Grammar Rules
How to Write Dialogue in a Narrative Paragraph
by ProWritingAid Jun 23, 2016
The Chicago Manual of Style, putting dialogue in the middle of paragraphs depends on the context. As in the above example, if the dialogue is a natural continuation of the sentences that come before, it can be included in your paragraph. The major caveat is if someone new speaks after that, you start a new paragraph and indent it.
On the other hand, if the dialogue you’re writing departs from the sentences that come before it, you should start a new paragraph and indent the dialogue.
Read More »What is a Subordinate Clause
by ProWritingAid Jun 20, 2016
Firstly, a clause is a group of words that contain both a subject and a verb like: She ran to answer the phone.
A subordinate clause depends on a main clause to form a complete sentence or thought like: ...because she could hear ringing in the other room
Read More »Where Does Punctuation Go in Dialogue?
by ProWritingAid Jun 08, 2016
Dialogue is a fantastic way to bring your readers into the midst of the action. They can picture the main character talking to someone in their mind’s eye, and it gives them a glimpse into how your character interacts with others.
That said, dialogue is hard to punctuate, especially since there are different rules for different punctuation marks—because nothing in English grammar is ever easy, right? We’re going to try to make this as easy as possible.
Read More »10 Websites to Help Improve Your Grammar
by ProWritingAid Jun 06, 2016
Grammar is an essential part of writing, as it helps to convey the message or idea you are trying to get across. That being said, most writers might agree that their grammar skills could use a little freshening up from time to time. Luckily there are various websites that exist strictly for the purpose of improving one’s grammar. The ProWritingAid blog is a great place to start, but we also recommend the following sites.
How Do You Find and Get Rid of Redundant Adverbs?
by ProWritingAid May 25, 2016
An adverb is redundant if you use it to modify a verb with the same meaning in its definition. Read more about how redundant adverbs clutter up your writing and how to get rid of them.
Read More »Why We Love the Oxford Comma
by ProWritingAid May 09, 2016
What is the Oxford comma? And why is there so much debate around whether it should be used? ProWritingAid advocates a nuanced approach to the Oxford comma depending on the clarity of the sentence.
Read More »What is Passive Voice and How Do I Make It Active?
by ProWritingAid Apr 22, 2016
Passive voice occurs when you take the object of your sentence—the part that the action happens to—and make it the subject of your sentence.
Here are some examples:
Passive: The flag was raised by the troops.
Active: The troops raised the flag.
What are simple, compound, and complex sentences?
by ProWritingAid Apr 15, 2016
One thing that ProWritingAid is great at pointing out is the variety of sentence lengths you use in your writing. You know that varying the lengths creates a more lyrical bend to your writing. You don’t want all short sentences. Nor do you want all long sentences that complicate your reader’s understanding.
Simple, compound, and complex sentences are all ways of varying the length. Let’s see how they work.
Read More »5 Ways to Develop an “Ear” for English Grammar
by Saga Briggs Mar 08, 2016
Most forms of English instruction emphasise rules and memorisation; however, I recommend a more instinctual method of mastery. Rather than mapping out sentences or memorising confusing and often inconsistent rules, you can improve your communication skills by simply tapping into the logic of rhythm and structure.
Let’s take a look at five ways you can start tuning your ear:
Read More »What’s Wrong with an “ly” Adverb After a Dialogue Tag?
by ProWritingAid Mar 04, 2016
When you paint a picture with your character’s actions instead of using an “ly” adverb to try to set the mood, you give your reader a much deeper understanding and pull him or her closer into the drama.
It all comes down to “He said, She said” eventually. Professional editors and authors agree that you want your dialogue tags to be invisible to the reader so that it doesn’t slow him or her down or bring notice to the writing itself.
Read More »Past…Present…What are Participles?
by ProWritingAid Mar 02, 2016
Sometimes verbs get confusing, so here’s a little trick to help you figure out participles:
Participles, both past and present, are verb forms that can be used as an adjective or a noun.
Take a common verb like jump. It can be used as a noun as in:
- Jumping over the hedgerows is exhausting.
What Are Infinitives? And Can We Split Them or Not?
by ProWritingAid Feb 24, 2016
Infinitives are verbs preceded by the word “to” that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in a sentence. An infinitive does not function as a verb. This means you can never add s, es, ed, or ing to the end.
Read More »What are the Different Verb Tenses?
by ProWritingAid Feb 12, 2016
Much like the three Christmas spirits from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, verbs come in three tenses: past, present, and future. These are called the simple tenses, and they’re fairly straight forward.
Read More »What is a Clause Anyway?
by ProWritingAid Feb 08, 2016
A clause is a group of words containing both a subject and a verb. Examples of clauses are:
The bells are ringing
She ran away
What are Phonemes, Graphemes, and Digraphs?
by ProWritingAid Feb 08, 2016
Each sound that you hear in a word is a Phoneme. It’s the smallest unit of sound that makes up a complete word. This is not to be confused with the letter itself; Phonemes are only the sounds made.
There are 44 Phonemes in the English language, consisting of 24 consonant sounds and 20 vowel sounds. Think of the different combinations of consonants and vowels (like “ch” or “ea”) that make unique sounds.
Read More »What Are the Different Types of Verbs?
by ProWritingAid Jan 25, 2016
Your sentences would lie dead in the water without a verb. Verbs are the most important part of your sentence. But how do you select the right verb to get across your meaning? By understanding the different types of verbs and how they’re used.What is a verb?
What is a Cliché? And Why Should You Avoid Them?
by ProWritingAid Jan 10, 2016
A cliché is a tired, stale phrase or idiom that, because of overuse, has lost its impact. What was once a fresh way of looking at something has become a weak prop for writing that feels unimaginative and dull. Clichés are what you write when you don’t have the energy or inspiration to think of a new way to express an idea.
George Orwell in his Rules of Writing said: “Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.” Be creative and come up with something fresh. A new analogy or metaphor will make much more of an impression on your readers than a dusty old cliché.
Read More »Why You Need Great Transitions in Your Writing
by ProWritingAid Dec 23, 2015
Imagine a road with no street signs to point the way. How would you follow the right route if you didn’t have a sign showing you which way to go?
What are Dangling Modifiers and Why You Shouldn’t Let Them Dangle
by ProWritingAid Dec 04, 2015
What is a dangling modifier, you ask?
