UNIT 1: Grammar, the essentials

UNIT 1: Grammar, the essentials

1. 1. TENSES AND CONCORDANCE

   • GENERAL TIPS
     • PAST TENSE: Methodology and results.
     • PRESENT TENSE: Background information of the introduction and general findings
     • FUTURE TENSES
   • CONCORDANCE: subject and verb

2. 2. THE ARTICLE AND THE NOUN (ADJETIVATION)

   • COUNTABLE NOUN: singular; plural.
   • DEFINITE; INDEFINITE
   • PROPER NOUNS: no article with proper nouns (e.g. William Shakespeare)
     • BUT
       • Most countries do not take them (exceptions e.g. the USA, etc)
       • Rivers, mountain ranges, seas and oceans preceded by articles: The Amazon River.
   • -Adj. precedes N -Adv. precedes adj. -Qualifying adj. must be avoided

3. 3. ENGLISH PASSIVES AND ACTIVES

   • RULES
     • -Be + p. participle -Intransitive verbs can't use passive -It is used when the subject is acted upon
   • USED BECAUSE THEY
     • let the facts stand on their own
     • remove some accusations of bias
     • present an 'air' of logic

4. 4. CONNECTORS

   • Coordination (and, or, for, etc.)
   • Subordination: (if, as, when, etc.)
   • Specialized linking words (nevertheless, therefore, instead, etc.)

5. 5. SPELLING CONVENTIONS AND ACCURACY

   • DO NOT
     • Misspell words
     • Mix British and American English
     • Hyphenate Latin Expressions or non-English-language phrases
     • Use contractions
     • Use abbreviations in titles and abstracts
   • DO
     • Use correct divsion of words (only when necessary)
     • Use capitalized words for proper nouns, key words in titles or first words of sentences
     • Use nonbreaking spaces and hyphens
     • Define abbreviations the first time they appear
     • Check grammar, spelling and punctuation