FAQs about sentence and word structure

Is “on” a prepositional phrase?

“On” is a preposition that can be combined with nouns and modifiers to form prepositional phrases. It has a range of meanings, including the following:

• Place: “Dinner is on the table.”
• Time: “My birthday is on Friday.”

Read this FAQ: Is “on” a prepositional phrase?

Is “with” a prepositional phrase?

With is a preposition that can be combined with nouns and modifiers to form prepositional phrases. It has a few meanings, including the following:

• Who an action is performed with: “I went to the cinema with my brother.”
• A combination of items: “they served tea with milk.”
• What is used to carry out an action: “I wrote the letter with a fountain pen.”
• How something is done: “They danced with skill and grace.”

Read this FAQ: Is “with” a prepositional phrase?

Is “of” a prepositional phrase?

“Of” is a preposition that can be combined with nouns and modifiers to form prepositional phrases. It can express a range of meanings, including the following:

• Possession or relationship: “the wheel of my car.”
• Origin: “people of ancient Mesopotamia.”
• Material, contents, or construction: “a shard of glass.”
• About or relating to: “I told him of my travels.”

Read this FAQ: Is “of” a prepositional phrase?

What are the types of dependent clauses?

There are three types of dependent clauses: adverbial clauses, adjective clauses, and noun clauses. Dependent clauses are categorized into these types based on the role they play in a sentence.

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How can dependent clauses be identified?

Dependent clauses typically begin with a word called a dependent marker. This dependent marker can be either a subordinating conjunction (e.g., “because,” “before,” “unless”) or a relative pronoun (e.g., “that,” “which,” “who”).

Read this FAQ: How can dependent clauses be identified?

When should I use a semicolon to link independent clauses?

Semicolons are a useful way of joining together two independent clauses that are closely related (e.g., “Please take your shoes off; I’ve just mopped the floor”).

You can also use conjunctive adverbs to express the relationship between the clauses, which give insight into how your ideas are connected (e.g., “The experiment yielded unexpected results; moreover, it led to a reevaluation of our hypothesis”).

Semicolons add nuance and sophistication to your writing, but they should not be overused as this can make them less effective in helping information stand out.

Read this FAQ: When should I use a semicolon to link independent clauses?

How are independent clauses linked to other clauses?

Independent clauses can be joined together using a semicolon (e.g., “I love my puppy Coco; she is so much fun”) or a comma and coordinating conjunction, like “and,” “but,” or “so” (e.g., “I wish I could play with Coco all day, but I have to work”).

Less commonly, a colon or an em dash can be used to link two independent clauses (e.g., “Let’s admit what the real problem is here: We haven’t devoted enough time to training”).

Independent clauses can also be joined with dependent clauses to form complex and compound-complex sentences. In a complex sentence, the independent clause is known as the main clause.

QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you use different sentence structures correctly.

Read this FAQ: How are independent clauses linked to other clauses?

What is the difference between an independent clause and a dependent clause?

An independent clause has a subject and a verb and can stand on its own as a complete sentence (e.g., “Puppies are playful”).

A dependent clause must be joined with an independent clause because it does not express a complete thought (e.g., “Puppies are playful because they have a lot of energy”).

Dependent clauses are marked by the use of subordinating conjunctions (e.g., “because,” “although,” “while”) or relative pronouns (e.g., “that,” “which,” “who”).

Read this FAQ: What is the difference between an independent clause and a dependent clause?

Which verbs take indirect objects?

Indirect objects are always optional in English. When they do appear, they always appear alongside a direct object, so they are only used with transitive verbs. Transitive verbs that frequently use an indirect object are called ditransitive verbs (e.g., “sell,” “bring,” “take,” “send, “show”).

Read this FAQ: Which verbs take indirect objects?

What is an example of an indirect object in a sentence?

In sentences, indirect objects receive the direct object and answer the question “for whom?” or “to whom.” For example, in the sentence “I gave the teacher my homework,” “the teacher” is the indirect object. It answers the question “To whom did I give my homework?”

Read this FAQ: What is an example of an indirect object in a sentence?