Grammar Basics: What is Subjunctive?

Isn’t the imagination a wonderful thing? In English, the subjunctive mood expresses hypothetical and conditional expressions. Let’s explore.

How to Recognize the Subjunctive

Most of the time, the subjunctive mood of a verb looks exactly like the indicative form. The only way to know the difference between the two is by the context of the sentence. However, you can recognize third person singular verbs in the subjunctive mood because there is no S on the end of the them. The verb “to be” is also distinct because it stays in the form “be”. Here are some examples:

To Be

I suggest that you be alert during the presentation. I suggest that they be alert during the presentation.

Other Verbs

The teacher recommended that he leave the classroom. (Subjunctive) He leaves the classroom as soon as the bell rings. (Indicative)

Using the Subjunctive Mood

In archaic English, the subjunctive mood was more common than it is now. For example, older versions of the King James Bible include expressions such as, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” Also, fossilized expressions like “be that as it may,” “heaven forbid,” and “come what may” are still in use.

Nowadays, the subjunctive follows hypothetical situations introduced by “if” clauses. For example, Beyoncé sings a song called, “If I Were a Boy.” This imagined state of being requires the subjunctive mood. It’s also used to express desires, wishes, hopes, or suggestions. If the word “let” is used to convey desire for a hypothetical situation, you will get sentences like: Let the latecomer sit in the back row. Finally, “might” or “may” occasionally take the subjunctive, though the indicative is more likely: A thief might steal your car if you were to leave it unlocked at night.

Does the subjunctive mood intrigue you? You don’t have to leave its usage up to your imagination. Check out “The Skinny on the Subjunctive” for more direction.

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3 Books to Read with Your BFF

Reading is often a solitary experience. But good books can bring people together in surprising and meaningful ways. Here are three books we think would be great to read with a close friend, or someone with whom you might want to become close friends:

The Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery

The friendship between Diana Barry and Anne Shirley in the Anne of Green Gables series is famous for providing us with the term “bosom friend.” Anne and Diana are friends through thick and thin, stirring up mischief and helping each other through life’s struggles in equal measure. Read this book with: your “bosom friend” and reflect on what makes your relationship so special.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Nothing solidifies friendships quite like an epic adventure. Follow this group of friends and allies as they battle trolls, giant birds, and other surprising foes in their search for hidden treasure. Read this book with: a friend who is always up for adventure.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

When you’re a teenager, parents just don’t seem understand what’s important. But your friends do. Follow along as Charlie learns what it means to be a true friend. Read this book with: your BFF from high school.

Which books do you think friends (or book groups) should read together? Share your suggestions in the comments!

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8 Phrases That Can Make Your Business Writing Seem Outdated

The workplace is constantly evolving, with new generations coming in as the older ones retire. For the many professionals caught in between these two age groups, it’s important to adapt to new work styles. The millennial generation has complicated this even further. There have been reports that some millennials aren’t as quick to adapt to new work environments, but rather sometimes expect businesses to change to meet their needs. Some say that inspiring younger generations is the key to getting them motivated.

Millennials also bring a new energy to the business world. As professionals adjust, they’re quickly learning that it’s important to avoid standing out by using outdated verbiage in their emails and other written communications. Whether you’re trying to win over a client or communicating with a team member, here are a few terms to avoid if you want to seem current.

As Per Your Request

“As per your request” sounds formal and grammatically incorrect, even though it was used in business for many years. Its time has come and gone. Instead, switch it with “As you requested,” which says the same thing in a much more approachable and simple way.

Yours Truly

At one time, you wouldn’t think about ending a business letter without a valediction such as “yours truly,” “sincerely,” or “regards.” To this day, some traditionalists still end business communication this way, even when that communication takes place through email. Those people may not have noticed that most people don’t use a valediction at all. Among those who do, sign-offs such as “best regards” are preferable to the very outdated “yours truly.” Although “cheers” has become popular in recent years, some professionals feel that it may be too pretentious unless you’re British.

Enclosed

If you’re sending a packet to someone by postal mail and you’ve enclosed something, the words “enclosed please find” are appropriate. If you’re forwarding something as an attachment in an email, the word you’re looking for is “attached.” Instead of formally saying “attached please find,” go for the warmer and friendlier “I’ve attached.”

