Grammar
This page provides grammar information and resources I can quickly point you to when providing video feedback.
Some of the linked resources are full of pop-up ads. You may want to get uBlock Origin 🡕 to avoid those.
Khan Academy has a free course on grammar 🡕 that lets you review rules and test yourself on various aspects of grammar (you can jump around; you don’t need to take the whole course). Take advantage of it.
Abstract nouns
Academic writing frequently uses abstract nouns, which can be grammatically tricky. Resources for dealing with abstract nouns include:
”as they” or “as it”
The phrase “as they/it” should be avoided because it is ambiguous. It can mean both “because” and “at the same time as”. If you want to describe a cause-effect relationship, use words like “because”, “since”, or “due to”.
Commas
Review basic comma rules here: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/commas/extended_rules_for_commas.html 🡕
Compound predicate: it’s usually better to avoid a comma in a sentence with a compound predicate. See the explanation here: https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2013/09/comma-usage-and-compound-predicates.html 🡕 and this article for a more in-depth discussion: https://cmosshoptalk.com/2021/01/19/commas-between-compound-predicates/ 🡕
Avoid: “Pinker states that art is a byproduct, and argues that those who think is art is an adaptation are wrong.”
Better: “Pinker states that art is a byproduct and argues that those who think is art is an adaptation are wrong.”
Dashes
Avoid using dashes (aka “em-dashes”). They are generally not used in formal writing, are rarely needed, and can create confusion if not used carefully.
Avoid: “Boyd argues that stories can not only help cooperation—they also aid the storyteller.”
Better: “Boyd argues that stories can not only help cooperation—they also aid the storyteller.”
Empty phrase
Try to avoid phrases that add little content to the paper, such as “in his writing”, “we should also note that”, and “is it important to mention”. Removing empty phrases makes the paper much more engaging and powerful.
Oxford comma (aka serial comma)
In this course, please always use an Oxford comma (aka serial comma) in lists to prevent confusion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma 🡕
Paramedic method (X does Y)
This sentence is not in “X does Y” form and might be hard for your generalist reader to parse. Consider using the Paramedic Method to revise: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/paramedic_method.html 🡕
Restrictive vs non-restrictive clauses
See that vs which.
Subject-pronoun agreement
The subject and the pronoun do not agree in number. Agreement can be trickier if your subject is an :abstract noun, but this is a basic rule of grammar and must be mastered, as these types of errors (fairly or unfairly) act as a key indicator of overall language fluency. Review the first point in this article: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/pronouns/index.html 🡕
Subject-verb agreement
Subject and verb must agree (e.g. I am, she is, we are). Agreement can be trickier if your subject is an :abstract noun, but this is a basic rule of grammar and must be mastered, as these types of errors (fairly or unfairly) act as a key indicator of overall language fluency. Student errors in subject-verb agreement occur more frequently when a modifier makes a singular noun sound plural or vice-versa (e.g. “the brain’s capacity to remember places and names” is singular, not plural). Review the rules in this article: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/subject_verb_agreement.html 🡕
That vs which
Review the rules for using the words “that” vs “which” here: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/that_vs_which.html 🡕
Unclear referent
This pronoun’s referent (what it refers to or points at) is unclear. Be particularly careful not to use “this” or “it” to refer to an idea in a preceding sentence. Forcing yourself to specify exactly what in the preceding sentence is acting as the subject of the current sentence makes your meaning clearer to yourself and the reader. I recommend that students search for “this” and “it” in their drafts to avoid this problem.