Download I. COMMON GRAMMATICAL ERRORS

- .
ACT BESTCGRAMMAR REVIEW C-3
I. COMMON GRAMMATICAL ERRORS
A.
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
One commongrammaticalenor is lack of agreement
betweensubjectandverb. The simplestsubject-verb
disagreements
are usuallyhighly evident,as in the followingexamples:
Examples: The books is on the shelf.
The teacheradmonishthe classto calm down.
The first sentenceshould rcad: The booksare. . . . The secondshould read: The teacheradmonished.. . ,
In orderto makeexam questionsa bit more subtle,a questionwriter who wantsto testyour ability to spotsuch
errorsmight useone of threetricks:
TRICKS FOR OBSCURING SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
I.
I.
Insertionof materialbetweensubjectand verb.
2.
Use of compoundsubjects.
3.
Inversionof sentence
structure.
MATERIAL
INSERTED BETWEEN SUBJECT AND VERB
The first techniqueusedto obscuretheconnectionbetweenthe subjectand the verb is the insertionof material
betweenthe two. If you are not careful,by the time you reachthe verb,you will haveforgottenthe subjectand will
haveno way of knowingwhetherthe verbdoesor doesnot agreewith the subject.Considerthe following examples:
Examples; Starperformersin the moviesor on televisionusuallyearnssubstantial
incomefrom royalties.
One schoolof thoughtmaintainsthatthe federaldeficit,not exorbitantcorporateprofitsand
excessively
high wages,causemostof the inflationwe arenow experiencing.
A recentsurveyshowsthata householdin which both the wife lnd the husbantlarepursuingcareers
standa betterchanceof survivingintactthanone in which only the husbandworks.
In eachof the threesentences
thereis a failureof agreement
betweensubjectand verb: performers. . . earns,deficit. . .
cause,andhousehold. . . stand. The errorsmay not be immediatelyevident,however,because
oi the intervcning
nraterial.In the first sentence
phrases.In the second,the subject
the subjectis separated
from the verb by prepositional
and verbareseparated
by a parenthetical
betweenthe subjectand verb.
expression.ln the third,a clauseintervenes
1'heplausibilityof the incorrectverbchoice,and thereforethe chancethattheerror will go unnoticed,is
strengthened
by placinga word or phrasenearthe verbthatmight be mistakenfor the subject: television. . . eants,
profits and wages. . . couse,andcareers. . . stand. If the first word of eachof the pairs had beenthe sub.;ect,then there
w o u l dh a v eb e e nn o f a i l u r eo f a s r e e n i c n t .
ACT BASIC GRAMMAR REVIEW C-3
I. COMMON GRAMMATICAL ERRORS
A.
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Onecommongrammaticalerroris lack of agreement
betweensubjectandverb. The simplestsubject-verb
disagreements
are usuallyhighly evident,as in the followingexamples:
Exantples: The books is on the shelf.
Tbe teacber admonish
the class to calm down.
T h e f i r s t s e n t e n c e s h o u l d r e aTdh: eb o o k s a r e . . . . T h e s e c o n d s h o u l d r e a T
d :h el e o c h e r a d m o n i s h e d . . . .
In order to make exam questionsa bit more subtle,a questionwriter r"ho wants to test your abi\rty to spot such
errorsmisht useone of threetricks:
TRICKS
1.
FOR OBSCURING SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
l.
insertionof materialbetweensubjectand verb.
2.
Use of compoundsubjects.
3.
Inversionof sentence
structure.
MATERIAL
INSERTED BETWEEN SUBJECT AND VERB
The first techniqueusedto obscurethe connectionbetweenthe subjectand the verb is the insertionof material
b e t w e e n t h e t w oI.f y o u a r e n o t c a r e f u l , b y t h e t i m e y o u r e a c h t h e v e r b , y o uhwai vl l e f o r g o t t e n t h e s u b j e c t a n d w i l l
haveno way of knowingwhethcrthe verbdoesor doesnot agreewith the subject.Considerthe followingexamples:
Exttmples: Starperformersin the moviesor on televisionusuallyearnssubstantial
incomefrom royalties.
One schoolof thoughtmaintainsthatthe federaldeficit,not exorbitantcorporateprofitsand
excessively
high wages,causemostof the inflationwe arenow experiencing.
A recentsurveyshowsthata householdin which both the wife ind the husbandarepursuingcareers
standa betterchanccof survivingintactthanone in which only the husbandworks.
I n e a c h o f t h e t h r e e s e n t e n c e s t h e r e i s a f a i l u r e o f a g r e e m e n t b e t w e e n s u b j e cpt ea rnfdovr m
e rebr:s . . . e a r n s , d e f i c i t . . .
cause,andhousehold. . . stand. The errorsmay not be immediatelyevident,however,because
of the intervening
material. In the first sentence
the subjectis separated
phrases.In the second,the subject
from the verbby prepositional
and verbareseparated
by a parenthetical
betweenthe subjectand verb.
expression.In the third,a clauseintervenes
The plausibilityof the incorrectverbchoice,and thereforethe chancethatthe error will go unnoticed,is
strengthened
by placinga word or phrasenearthe verbthatmight be mistakenfor the subject: teLevision.. . earns,
p r o f i t s a n d w a g e s . . . c a u s e , a n d c a r e e r s . . . s t aInf dt h. e f i r s t w o r d o f e a c h ot fh e p a i r s h a d b e e n t h e s u b j e c t , t h e n t h e r e
w o u l dh a v eb e e nn o f a i l u r eo l a q r e e m e n t .
C-4
ACT Besrc GRAMMAR Revmw
2.
INVERTED
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
A secondcommonproblemof subject-verb
agreement
is invertedsentence
structures.An invertedsentence
hasthe
subjectprecededby the verb. You shouldpay carefulattentionto the connectionbetweensubiectand verb.no maner
horvthoseelementsarepresented.
Exantples: Although the first amendmentto the Constitutiondoesguaranteefreedomof speech,the Suprenre
Court haslong recognizedthat thereftasto be somerestrictionson the exerciseof this righi.
Jennifermust havebeendoublypleasedthatday,for seatedin the galleryto watchher receivethe
awardryasher brother,her parents,and her husband.
In bothof thesesentences
we havea failureof agreement
betweensubjectand verb. The relationshipsareobscuredby
the orderin which the elementsappearin the sentence-verbscomebeforethe subiects.
WATCH
FOR INVERTED SENTENCE STRUCTURES
Regardlessof the orderof the sentence-subject-verbor verb-subject-the verb must always
agreewith the subjectto which it refers. It oftenhelosto isolateeachelementto make sure
thatthe neededagreement
is there.
3.
