The Editor’s Manual
Free learning resource on English grammar, punctuation, usage, and style.
English has the “to”-infinitive (or full infinitive) and the bare infinitive. The “to”-infinitive can also appear as a split infinitive.
A gerund acts as a noun, while the present participle form of a verb helps form tenses, acts as an adjective, and appears in participle clauses.
A gerund is a verb form ending in “-ing” that functions as a noun. It can act as subject, object of a verb or a preposition, and subject or object complement. It exhibits both noun- and verb-like qualities.
Standard contractions include those with “not” (“don’t,” “isn’t”), forms of the “be” verb (“I’m,” “she’s”), the “have” verb (“I’ve,” “he’s”), and “will” and “would” (“I’ll,” “you’d”).
Contractions are shortened forms in which some letters are omitted. An apostrophe usually marks the contraction. Here is a list of more than 70 standard contractions in English.
Place quotation marks around direct speech or a quotation. Quotes may also enclose a word or a phrase used ironically or as itself. Quotation marks set off titles of shorter works (like a chapter, article, or poem).
Use commas to integrate closely related information into the flow of the sentence. Use parentheses to set off supplementary information or an afterthought from surrounding text. Use dashes to be emphatic or dramatic and make additional information or an aside stand out.
Use parentheses (or round brackets) to set off supplementary information from surrounding text. Such information should not be essential to the grammar of the sentence. Periods go within parentheses if they belong to the parenthetical matter but outside otherwise.
An abbreviation is the shortened form of a term. It usually comprises the first letters of the words of a phrase or is the contracted form of a word.
Use a colon to introduce a list or a quotation, or to explain and amplify a statement. It directs the reader’s attention to the information that follows. It can also serve as a sign or separator.