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AP GRAMMAR REVIEW Knowledge and mastery of grammar and usage are part of your college battery of tests which you take this year. It is also tested in the AP writing sections (Language and Composition taken your junior year and Literature and Composition taken your senior year) as you have to prove your mastery of the English language through your writing. Scorers look for well-organized essays which effectively communicate the author’s analysis and grammar mistakes cannot impede the flow/sense of your argument. While for the AP tests you will not have to label a participle, gerund, appositive, etc, you will have to use them effectively in your writing. (For example, the use of one semi-colon effectively moves you into the “3” category.) You are going to aim for strong, varied sentence patterns organized with a sense of symmetry in thought and structure; there should be no “glitches” over subject/verb agreement, antecedents, or other common sentence errors. The PSAT and the SAT II both have a more direct testing pattern in three of the five parts: 1) identifying sentence error questions, 2) sentence improvement questions, and 3) paragraph improvement questions. All three sections test, if even just implied in the third section, grammar and usage. The questions presented will have definite, unambiguous solutions based on your knowledge of writing and the conventions of English. You will have no time to think about your response. You must know these rules. FREQUENCY WITH WHICH CERTAIN ERRORS OCCUR: Level 5: a near certainty and probably often Subject/verb agreement Verb forms Verb tense Use of comparisons Diction (word choice) Level 4: highly probable Agreement of pronoun and antecedent Pronoun reference Parallel construction English idiom Level 3: likely Pronoun choice Double negatives Level 2: possible Punctuation (run-on sentences, comma splices) Possessives Level 1: conceivable Spelling Capitalization In terms of review, I am going to assume that you know the rules of capitalization and spelling . (If you need to review on your own, borrow a grammar book from me – page 350, 438 for capitalization and spelling- or buy Writer’s, Inc at Vroman’s – it is the best, easiest, and most concise grammar review book out there.) Since double negatives (page 34) sound wrong to you and verb tense forms (page 145, 156+), idiom (see me), diction (see me) are all sheer memorization, I am going to leave these up to you to master if you need additional help. The rest is again pretty well up to you. Since AP is not a remediation course where I teach grammar, but rather a course where you have proved your mastery of grammar, I am going to rely on you to bring up questions and problems and points you want “taught.” If you do not bring anything up on the Wednesdays before the grammar ring is due each week, I will assume you “get” the weekly review points. (pages correlate to the Holt grammar book) FIRST WEEK: Subject/verb agreement p. 118 = 24 cards Look for Compound subjects Joined by “and” (1) Joined by “or” “nor” (2) Combination singular/plural (3) Intervening words – make one card for each of these Intervening prepositional phrases (4) Dependent clauses (5) Interrupters (6) Subject words that may be singular or plural (collective nouns, amounts) Subject words that are indefinite pronouns Subject words that are singular but sound plural Subject words that are titles, names or organizations or countries Subjects that follow verbs Every, many That, which, who 1. COMPOUND SUBJECTSCOMPOUND SUBJECTS JOINED BY THE WORD “AND” USE A PLURAL VERB FORM John and Carol are going to the movies 2. COMPOUND SINGULAR SUBJECTS JOINED BY OR OR NOR USE A SINGULAR VERB Neither John nor Carol wants to go 3. COMPOUND SUBJECTS WHICH ARE A COMBINATION OF SINGULAR AND PLURAL AND JOINED BY OR OR NOR THE VERB AGREES WITH THE SUBJECT NEAREST THE VERB Neither the performers nor the director was pleased with the review 4., 5., 6. INTERVENING WORDS: THE VERB IS NOT CHANGED BY ANY INTERVENING WORDS OR PHRASES The characters in the allegory in the one book that stands out as Hawthorne’s best represent abstract ideas. The history teacher, as well as her students, was fascinated by the huge sharks. 7. ANYBODY, ANYONE, ANYTHING, EACH, EITHER, EVERYBODY, EVERYONE, EVERYTHING, NEITHER, NOBODY, NO ONE, NOTHING, ONE, SOMEBODY, SOMEONE, SOMETHING USE A SINGULAR VERB Neither of the books contains any charts 8. BOTH, FEW, MANY, SEVERAL USE A PLURAL VERB Both of the poems were written by Langston Hughes 9. ALL, ANY, MOST, NONE, SOME USE A SINGULAR OR PLURAL VERB, DEPENDING ON THE REFERENCE The police told us that none of the dogs were killed The police told of that none of the equipment was damaged 10. COLLECTIVE NOUNS (ARMY, ASSEMBLY, GROUP, STAFF, ETC)WHEN THE NOUN REFERS TO A GROUP AS A UNIT, USE A SINGULAR VERB The cast of the play is made up of students 11. WHEN THE NOUN REFERS TO A PARTS OR MEMBERS OF THE GROUP, USE A PLURAL VERB The cast are joining their families for a celebration THE WORD NUMBER IS 12. SINGULAR WHEN PRECEDED BY THE he number of students has increased 13. PLURAL WHEN PRECEDED BY A A number of students are going AMOUNT 14. SINGULAR WHEN THOUGHT OF AS A UNIT Five thousand books is a large library 15. PLURAL WHEN THOUGHT OF AS MANY PARTS Three books in the collection are mysteries 16. NAMES OF ORGANIZATIONS, CREATIVE WORKS, CITIES, COUNTRIES TAKE A SINGULAR VERB Avalon Textiles is located downtown SOME ORGANIZATIONS COMPOSED OF MEMBERS MAY TAKE A 17. SINGULAR VERB IF IT IS A UNIT The Yankees has won many pennants 18. PLURAL VERB IF THE REFERENCE IS TO THE MEMBERS The Yankees are signing autographs in the lobby 19. SOME NOUNS ARE PLURAL IN MEANING BUT TAKE SINGULAR VERBS (MUMPS, PHYSICS, GENETICS, ETC) Civics is a senior requirement 20. SOME NOUNS ARE ALWAYS PLURAL (PLIERS, SHORTS, SCISSORS, ETC) Your pants are falling down 21. A SUBJECT THAT IS A PHRASE OR CLAUSE TAKES A SINGULAR VERB Living in the woods is dangerous 22. A VERB AGREES WITH ITS SUBJECT, NOT WITH ITS PREDICATE NOMINATIVE Sore muscles are one symptom One symptom is sore muscles 23. SUBJECTS PRECEDED BY EVERY OR MANY A TAKE A SINGULAR VERB Every dog and cat is shivering in fear 24. RELATIVE PRONOUNS (THAT, WHICH, WHO) THAT ARE THE SUBJECT OF A CLAUSE AGREE WITH THE WORD TO WHICH THE PRONOUN REFERS I have neighbors who run naked in their yard SECOND WEEK: Agreement of pronoun and antecedent / pronoun reference p. 133, 204 = 17 cards agreement in number/gender/person agreement with indefinite pronouns singular indefinite plural indefinite either joined by “and” joined by “or” or “nor” combination singular/plural collective antecedents titles antecedents plural in form but singular in meaning antecedents always plural antecedent preceded by every/ many a ambiguous reference (two or more antecedents) general reference weak or non-existent reference it, they, you 1. a pronoun agrees in number, gender, person with the word to which it refers The joggers took their canteens with them. 2. as antecedents, indefinite pronouns may be singular anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, anything, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody, someone, something Each of the girls has memorized her part. One of the boys left his lunch on the bus 3. or plural: both, few, many, several Many of the fans could not find their seats in the dark. 4. depending on the reference for all, any, most, none, some All of your practice served its purpose All of the animals received their dinners. 