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Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session The following paragraphs are identical, except for punctuation. Part A Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we’re apart. I can be forever happy—will you let me be yours? Mary Part B Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we’re apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be? Yours, Mary Use punctuation and capitalization to make sentences in the next exercise. The two identical examples should have separate punctuation, making their meanings different. Don’t change or move words. Don’t forget to capitalize if you make another sentence. Woman without her man is nothing Woman without her man is nothing Do you hate New York drug dealers put me in office Do you hate New York drug dealers put me in office What is the point of this exercise?___________________________________ Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 1 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ Spell Checker (*Hint: read it out loud!) Eye halve a spelling chequer It came with my pea sea. It plainly marques for my revue Miss steaks eye kin knot sea Eye strike a key and type a word And weight four it two say Weather eye am wrong oar write It shows me strait a weigh As swoon as a mist ache is maid It nose bee fore two long And eye can put the error rite Its rare lea ever wrong. Eye have run this poem threw it I am shore your pleased two no Its letter perfect awl the weigh My chequer tolled me sew. What is the point of this exercise?___________________________________ Homonyms (from the book "Eight Ate: A Feast of Homonym Riddles" by Marvin Terban) If four couples went to a restaurant, how many people dined? What do you call a smelly chicken? Eight ate. A foul fowl. How do you say, "Run away, small jumping insect that lives on a dog!"? What is a large animal with thick fur but no clothes on? "Flee, flea!" A bare bear. What did the fancy flying machine call the undecorated one? A plain plane. Two ran the race, but only... One won. If they are not here, where are they? They're there! Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 2 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ Frequently Confused Words The English language has many words that cause confusion because their spelling and pronunciation are either the same or similar. accept - to receive: "She would not accept my proposal." except - all but: "Everyone went except John." access - admittance, a way of approach: "No one had access to the office." excess - larger amount than needed: "He had an excess of cash." accent - particular way of speaking "She had a Philadelphia accent." ascent - upward climb: "Rocky had a long ascent up the Art Museum's stairs." assent - to agree: "The professor assented to accepting a late paper." advice (noun) - recommendation: "His advice was to study." advise (verb) - to make recommendations: "He advised me to look for a new job." affect - influence (verb): "Pat's actions will affect the rest of the class." affect - an emotional response (noun): "Even when his father died, he showed little affect." effect - result (noun): "The effect of his good grades helped him get a scholarship." all ready - (everyone or everything) completely prepared "Are you all ready for the party?" already - (1) prior to or at some specific time; "When we arrived, we found that they had arrived already." alter - change:" She had to alter her plans for the prom." altar - platform in a church: "The priest stands at the altar." capital - (1) major city of a state or nation: "Harrisburg is the capital of PA." (2) supply of wealth: "You need capital to start a new business." capitol - (1) a building in Washington, D.C. for Congress: "You can tour the capitol even when Congress is in session." (2) a building where a legislature meets: "You can go to Harrisburg to see the capitol where the legislative body meets." cite - quote or mention: "When you write a paper, you have to cite your references." sight - ability to see: "Some people have to wear glasses because their eyesight is poor." site - location: "This looks like a good site to build a new home." complement - something that completes or makes perfect: "A good wine complements a good meal." compliment - expression of praise: " The young boy's mother complimented him on his outstanding behavior." Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 3 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ conscience - sense of right and wrong: "Some people seem to have no conscience." conscious - aware of: "He made a conscious decision to practice his piano lessons every day." consul - an official who represents her country in a foreign country: "A terrorist group kidnapped the consul." council - group of people appointed or elected to make decisions: "Most towns have a council which governs them." counsel - (to give advice): "The lawyer tried to counsel the divorcing couple." (2) attorney: "The counsel did an excellent job with my case." decent - proper, in good taste: "We should all have decent manners." (2) good, honest: "John was a decent, hardworking man." descent - downward slope: "His descent down the ski slope was fast." (2) family origin: "The descent of man is a fascinating topic." dissent - disagreement: "There was much dissent among the students." device - gadget (noun): "The telephone is a useful device." devise - think of (verb): " The prisoners devised a plan to escape." eminent - well known: "Professor Epstein is very eminent in his fields of psychology and reading." imminent - about to happen: "The storm was imminent." farther - greater distance; can be measured: "I have to walk farther than you do to get to the school." further - more, in addition: "The group was told to discuss the matter of debt further." formally - traditional, formal rules: "He wore a tuxedo and was formally dressed for the wedding." formerly - happened before: "Jesse Ventura was formerly known as The Body." irrelevant - inappropriate or unrelated: "The lawyer proved that the evidence was irrelevant." irreverent - disrespectful: "It is irreverent to eat during a religious service." its - ownership: "The dog cried for its owner." it's - contraction of it is: "It's never too late to change your ways." later - after the expected time: "He arrived later than I expected." latter - the second of two things mentioned: "Betty agreed with the latter debater." lessen - decrease: "Drugs tend to lessen the pain." lesson - something to be learned: "In a way, this is a spelling lesson." loose - (adjective) (1) not tight: "Her dress was loose because she lost weight." (2) free: "The dog was set loose to sniff for drugs." lose - (verb) (1) misplace: "Did you lose your glasses again?" (2) suffer defeat: "Will the Eagles lose again?" Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 4 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ obvious - easy to grasp: "The answer to the problem is so obvious that a child can answer it." oblivious - unmindful of: "Jane was oblivious to the hole in her jeans." principal - (1) chief, most important: "The principal reason for her research into her past was that she wanted to learn her history. (2) head of a school: "After the student saved the principal's life, she gave him special favors." principle - rule or basic truth: "You must learn the principles behind math in order to solve the problems." quiet - silence: "Please be quiet in the library." quit - stop: "Many people have quit smoking." quite - really: "My husband was quite angry with our dog because she wouldn't stop barking." moral - good, honorable: "She is a moral woman." morale - spirit: "The captain was able to keep up the morale of his unit despite all the fighting." patience - ability to wait: "Patience is a virtue." patients - people suffering from an illness: "The doctor saw 25 patients in a day." stationary - unable to move: "I rode my stationary bike for exercise." stationery - paper for letter writing: "I bought new stationery so I could send prettier letters to my friends." than - compare: "My son is taller than I am." then - at that time: " We were married then." then (used with if) - in that case: "If it rains, then there will be no picnic." thorough - complete, careful: "She did a thorough job of researching her paper." threw - form of the verb throw: "He threw the ball to third base." through - in one side and out the other: "He walked through the kitchen to get to the dining room." to - (1) toward: "Throw the ball to me." (2) used before a verb form: "She hoped to run in the race. too - (1) more than enough: "I have gained too much weight." (2) also: "I wanted to go, too." two - the number 2: " I need two tickets, please." whose - possessive case of who; ownership: "Whose hat is this?" who's - contraction of who has or who is: "Who's going to the store?" your - possession or ownership: "The accident is your problem." you're - contraction of you are: "You're kidding, I hope." whose - possessive case of who; ownership: "Whose hat is this?" who's - contraction of who has or who is: "Who's going to the store?" Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 5 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ Frequently Confused Words *Note: in some words, apostrophes count as a space! Across 1. contraction of who has or who is 4. all but 6. possession or ownership 8. form of the verb throw 11. quote or mention 13. adjective meaning not tight 14. toward 16. larger amount than needed 18. expression of praise 21. location 22. admittance, a way of approach 23. to give advice 24. the number 2 26. in one side and out the other 27. more than enough 28. at that time Down 2. ability to see 3. contraction of you are 5. group of people appointed to decide 7. possessive case of who 9. verb meaning misplace 10. contraction of it is 12. noun meaning result 15. to receive 17. to complete or perfect 19. ownership 20. noun meaning emotional response 24. complete, careful 25. compare http://puzzlemaker.com What is the point of this exercise?___________________________________ Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 6 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ Sentence Interpretation and Clarity These sentences use slang from different eras. Can you interpret them? 1. That cat is so frosted he’s gonna sing to the heat. 2. Wanna go rip some totally bodacious curls? 3. C’mon, let’s get down. We’ll have a blast draggin’ Main in Chuck’s cherry woody wagon. 4. That mooch in the shed is a wire. ______________________________________________________________ What about the next two examples? That wicked dude has a totally bad set of wheels. Or That hot chick is really cool. You may understand what they mean, but if you think of the literal translation, they are contradictory! Consider writing with the use of slang or idioms might hinder how an essay is read. What is the point of this exercise?___________________________________ Just a Reminder: NounPronounAdjectiveVerbAdverb- a person, place, thing, or idea takes the place of a noun answers the questions which one and how many action or a state of being describes how, where, when, by what method, or to what extent the action is done Preposition- tell the relation of one thing to another Conjunction- connect words or phrases Interjection- words that express excitement Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 7 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ Complete Subject and Complete Predicate (equal complete sentence!) What is a complete subject? A complete subject is what the sentence is about. It consists of a noun or pronoun and all of its modifiers. Example: The fat lazy cat with the yellow stripes Write a complete subject (do not use the example). What is a complete predicate? A complete predicate is what the subject in the sentence does (verb). It consists of a verb and all of its modifiers. Example: ran under the rapidly approaching Dodge truck. Write a complete predicate (do not use the example). What is the point of this exercise?