Download English Grammar/Usage/Punctuation Review Notes

English
Usage/Grammar/
Punctuation
Review
Vocabulary Terms

Apostrophe – the
mark (') used to
indicate the
omission of one or
more letters from a
printed word
 Can also be used to
indicate possession
Vocabulary Terms

Idiom -- a phrase in
which the words
together have a
meaning that is
different from the
dictionary definitions
of the individual
words
Vocabulary Terms

Mechanics -- the
way the words and
phrases work
together within a
sentence
Vocabulary Terms


Modifier -- a word
that qualifies the
meaning of a noun or
verb
Parallelism -- a
balance of two or
more similar words,
phrases, or clauses

What’s a phrase?
 a sequence of two or
more words arranged in
a grammatical
construction and acting
as a unit in a sentence

What’s a clause?
 a construction of words
containing a subject and
predicate and forming
part of a sentence or
constituting a whole
simple sentence
Vocabulary Terms

Parenthetical
Phrase -- a
construction that can
be used to extend
the meaning of a
word or phrase but
is not one of the
main constituents of
a sentence
Vocabulary Terms
Preposition -- links nouns, pronouns,
and phrases to other words in a
sentence
 Examples . . .

 The book is on the table.
 The book is beneath the table.
 The book is leaning against
the table.
 The book is beside the table.
 She held the book over the table.
 She read the book during class.
Vocabulary Terms

Pronoun – word
that replaces a noun
or another pronoun
 Ex: he, which, none,
you, I, it, etc . . .