5. compound antecedents joined by and: use a plural pronoun If Shelley and Jane don’t study, they will fail. 6. compound antecedents joined by or or nor, use a singular pronoun Neither Dick nor Tom wants a seat by himself. 7. If a mix of singular and plural, the pronoun agrees with the antecedent nearest Neither the twins nor Jerry likes his new room. Collective nouns may act as singular or plural antecedent 8. If the antecedent is used as a unit, use a singular pronoun reference Yesterday, the OM club signaled its demise. 9.If the reference is to its parts or members, use a plural pronoun reference However, the club disagree on the substitute competition. 10. Titles of creative works (books, songs, film, paintings), the name of organizations, countries, cities take a singular pronoun reference Twin Peaks is proud of its heritage. 11. Some words are plural in form, but singular in meaning and thus take a singular pronoun reference Civics must be taken senior year for it to count for graduation 12.Some words take plural pronoun references (pants, pliers, shorts, etc) Find the scissors and bring them to me. 13. Every and many a take singular pronouns Every, dog, cat, and horse, was in its bed for the night. Avoid ambiguous references between pronouns and antecedents 14. Beware of two or more antecedent of the same gender Carol called Alice while she was doing her homework 15. Avoid what is called a general reference (referring to a general idea rather than to a specific noun) Watch this, that, which, such More than 85% of UC freshman fail to pass the minimum English requirements, which is a shame. 16. Avoid a weak reference where an idea not yet named is referred to Our dog is jealous of our kitten; to help him get over it, I give him extra attention (it has no antecedent; the antecedent should be jealousy) 17. Avoid the indefinite use of it, they, you It is reported that 3,000 people died in the quake. In the history book, they report on the immigration of the Irish. THIRD WEEK: Subjunctive mood (almost a “wish” statement) = 1 card 1. A verb form that expresses a condition contrary to fact and usually appears in clauses with As if As though If FOURTH WEEK: Use of comparisons p. 220 = 8 cards Degrees Positive, comparative, superlative Incomplete comparisons Illogical comparisons Parallelism in comparisons Use of the same grammatical form when comparing parallel ideas Not parallel: to go skateboarding is no longer as popular as rollerblading Parallel: skateboarding is no longer as popular as rollerblading Not parallel: Ogden Nash was more admired for his humor than for what his poems had to say. Parallel: Ogden Nash was more admired for his humor than his ideas. 1. One syllable modifiers usually take –er and –est ofter, biggest 2. Some two syllable words take –er and –est, and some take more and most Simpler, simplest; likelier, likeliest More cautious, most freely 3 .More than two syllables use more and most 4. Avoid illogical comparisons Include the word other or else when comparing one member of a group with the rest of the group Anita has hit more home runs than any member of the team I think Jean plays the flute better than anyone. 5. Avoid illogical comparisons MacDonald’s hamburgers are better than Burger King. 6. Avoid incomplete comparisons I tutor Ryan more than Isabel Do you see movies more often than your friend? 7. Include all the words necessary to complete the compound sentence The football team from our school played as well, if not better than, the one from Muir. (As well as) 8. Parallelism in comparisons Use of the same grammatical form when comparing parallel ideas Not parallel: to go skateboarding is no longer as popular as rollerblading Parallel: skateboarding is no longer as popular as rollerblading Not parallel: Ogden Nash was more admired for his humor than for what his poems had to say. Parallel: Ogden Nash was more admired for his humor than his ideas. FIFTH WEEK: Parallel construction p. 311 = 6 cards Use of same grammatical form Especially note how conjunctions control the phrase that follows Use in comparing or contrasting ideas (also see above) Use grammatical equivalents (eg. do not mix a gerund and an infinitive) Incorrect: They are worried more about public opinion than what the effect of the proposal may be Correct: They are worried more about public opinion than about the effects of the proposal Incorrect: Going out to eat is not as much fun as to cook at home. Correct: Going out to eat is not as much fun as cooking at home Use when linking ideas with correlative conjunctions Both…and, either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also Signal words need to be correctly placed Poor: Alice both started on the basketball and volleyball teams Better: Alice started on both …. Repeat articles, conjunctions, prepositions in the series Poor: Our mechanic did a better job on my car than his Better: Our mechanic did a better job on my car than on his Parallel ideas should be logical equivalents Poor: Jim is six feet tall, kind, and a New Yorker Better: Kim, a six foot tall New Yorker, is kind. Poor: On Wednesday Marge ate a peanut butter sandwich and got married Better: since, contrary to rumor, eating a peanut butter sandwich and getting married are not equivalents Before getting married on Wednesday, Marge ate a peanut butter sandwich 1. ideas of equal weight should be in parallel structure; phrases should be in the same format; gerund to gerund, participle to participle, etc Wrong: In winter I like to ski and skating Right: In winter I like skiing and skating Incorrect: They are worried more about public opinion than what the effect of the proposal may be Correct: They are worried more about public opinion than about the effects of the proposal Incorrect: Going out to eat is not as much fun as to cook at home. Correct: Going out to eat is not as much fun as cooking at home 2. Use parallel structure when you compare and contrast Wrong: To think logically is not as important as acknowledging your feelings Right: Thinking logically is not as important as acknowledging your feelings 3. When you link ideas with correlative conjunctions (both…and, either…or, not only … but also, etc) A principal must balance his love of students with raising money for the school. A principal must balance both his love of students and his need to raise money for the school 4. Signal words need to be correctly placed Poor: Alice both started on the basketball and volleyball teams Better: Alice started on both …. 