Grammar GrammarBook.com |
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

Category: Verbs

What Are Auxiliary Verbs? (Including Examples and Usage)

Posted on Monday, February 14, 2022, at 6:00 am

We use auxiliary verbs—also known as helping or modal verbs—all of the time in American English. Even if you aren't familiar with the definition of an auxiliary verb, there's a great likelihood you've used many today before reading this. In this discussion we'll review what an auxiliary verb is. We'll also provide you with examples …

Read More

Have Patience or Be Patient: Which One Should You Use?

Posted on Monday, January 31, 2022, at 6:00 am

Patience is a virtue, but it can also be a grammatical snag. That's because even though we know the importance of waiting for the best things in life, we might at times be unsure of how to express that practice. Specifically, a writer might wonder when or whether to use the phrases have patience or …

Read More

Past Perfect Tense

Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, at 6:00 am

The English language uses tense to communicate the timing of an action. If we want to write that an action took place in the past, we use the simple past tense: He washed the dishes. She went to the skating rink.  If we wish to identify an action that occurred prior to another completed action, …

Read More

Have Been vs. Has Been vs. Had Been: How to Use Each One Correctly

Posted on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, at 6:00 am

The verb phrases have been, has been, and had been all have closely related meanings. That similarity may at times lead to confusion about the right time to use each construction. In today's review we will discuss the differences among the phrases so you can use each one correctly when you are speaking or writing. …

Read More

Future Tense Verbs: What Is the Future Tense?

Posted on Friday, December 17, 2021, at 6:00 am

Most fluent writers and speakers of American English have little trouble distinguishing past tense from present tense verbs. For example: I practice my grammar daily implies something’s happening right now. I practiced my grammar every day indicates the action has already taken place. But what if you want to write about something that’s going to …

Read More

What Are Participles? (Including Examples and Usage)

Posted on Monday, December 13, 2021, at 6:00 am

Do you know all of the grammatical parts of a sentence, or are you a participle of the problem? All joking aside, you have probably heard of a participle but might not know what it is or even what the word means. You also surely use participles in your communication throughout the day. In today’s …

Read More

Present Progressive Tense

Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, at 6:00 am

English uses the concept of tense to communicate an action's place in time. For example, in the sentence James threw the ball to first base, the infinitive verb “to throw” is written in the past tense to let us know that this action occurred in the past as opposed to the present or the future. …

Read More

Imply vs. Infer: What Do They Mean?

Posted on Monday, November 22, 2021, at 6:00 am

The words imply and infer are related. They are also often used as synonyms or incorrectly swapped to mean the other thing. Today we'll help clear confusion concerning these two words. The Difference Between Imply and Infer To imply something means to suggest it indirectly. It's a way of giving information that allows another person …

Read More

English Verb Conjugation

Posted on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, at 6:00 am

A verb conjugation in English is a list of all of a verb’s forms in written and spoken expression. Those forms represent a verb’s person, tense, number, voice, and mood. To illustrate verb conjugation, we will focus on the verb to touch, which is the infinitive of the verb. The principal parts of to touch …

Read More

Lets or Let’s: Does Let Need an Apostrophe?

Posted on Friday, October 29, 2021, at 6:00 am

Editors and style guides alike may differ concerning the usage of lets and let's. Do we need to include an apostrophe or not? In today's discussion, we will answer that question. We'll also give you an explanation you can remember at the same time you enhance your grammar. So let's jump in… Why You See …

Read More

1 2 3 4 5 13