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Working With Words: The Basics

When we talk about the "craft of writing," we often think of style, technique and other aspects related to creativity.

While creativity and inspiration are certainly integral considerations for writers seeking success, we should always try to remember the importance of the fundamental tools of writing - like - rules of grammar and punctuation, correct word usage and definitions, and accurate spelling.

In order for writers to utilize the English language proficiently, we must have a comprehensive understanding of several key components.

The eight basic parts of speech:

noun (ex: house, car, boat, mother, child)

verb (ex: run, hit, walk, talk, investigate)

adjective (ex: pretty, happy, intelligent, incredible, stylish)

adverb (ex: quietly, quickly, sadly, shapely, greatly)

pronoun (ex: she, he, we, they, her)

conjunction (ex: and, but, so, or, nor)

interjection (ex: wow!)

preposition (ex: in, at, from, to, on, with)

By definition:

A noun is the name of an object or a concept.

A verb expresses action.

An adjective describes or defines a noun.

An adverb usually modifies a verb, but may also modify an adjective or another adverb, and they frequently end in - ly.

A pronoun is a substitute for a noun.

A conjunction connects words, phrases and clauses.

An interjection is a word that expresses strong emotions.

A preposition is a word that goes with a noun or a pronoun to modify other nouns, pronouns or verbs.

The four most frequently used forms of punctuation:

comma (,)

semi-colon (;)

period (.)

colon (: )

The four kinds of sentence structure:

simple (ex: Jakob ran to the car.)

complex (ex: Jakob ran to the car after the traffic stopped.)

compound (ex: Jakob ran to the car, but he did not drive it.)

compound - complex (ex: Jakob ran to the car after the traffic stopped, but he did not drive it.)

By definition:

A simple sentence has an independent clause and no dependent clauses.

A complex sentence contains an independent and a dependent clause.

A compound sentence contains two independent clauses, which should be separated by a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

A compound-complex sentence has two independent clauses and a dependent clause.

Four basic types of sentences:

declarative (makes a statement)

interrogative (asks a question)

imperative (is a command)

exclamatory (expresses strong emotion)

Seven simple spelling rules:

I before e, except after c, or when sounded like a, as in neighor or weigh: receive, believe etc...

In one syllable words or words accented on the last syllable that end in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, the final consonant is doubled before adding ed or another syllable that begins with a vowel. (Ex: prefer - preferred, wet - wettest, plan - planning)

The final e is normally dropped when adding a syllable that begins with a vowel.

(ex: judge - judging)

The final e usually remains when adding a syllable that begins with a consonant.

(ex: late - lately)

Words that end in a double e keep both e's before adding a syllable. (ex: see - seeing)

Compounds of the words - all, well, and full - drop one - i when adding a syllable.

(ex: always, welcome, and fulfill)

The final y preceded by a consonant is usually changed to -i when adding an ending that does not begin with i. (ex: busy - business)

I would be crazy if I tried to say that the basic rules listed above are all-inclusive and all a writer needs to carefully construct content that is accurate, understandable and grammatically correct.

Fortunately, in this day and age, most computers come equipped with handy-dandy tools like automatic grammar and spell checks, thesaurus, dictionaries and similar features that make it easier to write properly.

© Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of the Free Ezine for Writers featuring news, reviews, and continuously updated links to the best resources for writers online like - freelancing & jobs, markets & publishers, literary agents, classes & contests, and more... Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art157.asp

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