5. Repeat articles, conjunctions, prepositions in the series Poor: Our mechanic did a better job on my car than his Better: Our mechanic did a better job on my car than on his car 6 . Parallel ideas should be logical equivalents Poor: Jim is six feet tall, kind, and a New Yorker Better: Kim, a six foot tall New Yorker, is kind. Poor: On Wednesday Marge ate a peanut butter sandwich and got married Better: since, contrary to rumor, eating a peanut butter sandwich and getting married are not equivalents Before getting married on Wednesday, Marge ate a peanut butter sandwich SIXTH WEEK: Pronoun choice p. 187 = 10 cards Use nominative case pronouns as the subject and in predicate nominative (page 291) Use objective case pronouns when the pronoun is used as The object in a prepositional phrase The objects of verbs Direct objects Indirect objects The objects of verbals Use the correct form when the sentence is implied or unfinished – elliptical - (just finish it in your mind) Jackie runs faster than (she or her) Finished: Jackie runs faster than she runs Carol is as tough as (me or I) Finished: Carol is as tough as I am Use the correct form when the pronoun is side by side with the noun (hint: eliminate the noun) (We, us) seniors decided to take a day off in late May. We decided to take a day off in late May. Possessives Use possessives before a gerund Appositive The pronouns is in the same case as the noun to which it refers 1. Use nominative case pronouns as the subject and in the predicate nominative When I answered the phone, it was she. The two candidates are Marco and I. 2. Use objective case pronouns when the pronoun is used as the object of a prep phrase The tie is between her and me Behind her is the beginning point of the line 3. Use objective case when the pronoun is the object of a verb Throw him into the fire 4. Use objective case when the pronoun is the indirect object Throw him a towel and then throw him into the fire 5. Use objective case when the pronoun is the object of a verbal Protecting them is not enough action for the endangered species act. No one expected the Rose Queen to be her. 6. Use the correct form when the sentence is implied or unfinished – elliptical - (just finish it in your mind) Jackie runs faster than (she or her) Finished: Jackie runs faster than she runs Carol is as tough as (me or I) Finished: Carol is as tough as I am 7. Use the correct form when the pronoun is side by side with the noun (hint: eliminate the noun) (We, us) seniors decided to take a day off in late May. We decided to take a day off in late May. 8. Possessives: Use possessives before a gerund We all cheered Todd’s scoring the final touch down Todd’s parents objected to his breaking his leg, though 9. Appositive: The pronouns is in the same case as the noun to which it refers The two fullbacks, Todd and he, are both out for the season (used as subject appositives) The coach paid both boys, Todd and him, off handsomely 10. In elliptical construction, just finish the construction Elliptical: She is taller than he Finished: She is taller than he is SEVENTH WEEK: Modifiers p. 229 = 2 cards Misplaced Dangling 1. Misplaced: The modifier must be placed near or next to the word it modifies to avoid nonsensical sentences He saw a bear riding a motorcycle through the forest. 2. Dangling modifiers are phrases that do not sensibly modify any word or words in the sentence Alone, the mountain is virtually impossible to climb. EIGHTH WEEK: Punctuation p. 385 – 392, 397 - 399 = 16 cards Commas Two independent clauses Non-essential clauses and phrases Introductory elements Mild exclamations Participial phrases Two or more introductory prepositional phrases Introductory adverb clause Interrupters Appositives Noun of direct address Compound comparisons Parenthetical expressions Clarity Semi-colons Independent clauses with no conjunction Independent clauses joined by conjunctive adverb or traditional expressions Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction but with other commas within the Clauses 1. Use a comma to separate two independent clauses joined by and, or, nor, for, but, so, yet We can go in the morning when the sun comes up, or we can go later on in the day. Use commas to set off nonessential clauses or participial phrase (clauses or phrases not necessary to the sense/meaning of the sentence) 2. Non-essential clauses are not necessary for the meaning Dr. Young, who lives down the street, is only thirty-five Shari, trying her hardest, was nervous 3. Essential clauses are necessary to restrict the meaning of the sentence Leave the books that are due on the table by the door Introductory elements 4. Mild exclamations, such as well, first, etc 5. Introductory participial phrases Feeling close to tears, Jane ran to the restroom 6. Two or more prepositional phrases Over the river and through the woods, we rode the horse. 7. Introductory adverb clauses After I had introduced Jim and Mary, I wandered off to the buffet Interrupters 8. Appositives My favorite movie with Clark Gable, Gone with The Wind, is playing at the Mann 9. Nouns of direct address John, get your hair cut 10. Compound comparisons Jim is as well known as, if not better known than, his brother Make sure to complete the comparison by repeating the second as 11. Parenthetical expressions We ended up, after all, at the Hastings. 12. Clarity Above an eagle soared majestically Above, an eagle soared majestically The sea was calm; the moon, bright What seats there were, were already taken The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Semi-colons 13. Use a semi-colon between two independent clauses that are closely related but not joined by a conjunction The rain had threatened all day; it came suddenly in torrents. 