Grammar Basics for Writers: Understanding the Terms Editors Use

If editor comments feel like a foreign language, you’re in very good company. This guide is a gentle walk through the building blocks of grammar and the terminology editors use, explained in everyday language. No red pen. No embarrassment. Just clarity.

Not all writers arrive at the page with the same learning history. Some were taught grammar thoroughly at school. Some absorbed it through reading. Others never really had it explained in a way that made sense. And then — one day — an editor sends feedback saying things like:

“There’s a tense shift here.”
“Watch your subject–verb agreement.”
“This clause is dependent.”
“You’ve used passive voice.”

If those comments feel like a foreign language, you’re in very good company.

This guide is a gentle walk through the building blocks of grammar and the terminology editors use, explained in everyday language. No red pen. No embarrassment. Just clarity.

What Is Grammar, Really?

Grammar is simply the system that helps words work together so meaning is clear.

Dog bites man.
The dog bites the man.
The man bites the dog.

Same words. Different grammar. Completely different meaning. So, editors focus on grammar not to be fussy — but to ensure readers never stumble over confusion.

Parts of Speech — The Job of Words

Every word in a sentence has a job. Editors call these parts of speech. Let’s consider them.

Nouns — Naming Words:A noun names a person, place, thing or idea, For example: writer, Brisbane, laptop, courage.

Tip:If you can place “the” in front of it, it’s probably a noun.

Pronouns — The Stand-In Words:Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition. These are words like I, you, he, she, they, it, who, which, that.

Tip:Editors often use the term pronoun clarity. This means it must be clear what the pronoun refers to. Here is an example:

You wrote: Katy handed the book to June. She smiled.

Editor will ask: “Who smiled?” (The editor is asking for pronoun clarity.)

Verbs — Action or Being Words:Verbs show what’s happening. They are words such as write, run, think, is, was, were.

Tip:Editors often use the term tense consistency. This means they want you to stay in the past or the present (unless of course you are changing tenses deliberately). Here is an example:

You wrote: She walks to the door and opened it.

Editor will say: That’s a tense shift because walks is present tense and opened is past tense. They don’t match, so the sentence feels inconsistent.

Adjectives — Describing Words:Their job is to describe nouns ie the red book or a nervous writer. If an editor uses the term over-modificationin their feedback to you, what they are saying is that you are using too many describing words (adjectives) in a row. For example:

Too many adjectives:The tiny, fluffy, bright-white, soft, adorable, sleepy puppy curled up on the couch.

Improved version:The tiny, fluffy puppy curled up on the couch.

Adverbs — Describing the Description:These words are put to work to describe verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. For example: She writes quickly or He is very tired.

You wrote: She ran very quickly.

Editor will say: This is adverb dependence because you are relying on adverbs instead of strong verbs. Let’s break it down:

quickly = adverb (tells how she ran)
very = adverb modifying another adverb (tells how quickly)

So the second adverb (very) depends on the first to complete the meaning. Hence, adverb dependence.

Prepositions — Position Words:These are words such as: on, in, under, beside, after, before. Their job is to show relationships in space or time.

Conjunctions — Joining Words:These words include: and, but, or, because, although.

You wrote: I wanted to go to the beach and it was sunny and my friend was free and we forgot to pack sunscreen and we got burnt.

Editor will say: This is a run-on sentence. In short, they are saying that your sentence keeps adding ideas with conjunctions (and) but never pauses or separates them properly.

They may propose a clean, clear, and properly punctuated version such as: I wanted to go to the beach. It was sunny, my friend was free, and we forgot to pack sunscreen — so we got burnt.

Sentence Structure — What Makes a Sentence Work

A complete sentence needs:

A subject (who or what)
A verb (what happens)

If one is missing the editor will call it a Sentence fragment. Let’s explain further:

You Wrote: Laughing loudly at the clown.

Editor will ask: Who is laughing loudly at the clown? Becausethe subject is missing, so this is only a fragment of a sentence (a sentence fragment).

They may suggest a complete sentence such as: The child laughed loudly at the clown.

Clauses — Sentences Inside Sentences

A clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb.

Independent clausescan stand alone as a complete sentence. For example: I love writing.

