Give Advice on Grammar
From Adviceopedia
Whether you're helping someone learn English or gently correcting a written or verbal mistake, you may find it helpful to give advice on grammar from time to time. Some grammatical errors are simple and easily explained, while others present more of a challenge.
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Tips to Give Advice on Grammar
You may be a stickler for the rules, but not everyone is! Offering advice is different from being a "grammar cop," so to speak. Your grammatical wisdom may be appreciated by some and ignored by others, but take to heart the fact that you're sharing your knowledge for a good reason. With that in mind, here are a few lessons that will make it easy to give advice on grammar to anyone who may ask you for help.
Abbreviation
Abbreviations can prove tricky, especially for lesser-known words that aren't often used in everyday language or script. Here are a few words to watch for, as well as some helpful tips:
- "Pen." stands for peninsula; "terr." stands for terrace; and "fwy." stands for freeway.
- Do not abbreviate the name of a state in a complete sentence.
- "e.g." is a Latin abbreviation for "for example."
Capitalization
Capitalization can pose problems for just about anyone. You may be completely immersed in a term paper, only to stop in frustration because you aren't quite sure whether a certain word should actually start with an upper or lower case letter. Here are some tips:
- After using a colon, you may or may not need to capitalize the following word. If you're starting a new sentence, then you should. If you're following the colon with a list, then you should not capitalize.
- Conjunctions and prepositions fewer than four letters are not capitalized in titles or headings, unless it is the first word of the sentence or title (of a book, for example).
- Always capitalize the first word of greetings and closings in formal letters.
- Do not capitalize seasons.
Punctuation
The rules of punctuation can also cause issue on occasion. Though the topic is broad, these punctuation errors are especially common:
- Always put a period inside a closing quotation (for example: The man said, "I am tired.")
- Put a question mark inside the quotation, unless the question regards the contents of the quotation (for example: Who sang "Take My Breath Away"?)
- Use italics for long works, such as film titles, television show names, books, magazines, plays and album titles.
- Use quotation marks for smaller works, such as song titles and television episode titles.
- Use semicolons to separate independent clauses or sentences that are complete on their own.
Basic Mistakes
Grammatical and spelling errors are all over the Internet and you may notice that many of them are quite common. Here are a few things to look out for:
- Farther vs. further: Farther means to infer distance; further is to infer an additional amount (of time, for example). "Your house is farther than his." "He is further along in the assignment than the others."
- Their, there and they're: "Their" infers ownership of something (a noun); "there" refers to a location; "they're" is a contraction for "they are."
- Than and then: "Than" is used to compare terms; "then" refers to time and is used in "if/then" statements, as well. "This pizza is better than that one." "If you leave the water running, then the tub will overflow."
- Affect and effect: "Affect" is usually a verb, while "effect" is typically a noun. "Affect" means to have some sort of influence on (an object or person, for example). "Effect" usually refers to a result. "Drinking will affect your ability to drive." "This medicine has strong side effects."
Grammar Lessons
Of course, these are just a few examples of grammatical tips and hints that you or your friends may find interesting. If you really want to school yourself or help someone, you might even pay a visit to the local bookstore's reference section. Practicing your writing is also an excellent way to learn and memorize various grammatical functions!
