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In this thread I am going to be outlining the basics of grammar, And I hope that people will read this and put it to good use.

GRAMMAR

Comma's, Apostrophe's and Speech marks (, ' ")

Firstly the comma (,), you use this comma to break a sentence down into different parts.
Secondly the apostrophe ('), this is commonly used to shorten down words although some people tend to use it when being sarcastic.
Lastly the speech mark ("), people usually use this to quote someone or if they are writing a book they will use this when they want their characters to speak.

Using (,):

One rule every one should know is that you MUST use a (,) whenever writing a continuous list.

Example: I think that you are lovely, adorable, good looking and cute.

Using a (,) can completely altar how the reader will read your posts.

Just read the two sentences below to see what I mean:

1. My Mom says Bill Gates sits on his computer too long

2. My Mom, says Bill Gates, sits on his computer too long

See what I mean?

Using (')

Using a (') is useful for both shortening words and showing that your are being a little sarcastic.

Example of shortening words
You're: You Are
Shouldn't: Should Not
I'm: I Am

Example of sarcasm
I think that you are 'very good' looking.

Using (")

This is mainly used in books when the writers are wanting their characters to speak.

Example
"It's nearly Christmas!" Timmy said excitingly.

A (") is also commonly used when people quote things, This mainly occurs when people are writing tutorials on HF.

Example
You may install Google chrome by going to www.google.com/chrome and then simply clicking "Download Google Chrome"

Full stops (Periods) (.)

This one is pretty straight forward and simple to understand, Put a full stop at the end of what ever your writing, Also put a full stop whenever you want the reader to have a breather.

Example
Grammar can be improved in many different ways. You will just need to read this tutorial to learn more.

Colons and Semicolons (: ;)

Colons and Semicolons are probably the hardest things to master, But hopefully this will help you a little bit.

Colons (Smile

There are two different cases in which you should use a colon. The first case is when introducing a list, and the second is when introducing an explanation or example.

Example list
Shopping list: Bread, Milk, Butter

Example explanation/example
Word definition for "Hello": An expression of greeting.

Semicolons (;)
You use a semicolon to link two sentences without a conjunction such as and or but.

Example
I’m going to the grocery store; I need to buy some bread.

Capital letters

This is the most simplest thing yet its the most hardest for people to get right. You should always start a sentence with a capital letter also you must use a capital letter when naming a country or even naming a person. Also DO NOT start every word with a capital letter.

Example of putting capitals to good use
Hi there my name is Timmy and I am from England. I love Football(Soccer) and my favourite team is Manchester United.

Thanks for reading my tutorial (Well dictionary) and I hope that you find this useful

-Yahoo
I love you for this, you are truly a high quality member. +1 tomorrow.
(03-19-2011, 11:41 PM)GrammarPhreak Wrote: [ -> ]I love you for this, you are truly a high quality member.

No worries buddy Pinch, And from looking at your username you won't be needing this tutorial. ;)
One thing, its called a quotation mark. Otherwise very excellent tutorial.
(03-19-2011, 11:43 PM)Yahoo! Wrote: [ -> ]No worries buddy Pinch, And from looking at your username you won't be needing this tutorial. ;)

I make mistakes every now and then. There's always room for improvement.
(03-19-2011, 11:44 PM)RDCA Wrote: [ -> ]One thing, its called a quotation mark. Otherwise very excellent tutorial.

Are you on about when I mentioned "Speech Marks" ? But either way it works, I am from the UK and have always known them as speech marks.
Do you know anything about when/when not to capitalize words like "Mom" and "Dad"? I learned the rule a while ago, but have since forgotten it.
(03-19-2011, 11:39 PM)Yahoo! Wrote: [ -> ]Full stops (Periods) (.)

This one is pretty straight forward and simple to understand, Put a full stop at the end of what ever your writing, Also put a full stop whenever you want the reader to have a breather.

Example
Grammar can be improved in many different ways. You will just need to read this tutorial to learn more.

In there, shouldn't it be
Quote:Grammar can be improved in many different ways, you will just need to read this tutorial to learn more.
You forgot to include brackets and forward/backward slash's, and more importantly the exclamation mark! (All of which I just used in this post.) Smile
(03-20-2011, 12:55 PM)Quinlan Wrote: [ -> ]Do you know anything about when/when not to capitalize words like "Mom" and "Dad"? I learned the rule a while ago, but have since forgotten it.

You capitalize it you literally call the person Mom. Like your mom if you never call her by the first name. You don't when you say something like " Your mom'.
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