Usage – longestablished method
of handling a given
word
Vocabulary Terms

Rhetoric
 using language
effectively to please or
persuade

Redundant
 Unnecessarily repetetive

Verbose
 Containing more words
than necessary

Relevant
 Having significant
importance to the matter
at hand

Tone
 Expression of a mood
You are now armed with the vocabulary you need to
understand grammar instruction
Usage and Mechanics
•Basic Grammar & Usage
•Sentence Structure
•Punctuation
Rhetorical Skills
•Strategy
•Organization
•Style
Most Common Errors
Singulars and Plurals
(especially the word they)
Pronoun Usage
(I or me, he or him, etc…)
Apostrophe Use
(its or it’s) (whose or who’s)
Proper Word Usage
(there, their, they’re)
(are, our)
Parenthetical Phrases and Punctuation
Idiomatic Preposition Use
(in, of, on, to, for)
Unidiomatic Verb Use
(-ing endings)
Pronoun Usage
Subject Case
I
He
Who
She
We
They
Whoever
Object Case
Me Him Her
Whom
Us
Whomever
Them
Singulars and Plurals
MOST common error in this area?
The use of THEY
When a friend borrows my car, I usually ask
them to fill it with gas before they return it.
When friends borrow my car, I usually ask
them to fill it with gas before they return it.
Subject or Object Case Pronoun?
STRATEGY: Leave out part of the sentence.
Example: If you have any questions about
grammar usage, ask your English
teacher or (I / me) to help you.
Read it again WITHOUT the words
“your English teacher or”
Rephrased: If you have any questions about
grammar usage, ask (I
X /me) to
help you.
WHO or WHOM?
How do you decide?
STRATEGY: Use the Him/He Test
1) Re-order the part of the sentence
containing who or whom.
2) Rephrase with he or him.
Where him is the proper choice,
then whom would also be correct.
Sample Problem
I wonder who/whom he bribed to
get this position.
To get this position, he bribed him.
Correct Choice: Whom
Sample Problem
Whoever/Whomever the drama
teacher liked received a part in the
play.
The drama teacher liked him.
Correct Choice: Whomever
Caution with the Him/He Test
Use the subject case if the pronoun
1) precedes a verb AND
2) is the subject of that verb.
Sample Problem
The police gave tickets to
whoever/whomever had parked in
front of the fire hydrant.
1) Is the pronoun followed by a verb?
Yes
2) Does that pronoun appear to be the
subject of that verb? (Did“whoever”
Yes
actually do the parking?)
It’s or Its? Whose or Who’s?
The apostrophe takes the place of a letter.
It’s = It is
Who’s = Who is
STRATEGY:
•Slow down when you come to these.
•Read the sentence as “It is” or “Who is” to
be SURE you’ve chosen the correct answer.
Sample Problem
Who’s / Whose Line Is It Anyway is a
funny television show. Its /It’s on the
comedy channel.
1. Who is Line Is It Anyway…
OR
2. Whose Line Is It Anyway…
Sample Problem
Who’s / Whose Line Is It Anyway is a
funny television show. Its /It’s on the
comedy channel.
1. It is on the comedy channel
OR
2. Its on the comedy channel
Our & Are
For questions involving proper word usage—
SLOW DOWN and READ CAREFULLY!!!!!
Our = possession
Are = Verb
Helpful Tip: Our is spelled like your.
There, their, and they’re
There = Location
There contains the word here.
Their = Possession.
They’re = They are
Substitute “They are” in the
sentence and see if it makes sense.
Parenthetical Phrases
Definition: Phrases which could be removed
and the sentence would still be complete.
Bob, on his way to the store, saw a lizard.
Bob saw a lizard.
RULE: Parenthetical phrases must begin AND
end with the same punctuation mark.
Punctuation – Sample Problem
On the day of the test, his over-protective mother
packed him an ACT survival kit. Ten sharpened
pencils, a pencil sharpener, a calculator, a pack of
batteries, three different-weight sweaters, four
pieces of fruit, a liter of spring water and a box
of tissues.
A. NO CHANGE
B. kit, ten
C. kit; ten
D. kit: ten
D.
Idiomatic Preposition Use
Certain phrases require the use of particular
prepositions.
STRATEGY: Trust your ear.
Is that what most people say?
“I will pick you up tonight at quarter of six.”
“I will pick you up tonight at quarter to six.”
More Idiomatic Prepositions
She tried to instill on me a respect to the law.
She tried to instill in me a respect of the law.
I want to protect you in all dangers.
I want to protect you from all dangers.
Unidiomatic Verb Use (-ing endings)
RULE: -ing endings are used to
indicate repeated or continuous action
and should NOT be used for a single
action that occurs once.
Example:
When I left for the store, I was forgetting my list.
Correction:
When I left for the store, I forgot my list.
OMIT the Material When…
• It is unnecessary
• It is repetitious, or
• It is wordy
Correct more than half of the time.
When in doubt, take it out!
Example of Wordiness
As I previously mentioned to you when
explaining at last week’s meeting the incredible
and undisputed advantages of combining our two
clubs, The Poetry Society and the Poets Outside, I
have written up here for your further study my
thoughts on the matter, detailing the many
benefits that will accrue to both organizations.
At last week’s meeting, I said there were
benefits to combining our two clubs. Here’s a
note repeating why.
Spielberg’s Amistad is the filmmaker’s second attempt
to show that someone who is an unexcelled creator of
funny, fast-paced action movies can also be a producer
of films that try to deal in a serious fashion with
weighty historical and moral themes. (42 words)
Spielberg’s Amistad is the filmmaker’s second attempt
at dealing in a serious fashion with weighty historical
and moral themes. (19 words)
Spielberg’s Amistad is the filmmaker’s second attempt
to show that an unexcelled creator of funny, fast-paced
