Technical Writing - A Brief Introduction to English Basic Grammar Rules

Our technical writers usually don't stop thinking about any grammar rules, just as drivers never think about how carburetor or alternator works. But sometimes I will receive a letter from the reader asking about various gram issues. So let's review some of the basic rules of English grammar for review.

Subject - verb - object

The complete sentence of English is no simpler than this. I love you. I am the subject. Love is a verb. You are the object. The best sentences in technical writing adhere to this basic format, although it is not always possible to write in such a simple way.

a PRONOUN from

 It is a "placeholder" for nouns. When you call yourself "I" instead of using your full name and last name, you are using pronouns.

a hypothesis from

 Is the connective tissue between two words or clauses. There are dozens of prepositions in English, such as "on", "under", "before", "after", "with", "without", "in", "at", "for", "until, etc" .

VERBS "must" and "own" must agree to SUBJECT

The subject is singular or plural. If we use personal pronouns, they are also divided into first, second and third person cases, each with its singular and plural variants. The verbs of a sentence must be consistent with the subject matter.

The store is closed. [but] the store is closed.
I'm okay. [But] we are fine.
This building has a window. [However, the building has windows.

An adjective from

 Describe/qualify NOUN.

The bus stopped.
She made an urgent appeal for more funds.

An advertisement from

 Describe/qualify VERB.

The bus stopped [verb].
She emerged [verb] for more money.

Infinite form of verb from

 The one that starts with "to" without any distortion. "writing" is indeterminate. "Writing" is a simple variant of its past.

Split infinity from

 It is a strict grammarist who has been warning. This happens when an adverb is used after the infinitive "to".

"Quickly summarize this question..." [Correct: "Quickly summarize the problem,..."]
"We agree not to believe his argument..." [Correct: "We agree not to summarize his argument..."]

Verbs in the form of GERUND from

 The one that ends with "-ing" and usually acts as a noun. Although "shopping" is used as a noun, it is actually the naming form of the verb "shopping."

Participle from

 Is a specific form of present or past used as a verb of reflection.

"His DEPLETED bank account..."
"Our ambition..."
"Cooking instructions..."

DINGLING PARTICIPLE from

 This happens when we cannot say the correct subject of a verb because the word segmentation is improperly placed in the sentence.

"The rubble was burned and the firemen were separated by the ashes of the house." What is "burning the rubble" is of course the house, not the firefighters. A better judgment is: "Firefighters divided by the ashes of the house are burned into rubble."

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