ACCUPLACER ESL Language Use cheat sheet

A present-tense singular subject takes a singular verb ending in -s or -es; a plural subject takes the base form, except with be (is/are) and have (has/have).

Compound subjects joined by and take a plural verb; subjects joined by or or nor take a verb that agrees with the nearer subject.

Use subject pronouns (I, he, she, they, we) for subjects and object pronouns (me, him, her, them, us) for objects of verbs or prepositions.

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number and gender; singular indefinite antecedents such as everyone take singular pronouns in formal edited English.

Keep verb tense consistent within a sentence unless a time shift is required by meaning; use past perfect for an action completed before another past action.

Comparative adjectives compare two items and use -er or more; superlative adjectives compare three or more and use -est or most; do not combine both markers.

Place a modifier next to the word it modifies; a dangling modifier lacks the noun it is intended to describe.

Count nouns take many or few and a or an; noncount nouns take much or little and usually no indefinite article.

Possessive pronouns such as my, your, his, her, its, our, and their modify nouns; possessive nouns use 's for singular and s' for plural ending in s.

An independent clause contains a subject and a finite verb and can stand alone as a sentence.

A fragment is missing a subject, a finite verb, or a complete thought; attach it to a nearby independent clause or revise it into one.

A run-on joins two independent clauses without correct punctuation; a comma splice uses only a comma between them.

Repair a run-on with a period, a semicolon, a comma plus a coordinating conjunction, or subordination.

Coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) join grammatically equal elements; use a comma before one that joins two independent clauses.

Subordinating conjunctions such as because, although, when, if, and while turn an independent clause into a dependent clause.

A relative clause begins with who, whom, whose, which, or that and modifies a noun; use commas around a nonrestrictive clause.

Parallel structure requires items in a list or pair to share the same grammatical form.

In English statements, place the subject before the verb and the object after the verb; invert order only for questions, auxiliary negatives, or emphasis.

Register is the level of formality in language; academic writing generally requires a formal register that avoids slang and conversational fillers.

Connotation is a word's emotional or cultural association, while denotation is its literal dictionary meaning.

Choose the word form required by the sentence: noun, verb, adjective, or adverb, as in decide, decision, decisive, and decisively.

A collocation is a conventional word partnership, such as make a decision or take a break; substituting a synonym can sound unnatural.

Precise verbs and nouns convey meaning better than vague words such as thing, stuff, or do.

False cognates look similar across languages but differ in meaning; verify meaning in context rather than assuming transfer.

Use transitional vocabulary that fits the logical relationship: addition, contrast, cause, result, example, or sequence.

Avoid redundancy such as repeat again or free gift; each word should add meaning.

A paragraph should have one controlling idea, usually stated in a topic sentence and supported by related details.

Unity means every sentence supports the paragraph's controlling idea; remove or relocate sentences that introduce unrelated topics.

Order details logically: chronological for time, spatial for location, and general-to-specific or specific-to-general for explanation.

Use transitions to signal relationships between sentences, such as however, therefore, for example, and in addition.

Pronoun reference across sentences must be clear; repeat the noun when a pronoun could refer to more than one antecedent.

Put old or known information early in a sentence and new or important information near the end to improve flow.

A concluding sentence should summarize or reinforce the paragraph's idea without introducing a new topic.

Key terms should be repeated or paraphrased consistently so readers can track the topic across sentences.

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses.

Use a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or dependent clause.

Use commas to separate items in a series of three or more and to set off nonessential information.

Do not use a comma between a subject and its verb or between a verb and its object.

Use a semicolon between two closely related independent clauses not joined by a coordinating conjunction.

Use a colon after a complete clause to introduce a list, explanation, or quotation.

Use an apostrophe to form possessives and contractions; its is possessive, while it's means it is.

Capitalize the first word of a sentence, proper nouns, and the pronoun I; do not capitalize common nouns in general use.

Use quotation marks around a speaker's exact words and place commas and periods inside closing quotation marks in American English.

Use in for enclosed spaces or months and years; use on for surfaces, days, and dates; use at for specific points, times, and addresses.

Use for with a duration and since with a starting point in time.

Use by for a deadline meaning no later than; use until for continuing up to a point in time.

Common adjective plus preposition pairs include interested in, good at, afraid of, and responsible for.

Common verb plus preposition pairs include depend on, listen to, apply for, and apologize for.

Use a gerund after a preposition, as in interested in learning, good at solving, and instead of waiting.

Idiomatic expressions are fixed phrases; change the preposition or article only when a different established phrase is required.

Use between for two items and among for three or more; use like for comparison and as for a role or function.

Phrasal verbs can change meaning with the particle, so learn the whole phrase, such as turn in, turn on, and turn down.