Embedded Files
Comma Splices
Comma Splices
A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined together with a comma.
I enjoy walking through the country, I often go backpacking on the weekends.
How do I fix a comma splice?
Use a period.
I enjoy walking through the country. I often go backpacking on the weekends.
Use a conjunction
I enjoy walking through the country, so it's not surprising that I often go backpacking on the weekends.
Use a semicolon
I enjoy walking through the country; I often go backpacking on the weekends.
Use a dash
I enjoy walking through the country_I often go backpacking on the weekends.
FUSED SENTENCES
FUSED SENTENCES
Often known as "run-on sentences," fused sentences occur when two independent clauses are joined together.
I enjoy walking through the country I often go backpacking on the weekends.
Parallel Structure
Use parallel structure when linking words with than or as.
Fix the grammar and spelling errors in these sentences:
Its easier to share an opinion then listening to the advice of others.
Mother could not convince me that giving is as much joy as to recieve.
Misplaced Modifiers
MISPLACED
The ambassador returned to the clinic where he underwent heart surgery in 2002 in a limousine sent by the Prime Minister's Office.
REVISED
Traveling in a limousine sent by the Prime Minister's Office, the ambassador returned to the clinic where he underwent heart surgery in 2002.
CLICK HERE to see some examples.
Fix the grammar and spelling in these Sentences:
Their are many photos of musicians who have preformed at Gavin's on the walls.
The theif was described as a 185-cm-tall man with a moustache weighing 70 kilos.
From Wordy to Concise
Rewrite these sentences so they are more concise.
1. He dropped out of school on account of the fact that it was necessary for him to help support his family.
2. It is expected that the new schedule will be announced by the bus company within the next few days.
3. There are many ways in which a student who is interested in meeting foreign students may come to know one.
1. He dropped out of school to support his family.
2. The bus company will probably announce its schedule during the next few days.
3. Any student who wants to meet foreign students can do so in many ways.
Awkwardly Placed Modifiers
As a rule, sentences should flow without lengthy detours along the way. At times, split infinitives can be awkward.
Fix these Sentences:
My brother, after doctors told him he would never walk again, initiated an intense program of rehabilitation.
Patients should try to, if possible, avoid going up and down stairs.
Shifts in Point of View
Fix these Sentences:
One week, our class met in a junkyard to practice rescuing a victim trapped in a wrecked car. We learned to dismantle the car using the correct tools. You were graded on your speed and your skill in extricating the victim.
Everyone should purchase a lift ticket unless you plan to spend most of your time walking or crawling up a steep hill.
Shifts in Verb Tense
Fix the Grammar and spelling in these Sentences:
There was no way I could fight the current and win. Just as I was loosing hope a stranger jump's off a passing boat and swims towards me.
The stone angle is a marker indicating where my grandfather is buried, yet it was also a metaphore for his kindness .
Avoid Mixed Constructions
Fix the Grammar in these Sentences:
For most drivers who have a blood alcohol level of .05 percent double their risk of causing an accident.
Although I feel that Mr. Drew is an excellent boss, but a few changes in his approach would benefit both him and his employees.
Avoid is when, is where, and reason ... is because constructions
These types of constructions often lead to wordy or grammatically incorrect sentences.
Wrong: A simile is when one object is compared with another.
Right: A simile is a figure of speech in which one object is compared with another.
Fix the Grammar in these Sentences:
Anorexia Nervosa is where people diet to the point of starvation.
The reason I missed the party is because my motorcycle broke down.
Combine Choppy Sentences
CHOPPY
The huts vary in height. They measure from three to five feet in diameter. They contain no modern conveniences.
IMPORVED
The huts, which vary in height and measure from three to five feet in diameter, contain no modern conveniences.
Fix the Grammar in these Sentences:
Agnus was another student I worked with. She was a bright child.
My sister owes much of her recovery to a body program. She began the program three years ago.
Problems With Pronouns
Fix the Grammar in these Sentences:
A medical student must study hard if they want to succeed.
The jury has reached their decision.
Exercise #1
Exercise #1
Fix the errors in these sentences:
Fix the errors in these sentences:
Jupiter is larger then any other planet in the solar system, its made up of gasses.
Jen preferred restaurants in Fergus than in Guelph.
Some say Joe Chans remakes of Elvis songs are better then any other singers.
Exercise #2
Exercise #2
Edit or improve these sentences:
Edit or improve these sentences:
Although some students forget there lunches. They can get a snack at the Breakfast Club.