COMPOUND SUBJECTS
Finally' be alertfor compoundsubjects.Usuallywhenthe subjcctof a sentenceconsistsof two or more elernents
j o i n e d b y t h e c o n j u n c t i o n c t n d t h e s u b j e c t i s c o n s i d e r e d p l u r a l a n d r e q u ivr e
un
r asli d e r t h e f o l l o w i n g :
e sr ba.pCl o
Example: Of the sevencandidates,
only John,Bill, andhe yvaspastofhce holders.
'fhe
subject,John,Bill, and he, is compound$oinedby and)and requiresa plural verb--,eventhoughfte itselfis
s in s u l a r .
WATCH
FOR COMPOUND SUBJECTS
Compr-rund
subjects,typicallytwo or moresubjectjoined by and we plural and necda plural
verD.
Be carefulnot to confusethe compoundsubjectwith the disjunctivesubject.When elementsof the subjectare
. l o i n e db y o r , t h e v e r bm u s ta g r e ew i t h t h ee l c m e n n
t e a r e st to i t . R c p l a c i n g o r iw
d i t h o r c h a n g e so u r p r e v i o u se x a m p l e
E x a n p l e : O f t h es e v e nc a n d i d a r eJso, h n ,B i l l , o r h e i s l i k e l y t o w i n .
N o w t h e e l e m e n t s a r e j o i n e d b y o r , s o t h e v e r b m u s t awgirteheh e . T h e r e f o r e , t h e v e r b i s c o r r e c t l y a g r e e s w i t h
t h ed i s j u n c t i v e
s u b j e c th, e .
Additionally'watchout for subjectsthataredesignedto look like tlreyarecompoundsubjecrsbur areactually
s i n g u l a r .T y p i c a l l y r, h e s ea r ed i s g u i s e u
d s i n gp r o n o u n s .
E*ample, Neitherone of thosefools evenknow how ro changea light bulb.
The subjectaboveis nol thosefools, but the singularsubjectneirherone. Therefore,the singularverb knowsis
requred.
- ACT BASICGReuua.nRevnW C-5
WATCH
FOR DISJUNCTIVE AND SINGULAR
SUBJECTS
l.
If the elementsof the subjectarejoined by or the subjectis disjunctive.The verb should
be singularand agreewith the closestelementof the subject.
2.
Be alertfor singularsubjectsthatappearto be plurai(typicallypronouns).
B. PRONOUN USAGE
The rulesfor pronounusagearesummarized
as follows:
PRONOUN USAGE RULES
I.
I.
A pronounmust have an antecedent(referent)to which it refers.
2.
The pronounmustreferclearlyto the antecedent.
3.
The pronounandantecedenlmusL
agree.
4.
The pronounmust havethe appropriate
case.
PRONOUN MUST HAVE AN ANTECEDENT
A pronounis usedas a substitutefor a noun. Thc nounit replacesis calledits antecedent
or its referent.With tire
e x c e p t i o no f c c r t a i ni d i o m ss u c ha s " 1 ti s r a i n i n g , "a p r o n o u nt h a td o e sn o t h a v ea n a n t e c e d e ni st u s e di n c o r r e c t l y .
Exanrples: AlthoughGlen is presidentof the studentbody,he hasnot yet passedhis Englishcxanr,and because
of it, he will not graduatewith the restof his class.
'I'he
d a m a g ed o n eb y S e n a t oS
t o t h ep o l i c yo f e q u a le m p l o y m e n t . iusn d e n i a b l eb,u t
r m i t h ' so p p o s i t i o n
t/ratis exactlywhat he atrempted
to do in his speechThursday.
In the first example,what is the antecedent
of it? It is not he has not yet pas.sedhis Etrglishexant,becausethat is a
cornplete
t h o u g h t( c l a u s ea) n d n o l j u s t a n o u n . 1 l i s n o t a p r o n o u ns u b s t i t u tfeo r ' t h a te n t i r et h o u g h t .Y o u w o u l dd o
betterby respondingthat ir refersto Clen's/ailareto passtheexam-thereby providingir with the requiredantecedent.
This rnoveftrils,however,because/ailuredoesnot appearin nounform in the sentence.In otherwords,the It wantsto
refer to a noun,but thereis no noun to functionas its pointof ref'erence.
The sentencemustbe rewrittcn:becauseof
thatfact, he will ttc)tgraduate. . . .
In the secondexample,l/ral functionsas a relativepronoun-it relatessomethingin the first clauseto the second
clause. But to what doesthat refer? Test possibilitiesby substitutingthem for that in the secondclause.After all, if
t h es e n t e n cm
e a k e ss e n s eu s i n gt h e p r o n o u n/ f t d t ,i t s h o u l da l s om a k es e n s ew h e ny o u s u b s t i t u tteh e p r o n o u n ' s
for the pronoun.Is the antecedent
antecedent
damage?This attemptfaiis:
but the dannge is exactlywhat he attemptedto do . . . .
is oppositionor undeniable'.
Perhaps,then,the antecedent
but the oppositionis exactlywhat he attemptedto do . . . .
but the undeniableis exactlywhat he attemptedto do . . . .
C-6 ACT BASriGnnulren Revrcw
T h e r e a r e n o o t h e r c a n d i d a t e s f o r a n t e c e d e n t , s o w e m u s t c o n c l u d e t h a t t htehuastei soi fn c o r r e c tW
. ecouldrewritethe
sentence:but he did attemptto deny . . . .
PRONOUNS MUST HAVE
ANTECEDENTS
Except for a few idiomatic expressions-lt is gettitrg late-all pronouns must have an
antecedent.An antecedent
must be a noun, not a thought or phrase. When inserting
antecedents,
substitutethe proposedantecedentfor the pronounand verify that the sentenceis
corTect.
2.
ANTECEDENTS MUST BE CLEAR
Secondly,the antecedent
of a pronounmustbe clearfrom the structureof the sentence.Considertheseexamples:
Examples: Edward'sfatherdied beforehe reachedhis 20th birthday,so fte neverfinishedhis education.
In 1980,the UniversityCouncilvotedto rescindprovision3 which madeit easieribr somestudents
to graduate.
In the hrst example,it is not clear whetherthe fatherdied beforehe reachedthe ageof 20 or beforeEdwardreachcdthe
ageof 20. Furthermore,it is not entirelyclearwhoseeducationremainedunfinished.
Similarly,in the secondexample,the antecedent
of which is not made clear. Whichmay refer to the provisionor
it may refer to antecedents
of the pronouns.
WATCH FOR UNCLBAR ANTECEDENTS
Theantecedent
of a pronoun
mustbeclearlyidentified
by thestructure
of thesentence.
3.
PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT
The third rule for pronounusageis that the pronounmustagreewith its antecedent.Considerthe following
example:
,
E x a m p l e : H i s t o r i c a l l y , t h e d e a n oafc o l l e g e w a s a l s o a p r o f e s s o r , b u t t o dt h
ae
y y a r eu s u a l l y p r o f e s s i o n a l
administrators.
