Sentence Fragments, Subject Verb Agreement, Tense Sequence and Pronoun ReferenceSequence and Pronoun Reference

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Lesson One:

SENTENCE FRAGMENTS

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Sentence Fragments

What is a sentence fragment?A fragment is an incomplete sentence. It will begin with a capital letter and end with a period but will not include the three necessary components of ainclude the three necessary components of a sentence: a verb, a subject, and a complete thought.

Fixing a sentence fragment:Fixing a sentence fragment:1) Look for a subject and a verb; if either one is missing,

add it.2) Look at the verb phrase Is the verb phrase missing 12) Look at the verb phrase. Is the verb phrase missing 1

or more helping verbs? If so, add it.3) Is there a complete thought? If not, look for

subordinating conjunctions and remove them

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subordinating conjunctions and remove them.

Sentence Fragments

Try this example.

John working John working extra hard on extra hard on extra hard on extra hard on his hook shot his hook shot in practicein practicein practice.in practice.

Is there a subject and a verb?Is there verb phrase complete?

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complete?

Sentence Fragments

How do we fix it?

JohnJohn is is working extra working extra JohnJohn is is working extra working extra hard on his hook shot hard on his hook shot i tii tiin practice.in practice.

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Sentence Fragments

Additional tips to outsmarting fragments:1) Avoid prepositional phrases that only look like they

contain verbs.Immediately after the end of the practice session Immediately after the end of the practice session y py pand while watching the highlight reels of the last and while watching the highlight reels of the last year during the last few minutes of the evening.year during the last few minutes of the evening.

2) Look out for long subordinate clauses that look like sentences but do not express a complete thought.John was a great ball player But knew that heJohn was a great ball player But knew that heJohn was a great ball player. But knew that he John was a great ball player. But knew that he really needed to work on his fundamentalsreally needed to work on his fundamentals.

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Sentence Fragments

Try these sentences on your own:

If the football team does not win this year's state championship. The coach has agreed to eat his shoes.eat his shoes.Alicia, playing with the neighbor's new puppies, found it difficult to arrive home in time to eat with her family.Whenever Mrs. Paul gives tests on Wednesdays, Kyle finds an excuse to be absent.Because of a misunderstanding and the difficulty in getting transportation from the island before the storm reached shore.M l i h t d b id th f il d i

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Melanie, who stood beside the family during times of trouble, disappointment, and financial difficulty.

Lesson Two:

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

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Subject-Verb Agreement

What is subject-verb agreement?It is a grammar rule that says that present tense verbs must agree with their subjects. A singular subject thus requires a singular verb, and a plural subject requires q g , p j qa plural verb. Singular verbs end in s or es.

Fixing a SVA error:Fixing a SVA error:1) Find the simple subject. Is it singular or plural?2) Find the simple verb. Is it singular or plural?3) Change the number of the verb if the subject and verb3) Change the number of the verb if the subject and verb

do not agree.

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Subject-Verb Agreement

Try this example.

The doctor at The doctor at the veterinary the veterinary the veterinary the veterinary office in the office in the city give my dog city give my dog city give my dog city give my dog check ups.check ups.What is the subject andWhat is the subject and a verb?Do they agree?

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Do they agree?

Subject-Verb Agreement

How do we fix it?

The doctors at The doctors at the the veterinary veterinary veterinary veterinary office in the office in the city city givegive my my dog check dog check dog check dog check ups.ups. 56

Subject-Verb Agreement

Additional tips to outsmarting agreement errors:1) Ignore parts of sentences that are not essential but

that can be confusing.The sick The sick dogdog as well as all of the injured ones as well as all of the injured ones gg jjsleepssleeps in the kennel overnight.in the kennel overnight.

2) Treat indefinite pronouns as singular Do not be2) Treat indefinite pronouns as singular. Do not be confused by wording in prepositional phrases.EachEach of the dogs in the park of the dogs in the park usesuses the same the same veterinarianveterinarianveterinarian.veterinarian.

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Subject-Verb Agreement

Try these sentences on your own:Every evening a mother raccoon along withEvery evening, a mother raccoon along with her three cubs (tips, tip) over the garbage cans and (strews, strew) trash allover the backyard.

During a typical Florida summer, both the g yp ,blazing sun and the heavy traffic (makes, make) driving without an air conditioner a dreadful experience.

Every one of Sarah's brothers (has, have) a big truck, (wears, wear) a cowboy hat and boots, and (lives, live) in Texas, but they all (prefers, prefer) classical music over country.(p p ) y

A pair of nutcrackers as well as a small mallet (makes, make) eating crab legs messy but less frustrating.

Either of these two computer classes (is, are) necessary for future programmers or wannabe hackers.

