Advanced Grammar
Advanced grammar goes beyond basic rules — understanding sentence structure helps you write clearly and avoid errors that weaken your writing.
Clauses
Independent clause: complete thought, can stand alone ("She studied hard.")
Dependent clause: incomplete, needs main clause ("Because she studied hard," — needs more.)
Relative clause: modifies a noun ("the book that she read")
Sentence Types
| Type | Structure |
|---|---|
| Simple | One independent clause |
| Compound | Two+ independent clauses (joined by FANBOYS) |
| Complex | Independent + dependent clause |
| Compound-Complex | Two+ independent + one+ dependent |
Parallelism
Use the same grammatical structure for items in a list or paired ideas.
Wrong: "She likes running, to swim, and bikes."
Right: "She likes running, swimming, and biking."
Common Errors
Comma splice: two independent clauses joined with just a comma. Fix with a semicolon or coordinating conjunction.
Dangling modifier: modifier doesn't clearly attach to what it modifies.
Misplaced modifier: modifier placed too far from what it modifies.
Fixing the Comma Splice
A comma splice joins two complete sentences with nothing but a comma. It is the single most flagged error in student writing, and it has four clean fixes.
The problem sentence
Wrong: The experiment failed, the sample was contaminated.
- Full stop: The experiment failed. The sample was contaminated.
- Semicolon: The experiment failed; the sample was contaminated.
- Comma plus conjunction: The experiment failed, because the sample was contaminated.
- Subordinate one clause: Because the sample was contaminated, the experiment failed.
The fourth option is usually the strongest, because it states the relationship between the ideas instead of leaving the reader to infer it.
Modifiers That Attach to the Wrong Thing
English attaches a modifier to whatever noun sits nearest to it. When that noun is not the one you meant, the sentence says something you did not.
Dangling modifier
Wrong: Walking to school, the rain started. This says the rain was walking.
Right: Walking to school, I felt the rain start. Now the opening phrase describes the actual subject.
Misplaced modifier
Wrong: She almost drove her kids to school every day. This says she nearly drove them, then did not.
Right: She drove her kids to school almost every day.
Words like only, almost, just, and nearly modify whatever follows them. Move them and the meaning moves too.
Subject-Verb Agreement in Hard Cases
- Phrases between subject and verb do not change the subject. The box of chocolates is on the table — box is the subject, not chocolates.
- Subjects joined by "and" are plural; those joined by "or" agree with the nearer one.
- Collective nouns take a singular verb in American usage: the team is winning.
- Indefinite pronouns such as each, everyone, and nobody are singular, however plural they feel.
Active and Passive Voice
Same fact, different emphasis
Active: The committee rejected the proposal. Clear, direct, and shorter.
Passive: The proposal was rejected by the committee. Or, with the actor dropped entirely, the proposal was rejected — which conveniently hides who did it.
Prefer active voice by default. Passive earns its place in lab reports, where the procedure matters more than who performed it, and when the actor is genuinely unknown.
Common Mistakes
- Sentence fragments used unintentionally. A dependent clause alone is not a sentence.
- Run-on sentences, which join independent clauses with no punctuation at all.
- Breaking parallel structure in a list, mixing verb forms partway through.
- Using a semicolon where a colon belongs. Semicolons join related sentences; colons introduce lists or explanations.
Summary
- Independent clauses stand alone; dependent clauses need one to attach to.
- Comma splices have four fixes, and subordination is usually the most informative.
- Modifiers grab the nearest noun, so position them next to what they describe.
- Isolate the true subject before choosing a verb form.
- Keep items in a list grammatically parallel, and favour active voice.
FAQ
What are FANBOYS? For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So — coordinating conjunctions that join independent clauses.
Is it ever acceptable to start a sentence with "and" or "but"? Yes. It is a stylistic choice, not an error, and professional writers do it constantly. Just use it sparingly in formal essays.
When do I use a semicolon instead of a full stop? When the two sentences are closely related and you want the reader to feel that connection. If they are not closely related, use a full stop.
What is the Oxford comma? The comma before "and" in a list of three or more. It is optional in most style guides but prevents genuine ambiguity, so it is worth using consistently.
Who versus whom? Who is the subject, whom is the object. Substitute he or him — if him fits, whom is correct.
Quick Quiz
Test what you just learned. Choose the best answer for each question.