Please support our sponsor.
Hi Friend,
Welcome to your GrammarBook.com E-Newsletter.
I am very happy that through your E-Newsletter I have an English teacher in my house every week.
-Sylvia S.
My punctuation had really gotten rusty. Finding your website boosted my confidence. The quizzes are a great way to be sure that I'm on the right track.
-Dona B.
Your Web site and E-Newsletters are really helping me. Please keep them coming.
-Syed T.
As a volunteer tutor at a local high school, I find The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation to be invaluable. The examples are excellent and easy for the students to follow.
-Peter C. |
|
|
English Tip of the Week
Plural and Possessive Forms with Names Ending in y
How do you form the plural of a proper noun that ends in y such as Murphy? Should you change the name to Murphies? Given how other English words ending in y form their plurals, you would think so.
Examples:
puppy / puppies
army / armies
supply / supplies
However, proper nouns are not made plural in the same way common nouns are.
Rule: Do not change the spelling of a name to make it plural. Instead, just add s.
Examples:
I visited the Murphys last weekend.
We have two Zacharys in our office.
What if you want to show possession with a name that ends in y?
Rule: To show singular possession, use the apostrophe and then the s.
Example: I petted Mrs. Murphy’s cat.
Rule: To show plural possession, make the proper noun plural first, then use the apostrophe.
Examples:
I petted the Murphys’ cat.
I visited the Murphys’ store on Main Street.
Rule: To show the plural of a name that ends in s, ch, or z, add es.
Examples:
The Sanchezes will be over soon.
The Thomases moved away.
Pop Quiz
The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter.
- I wish I had known the Kennedys/Kennedies/Kennedy’s better.
- I know three Mary’s/Marys who live in Bangkok.
- Mary’s/Marys dog is very friendly.
- If the Kennedies’/Kennedys’/Kennedy’s home comes up for sale, I will buy it.
- If Mrs. Kennedys’/Kennedy’s home comes up for sale, I will buy it.
- Are the Church’es/Churches/Churche’s your friends?
Free BONUS Quiz For You!
Friend, because you are a subscriber to the newsletter, you get access to one of the Subscription Members-Only Quizzes.
Click here to take your Members-Only Apostrophes Quiz and get your score and explanations instantly!
See bottom of newsletter for a note regarding last week's Tip, "Abbreviations vs. Acronyms vs. Initialisms."
|
- Helpful Feedback. Get detailed feedback for every poem, short story, and book chapter that you write.
- Contests. Over 50 contests are always open and always free to site writers. Participate for cash prizes.
- Rankings. See how you compare to other writers. Online statistics will show you how you are doing.
- Motivation. Participate in an online writing community. Improve your writing and get motivated.
Start getting feedback in less than 5 minutes
|
Upcoming Contest Deadlines
Strong Character
A strong character can make a story. Write a story based on the character pictured in this announcement. The winner of this contest will take away a $100 prize!
Deadline: Tomorrow! - July 15th
Tanka Poetry
For this contest you are challenged to write a Tanka poem. Tanka is a form of poetry with a specific syllable count. See the announcement for an example. This is a contest for poets with a $100 prize.
Deadline: In Six Days! July 20th
Tell a Story in a Poem
In this contest you are challenged to write a poem that tells a story and also rhymes. We've included examples of this type of poetry storytelling in the announcement. $100 prize for the winner of this poetry contest.
Deadline: July 31st
Reviewing Contest
Every month we make a cash prize available to the reviewer that writes the most detailed and helpful reviews. $100 prize to the winner.
Deadline: August 1st
These are only a few of the contests on FanStory.com. View the full listing here.
The BEST way to share your writing
"So convenient...a year's worth of quizzes in one click."
Friend, Subscribe to receive hundreds of English usage quizzes not found anywhere else!
- Take the quizzes online or download and copy them.
- Get scored instantly.
- Find explanations for every quiz answer.
- Reproduce the quizzes to your heart's content.
$29.95 500 logins, unlimited number of users sharing a username and password, no expiration date
$69.95 1 year unlimited logins, unlimited number of users sharing a username and password
NEW SUBSCRIPTION OPTION FOR TEACHERS AND EMPLOYERS!
If You Are A Teacher, Home School Parent, or Employer, Your Life Just Got Easier
$ 99.95
$129.95 1 year of unlimited logins/unlimited number of users with teacher/employer control over quiz assignments. Students’ scores tallied and organized automatically. SPECIAL PRICE UNTIL JULY 11, 2009 JULY 18, 2009. EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND!
Click here to subscribe
Additional Features
- Unlimited number of students/employees may log in from anywhere simultaneously to take quizzes using their own password.
- Quiz results stored and organized in teacher's/employer’s account automatically.
- Access to quizzes and scores under your control – keep private or share with students/employees.
Click here to subscribe
Assign the quizzes or allow your students/employees to work independently. GrammarBook.com does the rest.
- EASY to use.
- No software to download.
