Download 12th grade grammar review

FINAL GRAMMAR REVIEW
PARALLEL STRUCTURE
Definition/Rules
Parallel structure means using the same pattern
of words to show that two or more ideas have
the same level of importance. This can happen
at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual
way to join parallel structures is with the use of
coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or."

EXAMPLES
PARALLEL:
 Mary likes hiking,
swimming, and
bicycling.
 Mary likes to hike, to
swim, and to ride a
bicycle.
 Mary likes to hike,
swim, and ride a
bicycle.
NOT PARALLEL:

Mary likes hiking,
swimming, and to ride
a bicycle.

The teacher said that
he was a poor student
because he waited
until the last minute to
study for the exam,
completed his lab
problems in a careless
manner, and his
motivation was low.
EXERCISES
In the following pairs, one sentence has parallel
structure, and the other sentence lacks parallel
structure. Mark the CORRECT sentence.
1.
A. Jennifer is smart, beautiful, and loves everyone.
B. Jennifer is smart, beautiful, and caring.
2.
A. Andy’s day is so long that he gets up at 6:00 a.m.,
leaves for work at 6:30 a.m., is eating dinner at 11:00
p.m., and goes to bed at 2:00 a.m.
B. Andy’s day is so long that he gets up at 6:00 a.m.,
leaves for work at 6:30 a.m., eats dinner at 11:00 p.m.,
and goes to bed at 2:00 a.m.
.
3.
A. Bob was not only Sam’s roommate, but also he
was his best friend.
B. Bob was not only Sam’s roommate but also his
best friend.
4.
A. If you go to the store, please remember to pick
up your prescription, buy some shampoo, and to
look for a notebook.
B. If you go to the store, please remember to pick
up your prescription, to buy some shampoo, and
to look for a notebook.
5.
A. I spent two hours with Ms. Smith, reviewing my job
performance, evaluating my goals, and discussing
my future with the company.
B. I spent two hours with Ms. Smith, reviewing my job
performance, evaluating my goals, and my future
with the company was also discussed.
6.
A. Mr. Brown’s lecture was inaccurate, boring, and
unnecessary.
B. Mr. Brown’s lecture was inaccurate, boring, and
should have been omitted.
SEMICOLON RULES
SEMICOLON
Use a semicolon to separate to independent
clauses. (An independent clause means it can
stand alone as its own sentence.)
Example: My aunt also had hairy knuckles; she
loved to wash and comb them.
SEMICOLON EXERCISES: WHERE SHOULD
THEY GO?
1. Take care of the children the adults can take
care of themselves.
2. There were two young elephants they needed
to have the hairs trimmed out of their noses.
3. It was ever so easy to build smoke stacks out
of cardboard the hard part was keeping the
smoke stacks from burning up.
4. Irma was a very contented lady while she was
swimming she always grinned.
SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT

Basic Principle: Singular subjects need singular
verbs; plural subjects need plural verbs. My
brother is a nutritionist. My sisters are
mathematicians.
EXERCISES: SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT
1. At Yellowstone Park grizzly bears (doesn’t, don’t) have
names; they have numbers.
2. In the meeting between human and bear, a wild-card factor
(throws, throw) all calculations and studies to the wind.
3. The Yellowstone authorities should (has, have) kept
thorough records on each bear.
4.
When some bears (encounters, encounter) people, it is
the bear who runs.
PRONOUN/ANTECEDENT AGREEEMENT


A Pronoun is a substitute for a noun. It refers
to a person, place, thing, feeling, or quality but
does not refer to it by its name.
An antecedent is the word, phrase, or clause to
which a pronoun refers, understood by the
context.
Although Sarah was shy, she managed to make a
few friends.
PRONOUN/ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT
EXERCISES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
During early rehearsals, an actor may forget (his
or her, their) lines.
The Washington team was opportunistic; (it, they)
took advantage of every break.
A person needs to see (his or her, their) dentist
twice a year.
The committee members put (its, their)
signatures on the document.
If any one of the sisters needs a ride, (she, they)
can call me.
THERE, THEY’RE, THEIR
There = place
They’re = they are
Their = possession
THERE, THEY’RE, THEIR

Which of the following sentences uses the correct
word choice for their/there/they’re?





a) They couldn’t believe they forgot to call there
parents.
b) Their worried that their parents will be mad.
c) They left they’re phones in the car.
d) I only hope that Santa will bring my sons
everything on their list.
MISPLACED MODIFIERS


Modifiers are just what they sound like—words
or phrases that modify something else.
Misplaced modifiers are modifiers that modify
something you didn't intend them to modify. For
example, the word only is a modifier that's easy
to misplace.
These two sentences mean different things:
I ate only vegetables.
I only ate vegetables
EXAMPLES
One morning I hugged an elephant in my
pajamas.
 Fixed: One morning, wearing my pajamas, I
hugged an elephant.

MISPLACED MODIFIER EXERCISES
1.
2.
3.
4.
The bus station was located by a river which
was made of red brick.
A fish was found in the Pacific Ocean that
had been considered extinct.
The cowboy was thrown by the bull in a
leather vest.
Sam asked me to go for a ride on the
telephone.
SMOOTHLY EMBEDDING A QUOTATION

You need context before your quote. Advanced
embedding means that you include your quote
as part of your sentence.
Example: The author says of the Boise School
Library, “… in February 2010, it had
6,787visitors” (Doerr 2).
YOU TRY:

Which one is done correctly?
Vincent describes how one of his patients is
“always trying to learn new vocabulary, but
finds it extremely difficult” (Smith 3).
 In the article it says, “always trying to learn
new vocabulary, but finds it extremely
difficult” (Smith page 3).

ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE VOICE

What is the active voice? It’s a form of
sentence construction. In the most basic
sentence, active-voice construction is: subject
– verb – direct object. The subject “acts” on a
direct object. Put another way, in the active
voice you identify an “actor” (for instance, a
person or organization) and what the action is.
ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE VOICE

What is the passive voice? In the passive voice,
the subject is acted upon. Typically, the passive
voice uses a verb phrase of the verb to be*
plus by. Many writers, however, drop the “by” in
the passive voice—so the reader does not know
for sure who or what the actor is.
ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE VOICE

These are examples: Seniors are covered . . .
Medicines are distributed . . . Prices were
increased . . . Candles are being lit . . . Songs
were sung . . . You can mentally insert “by” to
double check that these sentences are in the
passive voice. “Medicines are distributed by the
United Nations.” “Prices were increased by the
health care insurers.”
PASSIVE VOICE EXERCISES
1. You are being watched by Big Brother
2. Paradise was paved and a parking lot put up
3. The sheriff was shot by me.
4. A new nation was brought forth on this
continent by our fathers.
EXIT SLIP
Pick one of the grammar topics we reviewed
today and create 2 sample quiz questions
testing that skill.
 You will switch with a partner and answer
his/her questions.
