AMSCO SCHOOL PUBLICATIONS, INC.
315 Hudson Street, New York, N.Y. 10013
AMSCO
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Contributing Editors
Auditi Chakravarty
Director of Language Arts
Amsco School Publications, Inc.
Bonnie Boehme
Editor
Nesbitt Graphics, Inc.
This book has been adapted from the following Amsco publications:
Building Power in Writing
By Henry I. Christ
English Alive: Complete Edition
By Harold Levine
Text and cover design: Nesbitt Graphics, Inc.
Composition: Nesbitt Graphics, Inc.
When ordering this book please specify:
Either R 798 W or GRAMMAR AND USAGE FOR BETTER WRITING
Please visit our Web site at www.amscopub.com
ISBN 1-56765-117-8
NYC Item 56765-117-7
Copyright © 2004 by Amsco School Publications, Inc.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the
publisher.
Printed in the United States of America.
1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 08 07 06 05 04
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Contents
Introduction: How to Use This Book vii

Prepositional Phrases 98
Conjunctions 102
Interjections 108
Review of Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections 111
Part
TWO
Sentence Composition 115
Characteristics of Good Sentences 116
Comparing Sentences 117
Writing Sentences 120
Revising Sentences 121
Clear, Forceful Sentences 123
Conciseness (Economy) 123
Clarity and Specificity 126
Varying Sentences 132
Unity 145
Part
THREE
Common Usage Errors 149
Problems with Sentence Structure 150
Simple Sentences 150
Compound Sentences 151
Complex Sentences 152
Sentence Fragments 155
Run-on Sentences 164
Problems with Nouns 171
Plurals of Nouns 171
Possessives of Nouns 172
Problems with Verbs 175
Using the Correct Tense 175

Basic Paragraph Composition 231
The Paragraph 232
A Note About Paragraph Length 233
Unity in the Paragraph 235
The Topic Sentence 239
The Clincher Sentence 242
Developing a Paragraph with Reasons 244
Arranging the Reasons 245
Arranging the Reasons—Another Look 248
Developing a Paragraph with Examples 249
Varying Sentence Beginnings 253
Index 259
CONTENTS v
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INTRODUCTION vii
How To Use This Book
Grammar and Usage for Better Writing is a basic workbook that can provide a founda-
tion for further study in English grammar and usage. It will benefit students who are learn-
ing the essentials for the first time as well as those who wish to review concepts they have
previously learned. The premise of this book is that understanding how language works
enables us to use it more effectively. This skill can enhance our personal communications,
schoolwork, and professional lives.
The workbook is organized into four major parts. The parts in turn consist of brief
lessons, each with explanations, examples, and practice to ensure that students understand
the concepts being introduced. The book is structured sequentially, with the most basic
elements—the parts of a sentence—introduced in Part One, followed by the composition
of sentences in Part Two. Part Three focuses on some common problems that people en-
counter when using English, and it places more emphasis on applying the rules. Students
who are new to grammar study should begin with Part One and work through each section

My sunburn itches.
ADJ
.
N
.
V
.
We can also add the adverb painfully:
My sunburn itches painfully.
ADJ
.
N
.
V
.
ADV
.
If we should want to ask a question, we can begin with a verb. Here is a question made
up of the verb is, the noun sunburn, and the adjective painful.
Is sunburn painful?
V
.
N
.
ADJ
.
1
Part
ONE
Parts of Speech

SUBJECT
: The seats on the bus.
Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific.
QUESTION
: About whom is the sentence telling something?
ANSWER
: Amelia Earhart.
SUBJECT
: Amelia Earhart.
Has your brother Tom found a summer job?
QUESTION
: About whom is the sentence asking something?
ANSWER
: your brother Tom.
SUBJECT
: your brother Tom.
Position of the Subject
The subject is usually found at the beginning of the sentence, but it can also appear in
other positions.
SUBJECT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SENTENCE
:
An experienced pilot was at the controls at the time of the crash.
SUBJECT AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE
:
At the controls at the time of the crash was an experienced pilot.
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4 PARTS OF SPEECH
SUBJECT WITHIN THE SENTENCE
:
At the time of the crash, an experienced pilot was at the controls.

In an imperative sentence (a sentence expressing a command or mak-
ing a request), the subject You is not expressed but understood.
Question 4:
What is the subject of the following?
Is the door to the basement locked?
Procedure:
Ask yourself: “Is what locked?”
Answer:
The subject is the door to the basement.
(The subject tells about what the sentence is asking something.)
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THE SUBJECT 5
EXERCISE 1.
Write the subject in the space provided.
Sample:
The apples in the fruit bowl were all sour.
The apples in the fruit bowl
1. Next to the hardware store is a ski shop.
2. Will your father drive us to the game?
3. Is the noise from the next room bothering you?
4. Our math teacher coaches the bowling team.
5. The bowling team is coached by our math teacher.
Simple Subject and Complete Subject
When a subject consists of more than one word, the main
word in that subject is called the simple subject.
The seats on the bus are very comfortable.
SIMPLE SUBJECT
: seats
The simple subject and the words that describe it are to-
gether known as the complete subject.

