Lesson 424 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Hyphens

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Use a hyphen in compounds in which mispronunciation might otherwise result. 

 

Example:

pre-existence

Instructions: Supply hyphens where they are needed in these sentences.

1. It was hard to find an antiimperialist among the rulers of ancient Rome.

2. I believe that man had a preexistence before this life.

3. Can you deenergize that bomb in time?

4. If you take that medicine, it could cause the body to be antiimmune.

5. The concerned group was starting an antiimmoral movement.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. It was hard to find an anti-imperialist among the rulers of ancient Rome.

2. I believe that man had a pre-existence before this life.

3. Can you de-energize that bomb in time?

4. If you take that medicine, it could cause the body to be anti-immune.

5. The concerned group was starting an anti-immoral movement.

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Lesson 124 - Parts of the Sentence - Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

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Transitive verbs are verbs that have subjects or objects that receive the action. They are either active voice or passive voice.  

 

Transitive active verbs are the verbs in sentences with a direct object. The subject is the doer and the direct object is the receiver of the action.

 

Example: 

The boy kicked the ball.   

 

Transitive passive verbs have the subject receiving the action with the doer in a prepositional phrase or omitted in the sentence. The verb in the transitive passive voice always has is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or been as an auxiliary or helping verb.

 

Examples: 

The ball was kicked by the boy. 

The ball was kicked hard.

Transitive active sentences can be changed to transitive passive sentences by making the direct object the subject and putting the subject either in a prepositional phrase or omitting it. 

 

Example: 

The daughter kissed her mother on the cheek. 

The mother was kissed on the cheek by her daughter. 

The mother was kissed on the cheek. 

(Mother is the receiver of the action in all three sentences, but in the last two sentences mother is the subject of the sentences.)

Instructions: Transform the following transitive passive sentences into transitive active sentences by making the old subject the direct object and adding a new subject.

1. The music was practiced every day.

2. The homecoming parade has been delayed.

3. The entries must be mailed by tomorrow.

4. A solution to the problem had been sought everywhere.

5. The quilt was finally finished.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. She practiced the music everyday.

2. The accident delayed the homecoming parade.

3. You must mail the entries by tomorrow.

4. They sought a solution to the problem everywhere.

5. The women finally finished the quilt.

Note: Your answers may vary somewhat from mine.

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Lesson 423 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Hyphens

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Use a hyphen with special compounds such as tie-up and drive-in.

Instructions: Supply hyphens where they are needed in these sentences.

1. Jim was the runner up in the race.

2. The sailors attached the ship to the tie up.

3. Let's get something to eat at a drive in.

4. The jump off was the beginning of the war.

5. This meal is certainly first rate.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. Jim was the runner-up in the race.

2. The sailors attached the ship to the tie-up.

3. Let's get something to eat at a drive-in.

4. The jump-off was the beginning of the war.

5. This meal is certainly first-rate.

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Lesson 123 - Parts of the Sentence - Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

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Transitive verbs are verbs that have subjects or objects that receive the action. They are either active voice or passive voice.  

 

Transitive active verbs are the verbs in sentences with a direct object. The subject is the doer and the direct object is the receiver of the action.

 

Example: 

The boy kicked the ball.   

 

Transitive passive verbs have the subject receiving the action with the doer in a prepositional phrase or omitted in the sentence. The verb in the transitive passive voice always has is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or been as an auxiliary or helping verb.

 

Examples: 

The ball was kicked by the boy. 

The ball was kicked hard.

Transitive active sentences can be changed to transitive passive sentences by making the direct object the subject and putting the subject either in a prepositional phrase or omitting it. 

 

Example: 

The daughter kissed her mother on the cheek. 

The mother was kissed on the cheek by her daughter. 

The mother was kissed on the cheek. 

(Mother is the receiver of the action in all three sentences, but in the last two sentences mother is the subject of the sentences.)

Instructions: Transform the following transitive passive sentences into transitive active sentences by taking the new subject from the prepositional phrase and making the old subject the direct object.

1. Consent was given by Rebecca.

2. The note was written by you.

3. Gunpowder was invented by the Chinese.

4. The prize was won by the last contestant.

5. The difficult role was played well by the understudy.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. Rebecca gave her consent.

2. You wrote the note.

3. The Chinese invented gunpowder.

4. The last contestant won the prize.

5. The understudy played well the difficult role.

Note: Your answers may vary somewhat from mine.

