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Grammar And Correct Usage Vernon E. Reyes 3.30.2012 Sentences vs. Sentence fragments Sentences form the basic unit of written language COMPLETE sentences express a WHOLE thought Fragment Complete • The assistant filing folders. • Leaving messages for me. • The assistant was filing folders • Janet was always leaving messages for me Which is complete? 1. a. We saw the tornado approaching. b. When we saw the tornado approaching. 2. a. Before the new house was built in 1972. b. The new house was built in 1972. 3. a. Since we are leaving in the morning. b. We are leaving in the morning. Which is complete? 1. a. We saw the tornado approaching. b. When we saw the tornado approaching. 2. a. Before the new house was built in 1972. b. The new house was built in 1972. 3. a. Since we are leaving in the morning. b. We are leaving in the morning. Subordinating conjunctions • These can signal sentence fragments! After Once Until Although Since When As Than Whenever Because That Where Before Though Wherever If Unless While Which is complete? 1. When we saw the tornado approaching, we headed for cover. 2. Before the new house was built in 1972, the old house was demolished. 3. Since we are leaving in the morning, we went to bed early. Run-on Sentences • Composed of 2 or more independent clauses (sentences) BUT written as though they were one sentence. A complete report had to be submitted every week, it was due on Friday. 1. You can use conjunctions such as and, but, as, or because. A complete report had to be submitted every week, and it was due on Friday. A complete report had to be submitted every week, it was due on Friday. 2. You can use a semicolon ( ; ) A complete report had to be submitted every week; it was due on Friday. 3. Just separate it! A complete report had to be submitted every week. It was due on Friday. A complete report had to be submitted every week, it was due on Friday. 4. Use subordinating conjunction: because A complete report had to be submitted every week because it was due on Friday. 5. Use a dash ( - ) A complete report had to be submitted every week - it was due on Friday. Let’s Practice 1. We attended the meeting, we formed some committees. 2. Without exception, all of the employees went to lunch at 12:00 they turned at 1:00. 3. The defense needed time to examine the new evidence, the lawyer asked for an extension. Capitalization • Common Rules: 1. First word of a sentence. If it is number, write it as a word. 2. Pronoun “I” 3. First word of a quotation: “What is the address?” she asked. DO NOT capitalize the first word of a partial quotation: He called me “the best employee” and nominated me for an award. Capitalization Common Rules: 4. Capitalize: Proper Nouns (names of people, places or things: i.e. Jose Rizal; Marikinina, Philippines; Marikina River Different from common nouns like: president, city, state, river Capitalization Common Rules: 5. Capitalize proper adjectives (adjectives formed from a proper noun) i.e. Proper Noun: Japan Proper adjective: Japanese language Capitalization Categories: - Days of the week - Months of the year - Holidays - Special events - Names of individuals - Names of structures - Building - Ships, aircraft, products Geographic locations Streets, highways, roads, landmarks Public areas, bodies of water Ethnic groups, languages, nationalities Institutions, organizations, businesses Punctuation Use periods ( . ) during: 1. End of a sentence taht is not a question/exclamation 2. Initial in a name 3. Abbreviations: Mr., Ms., Corp., Inc., etc. Punctuation Use commas ( , ): 1. Before conjunctions and, but, so, or, for, nor, yet when they separate two groups of words that could be complete sentences: Example: The manual listed the steps in sequences, and that made it easy for any reader to follow. Punctuation Use commas ( , ): 2. To separate items in a series: The student driver stopped, looked, and listened when she approached the railroad tracks. 3. After introductory words, phrases or clauses in a sentence: Usually, blah blah blah During her lunch break, blah blah blah Punctuation Use commas ( , ): 4. Separate items in an address 5. Separate days, months, years (and sometimes after the year: I was born on December 29, 1983, during a party. 6. After a greeting of a letter and after the closing Dear Mrs. Lim, Sincerely yours, Punctuation Use commas ( , ): 7. Separate contrasting elements in a sentence: Your speech needs strong arguments, not strong opinions, to convince me. 8. Appostives to explain words or phrases My dog, a Chihuahua, is named Polly Apostrophes Use commas ( ‘ ): 1. Contractions – some letters have been omitted I will = I’ll He is = he’s 2. Plural of numbers and letters There are two o’s and two m’s in the word roommate Apostrophes Use commas ( ‘ ): 3. To show possession Singular nouns Boy’s Child’s Lady’s Plural Nouns w/ s Boys’ Kids’ Ladies’ Plural nouns w/o s Men’s Children’s Women’s Verbs The subject should agree with the verb. If the subject is singular, the verb MUST be singular; if the subject is plural, the verb MUST be plural. If unsure, if the subject ends with an ‘s’ is a sign that the subject is plural. Therefore, the verb must be plural too! Verbs If unsure, if the subject ends with an ‘s’ is a sign that the subject