See attached essential vocabulary for definitions and correlating Hacker section
Part 8: Handbook
Sentences
Defining terms: sentence, clause, independent clause, dependent clause.
Defining and correcting: fragments
Acceptable fragments
Defining and correcting: comma splice, fusion
Linking verbs or state of being verbs do not denote or communicate action.
Linking verb or "state of being" verb: forms of the verb be: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, and seem, smell, taste, look
predicate adjective: modifies the subject
S-LV-PA
subject - linking verb - predicate adjective
Mary is pretty.
The garbage can smells bad.
S-LV-PN
subject-linking verb or "state of being" verb - predicate nominative / noun
linking verb: forms of the verb be: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, and seem, smell, taste, look
predicate noun: renames the subject
The girl is my sister.
The flower is a rose.
The structure of sentences with linking verbs indicates that the information in the predicate of the sentence refers back to the sentence and provides added information.
The information in the predicate is a complement:
a predicate nominative (noun)
noun or pronoun that "renames" the subject
a predicate adjective
an adjective that describes the subject
S5 Mixed Construction
Avoid constructions: . . . is when, . . . is where, The reason . . . is because.
Note sentence patterns
"When" and "where" and "because" are adverb forms.
Action verbs
Action verbs express action and may be transitive or intransitive:
An intransitive verb does not require an object
S-AV
subject - action verb
action verb: expresses action
S-AV-DO
subject - action verb - direct object
action verb: expresses action
direct object "receives" the action of the verb.
Mary hit the ball.
John grilled burgers.
S-AV-IO-DO
Same pattern as above, with the addition of the indirect object, for whom the action is performed.
Mary hit me the ball.
John grilled his family burgers.
Action verbs may be transitive or intransitive: Both types indicate an action. An intransitive verb does not require an object.
Connecting ideas:
Coordination and Subordination: Equality and inequality
Coordination: Equality, of equal value
"co" equal
Subordination: Inequality, one is of lesser value or dependent
"sub" less than
The structure of the sentence communicates the value of the ideas.
Shifts
Be consistent:
person
See p. 810 for list of personal pronouns and their number
tense
See p. 808 for discussion of verb tense
number
singular / plural
mood
See p 810 for discussion of mood
indicative
imperative
subjunctive
voice
active / passive
discourse type
direct / indirect quotation
Modifiers: Dangling and Misplaced
Note: "Modify" means to change.
Note discussion of implied subject and use of passive voice (804).
Modifiers: Restrictive and Non-restrictive
Essential or restrictive modifiers are necessary because they restrict or limit the meaning of the words they modify (805).
Restrictive clauses require no punctuation.
Non-restrictive clauses are typically set off with commas.
Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns.
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.
Verbs
communicates time: past, present, future
Regular: change tense by changing the verb ending
Irregular: change tense by changing the word internally
Note: Dictionaries indicate the forms of the verb, particularly those that are irregular.
Voice
Active: The subject is the "doer" of the action of the verb.
Passive: The "doer" of the action of the verb is not the subject of the sentence.
Passive voice "requires more words . . . , can hide the doer and . . . reduces clarity" (809).
Note the discussion about using passive voice (810).
Mood
indicative: make statement, ask question, declare opinion
imperative: issue commands, requests, or directions
subjunctive: communicate wishes, make statements contrary to fact, list demands, imply skepticism or doubt
Note specific uses for subjunctive mood.
Subject-Verb agreement
Plural / Singular
Note problem situations.
Case
Subjective: Subject, predicate noun
Objective: Direct object, indirect object, object of preposition
Possessive: Shows possession
Personal
Relative
Pronoun reference and agreement
Be certain pronouns have clear antecedents
Pronouns agree with their antecedents in number and gender.
Conciseness
Be concise. See discussion (819).
Appropriate language
Consider
genre
rhetorical situation
formal versus informal
Formal: technical, budsinesws, academic
Clear, direct serious, objective, may be detached
Avoids slang, jargon, pretentious language
Informal: personal
Casual, familiar, intimate
Avoid
sexist languague
Do not use masculine to refer to all "generically" (820)
Options: eliminate the pronoun, use plural forms, use he and she sparingly
bias
stereotype
age, class, religious, sexual orientation
"accepted terms" change: Be aware (821)
Punctuation, mechanics, and spelling
End marks: period, question mark, exclamation point
Semicolon
connects two (or more) independent clauses
separates items in a series that include commas - to avoid confusion
Comma
compound sentences - not other compound elements
introductory elements
non-restrictive and parenthetical expressions
series
quotations: Note location of commas relative to quotation marks
coordinate adjectives: apply equally; try and between the adjectives
addresses and dates: Note location of commas after dates and addresses
Colon
connects "two sentence parts like a hinge connecting a door to its frame" (826)
the second part "complements the first by providing either"
a list
an explanation, restatement or elaboration
Avoid using after verbs and prepositions
Parentheses
"enclose interrupting elements" (829)
May have internal punctuation
seldom preceded by a comma
Brackets
limited uses
"to indicate writer has inserted words [or letters or punctuation] into quoted material" (829)
Ellipsis dots
indicate words have been omitted
do not distort meaning by omitting words
Capitalization
Abbreviation
Note discussion of what is acceptable in formal writing and what should be avoided.
Apostrophe
Shows ownership. Note rules for singular, plural.
Contractions
Note: not acceptable in formal writing.
Special uses
Plurals of letters, numbers, and words used as terms.
Italics
Titles of works published independently: magazine, book, book-length poem, newspaper, television program, play
Ships, aircraft, spacecraft, train
Words, letters, and numbers used as "themselves"
Hyphens
to divide words
to form compounds
to connect spelled-out numbers
Numbers
Depends on "writing context"
Humanities (English class):
spell out numbers requiring two words or less
write numerals for numbers requiring three words or more
Exception: special figures (See examples, p. 835)
Do not being sentence with numeral
Johnson-Sheehan, Richard and Charles Paine. “Part 8: Handbook.” Wrtiting Today. 2nd ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 790-821. Print.