GRAMMAR AND USAGE REVIEW

1
GRAMMAR AND USAGE REVIEW
2
To surprise Marie, everyone hid behind pieces of
furniture. And suddenly jumped out when she
arrived.
3
To surprise Marie, everyone hid behind pieces of
furniture. And suddenly jumped out when she
arrived.

• INCORRECT.
• 19 Sentence fragment.

4
When Clementine first awakens, several things can
irritate her. Such as cold coffee, unexpected
guests, and dancing llamas.
5
When Clementine first awakens, several things can
irritate her. Such as cold coffee, unexpected
guests, and dancing llamas.

• INCORRECT.
• 19 Sentence fragment.

6
As Gwen advanced in age, she gave up a lot of her
favorite things. Running with the bulls at
Pamplona. Skydiving. Biting her toenails in
public.
7
As Gwen advanced in age, she gave up a lot of her
favorite things. Running with the bulls at
Pamplona. Skydiving. Biting her toenails in
public.

• INCORRECT.
• 19 Sentence fragment.

8
Repairing Sentence Fragments

• Attach fragmented subordinate clauses with a
  coordinating conjunction.
• Attach fragmented subordinate clauses with a
  comma and a coordinating conjunction.
• Turn the fragments into complete sentences.
• Maybe even try a colon.

9
1. To surprise Marie, everyone hid behind pieces
of furniture. And suddenly jumped out when she
arrived.2. When Clementine first awakens,
several things can irritate her. Such as cold
coffee, unexpected guests, and dancing
llamas.3. As Gwen advanced in age, she gave up
a lot of her favorite things. Running with the
bulls at Pamplona. Skydiving. Biting her
toenails in public.
10
Several of my friends love the theater, some have
even performed live on stage.
11
Several of my friends love the theater, some have
even performed live on stage.

• INCORRECT.
• 20 Comma splice.

12
My pet monkey Herbert loves Twinkies he eats them
all the time.
13
My pet monkey Herbert loves Twinkies he eats them
all the time.

• INCORRECT.
• Fused sentence.

14
Repairing Comma Splices and Fused Sentences

• Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction.
• Use a semicolon.
• Make the clauses into two separate sentences.
• Restructure the sentence, perhaps subordinating
  one of the clauses.

15
1. Several of my friends love the theater, some
have even performed live on stage.2. My of my
friends love the theater, some have even
performed live on stage.
16
The cheeseburgers on the grill need flipping.
17
The cheeseburgers on the grill need flipping.

• CORRECT.
• 21b Subject/verb agreement. Both are plural.

18
Jon Stewart along with Stephen Colbert are
bitterly funny.
19
Jon Stewart along with Stephen Colbert are
bitterly funny.

• INCORRECT.
• 21b I know, I know, it looks perfectly correct,
  but phrases beginning with prepositions such as
  as well as, in addition to, accompanied by,
  together with, and along with do not make a
  singular subject plural. Sheesh.

20
When a baby or six hyenas start crying, I have to
leave the room.
21
When a baby or six hyenas start crying, I have to
leave the room.

• CORRECT.
• 21d With subjects joined with or, nor,
  either/or, neither/nor, make the verb agree with
  the part of the subject nearer the verb.

22
In the front of the room are a huge crocodile and
a chocolate Easter bunny.
23
In the front of the room are a huge crocodile and
a chocolate Easter bunny.

• CORRECT.
• 21c Treat most subjects joined with and as
  plural.
• 21g Make the verb agree with its subject even
  when the subject follows the verb.

24
Right there, in front of my new boyfriend, was my
father and his five poker buddies, all buck naked.
25
Right there, in front of my new boyfriend, was my
father and his five poker buddies, all buck naked.

• INCORRECT.
• 21c Treat most subjects joined with and as
  plural.
• 21g Make the verb agree with its subject even
  when the subject follows the verb.

26
An important consideration for new farmers are
marauding kangaroo gangs.
27
An important consideration for new farmers are
marauding kangaroo gangs.

• INCORRECT.
• 21h Subject is consideration (marauding
  kangaroo gangs is the subject complement).

28
Riboflavin is one of the vitamins that improves
the health contribution of chocolate chip cookies.
29
Riboflavin is one of the vitamins that improves
the health contribution of chocolate chip cookies.

• INCORRECT.
• 21i Who, which, and that take verbs that agree
  with their immediate antecedents (vitamins).

30
The entire company put their signatures on the
document.
31
The entire company put their signatures on the
document.

• CORRECT.
• 22b Treat collective nouns as singular unless
  the meaning is clearly plural.

32
The Red Cross opened their new office in the
local Starbucks.
33
The Red Cross opened their new office in the
local Starbucks.

• INCORRECT.
• 22b Treat collective nouns as singular unless
  the meaning is clearly plural.