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Lesson 422 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Hyphens

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Use a hyphen in some compound nouns made up of a noun and a prepositional phrase. 

 

Example: 

sister-in-law

Instructions: Supply hyphens where they are needed in these sentences.

1. In the woods we saw many flowers including a jack in the pulpit.

2. One old toy that everyone used to have was a jack in the box.

3. The sergeants at arms will escort him from the courtroom.

4. The ship's captain enjoyed using the cat o' nine tails on disobedient sailors.

5. Finding the man seemed to be just a will o' the wisp.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. In the woods we saw many flowers including a jack-in-the-pulpit.

2. One old toy that everyone used to have was a jack-in-the-box.

3. The sergeants-at-arms will escort him from the courtroom.

4. The ship's captain enjoyed using the cat-o'-nine-tails on disobedient sailors.

5. Finding the man seemed to be just a will-o'-the-wisp.

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Lesson 122 - Parts of the Sentence - Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

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Transitive verbs are verbs that have subjects or objects that receive the action. They are either active voice or passive voice.  

 

Transitive active verbs are the verbs in sentences with a direct object. The subject is the doer and the direct object is the receiver of the action.

 

Example: 

The boy kicked the ball.   

 

Transitive passive verbs have the subject receiving the action with the doer in a prepositional phrase or omitted in the sentence. The verb in the transitive passive voice always has is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or been as an auxiliary or helping verb.

 

Examples: 

The ball was kicked by the boy. 

The ball was kicked hard.

Transitive active sentences can be changed to transitive passive sentences by making the direct object the subject and putting the subject either in a prepositional phrase or omitting it. 

 

Example: 

The daughter kissed her mother on the cheek. 

The mother was kissed on the cheek by her daughter. 

The mother was kissed on the cheek. 

(Mother is the receiver of the action in all three sentences, but in the last two sentences mother is the subject of the sentences.)

Instructions: Transform the following transitive active sentences into transitive passive sentences by omitting the subject.

1. She put the ribbon on the package.

2. People chew the twigs for medicinal purposes.

3. The marks easily identified the trees to cut down.

4. The neighbors enjoyed the nightly chats over the fence.

5. The class play received a standing ovation on the first night.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. The ribbon was put on the package.

2. The twigs are chewed for medicinal purposes.

3. The trees to cut down were easily identified.

4. The nightly chats were enjoyed over the fence.

5. A standing ovation was received on the first night.

Note: Your answers may vary somewhat from mine.

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Lesson 421 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Hyphens

View lesson on Daily Grammar

Use a hyphen in compounds made up of two or more words used as an adjective before a noun. This includes coined phrases. Do not use a hyphen when one of the words is an adverb ending in -ly. These compounds will add vividness to your writing, but one should not use too many. 

 

Example: 

I received a last-minute call.

Instructions: Supply hyphens where they are needed in these sentences.

1. The little lost girl had that I'm going to cry again look on her face.

2. Spies must have the I like danger attitude to be successful.

3. We found many interesting things in a forty year old trunk.

4. He gave an I dare you to touch me sneer to the others.

5. Did you read that hair raising story last night?

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. The little lost girl had that I'm-going-to-cry-again look on her face.

2. Spies must have the I-like-danger attitude to be successful.

3. We found many interesting things in a forty-year-old trunk.

4. He gave an I-dare-you-to-touch-me sneer to the others.

5. Did you read that hair-raising story last night?

Next Lesson

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Lesson 121 - Parts of the Sentence - Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

View lesson on Daily Grammar

Transitive verbs are verbs that have subjects or objects that receive the action. They are either active voice or passive voice.  

 

Transitive active verbs are the verbs in sentences with a direct object. The subject is the doer and the direct object is the receiver of the action.

 

Example: 

The boy kicked the ball.   

 

Transitive passive verbs have the subject receiving the action with the doer in a prepositional phrase or omitted in the sentence. The verb in the transitive passive voice always has is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or been as an auxiliary or helping verb.

 

Examples: 

The ball was kicked by the boy. 

The ball was kicked hard.

Transitive active sentences can be changed to transitive passive sentences by making the direct object the subject and putting the subject either in a prepositional phrase or omitting it. 

 

Example: 

The daughter kissed her mother on the cheek. 

