Category: Grammar

How to use ‘such as’ correctly

EnglishNaija

We use such as to give an example or examples that corroborate what we’re saying or writing. It’s a formal expression used in giving accurate information when explaining a point. When we use such as to give a singular example in writing, we don’t need a comma before it; when we use it for multiple examples, a comma is needed. Examples: Educational institutions such as Temple Schools provide comprehensive education. Monica couldn’t afford the basic necessities such as shelter. It’s better to use natural remedies, such as exercise, organic food and water…

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Quotation marks: uses, rules, British/American styles

EnglishNaija

Quotation marks (inverted commas) are one of the unique punctuation marks in English. They’re generally used to show what someone has said, though they have other uses. Moreover, they’re sometimes used in different ways in British and American English. Uses of quotation marks To enclose a direct speech. Example: ‘Who else was there with him?’ she queried. Note that the word following the closing quotation mark starts with a small letter (unless it’s a proper noun or ‘I’).   To draw attention to emphasized or unusual words, such as informal…

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Adverbs: types, functions, exceptions

EnglishNaija

An adverb tells us more about a verb, an adjective, another adverb or even a noun phrase. General definition sometimes ignore the noun phrase part but you should know it exists. You can form adverbs from some adjectives with the addition of -ly. However, some adverbs are the same as adjectives. Examples: fast, straight, hard (hardly is also an adverb), likely, etc. Like adjectives, adverbs use more as comparative and most as superlative. Examples: more slowly, most likely. Adverbs usually express manner, time, place, frequency, etc: they tell us how…

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Gerunds vs Present Participles: the simplified explanation

EnglishNaija

A gerund is easy to spot in any sentence provided you know how it functions. A gerund is a noun formed from a verb by adding -ing and it’s strictly as a noun. All gerunds have -ing, but not all words with this ending are gerunds. Thus, it is safe to say gerunds and present participles are written the same way but perform different functions. gerund Let’s look at these examples: Swimming is my hobby. He likes feeding the birds. She doesn’t know anything about teaching. Look at the above…

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Possessive Pronouns vs Possessive Adjectives: simplified explanation

EnglishNaija

Possessive adjectives (possessive determiners) and possessive pronouns are tricky and could get you confused. Here, we provide the explanation that would help you understand them in few words. Possessive adjectives: my, your, our, their, his, her and its. Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, ours, theirs, his, hers and its. Examples: pronouns The ball is yours. The gift is mine. adjectives My gift is on the table. It is your ball. A possessive adjective goes before a noun to show possession but a possessive pronoun goes after the noun and can replace it, unlike its adjective…

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