I n t h e e x a m p l e , t h emyu s t r e f e r t o d e a n , b u t d e a n i s s i n g u l a r a n d t h e y i s p l u r a l - a n e
T rhreosr .e n t e n c e c a n b e c o r r c c t e d
i n e i t h e ro f t w o w a y s : b y c h a n g i n gt h ef i r s t c l a u s et o t h ep l u r a lo r b y c h a n g i n gt h es e c o n dc l a u s et o t h es i n g u l a r :
Historically,collegedeanswerealsoprofessors,
....
. . . the deanis usuallya professional
administrator.
WATCH
FOR PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT
AND SHIFTING SUBJECT
If the antecedent
is plural, the
is singular,the pronounmust be singular;if the antecedent
pronounmust be plural. Additionally,watchfor errorof shifting subject:a correctsentence
doesnot containany shiftsof pronounperson.
, ACT Bestc GRetnrueRREViEw C-7
4 . P R O N O U N SM U S T H A V E P R O P E R C A S E
A pronounhascase,number,person,andgender,andmust agreewith its antecedent
in these.The pronoun's
functionin a sentence
determineswhich caseshouldbe used. Therearefour typesof pronouncase: subjective,
objective,possessive,
and interrogative.
TYPES OF PRONOUN CASE
l.
Subjective(nominative)casepronounsare usedas subjectsof sentences.
2.
Objectivecasepronounsare usedas objects (directobjects, indirect objects, and objects
of prepositions).If a prepositionalphraseendswith a pronoun, then it must be an
objectivepronoun.
3.
Possessivecasepronounsare used to show possession.Use a possessivepronoun
precedinga gerund. A gerundis the -ing form of a verb.
4.
Interrogative
casepronounsareusedwhenaskingquestions.
The following examplesillustratethe conect useof pronouncase:
ExampLes: Subjective: / thoughtlie would like the gift we bought.
Objective: The choicefor the promotionis betweenBob and me.
(The object pronounnre follows the prepositionbetween.)
Possessive:Do you mind riryusingyour computer?
(The possessivepronounrny precedesthe gerundusing.)
Interrogative: Whosediny dishesare these?
EXAMPLES
SUBJECTIVECASE
Singular
Plural
lst Person:
I
we
2nd Person: you
3 r d P e r s o n :h e , s h e ,i t
they
Interrogative: who
who
OF PRONOUN CASE
OBJECTIVECASE
Plural
Singular
me
you
him,her,it
us
you
them
whom
whom
POSSESSIVECASE
Singular
Plura!
our
my
t
your
his,her,its their
whose
whose
Somepronounsare singularor plural,while otherscan be both. The structureand intendedmeaningof the
sentence
indicatewhetherthe pronounis singularor plural.
AND/OR PLURAL PRONOUNS
-another,
Singular: anybody,
everybody,everything, somebody, something,
nobody,one,anyone,everyone,someone,no one,each,every,neither,
either.much.
SINGULAR
Plural: both, few, many,most,several
Singular& Plural: all, any, half, more,none,some
C-8 ACT Basrc GRerravaR
Revmw
Technically,pronounsaredividedinto the followingeightformalcategories:
FORMAL
CATEGORIES OF PRONOUNS
P e r s o n a l :I , w e , m y , m i n e , o u r , o u r s , m e , u s , y o u , y o u r , y o u r s , h e , s h e , i t ,
t h e y ,h i s , h e r s ,i t s , t h e i r ,t h e i r s ,h i m , h e r , i t , t h e m
Demonstrative: this, these,that,those
Indefinite: all, any, anything, both, each, eirher, one, everyone, everybody,
somebody,everything,sometlring,few, many, more, neither,none,
someone
Relative: who, whose,whom, which, of which, that,of that, what, of what
Interrogative: who, whose,whom, which,of which, what, of what
Nunterical: one,two, three,first, second,third
Reflexive/[ntensive:myself, ourselves,yourself, yourselves,himself, herself, itself,
themselves
Reciprocal: eachother,one,another
While it is nof necessary
for testpurposesthatyou know the namesof tlreindividualcategoriesiind which pronouns
bclongin which categories.However,throughyour expericnce
in conversation
and writing, you shouldbe ableto
colrectlyuseeachtype ofpronoun andyou shouldhavethe ability to spotwheneachtype of pronounis incorrectly
used.
Example: Many of the studentswhichwereparticipatingin the spellingbec had beenfinalistslastyear.
In the aboveexatnple,the pronounwhich rcfersto Many of the studentsand is the incorrectpronounchoice. Instead,
the sentenceshouldread Many . . . who werepa,rticipating
....
C . AD J EC T IV E S V E R S U SA D VERBS
Adjectivesare usedto modify nouns,while adverbsareusedto modify verbsor adjectives.
Example: No matterhow quick he played,fuch neverbeatJuliewhen playing"speed."
l n t h e a b o v e e x a m p lqeu i c k i s i n t e n d e d t o m o d i f y t h e s p e e d w i r h w h i c h R i c h p l a y e JHc oa r vdes v. e r , q u i c k i s a n
a d j e c t i v e a n d t h e r e f o r e c a n n o t b e u s e d t o m o d i f y aBvyeardbd. i n g - / y t o t h e e n d oqf u i c k w e c a n t r a n s f o r m i t i n t o . a n
adverband the sentencereads:No motterhow quicklyheplayed. . . .
WATCH FOR ADJECTIVE-ADVERB SWITCHING
Be alertfor adjectivesposing in placeof adverbsand vice versa. Adjectivescan usually be
transformed
into adverbsby adding-/y to theend ofthe adjective.
D . D O U B L E N E GA T IV E S
It is true that we all hearand sometimessaydoublenegativesin daily conversation.However,doublenegatives
arenot acceptable
in standardwrittenEnglish.
Example: I hadn'thardlybegunto understand
Spanishwheni had to move again.
ACT BASIC GBaVUaR REVIEW C_9
The phrasehadn't hardly is a double negative.The sentenceshould read:I had hardly begunto understand. . . .
WATCH FOR DOUBLE NEGATIVES
(notbarely,hardlynothing)-theyarealwaysincorrect
Be alertfor doublenegatives
E . N O U N S A N D N OU N C L A USES
N o u n s a r e n a m e s o f p e o p l e , p l a c e s , t h i n g s , o rti h
d e yaas r; e u s e d t o i n d i c a t e w h a t t h e s e n t e n c e i s aLbiokuet .
nounshavecase.
Dronouns.
TYPES OF NOUN CASE
l.
Objectivecaseis usedwhen the nounis an indirector directobject or is the object of a
preposition.
2.
Nominativecaseis usedwhen the noun is the subjectof the sentence.
3.