___________________________________ Using Adjectives and Adverbs Which sentence sounds better? The spider crawled. (OR) The large, furry black spider crawled slowly toward the leg of the unsuspecting student. Make a word bank of the following parts of speech. They do not have to relate to each other. Noun Verb Adverb Adjective 1.______________ _______________ ______________ _____________ 2.______________ _______________ ______________ _____________ 3.______________ _______________ ______________ _____________ What is the point of this exercise?___________________________________ Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 8 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ Subject/Verb Agreement (http://www.aliscot.com/bigdog/agreement_sv.htm) Remember: The subject and verb must ALWAYS agree in number. Singular subjects get singular verbs. Plural subjects get plural verbs. Example: The boy plays. (singular) The boys play. (plural) Potential problem areas: Stuff in between the subject and verb “Stuff” is usually a prepositional phrase. o Example: The dishes in the kitchen is dirty. “Dishes” is plural. The verbs should be “are.” The dishes in the kitchen are dirty. Reversed sentence order Sentences are usually subject-verb, so be careful when the verb comes before the subject. o Example: There are snacks on the laundry-room table. o Example: Where are they? o Example: On the table are the goodies! “-body,” “-one,” and “-thing” words These words are indefinite pronouns, such as anyone, somebody, and everything. Look at the endings! They are always singular! o Example: Everyone is going on a picnic. o Example: Each of the boys is taking his own lunch. o Example: If anyone drops something to eat, I’ll grab it before he can pick it up. “who,” “which,” and “that” These words are pronouns. When they take the place of a singular noun, they are singular. When they take the place of a plural noun, they are plural. This is important to remember when they are the subject of a clause. In the following examples, the pronoun replaces the subject of a clause. o Example: Big Dog is one of those animals who are very intelligent. o Example: Big Dog is an animal who is very intelligent. What is the point of this review?___________________________________ Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 9 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ Dangling Modifiers (http://www.aliscot.com/bigdog/dangling.htm) What is wrong with these sentences? o Having been thrown in the air, the dog caught the stick. o Smashed flat by a passing truck, Big Dog sniffed at what was left of a halfeaten hamburger. Although these sentences may be funny, the communication is lost because the receiver notices how the sentence is being said, rather than what the sentence is saying. Get rid of dangling modifiers by: 1. Check for modifying phrases at the beginning of your sentences. 2. If you find one, underline the first noun that follows it. (That is the one that is being modified.) 3. Make sure the modifier and noun go together logically. If they don’t chances are that you have a dangling modifier. 4. Rewrite the sentence. Here are the same ideas, rewritten. o When the stick was thrown in the air, the dog caught it. o Big Dog sniffed at what was left of a half-eaten burger that had been smashed by a passing truck. Misplaced Modifiers (http://www.aliscot.com/bigdog/misplaced.htm) A modifier is a word or a phrase that describes something else. You should place it as close as possible to what it describes. If you don't, your intended meaning may not be clear. Consider the unintentional meanings in the following: ° The young girl was walking the dog in a short skirt. ° The dog was chasing the boy with the spiked collar. You can see what's wrong. The dog isn't "in a short skirt" and the boy doesn't have a "spiked collar." Because the modifier is misplaced, we have to think for a minute before we get the intended meaning. The correct versions are: ° The young girl in a short skirt was walking the dog. ° The dog with the spiked collar was chasing the boy. * How do these sentences sound funny? How can you correct them? 1. While talking on the phone, the doorbell rang. 2. Piled up next to the washer, I began doing the laundry. 3. Running across the floor, the rug slipped and I lost my balance. What is the point of this exercise?___________________________________ Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 10 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ Comma Splices and Fused Sentences (http://www.aliscot.com/bigdog/comma_splices.htm) Comma-splices and fused sentences deal with two clauses that are incorrectly punctuated. (Some people call them run-ons.) Look at the following: 1. I leave muddy paw prints on the kitchen floor I get in trouble. 2. I leave muddy paw prints on the kitchen floor, I get in trouble. Neither of these is correct. The first runs two main clauses together without any kind of punctuation. This is a fused sentence. The second joins two main clauses together with only a comma. This is a comma-splice. Both will get your instructor's attention! What's the problem? Each main clause expresses a complete thought. If you run two or more complete thoughts together without the right punctuation, they tend to blur. And the whole idea behind any kind of communication is to get your point across clearly, right? Anything that takes away from that should be avoided. What's the solution? Don't do it! How you "Don't do it!" is really pretty easy, since there are four ways to get rid of comma-splices or fused sentences. Find the problem clauses and ° separate them with a period (.). I leave muddy paw prints on the kitchen floor. I get in trouble. ° join them with a coordinating conjunction. I leave muddy paw prints on the kitchen floor, and I get in trouble. ° separate them with a semicolon (;). I leave muddy paw prints on the kitchen floor; I get in trouble. ° subordinate one clause. When I leave muddy paw prints on the kitchen floor, I get in trouble. Don't simply delete the comma; this will create a run-on or fused sentence. * How do you fix these? 1. I'm exhausted, however, I will go to school anyway. 