14. Join independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb (accordingly, however, nevertheless, therefore, etc) with a semicolon I wanted to see Matrix; however, I gave in and went to the other movie 15. Join independent clauses which already have a comma with a semi-colon We ordered large servings of tacos, rice, and beans; but we only managed to eat a third of what was served 16. Use a semi-colon to separate items in a series if the items already contain commas I have lived in Salt Lake City, Utah; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Arcadia, California NINTH WEEK: Possessives p. 421 = 2 cards Placement of apostrophe Singular Plural Possessives – to show possession 1. To form the possessive of singular nouns, add an apostrophe and an s If the noun ends in s or z sound, add only an apostrophe if the noun has two or more syllables Hercules’ strength 2. To form the possessive of a plural noun, add only an apostrophe TENTH WEEK: Fragments (p. 314 – 316), run-ons (p. 318 – 319), comma splices (p. 25, 318) = 7 cards Fragments Sentences beginning with subordinating conjunctions Sentences beginning with prepositional phrases Sentences beginning with participles Sentences with the nouns in an appositive construction Compound structure fragments Run-ons Comma splices Fragments – the sentence has to be complete 1. Sentences beginning with subordinating conjunctions While the football teams run down the field at practice 2. Sentences beginning with prepositional phrases At the house alongside the main highway by the bend in the river 3. Sentences beginning with participles Hailing from a long line of Republicans who had inherited much wealth from previous corporate founders 4. Sentences with the nouns in an appositive construction He became the first male principal of the high school. An unusual position for someone in his family. 5. Compound structure fragments I packed only casual clothes for the trip. Levis, sweats, t-shirts, swimming suits, and flip flops. 6. Run-ons – sentences joined together as if they were a single thought and Fused - sentences joined with no punctuation between them 7. Comma splice – sentences incorrectly joined with just a comma THE “GRAMMAR RING” Your assignment is to make a hand written grammar ring (typed grammar rings will nto be accepted). This means that you will buy a 3 inch or larger key ring (the metal interlocking kind), use 4 X 6 index cards, punch a hole in each in the left hand corner, and write the rule. One rule per card = 82 cards; 4 X 6 index cards or no credit You may not cut paper to size or vary the size DIRECTIONS 1. Buy a key ring, 3 inch or larger (as needed) (you are going to need 3 rings for this course) 2. Take @ 90 4 X 6 index cards 3. Put one rule per card 4. On the front side of the card, hand write an incorrect sentence illustrating the principle (PSAT style) 5. On the back side (number these in the following manner): 1) hand write the title of the rule at the top; 2) hand write the rule (include all words/examples you need to know that are given 3) hand write the examples given (some rules have more than one example) 4) hand write one more correct sentence to illustrate the rule and are original. Punch a hole large enough for the key ring to pass through in the upper left hand corner 6. Attach the cards 7. Add one more card that is colored with your name, period, and id number, putting it first DUE DATES: These are due at the beginning of class ON THE Friday of the appropriate week or they will not be given credit. Make sure you have them on a ring or I will not accept them. Make sure you keep adding to the ring – do not just turn in the week’s assignment – it is cumulative. ACCOUNTABILITY: When written papers are returned, there will be a check mark in the margin where a grammar error occurs. For each error you will - on the back of the original paper – rewrite the sentence as it stands once, write the full rule which governs that error, write the corrected sentence 5 times. This is to be handwritten, not typed. Typed corrections will not get credit. Failure to make the corrections will lower the original grade of the written piece by two full grades. SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT I. COMPOUND SUBJECTS 1. COMPOUND SUBJECTS JOINED BY THE WORD “AND” USE A PLURAL VERB FORM John and Carol are going to the movies 2. COMPOUND SINGULAR SUBJECTS JOINED BY OR OR NOR USE A SINGULAR VERB Neither John nor Carol wants to go 3. COMPOUND SUBJECTS WHICH ARE A COMBINATION OF SINGULAR AND PLURAL AND JOINED BY OR OR NOR THE VERB AGREES WITH THE SUBJECT NEAREST THE VERB Neither the performers nor the director was pleased with the review II. INTERVENING WORDS 4. THE VERB IS NOT CHANGED BY ANY INTERVENING WORDS OR PHRASES a. The characters in the allegory in the one book that stands out as Hawthorne’s best represent abstract ideas. b. The history teacher, as well as her students, was fascinated by the huge sharks. III. SPECIAL CASES 5. ANYBODY, ANYONE, ANYTHING, EACH, EITHER, EVERYBODY, EVERYONE, EVERYTHING, NEITHER, NOBODY, NO ONE, NOTHING, ONE, SOMEBODY, SOMEONE, SOMETHING USE A SINGULAR VERB Neither of the books contains any charts 6. BOTH, FEW, MANY, SEVERAL USE A PLURAL VERB Both of the poems were written by Langston Hughes 7. ALL, ANY, MOST, NONE, SOME USE A SINGULAR OR PLURAL VERB, DEPENDING ON THE REFERENCE a. The police told us that none of the dogs were killed b. The police told of that none of the equipment was damaged 8. COLLECTIVE NOUNS (ARMY, ASSEMBLY, GROUP, STAFF, ETC) a. WHEN THE NOUN REFERS TO A GROUP AS A UNIT, USE A SINGULAR VERB The cast of the play is made up of students b. WHEN THE NOUN REFERS TO A PARTS OR MEMBERS OF THE GROUP, USE A PLURAL VERB The cast are joining their families for a celebration 9. THE WORD NUMBER IS a. SINGULAR WHEN PRECEDED BY THE The number of students has increased b. PLURAL WHEN PRECEDED BY A A number of students are going 10. AMOUNT a. SINGULAR WHEN THOUGHT OF AS A UNIT Five thousand books is a large library b. PLURAL WHEN THOUGHT OF AS MANY PARTS Three books in the collection are mysteries 11. NAMES OF ORGANIZATIONS, CREATIVE WORKS, CITIES, COUNTRIES TAKE A SINGULAR VERB Avalon Textiles is located downtown 12. SOME ORGANIZATIONS COMPOSED OF MEMBERS MAY TAKE a. SINGULAR VERB IF IT IS A UNIT The Yankees has won many pennants b. PLURAL VERB IF THE REFERENCE IS TO THE MEMBERS The Yankees are signing autographs in the lobby 13. SOME NOUNS ARE PLURAL IN MEANING BUT TAKE SINGULAR VERBS (MUMPS, PHYSICS, GENETICS, ETC) Civics is a senior requirement 14. SOME NOUNS ARE ALWAYS PLURAL (PLIERS, SHORTS, SCISSORS, ETC) Your pants are falling down 15. A SUBJECT THAT IS A PHRASE OR CLAUSE TAKES A SINGULAR VERB Living in the woods is dangerous 16. A VERB AGREES WITH ITS SUBJECT, NOT WITH ITS PREDICATE NOMINATIVE a. Sore muscles are one symptom b.One symptom is sore muscles 17. SUBJECTS PRECEDED BY EVERY OR MANY A TAKE A SINGULAR VERB Every dog and cat is shivering in fear 18. RELATIVE PRONOUNS (THAT, WHICH, WHO) THAT ARE THE SUBJECT OF A CLAUSE AGREE WITH THE WORD TO WHICH THE PRONOUN REFERS I have neighbors who run naked in their yard SECTION 2 – ANTECEDENTS 19. ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT a pronoun agrees in number, gender, person with the word to which it refers The joggers took their canteens with them. 20. As antecedents, indefinite pronouns may be singular anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, anything, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody, someone, something a. Each of the girls has memorized her part. b. One of the boys left his lunch on the bus 21. Or plural both, few, many, several Many of the fans could not find their seats in the dark. 22. Depending on the reference for all, any, most, none, some a. All of your practice served its purpose b. All of the animals received their dinners. 23. Compound antecedents joined by and use a plural pronoun If Shelley and Jane don’t study, they will fail. 24. Compound antecedents joined by or or nor use a singular pronoun Neither Dick nor Tom wants a seat by himself. 25. If a mix of singular and plural, the pronoun agrees with the antecedent nearest Neither the twins nor Jerry likes his new room. 26. Collective nouns may act as singular or plural antecedent If the antecedent is used as a unit, use a singular pronoun reference Yesterday, the OM club signaled its demise. 26. If the reference is to its parts or members, use a plural pronoun reference However, the club disagree on the substitute competition. 27. Titles of creative works (books, songs, film, paintings), the name of organizations, countries, cities take a singular pronoun reference Twin Peaks is proud of its heritage. 28. Some words are plural in form, but singular in meaning and thus take a singular pronoun reference Civics must be taken senior year for it to count for graduation 29. Some words take plural pronoun references (pants, pliers, shorts, etc) Find the scissors and bring them to me. 30. Every and many a take singular pronouns Every dog, cat, and horse, was in its bed for the night. 31. Avoid ambiguous references between pronouns and antecedents Beware of two or more antecedent of the same gender Carol called Alice while she was doing her homework (ambiguous antecedent) 32. Avoid what is called a general reference (referring to a general idea rather than to a specific noun) Watch this, that, which, such More than 85% of UC freshman fail to pass the minimum English requirements, which is a shame. 33. Avoid a weak reference where an idea not yet named is referred to Our dog is jealous of our kitten; to help him get over it, I give him extra attention (it has no antecedent; the antecedent should be jealousy) 34. Avoid the indefinite use of it, they, you a. It is reported that 3,000 people died in the quake. b. In the history book, they report on the immigration of the Irish. SECTION 3: USE OF COMPARISONS 35. One syllable modifiers usually take –er and –est Softer, biggest 36. Some two syllable words take –er and –est, and some take more and most a. Simpler, simplest; liklier, likliest b. More cautious, most freely 37. More than two syllables use more and most 38. Avoid illogical comparisons Include the word other or else when comparing one member of a group with the rest of the group a. Anita has hit more home runs than any member of the team b. I think Jean plays the flute better than anyone. 39. Avoid illogical comparisons MacDonald’s hamburgers are better than Burger King. 40. Avoid incomplete comparisons a. I tutor Ryan more than Isabel b. Do you see movies more often than your friend? 41. Include all the words necessary to complete the compound sentence The football team from our school played as well, if not better than, the one from Muir. (As well as) 42. Parallelism in comparisons Use of the same grammatical form when comparing parallel ideas a. Not parallel: to go skateboarding is no longer as popular as rollerblading b. Parallel: skateboarding is no longer as popular as rollerblading c. Not parallel: Ogden Nash was more admired for his humor than for what his poems had to say. d. Parallel: Ogden Nash was more admired for his humor than his ideas. SECTION 4: PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION 43. Ideas of equal weight should be in parallel structure phrases should be in the same format gerund to gerund, participle to participle, etc a. Wrong: In winter I like to ski and skating b. Right: In winter I like skiing and skating c. Incorrect: They are worried more about public opinion than what the effect of the proposal may be d. Correct: They are worried more about public opinion than about the effects of the proposal e. Incorrect: Going out to eat is not as much fun as to cook at home. f. Correct: Going out to eat is not as much fun as cooking at home 44. Use parallel structure when you compare and contrast a. Wrong: To think logically is not as important as acknowledging your feelings b. Right: Thinking logically is not as important as acknowledging your feelings 45. When you link ideas with correlative conjunctions (both…and, either…or, not only … but also, etc) a. A principal must balance his love of students with raising money for the school. b. A principal must balance both his love of students and his need to raise money for the school 46. Signal words need to be correctly placed a. Poor: Alice both started on the basketball and volleyball teams b. Better: Alice started on both …. 