Saturday, March 15, 2025

Quiz for Lessons 426 - 430 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Dashes

View quiz on Daily Grammar

Dashes are used to give emphasis to written ideas and are typed by using two hyphens. They should be used sparingly.

Instructions: Use dashes where they are needed in the following sentences.

1. I I I don't know what you mean!

2. We need to paint everything the window frames, the doors, the walls.

3. Next week how I dread it! I have to go to court.

4. You know the man across the street you are not even listening to me.

5. The dishes, the windows, the tile they were all broken by the storm.

6. They fished in the lower river a waste of time!

7. We had many things to do for the trip buy tickets, get passports, pack, arrange for the animals.

8. We we we shouldn't be in this warehouse.

9. This movie what a thriller! was the best I have seen recently.

10. Have you met my wife my best friend and eternal companion?


--For answers scroll down.











Answers:

1. I--I--I don't know what you mean!

2. We need to paint everything--the window frames, the doors, the walls.

3. Next week--how I dread it!--I have to go to court.

4. You know the man across the street--you are not even listening to me.

5. The dishes, the windows, the tile--they were all broken by the storm.

6. They fished in the lower river--a waste of time!

7. We had many things to do for the trip--buy tickets, get passports, pack, arrange for the animals.

8. We--we--we shouldn't be in this warehouse.

9. This movie--what a thriller!--was the best I have seen recently.

10. Have you met my wife--my best friend and eternal companion?



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Quiz for Lessons 126 -130 - Parts of the Sentence - Appositives

View lesson on Daily Grammar

Instructions: Identify the appositives in the following sentences and tell whether they are appositives to subjects, direct objects, or predicate nominatives.

1. Rome, the capital of Italy, is a very large city.

2. Have you ever visited Lagoon, our biggest amusement park?

3. The woman with the hat, the viola player, is my sister-in-law.

4. Those women are Elaine and Marilyn, my two sisters.

5. Mr. Gayle, our sponsor, will show you around.


Instructions: Combine the following sentences by using an appositive.

6. Mrs. Karren is greeting the guests. They are possible buyers.

7. Have you met our new foreman? He is the tall man in the coveralls.

8. Watch out for Main Street. It is a very slick road.

9. The Lewises provided the entertainment. They showed home movies.

10. The cargo was very precious. It was gold and silver.


--For answers scroll down.











Answers:

1. capital = appositive to the subject, Rome

2. amusement park = appositive to direct object, Lagoon

3. player = appositive to subject, woman

4. sisters = appositive to predicate nominatives. Elaine/Marilyn

5. sponsor = appositive to subject, Mr. Gayle

6. Mrs. Karren is greeting the guests, possible buyers.

7. Have you met our new foreman, the tall man in the coveralls.

8. Watch out for Main Street, a very slick road.

9. The Lewises provided the entertainment, home movies.

10. The cargo, gold and silver, was very precious.


For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive. Our lessons are also available to purchase in an eBook and a workbook format.

Friday, March 14, 2025

Lesson 430 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Dashes

View lesson on Daily Grammar

Use a dash to emphasize appositives or to set off a series of appositives
 
Example: 
Everything--cars, bikes, furniture--must be moved.

Dashes are used to give emphasis to written ideas and are typed by using two hyphens. They should be used sparingly.

Instructions: Use dashes where they are needed in the following sentences.

1. Have you met Larry Millward the best friend I've ever had?

2. We lost in the fire everything clothes, jewelry, photos, memories.

3. We stopped in three cities Butte, Great Falls, Sweetgrass.

4. I want you to visit Brazil my other country and second home.

5. Everyone men, women, children will be cared for immediately.


--For answers scroll down.











Answers:

1. Have you met Larry Millward--the best friend I've ever had?

2. We lost in the fire everything--clothes, jewelry, photos, memories.

3. We stopped in three cities--Butte, Great Falls, Sweetgrass.

4. I want you to visit Brazil--my other country and second home.

5. Everyone--men, women, children--will be cared for immediately.



For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive. Our lessons are also available to purchase in an eBook and a workbook format.

