Some grammar rules

A Visual Grammar Guide

Structure & Written Expressions

Twelve essential grammar rules you keep getting wrong on tests, explained with visuals, real examples, and the "why" behind each pattern.

12Rules

40+Examples

12Pro Tips

What's Inside

01Appositives02Comma + Coordinators03Number vs. Amount04Place Inversion05Negative Inversion06Conditional Inversion07Parallel Structure08The -er, -er Pattern09Like vs. Alike & Friends10Make vs. Do11Other vs. Another12-ed vs. -ing Adjectives

01

Be Careful with Appositives

An appositive is a noun phrase that renames or explains the noun right next to it. Think of it as a "bonus info" insert you can lift out of the sentence and the sentence still works. The tricky part? Comma placement changes depending on where the appositive sits.

When the appositive sits between the subject and verb, it needs commas on both sides. When it opens the sentence, only one comma follows it, right before the subject.

Middle position

My brother, a talented chef, cooked dinner for everyone.

Opening position

A talented chef, my brother cooked dinner for everyone.

End position

I spoke to the manager, a woman named Clara.

💡 Pro Tip

The "lift-out" test: remove the appositive from the sentence. If the sentence still makes grammatical sense, your commas are correct. "My brother cooked dinner for everyone" still works, so the appositive is properly set off.

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02

Commas with Coordinate Connectors

When two independent clauses (each with its own subject and verb) are joined by a coordinate connector, place a comma before the connector. The connectors to remember spell out FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

Subject + Verb ,  coordinator  Subject + Verb

Correct

The rain stopped, and the children ran outside.

Correct

He studied all night, yet he still failed the exam.

Correct

I wanted pizza, so I ordered one online.

⚠️ Common Mistake

Don't use a comma when there's only one subject doing two things: "She laughed and cried" has no comma because "laughed and cried" is a compound predicate, not two independent clauses. The comma only appears when each side has its own subject.

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03

Number with Countable, Amount with Uncountable

English draws a hard line between things you can count (students, books, mistakes) and things you measure (water, money, information). Use "number" for countable nouns and "amount" for uncountable ones. Getting this wrong is one of the most common errors on standardized tests.

Number (countable)

• a number of students
• a number of mistakes
• a number of countries
• a number of ideas

Amount (uncountable)

• an amount of water
• an amount of money
• an amount of time
• an amount of information

💡 Pro Tip

The same rule applies to fewer (countable) vs. less (uncountable), and many (countable) vs. much (uncountable). "Less students" is always wrong; it should be "fewer students."

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04

Invert Subject and Verb with Place Expressions

When a sentence opens with a place expression (a prepositional phrase describing location), the subject and verb can swap positions. But watch out: inversion only happens when the subject is not a pronoun. If the subject is a pronoun (I, he, she, they...), keep normal order and add a comma after the place expression.

Inverted (noun subject)

On the table sat a beautiful vase.

Normal (pronoun subject)

On the table, it sat quietly.

Inverted (noun subject)

Behind the door stood a tall stranger.

💡 Pro Tip

The key signal is the comma. No comma + inversion when the subject is a regular noun. Comma + normal order when the subject is a pronoun. Look for this pattern in test questions where the place phrase opens the sentence.

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05

Invert Subject and Verb with Negatives

When a negative or restrictive word opens a sentence for emphasis, the subject and verb must invert (just like in a question). This is a formal, dramatic construction, and tests love it because it catches people off guard.

neverrarelyseldomhardlybarelyscarcelyno soonernot onlyneitheronlynot until

Negative word + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb

Normal → Inverted

They were rarely so happy. → Rarely were they so happy.

Normal → Inverted

I have never seen such beauty. → Never have I seen such beauty.

Normal → Inverted

She not only sings but also dances. → Not only does she sing, but she also dances.

Normal → Inverted

He had hardly arrived when it rained. → Hardly had he arrived when it rained.

⚠️ Common Mistake

Inversion only happens when the negative word is at the beginning of the clause. "I never saw him again" is perfectly fine with normal order because "never" isn't fronted.

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06

Invert Subject and Verb with Conditionals

In formal English, you can drop "if" from conditional sentences by inverting the subject with had, should, or were. The meaning stays identical, but the tone becomes more literary and elegant. Tests frequently check whether you can recognize this transformation. 

If Were he here, he would help.               If he were here, he would help

If Had I known, I would have gone.         If I had known, I would've go

If Should you need help, call me.             If you should need help, call me

 

💡 Pro Tip

Each word matches a different conditional type. Were replaces "if" in present unreal conditions (If I were...). Had replaces "if" in past unreal conditions (If I had known...). Should replaces "if" in future unlikely conditions (If you should happen to...). Memorize the three pairs and you'll never miss this on a test.

