Awkward Sentences Mixed or Confused Construction

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Awkward SentencesMixed or Confused Construction

• Complied by Terri Yueh

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Whats wrong with the sentences?

• The reason Mary snapped at Tom was because he
  kept forgetting their anniversary.
• A comma splice is when two sentences are joined
  by only a comma.
• Because Larry studies every day explains why he
  has a high grade-point average.
• When children dont take naps makes them cross.
• By planning ahead is a good way to get into the
  college of your choice.
• One example of his bad behavior is when he misses
  class for no reason at all.
• Original examples selected from Prentice Hall
  Handbook for Writers

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Whats wrong with the sentences?

• The reason Mary snapped at Tom was that he kept
  forgetting their anniversary.
• A comma splice occurs when two sentences are
  joined by only a comma.
• Larrys studying every day explains why he has a
  high grade-point average.
• When children dont take naps, they get cross.
• Planning ahead is a good way to get into the
  college of your choice.
• One example of his bad behavior is his missing
  class for no reason at all.
• Original examples from Prentice Hall Handbook for
  Writers

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Faulty PredicatesMixed Construction
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Faulty predicates

• To be
• An important step in skiing is stopping.
• An important step in skiing is learning to stop.
• Is when is where
• A hasty generalization is when you jump to
  conclusion.
• ? To make a hasty generalization is to jump to
  conclusion.
• A hasty generalization is you jump into
  conclusion.
• Frostbite is where skin tissue has been frozen.
• Frostbite appears where skin tissue has been
  frozen.
• The reason is because
• The reason he went to Los Angeles was because he
  wanted to visit Mickey.
• The reason he went to Los Angeles was that he
  wanted to visit Mickey.
• He went to Los Angeles because he wanted to visit
  Mickey.
• IF
• If a student who takes not interest in his
  studies, he wont be bale to do his lessons well.

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Mixed Constructions

• With every effort the student made to explain his
  problem got him more confused.
• With every effort the student made to explain his
  problem, he got more confused.
• Every effort the student made to explain his
  problem got him more confused.
• You may take any book that you think it is fit
  for you.
• You may take any book that you think is fit for
  you.
• That fact that Mary was a good sectary she had
  many offers for promotion.
• That fact that Mary was a good sectary resulted
  in her having many offers for promotion.
• Because Mary was a good sectary, she had many
  offers for promotion.
• Mary stayed at a mountain resort, and most of her
  time was spent skiing.
• Mary stayed at a mountain resort and spent most
  of her time skiing.

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Exercise

• Anxiety is when one is uneasy or distressed about
  future uncertainties.
• Marys salad is delicious because by using her
  grandmothers recipe is how she learned to make
  it.
• If we have another 10 inches of rain this spring,
  that we will no longer have a rainfall deficit.
• Because he had been wasting his money and
  forgetting to make regular bank deposits was the
  reason why John couldnt keep up his house loan.
• Yesterday I drove to Kaoshung, which, driving at
  the legal speed limit, I reached there by dark.

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Answers

• Anxiety is a state of uneasiness or distress
  about future uncertainties.
• Marys salad is delicious because she learned to
  make it from her grandmothers recipe.
• If we have another 10 inches of rain this spring,
  we will no longer have a rainfall deficit.
• Because he had been wasting his money and
  forgetting to make regular bank deposits, John
  couldnt keep up his house loan.
• Yesterday I drove to Kaoshung at the legal speed
  limit, so I reached there by dark.
• Yesterday I drove to Kaoshung at the
  legal speed limit, reaching there by dark.