Let Dr. Mike Zizzi teach you to uplift your world via truly *authentic* writing (and speaking! and listening!) We need more of YOUR voice (not AI's).
Here, you can read the six separate posts that make up Stage 1 of my three-stage system.
In this first stage, you will learn about the essential make-up of a sentence: its core and required “main (or independent) clause” (aka MC). And you’ll learn that this MC is, itself, made up of two required parts, the subject (S) and the Predicate (P).
Further, you’ll learn that both the S and the P come in two forms, “simple” and “complete.” Lastly, you’ll learn about some exceptions to this “master rule” of sentences (that they require at least one MC).
Stage 1-a: The Essence of a Sentence – “Introduction” As I will remind you elsewhere (sorry to nag, but it’s vitally important), your learning will benefit greatly if you read and study my system — all three “stages” — in their sequential order. So start here, then work your way through all the Stage 1…
Read More “Stage 1-a: The Essence of a Sentence – “Introduction”” »
You say you want a “revelation” . . . Apologies to John Lennon, but you, Reader-student, are now about to emerge out of the “Helter Skelter” of your piecemeal knowledge of grammar. And, to get started on the transformation, you can, right now, dig in to the first “stage” of my three-stage program of learning…
Read More “Stage 1-b: What “one thing” does every sentence need?” »
Subjects and predicates — “simple” or “complete”? While we’re defining technical grammatical terms, let me point out that subjects and predicates, both, come in two forms: simple and complete. That’s a pretty minor technicality, but understanding the difference will soon prove helpful. So let’s differentiate. The simple forms of both S and P boil down…
Read More “Stage 1-c: “Simple” vs. “complete” subjects & predicates” »
Presenting . . . a broader view of predicates Get ready to take a closer — and fuller — look at the predicate. Crucially, it makes for “half” of the all-important (not to mention essential) grammatical building block of the sentence, the main clause. Once a sentence writer has named a subject (to be explored…
need a masterpiece here!
Q: Are there exceptions to this “foundational” rule? A: Yes. Before we move on to Stage 2, where we will explore the possibilities (and rules) regarding using more than one main clause in your sentences, let me point out right now that English grammar allows for several quite-common exceptions to our foundational (and I might even…
Read More “Stage 1-f: Exceptions to the rule (that MCs are “essential”)” »