I don't like when the classroom is too quiet, I don't like when its too loud either.
It was determined by seven members of the committee that the report was inconclusive.
Exercise #3
Exercise #3
Edit and Fix the errors in these sentences:
Edit and Fix the errors in these sentences:
1/3 of the applicants failed the entrance exam to the school.
As the Mercedes sped downhill she slammed on the brakes.
The soundtrack will have been completely remixed by the engineers by then.
Exercise #4
Exercise #4
Edit and fix the errors in these sentences:
Edit and fix the errors in these sentences:
Edwardo scoring 40 goals this season is the reason why he was awarded the gold medal by our coach.
Sasha is the captain of the soccer team, she is the strongest player on the team, she score's alot of goals.
25% of the class lives in Elora, the rest of the class is from Guelph.
Exercise #5
Exercise #5
EDIT and fix the errors in these sentences:
EDIT and fix the errors in these sentences:
Jane Smith makes some interesting claims. "A Duck's quack doesn't echo". (Smith, pg. 5)
"Cheese is the most stolen food in the world." (Smith, 38) This quote shows just how popular cheese is.
In an article Jane Smith writes that snails can sleep for three years without even having a bit of food in their stomachs. She writes, “Snails can sleep for three years without eating.” (Smith, 45)
Another example of Carlos being violent is when, in chapter 2 of the book on page 3, Carlos says, "You can't talk to me like that again and I'll burn the house down." (44) He says this right after his grandfather orders him to leave. A person has to be pretty violent to threaten to burn down a house.
Exercise #6
Exercise #6
Modifiers should point clearly to the words they modify. If the modifiers appear at some distance from the modifiers, the meaning of the sentence can become unclear. Fix these sentences:
The ambassador returned to the clinic where he underwent heart surgery in a limousine.
There are many photographs of comedians who have performed at Gavin's on the walls.
The thief was described as a 6 foot tall man with a moustache weighing 200 pounds.
Exercise #7
Exercise #7
Fix the awkwardly placed modifiers and other errors in these sentences.
Fix the awkwardly placed modifiers and other errors in these sentences.
My brother, after doctors told him he would never walk again, initiated an intensive program of rehabilitation.
Patients should try to, if possible, avoid going up and down stairs.
Exercise #8
Exercise #8
A dangling modifier fails to logically refer to any word in the sentence. It may suggest, but not name, an actor. Fix the dangling modifiers and any other errors in these sentenes:
Upon seeing the barricade, our car screeched to a halt.
Opening the window to let out a huge bumble bee, the car accidentally swerved into a telephone pole.
Exercise #9
Exercise #9
Make these wordy sentences more concise:
Make these wordy sentences more concise:
The reason why he came to Douglas College was because it wasn't expensive in price.
Despite the fact that she was feeling ill, she came to the conclusion that she would go to work.
She talked to him in a loud, angry voice.
Exercise #10
Exercise #10
Edit these sentences so they are error-free and more concise:
Edit these sentences so they are error-free and more concise:
She went to the store and bought 2 loafs of bread, she also picked up some milk. She also got a newspaper.
The reason Terry Fox is perhaps one of Canadas greatest modern heroes because of the fact that he did something amazing even though he was disabled and had lost his leg.
While he was recovering from the amputation, Terry Fox came up with the idea of the “Marathon of Hope”, which he hoped would help him to make a lot of money for cancer research so that cancer could be cured.
Exercise #11
Exercise #11
Add a passage of "showing" to these sentences:
Add a passage of "showing" to these sentences:
Telling: The dog was really hungry.
Showing:Telling: She had a lot of clutter in her room.
Showing:Telling: The shop owner was rude.
Showing:Telling: The student sitting beside me looked annoyed.
Showing:
Exercise #12
Exercise #12
Example: Show me that Arnold is bored in his classroom without telling me he is bored in his classroom.
Arnold slumped at his desk. He checked the clock—it was 10:26. The teacher was rambling on and on. Arnold looked at the backs of the students' heads. If only he had his phone, or some ear phones. He checked the clock again--still 10:26.
Show me that Hanish is eager to learn in his science class without telling me he is eager to learn in his science class.
Example: Hanish wrote quickly, making sure he didn't miss a word the teacher was saying. He wished the students behind him would stop whispering. He wondered how they could be so calm when they had a test on plant cells tomorrow. He didn't understand how they could live with themselves if they only got a "B" on their reportcards. "Idiots" he thought.
Exercise #13
Exercise #13
Example: Show me that math makes Carlos angry.
