Slide 1

Ch. 10, Rudes Technical Editing Important Grammar & Usage Points

Slide 2

Why grammar? Editing sentences according to grammar patterns helps clarify relationships. How are relationships important in sentences? What can you do to help yourself find patterns that clarify and those that dont?

Slide 3

Adjectives vs. Adverbs What do adjectives do? Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. They may come before the word they describe (That is a cute puppy.) or they may follow the word they describe (That puppy is cute.). They describe or limit nouns/pronouns. They can show comparisons (er, est) What do adverbs do? Adverbs are words that modify everything but nouns and pronouns. They modify adjectives, verbs, and other adverbs. A word is an adverb if it answers how, when, or where. They modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs or sentence

Slide 4

Pronouns Pronouns substitute for nouns. Kinds of pronouns Personal I, you, he, Relative (make clauses dependent) Who, whoever, which, Indefinite Each, one, neither,

Slide 5

Prepositions What do prepositions do? Link their object to another word in sentence About, after, between, with

Slide 6

Conjunctions What do conjunctions do? Join words, phrase, clauses Kinds of conjunctions Coordinatingand, but, or, for, yet, nor, so Subordinatingafter, although, because, etc They make clauses dependent.

Slide 7

Conjunctive Adverbs What do they do? They modify an entire clause; dont make clause dependent Consequently, however, moreover, on the other hand, I received the letter; consequently, I made arrangements to close the sale.

Slide 8

Verbals What do they do? They convert verbs into words that function as nouns or adjectives, have implied subjects,& may take objects or compliments What kinds are there? Gerunds Function as noun with addition of ing (Making the dinner took half an hour.) Participles as Verbals Function as adjectives with addition of ing or ed to the verb. (Expecting guests, he cooked more food. or The crying baby was soon picked up.)

Slide 9

Verbs Kinds of verbs Transitive Carry over to a direct object The sentence would be incomplete w/o the object. o(He shoveled the walk.) Intransitive Forms a complete predicate; doesnt require an object (A woman walked into the store.) Linking Require a complement that reflects back on the subject To be verbs, look, seem, etc (The student is hard-working.)

Slide 10

Phrases Kinds Prepositional I went to the store. Noun She left the newest dishes. Infinitive He wanted to win the Olympics. Participial (participle=verb w/ ing or ed ending, a modifier) The changing rules confused the competitors. Appositive The plan, a newly formed idea, was presented.

Slide 11

Where can sentences go wrong? The subject and verb dont agree in number. Plural subject, singular verb The predicate doesnt comment logically on the subject. (Faulty predication) EX: The purpose of the book persuades the readers not to get involved.

Slide 12

Dangling Modifiers The modifier (participle, gerund, infinitive phrase) defines an action the subject of the sentence cant perform. EX: While driving on Greenwood Avenue yesterday afternoon, a tree began to fall toward Wendys car.

Slide 13

Misplaced Modifier Modifier is separated from the item it is intended to modify. I had to take down the shutters painting the house yesterday. From Grammar Girl I ate only vegetables. I only ate vegetables.

Slide 14

Pronoun-Antecedent Error The pronoun does not agree in number with its antecedent. Every member of the graduating class should congratulate themselves for having passed all of their final exams.

Slide 15

Ambiguous pronoun referent Its not clear which of 2 previously mentioned items in the sentence or a previous sentence the pronoun might refer to. Anne told Lucy that her essay was great.

Slide 16

Pronoun Case Error A pronoun in the subject case is used in the object position or vice versa. Casedescribes the role of the subject in the sentence Subject/Nominative casepronouns used as subject Error: Her and me decided where to go. Object/Objective casepronouns used as objects of verbs or prepositions Error: The coach picked him and me. Possessive casepronouns which express ownership Error: The man who we saw was the manager.(Who is a subject; Whom is an object.)

Slide 17

Subject/Nominative casepronouns used as subjects

Slide 18

Tense error The tense does not accurately represent the time of the action.

Slide 19

Tense sequence error The times of actions as implied by the verb tenses contradict logic, or the time shifts arbitrarily.

Slide 20

Why know grammar & usage? As an editor you may recognize something is wrong, but be unable to articulate it. Rules of grammar and usage help you to understand why and communicate your understanding.