action movies can also produce films dealing seriously
with weighty historical and moral themes. (30 words)
The remarkable growth in increased attendance
currently being enjoyed by such formerly
moribund sports franchises as baseball’s
Cleveland Indians shows that building a new
stadium can have a powerful effect on the
popularity of a team.
C.
A. NO CHANGE
B. The growth in attendance remarkably being enjoyed currently
C. The remarkable growth in attendance currently enjoyed
D. The remarkable attendance boom currently enjoyed
Later, Pike fell while valiantly defending
America in the War of 1812. It goes without
saying that this took place after he discovered
Pike’s Peak. He actually died near York (now
called Toronto)…
F. NO CHANGE
I.
G. Clearly, this must have occurred
subsequent to his discovering Pike’s Peak.
H. This was after he found Pike’s Peak.
I. OMIT the underlined portion.
School Paper Editorial
The first reason why the Denville school district should
not be combined with the Jackson school district is the
fact that the schools have been sports rivals for too long.
1
Trying to unite the schools after so many years of
competition would inevitably lead to friction. [2]
1. A. NO CHANGE
B. because of the fact that
C. about
D. that
D.
The first reason why the Denville school district should
not be combined with the Jackson school district is the
fact that the schools have been sports rivals for too
long. Trying to unite the schools after so many years of
competition would inevitably lead to friction. [2]
2. Is the author’s introductory paragraph effective?
A. Yes, because it gets immediately to the problem
B.
B. No, because an introduction should outline the whole
subject.
C. No, because it doesn’t say how many other reasons there
will be.
D. Yes, because sports is the number one interest of most
students.
Important Points
• 1/3 of English items on the ACT concern
redundancy, verbosity, and relevance.
• NEVER let the passage repeat itself.
• Stay true to the author’s tone.
• Don’t try to “correct” EVERY sentence.
• Trust your ear.
CAUTION!
• Don’t Add a New Mistake
• Avoid Changing the Meaning
When Editing
Grammar Review
Among those who played a crucial role in the
Northern victory at Gettysburg were Joshua
Chamberlain, a Union colonel from Maine
who later enjoyed a distinguished career as an
educator and politician.
Among those who played a crucial role in the
Northern victory at Gettysburg was Joshua
Chamberlain, a Union colonel from Maine
who later enjoyed a distinguished career as
an educator and politician.
Dismayed by the news that a top executive
had suddenly accepted a job with a
competitor, the price of the company’s
stock fell sharply the next day.
Problem: Dangling Modifier
Possible correction:
Stockholders were dismayed…,and the
price…
A fabled center of monastic life during the
Middle Ages, each summer thousands of
visitors travel to the island of Iona near the
coast of Ireland.
Problem: Misplaced Modifier
Suggestion:
Move “A fabled center of monastic life
during the Middle Ages” after the
phrase “the island of Iona”.
In the 90s, albums by Pearl Jam
appeared consistent on the charts
even without the exposure of
music videos.
In the 90s, albums by Pearl Jam
appeared consistently on the charts
even without the exposure of
music videos.
Although the hospital administrators interviewed
many staff members about the repeated cases of
staph infections they had no explanation for the
puzzling pattern of outbreaks.
WHO had no explanation?
The administrators?
The staff?
Possible Correction: Although the hospital
administrators interviewed many staff members
about the repeated cases of staph infections the
staff had no explanation for the puzzling pattern
of outbreaks.
Each member of the tour group should
have their tickets by the end of the week.
Problem: pronoun usage
Each member of the tour group should have
his or her tickets by the end of the week.
OR
All members of the tour group should
have their tickets by the end of the week.
Representatives to the student senate were
asked to pursue often contradictory goals:
boosting student acceptance of more
homework, developing explanations for
adding two hours to the length of each
school day, and the reduction of rampant
poor morale.
Problem: Parallelism
Representatives to the student senate were
asked to pursue often contradictory goals:
boosting student acceptance of more
homework, developing explanations for
adding two hours to the length of each
school day, and the reduction of rampant
poor morale.
“…reducing rampant poor morale.”
In the Olympics the first place
winner gets a gold medal, second
place, a silver medal, and third
place, a bronze medal.
In the Olympics the first place
winner gets a gold medal; second
place, a silver medal; and third
place, a bronze medal.
Princess Diana, for who the
song Candle in the Wind was
written died tragically in an
automobile accident.
Princess Diana, for whom the song
Candle in the Wind was written, died
tragically in an automobile accident.
The children had been playing in the
park, they were covered in mud.
A. The children had been playing in the
park. They were covered in mud.
B. The children had been playing in
the park, and they were covered in
mud.
C. The children had been playing in
the park; they were covered in
mud.
Exit Slip (5 points)
Directions: Use complete sentences on
a ½ sheet of paper to answer the
following.
1. Name two things you learned today
about grammar/usage/punctuation. (2
points)
2. Name two things you are still unsure
about (regarding
grammar/usage/punctuation). (2 points)
3. Why does this stuff matter? (1 point)