A tag clause turns a statement into a question. …You were there by 10:00, weren’t you? …You were there by 10:00; is that right? …You were there by 10:00, weren’t you, to see your brother? …You were there by 10:00 — is that right? — to see your brother? There are two kinds of tag clauses. The one that depends …
The Understood Introductory Word for Dependent Clauses
The explanation begins with the grammatical fact that a coordinate conjunction — “and,” “but,” “or,” “nor” — must link grammatically EQUAL parts. It cannot link an independent clause to a dependent clause. Remember that it can never be “He is tall and Bob.” So if this is true — and it is — we have to look at this construction: …
Commas on Steroids — Tomorrow
Hi, everyone. I am just checking in. My Commas on Steroids class begins tomorrow at 8:30 A.M. PDT. We will forgo the usual (common) rules and go for more sophistication in our discussion. It is an eight-hour class, spread out over the next three weekends. At just $20 per CEU, it is the most fun you could have for your …
Just a reminder: Sentence Structure, a study of clauses and phrases, begins this Saturday, August 10, at 8:30 A.M. PDT. Go to margieholdsclass.com for details and registration. And, yes, I had a MAJOR grammar mistake in my last post!!! …I give this class ONLY once a year. The placement of “only” matters!!!! Happy punctuating! Margie
The Missing Preposition? No!
There was a recent post on FB that was based on assuming that a preposition had been left out of a prepositional phrase. There is really no such thing as a prepositional phrase without the preposition. The preposition cannot be “assumed.” It is either there, or it is not. If it is there, there is a prepositional phrase; if it is …
Commas on Steroids Starts This Sunday
My first-time-ever class on commas alone, Commas on Steroids, begins this Sunday, January 13, and then meets both days next weekend, January 19 and 20. (As I am putting the class together, I am thinking we need more time, but that will have to be a Part 2 comma class at a later date!) We will spend the entire six …
Those Pesky Conjunctive Adverbs
The rule is that, when an adverb is pulled out to the front of a COMPLETE sentence, it becomes a “conjunctive” adverb, begins a brand-new sentence, and needs a period or a semicolon in front of it and a comma after it if it has more than one syllable. It is common to do this with certain adverbs such as …
“Margie Rules” — The Subscription
I have an excellent example this morning of what we do in Margie Rules. This is my $10-a-month subscription program. We offer a 10 percent discount on all my books and seminars; a live monthly session online for questions and discussion of English topics; and a dedicated FB page, where I answer questions and explain the grammar/punctuation that applies to …
The Connecting Adverb
A “conjunctive adverb” is a word that is usually an adverb that has been pulled out to the front of the sentence to connect the sentence it is in to the one in front of it. It has a semicolon in front of it and a comma after it if it is more than one syllable. …He had been on …
“That Is…” and Others
This is an abbreviated version of what is in my book on these eight parentheticals. PARENTHETICAL TO INTRODUCE AN APPOSITIVE Sometimes, when a person wants to explain, reiterate, rename, or restate something — that is, he wants to use an appositive — he uses a parenthetical before the appositive. These are the expressions most commonly used as parentheticals before an …