Grammar Rules & Examples
Master the fundamentals of English grammar with clear rules, examples, and explanations. Whether you're a student, professional, or language learner, these comprehensive grammar guidelines will help you write with confidence and clarity.
Comma Usage
Use commas to separate items in a series
"I bought apples, oranges, and bananas."
"I bought apples oranges and bananas."
The Oxford comma (before 'and') is optional but recommended for clarity.
Apostrophes
Use apostrophes for contractions and possessives
"It's John's book."
"Its Johns book."
It's = it is, Its = possessive form of it
Singular and Plural
Singular subjects take singular verbs, plural subjects take plural verbs
"The cat runs. The cats run."
"The cat run. The cats runs."
The verb must match the number of the subject.
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on context
"The team is winning. The team are arguing among themselves."
"The team are winning when acting as one unit."
Use singular when the group acts as one, plural when members act individually.
Your vs You're
Your = possessive, You're = you are
"Your book is here. You're welcome."
"You're book is here. Your welcome."
If you can substitute 'you are', use you're.
There, Their, They're
There = place, Their = possessive, They're = they are
"There is their car. They're leaving."
"Their is there car. There leaving."
Three different words with different meanings and uses.
Could of, Should of, Would of
Could have, Should have, Would have
The contraction sounds like 'of' but it's actually 'have'
Alot
A lot
'Alot' is not a word. Use 'a lot' (two words) or 'many'
Loose vs Lose
Loose = not tight, Lose = to misplace
Different spellings for different meanings
Affect vs Effect
Affect = verb (to influence), Effect = noun (result)
Remember: Affect is an Action, Effect is an End result
Read your writing aloud
This helps catch errors and awkward phrasing
Use active voice when possible
Active voice is clearer and more engaging
Keep sentences concise
Shorter sentences are easier to understand
Proofread multiple times
Check for different types of errors in each pass
Style Guides
AP, MLA, Chicago, and APA formatting
Practice Exercises
Interactive grammar quizzes and tests
Writing Tools
Grammar checkers and proofreading tips