This page provides the basic foundations of English grammar and punctuation, which are necessary to all academic writing. Here you will find a review of punctuation, details on common mistakes, such as sentence fragments, run-ons and comma splices, along with useful resources to further your skills in written English.
Contents of this page:
Have a look at our punctuation video to see how punctuation is essential to the 'sense' of a sentence. The video explains how different punctuation marks work and demonstrates how meaning depends on good punctuation.
Fragment sentences
A sentence fragment consists of a group of words that appear to be a sentence but are in fact not. In order to be a sentence, there needs to be at least one independent clause - a group of words that contain both a subject and a finite verb and can therefore stand on their own.
Example:
"Gone to the supermarket to buy apples." → "I went to the supermarket to buy apples."
Run-on sentences
A run-on sentence, also known as a fused sentence, occurs when you put two complete sentences (a subject and its predicate and another subject and its predicate) together in one sentence without connecting them properly, such as with a conjunction (and, but, if).
Example:
"The football match was cancelled however many fans turned up to the stadium" → "The football match was cancelled; however, many fans turned up to the stadium", or "The football match was cancelled. However, many fans turned up to the stadium."
Comma splice
A comma splice is a particular type of run-on sentence in which two independent sentences are connected by only a comma. When you use a comma to connect two independent sentences, it must be followed by a conjunction (connecting word), such as "and", "or", "yet", "so", and "but". Alternatively, you can separate the independent clauses using a full stop "." or semi-colon ";". The comma splice is a common mistake in English writing. It has to be noted that commas can join independent clauses in many other languages, and this can lead non-native English speakers to make this mistake.
Example:
"The desk needs cleaning, the computer needs updating" → "The desk needs cleaning, and the computer needs updating", or "The desk needs cleaning. The computer needs updating".
Rambling sentences
Unlike the types of problematic sentences discussed above in this box, rambling sentences are not grammatically wrong; nonetheless, they are highly undesirable, and should be avoided. Always try to write short and clear sentences.
"Writing long sentences can impair the clarity of your writing, therefore rendering your text unaccessible and difficult to follow, which is not a desirable thing as you should aim at helping the assessor engage with the text, or s/he may mark you down, while all you need is to write shorter sentences, although it can be difficult if the ideas relating to your text are confused, and you should therefore first work to clarify them."
→
"Short sentences contribute to make a text accessible, easy to follow and engaging. Failure to do so in an assignment may compromise its mark. In order to write short and clear sentences you need to first clarify your ideas."
Our "Run-on sentences" video will help you to understand what run-on sentences are and how to avoid them in your writing.
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Have a look at our video on active and passive tenses to understand how and when to use these tenses in your writing.
The English language can be a difficult one when certain words can sound the same but have very different spellings and in turn different meanings.
The link below helps to demystify a few of the most common confusing words that you may mistakenly use in your assignments.
English Grammar for Second Language Learners: comprehensive guide to a wide range of grammatical concepts including articles, prepositions, pronouns and much more. Provided by the University of Wisconsin at Madison (US).
Guide to articles in English ('the', 'a', 'an') : detailed guide with exercises
Prepositions, English Grammar Online: The use of prepositions (e.g. in, at, on) can be confusing, especially for non-native speakers. This website provides examples and exercises on the use of prepositions.
Verb Tenses, Englishpage.com: Clear explanations of verb tenses, accompanied by diagrams and exercises.
Guide to Punctuation, University of Sussex: Includes thorough explanations on the following topics: why learn to punctuate; the full stop, the question mark and the exclamation mark; the comma; the colon and the semicolon; the apostrophe; the hyphen and the dash; capital letters and abbreviations; quotations; miscellaneous (includes font styles; brackets; slashes; numbers); and punctuating essays and letters.
Better Writing, Oxford Dictionaries: In this comprehensive website you can find resources on grammar; spelling; punctuation; practical writing; how to improve your English; and abbreviations.
English Sentence Structure, Frankfurt International School: This page contains information about sentence structure and types of sentences, as well as examples of common sentence problems in written English. Useful exercises are also provided.
Improve Your Writing, University of Bristol: Includes explanations and exercises on the following: why you should improve your understanding of grammar and punctuation; the colon; the semicolon; the comma; the comma splice; the hyphen; the dash; the apostrophe; common confusions; using quoted material; other pitfalls and problems; and style.
Learn English by British Council: If English is not your first language, you may find the resources and activities on the British Council's website Learn English useful.
The Interactive Grammar of English
Cottrell. S. (2003). The Study Skills Handbook, 2nd Edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
King G. (2009). Improve Your Grammar, Glasgow: Harper Collins
Metcalfe J. E. and Astle C. (1993). Correct English, Clarion
Osmond, A. (2013). Academic Writing and Grammar for Students. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Thomson A. J. and Martinet A. V. (1986). Practical English Grammar: A Classic Grammar Reference with Clear Explanations of Grammatical Structures and Forms, 4th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Truss L. (2009). Eats, Shoots and Leaves, London: Fourth Estate