Call Me

This may be picky, but millennials generally aren’t as attached to voice calls as their older coworkers. Text messages passed phone calls as the preferred method of communication around 2007, which means that your younger team members are more likely to chat with you over Slack or some other platform than to use their smartphone to make an actual call. Instead, simply say “contact me” and let the other person decide which mode of communication they prefer.

Broken Record

Vinyl may be back in style, but many of the millennials in today’s workplace grew up on CDs and DVDs. If you tell them that something “sounds like a broken record,” they may be more likely to conjure up images of champion athletic record breakers than the type of record that skipped. To communicate that someone is repeating themselves ad nauseam, just say so and skip the cliché.

My Bad

This term was popularized in the 90s. It may seem to you as though the 90s were just a few years ago, but for twenty-somethings, the experience of hearing “my bad” is the equivalent of how you felt when you heard your parents say “groovy.”

As for me, I remember when “my bad” didn’t exist yet, and I really didn’t like how popular it became. Do yourself a favor. Simply say, “I’m sorry.” Not only will you avoid using an outdated phrase, it will also come across as more sincere, and perhaps even more intelligent.

Interwebs

There are several terms for the Internet that have dropped out of favor as tech has grown more sophisticated. Referring to the web as the interwebs or the worldwide web will date you. When giving an web address, you should also leave off the “www,” since that has dwindled away as well. If you recite “http” as part of a URL, you’ll go beyond appearing dated and instead sound like you have no idea what you’re talking about.

Nine-to-Five Job

For many years, the workweek has extended well beyond nine-to-five, with many workers showing up each day at eight a.m. For millennials, this phrase also creates anxiety, since many workers now prefer flexible work hours. Instead, refer to full-time workers as “salaried employees” if you need a label for them.

Written communication is essential for interacting with colleagues, especially now that so many workers tend to avoid speaking on the phone. By rethinking some of the words you use and replacing them with more productive alternatives, you’ll be better able to connect with your younger coworkers and clients.

A journalist and digital consultant, John Boitnott has worked at TV, print, radio, and Internet companies for 20 years. He’s an advisor at StartupGrind and has written for BusinessInsider, Fortune, NBC, Fast Company, Inc., Entrepreneur, and Venturebeat. You can find him on Twitter here.

Is ‘Ginormous’ a Word?

• Ginormous is a non-standard word.
• Ginormous is an adjective that means very big.

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In the murky territory of words you’ve heard people use but you’re not really sure whether you could call them words, ginormous takes up a lot of space.

What Does Ginormous Mean?

Ginormous originated during the World War II as a slang word among British soldiers. Its first official appearance in written form was in the 1948 A Dictionary of Forces’ Slang, 1939-1945.

Ginormous describes something that’s really big. It’s most likely a combination of two other words used to describe size: gigantic and enormous:

We saw a ginormous snail in the garden today.

Compared to Earth, the sun is ginormous.

While some might say that combining two words with such similar meanings isn’t a good way of creating a new word, the fact is that you can find ginormous in dictionaries, it has an established meaning, and people use it—it meets all the criteria of a real word. And even though it is an informal one, we can still use it when we want to say that something is ridiculously big or much bigger than expected; it just might be wise not to do it in academic or other formal types of writing.

Examples

Heck, you might as well learn to scuba dive, because you’ll be practicing most of your extraterrestrial excursions in NASA’s ginormous underwater practice tank at the Johnson Space Center as you train for your mission.

Flying Magazine

But no matter how great your Friday is, chances are it’s not nearly as euphoric as the day these people had diving into a ginormous pillow.

The Huffington Post

Entered Elvis, the ginormous reptile, as Billy went down on his knee to pop the question.

India Times

Eight Christmas Grammar Mistakes That Will Make You Think

How many times have you seen “Happy Holidays from the Jones’s” or “Mary Christmas” in a Christmas card?

When you’re working through a stack of Christmas cards, it can be difficult to cross your t’s and dot your i’s, let alone remember a series of seemingly random holiday-related grammar rules. So, in the spirit of holiday giving, we’re giving you eight Christmas grammar tips for LitMas. Let us know how we did in the comments below!

1 Correctly Pluralize Your Family Name

Source: Country Living

Let’s start with the obvious misstep we see every year on at least one holiday card or Christmas letter: the dreaded surname plural. It can be difficult to keep your plurals and possessives apart, especially if your surname ends in an s! So check out this handy guide from our handbook to keep your possessives in check.

