1. THE ISLES OF MY PORTFOLIO IN ENGLISH 121(writing in the discipline)

Chapter 1. Avoiding Sentence Errors

Some nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning require a singular verb: economics, news, mathematics, summons, mumps, and so on.

Economics is a social science, not a pure science.

Exceptions: assets, earnings, premises, proceeds, quarters (These plural-form nouns, though singular in meaning, use a plural verb.)

Last year's earnings were up from 2001!

Our greatest assets are our employees

Chapter 2. Levels of Usage  

    I tend to use a formal level of usage, and only occasionally dip into a conversational level of usage. In general I use a formal level of usage for everyday conversation, but there are those days that I just use whatever level of usage that comes out. Whether it be formal, conversational, intimate, or any other level. Most times the meanings of what I say and write are literal to the word's themselves, and not have alternate meanings. As well as with my usage, there are some times in which I use double-meanings, alternate connotations, and figurative language. It just depends on how I feel that day, and who I'm dealing with.


Chapter 3. Verb Usage

A verb is a part of speech that usually denotes action ("bring", "read"), occurrence ("to decompose" (itself), "to glitter"), or a state of being ("exist", "live", "soak", "stand"). Depending on the language, a verb may vary in form according to many factors, possibly including its tense, aspect, mood and voice. It may also agree with the person, gender, and/or number of some of its arguments (what we usually call subject, object, etc.).

Verbs can be conveyed in many ways. Lets look in particular at the word "wear"

She wears a pink dress - This sentence is made up of three main parts, she, being the noun. Wears, being an action or 'doing' word. Pink, describing the noun about to be added to the sentence and, Dress, the noun which pulls all these words together (giving them all one key point) to complete the sentence.

Chapter 4. Pronoun Usage

Nominative case pronouns are used ONLY as subjects or predicate nominatives. Objective case pronouns are used ONLY as direct objects, indirect objects, or objects of prepositions.
Note: An appositive pronoun is nominative case when the appositive renames a subject or a predicate nominative. An appositive pronoun is objective case when it renames a direct object, an indirect object or the object of a preposition.
EXAMPLES
The Queen and I had tea together.
          NOT
The Queen and me had tea together.

    Subject = I
             Use I because it is a nominative case pronoun.

King John and she were friends.
          NOT
King John and her were friends.

     Subject = she
              Use she because it is a nominative case pronoun.

The winner is she.
         NOT
The winner is her.

     Predicate nominative = she
              Use she because it is a nominative case pronoun.

The President gave him the Medal of Honor.

     Indirect object = him
              Use him because it is an objective case pronoun.

The police stopped them at the interstate exit.

     Direct object = them
              Use them because it is an objective case pronoun.

Chapter 5. Subject and Verb Agreement

The basic idea of subject and verb agreement is very simple. You must make sure that both the subject and verb are singular or that both are plural.In this section you will learn to identify singular and plural subjects.You will also learn to determine if a verb is singular or plural.




Chapter 6. Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement

Antecedent  are the nouns ( or the words that take the place of nouns) for which  stand. Although the word antecedents comes from a Latin word meaning "to go before" antecedent often   follows its pronoun. In this section you will learn how to make a pronoun agree with its antecedent.
  
Chapter 7. Adjective and Adverb Usage

Adjectives and adverbs are important parts of speech because , they  describe, add color , clarify, and make   distinctive. A carefully chosen adjective or adverb often turns an ordinary sentence into a superior one.
These modifiers are also important because they are used to make comparison. In the first section  of this chapter, you will learn how to form  the various adjectives and adverb used in comparisons.In the second  section, you will learn how to avoid a number of common usage problems involving comparison.     


  Chapter 8. Miscellaneous Problems in Usage

Writers need to choose their words carefully to make sure that they are not confusing words that sound alike or have similar but slightly different meanings or that they are not using an incorrect word or expression.

Part of the fascination with space travel is the element of the unknown—the conviction that it's different from earthbound experiences. And it is.
—from "Single Room, Earth View" written by astronaut Sally Ride

The sentences correctly used it's (instead of its) and different from (instead ofdifferent than).

Negative Sentences

Do not use two negative words in the same clause. That creates an error called adouble negative.
Double Negative – I can't wait no longer.
Correct – I can't wait any longer.
Correct – I can wait no longer.

The most common negative words are never, no, nobody, none, not, nothing, andnowhere. Other negative words to watch out for are barely, but, hardly, andscarcely.
Double Negative – There isn't but one cookie left.
Correct – There is only one cookie left.
Double Negative – I couldn't hardly wait.
Correct – I could hardly wait.

Common Usage Problems

Many words that have similar meanings, spellings, or sounds are confused for each other. Here are some pairs that give writers and speakers trouble:
accept / except beside / besides set / sit
affect / effect farther / further than / then
all ready / already lay / lie their / there
among / between of / have to / too
bad / badly saw / seen where / that