The mother was kissed on the cheek by her daughter. 

The mother was kissed on the cheek. 

(Mother is the receiver of the action in all three sentences, but in the last two sentences mother is the subject of the sentences.)

Instructions: Transform the following transitive active sentences into transitive passive sentences by putting the subject in a prepositional phrase.

1. The whole state elects the governor.

2. Children from all countries love that game.

3. The critics reviewed the new Broadway play.

4. The pirates hid the treasure quickly.

5. Terri examined the bugs on the tree.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. The governor is elected by the whole state.

2. That game is loved by children of all countries.

3. The new Broadway play was reviewed by the critics.

4. The treasure was quickly hidden by the pirates.

5. The bugs on the tree were examined by Terri.

Note: Your answers may vary somewhat from mine.

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Quiz for Lessons 416 - 420 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Hyphens

View quiz on Daily Grammar

Instructions: Supply hyphens where they are needed in these sentences.

1. I need to get rid of my self denial if I am to recover.

2. Is that glass two thirds full?

3. I think that age forty five is rather late to start a family.

4. Our ex captain came to visit our football team.

5. Much anti United States sentiment seems to exist all over the world.

6. Long discussions continued on the mid Atlantic items.

7. His fault was that he was a self made man who loved his creator.

8. I hope to get in the ninety fifth percentile.

9. The one third minority objected to the ruling.

10. Many are worried about our vice president's health.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. I need to get rid of my self-denial if I am to recover.

2. Is that glass two-thirds full?

3. I think that age forty-five is rather late to start a family.

4. Our ex-captain came to visit our football team.

5. Much anti-United States sentiment seems to exist all over the world.

6. Long discussions continued on the mid-Atlantic items.

7. His fault was that he was a self-made man who loved his creator.

8. I hope to get in the ninety-fifth percentile.

9. The one-third minority objected to the ruling.

10. Many are worried about our vice-president's health.

Next Lesson

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Quiz for Lessons 116- 120 - Parts of the Sentence - Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

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Instructions: Tell whether the verbs in the following sentences are transitive active, transitive passive, intransitive linking, or intransitive complete.

1. We started our new lessons today.

2. The game started at noon.

3. Mr. Paul is our math teacher.

4. The dog slept in the sun.

5. The cat chased our dog around the barn.

6. Ann prepared the fruit for the salad.

7. The relish tray was done by the two sisters.

8. The meal is now complete.

9. The man opened the car door for his wife.

10. There were many guests at the party.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. We started our new lessons today.

    - transitive active (lessons is a direct object)

2. The game started at noon.

    - intransitive complete (no receiver of the action)

3. Mr. Paul is our math teacher.

    - intransitive linking (teacher is a predicate nominative)

4. The dog slept in the sun.

    - intransitive complete (no receiver of the action)

5. The cat chased our dog around the barn.

    - transitive active (dog is a direct object)

6. Ann prepared the fruit for the salad.

    - transitive active (fruit is a direct object)

7. The relish tray was done by the two sisters.

    - transitive passive (passive voice, tray receives the action, sisters are the doers)

8. The meal is now complete.

    - intransitive linking (complete is a predicate nominative)

9. The man opened the car door for his wife.

    - transitive active (door is a direct object)

10. There were many guests at the party.

      - intransitive complete (no receiver of action, no predicate nominative or adjective)

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Lesson 420 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Hyphens

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Use a hyphen with compounds beginning with the prefix self. 

 

Example: 

self-centered

Instructions: Supply hyphens where they are needed in these sentences.

1. That man is very self reliant in all he does.

2. To succeed you must become less self indulgent.

3. To lose weight I must be self disciplined in my eating habits.

4. He started his college career with great self determination.

5. He refused to answer the questions because of self incrimination.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. That man is very self-reliant in all he does.

2. To succeed you must become less self-indulgent.

3. To lose weight I must be self-disciplined in my eating habits.

4. He started his college career with great self-determination.

5. He refused to answer the questions because of self-incrimination.

Next Lesson

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Lesson 120 - Parts of the Sentence - Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

View lesson on Daily Grammar

Transitive verbs are verbs that have subjects or objects that receive the action. They are either active voice or passive voice.  

 

Transitive active verbs are the verbs in sentences with a direct object. The subject is the doer and the direct object is the receiver of the action.

 

Example: 

The boy kicked the ball.   

