When we talk about the "craft of writing," we often think of style, technique and other aspects related to creativity.

While creativity and inspiration are certainly integral considerations for writers seeking success, we should always try to remember the importance of the fundamental tools of writing - like - rules of grammar and punctuation, correct word usage and definitions, and accurate spelling.

In order for writers to utilize the English language proficiently, we must have a comprehensive understanding of several key components.

The eight basic parts of speech:

noun (ex: house, car, boat, mother, child)

verb (ex: run, hit, walk, talk, investigate)

adjective (ex: pretty, happy, intelligent, incredible, stylish)

adverb (ex: quietly, quickly, sadly, shapely, greatly)

pronoun (ex: she, he, we, they, her)

conjunction (ex: and, but, so, or, nor)

interjection (ex: wow!)

preposition (ex: in, at, from, to, on, with)

By definition:

A noun is the name of an object or a concept.

A verb expresses action.

An adjective describes or defines a noun.

An adverb usually modifies a verb, but may also modify an adjective or another adverb, and they frequently end in - ly.

A pronoun is a substitute for a noun.

A conjunction connects words, phrases and clauses.

An interjection is a word that expresses strong emotions.

A preposition is a word that goes with a noun or a pronoun to modify other nouns, pronouns or verbs.

The four most frequently used forms of punctuation:

comma (,)

semi-colon (;)

period (.)

colon (: )

The four kinds of sentence structure:

simple (ex: Jakob ran to the car.)

complex (ex: Jakob ran to the car after the traffic stopped.)

compound (ex: Jakob ran to the car, but he did not drive it.)

compound - complex (ex: Jakob ran to the car after the traffic stopped, but he did not drive it.)

By definition:

A simple sentence has an independent clause and no dependent clauses.

A complex sentence contains an independent and a dependent clause.

A compound sentence contains two independent clauses, which should be separated by a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

A compound-complex sentence has two independent clauses and a dependent clause.

Four basic types of sentences:

declarative (makes a statement)

interrogative (asks a question)

imperative (is a command)

exclamatory (expresses strong emotion)

Seven simple spelling rules:

I before e, except after c, or when sounded like a, as in neighor or weigh: receive, believe etc