Possessive
caseis usedwhen nounsareintendedto show oossessiorr.
Sometimesthe placeof the nounin a sentenceis filled by a nounclauseinsteadof a singlenoun.
Exarnple: That Judy was chosenfor the promotior is not surprising.
The failureto properlyintroducea nounclauseis an errorof sentencestructure.That by itself is not the noun,nor is
Judyvta.schosenforthepromotionanH
o uonw. e v e r , t h e t w o c o m b i n e d c r e a t e a n o u n c l a u s c a n d f u n c t i o n a s t t r e n o u n .
RULB FOR INTRODUCING NOUN CLAUSES
. Thatshouldbe
A noun clauseis a groupof wordsthat functionsas the subjectof a sentence
usedto introducenounclauses.
E-ramples: Why Americancar manufacturersdid not reducethe size of their cars earlierthan they did is a Inystery
to most marketexperts.
timbreofthe saxophonecan
The reasonthe saxophone
is a popularjazzinstrumentisbecause-the
approxintatethat of the humanvoice.
a noun clauseis
Theseexamplesmake the error of introducinga nounclausewith Why andbecause.In both sentences,
required.so that shouldhavebeenusedin bothcases.
WATCH FOR BECAUSE,WHY, AND WHERE
AS INTRODUCTIONS TO NOUN CLAUSES
why,or where.
Nounclauses
mustbeintroduced
by that,notbecause,
C-10 ACT Bnsrc GRqvrrreR
Rpvrpw
II. ANALYZING SENTENCESTRUCTURE
When analyzingthe structureof a sentence,
ask yourselffour things;
CHECKLIST
FOR ANALYZING
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
L
Are the elementsof the sentenceparaliel?
2.
Are thereany incompletesplit constructions?
3.
Do the verb tensescorrectlyreflectthe sequenceofevents?
4.
Doesthe sentence
containa commaspliceor fusedsentence?
A. FAULTY PARALLELISM
Faultyparallelismis a grammaticalerrorquitecommonfor writers. Wheneverelementsof a sentence
perfonn
similaror equalfunctions,they shouldhavethe sameform. Considerthe following incorrectexamples:
Examples: At most colleges,the dominantattitudeamongstudentsis that gainingadmissionto professional
graduateschool is more impor'rantthan to obtain a well-roundededucation.
To demandthat additionalseasonings
be placedon the tableis insultingthe chet-sjudgment on the
properbalanceof ingredients.
The review was very criticalof the film, citing the poor photography,
the weak plot, and the dialogue
was stilted.
In the first example,gaining adnrissiottandto obtainmustboth have the sarneform. Either both must be in the
infinitive fonn or both must bc in the gerundform. For example:gaining atlmission. . . is nroreimportantthun
obtaining....
In the secondexample,the subject(to demand)and thepredicated
complement(insulting)mustbothhavethe same
f o r m : T o d e n r u n d .. . i s t o i n s u l t . . . .
In the third example,eachelementin the seriesof badfeaturesshouldhavettiesameform: thepoor photography,
the weakplot, and the stilteddialogue.
ALL
ELEMENTS OF A SENTENCE MUST BE PARALLEL
Check that all elementsof a sentence
are parallel;including verb forms, noun forms, and
word pairssuch as this . . . that,either. . . or. andneither. . . nor.
REvTEwC-11
ACT BesTCGRAMMAR
B . INCONIPLETE SPLIT CONSTRUCTIONS
Split constructions
referto phrasesin which a thought,interruptedby interveningmaterial,is to be completed
laterin the sentence.
ExampLe: The officialswerenot only awareof, but actuallyencouraged,
the misreportingof scores.
T h i s s e n t e n c e c o n t a i n s a p e r f e c t l y a c c e p t a b l e s p l i t c o n s t r uOcrtdi oi nna. r i l y , t h e o b j e c t o f a p r e p o s i t i o n c l o s e l y f o l l o w s
. . . aware of the misreporting.Here,the objectof the prepositionis separated
the preposition'.
from the prepositionby
the phrasebut actuallyencouraged.This is unobjectionable
as long as the thoughtis properlycompleted.Thereis a
danger,hor.r,ever,
that the interveningmaterialwill throw somethingoff.
SPLIT CONSTRUCTIONS MUST BE COMPLETED
A split constructionis a sentence
structurein which two otherwiseseparate
ideasarejoined
togetherby a later element. Be alert for split constructionsand check that any intemrpted
thoughtis correctlycompleted.
Considerthe followingfauLtysenlences-theyaremissingnecessary
commas:
Exantples: Opponentsof the President's
foreignpolicy disclosedyesterdaythat the CIA not only knew but tacitly
encouraged
terroristactivitiesin CentralAmerica.
Her colleagues
alwaysspeakof ProfessorCollinsas a personwho hasand will alwaysbc sensitiveto
the needsof youngerstudents.
Judgingfrom the pricingpoliciesof many largecorporations,
maintaininga stableshareof the nrarket
is as important,if not more importantthan,makinga largeprofit.
I n e a c h o f t h e s e e x a m p l e s t h e r e i s a n e r r o r o f s p l i t c o n s t r uTcht ieorne.i s a m i s s i n g p r e p o s i t i o n i n t h e f i r s t s c n t e n c e .
The CIA did not know the terroristactivities,ratherit knew o/the activities.
I n t h e s e c o n d s e n t e n c e , t h e e r r o r i s i n t h e vTehr b
e .a u x i l i a r y v e r b f t a s n e e d s t h e v e r b b e e n , b u l b e e n d o c s n o t
appearin the sentence.The sentence
could be correctedby completingtheconstruction:
. . . l'Las
beettand vvillalways
be....
In the third sentence,
the error is an incompletecomparison.The sentcnceshouldread. . . as intportatttas, if not
ntr.sre
inrportantIhail . - . .
CHECKING
FOR SPLIT CONSTRUCTIONS
It is the interveningmaterial that makes errors of split constructiondifficult to spot.
Therefore,when checkingsplit constructions,read the sentencewithout the intervening
material-it shouldmakesense,be grammaticallycorrect,and be a completesentence.
C-Iz ACT.Be.sIcGRAMMAR
Revmw
:
C. SBQUENCEAND VERB TENSE
T h e c h o i c e o f v e r b t e n s e i n a c o n e c t l y w r i t t e n s e n t e n c e r e f l e c t s t h e s e q u e n c e o f e v e n t s d eTshcerfi ob lel od w
. ing
examplescontainverb tenseerrors:
Examples: As soon as Linda finished writing her dissertation,she wil/ take a well-earnedvacationin paris.
A recentstudy showsthat many mothersreenterthe labor force after their children left home.
