparisons exception Example: I am smarter than he. Finish the thought/fill in Example: He weighs more than she. missing language Example: Mom cooks for me rather than him.</p><p>Warning: Avoid using pronouns in an ambiguous way. For example:</p><p>The spill caused a bad stain on my coat. Can you remove it? (the coat or the stain?)</p><p>Arnold’s father told him that he needed a new car. (Arnold or his father?)</p><p>Grammar Rule #9</p><p>Part A: Subject and verb must agree in number.</p><p>Examples:</p><p>The cat always walks across the fence.</p><p>The cats always walk across the fence.</p><p>The reef, which supports marine animals, sits on the coast.</p><p>The students, as well as their teacher, seem tired. Singular Pronouns</p><p>Everyone in those buildings needs to evacuate.</p><p>Each of the candidates wants to win.</p><p>Neither of the girls knows how to sing.</p><p>Plural Pronouns</p><p>Many of my students dream about the future.</p><p>Singular or Plural -- It Depends</p><p>Some of the pets want food.</p><p>None of the group is cold.</p><p>Most of the animals look fine.</p><p>For subjects with “and”: the verb is plural (no “s”)</p><p>Example: The students and the teacher seem tired.</p><p>For subjects with “or”: look at the subject on the right to determine number</p><p>Example: The students or the teacher seems tired. Example: The teacher or the students seem tired.</p><p>Part B: A possessive pronoun should agree in number with the pronoun that comes before it (if they refer to each other).</p><p>Examples:</p><p>Someone lost his or her keys.</p><p>Everyone believed that his or her opinion was correct.</p><p>Both offered their advice.</p><p>Most of the farmers lost their land.</p><p>None of the furniture showed its age. Rule #10</p><p>Part A: Pay attention to correct usage. For example:</p><p>There = location Their = possession They’re = they are woman/women it’s/its than/then your/you’re who’s/whose every day/everyday effect/affect</p><p>Part B: Avoid putting words, clauses, and phrases in the incorrect position.</p><p>Examples:</p><p>Incorrect = I only saw Russell at the office and no one else. Correct = I saw only Russell at the office and no one else.</p><p>Incorrect = I saw an advertisement for a man who can sell insurance in the subway. Correct = I saw an advertisement in the subway for a man who can sell insurance.</p><p>Incorrect = My cousin sold his sister a new house in Fiji, which he designed and built. Correct = My cousin sold his sister a new house, which he designed and built in Fiji.</p>