2 Double-Check Your Holiday Homonyms

via GIPHY

If you’re writing quickly, you might be more likely to misspell things you would normally catch. Here’s a list of common holiday homonyms to avoid:

1. Mary Christmas → Merry Christmas 2. Happy Holiday → Happy Holidays 3. Mold wine → Mulled wine 4. Satan Claus → Santa Claus 5. Old Lang Zyne → Auld Lang Syne

3 Remember Your I vs. Me Manners

BOOM! Merry Christmas from President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and I…. http://t.co/dbv5CJSh

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 14, 2012

We understand. When typing quickly, it can be difficult to remember when to use I and me when including yourself in a list. Luckily, it’s not that hard once you know the rule for these two pronouns, which you can read about in this guide.

4 Don’t Welcome Wordiness Into Your Greetings

Writing the perfect holiday card or letter updating your family and friends on the events of the last year is an art, not a science. But if you err on the side of brevity, your loved ones will thank you! Try to cut unnecessary descriptors and introductory text in favor of an action-packed account of only the most important parts of the last year. And if you need more help, check out our guide to holiday greetings.

5 Don’t Turn Into the Comma Grinch

via GIPHY

In case you don’t know the plot of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, it involves the theft of an entire town’s Christmas presents. When you’re writing things around the holidays (or at any time of the year), don’t steal extra commas! Try to cut commas from your writing where possible, instead of hoarding all the commas to yourself.

6 Use Apostrophes in Your Greetings

Too much relaxing time on my hands to notice grammar fail on @Tesco Christmas bags… pic.twitter.com/9xx2adThNk

— Sarah Marl (@SarahMarl) December 21, 2015

Yes, this is a duplicate of our first entry on this list. But apostrophe use is as important as it is difficult! Remember, even if it’s not a name you’re trying to make into a plural, you should never, ever use an apostrophe.

7 Don’t Follow Santa’s Bad Example

Usually, Santa is a source of joy for children and grammar nerds alike. But the “you better” lyrics in “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” are enough to land him on the naughty grammar list for life. To set the record straight, this phrase should be “you’d better,” as in “you had better.” You had better avoid this construction in your next important email, unless you would like to delight the office grammar pedant!

8 Tame Your Inner Pedant During the Holidays

via GIPHY

If you are your office’s, family’s, or friend group’s resident grammar pedant, here’s a plea from fellow grammar nerds: give it a rest over the holidays. Even if Aunt Maple wishes you a “Happy New Years” or Great Uncle Merle thinks “Happy Holiday from the Smith’s” is a great way to sign a card, we should cut each other a little slack during the most wonderful time of the year. Practice restraint with your grammar criticism now, and you might be able to make a lasting impact if you restart your “helpful suggestions” during New Year’s resolution season.

Most Common GrammoWriMo Mistakes

In November, Grammarly worked with ~300 writers from 27 countries (and 44 U.S. states) to write a group novel for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). We called the project #GrammoWriMo; and, clocking in at a total of 130,927 unedited words, we are proud to say that our draft was among the 41,940 completed! The infographic below shows which mistakes were the most common in our writers’ first drafts.

To embed it into a blog post, paste the following HTML snippet into your web editor:

Hyphens: The Punctuation Mark That Even Editors Can’t Get Right

It stalks the thick jungles of prose, confounding even the most experienced grammar explorer or navigator, yet it’s a gentle, mistaken, and forlorn creature. What am I talking about? The hyphen—the piece of punctuation that not even seasoned editors can seem to get right.

Super high-profile ad agencies and industry giants, despite large budgets and an intelligent workforce, are known to make hyphen mistake after mistake, unable to get a handle on correct hyphen usage. I’m looking at you, Netflix, with a hyphen error right on the main page!

Thankfully, most hyphen usage falls into a few different categories:

• Compound adjectives (but no -ly endings because those are adverbs!)
• Numbers and fractions
• Specific prefixes
• Preventing confusion

Compound Adjective

The most important breed of hyphen to know is the one associated with compound adjectives, which are single adjectives made up of more than one word. Because both words go hand-in-hand to modify the same noun, a hyphen is used to show they are linked. The important part to keep in mind is that all words in the compound adjective are equally important. For example, “high-priced items” would not make sense as “high items” or “priced items.”

