Students often need to email professors, teachers, advisers, admissions offices, internship coordinators, or other academic contacts. The challenge is usually not knowing the basic parts of an email. It is knowing what information to include, how formal to sound, and…
Writing an email in English can become difficult before you type the first sentence. You may know what you want to say but still wonder how formal the greeting should be, how quickly to state your purpose, or whether your…
Some sentences contain two objects after the verb, but those objects do not perform the same job. In Daniel sent his sister a message, a message is what Daniel sent, while his sister is the person who received it. A…
In The hallway became quiet, quiet tells us something about the hallway. In Jordan is the new manager, the new manager identifies Jordan rather than referring to a different person. These are subject complements. They give information about the subject…
In the sentence Maya opened the window, the noun phrase the window is directly connected to the verb opened. It tells us what Maya opened and functions as the direct object. Now compare that with Maya waited by the window.…
Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that describe, limit, or clarify meaning in a sentence. They help explain which one, what kind, how, or to what extent. Clear modifier use makes sentences precise. Poor placement can confuse the reader or…
The verb look usually means to direct your eyes towards something. Add a short word, however, and the meaning changes. You might look into a problem or look over a document before sending it. These combinations are common in conversations,…
Every sentence needs a subject. It’s the part that tells us who or what the sentence is about. The subject is the foundation that connects directly to the verb and gives the sentence meaning. Whether it’s one word or a…
An adjective clause is a type of dependent clause that modifies a noun or pronoun. It begins with a relative pronoun or relative adverb and includes a subject and a verb. Although it cannot stand alone, it gives important or…