Lesson Three:

PRONOUN REFERENCE

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Pronoun Reference

What is pronoun reference?Each pronoun must refer clearly to a single antecedent. Sometimes the reference is unclear, creating an error in pronoun reference.

Fixing a Pronoun Reference error:Fixing a Pronoun Reference error:1) Find the pronoun or pronouns in the sentence.2) Is the antecedent of the pronoun clear? Can more

than one noun be confused as the antecedent?than one noun be confused as the antecedent?3) Rewrite the sentence to make the pronoun reference

more clear.

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Pronoun ReferenceTry this example.

Li t ld S h Li t ld S h Lisa told Sarah Lisa told Sarah that Johnny that Johnny

ll d h ft ll d h ft called her after called her after the dance.the dance.

Who did Johnny call?Who did Johnny call? Lisa or Sarah?

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Pronoun Reference

How do we fix it?

Lisa told Sarah that Lisa told Sarah that J h ll d Li J h ll d Li Johnny called Lisa Johnny called Lisa after the dance.after the dance.

ororororLisa told Sarah, Lisa told Sarah,

“Johnny called me “Johnny called me Johnny called me Johnny called me after the dance.”after the dance.”

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Pronoun ReferenceTry this example.

J ld J ld Jason sold a Jason sold a car at the yard car at the yard

l th t l th t sale that was sale that was his his grandmother’sgrandmother’sgrandmother’s.grandmother’s.

Was granny having theWas granny having the yard sale? Or, was she the one who originally

d th ?63

owned the car?

Pronoun Reference

How do we fix it?

Jason sold a car at Jason sold a car at hi d th ’ hi d th ’ his grandmother’s his grandmother’s yard sale.yard sale.

ororororJason sold his Jason sold his

grandmother’s car grandmother’s car grandmother s car grandmother s car at the yard sale.at the yard sale.

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Pronoun ReferenceTry this example.

I would never I would never I would never I would never become a become a mailman, mailman, b b because you because you have to walk in have to walk in the hot sun all the hot sun all the hot sun all the hot sun all day.day.What is the pronoun?What is the pronoun?Does it agree with the antecedent?

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antecedent?

Pronoun Reference

How do we fix it?

I would never I would never b il b il become a mailman become a mailman because I would because I would have to do too have to do too have to do too have to do too much walking in much walking in the hot sun.the hot sun.

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Pronoun Reference

Pronoun Reference Rules:1) Avoid having two words that can be the antecedent.

2) Put who, which or that clauses directly after the word2) Put who, which or that clauses directly after the word they describe.

3) Do not let a pronoun refer to a possessive noun3) Do not let a pronoun refer to a possessive noun.

4) Do not use you unless you mean the reader specifically.

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Pronoun Reference

Try these sentences on your own:If ill i f d i iIf your cat will not eat its food, give it to the German shepherd that lives next door.

People should avoid driving convertible automobiles because you can get easily decapitated in a traffic accident.

Mr. Barclay told his student Fred that heMr. Barclay told his student Fred that he needed to write a five-page report for tomorrow.

The ice skater's tights split during aThe ice skater s tights split during a competition, embarrassing both him and the audience.

d i d i h fDon wanted an ice cream sandwich from the refrigerator that he was dreaming about.

Lesson Seven:

PARALLELISM

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Parallelism

Unskillful writers often violate this principle, from a mistaken belief that they should constantlyvary the form of their expressions.

It is true that in repeating a statement in order to emphasize it writers may have need to vary its f B t t f thi it h ld f llform. But apart from this, writers should follow carefully the principle of parallel construction.

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Parallelism

F l i t ht b thFormerly, science was taught by the textbook method, while now the l b t th d i l dlaboratory method is employed.

Formerly, science was taught by the t tb k th d it i t ht b thtextbook method; now it is taught by the laboratory method.

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Parallelism

Th F h th It liThe French, the Italians,Spanish, and Portuguese

The French, the Italians, the Spanish, and the Portugueseand the Portuguese

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Parallelism

In spring, summer, or in winter

In spring, summer, or winter

OR

In spring, in summer, or in winter

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Parallelism

In spring, summer, or in winter

In spring, summer, or winter

OR

In spring, in summer, or in winter

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Parallelism

Correlative expressions p• both, and; • not but;• not, but; • not only, but also; • either, or; • first, second,

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Parallelism

Correlative expressions p• both, and; • not but;• not, but; • not only, but also; • either, or; • first, second,

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ParallelismIt was both a long ceremony and very tedious.The ceremony was both long and tedious.y g

A time not for words, but action A time not for words but for actionA time not for words, but for action.

Either you must grant his request or incur his ill will.i h hi i hi ill illYou must either grant his request or incur his ill will.

My objections are, first, the injustice of the measure; y j , , j ;second, that it is unconstitutional.My objections are, first, that the measure is unjust; second that it is unconstitutional

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second, that it is unconstitutional.