Lesson 130 - Parts of the Sentence - Appositives

View lesson on Daily Grammar
 
An appositive is a word or group of words that identifies or renames the noun or pronoun that it follows. It is set off by commas unless closely tied to the word that it identifies or renames. ("Closely tied" means that it is needed to identify the word.) 
 
Appositives should not be confused with predicate nominatives. A verb will separate the subject from the predicate nominative. An appositive can follow any noun or pronoun including the subject, direct object, or predicate nominative.
 
Examples: 
My son Carl is a medical technician. (no commas) 
Badger, our dog with a missing leg, has a love for cats. (commas needed)

Appositives may be compound. 
 
Example: 
The two children, Wendy and Sam, are excellent students.

You can make one smooth sentence from two short, choppy sentences by using an appositive
 
Example: 
Ila won the prize. It was a trip to Hawaii. 
Ila won the prize, a trip to Hawaii.

Instructions: Combine the following sentences by using an appositive.

1. Sonja sits beside me in English class. She is a girl from Poland.

2. On the deck are many plants. They are very colorful flowers.

3. There goes David. He is the owner of many businesses.

4. For dinner we had my favorite desserts. We had strawberry pie and cherry nut cake.

5. Last night I talked with Leon. He is my neighbor. He is my business partner.


--For answers scroll down.











Answers:

1. Sonja, a girl from Poland, sits beside me in English class.

2. On the deck are many plants, very colorful flowers.
        - or -
    On the deck are very colorful flowers, many plants.

3. There goes David, the owner of many businesses.

4. For dinner we had my favorite desserts, strawberry pie and cherry nut cake.
        - or -
    For dinner we had strawberry pie and cherry nut cake, my favorite desserts.

5. Last night I talked with Leon, my neighbor and business partner.


For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive. Our lessons are also available to purchase in an eBook and a workbook format.

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Lesson 429 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Dashes

View lesson on Daily Grammar

Dashes are used to give emphasis to written ideas and are typed by using two hyphens. They should be used sparingly.

Use dashes to show hesitation. 
 
Example: 
I--I--I don't know what you mean!

Instructions: Use dashes where they are needed in the following sentences.

1. You you you are the one who did it.

2. I heard him say "Oh oh oh my head!"

3. I I I didn't mean to do it.

4. Well well well I guess I can try to help with it.

5. Soon very soon we should be there.


--For answers scroll down.











Answers:

1. You--you--you are the one who did it.

2. I heard him say "Oh--oh--oh my head!"

3. I--I--I didn't mean to do it.

4. Well--well--well I guess I can try to help with it.

5. Soon--very soon we should be there.



For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive. Our lessons are also available to purchase in an eBook and a workbook format.

Lesson 129 - Parts of the Sentence - Appositives

View lesson on Daily Grammar
 
An appositive is a word or group of words that identifies or renames the noun or pronoun that it follows. It is set off by commas unless closely tied to the word that it identifies or renames. ("Closely tied" means that it is needed to identify the word.) 
 
Appositives should not be confused with predicate nominatives. A verb will separate the subject from the predicate nominative. An appositive can follow any noun or pronoun including the subject, direct object, or predicate nominative.
 
Examples: 
My son Carl is a medical technician. (no commas) 
Badger, our dog with a missing leg, has a love for cats. (commas needed)

Appositives may be compound. 
 
Example: 
The two children, Wendy and Sam, are excellent students.

You can make one smooth sentence from two short, choppy sentences by using an appositive
 
Example: 
Ila won the prize. It was a trip to Hawaii. 
Ila won the prize, a trip to Hawaii.

Instructions: Combine the following sentences by using an appositive.

1. Yesterday I saw an exciting movie. It was called Goldeneye.

2. Mr. Jones will be with you shortly. He is the plant manager.

3. That woman is my neighbor. She is a well-known author.

4. Luis can do almost anything. He is a talented person.

5. Do you want to meet Barbara Jean? She is my lab assistant.


--For answers scroll down.











