Comma splice errors are very common mistakes, but they can be easily avoided. How?

First, anytime you use a comma in your writing, you should be ask yourself, "Why?" In other words, think about why you are using that comma. What is the rule for its usage?

Second, if you are editing or reviewing your writing, look for commas found in the middle of a sentence. When you find one, review the sentence carefully to see if you have an independent (or main) clause on either side of the comma. If you have an independent clause on both sides, and you do not have a conjunction joining them (like: and, but, or, nor, for,so), then you have yourself a genuine comma slice error. 

It may look like this:  I went to the store this morning, I bought some milk. 

A careful review of the sentence above should result in the conclusion that there are two independent clauses presented, one on either side of the comma. This is a comma splice error. 

To read more about comma splice errors, click here. 

To practice identifying comma splice errors, click on the links below. 

Comma Splice Practice #1
Comma Splice Practice #2
Comma Splice Practice #3

​[The excerpt below is from Grammarly.com. Click on the link at the end to read more on this topic.]

"What is a run-on sentence? Run-on sentences, also known as fused sentences, occur when two complete sentences are squashed together without using a coordinating conjunction or proper punctuation, such as a period or a semicolon.  Run-on sentences can be short or long. A long sentence isn’t necessarily a run-on sentence. "



To continue learning more about this topic and how to make corrections, click on the following link:  RUN-ON SENTENCES 

To practice finding and identifying run-on sentences in your writing, click on these links: 

• Repairing Run-On Sentences
• Run-On Practice Exercises
• Run-On Sentences Quiz ​

"​The simple past is a verb tense that is used to talk about things that happened or existed before now. Imagine someone asks what your brother Wolfgang did while he was in town last weekend.

• Wolfgang entered a hula hoop contest.
• He won the silver medal.

The simple past tense shows that you are talking about something that has already happened. Unlike the past continuous tense, which is used to talk about past events that happened over a period of time, the simple past tense emphasizes that the action is finished."

To read more about the Past Tense, how to formulate it, how to make it negative, and how to make a question, click here. 

To practice the past tense, click on the following: 

Past Tense Practice 1
Past Tense Practice 2
Past Tense Practice 3

Irregular Past Tense Practice 1 
Irregular Past Tense Practice 2
Irregular Past Tense Practice 3

When you are learning and practicing irregular verbs in English, it is always helpful to have a list nearby. Why? Because there are so many of them. 

Here is a link that has several different irregular verb lists that you can print off: 
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Irregular Verb Lists

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Question: “What is the difference between "make" & "do"? How and when should I use them?”

Answer: 
“Make” and “do” are similar verbs in English. There are some words that go together with “make” and others that go together with “do.” In other words, there are fixed expressions in English with both of these verbs, and you just have to learn them. But there are general rules you can follow:

• Use “make” for when you create or produce something.
• Use “do” for actions you must do, like jobs or work, and for general activities, especially activities you repeat often.

To review some examples of each verb, click here. 

To review more information on this topic, click here or here

Here are some practice exercises:

• Make or do Practice 1
• Make or do Practice 2

​“Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31, and Halloween 2022 will occur on Monday, October 31. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.” [From History.com. To read more, click on the link below]
 
Halloween is said to be the second largest commercial holiday in the United States. What’s first? Only Christmas. According to History.com, Americans spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween. But, did you know? The United States is not the only place where Halloween, or something like it, is celebrated.
 
To read more about the history of Halloween and how it is typically celebrated in the United States, click HERE
 
To read more about how other countries celebrate Halloween, or practice similar customs, click HERE.

 [From gingersoftware.com]
​
"What are Phrasal Verbs? A phrasal verb is a combination of words (a verb + a preposition or verb +adverb) that when used together, usually take on a different meaning to that of the original verb."

To learn more about phrasal verbs click here 

Click here for another website that provides more information about phrasal verbs as well as some examples.

To practice using and interpreting phrasal verbs correctly, click on the following links:

Phrasal Verb Practice 1
Phrasal Verb Practice 2

Infographic borrowed from: ​https://symbolismandmetaphor.com/idioms-guide/

English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. They come up all the time in both written and spoken English. Because idioms don't always make sense literally, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom. That may seem like a lot of work, but learning idioms is fun, especially when you compare English idioms to the idioms in your own language. To read more about idioms, go to English Idioms at EF.edu

To learn more about idioms, you can also go to this Idioms Guide. 

There are many lists of idioms available for your review online. Here a few you might wish to look over: 

• Dave's ESL Cafe 
• Essential English Idioms (Medium.com)
• Idioms Worksheets by Category (eslgames.com)
• Useful North American idioms 

Below, you will find an "award winning" video about idioms. Enjoy! 
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What are modal verbs?
​
Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are special verbs which behave irregularly in English. They are different from normal verbs like "work, play, visit..." They give additional information about the function of the main verb that follows it. They have a great variety of communicative functions.
Here are some characteristics of modal verbs:

• They never change their form. You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"...
• They are always followed by an infinitive without "to" (e.i. the bare infinitive.)
• They are used to indicate modality allow speakers to express certainty, possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity, ability

To read more about modals or to practice using modals, go to My English Pages.com

Here are some other links to practice exercises:

• Perfect English Grammar
• English Page

The Present Perfect tense is all about "unspecified" or non-specific time in the past. This can be very confusing. The Present Perfect can be used in several ways. 1) It may be used to describe your personal experience. For example, you might say, "I have seen that man before." Or, "I have never been to Florida." 2) You can also use the Present Perfect to talk about change that has happened over time. For instance, you might say something like this: "Cell phones have become a necessity to many people." Or, "My English has gotten better since I started taking English classes." 

Those are two ways that we commonly use the Present Perfect tense. To review other usages of this tense, click here.

Click on the links below to practice the Present Perfect Tense.

Present Perfect Practice #1
Present Perfect Practice #2