More Grammar Terms

1
More Grammar Terms

• Todays Agenda Agreement, Comma Splices, Run-On
  Sentences, Pronoun Usage, Types of Clauses, Types
  of Modifiers

2
Agreement

• Verbs must agree in number with their subjects.
• A trustee, rather than the college
  administrators, represents the institution at the
  meeting.
• My children play with blocks, crayons, and action
  figures.

3
Agreement

• The pronoun must agree in number with the noun it
  refers back to (the antecedent)
• Each of the saleswomen changed her dress before
  dinner.
• Why should her be used instead of their?

4
Agreement

• With neither/nor and either/or, the verb should
  agree in number with the noun closest to it.
• Either Bill or his parents work in the store on
  Sunday.
• Neither the brothers nor the sister appears to be
  helpful.

5
Comma Splices

• Comma splices occur when two independent clauses
  are joined only by a comma, instead of a period,
  a semicolon, or both a comma and a coordinating
  conjunction.
• Lets correct the following sentence
• At IHOP, I always order pancakes, eggs and
  hashbrowns, at La Pepe I always order an
  omelette.

6
Run-On (Fused) Sentences

• Runs-ons occur when two or more independent
  clauses are joined together with no punctuation
  or connectives. They can be corrected by
  separating the clauses with a period, a
  semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction preceded
  by a comma.

7
Run-On Sentences

• How can we correct the following sentence?
• My 81 year-old grandmother still rides her Harley
  motorcycle her toy poodle balances in a basket
  between the handlebars.

8
Pronoun Usage

• Lets turn to pg. 12 in your packet to look at
  the list at the list of pronouns
• There are three types of pronouns subjective,
  objective, and possessive.

9
Nonrestrictive and Restrictive clauses

• Review information on pg. 13

10
Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

• Dangling modifiers occur near the beginning of a
  sentence. If the phrase that begins the sentence
  is inappropriate for the subject of the sentence,
  it is a dangling modifier.

11
Examples of Dangling Modifiers

• To save time, the paper was written on a
  computer.
• Who was saving time? The paper?
• REVISED
• To save time, Kristin wrote the paper on a
  computer.

12
Examples of Dangling Modifiers

• Seeking to lay off workers without taking the
  blame, consultants were hired to break the bad
  news.
• Who was seeking to lay off workers? The
  consultants?
• REVISED
• Seeking to lay off workers without taking the
  blame, the CEO hired consultants to break the bad
  news.

13
Misplaced Modifiers

• Misplaced modifiers occur at the middle or end of
  a sentence. They may be awkward or confusing.
  All modifiers should appear right next to what
  they are supposed to modify.

14
Examples of Misplaced Modifiers

• He served steak to the men on paper plates.
• REVISED
• He served the men steak on paper plates.