Every rule, and how hard it binds

228 rules match. Showing 1–25.

1. GRM-001 Subject–verb number agreement IF a finite clause has an expressed subject AND neither quoted dialect nor an agreement exception applies, THEN align the finite verb with the subject in number ELSE retain. Hard constraint
2. GRM-002 Compound subject agreement IF two or more singular subject heads are coordinated by AND, THEN use plural agreement ELSE evaluate the coordinator. Hard constraint
3. GRM-003 Or/nor proximity agreement IF subject alternatives are joined by OR or NOR, THEN agree with the closest subject OR rewrite when the result sounds unstable ELSE retain. Context default
4. GRM-004 Pronoun–antecedent agreement IF a pronoun refers to an antecedent AND the antecedent is known, THEN align person and number while respecting singular THEY ELSE request the missing referent. Hard constraint
5. GRM-005 Unambiguous pronoun reference IF a pronoun has two or more plausible antecedents OR none, THEN replace it with the intended noun phrase ELSE retain. Hard constraint
6. GRM-006 Stable grammatical person IF a passage shifts person without changing speaker, audience, or viewpoint, THEN restore the established person ELSE preserve the motivated shift. Context default
7. GRM-007 Tense consistency within a time frame IF tense changes but event time and narrative viewpoint do not, THEN restore the established tense ELSE keep the meaningful time shift. Context default
8. GRM-008 Sequence of tenses IF a dependent clause is temporally related to a governing clause, THEN select tense and aspect that express the intended ordering ELSE do not normalize automatically. Hard constraint
9. GRM-009 Complete comparative relation IF a comparison can attach to more than one comparison set, THEN state the full set or rewrite ELSE retain. Hard constraint
10. GRM-010 Like for nouns; as for clauses IF the comparison complement contains a finite clause, THEN prefer AS or AS IF; IF it is a noun phrase, LIKE is available ELSE retain idiom. Context default
11. GRM-011 Article required for singular count noun IF a singular count noun is used referentially AND lacks a determiner, THEN add the contextually correct determiner ELSE retain. Hard constraint
12. GRM-012 A/an follows sound IF an indefinite article precedes a singular noun phrase, THEN choose A before a consonant sound OR AN before a vowel sound ELSE retain. Hard constraint
13. GRM-013 Countability-compatible quantifier IF a quantifier conflicts with the noun’s countability, THEN replace the quantifier or recast the noun ELSE retain. Hard constraint
14. GRM-014 Case for coordinated pronouns IF a pronoun appears in coordination, THEN assign the case required by its syntactic role, tested without the other conjunct ELSE retain. Hard constraint
15. GRM-015 Reflexive pronoun requires local antecedent IF a reflexive pronoun lacks a compatible local antecedent, THEN replace it with the correct personal pronoun or supply the antecedent ELSE retain. Hard constraint
16. GRM-016 Parallel grammatical form IF coordinated items perform the same function AND use mismatched forms without rhetorical purpose, THEN make their structures parallel ELSE retain. Context default
17. GRM-017 Modifier beside its target IF a modifier can attach to the wrong head, THEN move it beside the intended target or expand the phrase ELSE retain. Hard constraint
18. GRM-018 Repair dangling introductory modifier IF an introductory modifier’s implied actor is not the following subject, THEN make the actor the subject OR expand the modifier into a clause ELSE retain. Hard constraint
19. GRM-019 Logical negation IF two negatives unintentionally cancel into a positive, THEN replace them with the intended positive or single negative ELSE retain deliberate litotes or dialect. Hard constraint
20. GRM-020 Avoid fused participle logic IF an -ing construction implies a cause, sequence, or actor that the sentence does not support, THEN state the relation in a finite clause ELSE retain. Hard constraint
21. PUN-001 Terminate complete sentences IF a prose sentence is complete, THEN end it with a mark matching statement, direct question, or strong exclamation ELSE keep it joined to its governing structure. Hard constraint
22. PUN-002 No comma splice IF two independent clauses are joined only by a comma, THEN add a coordinator, use a semicolon, or make two sentences ELSE retain. Hard constraint
23. PUN-003 Comma before coordinating conjunction IF a coordinating conjunction joins two independent clauses, THEN place a comma before it unless the clauses are very short and unambiguous ELSE retain. Context default
24. PUN-004 Comma after introductory material IF introductory material is long, clausal, or potentially misread, THEN add a comma before the main clause ELSE use the lightest mark that preserves clarity. Context default
25. PUN-005 Set off nonrestrictive material IF a modifier adds nonessential information rather than identifying the referent, THEN set it off with paired punctuation ELSE do not set it off. Hard constraint