34
Either Winifred or Prunella left her hat in the
oven.
35
Either Winifred or Prunella left her hat in the
oven.

• CORRECT.
• 22d With compound antecedents connected by or,
  nor, either/or, or neither/nor, make the pronoun
  agree with the nearer antecedent.

36
Either Winifred or her children has to go.
37
Either Winifred or her children has to go.

• INCORRECT.
• 22d With compound antecedents connected by or,
  nor, either/or, or neither/nor, make the pronoun
  agree with the nearer antecedent.

38
First we had Enron and Worldcom, then the
mortgage crisis, and now large banks and
investment firms are collapsing. Voters are
getting fed up with this.
39
First we had Enron and Worldcom, then the
mortgage crisis, and now large banks and
investment firms are collapsing. Voters are
getting fed up with this.

• INCORRECT.
• 23b Generally, avoid broad references of this,
  that, which, and it.

40
In Aristotles Poetics, he enumerates the
qualities and components of good drama.
41
In Aristotles Poetics, he enumerates the
qualities and components of good drama.

• INCORRECT.
• 23c Do not use a pronoun to refer to an implied
  antecedent.

42
In the article it states that worms should be
swallowed whole, not chewed.
43
In the article it states that worms should be
swallowed whole, not chewed.

• INCORRECT.
• 23d Avoid the indefinite use of they, it, and
  you.

44
My boss told me that you should never pick your
nose at work.
45
My boss told me that you should never pick your
nose at work.

• INCORRECT.
• 23d - Avoid the indefinite use of they, it, and
  you.

46
My boss is the kind of person that throws a fit
if anything goes wrong.
47
My boss is the kind of person that throws a fit
if anything goes wrong.

• INCORRECT.
• 23e Use who, whom, or whose to refer to people,
  not that or which.

48
Edwin got dizzy and passed out the first time his
girlfriend and he/him/himself kissed.
49
Edwin got dizzy and passed out the first time his
girlfriend and he kissed.

• Strip away his girlfriend and.

50
Carlos new dirigible is large enough for both
his wife and he/him/himself.
51
Carlos new dirigible is large enough for both
his wife and him.

• 24b Strip away both his wife and.

52
My girlfriend and me/myself/I each got tattoos on
our noses.
53
My girlfriend and I each got tattoos on our noses.

• 24b Strip away My girlfriend and then,
  adjust the rest of the sentence accordingly.

54
Edna just bought a new, fully loaded 2008
pastrami sandwich for she/her/herself and
me/myself/I.
55
Edna just bought a new, fully loaded 2008
pastrami sandwich for herself and me.

• 24b Strip awayaw, you know it by now.

56
While my sisters may have hairier armpits than
I/me, I still have more ear hair than them/they.
57
While my sisters may have hairier armpits than I,
I still have more ear hair than they.

• 24d Here, add the implied verb after each
  pronoun
• Than I do
• Than they do.

58
Gas is still comparatively cheap for we/us
Americans.
59
Gas is still comparatively cheap for us Americans.

• 24e Strip away Americans.

60
Harrison Ford asked Brenda and me/I to cook
dinner for his pet ocelot and he/him.
61
Harrison Ford asked Brenda and me to cook dinner
for his pet ocelot and him.

• 24f Strip-away test!

62
The odds of you/your winning the lottery are
about a bazillion to one.
63
The odds of your winning the lottery are about a
bazillion to one.

• 24g Use possessive case to modify a gerund.
• Gerund Looks like a verb, sounds like a verb,
  tastes like a verb, but its really a noun!

64
My secret love potion worked perfect when I tried
it on Melindas turtle.
65
My secret love potion worked perfectly when I
tried it on Melindas turtle.

• INCORRECT.
• 26a Use adverbs, not adjectives, to modify
  verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

66
Tobias did real good in his audition for the role
of Frightened Inmate No. 3.
67
Tobias did really good well in his audition for
the role of Frightened Inmate No. 3.

• INCORRECT.
• 26a Good is an adjective.
• How are you doing?
• Good.
• ARGHHH!!!!!

68
Which of these two iguanas tastes best?
69
Which of these two iguanas tastes best?

• INCORRECT.
• 26c Use the comparative (better) when comparing
  two things, the superlative (best) to compare
  three or more.

70
Of all the keggers this year, the Chancellors
was the most best of them all.
71
Of all the keggers this year, the Chancellors
was the most best of them all.

• INCORRECT.
• 26c Do not use double comparatives or
  superlatives.

72
Picassos artwork is more innovative, more
experimental, more unique, and more challenging
than Manets.
73
Picassos artwork is more innovative, more
experimental, more unique, and more challenging
than Manets.