4. Asleep in the crib was a six-month-old baby.
C.S. . S.S.
5. My older brother is graduating in June.
C.S. . S.S.
reporters
The first reporters on the scene
6 PARTS OF SPEECH
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THE PREDICATE 7
Before we talk about the predicate, remember that
The subject is the part of the sentence about which
something is told or asked.
Prices are higher.
subject
What Is the Predicate?
The predicate is the part of the sentence that tells or asks
something about the subject.
Prices .
predicate
You can easily find the subject and the predicate of a sentence by asking two simple
questions:
Prices are higher.
QUESTION
1: About what is the sentence telling something?
ANSWER
: Prices.
The subject is Prices.
QUESTION
2: What is the sentence saying about Prices?
ANSWER

Position of the Predicate
The predicate usually comes after the subject, but it can also appear in other positions.
PREDICATE AFTER THE SUBJECT
:
The parking lot
S. P.
PREDICATE BEFORE THE SUBJECT
:
the parking lot.
P. S.
PREDICATE PARTLY BEFORE AND PARTLY AFTER THE SUBJECT
:
Is the parking lot
P. S. P.
EXERCISE 1.
First draw a single line under the complete subject of the sentence.
Then, above the double line at the right, write the predicate.
Samples:
SUBJECT PREDICATE
The temperature dropped suddenly.
Has the plane landed?
Under the tree lay many rotting apples.
Under the tree lay
Has . . . landed
dropped suddenly
next to the stadium?
Next to the stadium is
is next to the stadium.
Was angry.
is waiting for us.

PREDICATE
: often visits exhibits at the natural history museum
VERB
: visits
3. you
PREDICATE
: Have no sense
VERB
:Have
Without a verb, the predicate cannot tell or ask anything about the subject. For in-
stance, if the verb dropped is left out of the first sentence above, the resulting sentence
cannot convey any clear meaning:
The temperature. . . rapidly.
Question:
Does a verb ever consist of more than one word?
Answer:
Yes, often. A verb may consist of one to four words:
SENTENCE VERB
no questions. have
you any questions? Do . . . have
We John all week. have been calling
His phone . may have been disconnected
may have been disconnected
have been calling
haveDo
They have
no sense?Have
often visits exhibits at the natural history museum.
dropped rapidly.
10 PARTS OF SPEECH

V.
2. The bus will come at any minute. S.S.
P.
V.
Did hear
Did hear the wind
You
Wash
Wash your hands
You (understood)
froze
froze during the night
pond
must have been treated
was
VERBS 11
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12 PARTS OF SPEECH
3. Has it been coming on time lately? S.S.
P.
V.
4. For some time, light rain has been S.S.
falling.
P.
V.
5. It must have been raining since dawn. S.S.
P.
V.
6. In my pocket was the missing glove. S.S.
P.

(Believed, trusted, and knew express mental action.)
EXERCISE 1.
If the italicized verb expresses physical action, write P in the space
provided. If it expresses mental action, write M.
Samples:
Pat tagged the runner.
Did you understand the lesson?
1. I forgot the combination.
2. Open a window.
3. Who rang the bell?
4. He considers me his best friend.
5. We are hoping for the best this season.
LINKING VERBS
Not all verbs are action verbs. The verb is in the following sentence does not express
action. It is a linking verb.
Jordan is angry at us.
L.V.
M
P
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14 PARTS OF SPEECH
What Is a Linking Verb?
In the preceding sentence, the verb is has little meaning of its own. Its main function is
to link (connect) Jordan with angry. For this reason, we call is a linking verb.
A linking verb links (connects) the subject with a word in the
predicate that describes or identifies the subject.
m
iiiij
x
The road

x
grow Farmers grow crops. The days grow longer.
m
ii
i
iij
x
look We looked the place over. He looked unhappy.
m
iiiij
x
smell I smelled smoke. The air smelled salty.
m
iiii
i
ij
x
sound Who sounded the alarm? Her voice sounded hoarse.
is the captain of the volleyball team.
was slippery.
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m
iii
i
iij
x
taste I tasted the soup. The soup tasted delicious.
m
iii
i

4. Mei tasted the melon.
5. Her cookies tasted delicious.
linking
action
VERBS 15
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6. Your voice sounded hoarse.
7. She looked through the whole book.
8. We were exhausted.
9. Courtney looked amazed by the whole event.
10. Did you feel the energy in that room?
Helping Verbs and Verb Phrases
What Is a Helping Verb?
Sometimes a verb consists of more than one word:
The letters have been mailed.
verb
In have been mailed, mailed is the main verb; have and been are helping verbs.
The letters have been mailed.
H.V. H.V. M.V.
Helping verbs are verbs that come before and “help” the
main verb.
A main verb may have as many as three helping verbs.
ONE HELPING VERB
: Anne has mailed the letters.
H.V. M.V.
TWO HELPING VERBS
: The letters have been mailed.
H.V. H.V. M.V.
THREE HELPING VERBS
: They should have been mailed earlier.

M.V.
1. The Eagles could have V. PHR.
protested the decision.
H.V.
M.V.
2. You should have seen the mess! V. PHR.
H.V.
M.V.
3. I must have left my wallet at home. V. PHR.
H.V.
M.V.
4. Justin has been acting strange V. PHR.
lately.
H.V.
M.V.
falling
have been
have been falling
VERBS 17
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