Answers:

1. Yesterday I saw an exciting movie, Goldeneye.
        - or -
    Yesterday I saw Goldeneye, an exciting movie.

2. Mr. Jones, the plant manager, will be with you shortly.
        - or -
    The plant manager Mr. Jones will be with you shortly.

3. That woman, a well-known author, is my neighbor.
        - or -
    That woman, my neighbor, is a well-known author.
        - or -
    That woman is my neighbor, a well-known author.

4. Luis, a talented person, can do almost anything.

5. Do you want to meet Barbara Jean, my lab assistant?
       - or -
    Do you want to meet my lab assistant Barbara Jean?


For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive. Our lessons are also available to purchase in an eBook and a workbook format.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Lesson 428 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Dashes

View lesson on Daily Grammar

Dashes are used to give emphasis to written ideas and are typed by using two hyphens. They should be used sparingly.

Use a dash to indicate a summarizing clause
 
Example: 
The house, the yard, the garage--they had remained untouched.

Instructions: Use dashes where they are needed in the following sentences.

1. Kitchen, living room, bedrooms they were just as dirty as ever.

2. Oil, steel, wheat they were the backbone of industrialization.

3. Policemen, teachers, garbage collectors these are people that we cannot do without.

4. Cars, homes, businesses they were destroyed everywhere by the earthquake.

5. Families, jobs, hope these the war had nearly decimated everywhere.


--For answers scroll down.











Answers:

1. Kitchen, living room, bedrooms--they were just as dirty as ever.

2. Oil, steel, wheat--they were the backbone of industrialization.

3. Policemen, teachers, garbage collectors--these are people that we cannot do without.

4. Cars, homes, businesses--they were destroyed everywhere by the earthquake.

5. Families, jobs, hope--these the war had nearly decimated everywhere.



For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive. Our lessons are also available to purchase in an eBook and a workbook format.

Lesson 128 - Parts of the Sentence - Appositives

View lesson on Daily Grammar
 
An appositive is a word or group of words that identifies or renames the noun or pronoun that it follows. It is set off by commas unless closely tied to the word that it identifies or renames. ("Closely tied" means that it is needed to identify the word.) 
 
Appositives should not be confused with predicate nominatives. A verb will separate the subject from the predicate nominative. An appositive can follow any noun or pronoun including the subject, direct object, or predicate nominative.
 
Examples: 
My son Carl is a medical technician. (no commas) 
Badger, our dog with a missing leg, has a love for cats. (commas needed)

Appositives may be compound. 
 
Example: 
The two children, Wendy and Sam, are excellent students.

Instructions: Identify the appositives in the following sentences and tell whether they are appositives to subjects, direct objects, or predicate nominatives.

1. Our leading scorer is Michael, the center and captain of the team.

2. These two students, Kay and Eric, are new to our school.

3. The doctor helped two patients, the boy with the broken leg and the girl with a burned arm.

4. Our neighbors, the Smiths and the Fehers, are moving next week.

5. James loves two games, checkers and chess.


--For answers scroll down.











Answers:

1. center/captain = appositives to predicate nominative, Michael

2. Kay/Eric = appositives to subject, students

3. boy/girl = appositives to direct objects, patients

4. Smiths/Fehers = appositives to subject, neighbors

5. checkers/chess = appositives to direct object, games


For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive. Our lessons are also available to purchase in an eBook and a workbook format.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Lesson 427 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Dashes

View lesson on Daily Grammar

Dashes are used to give emphasis to written ideas and are typed by using two hyphens. They should be used sparingly.

Use dashes to emphasize parenthetical material
 
Example: 
Tomorrow--how I fear it!--is the big test.

Instructions: Use dashes where they are needed in the following sentences.

1. All the presentations especially the one by Emily were excellent.

2. I leave I am so excited! for school today.

3. That game what an exciting one it was! is one that we will long remember.

4. There are several persons including myself, incidentally who resent your implications.

5. We approached the dog what a monstrous creature he was! with caution.


--For answers scroll down.