In the first example,both the writing and the vacationmustbe placedin the sametime frame. As written, the sentence
placesthe two actionsin different,unconnectedtime frames. Dependingon whetherLinda has alreadycompletedthe
dissertation,the sentencecould be correctedin eitherof two wayi:
As soonas Linda finisheswriting herdissertation,
shewill takea well-earnedvacationin Paris.
As soon as Linda finished writing her dissertation,she took a well-earnedvacationin Paris.
The first sentencestatesihat neithereventhasyet occurredand that the writing will precedevacation. The second
sentencestatesthat the eventsare completedand that the writing precededthe vacation.
In the secondexample,the verb /e/ is inconect. The verbreenteris describinga present,ongoing action. The
sentence
can be correctedby makingit clearthatchildrenleavinghomeis alsoa preienfphenomenon:
A recentstudy showsthat many mothersreenterthe labor force after their children leavehome.
A recentstudy showsthat many mothersreenterthe labor force after their children have left home.
Eithersentenceis acceptable
sinceboth make it clearthatthe leavinghomeis not a completedpastactionbut an
o n g o t n gp n e n o m e n o n .
WATCH
FOR SHIFTING VERB TENSE
Make surethat verb tensesproperlyreflectthe sequence,
as well as theduration,of any acrion
describedin the sentence.
.
:.
ACT BASICGRAMMARREVIEW C- i 3
III. PROBLEMSOF LOGICAL EXPRESSION
Ask yourself the following five questionswhen checkingthe logical expressionof a sentence:
CHECKLIST
FOR LOGICAL
EXPRESSION ERRORS
l.
Does the sentencecontaina faulty or illogical comparison?
2.
Does the sentencemaintainconsistentverb tenses?
3.
Does the sentencecontainany misplacedmodifiers?
4.
Does the sentenceactuallyconveythe intendedmeaning?
5.
Is the sentenceclearandconcise?
A. FAULTY OR ILLOGICAL COMPARISONS
One problemof logicalexpressionis faulty or illogicalcomparisons.A faulty comparisonis the atremptto
comparetwo things that cannot logically be compared. Considerthe following faulty examples
Exantples: Today, life expectancies
of both men and women are much higher comparedto the turn of the century
when living conditionsweremuch harsher.
The averagesalaryof a professional
playeris higherthanthe top-levelmanagement
basketball
of most
corporatrons.
A comparisoncan only be madebetweenlike items. Yet, in the first sentence
we seean attemptto comparelife
expectancieswith the turn of the century-two dissimilarconcepts.The sentenceis conectedby simply adding the
phrasethoseol Now we have life expectancies
comparedto life expectancies,
and that is a logical comparison.
We find the sameerror in the secondsentence.There,an attemptis made to compareaveragesalaryto
'I-he
managelnent.
error can be correctedin the sameway as in the first example: . . . is higher than thoseof the toplevelmanagement....
WATCH
FOR ILLOGICAL
COMPARISONS
Be alertfor sentences
which attemptto makean illogicalcomparisonbetween wo dissimilar
items.
B. VERB TENSE
A secondfairly common problemof logic-alexpressionis poor choice of verb tense.
WATCH FOR INCONSISTENTVERB TENSES
Makesurethatverbtenses
properlyreflecttheorderanddurationof actiondescribed.
C-14 ACT BaSTCGRAMMAR REVTEw
C . U N I N TE N D E D ME A N IN GS
Another problemin the categoryof logicalexpression
actuallysayswhat it intendsto say.
is whetherthe sentence
Often, sentenceswill intend to say one thing but actuallysay another:
Examples: A childlesscharwoman'sdaughter,Dr. Robertswas a self-madewoman.
If the presentinterestratesfall drastically,the dollar will losemuch of its valueon the foreign
exchanse.
Both of thesesentencesmay seemat first plausible,but a closerreadingwill show that eachcontainsan error of logical
expression.The first exampleis actuallyself-contradictory.As written, it assertsthat Dr. Robertswas the daughterof
a childlesscharwoman. In that case,Dr. Robertswould indeedhavebeena self-madewomanl What the sentence
intendsto say aboutDr. Robertsis thatshewas bothchildlessandthe daughterof a charwoman.
The secondsentence
is a bit more subtle. It suggests
that presentinterestratescan change,but that is internally
inconsistent,for if the interestratechanges,the result is a new interestrate-not a changedpresentrate. The sentence
can easilybe correctedby deletingthe wordpresent.
In this category,thereare as many possibleexamplesas therearepossibleerrorsin humanreasoning.Therefore,
when checkingfor intendedmeaning,just askyourselfwhat the logic of the sentence
implies.
SENTENCE STRUCTURE MAY
OBSCURE INTENDED
MEANING
From the logical structureo[ the sentence,determinewhether the sentenceassertswhat it
i n t e n d st o s a v .
D. CONCISENESS
Thereareendless
possibilities
for conciseness
errors.Several
examples
areillustrated
below.
1 . A V O I D A W K W A R D S E N T E N C E SA N D P A S S I V E V E R B S
A sentence
may be grammatically
and logicallycorrectandyet be in needof correctionbecauseit is awkward.
Examples: The giantcondoris ableto spreadits wings up to 25 feet.(Poor)
The giantcondorhasa wingspanof up to 25 feet.(Better)
Althoughmoststudentswould benefitfrom furtherstudyof the sciences,
doing so is frighteningto
most of them in thatsciencecoursesaremoredifficult thanliberalartscourses.(Poor)
Althoughmost studentswould benefitfrom furtherstudyof the sciences,
mostof them areafraidto
take suchcoursesbecausethey aremore difficult than liberalartscourses.(Better)
Giventhat the Incaslackedthe wheel,the buildingsat MachuPicchuaremore astonishingthanany
Greektemplesthat arecomparableas an achievement.(Poor)
Giventhat the Incaslackedthe wheel,the buildingsat Machu Picchuaremore astonishingthanany
comparableGreektemple.(Befter)
In eachcase,the secondsentenceis lessawkwardand clearlyrendersthe intendedthought.
A common erroramongwritersis the useof the passiveverb. Eachof the following examplescontainingthe use
of the weak passiveverb is then followed by a suggestedcorrectionthat rendersthe sentenceboth clear and concise.
Examples: The unemploymentratebeing 4Vo,thereare as many openjobs as therearejob seekers.(Awkward)
When the unemployment
rateis 4Vo,thereareas manyopenjobs as therearejob seekers.(Better)
ACT BASIC GRAMMAR REVIEW C- 15
Aliens,unlikecitizens,beingunableto vote,havelittle voice in Americanpolitics.(Awkward)
Becausealiens,unlike citizens,arenot ableto vote,they havelittle voice in Americanpolitics.(Better)
One-fourthof the marketwas capturedby the new computerfirm. (Awkward)
The new computerfirm capturedone-fourthof the market.(Better)
AVOID
PASSIVE VERBS
Any verb constructionusing a form of the verb be in addition the active verb is called a
passiveverb. Use of the passiveverb is unacceptable
and shouldbe avoided.