2. A comma splice occurs when two complete sentences are joined only by a comma, I need to remember that rule. 3. It's means "it is" or "it has," its' is always incorrect. What is the point of this exercise?___________________________________ Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 11 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ Parallel Construction (http://www.aliscot.com/bigdog/parallel.htm) When we talk about parallel structure, or "faulty parallelism" as some call it, we're dealing with a balancing act. The idea isn't too hard, but most people don't think about it. So what are we balancing? . . . pairs of words or series of words. Look at the following: Pairs Series a and b a or b a, b, and c a, b, or c Looks kind of like an algebra equation, doesn't it? Just think of the letters as standing for words or groups of words. Any words or groups of words that you plug in have to be the same kinds of words or word patterns. That's all there is to it! Let's see how the "formula" works: ° Pairs running and jumping, bothered and bewildered, open or shut, laughing or crying ° Series broken, bedraggled, and bone-tired an old shoe, a stuffed bear, and a chewed-up blanket When you write your sentences using parallel structure, your ideas come across more clearly because they're easier to read. Compare the following sentences: 1. Peggotty's toys were an old shoe, a bear that was stuffed, and she had chewed up an old blanket. 2. Peggotty's toys were an old shoe, a stuffed bear, and a chewed-up blanket. *How can you make these sentences parallel? 1. During a thunderstorm, people who are inside should not talk on the telephone, standing near open windows, and using large appliances. ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 2. If you happen to be stranded at sea with a group and you see a shark, bunch together and form a tight circle, warned to be using shark repellent, staying dressed, and be sure to float as a good way to save energy. ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ What is the point of this exercise?___________________________________ Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 12 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ Active vs. Passive Voice (http://www.aliscot.com/bigdog/active_passive.htm) A subject is "a word or phrase in a sentence that denotes the doer of the action [or] the receiver of the action in passive constructions." To tell if a construction is active or passive simply look at the subject: o o If the subject is the "doer of the action," the sentence is active. If the subject is the "receiver of the action," the sentence is passive. That's pretty easy. If you do something, you're active; if you have something done to you, you're passive. Compare the examples: Active ° Peggy ate the bone. ° Big Dog chased the police car. ° We ate every bite of food. Passive ° The bone was eaten by Peggy. ° The police car was chased by Big Dog ° Every bite of food was eaten by us. Generally, you want to make your sentences active whenever you can. Active sentences make your writing stronger, more forceful. Circle the answer the following questions: 1. In an active construction: the subject is concrete./the direct object is active./the subject is the doer of the action./the agent is expressed by the indirect object. 2. In a passive construction: the subject is usually plural./the subject is the receiver of the action./the subject is indefinite./the subject is understood. 3. Select the sentences that is active: The olives were eaten by the hungry patrons./John opened the can./The date was set for the wedding./He lost the bet. 4. Select the sentences that are passive: The cat caught the mouse./The window was shattered by the bullet./A letter is written whenever there is a problem./Sam bought a sports car. Rewrite the following sentences into active voice: * A letter was written by Tom. ____________________________________ What is the purpose of this exercise?________________________________ Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 13 Name:_______________________ Hr: _____Subj./Instructor:_______________Date:________ William Safire's "Fumblerules" These sentences were created by William Safire to illustrate grammatical and stylistic mistakes. This may be the greatest grammar lesson you have ever had. (Each rule breaks itself in this example!) No sentence fragments. Avoid run-on sentences they are hard to read. A writer must not shift your point of view. Reserve the apostrophe for it’s proper use and omit it when its not needed. Write all adverbial forms correct. In their writing, everyone should make sure that their pronouns agree with its antecedent. Use the semicolon properly, use it between complete but related thoughts; and not between an independent clause and a mere phrase. Don’t use no double negatives. Also, avoid awkward or affected alliteration. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times: Resist hyperbole. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is. Avoid commas, that are not necessary. Verbs has to agree with their subjects. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky. And don’t start a sentence with a conjunction. The passive voice should never be used. Writing carefully, dangling participles should be avoided. Unless you are quoting other people’s exclamations, kill all exclamation points!!! Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out. Use parallel structure when you write and in speaking. You should just avoid confusing readers with misplaced modifiers. Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences—such as those of ten or more words—to their antecedents. Eschew dialect, irregardless. Remember to never split an infinitive. Take the bull by the hand and don’t mix metaphors. Don’t verb nouns. Always pick on the correct idiom. Never, ever use repetitive redundancies. "Avoid overuse of ‘quotation "marks."’" Never use prepositions to end a sentence with. Last but not least, avoid clichés like the plague. (More of the same) http://mosaic.math.tamu.edu/~boas/courses/math696/rools.html#id9 What is the point of these rules?___________________________________ Grammar and Punctuation Cram Session 14