is plural. Therefore, the verb must be plural too! ALSO If the verb ends with an ‘s’ the subject must be singular. Verbs The gymnast is performing The gymnasts are performing The new schedule has interfered with their plans The new schedules have interfered with their plans. Verbs The flowers (was/were) arranged carefully. The meeting (start/starts) promptly at 10:00. The decision (change/changes) everything. Computers (save/saves) time. Lightning (strike/strikes) indiscriminately. Verbs and Pronouns These pronouns are always SINGULAR: Each Either Neither Anybody Anyone Everybody Everyone No one One Nobody Someone Somebody Verbs and Pronouns These pronouns are always SINGULAR: Each Either Neither Anybody Anyone Everybody Everyone No one One Nobody Someone Somebody TIP: try insert the word ‘one’ after these pronouns Neither of them has been to New York Neither one of them has been to New York Verbs and Pronouns These pronouns are always PLURAL: Both Few Many Several These pronouns can either be plural or singular: All Some None Most Any Verbs and Pronouns These pronouns can either be plural or singular: All None Any Some Most The words/prepositional phrases after the pronoun determine plurality/singularity. All of the work is finished. All of the jobs are done. Verbs and Pronouns If two nouns/pronouns are joined by AND, they require a plural verb He and she want to buy a house. Bill and Sandra want to buy a new house. If two nouns/pronouns are joined by OR/NOR they require a singular verb. Think of them as two sentences. He or she wants to buy a house. Neither Bill nor Sandra wants to buy a new house. Verb Tenses Past Tense Yesterday Present Tense Today Future Tense Tomorrow TIP: Be consistent! If the passage begins with a present tense, all verbs should be present tense. But there are some exceptions! Pronouns Easy part: Me went to the movies with he. My instructor gave she a ride to the class. Check these sentences? The director rode with Jerry and I. Belle and him are going to the company picnic. Pronouns TIP: Turn the sentence into two sentences. The director rode with Jerry and I. The director rode with Jerry The director rode with me (not I). Belle and him are going to the company picnic. Belle is going to the company picnic. He (not him) is going to the company picnic. Pronoun Agreement TIP: If the noun is singular, then the pronoun is singular. If the noun is plural, the pronoun is plural. The doctor must take a break when she is tired. Doctors must take breaks when they are tired. One of the girls misplaced her purse. All of the girls misplaced their purse. Pronoun Agreement If two nouns/pronouns are joined by AND, they require a plural pronoun If he and she want to join us, they are welcome to do so. If two or more SINGULAR nouns/pronouns are joined by OR, always use singular. The treasurer or the assistant will lend you his calculator. Pronoun Agreement If a SINGULAR and a PLURAL noun/pronoun are joined by NOR, pronoun should agree with closest noun or pronoun it represents. Neither the soldiers nor the general was sure of his location. Neither the general nor the soldiers was sure of their location. Words Commonly Confused (correct usage) Its/it’s Its = possession It’s = contraction for it is or it has that/who That refers to things Who refers to people Words Commonly Confused (correct usage) There/Their/They’re Their = possession (belongs to them) ir=m There = location - here They’re = contraction for they are ‘=a Your/You’re Your = possession You’re = contraction for you are Words Commonly Confused (correct usage) To/two/too To = preposition (relationship between other words in a sentence) ex. Prepositions: beside, over, above, below, on, in to the office, to my church, to our disadvantage To = infinitive (followed by a verb) To talk, to deny, to eat, to find Words Commonly Confused (correct usage) To/two/too Two = numbers Too = also. Substitute also and the sentence should still make sense. Practice 1. (Its/It’s) (to/two/too) late (to/two/too) remedy the situation now. 2. Where is the librarian (who/that) helped me with the research material? 3. (There/Their/They’re) going (to/two/too) begin construction soon. Practice 4. We left (there/their/they’re) house after eating. 5. I think (your/you’re) going (to/too/two) win at least (to/too/two) more times. 6. The corporation moved (its/it’s) home office. Words Commonly Confused (correct usage) Rite/Write/Right Vein/Vane/Vain/ Borrow/lend/credit/loan Between/among In/By Accent/ascent/assent Descent/dissent born/borne Words Commonly Confused (correct usage) Coarse/course/corps/corpse Dessert/desert Migrate/emigrate/immigrate Few/pieces of/number of Piece/peace/peas Persecute/prosecute Rise/rice/raise/risen Threw/thru/through Words Commonly Confused (correct usage) Whose/who’s/whom/which Tale/tail Brought in/on/forth/down Broke in/on/even/down Build in/up/over/on Burned out/in/up/over Buy in/off/out/up Called in/up/out/off Words Commonly Confused (correct usage) Carried out/away/over/on Cut short/up/back/out Get around/along/at/over Goes along/by/down/through Hold down/forth/on/with Knocked around/back/down/out Laid off/aside/out/away Look down on/forwards to/out to/up to Words Commonly Confused (correct usage) Picking at/on/out/put out Setting apart/back/down/up Wrote in/off/over/up