- No setup time.
- A real person to help you if you have any questions!
$ 99.95
$129.95 1 year of unlimited logins/unlimited number of users with teacher/employer control over quiz assignments. Students’ scores tallied and organized automatically. SPECIAL PRICE UNTIL JULY 11, 2009 JULY 18, 2009. EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND!
Click here to subscribe
- Makes grading quizzes and explaining answers a thing of the past.
- Makes learning and practicing grammar, punctuation, and word usage FUN.
- Makes testing job applicants a breeze.
- Organizes all data for you.
Scenario: You are a teacher wishing to test 25 students’ understanding of semicolons. You pick a quiz. Your students log in with their own usernames and passwords, take the quiz, and their scores are automatically tallied and stored in your private account. If you wish, with just one click, you can let students see their own scores and quiz explanations. You, the instructor, control all aspects of access.
- Let GrammarBook.com take all the hassle out of teaching English usage.
- Assign online quizzes with just a click.
- See your students' results instantly.
- Short on computers? Prefer having your students/employees take the quizzes by hand? You can download and copy all the quizzes and answer sheets.
Subscribe now
$ 29.95 500 logins, no expiration date
$ 69.95 1 year unlimited logins, unlimited number of users
$ 99.95
$129.95 1 year of unlimited logins/unlimited number of users with teacher/employer control over quiz assignments. Students’ scores tallied and organized automatically. SPECIAL PRICE UNTIL JULY 11, 2009 JULY 18, 2009. EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND!
Subscribe today to receive hundreds of English usage quizzes not found anywhere else!
- Dozens of English Usage Topics including:
- Subject/Verb Agreement
- Problems with Prepositions
- Pronouns including Who/Whom/Whoever/Whomever
- Adjectives and Adverbs including Good vs. Well
- Capitalization
- Writing Numbers
- Punctuation Marks including Commas, Semicolons, Quotation Marks, Hyphens, and Dashes
- Hundreds of Spelling, Vocabulary, and Confusing Words including Affect vs. Effect, Lay vs. Lie, It's vs. Its
Click here to subscribe
"Fun to test my skills!" "The explanations really help...thanks!"
A gold mine for teachers, homeschoolers, and trainers:
- self-paced
- automatic, instant scoring online
- explanations for every answer provided
- every relevant topic covered
- lessons covered from The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation and on this site
- downloadable and reproducible
- one subscription works for an entire family, classroom, or office
Click here to subscribe
"I download the quizzes for my students who don't have computer access."
 |
Don't need all the quizzes at once?
You can now purchase the same quizzes individually for ONLY 99¢ each. Purchase yours here. |
Wordplay
Choose the correct spelling for the following words. This is Part 5 of a multi-part series that will cover 25 of the English language's most commonly misspelled words. Answers are at the bottom of the newsletter. Thanks to Hu O. for sending these in.
A.
- inadvertant
- inadvartant
- inadvartent
- inadvertent
B.
- indispensabel
- indispensible
- indispensable
- indespensible
C.
- liason
- liasson
- liasone
- liaison
Answers to Pop Quiz
Correct answers are in bold.
- I wish I had known the Kennedys/Kennedies/Kennedy’s better.
- I know three Mary’s/Marys who live in Bangkok.
- Mary’s/Marys dog is very friendly.
- If the Kennedies’/Kennedys’/Kennedy’s home comes up for sale, I will buy it.
- If Mrs. Kennedys’/Kennedy’s home comes up for sale, I will buy it.
- Are the Church’es/Churches/Churche’s your friends?
|
Get Amazon’s #1 Bestseller in Four Categories!
#1 in Grammar
#1 in Reading
#1 in Lesson Planning
#1 in Vocabulary
|
|
Get Yours Today! |
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
The Authority on English Grammar!
Do You Have Your Copy Yet?
An indispensible tool for busy professionals, teachers, students, homeschool families, editors, writers, and proofreaders.
Now available in print AND as an e-Book!
Over 2000 copies are purchased every month!
Order Your Copy Today!
- Hundreds of Grammar, Punctuation, Capitalization, and Usage Rules
- Real-World Examples
- Spelling / Vocabulary / Confusing Words
- Quizzes with Answers
View the entire contents online
Discounts available for schools, bookstores, and multiple copies.
Order Today!
Answers to Word Play
Correct answers are in bold.
A.
- inadvertant
- inadvartant
- inadvartent
- inadvertent
B.
- indispensabel
- indispensible
- indispensable
- indespensible
C.
- liason
- liasson
- liasone
- liaison
Note Regarding Last Week's Tip, "Abbreviations vs. Acronyms vs. Initialisms"
Thanks to alert reader Kim E. for asking how lb. can be an abbreviation for the word pound if an abbreviation is defined as a shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase.
This abbreviation is not immediately obvious. As it turns out, lb. is an abbreviation of the Latin word libra meaning scales or balances. The word pound comes from the Latin word pondus meaning "weight."
|
