Which punctuation mark (if any) does a certain sentence need in the middle? Grammar Rules GrammarBook.com. If you know what kind of rule you’re looking for and need a quick refresher, consult this well-organized online reference. An excellent and up-to-date rundown of the rules for using and not using capital letters, with dozens of helpful examples. Consult this site first if you’re not sure what the various punctuation marks are called. The site’s “Top Ten Tips” section provides a handy review of punctuation essentials, and “Other Matters” offers an excellent summary of the differences between British and American punctuation rules. Or about question marks? Even though English spelling is notoriously inconsistent, it does have some rules that are useful to know. Grammar: Quiz Yourself. Discover how well you know the difference between common word pairs, such as “except” and “accept,” “role” and “roll,” “personal” and “personnel.” Get at least 20 of the 26 quiz items right and you deserve a gold star.
At 3 a.m., while polishing an email blast for your customers, you get a brain freeze about a grammar question. For instance:
- Should it be “their’s,” “they’res,” “there’s,” or “theirs”?
- Which punctuation mark (if any) does a certain sentence need in the middle?
- Do we capitalize “French” in “French cuffs”?
Use the free online resources below to answer such questions quickly.
Grammar Rules
GrammarBook.com. If you know what kind of rule you’re looking for and need a quick refresher, consult this well-organized online reference. But if you don’t already know the terminology of, say, a colon (two dots on top of one another) and a semicolon (a dot above a comma), this site may be frustrating to use.
Guidelines for Using Capital Letters. An excellent and up-to-date rundown of the rules for using and not using capital letters, with dozens of helpful examples.
Subject-Verb Agreement. This page helps you figure out whether you should write, say, “is” or “are” and “has” or “have.” It answers questions such as does “committee” take a singular or plural verb? What about “scissors,” “mathematics,” and “everybody”?
Personal Pronouns. Here you can quickly review whether it should be “the teacher and me” or “the teacher and I.” This is a classic trouble spot even for well-versed English speakers.
Punctuation and Spelling
The Punctuation Guide. Consult this site first if you’re not sure what the various punctuation marks are called. Proper use of each one gets explained clearly, with examples. The site’s “Top Ten Tips” section provides a handy review of punctuation essentials, and “Other Matters” offers an excellent summary of the differences between British and American punctuation rules.
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