2.
AVOID
NEEDLESSLY
WORDY
SENTENCES
Occasionally,
an originalsentence
will be incorrectsimplybecause
wordy.
it is needlessly
Exantples: The protracteddiscussionover which route to takecontinuedfor a long time. (Wordy)
The discussionover which routeto takecontinuedfor a long time. (Better)
A aim of the proposalis chieflyto ensureandguarantce
the academicfreedomof students.(Wordy)
A aim of the proposalis to guaranteethe academicfreedomof students.(Better)
To be protractedis to be continuedover a long period;to be a principleaim is to be a chief aim, and to ensurcis to
guarantee.Thereforeeachoriginal is needlesslywordy.
E. MISPLACED MODIFIERS
Anothererrorof logicalexpression
is the infamousmisplacedmodifier. Generally,a modifiershouldbe placedas
closeto what it modifiesas possible.A modifier which is too t-arfrom what it is intendedto modify or too closeto
someotherimportantelementwill seemto modify the wrongpart of the sentence.Considerthe following faulty
sentences:
ExampLes: Stuffedwith herbdressing,trussedneatly,andbakedto a goldenhue,Aunt Fannieproudlyservedher
famoushoiidayturkey.
The doctorsaidgentlyto the patientthattherewas nothingwrong with a smile.
At the tailgateparty,Fredservedcold beerto his thirstygueslsin papercups.
(hat
As for the first example,poor Aunt Fannie! The proximityof the introductorymodifier to Aunt Fanniesuggests
Aunt Fanniewas stuffed,trussed,and baked.The sentence
canbe correctedby relocatingthe modifyingphrase:
Aunt Fannieproudlyservedher famousholidayturkey,stuffedwith herbdressing,trussedneatly,and
bakedto a goldenhue.
The secondexampleis ambiguousandcould meaneitherthat thereis nothingwrong with smiling or that the
doctorsaid with a smile that nothingwas wrong with the patient.
phrasein paper cupsimpliesthat it is the guests
Finally, in the third example,the locationof the prepositional
who are in the papercups,not the beer. The sentence
can be correctedby repositioningthe modifyingphraseso that it
is closerto what it is intendedto modify:
At the tailgateparty,Fredservedcold beerin papercupsto his thirstyguests.
WATCH
FOR MISPLACE MODIFIERS
Be alert for sentenceswith ambiguousor incorrectmodification. Correctmisplacedmodifiers
by placingthem as closeas possibleto whatthe modifiermodifies.
_
ACT BASrcGR+MMan_\evmw C-17
IV. IDIOMS AND CLARITY OF EXPRESSION
An expressionthat is not idiomaticis one that is not acceptable
Englishfor any of severalreasons.
CHECKLIST FOR IDIOMATIC EXPRESSION ERRORS
l. WrongPrepositions
2. Diction
3. GerundversusInfinitive
4. Ambiguityin Scope
5. Low-levelUsage
A. W R ON G P R E P OS IT ION S
In standardwrittenEnglish,only certainprepositions
can be usedwith certainverbs. Knowledgeof which
prepositionsto use with which verbs shouldbe familiar to studentsdue to daily conversationand writing in standard
w r i t t e nE n g l i s h .
Exantple:
I askedhim repeatedlyif he was from abouthere,but he neveransweredme.
The phrasewasfrom about here is not correct. ,/ou shouldknow from habit that the correctphrasingis: he wasfront
arotrndhere....
B. DICTION
The secondcategoryof idiomaticexpression
will
errorsinvolvesdiction,i.e.,word choice. Sometimesa sentence
be incorrectbecausea word is usedinconectly. This occurswhen a constructionis simply not idiomatic: the phraseis
not acceptableaccordingto standardusage.
Example: The techniquesof empiricalobservationin the social sciences
are different fhan those in the physicai
sciences.
This exampleis improvedby replacingthanwithfron. Rewritten,the sentencereads:Thetechniquesof empirical
observationin the social sciencesare differentfront thosein the physical sciences.
A variation on this theme usespairsof words that are often inconectly used:
Examples: Johnexpressed
his intentionto makethe trip, but f he will actuallygo is doubtful. (Wrong)
Johnexpressed
his intentionto makethe trip, but whetherhe will actuallygo is doubtful. (Conect)
Social sciencediffers from physicalsciencebecausesocialeventsare not able to be measured.(Wrong)
S o c i a l s c i e n c e d i f f e r s f r o m p h y s isccai e
l n c e b e c a u s e s o c i a l e v e n t s a r e n o t c a p a b l e o f m e a s u r(eCnot rernelc. t )
Herbertdivided the cakeamongMay and Sally. (Wrong)
Herbertdivided the cakebetweenMay and Sally. (Conect)
Herbertdivided the cakebetweenMary, Sally, and himself. (Wrong)
Herbertdivided the cakeamongMary, Sally, and himself. (Conect)
C-18 ACTBasrc GnauueR REVIEW
The amountof studentsin the classdeclinedas the semesterprogressed.(Wrong)
The numberof studentsin the classdeclinedas the semesterprogressed.(Better)
Therearelessstudentsin ProfessorSmith'sclassthantherearein ProfessorJones'class. (Wrong)
There are fewer studentsin ProfessorSmith's classthan thereare in ProfessorJones'class. (Better)
Somesentences
areincorrectbecausetheyusea word thatdoesnot meanwhat is intended.The confusionis
understandable
becauseof the similarity betweenthe correctand thechosenword.
WATCH
FOR INAPPROPRIATE DICTION
Be alert for inappropriateword choiceincluding non-idiomaticusageand commonly misused
words.
C . G ER U N D S V E R S U S IN F IN ITIVBS
The infinitive is the ro form of a verb and the gerundthe-ing form of a verb. Both may be usedas nouns. In
s o m ec i r c u m s t a n c oy so u c a n u s ee i t h e r :
ExantpLe: Adding an extra room to the houseis the next project.
To add an extra room to the houseis the next project
In this example,eachsentence
gerundand infinitive arenot
is co "ect. However,in somecircumstances,
i nterchan
seable.
WATCH
FOR GERUND.INFINITIVE
SWITCHING
Be alert for situationsin which the infinitive form of the verb has beenswitchedwith the
gerundform, or vice versa,whenit is not appropriate
usagein standardwrittenEnglish.
D . AM B I GU IT Y IN S C OP E
Watch for ambiguityin scope.T'hisoccurswhen thereis no cleardivisionbetrween
two ideas,so that the ideas
seemto merge. Considerthe following incorrectsentences:
Exarnples: After the anest,the accusedwas chargedwith resistingarrestand criminal fraud.