Carlos entered the house and slammed the door shut. His clenched his fists. His face was red as a tomato. He took his math textbook out of his nap sack and threw it against the wall.
Group exercise: Show me that Jackson is feeling anxious at a New Year's Eve party, without directly stating that there's a party, it's New Years Eve, and that Jackson is "anxious."
Example: Jackson could hear the stereo thumping and the chatter of people laughing. Soon they all started shouting, "Ten, nine, eight..."Jackson sat in a strange bedroom upstairs. The bed was heaped with coats. He made sure he sat at the very edge of the bed so no one walking by could see him. Soon he could hear horns and cheering in the room below. He patted the cat that was asleep on the bed and decided to wait a few more minutes before he snuck out the back door.
Exercise #14
Exercise #14
Show me that Carrie is anxious about entering the classroom without telling me she is anxious about entering the classroom.
Carrie walked to the classroom and began to turn the door handle. She paused and stepped back. She felt like she had to go to the bathroom. Again. She walked to the window at the end of the hallway and took a deep breath. The air was thick as water. "I can do this," she told herself.
Exercise #15
Exercise #15
Transform these wordy sentences into concise sentences:
Make your writing more concise by combining sentences.
Make your writing more concise by combining sentences.
Here are some examples:
Before Editing:
Hartford is the capital of Connecticut. It is the second largest city in the state.
After Editing:
Hartford, the capital of Connecticut, is the second largest city in the state.
Before Editing:
Hartford was once known as an industrial centre. Hartford was the home of several manufacturers. These various manufacturers made firearms, typewriters, bicycles, and even cars.
After Editing:
Once known as an industrial centre, Hartford was the home of manufacturers of firearms, typewriters, bicycles, and even cars.
Exercise
Combine each group of sentences into one concise sentence
Exercise
Combine each group of sentences into one concise sentence
1. The cliff dropped to reefs seventy-five feet below. The reefs below the steep cliff were barely visible through the fog.
2. Their car is gassed up. It is ready for the long drive. The drive will take all night.
3. Sometimes Stan went running with Blanche. She was a good athlete. She was on the track team at school.
4. Taylor brought some candy back from Europe. It wasn't shaped like American candy. The candy tasted kind of strange to him.
5. Government leaders like to mention the creation of new jobs. They claim that these new jobs indicate a strong economy. They don't mention that low-wage jobs without benefits and security have replaced many good jobs.
What is a Modifier?
What is a Modifier?
A modifier is an optional portion of a sentence that adds more information to another portion of a sentence.
Example:
He ran to the park.
The man with a moustache. won the prize
Quick Exercise:
Add some modifiers to this sentence:
The fox ran across the road.
What is a Misplaced Modifier?
What is a Misplaced Modifier?
Modifiers should be close to what they are modifying. A misplaced modifier occurs when the modifier is not in the right place.
Some more examples:
Some more examples:
The man won the prize in the red shirt. ✘
The man in the red shirt won the prize. ✔︎
She nearly combed her hair for ten minutes every night. ✘
She combed her hair for nearly ten minutes every night. ✔︎
Exercise #1
Exercise #1
Copy these sentences "as is" then make the corrections.
Click here for the answers
Exercise #2
Exercise #2
Copy these sentences "as is" then make the corrections.
Click here for the answers
What is a Dangling Modifier?
What is a Dangling Modifier?
A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence.
More Examples of Dangling Modifiers:
More Examples of Dangling Modifiers:
Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on. ✘
Having finished the assignment, Jill turned on the TV. ✔︎
Having arrived late for practice, a written excuse was needed. ✘
Having arrived late for practice, the team captain needed a written excuse. ✔︎
Without knowing his name, it was difficult to introduce him. ✘
Because Maria did not know his name, it was difficult to introduce him.✔︎
Dangling or Not Dangling?
Dangling or Not Dangling?
Dangling modifiers are usually word groups that suggest but do not name an actor.
Upon seeing the barricade, our car screeched to a halt.
To please the children, some fireworks were set off early.
To fix a dangling modifier, you can:
name the actor immediately following the introductory modifier
turn the modifier into a word group that includes the actor.
Try fixing this dangling modifier using the above strategies:
Upon entering the doctor's office, a skeleton caught my attention.
Upon entering the doctor's office, I noticed a skeleton.
As I entered the doctor's office, a skeleton caught my attention.
Eliminating Wordiness
Eliminating Wordiness
Revise these sentences in order to make them more concise:
Part 1
1. Many farmers from all around our area know of the meeting we are having on Friday. It is that meeting that many of them are planning on attending.
