or to use grammar references. Here is a list of some of the most common patterns. Remember that an independent clause has a subject and a verb.

Sometime ago, a student in Cambodia preparing for a special English-language scholarship test sent me an e-mail expressing ...

These words can be confusing; they combine the meaning of a verb with the grammar of a noun. My father asked me to phone him. I enjoy talking with my father. Another difficulty is that sometimes ...