The recentchangesin the tax law will affectprimarily workerswho wait tablesin
restaurants,
operateconcessions
in publicplaces,anddrive taxis.
In the first example,the scopeof resistingis not clear. The sentence
can be read(o assefithat the accusedwas charged
w i t h r e s i s t i n g c r i m i n a l f r a uTdh.e i n t e n d e d s c o p e c a n b e m a d e c l e a r b y i n s e r t i n g a w i t h ' . . . . c h a r g e d w i t h r e s i s t i n g
arrest and with criminalfraud. This indicatesthat thereare two separateideas,not one.
In the secondexample,the useof and seemsto tie threeseparate
ideastogether;that is, it is thoservorkerswho do
all threejobs who will be aff'ected---<learly
not the intent of the sentence.That theseare threeseparateideascan be
madeclearbychangingandtoor,orbymakingaseriesofparallelideas:...workerswhowaittablesinrestaurants,
workerswho operateconcessionsin public places,and workerswho drive taxis.
ACI Bnslc GRevueR REVIEW C- 19
WATCH
FOR AMBIGUITY
IN SCOPE
Be alert for sentencesthat run two or more ideastogether. Usually the enor can be conected
by addingwords to clarify the two ideasas distinctand to separatethem from one another.
E . L O W.L E V E L U S A GE
There are a few expressionsthat are heardfrequently in conversationthat are regardedas low-level usageand are
unacceptablein standardwritten English.
ExampLe: Shesare is pretty! (Low-level usage)
Shecertainlyis pretty! (Better)
AVOID "LOW-LEVBL''
I n s t e a d o f.:
USAGE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .S a y :
ain't............
a m n o t ;a r e n o t ;i s n o t
a r e n 'It. . . . . . . . .
amI not
around(2 P.M.)
about(2 P.M.)
b e i n gt h a t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .s. i. n. .c. .e
y o u a n dL . . . . . . . . . .b e t v ' : e ny o u a n dm e
between
b u n c h( o f p e o p l e ) . . . . . . . . .r. . t. ' u p ( o f p e o p l e )
b u t t h a t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . t. h. .a. .t . .
c a n n ost e e m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . s. .e. .e. m u
snable
differentfrom
differentthan.......
elsethan
. .... otherthan
e q u a l l ya sg o o d . . . . . . . . . . . . .e.q. u a l l yg o o d ; j u s ta sg o o d
h a v eg o t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .h. .a.v. .e.
h a v i n gt o o k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . h
. .a. .v i n gt a k e n
i n b a c ko f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .b. .e. h. .i n d
kind of........
somewhat:rather
mayof........
m a yh a v e
mightof .....
m i g h th a v e
m u s to f . . . . . . . .
m u s th a v e
'
o f f o f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .o. .f .f
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
o n a c c o u not f
because
p l a nc l n
. . . . . .p
. l a nt o
p u t i n. . . . . . . . . .
s p e n dm
, akeo
; rdevote
q u i t ea f e w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .m
. .a. .n. y
i n t h e s a m ew a y a s ;j u s t a s
s a m ea s . . . . . . . .
s o r to f . . . . . . . .
s o m e w h a rt ;a t h e r
theirselves....
themselves
t r ya n d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .t .r .y.t.o. .
of
u n b e k n o w n st ot . . . . . . . . . . . . .w. i t h o u t h e k n o w l e d g e
u p w a r dosf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m
. . .o. r et h a n
should
o f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .s. h. .o. u
. lh
da v e
worstkind
... verybadly
worst way
... extremely
w o u l dh a v e
w o u l do f . . . . . .
C-20 ACT BASICGRauueR REVIEW
V. PUNCTUATION
A. C O M M A S
Correct use of the comma is essentialfor effectivewriting. Follow theserules when using commas.
A comma is not generallyusedbeforea subordinateclausethat endsa sentence,though in long, unwieldy
sentences
like this one,use of suchcommais optional.
USE A COMMA
BEFORE COORDINATING
CONJUNCTIONS
Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, nor, or, for) join two independentclauses. Use a
comma before coordinatingconjunctionsunlessthe two clausesare very short.
Examples: The boy wantedto borrow a book from the library, but the librarian would not allow him to take it
until he had paid his fines.
Roy washedhis dishesand Helendried.
A restrictivephraseor clauseis vital to the meaningof a sentenceand cannotbe omitted. Do NOT set it off with
commas.
Example: A sailboatwithout sailsis useless.
USE COMMAS FOR CLARITY
L
Usea commaif thesentence
withoutit.
mightbe subjectto differentinterpretations
2. Usea commaif a pausewouldmakethesentence
clearerandeasierto read.
The following examplesshow how commaschangethe interpretation
of the sentences:
Examples: The bankswhich closedyesterdayare in seriousfinancialdifficutty.
[Some banksclosedyesterdayand thosebanksarein trouble.]
The banks,which closedyesterday,are in seriousfinancialdifficylty.
[All banksclosedyesterdayand all arein trouble.]
My brother Bill is getting married.
[The implicationis that I havemorethanone brother.]
My brother, Bill, is gerringmarried.
he is the only brother.]
fHere Bill is an appositive.Presumably
Insidethe peopleweredancing. (confusing)
Inside,the peopleweredancing. (clearer)
After all crime mustbe punished.(confusing)
After all, crime mustbe punished.(clearer)
The pauserule is not infallible,but it is your bestresortwhen all otherrulesgoverninguseof the commafail y o u
ACT BASICGRAMMARREVIEW C-2l
USE CONTMAS TO SEPARATE COORDINATE
AND WORDS IN A SERIES
ADJECTIVES
l.
Coordinateadjectivesare adjectivesof equal importance and precedethe noun they
describe.
2.
Use a commabetweenwords in a serieswhen threeor more elementsare present. If the
seriesendsjn etc.,use a comma beforeetc. Do NOT usea comma afteretc. in a series,
even if the sentencecontinues.
Example: The jolly, fat, ruddy man stood at the top of the stairs.
Coats,umbrellas,and boos should be placedin the closetat the end of the hall.
Pencils,scissors,paperclips, etc. belong in your top desk drawer.
Note: The use of a comma beforeand andor is optional. However,you shouldbe consistentin your choice.
If you can add the word and betweenthe adjectiveswithout changingthe senseof the sentence,then usecommas.
USE A COMMA TO SEPARATE QUOTATIONS
AND INTRODUCTORY PHRASES
l.
Commasshouldbe usedto separatea shortdirect quotationfrom the speaker.
2.
Placea commaafter an introductoryphraseof five or more words.
3.
Use a commaafter a shortintroductoryphrasewheneverthe commawould aid clarity.
4.
Regardlessof their length, use a comma after introductory gerunds, participles, and
infinitives.
Hovever,if the subordinate
clausefollows the main clause,you do not needto setit off with a comma.
