4 Grammar Rules You Absolutely Should Know if You’re Taking a 300-Level English Course 

RULE #1 Avoid Dangling Modifiers 

Exa mp le # 1 Wrong After finishing her homework, the TV was free to use. 

Exa mp le # 1 Wrong After finishing her homework, the TV was free to use. 

Exa mp le # 1 Wrong Right After finishing her homework, the TV was free to use. After finishing her homework, she turned her attention to the TV. 

Exa mp le # 2 Wrong After reading the syllabus again, the notechnology policy stood out to me. 

Exa mp le # 2 Wrong After reading the syllabus again, the notechnology policy stood out to me. 

Exa mp le # 2 Wrong Right After reading the syllabus again, the notechnology policy stood out to me. After reading the syllabus again, I was struck by the notechnology policy. 

RULE #2 Avoid Vague Antecedents 

Exa mp le # 1 Wrong Lord Mormont was unable to convince the Hand of the King that the Wall needed more men. This was the subject of a bitter debate in the Small Council. 

Exa mp le # 1 Wrong Lord Mormont was unable to convince the Hand of the King that the Wall needed more men. This was the subject of a bitter debate in the Small Council. 

Exa mp le # 1 Wrong Right Lord Mormont was unable to convince the Hand of the King that the Wall needed more men. This was the subject of a bitter debate in the Small Council. Lord Mormont was unable to convince the Hand of the King that the Wall needed more men. This failure was the subject of a bitter debate in the Small Council. 

Exa mp le # 2 Wrong Boeing’s 737 Max has been grounded since two deadly crashes killed 346 people. It has disrupted the global aviation industry and plunged the company into the biggest crisis the aerospace giant has ever faced. 

Exa mp le # 2 Wrong Boeing’s 737 Max has been grounded since two deadly crashes killed 346 people. It has disrupted the global aviation industry and plunged the company into the biggest crisis the aerospace giant has ever faced. 

Exa mp le # 2 Wrong Right Boeing’s 737 Max has been grounded since two deadly crashes killed 346 people. It has disrupted the global aviation industry and plunged the company into the biggest crisis the aerospace giant has ever faced. Boeing’s 737 Max has been grounded since two deadly crashes killed 346 people. These events have disrupted the global aviation industry and plunged the company into the biggest crisis the aerospace giant has ever faced. 

RULE #3 Avoid Comma Splices 

Exa mp le # 1 Wrong Koala bears are not actually bears, they are marsupials. 

Exa mp le # 1 Wrong Koala bears are not actually bears, they are marsupials. 

Exa mp le # 1 Wrong Right Koala bears are not actually bears, they are marsupials. Koala bears are not actually bears. They are marsupials. 

Exa mp le # 2 Wrong This is an update to a story published earlier this year, here’s the original. 

Exa mp le # 2 Wrong This is an update to a story published earlier this year, here’s the original. 

Exa mp le # 2 Wrong Right This is an update to a story published earlier this year, here’s the original. This is an update to a story published earlier this year; here’s the original. 

RULE #4 Know When to Use ‘Single’ Quotation Marks and When to Use “Double” Quotation Marks 

Exa mp le # 1 Wrong I hate getting emails from a ‘no-reply’ address. 

Exa mp le # 1 Wrong I hate getting emails from a ‘no-reply’ address. 

Exa mp le # 1 Wrong Right I hate getting emails from a ‘no-reply’ address. I hate getting emails from a “no-reply” address. 

Exa mp le # 2 Wrong Claire says, “The most common reaction I get from clients is, “If the candidate can’t follow simple application instructions, how will she perform on the job?”” 

Exa mp le # 2 Wrong Claire says, “The most common reaction I get from clients is, “If the candidate can’t follow simple application instructions, how will she perform on the job?”” 

Exa mp le # 2 Wrong Right Claire says, “The most common reaction I get from clients is, “If the candidate can’t follow simple application instructions, how will she perform on the job?”” Claire says, “The most common reaction I get from clients is, ‘If the candidate can’t follow simple application instructions, how will she perform on the job?’” 

(BONUS) RULE #5 Know When to Use a “Hyphen,” an “En Dash,” and an “Em Dash” 

Wrong Mark What It Looks Like Claire says, “The most common reaction I get from clients is, “If the candidate can’t follow simple application instructions, how will she perform on the job?”” Right to Use It When Claire says, “The most common reaction I get from clients is, ‘If the candidate can’t follow simple application instructions, how will she perform on the job?’” 

Wrong Mark What It Looks Like Claire says, “The most common reaction I get Hyphen from clients is, “If the candidate can’t follow simple application instructions, how will she perform on the job?”” Right to Use It When Claire says, “The most common reaction I get A well-known author. from clients is, ‘If the candidate can’t follow simple application instructions, how will she perform on the job?’” 

Wrong Mark What It Looks Like Claire says, “The most common reaction I get Hyphen from clients is, “If the candidate En Dash can’t follow – simple application instructions, how will she perform on the job?”” Right to Use It When Claire says, “The most common reaction I get A well-known author. from clients is, ‘If the candidate can’t July 7 – July 8. follow simple application instructions, how will she perform on the job?’” 

Wrong Mark What It Looks Like Claire says, “The most common reaction I get Hyphen from clients is, “If the candidate En Dash can’t follow – simple application instructions, Em Dash how will — she perform on the job?”” Right to Use It When Claire says, “The most common reaction I get A well-known author. from clients is, ‘If the candidate can’t July 7 – July 8. follow simple application instructions, how will To be or not to be — she perform on the that is the question. job?’”