 

Transitive passive verbs have the subject receiving the action with the doer in a prepositional phrase or omitted in the sentence. The verb in the transitive passive voice always has is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or been as an auxiliary or helping verb.

 

Examples: 

The ball was kicked by the boy. 

The ball was kicked hard.

Intransitive verbs have no receiver of the action. They are classified as intransitive complete or intransitive linking. 

 

Intransitive linking are sentences with a predicate nominative or predicate adjective. 

 

Examples: 

The girl is Mary. (predicate nominative) 

The girl is cute. (predicate adjective) 

 

Intransitive complete are all the verbs that don't fit one of the other kinds of transitive or intransitive verbs. 

 

Examples: 

The bell rang suddenly. 

The girl knitted all evening. (There is no receiver of the action.) 

They were here. (no action or predicate nominative or predicate adjective)

 

Instructions: Tell whether the verbs in the following sentences are transitive active, transitive passive, intransitive linking, or intransitive complete.

1. The radio was my favorite gift at Christmas.

2. Jay will be the winner of the most games.

3. The meal tasted wonderful to everyone.

4. The furniture should be early American style for this room.

5. Gomer Pyle's favorite expression was "Golly!".

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. The radio was my favorite gift at Christmas.

    - intransitive linking (gift is a predicate nominative)

2. Jay will be the winner of the most games.

    - intransitive linking (winner is a predicate nominative)

3. The meal tasted wonderful to everyone.

    - intransitive linking (wonderful is a predicate nominative)

4. The furniture should be early American style for this room.

    - intransitive linking (style is a predicate nominative)

5. Gomer Pyle's favorite expression was "Golly!".

    - intransitive linking (Golly is a predicate nominative)

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Lesson 419 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Hyphens

View lesson on Daily Grammar

Use a hyphen with ex, elect, and vice when they are used to form part of a title. 

 

Example: 

president-elect

Instructions: Supply hyphens where they are needed in these sentences.

1. George W. Bush is now our President elect.

2. Some people wonder what will happen to our ex President.

3. Carter Jones was named vice consul to India.

4. Our vice president will now speak to us.

5. Our ex secretary will become our vice chairman next year.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. George W. Bush is now our President-elect.

2. Some people wonder what will happen to our ex-President.

3. Carter Jones was named vice-consul to India.

4. Our vice-president will now speak to us.

5. Our ex-secretary will become our vice-chairman next year.

Next Lesson

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Lesson 119 - Parts of the Sentence - Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

View lesson on Daily Grammar

 

Transitive verbs are verbs that have subjects or objects that receive the action. They are either active voice or passive voice.  

 

Transitive active verbs are the verbs in sentences with a direct object. The subject is the doer and the direct object is the receiver of the action.

 

Example: 

The boy kicked the ball.   

 

Transitive passive verbs have the subject receiving the action with the doer in a prepositional phrase or omitted in the sentence. The verb in the transitive passive voice always has is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or been as an auxiliary or helping verb.

 

Examples: 

The ball was kicked by the boy. 

The ball was kicked hard.

Intransitive verbs have no receiver of the action. They are classified as intransitive complete or intransitive linking. 

 

Intransitive linking are sentences with a predicate nominative or predicate adjective. 

 

Examples: 

The girl is Mary. (predicate nominative) 

The girl is cute. (predicate adjective) 

 

Intransitive complete are all the verbs that don't fit one of the other kinds of transitive or intransitive verbs. 

 

Examples: 

The bell rang suddenly. 

The girl knitted all evening. (There is no receiver of the action.) 

They were here. (no action or predicate nominative or predicate adjective)

 

Instructions: Tell whether the verbs in the following sentences are transitive active, transitive passive, intransitive linking, or intransitive complete.

1. Mother looked for her lost shoes.

2. The sea waves lapped at the levy.

3. There are many desserts for the party.

4. Rebecca hunted for her baby sister.

5. Duty calls.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. Mother looked for her lost shoes.

    - intransitive complete (no receiver of action)

2. The sea waves lapped at the levy.

    - intransitive complete (no receiver of action)

3. There are many desserts for the party.

    - intransitive complete (no receiver of action, no predicate nominative or adjective)

4. Rebecca hunted for her baby sister.

    - intransitive complete (no receiver of action)

5. Duty calls.

    - intransitive complete (no receiver of action)

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