100 Grammar Fixes for Cleaner Sentences

100 Grammar Fixes for Cleaner Sentences

No. Item Definition
1. absolute phrase Phrase modifying whole sentence.
2. active voice Subject performs the action.
3. affect vs. effect Choosing verb or noun correctly.
4. apostrophe misuse Wrong apostrophe in contraction or possession.
5. appositive Noun phrase renaming another noun.
6. article usage Correct use of a, an, the.
7. as well as Phrase adding information, not subject.
8. because of Prepositional phrase showing cause.
9. between you and me Correct object pronoun phrase.
10. both…and Correlative conjunction joining equals.
11. brackets Marks enclosing inserted material.
12. capitalization Use capital letters correctly.
13. comma after intro Comma after introductory element.
14. comma splice Two clauses joined by comma alone.
15. comma usage Correct placement of commas.
16. comma with appositive Comma setting off renaming phrase.
17. comma with direct address Comma before or after a name.
18. comma with interrupter Comma around interrupting element.
19. conciseness Using no unnecessary words.
20. dangling modifier Modifier lacks a clear target.
21. dash Punctuation marking a strong break.
22. direct object Noun receiving the action.
23. double negative Two negatives creating nonstandard meaning.
24. due to Phrase meaning caused by.
25. each of the students is Singular verb after each of.
26. either…or Correlative conjunction offering alternatives.
27. ellipsis Omission understood from context.
28. exclamation point Mark ending strong emotion.
29. faulty comparison Unlike things compared improperly.
30. fewer vs. less Choosing count or mass word.
31. finite verb Verb marked for tense or person.
32. for example Phrase introducing an example.
33. for instance Phrase introducing an example.
34. fused sentence Independent clauses joined without punctuation.
35. gerund Verb form acting as noun.
36. helping verb Verb assisting the main verb.
37. however Transition showing contrast.
38. hyphenation Correct use of hyphens.
39. if I were Subjunctive for hypotheticals.
40. in order to Phrase expressing purpose.
41. in regard to Phrase meaning concerning.
42. indirect object Recipient of direct object.
43. infinitive Base verb with to.
44. intransitive verb Verb not taking direct object.
45. it is important to Wordy opener often tightened.
46. its vs. it’s Choosing possessive or contraction.
47. lie vs. lay Choosing correct verb form.
48. linking verb Verb connecting subject to complement.
49. me vs. I Choosing correct pronoun case.
50. meanwhile Transition showing simultaneous action.
51. misplaced modifier Modifier placed near wrong word.
52. modal verb Helping verb showing mood or possibility.
53. moreover Transition adding emphasis.
54. neither of them is Singular verb after neither of.
55. neither…nor Correlative conjunction joining negatives.
56. nevertheless Transition showing concession.
57. nominalization Noun form replacing a stronger verb.
58. nonrestrictive clause Extra clause set off by commas.
59. not only but also Correlative pair needing balance.
60. object complement Word completing the object.
61. one of the reasons is Singular verb after one of.
62. otherwise Transition showing consequence or alternative.
63. parallel structure Matching grammatical form in a series.
64. participle Verb form used as adjective.
65. passive voice Subject receives the action.
66. phrasal verb Verb combined with particle.
67. predicate adjective Adjective following a linking verb.
68. predicate nominative Noun renaming the subject.
69. preposition choice Selecting the right preposition.
70. pronoun-antecedent agreement Pronoun must match its referent.
71. question mark Mark ending a question.
72. quotation marks Marks enclosing quoted words.
73. redundancy Needless repetition of meaning.
74. relative clause Clause modifying a noun.
75. restrictive clause Essential clause without commas.
76. run-on sentence Sentence lacking proper clause breaks.
77. sentence fragment Incomplete sentence missing a main part.
78. serial comma Comma before final list item.
79. slash Mark showing alternatives or fractions.
80. so that Phrase introducing purpose or result.
81. split infinitive Word inserted inside infinitive form.
82. subject complement Word completing the subject.
83. subject-verb agreement Subject and verb must match.
84. subjunctive mood Verb mood for wishes or hypotheticals.
85. that vs. which Choosing correct relative word.
86. their vs. there Choosing correct common homophone.
87. then vs. than Choosing time or comparison word.
88. there are Existential opener often wordy.
89. there is Existential opener often wordy.
90. transitive verb Verb taking a direct object.
91. ultimately Transition signaling final point.
92. verb tense consistency Keep tense steady when needed.
93. were to Form for hypothetical situations.
94. whether…or Correlative pair showing options.
95. who vs. whom Choosing correct pronoun case.
96. whoever vs. whomever Choosing correct pronoun form.
97. with regard to Phrase meaning concerning.
98. word order Arrangement of words in a sentence.
99. wordiness Using more words than needed.
100. your vs. you’re Choosing possessive or contraction.