Grammar & Mechanics

What this covers

• Identifying independent and dependent clauses, and using them to build simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences
• Joining and separating clauses correctly: comma plus coordinating conjunction, semicolon, subordinating conjunctions, and repairing comma splices and run-ons
• Comma rules beyond lists: introductory elements, nonrestrictive clauses set off with commas, appositives, and direct address
• Subject-verb agreement in tricky cases (interrupting prepositional phrases, compound subjects, indefinite pronouns) and consistent verb tense within a piece of writing
• Pronoun case, clear antecedents, and avoiding vague 'this'/'it' references
• Apostrophes for possessives and contractions, punctuating dialogue and quotations, and placing modifiers so they attach to the right word

Where learners get stuck

Believing any pause in speech gets a comma

Students are taught 'comma = breath' in elementary school, so they insert commas between subject and verb or before every 'and'. At this level the rule shifts to grammatical structure, and the old habit produces both comma splices and missing commas after introductory clauses.

Confusing its/it's, your/you're, and their/there/they're

The apostrophe usually signals possession with nouns (the dog's bowl), so students generalise that to pronouns. Hearing the words instead of seeing them makes the homophones interchangeable in their mental model; the fix is a substitution test, not memorisation.

Matching the verb to the nearest noun instead of the true subject

In sentences like 'The box of markers is on the desk,' the plural noun sits right next to the verb. Students parse left to right and grab whatever they heard last, which is why crossing out prepositional phrases before choosing the verb is the reliable move.

What a session looks like

A session runs as spoken back-and-forth. Evelyn reads a sentence aloud or asks the student to say one from their current assignment, then asks what the subject is, where the clause boundary falls, or which punctuation mark would work and why. Sentences are usually taken from the student's own essay or story so the rule attaches to real writing. When an error repeats, Evelyn slows down, gives a shorter pattern to practise, and returns to it later in the same session. Students can also dictate a paragraph and work through corrections one at a time.

Helpful to know first

• Can name nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in a sentence
• Writes complete sentences and recognises an obvious fragment
• Uses end punctuation and capitalisation of proper nouns reliably
• Comfortable writing a multi-sentence paragraph on a familiar topic

Questions

My child's essays keep getting marked for run-on sentences. Can this help?

Yes. Run-ons and comma splices are usually a clause-boundary problem, so sessions focus on hearing where one independent clause ends and choosing among a period, semicolon, comma plus conjunction, or subordinating word. The student practises on their own returned work.

Does this cover diagramming sentences or grammar terminology?

Terminology like clause, appositive, antecedent, and modifier is used because teachers and rubrics use it, and Evelyn explains each term when it comes up. Formal sentence diagramming is not the default approach, though clause structure is worked through verbally.

How is this different from a grammar worksheet app?

Worksheets test recognition in isolated sentences. In a voice session the student has to explain the reason for a choice and then apply it to a sentence they wrote themselves, which is where the transfer usually breaks down.

Can we work on grammar for a specific piece of writing that's due?

Yes. The student can read or paste in a draft and work through mechanics issues in it, though drafting and organising the essay itself is covered under essay writing.