While a definitive list of "the 12 grammar rules" doesn't exist, several sources identify key foundational rules. These rules often overlap and are best understood as interconnected principles. The following twelve represent a common and useful selection focusing on essential aspects of English grammar:
Twelve Foundational Grammar Rules
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Subject-Verb Agreement: Your sentence's subject and verb must agree in number (singular or plural).
- Example: The dog barks loudly. (singular) The dogs bark loudly. (plural)
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Consistent Verb Tense: Maintain a consistent tense (past, present, future) throughout your writing unless a shift is needed for a specific narrative purpose.
- Example: I walked to the store and bought milk. (Consistent past tense)
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Correct Article Usage: Use the correct articles ("a," "an," "the") depending on whether the noun is singular, plural, specific, or general.
- Example: I saw a cat. (indefinite, singular) I saw the cat. (definite, singular)
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Complete Sentences: Ensure your sentences have a subject and a verb and express a complete thought.
- Example: The bird sang beautifully. (Complete sentence) Sang beautifully. (Incomplete sentence)
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Proper Capitalization: Capitalize the first word of each sentence, proper nouns (names, places), and the pronoun "I."
- Example: My name is Jane. She lives in London.
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Correct Pronoun Usage: Use pronouns that agree in number and gender with their antecedents (the nouns they refer to).
- Example: John loves his dog. (John is the antecedent, his is the pronoun.)
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Appropriate Prepositions: Choose the right preposition to show the relationship between words in a sentence.
- Example: I walked to the store, not at the store.
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Effective Conjunction Use: Use conjunctions (and, but, or, so, etc.) to connect related clauses or sentences logically.
- Example: I went to the park, and I played on the swings.
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Parallel Structure: Maintain parallel structure when listing items or ideas; use consistent grammatical forms.
- Example: She likes swimming, running, and cycling. (All are gerunds)
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Correct Adjective and Adverb Usage: Use adjectives to describe nouns and adverbs to describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
- Example: The beautiful flower smelled sweetly.
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Punctuation: Use correct punctuation (periods, commas, semicolons, etc.) to clarify meaning and sentence structure.
- Example: I went to the store, bought milk, and then went home.
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Proper Noun vs. Common Noun: Distinguish between proper nouns (specific names) and common nouns (general names). Capitalize proper nouns.
- Example: I live in California (proper noun). I live in a state (common noun).
These twelve rules offer a strong foundation. Mastering them significantly improves writing clarity and grammatical correctness. More advanced grammar rules build upon these basics.
