Schooled

It's that time of year again. The leaves are turning, the weather is cooler and the new school year is well underway.

I find it unfair that children get to be the only ones who get to spend most of their day in a learning environment. As adults we should continue to strive for further education. Since I do a fair amount of writing for work and pleasure (and because I am terrible with any number or math related concept) I thought it would be great to brush up on my rules of grammar and language.

After all, the art of good conversation and writing are essential for proper etiquette.

Today's grammar instruction is featured from William Strunk and E.B. White's essential guide The Elements of Style. Starting at the very beginning; I wanted review the parts of speech. Some of these have long escaped me.

• Appositive: A noun or pronoun phrase that renames or adds identifying information to a noun it immediately follows.
  
  My dog, Gatsby, has very short legs.
• Colloquialism: A word or expression appropriate to informal conversation but not usually suitable for academic or business writing. Colloquialisms are closely related to slang terms, though not necessarily as informal.
  
  Dude, where's my car?
  
• Compound sentence: Two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or) a correlative (both/ and, either/ or, neither/ nor), or a semicolon.
  
  Grammar may be dull to some, but poor language is annoying to listen to.
  
• Gerund: The -ing form of a verb that functions as a noun.
  
  Writing, Teaching, Beatboxing