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07

Parallel Structure with Paired Conjunctions

Parallelism means keeping the same grammatical form on both sides of a paired conjunction. If you put a noun after "both," you need a noun after "and." If you put a verb phrase after "not only," you need a verb phrase after "but also." The structure must mirror itself.

both ... andeither ... orneither ... nornot only ... but alsowhether ... or

Correct

Both Nika and Tatia are San Diego students. (noun + noun)

Correct

She not only sings but also dances. (verb + verb)

Wrong → Right

Either you leave or staying → Either you leave or you stay

Wrong → Right

Neither smart nor has beauty → Neither smart nor beautiful (adj + adj)

💡 Pro Tip

On a test, circle both halves of the paired conjunction and check: is the grammatical structure after each one identical? If one side has an adjective and the other has a noun, it's wrong.

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08

The Comparative Correlation (-er ... -er)

This pattern shows that two things change together: as one increases, so does the other. Both halves must use the same comparative structure. Use "the + comparative, the + comparative" for a powerful, balanced sentence.

The + comparative , the + comparative

Short adjective

The harder you work, the more you accomplish.

Long adjective

The more carefully you plan, the fewer mistakes you make.

Double short

The sooner you start, the sooner you finish.

Double long

The more expensive the hotel, the better the service.

💡 Pro Tip

Both halves must follow the same grammatical pattern. After "the + comparative," you need the same type of clause structure on each side. If the first half has a subject and verb, the second half should too.

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09

Like vs. Alike, Alive, Asleep & Friends

Some adjectives in English can only appear after a linking verb (predicative position), never before a noun. Others go before the noun (attributive position). Mixing them up is a sneaky error that sounds "almost right" but it isn't. 

After the Verb:                                                               Before the noun. 

The Child is alive.                                                          A living legend. 

They look alike.                                                             A similar idea  

predicative                                                                  attributive       

Predicative only (after verb)

• alike (not "alike twins")
• alive (not "an alive person")
• alone (not "an alone man")
• afraid (not "an afraid child")
• asleep (not "an asleep baby")
• awake (not "an awake patient")

Attributive (before noun)

• similar → "similar twins"
• living → "a living person"
• lone / solitary → "a lone man"
• frightened → "a frightened child"
• sleeping → "a sleeping baby"
• like → "like father, like son"

⚠️ Common Mistake

"An alive animal" sounds okay but is grammatically wrong. The correct form before a noun is "a living animal." Each predicative adjective has an attributive counterpart you need to use instead.

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10

Distinguish Make and Do

This is one of English's most frustrating areas because there's no perfect rule: it's largely about collocations (words that "go together" by convention). However, there's a useful guideline: make is about creating or producing something new, while do is about completing, performing, or carrying out an action.

Make (creating)

• make a cake
• make a decision
• make a mistake
• make money
• make a plan
• make progress
• make a promise
• make noise

Do (performing)

• do your homework
• do someone a favor
• do the dishes
• do business
• do research
• do your best
• do damage
• do an exercise

💡 Pro Tip

When in doubt, ask yourself: "Is the result something new that didn't exist before?" If yes, it's probably make. If you're just performing a task that already has a process, it's probably do. But honestly, the best strategy is to memorize the common collocations.

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11

Other vs. Another

These two words are close cousins but not interchangeable. Another means "one more" or "a different one" (singular). Other means "not this one" and can be singular (with "the") or plural. The distinction often comes down to whether you're adding or replacing.

Another (one more)

Give me another piece of cake, please. (I want an additional one.)

The other (a specific different one)

I don't like this book. Give me the other. (There are two, and I want the second one.)

Other (plural, different ones)

Some students passed. Other students need to retake the exam.

Another (a different one)

Let's try another restaurant tonight. (Any different one, not a specific one.)

💡 Pro Tip

Another = an + other (literally). It's always singular. If you need a plural, use "other" without "an": "other students" not "anothers students." And "the other" implies a specific, known alternative, while "another" is more general.

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12

The -ed and -ing Adjective Distinction

This is possibly the most frequently tested adjective rule. -ing adjectives describe the cause of a feeling (the thing doing the action). -ed adjectives describe the receiver of that feeling (the person experiencing it). The movie is boring (it causes boredom); the audience is bored (they experience boredom).

-ing (the cause)

The movie was boring. (The movie causes boredom.)

-ed (the experiencer)

The audience was bored. (They felt the boredom.)

-ing modifying a noun

Happily playing children ran through the park. (The children do the playing.)

-ed modifying a noun

The frequently asked questions are listed below. (The questions receive the asking.)

-ing (it causes the feeling)

• an interesting book
• a surprising result
• an exhausting day
• a confusing explanation

-ed (they feel the effect)

• an interested reader
• a surprised audience
• an exhausted worker
• a confused student

⚠️ Common Mistake

"I am interesting in science" means you are the interesting thing (people find you fascinating). What you mean is "I am interested in science" (you experience the interest). When talking about people's feelings, almost always use -ed.