47. Repeat articles, conjunctions, prepositions in the series a. Poor: Our mechanic did a better job on my car than his b. Better: Our mechanic did a better job on my car than on his car 48. Parallel ideas should be logical equivalents a. Poor: Jim is six feet tall, kind, and a New Yorker b. Better: Kim, a six foot tall New Yorker, is kind. c. Poor: On Wednesday Marge ate a peanut butter sandwich and got married d. Better: since, contrary to rumor, eating a peanut butter sandwich and getting married are not equivalents Before getting married on Wednesday, Marge ate a peanut butter sandwich PART FIVE – SUBJUNCTIVE 48. Look this one up on line and make sure to include at least three examples PART SIX – PRONOUN CHOICE 49. Use nominative case pronouns as the subject and in the predicate nominative a. She loves her dog. b. When I answered the phone, it was she. c. The two candidates are Marco and I. 50. Use objective case pronouns when the pronoun is used as the object of a prep phrase a. The tie is between her and me b. Behind her is the beginning point of the line 51. Use objective case when the pronoun is the object if a verb Throw him into the fire 52. Use objective case when the pronoun is the indirect object Throw him a towel and then throw him into the fire 53. Use objective case when the pronoun is the object of a verbal a. Protecting them is not enough action for the endangered species act. b. Did John ask them if OM was a “go”? c. No one expected the Rose Queen to be her. 54. Use the correct form when the sentence is implied or unfinished – elliptical - (just finish it in your mind) a. Jackie runs faster than (she or her) Finished: Jackie runs faster than she runs b. Carol is as tough as (me or I) Finished: Carol is as tough as I am 55. Use the correct form when the pronoun is side by side with the noun (hint: eliminate the noun) a. (We, us) seniors decided to take a day off in late May. Correct: We decided to take a day off in late May. 56. Possessive Pronouns Use possessives before a gerund a. We all cheered Todd’s scoring the final touch down b. Todd’s parents objected to his breaking his leg, though 57. Appositive The pronouns is in the same case as the noun to which it refers a. The two fullbacks, Todd and he, are both out for the season (used as subject appositives) b. The coach paid both boys, Todd and him, off handsomely 58. In elliptical construction, just finish the construction a. Elliptical: She is taller than he b. Finished: She is taller than he is PART SEVEN - MODIFIERS 59. Misplaced Modifiers The modifier must be placed near or next to the word it modifies to avoid nonsensical sentences He saw a bear riding a motorcycle through the forest. 60. Dangling modifiers are phrases that do not sensibly modify any word or words in the sentence Alone, the mountain is virtually impossible to climb. PART EIGHT – COMMAS 61. Use a comma to separate two independent clauses joined by and, or, nor, for, but, so, yet We can go in the morning when the sun comes up, or we can go later on in the day. 62. Use commas to set off nonessential clauses or participial phrase (clauses or phrases not necessary to the sense/meaning of the sentence) A. Non-essential clauses are not necessary for the meaning a. Dr. Young, who lives down the street, is only thirty-five b. Shari, trying her hardest, was nervous B. Essential clauses are necessary to restrict the meaning of the sentence a. Leave the books that are due on the table by the door 63. Introductory elements A. Mild exclamations, such as well, first, etc Introductory participial phrases a. Feeling close to tears, Jane ran to the restroom B. Two or more prepositional phrases a. Over the river and through the woods, we rode the horse. C. Introductory adverb clauses a. After I had introduced Jim and Mary, I wandered off to the buffet Interrupters 64. Appositives My favorite movie with Clark Gable, Gone with The Wind, is playing at the Mann 65. Nouns of direct address John, get your hair cut 66. Compound comparisons Jim is as well known as, if not better known than, his brother Make sure to complete the comparison by repeating the second as 67. Parenthetical expressions We ended up, after all, at the Hastings. 68. Clarity a. Above an eagle soared majestically b. Above, an eagle soared majestically c. The sea was calm; the moon, bright d. What seats there were, were already taken e. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. PART NINE – SEMI-COLONS 69. Use a semi-colon between two independent clauses that are closely related but not joined by a conjunction a. The rain had threatened all day; it came suddenly in torrents. 70. Join independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb (accordingly, however, nevertheless, therefore, etc) with a semi-colon a. I wanted to see Matrix; however, I gave in and went to the other movie 71. Join independent clauses which already have a comma with a semi-colon We ordered large servings of tacos, rice, and beans; but we only managed to eat a third of what was served 72. Use a semi-colon to separate items in a series if the items already contain commas I have lived in Salt Lake City, Utah; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Arcadia, California PART TEN - POSSESSIVES - To show possession 73. To form the possessive of singular nouns, add an apostrophe and an s Chris’s teddy bear 74. If the noun ends in s or z sound, add only an apostrophe if the noun has two or more syllables Hercules’ strength 75. To form the possessive of a plural noun, add only an apostrophe The boys’ gym PART ELEVEN – FRAGMENTS Fragments – the sentence has to be complete 76. Sentences beginning with subordinating conjunctions While the football teams run down the field at practice 77. Sentences beginning with prepositional phrases At the house alongside the main highway by the bend in the river 78. Sentences beginning with participles Hailing from a long line of Republicans who had inherited much wealth from previous corporate founders 79. Sentences with the nouns in an appositive construction He became the first male principal of the high school. An unusual position for someone in his family. 80. Compound structure fragments I packed only casual clothes for the trip. Levis, sweats, t-shirts, swimming suits, and flip flops. RUN-ON SENTENCES Run-ons – sentences joined together as if they were a single thought 81. Fused - sentences joined with no punctuation between them I went to the 99 cent store and I bought all my friends gifts. 