Tag Archives: grammar

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Grammar

Understanding antecedents, infinitives, verbals, and sentence types

Have you ever read a sentence and felt confused about what a pronoun was referring to? Or struggled to understand how different verb forms function in a sentence? Understanding antecedents, infinitives, verbals, and sentence types can transform your writing, making it clearer, more dynamic, and more engaging. Let’s break these grammar concepts down and see how they work in real writing.

I. Antecedents: The Reference Point

What is an antecedent? An antecedent is the word (a noun or pronoun) that another pronoun refers back to. The pronoun must match the antecedent in number (singular/plural) and gender.

Examples:

  • Lisa forgot her jacket at home. (“Lisa” is the antecedent of “her.”)
  • The boys finished their project early. (“Boys” is the antecedent of “their.”)

Common Mistakes:

  • Incorrect: Each student must bring their book.
  • Correct: Each student must bring his or her book. (“Each student” is singular, so “his or her” matches it in number.)

Exercise: Identify the antecedent for each pronoun:

  1. When Tom arrived, he was excited.
  2. The dogs barked until they were tired.
  3. Mary and Jessica packed their bags for the trip.
  4. A writer must revise his or her work carefully.
  5. The car wouldn’t start because it was out of gas.

II. Infinitives: The Versatile Verb Form

What is an infinitive? An infinitive is the base form of a verb preceded by “to.” It can act as a noun, adjective, or adverb in a sentence.

Examples:

  • To read is my favorite hobby. (Noun: subject of the sentence)
  • She has a plan to succeed. (Adjective: modifies “plan”)
  • They left early to catch the bus. (Adverb: explains why they left early)

Exercise: Underline the infinitives in the following sentences and identify their function (noun, adjective, or adverb):

  1. To learn a new language requires patience.
  2. She gave him a book to read.
  3. He runs every morning to stay fit.
  4. The best way to improve is through practice.
  5. We traveled to New York to see the Statue of Liberty.

III. Verbals: When Verbs Aren’t Verbs

What are verbals? A verbal is a word formed from a verb that functions as another part of speech. There are three types:

  • Gerunds (verb + -ing) act as nouns.
  • Participles (present: -ing, past: -ed/en) act as adjectives.
  • Infinitives (to + verb) act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

Examples:

  • Swimming is fun. (Gerund as subject)
  • The burning candle melted. (Present participle as adjective)
  • He has a plan to study. (Infinitive as noun)

Exercise: Identify the verbal (gerund, participle, or infinitive) in each sentence:

  1. Running is my favorite exercise.
  2. The broken window needs to be fixed.
  3. She loves to dance in the rain.
  4. Baking cookies is a holiday tradition.
  5. The children watched the flying birds.

IV. Sentence Types: Understanding Structure and Purpose

What are the kinds of sentences? Sentences can be classified by their purpose:

  1. Declarative (Makes a statement) – The sun is shining.
  2. Interrogative (Asks a question) – Is the sun shining?
  3. Imperative (Gives a command) – Close the door.
  4. Exclamatory (Expresses emotion) – What a beautiful day!

Exercise: Identify the type of each sentence:

  1. Where are you going?
  2. I love reading books.
  3. Stop talking during the test!
  4. That was the best movie I’ve ever seen!
  5. She enjoys hiking in the mountains.

Assessment: Show What You Know

  1. Writing Activity: Write a short paragraph (5–7 sentences) using at least one antecedent-pronoun pair, one infinitive, one verbal, and two different sentence types.
  2. Peer Review: Exchange paragraphs with a classmate and underline each grammar concept used.
  3. Discussion: Reflect on how understanding these concepts can improve clarity and variety in writing.

Conclusion

Grammar isn’t just a set of rules—it’s a toolkit for expressing ideas with precision and creativity. Mastering antecedents, infinitives, verbals, and sentence types will make your writing stronger, clearer, and more engaging. Keep practicing, and soon these concepts will become second nature!

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Understanding the antecedent

Antecedents

Theory: An antecedent is the noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers to in a sentence. A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number (singular or plural)  and gender (masculine, feminine, neutral).

Examples:

  • The students finished their homework. ( The antecedent is ”students” and the pronoun “their” refers to ”students.”)
  • Sarah lost her book. (The antecedent is ”Sarah” and the pronoun “her” refers to ”Sarah.”)

Exercise: Identify the antecedent in the following sentences:

  1. When Tom arrived, he was excited.
    (The antecedent is ”___________________” and the
    pronoun  “___________________” refers to ”___________________.”)
  2. The dogs barked until they were tired.
    (The antecedent is ”___________________” and the
    pronoun  “___________________” refers to ”___________________.”)
  3. Mary and Jessica packed their bags for the trip.
    (The antecedent is ”________________________” and the
    pronoun  “___________________” refers to ”___________________.”)
  4. A writer must revise his or her work carefully.
    (The antecedent is ”________________________” and the
    pronoun  “___________________” refers to ”___________________.”)
  5. The car wouldn’t start because it was out of gas.
    (The antecedent is ”_______” and the pronoun  “_______” refers to ”______.”)

Post your reply. Copy and paste each problem into your reply. Respond to the best of your ability by adding the antecedent and the pronoun which is referring to the antecedent on the blank lines. (You may erase the line, but please preserve the quotation marks (” “).
E.g., When Tom lost his wallet, he was not concerned.
(The antecedent is ”Tom” and the
pronoun  “he” refers to ”Tom.”)

assessment

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Capitalization of Titles :: MLA Style

📜 Title Up Like a Pro! 📜
Learn these tricks to make your titles pop!

  1. Double Space for Drama:
    Leave a blank line between your title and the start of your text. It’s like giving your title its own spotlight! ✨
  2. First, Last, and the Big Shots:
    Capitalize the first word, the last word, and all the important words in between. Important words include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and even subordinating conjunctions (like “although” or “because”).
    📝 The Great Gatsby Goes Big
  3. Skip the Little Stuff (Unless It’s First):
    Articles (a, an, the), prepositions (to, on, by), and coordinating conjunctions (and, or, but) stay lowercase—unless they’re the first word of your title.
    📝 A Tale of Two Cities, The Road Not Taken
  4. Italics vs. Quotation Marks: Know the Difference!
    • Big works, like books, movies, and magazines, get the fancy italics.
    • Small works, like articles, poems, and song titles, get quotation marks.
      📝 Examples: To Kill a Mockingbird (book), “The Road Not Taken” (poem)
  5. Say It Once, Say It Full:
    When you mention a title in your writing, give the whole thing the first time. After that, feel free to shorten it.
    📝 Example: The Lord of the Rings (first mention); LOTR (next mentions)
  6. Mix It Up in Your Own Titles:
    If you refer to another work in your own title, remember to use quotation marks or italics, just like usual.
    📝 “The Great Gatsby” in Modern Times

According to Purdue OWL

Remember: Titles are like the headlines for your writing—give them style, make them shine, and they’ll make your work look amazing! ✨