Examples: She said,"I must leave work on time today." (commaclarifies)
"TomorrowI beginmy summerjob," he told us. (commaclarifies)
Becausethe prisonerhad a history of attemptedjailbreaks,he yas put underheavy guard. (commaclarifier
As a child shewas a tomboy. (commaunnecessary)
To Dan, Phil was a friend as well as a brother. (commaclarifies)
In 1978,300 peoplelost their lives in one air disaster.(commaclarifies)
Commasmust usedin situationsto setoff a phraseor to interruptthe flow of the sentence.
USE PAIRS OF COMMAS TO SET OFF APPOSITIVE,
PARENTHETICAL, AND NONRESTRICTIVE ELEMENTS
l.
An appositivephrasefollo-wsa noun or pronounand meansthe sameas that noun or
pronoun.
2.
Parentheticalexpressionsare words that interrupt the flow of the sentence,such as
however,though,for instance,by the way, without changing the meaning of the
sentence.
3.
A nonrestrictive
elementsuppliesmaterialnot essentialto the sentence
and, if removed,
will not changethe meaningof the originalsentence.
C-22 ACT BASICGneuveR REVIEW
Examples: Mr. Dias, our lawyer, gave us some greatadvice.
This book. I believe.is the bestof its kind.
Sam,who is a very well-behaveddog, neverstraysfrom the front yard.
Test for placementof commasin a parentheticalexpressionby readingaloud. If you would pausebeforeand after
suchan expression,thenit shouldbe set off by commas.
In general,if you can omit the materialwithoutchangingthe meaningof the main clause,thenthe materialis
nonrestrictive
and shouldbe setoff by commas.
The above rules summarizethe most important usesof commas. If you use them in just thesesituations,then
you won't make a mistakein their use.
SITUATIONS
IN WHICH
NOT TO USE COMMAS
1. Do not usea commato separatea subjectfrom its verb.
2.
Do not usecommasto set off restrictiveor necessaryclausesor phrases.
3.
Do not usea commain placeof a conjunction.
B . SE M I C OL ON S
USE A SEMICOLON TO SEPARTE SERIES OF
PHRASES WITH COMMAS AND SERIES OF NUMBERS
1.
Use a semicolon to separatea series of phrasesor clauseseach of which contain
commas.
2.
Use a semicolonto avoid confusionwith numbers.
Examples: The old gentleman'sheirswereMargaretWhitlock,his half-sister;JamesBagley,the butler;William
Frame,companionto his late cousin,RobertBone;and his favoritecharity,the SalvationArny.
A d d t h e f o l l o w i n g :$ . 2 5 ;9 7 . 5 0 ;a n d $ 1 2 . 8 9 .
USE A SBMICOLON
TO SEPARATE INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
t . You may usea semicolonto separatetwo short,relatedindependent
clausesin a sentence
when the two ideas have a close relationship and thev are not connectedwith a
coordinating
conjunction.
L.
The semicolon is often used between independentclausesconnectedby conjunctive
adverbssuch as consequently,therefore, also, furthermore, for example, however,
nevertheless,
still,yet,moreover,otherwise.Notei The adverbmust be followedby a
comma.
Exantples: Anne is working at the front deskon Monday;Ernie will takeover on Tuesday.
She waitedfor her checkto arrive in the mail for two weeks;however,the check neverappeared.
You may use a semicolonto separatethisclausefrom the next;bowever,you will not be incorrectif
you chooseto write two separate
sentences.
AC'TBe,srcGReweB RqvrEw C-23
Two main clausesshouldbe separated
by a conjunctionor by a semicolonor theymust be writtenas two
sentences.The sametwo clausesmay be writtenin any one of threeways,as the following exampleshows:
Example: Autumn had come and the treeswere almostbare.
Autumn had come: the treeswere almostbare.
Autumn had come. The treeswere almostbare.
If you areuncertainabouthow to usea semicolonto connectindependent
clauses,write two sentences
instead.
USE SEMICOLONS
ONLY FOR INDEPENDENT
CLAUSES
Unless eachclausecan function as an independent
sentence,it probably is wrong to use a
semicolon.
C . C OL ON S
The colon is alwaysusedin the followingsituations:
SITUATIONS REQUIRING A COLON
l.
A colon shouldbe placedafterthe salutationin a businessletter.
2.
Use a colon to separate
hoursfrom minutes.
3.
The colon is usedto precedea list of threeor more itemsor a long quontion.
4.
A colon shouldbe usedto introducea ouestton.
Examples: DearBoardMember:
The eclipseoccurredat l0:36 A.M.
Many peoplereferto four, ratherthanthree,branchesof government:the executive,thejudicial,the
legislative,and the media.
My questionis this:Are you willing to puncha time clock?
A v o i d u s i n g t h e c o l o n d i r e c t l y a f t e r a v eAr bv .o i d u s i n g t h e c o l o n t o i n t e n u p t t h e n a t u
f l roawl o f l a n g u a g e .
Example: We played:volleyball,badminton,football,and tag. (Poor)
We playedvolleyball,badminton,fo ;ball,and tag. (Beuer)
USE COLONS TO CALL ATTENTION,
BUT NOT IF ALREADY SIGNALLED
A colon may be usedto introduceor to call attentionto elaborationor explanation. Be
careful not to use a colon to int_roduce
or call attentionto material that is alreadysignaledby
someotherelementof the sentence.
C-24
ACT BASIC GREVUER REVIEW
D. PERIODS
PERIODS ON THE ACT
The only use you shouldhave for a period on the test is to mark the end of a sentence.Make
sure,however, that any underlinedmaterialthat includesa period does not createa sentence
fragment.
E. DASHES
SITUATIONS
REQUIRING
A DASH
I.
Use a dash(or parentheses)
for emphasisor to set off an explanatorygroup of words.
2.
Adashisusedbeforeaword or word group which indicatesa summationor reversalof
what precededit.
3.
Use a dashto mark a suddenbreakin thouehtthat leavesa sentenceunfinished.
The material following the dashusuallydirectsthe attentionof the readerto the contentprecedingit. Unlessthe
set-offexpression
endsa sentence,
dashes,like parentheses,
mustbe usedin pairs.
Examples: The tools of his trade-probe, mirror, cotton swabs-were neatly arrangedon the dentist'strayPatience,sensitivity,understanding,
empathy-these aremarks of a friend.
He was not pleasedwith-in fact, he was completelyhostile to-the take-over.
He openedthe door a crackand sawDashesin sentenceshave a function similar to commaswhen they are usei to set off parentheticalremarks. The
d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n t h e t w o i s a m a t t e r o f e m p hTahsei sd.a s h e s m a r k a m o r e d r a m a t i c s h i f t o r i n t e r r u p t i o n o f t h o u g h t .
Do not, however,mix dashesand commas.