82. Comma splice – sentences incorrectly joined with just a comma I went to the 99 cent store, and while I was there I bought all my friends gifts. BASIC GRAMMAR RULES SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT 1. COMPOUND SUBJECTSCOMPOUND SUBJECTS JOINED BY THE WORD “AND” USE A PLURAL VERB FORM John and Carol are going to the movies 2. COMPOUND SINGULAR SUBJECTS JOINED BY OR OR NOR USE A SINGULAR VERB Neither John nor Carol wants to go 3. COMPOUND SUBJECTS WHICH ARE A COMBINATION OF SINGULAR AND PLURAL AND JOINED BY OR OR NOR THE VERB AGREES WITH THE SUBJECT NEAREST THE VERB Neither the performers nor the director was pleased with the review INTERVENING WORDS 1. THE VERB IS NOT CHANGED BY ANY INTERVENING WORDS OR PHRASES The characters in the allegory in the one book that stands out as Hawthorne’s best represent abstract ideas. The history teacher, as well as her students, was fascinated by the huge sharks. SPECIAL CASES 1. ANYBODY, ANYONE, ANYTHING, EACH, EITHER, EVERYBODY, EVERYONE, EVERYTHING, NEITHER, NOBODY, NO ONE, NOTHING, ONE, SOMEBODY, SOMEONE, SOMETHING USE A SINGULAR VERB Neither of the books contains any charts BOTH, FEW, MANY, SEVERAL USE A PLURAL VERB Both of the poems were written by Langston Hughes ALL, ANY, MOST, NONE, SOME USE A SINGULAR OR PLURAL VERB, DEPENDING ON THE REFERENCE The police told us that none of the dogs were killed The police told of that none of the equipment was damaged COLLECTIVE NOUNS (ARMY, ASSEMBLY, GROUP, STAFF, ETC) WHEN THE NOUN REFERS TO A GROUP AS A UNIT, USE A SINGULAR VERB The cast of the play is made up of students WHEN THE NOUN REFERS TO A PARTS OR MEMBERS OF THE GROUP, USE A PLURAL VERB The cast are joining their families for a celebration THE WORD NUMBER IS SINGULAR WHEN PRECEDED BY THE The number of students has increased PLURAL WHEN PRECEDED BY A A number of students are going AMOUNT SINGULAR WHEN THOUGHT OF AS A UNIT Five thousand books is a large library PLURAL WHEN THOUGHT OF AS MANY PARTS Three books in the collection are mysteries NAMES OF ORGANIZATIONS, CREATIVE WORKS, CITIES, COUNTRIES TAKE A SINGULAR VERB Avalon Textiles is located downtown 8. SOME ORGANIZATIONS COMPOSED OF MEMBERS MAY TAKE SINGULAR VERB IF IT IS A UNIT The Yankees has won many pennants PLURAL VERB IF THE REFERENCE IS TO THE MEMBERS The Yankees are signing autographs in the lobby 9. SOME NOUNS ARE PLURAL IN MEANING BUT TAKE SINGULAR VERBS (MUMPS, PHYSICS, GENETICS, ETC) Civics is a senior requirement 10. SOME NOUNS ARE ALWAYS PLURAL (PLIERS, SHORTS, SCISSORS, ETC) Your pants are falling down 11. A SUBJECT THAT IS A PHRASE OR CLAUSE TAKES A SINGULAR VERB Living in the woods is dangerous 12. A VERB AGREES WITH ITS SUBJECT, NOT WITH ITS PREDICATE NOMINATIVE Sore muscles are one symptom One symptom is sore muscles 13. SUBJECTS PRECEDED BY EVERY OR MANY A TAKE A SINGULAR VERB Every dog and cat is shivering in fear 14. RELATIVE PRONOUNS (THAT, WHICH, WHO) THAT ARE THE SUBJECT OF A CLAUSE AGREE WITH THE WORD TO WHICH THE PRONOUN REFERS I have neighbors who run naked in their yard SECTION 2 ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT a pronoun agrees in number, gender, person with the word to which it refers The joggers took their canteens with them. as antecedents, indefinite pronouns may be singular anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, anything, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody, someone, something Each of the girls has memorized her part. One of the boys left his lunch on the bus or plural both, few, many, several Many of the fans could not find their seats in the dark. depending on the reference for all, any, most, none, some All of your practice served its purpose All of the animals received their dinners. compound antecedents joined by and use a plural pronoun If Shelley and Jane don’t study, they will fail. compound antecedents joined by or or nor use a singular pronoun Neither Dick nor Tom wants a seat by himself. If a mix of singular and plural, the pronoun agrees with the antecedent nearest Neither the twins nor Jerry likes his new room. Collective nouns may act as singular or plural antecedent If the antecedent is used as a unit, use a singular pronoun reference Yesterday, the OM club signaled its demise. If the reference is to its parts or members, use a plural pronoun reference However, the club disagree on the substitute competition. Titles of creative works (books, songs, film, paintings), the name of organizations, countries, cities take a singular pronoun reference Twin Peaks is proud of its heritage. Some words are plural in form, but singular in meaning and thus take a singular pronoun reference Civics must be taken senior year for it to count for graduation Some words take plural pronoun references (pants, pliers, shorts, etc) Find the scissors and bring them to me. Every and many a take singular pronouns Every, dog, cat, and horse, was in its bed for the night. Avoid ambiguous references between pronouns and antecedents Beware of two or more antecedent of the same gender Carol called Alice while she was doing her homework Avoid what is called a general reference (referring to a general idea rather than to a specific noun) Watch this, that, which, such More than 85% of UC freshman fail to pass the minimum English requirements, which is a shame. Avoid a weak reference where an idea not yet named is referred to Our dog is jealous of our kitten; to help him get over it, I give him extra attention (it has no antecedent; the antecedent should be jealousy) Avoid the indefinite use of it, they, you It is reported that 3,000 people died in the quake. In the history book, they report on the immigration of the Irish. SECTION 3 Use of Comparisons One syllable modifiers usually take –er and –est Softer, biggest Some two syllable words take –er and –est, and some take more and most Simpler, simplest; liklier, likliest More cautious, most freely More than two syllables use more and most 3. Avoid illogical comparisons Include the word other or else when comparing one member of a group with the rest of the group Anita has hit more home runs than any member of the team I think Jean plays the flute better than anyone. 4. Avoid illogical comparisons MacDonald’s hamburgers are better than Burger King. 5. Avoid incomplete comparisons I tutor Ryan more than Isabel Do you see movies more often than your friend? Include all the words necessary to complete the compound sentence The football team from our school played as well, if not better than, the one from Muir. (As well as) 7. Parallelism in comparisons Use of the same grammatical form when comparing parallel ideas Not parallel: to go skateboarding is no longer as popular as rollerblading Parallel: skateboarding is no longer as popular as rollerblading Not parallel: Ogden Nash was more admired for his humor than for what his poems had to say. Parallel: Ogden Nash was more admired for his humor than his ideas. PART FIVE Parallel construction ideas of equal weight should be in parallel structure phrases should be in the same format gerund to gerund, participle to participle, etc Wrong: In winter I like to ski and skating Right: In winter I like skiing and skating Incorrect: They are worried more about public opinion than what the effect of the proposal may be Correct: They are worried more about public opinion than about the effects of the proposal Incorrect: Going out to eat is not as much fun as to cook at home. Correct: Going out to eat is not as much fun as cooking at home Use parallel structure when you compare and contrast Wrong: To think logically is not as important as acknowledging your feelings Right: Thinking logically is not as important as acknowledging your feelings When you link ideas with correlative conjunctions (both…and, either…or, not only … but also, etc) A principal must balance his love of students with raising money for the school. A principal must balance both his love of students and his need to raise money for the school 4. Signal words need to be correctly placed Poor: Alice both started on the basketball and volleyball teams Better: Alice started on both …. 