Dependent clauses cannot stand alone. They need an independent clause to make sense. An example of a dependent clause is: because it calms me.

You can combine these clauses together, for example: I love writing because it calms me. However, if an editor mentions a floating clause, they are referring to a dependent clause that isn’t properly attached to an independent clause, such as: because it calms me.

Subject–Verb Agreement

Subject–verb agreement means the subject and verb must match. If the subject is one, the verb is singular. If the subject is more than one, the verb is plural. For example:

The writer writes every day. (one writer → writes)
The writers write every day. (more than one → write)

If this doesn’t happen, editors call it subject–verb disagreement errors — when the subject and verb don’t match. For Example:

The writer write every day.
The writers writes every day.

Modifiers — Words That Describe

A modifier is a word or phrase that describes something in a sentence. For example:

She read the book quietly.(The word quietly describes how she read).

When the describing word is in the wrong spot, so it describes the wrong thing, it is called a misplaced modifier. For example:

She read the book wearing headphones. (This sounds like the book is wearing headphones! The correct version would be: Wearing headphones, she read the book.)

Tip:Use this simple rule:Put describing words next to what they describe.

Passive Voice

In passive voice, the subject receives the action.

Passive Voice: The book was written by Katy.

Active Voice: Katy wrote the book.

Editors don’t ban passive voice — they simply flag overuse of passive constructions because they can weaken clarity.

Point of View (POV)

Who is telling the story.

First person: I, we
Third person: he, she, they

If and editors says that there is a POV shift, they mean the story’s viewpoint is jumping between narrators when it shouldn’t.

Dialogue Punctuation

Editors often correct:

Commas inside quotation marks
New paragraph for new speaker
Tag placement

“I’m tired,” June said.
“I’m tired.” June said. ❌

Simple rule:When a sentence of dialogue is followed by said, use a comma inside the quotation marks, not a full stop.

Punctuation — The Road Signs

Full stop — ends a statement
Comma — creates pause or separates ideas
Apostrophe — possession or contraction
Semicolon — joins closely linked sentences

If an editor notes a comma splice, they meantwo complete sentences have been joined with only a comma, which is incorrect.

Incorrect:
I love writing, it relaxes me.

Correct options:
I love writing. It relaxes me.
I love writing, and it relaxes me.
I love writing; it relaxes me.

Common Editing Terms You Might See

Editor Comment	Meaning
Fragment	Incomplete sentence
Run-on	Too many ideas joined
Tense shift	Past/present inconsistency
POV shift	Narrative viewpoint change
Passive construction	Overuse of “was / were” structures
Misplaced modifier	Description attached to wrong word
Pronoun ambiguity	Unclear pronoun reference
Redundant phrasing	Saying the same thing twice
Wordiness	Too many unnecessary words

None of these are personal failings. They are simply areas for polishing.

Why Grammar Matters

Grammar doesn’t create imagination. But it carries imagination safely to the reader. Think of it as road rules — they don’t make the journey exciting, but they prevent crashes.

If any of this feels unfamiliar, you are not behind. You are simply learning a craft language — the same way musicians learn notation or chefs learn knife terms.

One concept at a time.
One sentence at a time.

That is how confident writers grow.

Simple Grammar Sayings for Writers

If it describes what someone does → use an adverb.
If it describes what someone is or feels → use an adjective.

Describe the noun with adjectives.
Describe the action with adverbs.

Keep your verb tenses consistent in a sentence.

One strong describing word is better than three weak ones.

If a sentence sounds clunky when read aloud, simplify it.

A noun names it.
A verb does it.
An adjective paints it.
An adverb moves it.

Show the action. Don’t bury it in description.

Put commas where you naturally pause when speaking.

Short sentences add punch. Long sentences add flow. Mix them.

If removing a word doesn’t change the meaning — cut it.

Dialogue sounds like people speak, not like essays.

Start sentences in different ways to keep rhythm.

Strong verbs reduce the need for extra adjectives.

If it feels confusing, it probably is — rewrite.

What Is Grammar, Really?

Parts of Speech — The Job of Words

Common Editing Terms You Might See

Why Grammar Matters

Simple Grammar Sayings for Writers

Further Reading