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absolute phrases
A phrase is a group of words that forms a unit simpler than a sentence. A phrase does not contain a finite (conjugated) verb. Most phrases modify a particular word in a sentence. However, an absolute phrase modifies an entire sentence instead of a single word: The birds having flown off, the cat climbed down from the tree. Unlike an ordinary phrase, the birds having flown off does not modify any word in the rest of the sentence, such as cat or climbed. This type of phrase is called absolute because it is self-contained: it usually has its own subject (in this case, birds) and does not need to attach to any word in the sentence. Structure of an absolute phrase Absolute phrases can have any of the structures shown below. Noun + participle Her work completed, Amanda flew home. [noun work + participle completed] We scrambled along the shore, the waves splashing at our feet. [noun waves + participle splashing] Noun + other modifier His mind on other matters, Jordan didn’t notice the growing storm. [noun mind + prepositional phrase on other matters] The children set off for school, faces glum, to begin the fall term. [noun faces + adjective glum] Pronoun + infinitive The audience filed out, some to return home, others to gather at the pub. [pronoun some + infinitive to return; pronoun others + infinitive to gather] Common expressions as absolute phrases Some participle and infinitive phrases are common expressions that are considered absolute. Since they do not need to attach to a particular word, they can be placed at the beginning (or end) of a sentence without dangling. Here are some examples: Financially speaking, Bob’s lifestyle changes worked well. Talking of music, have you heard the new band at Taco Jack’s? A storm is brewing, judging by the dark clouds. To get back to the main point, the budget needs to be bigger. The food was mediocre, to say the least. Punctuation tip As the above examples show, an absolute phrase is set off with a comma (or with a pair of commas if it occurs in the middle of the sentence).Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
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hyphens: nouns with adjectives and participles
Hyphenate noun-plus-adjective compounds (in that order), whether they are used attributively (before the noun) or predicatively: duty-free goods / The goods were duty-free. tax-exempt bonds / The bonds are tax-exempt. Hyphenate noun-plus-participle compounds regardless of the position: snow-capped mountains / The mountains are snow-capped. a time-consuming activity / This activity is time-consuming. Exceptions: There are a number of them, including handmade and handwritten. Do not hyphenate compounds formed from a noun and a gerund (present participle used as a noun). Some noun-plus-gerund compounds are written as one word: housekeeping shipbuilding sightseeing cabinetmaking Others are written as separate words: decision making power sharing problem solving deficit spending Exceptions: foot-dragging gut-wrenching See hyphens: compound adjectives for such compounds used adjectivally.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,913
lynx, lynxes
The singular is lynx; the plural is lynx or lynxes. We sighted three lynx (or lynxes) during our weekend hike. The possessive is formed with apostrophe-s (lynx’s) or s-apostrophe (lynxes’). The lynx’s two cubs climbed playfully over her, biting and clawing. Lynxes’ paws are large and well-furred for hunting in deep snow.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,159
appositives
An appositive is a word or word group placed next to another word to rename, define or explain it. Most appositives are nouns or pronouns, together with their modifiers (if any). Appositives are often added to sentences to give further detail. Placement of appositives Usually, appositives follow a noun; however, they can also come before the subject of a sentence. In the examples below, the appositives are in bold font: Visitors enjoy the yearly festival at Manitoulin’s largest reserve, Wikwemikong. Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world, is located in Lake Huron. Tourists also like to visit Bridal Veil Falls, one of the prettiest waterfalls in Ontario. A popular hike for beginners, Manitoulin’s Cup and Saucer Trail offers spectacular views. Punctuation with appositives Many appositives are set off with commas, but some are not. The use of punctuation depends on whether the appositive is essential to the meaning of the word it is attached to (called the headword). There are cases when the appositive is too closely related to the meaning of the headword to be separated from it: The name Mindemoya comes from an Ojibwa word meaning “old woman.” Here, the appositive Mindemoya identifies the headword name: without the appositive, we would not know what name was meant. Therefore, the appositive is essential and is not separated from the headword with commas. But many appositives give only non-essential information: Visitors enjoy the yearly festival at Manitoulin’s largest reserve, Wikwemikong. Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world, is located in Lake Huron. In the two examples above, the places referred to are already identified by the noun phrase Manitoulin’s largest reserve and by the name Manitoulin Island. Therefore, the appositives give only secondary, additional information and are set off with commas. An appositive that comes before the subject is always non-essential and must be set off with a comma: A popular hike for beginners, Manitoulin’s Cup and Saucer Trail offers spectacular views.Source: Writing Tips Plus (English language problems and rules)
Number of views: 1,145