5. Repeat articles, conjunctions, prepositions in the series Poor: Our mechanic did a better job on my car than his Better: Our mechanic did a better job on my car than on his car Parallel ideas should be logical equivalents Poor: Jim is six feet tall, kind, and a New Yorker Better: Kim, a six foot tall New Yorker, is kind. Poor: On Wednesday Marge ate a peanut butter sandwich and got married Better: since, contrary to rumor, eating a peanut butter sandwich and getting married are not equivalents Before getting married on Wednesday, Marge ate a peanut butter sandwich PART FOUR: subjunctive (look this one up) PART SIX Pronoun choice Use nominative case pronouns as the subject and in the predicate nominative She loves her dog. When I answered the phone, it was she. The two candidates are Marco and I. Use objective case pronouns when the pronoun is used as the object of a prep phrase The tie is between her and me Behind her is the beginning point of the line Use objective case when the pronoun is the object if a verb Throw him into the fire Use objective case when the pronoun is the indirect object Throw him a towel and then throw him into the fire Use objective case when the pronoun is the object of a verbal Protecting them is not enough action for the endangered species act. Did John ask them if OM was a “go”? No one expected the Rose Queen to be her. 2. Use the correct form when the sentence is implied or unfinished – elliptical - (just finish it in your mind) Jackie runs faster than (she or her) Finished: Jackie runs faster than she runs Carol is as tough as (me or I) Finished: Carol is as tough as I am 3. Use the correct form when the pronoun is side by side with the noun (hint: eliminate the noun) (We, us) seniors decided to take a day off in late May. We decided to take a day off in late May. 4. Possessives Use possessives before a gerund We all cheered Todd’s scoring the final touch down Todd’s parents objected to his breaking his leg, though 5. Appositive The pronouns is in the same case as the noun to which it refers The two fullbacks, Todd and he, are both out for the season (used as subject appositives) The coach paid both boys, Todd and him, off handsomely In elliptical construction, just finish the construction Elliptical: She is taller than he Finished: She is taller than he is PART SEVEN Misplaced Modifiers The modifier must be placed near or next to the word it modifies to avoid nonsensical sentences He saw a bear riding a motorcycle through the forest. Dangling modifiers are phrases that do not sensibly modify any word or words in the sentence Alone, the mountain is virtually impossible to climb. PART EIGHT Commas Use a comma to separate two independent clauses joined by and, or, nor, for, but, so, yet We can go in the morning when the sun comes up, or we can go later on in the day. Use commas to set off nonessential clauses or participial phrase (clauses or phrases not necessary to the sense/meaning of the sentence) Non-essential clauses are not necessary for the meaning Dr. Young, who lives down the street, is only thirty-five Shari, trying her hardest, was nervous Essential clauses are necessary to restrict the meaning of the sentence Leave the books that are due on the table by the door Introductory elements Mild exclamations, such as well, first, etc Introductory participial phrases Feeling close to tears, Jane ran to the restroom Two or more prepositional phrases Over the river and through the woods, we rode the horse. Introductory adverb clauses After I had introduced Jim and Mary, I wandered off to the buffet Interrupters Appositives My favorite movie with Clark Gable, Gone with The Wind, is playing at the Mann Nouns of direct address John, get your hair cut Compound comparisons Jim is as well known as, if not better known than, his brother Make sure to complete the comparison by repeating the second as Parenthetical expressions We ended up, after all, at the Hastings. Clarity Above an eagle soared majestically Above, an eagle soared majestically The sea was calm; the moon, bright What seats there were, were already taken The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Semi-colons Use a semi-colon between two independent clauses that are closely related but not joined by a conjunction The rain had threatened all day; it came suddenly in torrents. Join independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb (accordingly, however, nevertheless, therefore, etc) with a semicolon I wanted to see Matrix; however, I gave in and went to the other movie Join independent clauses which already have a comma with a semi-colon We ordered large servings of tacos, rice, and beans; but we only managed to eat a third of what was served Use a semi-colon to separate items in a series if the items already contain commas I have lived in Salt Lake City, Utah; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Arcadia, California PART NINE Possessives – to show possession To form the possessive of singular nouns, add an apostrophe and an s If the noun ends in s or z sound, add only an apostrophe if the noun has two or more syllables Hercules’ strength To form the possessive of a plural noun, add only an apostrophe PART TEN Fragments – the sentence has to be complete 1. Sentences beginning with subordinating conjunctions 2. While the football teams run down the field at practice 3. Sentences beginning with prepositional phrases 4. At the house alongside the main highway by the bend in the river 5. Sentences beginning with participles 6. Hailing from a long line of Republicans who had inherited much wealth from previous corporate founders 7. Sentences with the nouns in an appositive construction 8. He became the first male principal of the high school. An unusual position for someone in his family. 9. Compound structure fragments 10. I packed only casual clothes for the trip. Levis, sweats, t-shirts, swimming suits, and flip flops. Run-ons – sentences joined together as if they were a single thought Fused - sentences joined with no punctuation between them Comma splice – sentences incorrectly joined with just a comma