Beware of Adverbs!

While closely related to adjectives in the sense that they’re another kind of modifier, adverbs inherently imply subordination to the word that follows.

Critically-acclaimed movies

The above is incorrect because “critically” is providing context for “acclaimed,” and “acclaimed” is describing the movies. “Acclaimed” is a verb, and that’s why the adverb “critically” is referring to it exclusively and not the nonverb “movies.”

Search -ly Endings

The quick trick to knowing whether to hyphenate compound modifiers without sorting out adverbs vs. adjectives is to look for words ending in -ly. This will (most of the time) indicate an adverb rather than an adjective and, thus, no hyphen.

Exception: Some nouns end in -ly, so be mindful of what hyphens you leave off. For example “family-owned business” should retain the hyphen after “family” despite the -ly because “family” is a noun.

Numbers and Fractions

Of the hyphen family, these are perhaps the easiest to classify and implement. Numbers twenty-one through ninety-nine get hyphenated.

Twenty-seven Four hundred and thirty-five

Fractions also get hyphenated.

Three-fifths

When describing ages, hyphenate the age only when it’s used as an adjective before a noun.

The child playing with her toys was five years old. The five-year-old child played with her toys.

Specific Prefixes

A prefix is a modifier placed before a word to alter or enhance its meaning. The prefixes “self-,” “ex-,” and “all-,” almost always need a hyphen between them and the words they’re modifying.

Self-absorbed Ex-husband

However, not all prefixes use hyphens.

Re-place Un-happy

In addition, be sure to break up double vowels between a prefix and a root word unless your spelling checker flags them as incorrect with a hyphen.

Re-enter Coordinate

Preventing Confusion

The hardest hyphen breed to capture, and certainly the most difficult to tame, is the one used to prevent confusion, often with a group of three or more words that contains either multiple modifiers or a noun that’s made up of two or more words.

Consider the phrase “two dollar bills”: Does it indicate multiple bills of the $2 denomination, or is it two bills of the $1 denomination? Does the phrase “twenty odd people” refer to twenty people who are strange or a group of people with about twenty in attendance?

See also this article about one author’s thoughts about the flying purple people eater. The world will perhaps never know exactly what this creature looked like or ate.

The hyphen makes the distinction for you.

And, finally, consider this interesting and slightly unfortunate story about the word “re-sent.” Without the hyphen, it reads as “resent,” which is certainly not the intended sentiment. Even though “re-” is not a prefix that typically gets hyphenated, the hyphen in this case provides an important clarification.

Have you seen any embarrassing hyphen mistakes or made any of your own?

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Amanda Edens is an editor and content marketer with a wide range of talents from management to design. Check out her blog at www.askyoureditor.com or follow her on twitter @askyoureditor.

Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense refers to an action or state that either occurred at an indefinite time in the past (e.g., we have talked before) or began in the past and continued to the present time (e.g., he has grown impatient over the last hour). This tense is formed by have/has + the past participle.

The construction of this verb tense is straightforward. The first element is have or has, depending on the subject the verb is conjugated with. The second element is the past participle of the verb, which is usually formed by adding -ed or -d to the verb’s root (e.g., walked, cleaned, typed, perambulated, jumped, laughed, sautéed) although English does have quite a few verbs that have irregular past participles (e.g., done, said, gone, known, won, thought, felt, eaten).

These examples show how the present perfect can describe something that occurred or was the state of things at an unspecified time in the past.

I have walked on this path before.

We have eaten the lasagna here.

The important thing to remember about the present perfect is that you can’t use it when you are being specific about when it happened.

I have put away all the laundry.

I have put away all the laundry this morning.

You can use the present perfect to talk about the duration of something that started in the past is still happening.

She has had the chickenpox since Tuesday.

How to Write Better Cover Letters

Imagine, for a minute, that you’re an employer. You need to fill a position and you receive hundreds of applications every day. You’ve deleted the ones from senders like cutie143@email.com, the ones with misspellings in the subject line or email body, and the ones that sound like generic templates.

Then you read a cover letter that shows knowledge of the position, skill fit, proper grammar and spelling, and enthusiasm. Finally, you’ve found a potential candidate. So what’s in that cover letter? Writing better cover letters requires time, research, a mindset switch, and deliberate word choice. Read on to write your way to a new job.