Answers:

1. All the presentations--especially the one by Emily--were excellent.

2. I leave--I am so excited!--for school today.

3. That game--what an exciting one it was!--is one that we will long remember.

4. There are several persons--including myself, incidentally--who resent your implications.

5. We approached the dog--what a monstrous creature he was!--with caution.



For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive. Our lessons are also available to purchase in an eBook and a workbook format.

Lesson 127 - Parts of the Sentence - Appositives

View lesson on Daily Grammar
 
An appositive is a word or group of words that identifies or renames the noun or pronoun that it follows. It is set off by commas unless closely tied to the word that it identifies or renames. ("Closely tied" means that it is needed to identify the word.) 
 
Appositives should not be confused with predicate nominatives. A verb will separate the subject from the predicate nominative. An appositive can follow any noun or pronoun including the subject, direct object, or predicate nominative.
 
Examples: 
My son Carl is a medical technician. (no commas) 
Badger, our dog with a missing leg, has a love for cats. (commas needed)

Instructions: Identify the appositives in the following sentences and tell whether they are appositives to subjects, direct objects, or predicate nominatives.

1. My brother Bill has a cabin in the mountains.

2. Friday, my birthday, will be the thirteenth.

3. Hopping on the fence was a rare bird, the cedar waxwing.

4. This is Fred, an old roommate of mine.

5. Have you seen my car, an old Rambler.


--For answers scroll down.











Answers:

1. Bill = appositive to subject, brother

2. birthday = appositive to subject, Friday

3. cedar waxwing = appositive to subject, bird

4. roommate = appositive to predicate nominative, Fred

5. Rambler = appositive to direct object, car


For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive. Our lessons are also available to purchase in an eBook and a workbook format.

Monday, March 10, 2025

Lesson 426 - Mechanics - Punctuation - Dashes

View lesson on Daily Grammar

Dashes are used to give emphasis to written ideas and are typed by using two hyphens. They should be used sparingly.

Use a dash to show a break in thought or sentence structure. 
 
Example: 
He had tried to change--you're not even paying attention!

Instructions: Use dashes where they are needed in the following sentences.

1. We will invite Susan she is the new girl next door to our party.

2. The dog slid on the vinyl his nails acting like skates and crashed into the trash can.

3. When our stockpile was sold indeed, dumped for surplus all our sales were compromised.

4. Today has been but I will not bore you with my troubles.

5. Let me tell you about watch where you are going!


--For answers scroll down.











Answers:

1. We will invite Susan--she is the new girl next door--to our party.

2. The dog slid on the vinyl--his nails acting like skates--and crashed into the trash can.

3. When our stockpile was sold--indeed, dumped for surplus--all our sales were compromised.

4. Today has been--but I will not bore you with my troubles.

5. Let me tell you about--watch where you are going!



For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive. Our lessons are also available to purchase in an eBook and a workbook format.

Lesson 126 - Parts of the Sentence - Appositives

View lesson on Daily Grammar

An appositive is a word or group of words that identifies or renames the noun or pronoun that it follows. It is set off by commas unless closely tied to the word that it identifies or renames. ("Closely tied" means that it is needed to identify the word.) 
 
Appositives should not be confused with predicate nominatives. A verb will separate the subject from the predicate nominative. An appositive can follow any noun or pronoun including the subject, direct object, or predicate nominative.
 
Examples: 
My son Carl is a medical technician. (no commas) 
Badger, our dog with a missing leg, has a love for cats. (commas needed)

Instructions: Identify the appositives in the following sentences and tell whether they are appositives to subjects, direct objects, or predicate nominatives.

1. The neighbor boys, the twins, were excellent baseball players.

2. The girl in the red dress is Sarah, our best actress.

3. Have you read Brothers, a book by Dean Hughes?

4. There goes Grant Long, the electrical contractor.

5. My friend, Matt Matson, collects lost hubcaps.


--For answers scroll down.











Answers:

1. twins = appositive to the subject, boys

2. actress = appositive to the predicate nominative, Sarah

3. book = appositive to the direct object, Brothers

4. contractor = appositive to the subject, Grant Long

5. Matt Matson = appositive to the subject, friend


For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive. Our lessons are also available to purchase in an eBook and a workbook format.