An independent clause (also known as a main clause) is a group of words with a main subject and verb. Independent clauses are complete thoughts and full sentences that can stand by themselves.
Independent clauses can occur on their own or be combined with a variety of dependent clauses to express more complex ideas.
A base word is the smallest part of a word that has meaning and can be used on its own. Base words can be expanded by adding affixes (i.e., prefixes and suffixes) to the beginning and/or end of the word, but they are also complete words that can stand alone.
For example, “misguided” can be broken down into three parts:
prefix
base word
suffix
mis
guide
ed
“Guide” is the base word. It can be used on its own in a sentence and still make sense, and it cannot be broken down further into smaller parts. “Mis,” meaning “wrong,” modifies the base word “guide.” Finally, the “ed” ending is an inflection that indicates that the word is being used in the past tense or as an adjective.
“Ibid.” is a term used in academic writing to cite a source that has already been cited in the text. It’s used to direct the reader to the previous footnote or endnote, where the full citation can be found.
“Ibid.” is the abbreviated form of “ibidem,” a Latin term meaning “in the same place.”
“Et al.” is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase “et alia,” meaning “and others.” It’s commonly used in academic writing when citing a source with multiple authors.
How “et al.” is used depends on the style guide you are following. Three of the most common style guides, MLA, APA, and Chicago, each have slightly different rules regarding how to use “et al.”
A root word is the most basic part of a word and does not have any affixes (i.e., prefixes or suffixes) attached. A root word is the fundamental unit of a word and forms the basis for a word family, or all the words that can be created using the root word.
A root word can be built on using prefixes (e.g., “pre-”, “de-,” “anti-”) and suffixes (e.g., “-able”/“-ible,” “-tion,” “-ly”). Adding prefixes or suffixes to root words creates new words.
For example, the word “proportionate” is made up of these components:
pro
portion
ate
prefix
root word
suffix
A root word like “portion” is the basis of a word family that includes many other words, such as “improportion,” “disproportional,” and “proportionality.” Word families contain words that share similar spelling as well as meaning.
Coordinate adjectives are two or more adjectives of equal importance that describe the same noun or pronoun. Coordinate adjectives are separated by either commas or the word “and.”
A simple sentence is a single independent clause with a subject and predicate. Simple sentences convey a complete thought, but they do not contain any dependent clauses (also known as subordinate clauses).
A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is separated from what it is intended to modify in a sentence. Misplaced modifiers can create ambiguity or change the meaning of the sentence.
In the example above, the modifier “dressed in costumes” modifies the noun “the streets.” This implies that the streets are wearing costumes rather than the children.
To fix this mistake, the modifier needs to be moved next to the words it modifies: “the children.”
Boolean operators are the words and symbols used to narrow or expand a search on a database. Examples of Boolean operators include “AND,” “OR,” and “NOT.” A Boolean search is therefore a search that uses Boolean operators.
Boolean operators are used together with keywords to form a Boolean string that makes your search more precise. This enables the database to identify the most pertinent sources.
Plagiarism occurs when you use another person’s words, ideas, or information without correctly citing the source. Plagiarism can sometimes be intentional, but usually it is accidental, resulting from incorrect citation practices or forgetfulness.
Academic writing involves using others’ work to support your claims or provide background information. Any time you refer to another author’s work, you must cite the source.
Strategies to avoid plagiarism include:
Making a list of all the sources you use in your research (a citation generator can make this task easier)
Paraphrasing or quoting sources (a paraphrasing tool can help, and you can elaborate with your own ideas)
Giving credit to the original author both with an in-text citation and in the reference list
Being responsible with the use of generative AI tools (AI-produced texts may be recognized by an AI Detector)
Plagiarism, whether accidental or otherwise, can have serious consequences. As such, it is vital to be careful with how you cite borrowed material in your text.