• INCORRECT.
• 26c Unique is an absolute condition something
  is either unique or it is not. There are not
  degrees of uniqueness. Learning this rule will
  make your writing more perfect.

74
You can win up to 50,000 or more in our new
contest!
75
You can win up to 50,000 or more in our new
contest!

• INCORRECT.
• Not in our book. One can either win up to
  50,000 or more than 50,000not both. Its just
  a stupid sentence.

76
My sorority sisters and I had went to the
football game on Saturday.
77
My sorority sisters and I had went to the
football game on Saturday.

• INCORRECT.
• 27a Dont mix verb tenses improperly.
• Had gone past perfect
• Went past simple.
• Which to use? Depends on the context and the
  intent.

78
Back in the day, people actually use to make
phone calls with their cell phones.
79
Back in the day, people actually use to make
phone calls with their cell phones.

• INCORRECT.
• 27d Used to, supposed to, should have, could
  have, would have, and on and on.

80
In The Republic, Plato writes that philosophers
make the best kings.
81
In The Republic, Plato writes that philosophers
make the best kings.

• CORRECT.
• 27f Literary/historical present tense.

82
If I was king of the forest,Not queen, not
duke, not prince.
83
If I was king of the forest,Not queen, not
duke, not prince.

• INCORRECT.
• 27g Use subjunctive mood verbs for
  contrary-to-fact clauses beginning with if or
  expressing a wish or in that clauses following
  verbs such as ask, insist, recommend, request,
  and suggest.

84
The patient asked that the doctor be sober for
the operation.
85
The patient asked that the doctor be sober for
the operation.

• CORRECT.
• 27g Use subjunctive mood verbs for
  contrary-to-fact clauses beginning with if or
  expressing a wish or in that clauses following
  verbs such as ask, insist, recommend, request,
  and suggest.

86
I asked Cornelius if he would be at the party and
he was like, Not if Im going to have to hang
around with you.
87
I asked Cornelius if he would be at the party and
he was like, Not if Im going to have to hang
around with you.

• INCORRECT.
• NEVER use like when you mean said. Ever. I will
  shoot you.

88
Due to the fact that Eileen had taken such an
active roll in Bertrams firing, everyone viewed
her as our new boss, for all intensive purposes.
89
Due to the fact that Because Eileen had taken
such an active roll role in Bertrams firing,
everyone viewed her as our new boss, for all
intensive intents and purposes.
90
For some reason, coriander always tastes like
cilantro to me.
91
For some reason, coriander always tastes like
cilantro to me.

• CORRECT.

92
Although she had embezzled eight dollars, we
elected Gertrude treasurer anyways, being that
she was the only one who could count past forty.
93
Although she had embezzled eight dollars, we
elected Gertrude treasurer anyways anyway, being
that since she was the only one who could count
past forty.
94
I tried to illicit a favorable response from
Irene by complementing her on her three nostrils.
95
I tried to illicit elicit a favorable response
from Irene by complementing complimenting her on
her three nostrils.
96
Customers who buy expensive (i.e./e.g., more than
500) appliances (i.e./e.g., big-screen TVs,
refrigerators, or ranges) will receive a free
jelly doughnut.
97
Customers who buy expensive (i.e./e.g., more than
500) appliances (i.e./e.g., big-screen TVs TVs,
refrigerators, or ranges) will receive a free
jelly doughnut.
98
Grannys cure of weasel juice had a more averse
affect on me then my original illness.
99
Grannys cure of weasel juice had a more averse
adverse affect effect on me then than my original
illness.
100
As we preceded to move further into debt, we
began to loose sight of our principals.
101
As we preceded proceeded to move further into
debt, we began to loose lose sight of our
principals principles.
102
Im finally feeling alright after the movies
terrifying climactic scene, which featured to
many of youre basic scary monsters.
103
Im finally feeling alright all right after the
movies terrifying climactic scene, which
featured to too many of youre your basic scary
monsters.
104
As the Senators moved foreward with the new
legislation, dozens of people marched on the
capital building, hoping to insure the bills
passage.
105
As the Senators moved foreward forward with the
new legislation, dozens of people marched on the
capital capitol building, hoping to insure ensure
the bills passage.
106
Margot and Phineas each carried four discrete
briefcases to there secret rendezvous, an amount
that would defeat theyre plans because six were
simply too many to avoid suspicion.
107
Margot and Phineas each carried six discrete
briefcases to there their secret rendezvous, an
amount a number that would defeat theyre their
plans because six was simply too many to avoid
suspicion.
108
Whose responsible for this lousy whether? Its
lousy! Theyd better be ready to except the
wrath of angles.
109
Whose Whos responsible for this lousy whether
weather? Its Its lousy! Theyd better be ready
to except accept the wrath of angles angels.
110
Thats it. Go home.