Research the company and the position

If you’ve found a company you’re serious about working for or a position that seems like the right fit, don’t apply immediately. Do more research. Read through the website and press releases. What do Glassdoor and LinkedIn have to say? Check out their Hoover’s profile. Find similar positions in other companies and compare descriptions.

If you still want to apply after researching, then you can write about how your skills match the position and how you would fit in with the company’s culture. If the position calls for leadership skills, briefly mention a situation in which you led a team to success. Give evidence. Write about which of the company’s programs you admire. Use specifics to demonstrate your investment in the application.

Get into an employer-first mindset

The employer will be thinking, “What’s in it for us?” Catch the employer’s attention by answering that question for them. Can you increase profits, retain talent, produce creative work, or boost productivity? How does your skill set fit with what they need? Sell yourself by explaining how you’ll benefit the company.

Enlist the power of verbals to add energy

Research shows that you need to come across as energetic and enthusiastic about the job to retain a reader’s interest. Use verbals, verb forms that act as nouns, adverbs, or adjectives, to give your sentences energy. Compare these two paragraphs:

Passage A

There are four main steps in the composition of a cover letter. First, you must collect your thoughts about the position and the company. You should gather evidence of your experience and the skills that will be described in the letter. The next step involves the development of those thoughts by the use of examples from your previous work experience. Next, you should organize these thoughts into three paragraphs: the reason you’re writing goes in the first paragraph; what qualifications pertain to the position and what benefits these qualities provide to the company goes in the second paragraph; and a sales close goes in the final paragraph. The last step is the determination of whether or not you have made any grammar or spelling errors.

Passage B

Composing a cover letter involves four main steps. Collecting your thoughts about the position and the company is the first step. You should gather evidence of your experience and the skills that you plan to describe in the letter. Developing these thoughts by using examples from your previous work experience is the next step. The third step involves organizing these thoughts into three paragraphs. Use the first paragraph to explain why you’re writing; use the second to describe what qualifications pertain to the position and what benefits these qualities provide to the company in the second paragraph; and follow up with a sales close in the final paragraph. The last step is to determine if you have made any grammar or spelling errors.

The verbals in passage B are marked with bold text. In a study comparing readers’ preference for passages similar to those above, over 75 percent of respondents chose passage B and described it as “more to the point,” “more organized,” and “clearer,” which supports the hypothesis that readers prefer more syntactically complex verbals over passages not as syntactically complex.

Edit, proofread, then do it again

You may be a perfect fit for the position, but grammar and spelling mistakes will prevent you from being invited for an interview. Take the time to review your email introduction, cover letter, and résumé for mistakes. Review it slowly, read it aloud, and use Grammarly to make sure it’s 100 percent error-free before sending.

Craft a cover letter that an employer wants to read by making it specific and engaging. That way, you can apply for fewer jobs and receive more invitations to interview.

3 Punctuation Mistakes That Can Make You Look Like A Cannibal

1. Eat your dinner. vs Eat. You’re dinner.

Normal: Eat your dinner. Cannibalistic: Eat. You’re dinner.

That apostrophe (‘) is important! There are often a lot of hilarious (sometimes scary) sentences that come about when people confuse “your” and “you’re.” To avoid looking like a creep, it’s best to remember that your is the possessive form of you. It functions just like my does in relation to me. If you get confused by that, you can memorize you’re as the contraction (short form) of “you are.” Your = the possessive form of you You’re = the short form of you are.

2. Let’s eat, Grandma. vs. Let’s eat Grandma. Normal: Let’s eat, Grandma. Cannibalistic: Let’s eat Grandma.

The comma here is critical. The comma tells the reader that Granny isn’t the object of the verb “eat.” That is, with the comma, Granny isn’t on the main course tonight. The function of the comma here is to show that the sentence “let’s eat” is directed to an audience, Grandma.

3. I love cooking, my dogs, and my family. vs. I love cooking my dogs and my family. Normal: I love cooking, my dogs, and my family. Cannibalistic: I love cooking my dogs and my family.

Similar to number two, the commas here keep the nouns “dogs” and “family” from becoming unintentional objects of the verb “cooking.” In general, use commas to break up the items in lists.

Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense, refers to a continuing action or state that was happening at some point in the past. The past continuous tense is formed by combining the past tense of to be (i.e., was/were) with the verb’s present participle (-ing word).

There are many situations in which this verb tense might be used in a sentence. For example, it is often used to describe conditions that existed in the past.

The sun was shining every day that summer.

As I spoke, the children were laughing at my cleverness.

It can also be used to describe something that was happening continuously in the past when another action interrupted it.

The audience was applauding until he fell off the stage.

I was making dinner when she arrived.

The past continuous can shed light on what was happening at a precise time in the past.

At 6 o’clock, I was eating dinner.

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It can also refer to a habitual action in the past.

She was talking constantly in class in those days.

One final caution: Though the irregularities are few, not every verb is suited to describing a continuous action. Certain verbs can’t be used in the past continuous tense. One common example is the verb to arrive.

At noon, he was arriving.

At noon, he arrived.

The Basics of Clauses in English

Clauses are groups of words that contain a subject and a verb. Why should you care about them? Have you ever told someone you loved them? Or written a letter to a friend? Likely, you did it with the help of clauses. You would find your ability to communicate severely limited if you had to express your thoughts without these serviceable units of speech. Why, even asking why you should care about clauses would be impossible! Let’s take a moment to appreciate the most important types of clauses and what they do for us.

Independent clauses

As its name indicates, an independent clause can stand on its own as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete thought. An independent clause by itself is called a simple sentence.

I like ginger snaps. I do not like dark chocolate.

Dependent clauses

Although a dependent clause also has a subject and a verb, a dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It’s only part of a sentence; it doesn’t express a complete thought.

When I grow up Because she is afraid of the dark

These sentence fragments can’t function without an independent clause. The independent clause can come before or after the dependent clause. However, if a dependent clause comes first, it must be followed by a comma. When an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses appear together, the sentence is complex.

I want to be President when I grow up. When I grow up, I want to be a firefighter. Because she is afraid of the dark, she sleeps with a night light. She never walks alone after sunset because she is afraid of the dark.

Did you notice the words at the beginning of the dependent clauses in the examples? These words (when and because) are subordinating conjunctions. They are dependent markers, words that might help you to identify dependent clauses. If a dependent clause starts with a subordinating conjunction, it is an adverb clause. Adverb clauses (also called adverbial or subordinate clauses) provide information about the when, where, why, and how of the independent clause. Let’s revisit one of our examples:

Because she is afraid of the dark, she sleeps with a night light.

Because indicates that an explanation will follow. This adverb clause will answer a question: Why does she sleep with a night light?

Dependent clauses can also begin with relative pronouns and relative adverbs, such as who, whoever, whom, whomever, that, which, when, where, and whose. If the relative clause begins with one of these words and functions as an adjective, it is an adjective clause. Adjective clauses, also known as adjectival or relative clauses modify nouns or pronouns.

that Sally brought to the party whose wallet I found

Of course, you need the rest of the sentence to understand what they are modifying. Adjective clauses describe the nouns that precede them. Often, they answer the question “Which one?”

The cupcake that Sally brought to the party was delicious. (The adjective clause tells you which cupcake is being discussed.)

The man whose wallet I found gave me a generous reward. (The adjective clause identifies which man gave the reward.)

As you can probably guess, noun clauses are relative clauses that act like nouns. They can be the subject, object, or complement of a sentence.

Whoever invented the can opener is a genius. (This noun phrase is functioning as the subject of the clause.) I just remembered that I need to buy butter. (This noun phrase is the direct object.)

I am ready for whatever the future brings. (This noun phrase is the object of a preposition.)

Does the starting word of the second noun phrase look familiar? That, along with how, who, which, when, where, and why can begin noun and adjective phrases. The best way to tell the difference is to ask if the phrase is modifying a preceding noun.

I just remembered that I need to buy butter. (“That I need to buy butter” is not describing the pronoun “I.” Therefore, it is a noun phrase.)

The one item that I forgot to buy is butter. (“That I forgot to buy” is describing “item.” It is an adjective clause.)

Clauses are just groups of words, but you need them if you want to communicate effectively. Can you imagine trying to talk or write without using sentences? How boring would books be if there were no adverb, adjective, or noun clauses? The next time you write something or chat with a friend, remember that clauses make it possible.

