Thursday, February 28, 2013

Rules for Using Colon


A colon (:) is used to introduce a list.

Ex.: He liked all types of junk foods: fries, pizzas, and burgers.
       The zoo had many wild animals: tigers, lions, and panthers. 
       The restaurant offered various cuisines: Thai, Continental, Chinese, and Indian.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Rules for Using Semicolon


A semicolon (;) is used to distinguish items in a series when those items already contain other punctuation marks.

Ex.: They had planned to visit New York, Las Vegas, and San Francisco in USA; Paris, Switzerland, and Rome in Europe; and Sydney and Tasmania in Australia.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Rules for Using Semicolon


A semicolon (;) is used to link two independent clauses with closely related themes.

Ex.: John graduated in 2011; his brother graduated last year.
       Train is the most preferred public transport; it is cheap and time-saving.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Rules for Using Comma


A comma is used to distinguish direct quotations.

Ex.: Samuel Butler said, “God cannot alter the past, but historians can.”
        “Get out of your car,” the cop ordered. “I need to talk to you.”

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Rules for Using Comma


A comma is used after the phrase, which precedes the subject of the sentence.

Ex.: When you reach the station, please call me.
        If you don’t work hard, you can’t succeed in life.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Rules for Using Comma


A comma is used to separate three or more phrases/words/clauses that are written in a series.

Ex.: The government promised to take prompt measures to bring down corruption, inflation, unemployment,    and crime rates.
       The victim was strangled to death, bundled into a sack, and thrown off a bridge.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Rules for Using Comma


A comma together with a conjunction connects two independent clauses.

Ex.: His leg was injured, so he couldn’t run fast.
        He had many cars, yet he chose to travel by bus.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Rules for Using Full Stop


A full stop is used to denote the end of a sentence whose meaning is complete; also, the sentence is not a question or exclamation.

Ex.: Man is a rationale animal.
        Sun rises in the east.
        Birds can fly.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Rules for Using Full Stop


A full stop is used to denote abbreviation. Generally, it is used if a word doesn’t have its last letter.

Ex.: Professor – Prof.
        Mister – Mr (No full stop is used here as the first and last letters are there)
        Doctor – Dr
      
Exception: The above is followed as per UK English. As per US English, it is written as Mr. and Dr.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Rules for Using Full Stop

A full stop should not be used when the sentence ends with a question mark or exclamation mark.

Incorrect Usage: When will you return home?.
                             What a spectacular display of fireworks!.

Correct Usage: When will you return home?
                           What a spectacular display of fireworks! 

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Use of Hyphens


A hyphen (-) is used to link compound adjectives to indicate that they are a part of the same adjective.

Ex.: ten-storey, two-seater, first-rate worker, left-handed, good-hearted, etc. 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Use of Hyphens


A hyphen (-) is used to indicate some kind of break in word/text, especially at the end of a line. The syllable breaking conventions should be as per the dictionary.

Ex.: discussion (dis·cus·sion); proper (prop·er); accident (ac·ci·dent), etc.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Use of Apostrophes


An apostrophe should not be used with possessive pronouns, which already indicate possession.

Ex.: theirs, hers, ours, yours, whose, etc.

Incorrect: That car is her’s.
Correct: That car is hers.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Use of Apostrophes


An apostrophe is used to indicate the omission of letter(s)/numbers.

Ex.: You’re (You are).
        She’s (She is/She has).
        I’ll (I will/I shall).
                ’84 (1984).

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Use of Apostrophes


An apostrophe is to be used to show possession, i.e., when we need to denote that a person/thing belongs to someone/something.

Ex.: Tom’s shirt (Tom’s shirt was neatly ironed).
        Dog’s paw (That dog’s paw was bleeding).
                Book’s cover (That kid tore my favorite book’s cover).

Friday, February 8, 2013

Unnecessary articles


Using the after whose
Note: The definite article should not be used after the relative determiner whose.
Incorrect Usage: The lady, whose the purse was stolen, has gone to the police station.
                                           
Correct Usage: The lady, whose purse was stolen, has gone to the police station.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Wrong Placement of Adverbs


Rule: Adverbs of definite time should generally be placed at the end of a sentence.
Incorrect Usage: I today morning returned from New York.
                                           
Correct Usage: I returned from New York today morning.
Note: In case, the time factor has to be emphasized, the adverb is put in the beginning (Yesterday, I went to watch a movie).

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Wrong Placement of Adverbs


Rule: When both adverb of time and adverb of place are to be used in a sentence, adverb of place should come first.
Incorrect Usage: We had a meeting with the client yesterday here.
                                           
Correct Usage: We had a meeting with the client here yesterday.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Wrong Placement of Adverbs


Rule: The adverb enough should be placed after its qualifying word, not before.
Incorrect Usage: The hall was enough big to accommodate 100 persons.
                                           
Correct Usage: The hall was big enough to accommodate 100 persons.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Confused Prepositions


To and At
Rule: to is used to express motion; at is used to denote a position.
Incorrect Usage: (a) We go at church every Sunday.
  (b) The guard was positioned to the gate.                                         
Correct Usage: (a) We go to church every Sunday.
                             (b) The guard was positioned at the gate.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Confused Prepositions


In and At
Rule: in is used to describe the physical location of something; at is used when we refer to an address, place, building, etc. It is also used in cases where the location is not an issue; rather, what we do there is important (school, park, mall, hospital, etc.).
Incorrect Usage: (a) Henry owns a mansion at New York.
  (b) The British Prime Minister stays in 10 Downing Street.                                          
Correct Usage: (a) Henry owns a mansion in New York.
                             (b) The British Prime Minister stays at 10 Downing Street.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Confused Prepositions


On, At, and In (time factor)
Rule: on is used with the days of the week or month (on Sunday, on February 15, etc.); at is used to denote the exact time (at dawn, at 10 o’clock, etc.); and in is used with a period of time (in spring, in the evening, etc.).
Incorrect Usage: (a) The delegates will arrive at Monday.
  (b) He goes to bed on 11 o’clock.
  (c) My mother goes for a walk at the evening.                                
Correct Usage:    (a) The delegates will arrive on Monday.
                                (b) He goes to bed at 11 o’clock.
                                (c) My mother goes for a walk in the evening.