Download Homework #2: Lists, Faulty Modification, Gender Bias

Fall 2003 CSS 301B Homework #2 KEY
Homework #2: Lists, Faulty Modification, Gender Bias, Subordination…
1. Instructions: Revise the following sentences to correct the faulty modification. Your
revised sentence needs to still be one sentence with all the original content.
NOTE: There are many ways to modify the following sentences to correct the faulty
modification. What is shown is one method – not the only one.
Born at the age of forty-three, the baby was a great comfort to
Mrs. Wooster.
Mrs. Wooster’s baby was born when she was forty-three and was a great comfort to her.
As a den mother, Mrs. Glossop’s station wagon was always full of
Cub Scouts.
Mrs. Glossop’s station wagon was always full of Cub Scouts, because she was a Scout den mother.
Stuck in the toilet, Chuck found a small handgun.
Chuck found a small handgun stuck in the toilet.
Or … because you don’t know from the original what/who was stuck…
Chuck was stuck in the toilet when he found a small handgun.
By clicking on the open icon, a dialog box will appear.
A dialog box will appear when you click on the open icon.
To crack an egg properly, the yoke is left in tact.
When you crack an egg properly, the yoke is left in tact.
2. When eliminating gender bias in the following sentences, use a different method
per blank line. See the electronic reserve article for the different methods.
Each doctor carries his own stethoscope when making his rounds.
Each doctor carries his/her own stethoscope when making his/her rounds.
Doctors carry their own stethoscopes when making their rounds.
One carries one’s own stethoscope when making one’s rounds.
Note: the following sentences change the context of the original sentence a little, while still fixing the
gender bias problem.
Each doctor carries a stethoscope when making rounds.
You carry your own stethoscope when making your rounds.
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3. Reword the following sentences to eliminate gender bias. Use a dictionary to
understand the meaning, so you can understand how to select replacement
word(s).
The award is for sportsmanship.
The award is for good conduct befitting sports participants, including fair play, courtesy, striving spirit, and
grace in losing.
Their statesmanlike actions were commendable.
Their diplomatic actions were commendable.
With the signing of the new contracts, our manpower needs will double.
With the signing of the new contracts, our staffing needs will double.
The bricklayers’ workmanlike job was flawless.
The bricklayer’s skilled job was flawless.
The emergency room must be manned at all times.
The emergency room must be staffed at all times.
4. SUBORDINATION is the process by which the writer makes clear to the reader the
importance of various ideas within a sentence. To practice subordination within a
sentence, choose from the connectives (see table) to make a SINGLE SENTENCE of
the following short, choppy, disconnected sentences. Retain all the main ideas of all
the sentences. Do not just throw a conjunctive between each sentence. A maximum of
two “and”s is allowed. How many words are in your sentence???
The day was Saturday.
Freddy was driving.
The car was a blue Ford Galaxy.
The road curved sharply.
It missed a cat.
It was going fast.
The car skidded.
It hit a tree.
Freddy wasn’t hurt.
He had no insurance.
The car was totalled.
Coordinating conjunctions
and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so
Subordinating conjunctions
so, although, after, because, if, where, than, since, as, unless, before,
though, when, whereas
Prepositional phrases
to, into, across, toward, at, in, on, under, over, beside, among, by,
between, through, before, after, during, until, since, for, against, with
Participial phrases
“ing” in a modifying phrase
Gerund phrases
“ing” phrase that functions as a noun.
Infinitive phrases
“to ______”
Relative pronouns
who, whom, which, what, that
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Again, there are LOTS of ways to create one sentence as the following show. Understand
how the importance of the information changes based on where it is placed in the sentence
and what subordinate constructs are used.
Freddy wasn’t hurt, but his uninsured blue Ford Galaxy was totaled on Saturday, when he sped
around a sharp curve in the road and skidded, missing a cat, but hitting a tree.
(32 words)
On Saturday, although he wasn’t hurt, Freddy totaled his blue Ford Galaxy when he was driving
too fast, with no insurance, down a sharp curve, skidded, hit a tree, while missing a cat.
(33 words)
Saturday, Freddy wasn’t hurt when driving his uninsured blue Ford Galaxy, which was totaled
after just missing a cat and skidded into a tree because he was going too fast on a sharp curve in
the road.
(37 words)
On Saturday, Freddy was speeding in his uninsured blue Ford Galaxy when the road curved
sharply, causing the car to skid; although Freddy managed to avoid hitting a nearby cat and
escaped injury himself, he totaled his car by hitting a tree.
(42 words)
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