2. Although Bradley Hall is regularly populated by students, a close study of the building as a structure is seldom undertaken by them.
3. He dropped out of school on account of the fact that it was necessary for him to help support his family.
Revise these sentences in order to make them more concise:
Part 2
4. It is expected that the new schedule will be announced by the bus company within the next few days.
5. There are many ways in which a student who is interested in meeting foreign students may come to know one.
6. It is very unusual to find someone who has never told a deliberate lie on purpose.
Revise these sentences in order to make them more concise:
Part 3
7. Trouble is caused when people disobey rules that have been established for the safety of all.
8. A campus rally was attended by more than a thousand students. Five students were arrested by campus police for disorderly conduct, while several others are charged by campus administrators with organizing a public meeting without being issued a permit to do so.
Active vs. Passive Voice
Active vs. Passive Voice
Active vs. Passive Voice
Active vs. Passive Voice
Most of the time when we are writing, we want to ensure we are writing in the clearest, most direct way possible. Writing in active voice is one way to help make sure our writing is clear. Writing in passive voice can obscure meaning.
See the example below:
Active voice: John hit the ball. √
Passive voice: The ball was hit by John. X
CLICK HERE to complete an exercise.
Avoiding negatives
Avoiding negatives
Too many negatives:
It’s not that we’re ungrateful for all that you’ve done for us. It’s just that without additional funds, and unless we have no fewer than five people to work on this project, it might be impossible for us to meet the deadline.
Isn't this clearer?
We’re thankful for all that you’ve done for us, but we would need at least five people and additional funds to meet the deadline.
How would these sentences read if we changed them to the negative form?
How would these sentences read if we changed them to the negative form?
Change these "negative" sentences to clearer, "positive" ones.
Change these "negative" sentences to clearer, "positive" ones.
1. He did not think that studying Latin was much use.
2. Don't sign up for ENG 4U if you haven't taken ENG 3U.
3. No research has been conducted on Jupiter’s atmospheric composition until recently.
4. No additional work is needed in the absence of an emergency.
5. If you fail to respond by tomorrow, we cannot continue the project.
6. The girl has many ideas that seem radical but not unintelligent.
Avoiding Shifts
Avoiding Shifts
Writers should keep the elements in a sentence consistent, avoiding any unnecessary changes in tense, voice, mood, person, number, and discourse. Such unnecessary changes, or "shifts," may make reading difficult and obscure the sentence's meaning for the reader.
Can you see the tense shift in this sentence?
She caught the ball then throws it to the the catcher for the out.
Different Types of "Shifts"
Tense Shift
When they turned on the TV a buzzing sound was heard.
Mood Shift
Take two Aspirins and then you should call me in the morning.
Point of View Shift
If someone wants to play games, you should follow the rules.
Direct and Indirect Quotation Shift:
Alex asked if the potatoes were ready and can I cut them for a salad?
Sentence Construction Shift
Proctoring exams is where you watch for cheating.
EXERCISE
Fix the grammatically incorrect shifts in these sentences:
1. Computers have become much more affordable in the last ten years, as their prices drop.
2. We should dress in formal attire because weddings are when formality is expected.
3. Go home after school and you should do your homework.
4. Peers should not be able to control your life; one should be able to make his or her own decisions.
5. Not every student learns in the same way because they all have different learning styles.
6. Lucy wrote her paper and finishes her algebra homework before going out with friends.
7. The Baltimore Zoo takes great measures to keep cages clean, and awards have been received by the zoo for excellent animal care.
8. Eat the banana and you should try the peanut butter ice cream.
Correct the Shifts in These Sentences
Revise each sentence to correct the faulty shift.
1. A student is eligible for the scholarship if they write an essay.
2. The judge said that I was guilty and would I please follow the bailiff to jail.
3. Last Saturday, Margaret read all the novels in her home and eats two bags of candy.
4. If students study hard, you can achieve good grades.
5. The contractor changed the schedule after concrete was poured into the wrong area by the crew. (Hint: Think back to our lessons on active and passive voice)
6. Sally asked if the milk had been replenished and could she have a glass.
7. You can only handle so many jobs before a person goes insane.
8. I am not sure if a student has to pass algebra before I take geometry.
9. Ben ran down the hall when the alarm was heard.
10. The reason Julie coughed is because she contracted bronchitis from her students.
On-line Exercises
Can you fix these 14 basic grammar mistakes?
Identify the active and passive voice.
Identify run-on sentences.
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