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Grammatical Stuff

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Saved by jgervais@trcc.commnet.edu
on May 20, 2009 at 12:14:39 pm
 

Fragments, Run-on Sentences, & Other Common Writing Errors

Comma Rules

 

 

 

Common Writing Errors

 

sentence fragments

            no subject (Built in 1843; add a subject: It was built in 1843)

            no subject or verb (Now running on alone; add subject and verb: They saw the girl running on alone)

            subordinating conjunction begins the phrase and makes it seem incomplete (Because she ran on alone; connect the incomplete phrase to an                      independent clause: Because she ran on alone, the girl arrived home on time)

            subordinating conjunctions include: after, although, as, because, before, even though, if, since, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where,                      wherever 

run- on sentences

            these are improperly joined independent clauses (The girl ran on alone she arrived home on time)

            separate the two clauses with a semi-colon, period, comma, or conjunction (The girl ran on alone, so she arrived home on time) 

subject/ verb agreement

            singular subjects combine with singular verbs; plural subjects combine with plural verbs

                        (singular subject and verb: The boy runs alone)

                        (plural subject and verb: The boys run alone)

                        (singular form, but treated as a plural: The people are leaving the stage)

pronoun/antecedent agreement

            singular antecedents need singular pronouns (The man (antecedent) ate his (pronoun) dinner)

            plural antecedents need plural pronouns (My friends (antecedent) ate their (pronoun) dinner)

            DON’T mix singular/plural antecedents and pronouns (A person can tell their friends a secret)  

consistent tenses

            keep them consistent within the sentence

(okay = I thought this book was interesting)

(NOT okay = I thought this book is interesting) 

commas, semi-colons, and colons

            commas = used between coordinating conjunctions of independent clauses (I like vegetables, but I like meat better) or to “set off” an aside                           (In spite of their differences, they got back together)

semi-colons = used between independent clauses not linked by a conjunction (The coat is tattered beyond all repair; still, Abe hopes the tailor                               can mend it)

            colons = used between two parts of a sentence when the first part creates a sense of anticipation for the second (There were four Beatles:                              John, Paul, George, and Ringo) 

gender free language

            avoid using “he/him” to apply to people of both genders (A parent should love his children)

            try to convert your subject and pronouns to plural (Parents should love their children)            

accept/except

accept = to agree to receive (She accepted the promotion)

except = but, to exclude (They argued for every position except this one) 

affect/effect

            affect = to influence, impress, pretend, or an emotion or feeling (Your essay affected my thinking)

            effect = to bring about (verb), or a result (noun) (The effects of the treatment are unclear) 

loose/lose

            loose = slack, not tight (His pants were loose and baggy)

            lose = to be deprived of, to fail to win (I did not want to lose the contest) 

then/than

            then = time, in that case (We had class, and then we went home)

                        (Write a first draft and then edit)

            than = comparisons (I’d rather swim than run)

                        (She’s more mature than she used to be) 

 its/it’s

            its = possessive pronoun (The chair is in its place)

            it's = contracted form of “it is” (It’s a beautiful day) 

their/there/they’re

            their = possessive pronoun (I saw their car)

            there = many uses: place or “dummy” subject (There is a hat, I went there)

            they’re = contracted form of “they are” (They’re not at home) 

to/too/two

            to = many uses: preposition of direction, with infinitives (I want to go there, He went to the store)

            too = also, excessively, very (He is too thin, She enjoys drama, too)

            two = the number (2)

of

            NOT a substitute for “have”

                        (okay = I could have written a better paper)

                        ( NOT okay = I could of written a better paper) 

a lot

            should be TWO words: a lot

 

 

 

COMMAS: Grammatical Rules

 

What are commas for?

Use the comma for pause and for clarity in a sentence. Follow the six rules below:

1. Put commas between items in a list, keeping in mind that commas before conjunctions (and, but, or . . . ) are optional.

"Today will be warm, rainy and windy."

2. Put commas between coordinate adjectives.

"It is a warm, rainy day."

3. Put commas after introductory phrases, elements or dependent clauses.

"Because it is rainy, I'm not going to jog today."

4. Put a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.

"It is rainy, but I'm going to job anyway."

5. Put commas around a non-essential dependant clause.

"The runner, who is my friend Joe, is the fastest in the race."

6. Put commas around parenthetical expressions or interrupters.

"The winner, unfortunately, will be too tired to party tonight."

What if I'm not sure I need a comma?

When in doubt, leave it out.

(From http://www.bu.edu/com/wcenter/esl.htm)

 

 

Basic Comma Rules 

 

There are few basic comma patterns that show up frequently in most kinds of writing.  Mastering only a few of these will rules will limit comma problems considerably.  Comma rules are covered on pp 469-484 of The Brief Penguin Handbook.  Look at the following examples for an overview. 

 

Comma with an introductory element.

            In this pattern, any introductory element that comes before the main sentence needs to be set off with a comma:

 

When I was a boy, I often walked to school in snow that was so deep I had to use snowshoes. 

Yesterday, the guy with herpes simplex 15 was cured by the great scientist. 

Sometimes, I like to eat goat cheese in the morning. 

Despite the repeated attacks of ten small, knife-wielding boys, I was able to escape to the safety of the cantina.

 

Comma with a conjunction.

            In this pattern, there are two complete sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction like and, but, so, or: 

         Bob went to the crack house, and then he went to the museum of modern art. 

         The controversy surrounding human cloning is intense, but it is necessary in order to reach a consensus on the issue.

 

Watch out for places where there is a coordinating conjunction, but NOT two sentences:

Bob went to the crack house and the museum of modern art. 

 

Commas to set off non-restrictive elements.

          This one is kind of tricky.  Basically, if the sentence is still grammatical after the phrase is removed, then it needs to be set off with commas.  If the information is essential to understanding the sentence, then it does not need commas.  As a general rule of thumb, most non-restrictive elements use which. 

My motorcycle, which is thirty-seven years old and covered in rust, still runs like a wild animal that has been kept too long.

The mayor of Springfield, who likes to call people by disparaging nicknames, was elected last year in a landslide.                            

These examples DON’T need commas:

The corporation that sold me the faulty pogo sticks needs to get some better customer service! 

The house that was built by Frank Lloyd Wright sold for $250,000.

 

Commas with any phrases that break the flow of the sentence.

            This one is also a bit tricky, but it basically covers any string of words that appears in the middle of a sentence, including parenthetical statements, forms of address, and transition words:

 

            The Greeks, however, invented democracy in about 1600 B.C.E. 

            My proctologist, Dr. Jellyfingers, is one of the best “glove men” in the country. 

            Richard, as far as I know, does not go dwarf tossing on a regular basis.

 

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