6 Ways to Celebrate National Teacher Day

May 5 is National Teacher Day. In advance of the holiday, it’s important to remember that you wouldn’t be where you are today without the teachers who influenced you throughout your life. Whether your favorite educators are from elementary school, high school, or college, make sure to tell them what a positive effect they’ve had on your life. Here are six ways to celebrate National Teacher Day.

Write a Thoughtful Letter

Sometimes heartfelt words are the best gift a teacher can receive. Think about how significantly your favorite teacher has impacted your life and take a minute to write down exactly how much she or he has done for you. Whether a great elementary science teacher influenced you to become the biologist you are today or a tough high school literature teacher challenged you to become the writer you are now, let that teacher know. Include the kids in this project and help them write a short but sweet note to their current favorite teacher.

Help With Classroom Chores

When time is short, teachers can’t always do everything they want to for their classrooms. Many teachers could use a helping hand with projects, large and small. Talk with your favorite former teacher or one that the kids love and find out how you can help. Be prepared to pitch in with photocopying educational materials, hanging art projects, or taking on lunchtime duty. For many teachers, having a little extra time each week or month is the greatest gift.

Provide Lunch

Teachers work long hours, and they don’t always have time to throw together a nutritious lunch in the morning. On National Teacher Day, tell your kids’ teachers that lunch is on you. Make lunch for a favorite teacher or partner with other parents at your kids’ school to put together a lavish lunchtime spread. If each parent volunteers for one course, your gourmet meal will come together in a flash. Choose healthy foods to keep your teachers nourished throughout the day, and don’t forget something sweet to finish the meal.

Volunteer in the Classroom

Many schools have programs that allow parents to volunteer their time in the classroom. Whether you have an hour or a whole week to give each month, volunteering your time can significantly impact how much a teacher can accomplish in the classroom. Depending on the teacher’s needs, you may be able to help coordinate an educational field trip, prepare activities in the classroom, or even organize seasonal events.

Whatever you do, know that donating your time makes the day much smoother, more efficient, and much more fun for teachers and their students. Check with a teacher or the school’s administrative staff to find out more about the school’s volunteer program.

Read About Great Teachers

There are plenty of excellent books about truly great teachers for every grade level. Choose an appropriate one to read with the kids and help them pick out the qualities that make a teacher truly great. Encourage them to think about which of their teachers have these qualities, and be sure to celebrate them on National Teacher Day.

Tell the Newspaper

Teaching can feel like a thankless job, so there’s no better way to celebrate National Teacher Day than to shout from the rooftops just how great your favorite teacher is. If you can’t quite do that, tell your local newspaper instead. Contact the newsroom about establishing a thank you section in the paper and encourage others in your community to write a note about an educator who has made a difference in their lives.

However you choose to celebrate, remember to give the educators who taught you the basics of punctuation, homophones, and everything in between a day of recognition. Donate your time, your cooking prowess, or your thoughtful words, and celebrate your teachers and their impact on your life. How will you celebrate National Teacher Day?

The Nobel Prize, Modern Shakespeare, and Tweeting Your Way to Better Writing

This week, Svetlana Alexievich broke new ground in the literary world by becoming the first journalist to win the Nobel Prize for her nonfiction writing. In other news, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival has commissioned a rewrite of Shakespeare’s plays and the Internet can be both a friend and foe when it comes to your writing. Check out the full stories below:

Our Favorite Stories:

1. 2015 Nobel Prize for Literature Winner Svetlana Alexievich’s Life and Writing, Explained (Vox)
2. Shakespeare in Modern English? (The New York Times)
3. How Twitter’s 140-Character Limit Made Me a Better Writer (Life Hacker)
4. Internet Distraction: The Writer’s Main Dilemma (The Huffington Post)

Staff Book Picks of the Week:

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (A Song of Ice and Fire) (Fiction) George R. R. Martin

“Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. These never-before-collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness.”

 

A House of My Own: Stories from My Life (Nonfiction) Sandra Cisneros

“From the author of The House on Mango Street, a richly illustrated compilation of true stories and nonfiction pieces that, taken together, form a jigsaw autobiography—an intimate album of a beloved literary legend.”

Author & Illustrator Birthdays

Donald Sobol — October 4, 1924

Anne Rice — October 4, 1941

Louise Fitzhugh — October 5, 1928

R.L. Stein — October 8, 1943