Unit 6

Reviewing the Basics

Chapter 25

Proofreading to Correct

Your Personal Error

Patterns

The important last step in the writing process is proofreading: slowly reading your revised paragraph or essay in order to find and correct any errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Proofreading your own work before turning it in is vitally important because grammatical and other mistakes not only distract readers, but give a negative impression of your skills and even intelligence. The more mistakes you tend to make, the more important proofreading is for you.

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Identifying and Tracking Your Personal Error Patterns

An error pattern is any error you make two, three, or more times. Four ways to discover your error patterns: Papers: Study recently returned papers, make sure you understand the errors that have been marked. Count the number of times each mistake appears. Instructor: Ask your instructor to identify your error patterns, and to note which three are the most serious. Textbook: As you work through this book, notice chapter or practices where you keep making mistakes or writing incorrect answers. Writing Lab: Go to the writing lab with a paper you recently wrote. As a tutor to identify the kinds of errors you make, and to note which three are the most serious. 4

Proofreading Strategies

Many writers have found that the proofreading strategies below help them see their own writing with a fresh eye. Try a number of methods and see which ones work best for you:

Allow enough time to proofread.

Work from a paper copy.

Read your words aloud.

Read “bottom’s up” from the end to the beginning.

Isolate your sentences.

Check for one error at a time.

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EXPLORING ONLINE

http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Proofreading.html

Excellent proofreading advice from the University of

Wisconsin OWL

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/01

Proofreading tips from the Purdue University OWL, plus

advice on correcting common errors made by college

students

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Chapter 26

The Simple Sentence

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Every sentence must contain two basic

elements: a subject and a verb.

A subject is the who or what word that performs

the action or the who or what word about which

a statement is made.

Some sentences have more than one subject,

joined by and.

Sometimes an -ing word can be the subject of a

sentence.

Defining and Spotting Subjects

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One group of words that may confuse you as you look for

subjects is the prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase

contains a preposition (a word like at, in, of, from) and its

object.

The object of a preposition cannot be the subject of a

sentence. Therefore, spotting and crossing out prepositional

phrases will help you find the subject.

Common Prepositions

about before in through

above behind into to

across between like toward

after by near under

along during of until

among for on up

at from over with

Spotting Prepositional Phrases

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Action Verbs

In order to be complete, every sentence must

contain a verb. One kind of verb, called an

action verb, expresses the action that the

subject is performing:

The star quarterback fumbled.

The carpenters worked all day, but the

bricklayers went home early.

Defining and Spotting Verbs

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Linking Verbs

Another kind of verb, called a linking verb, links the subject

to words that describe or identify it:

Don is a fine mathematician.

This fabric feels rough and scratchy.

Common Linking Verbs

appear

be (am, is, are, was, were, has been, have been, had been)

become

feel

look

seem

Defining and Spotting Verbs

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Many verbs consist of more than one word:

He should have taken the train home.

Are Tanya and Joe practicing the piano?

The lounge was painted last week.

Verbs of More Than One Word—Helping Verbs

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EXPLORING ONLINE http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/subject

or/htm

Interactive subject quiz

http://www.dailygrammar.com/archive.html

Click “Lessons 6-10” (Verbs) and “Lessons 11-15” (Verbs)

for a verb review.

http://a4esl.org/a/g3.html

Interactive preposition quizzes: scroll down to

“prepositions.”

Chapter 27

Coordination and Subordination

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A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb.

If a clause can stand alone as a complete idea, it is an

independent clause and can be written as a simple sentence.

Here are two independent clauses written as simple sentences:

The dog barked all night.

The neighbors didn’t complain.

You can join two clauses together by placing a comma and a

coordinating conjunction between them:

The dog barked all night, but the neighbors didn’t complain.

Let’s go to the beach today, for it is too hot to do anything else.

Coordination

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The coordinating conjunctions but and for join

together two clauses.

Note that the clause on each side of the

coordinating conjunction can stand alone as a

complete sentence.

A comma precedes each coordinating

conjunction.

Coordinating Conjunctions

and for or yet

but nor so

Coordinating Conjunctions

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Two clauses can also be joined with a subordinating

conjunction. The clause following a subordinating

conjunction is called a subordinate or dependent clause

because it depends on an independent clause to complete

its meaning:

We will light the candles when Flora arrives.

When Flora arrives, we will light the candles.

(When Flora arrives is a subordinate or dependent

clause introduced by the subordinating conjunction

when. By itself, when Flora arrives is incomplete; it

depends on the independent clause to complete its

meaning.)

Subordination

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Subordinating Conjunctions

after if unless

although if only until

as in order that when

as if once whenever

as though provided that where

because rather than whereas

before since wherever

even if so that whether

even though though while

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You can join two independent clauses by placing a semicolon

between them. The semicolon takes the place of a conjunction:

She hopes to receive good grades this semester; her scholarship

depends on her maintaining a 3.5 average.

Tony is a careless driver; he has had three minor accidents this

year alone.

(Each of the sentences above could also be made into two

separate sentences by replacing the semicolon with a period.

Note that the first word after a semicolon is not capitalized

(unless, of course, it is a word that is normally capitalized.)

Semicolons

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Most transitional expressions (such as however, for

example, and therefore) are conjunctive adverbs.

A conjunctive adverb placed after a semicolon can help

clarify the relationship between two clauses:

I like the sound of that stereo; however, the price is too high.

They have not seen that film; moreover, they have not been

to a theater for three years.

(Note that a comma follows the conjunctive adverb.)

Conjunctive Adverbs

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Addition: also, besides, furthermore, in addition,

moreover

Comparison: likewise, similarly

Contrast: however, nevertheless, on the contrary, on

the other hand

Example: for example, for instance

Emphasis: indeed, in fact, of course

Result: consequently, therefore, thus

Conjunctive Adverbs or Transitional Expressions

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Sentence Pattern Review Chart–Coordination

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Sentence Pattern Review Chart–Subordination

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EXPLORING ONLINE

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/qu

izzes/nova/nova1.htm

Interactive coordination quiz

http://depts.dyc.edu/learningcenter/owl/exerci

ses/conjunctions_ex2.htm

Exercises in subordination, with answers

Chapter 28

Avoiding Sentence Errors

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A run-on sentence incorrectly runs together two

independent clauses without a conjunction or

punctuation.

This error confuses the reader, who cannot tell

where one thought stops and the next begins:

My neighbor Mr. Hoffman is seventy-five years

old he plays tennis every Saturday afternoon.

Avoiding Run-Ons

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A comma splice incorrectly joins two

independent clauses with a comma but no

conjunction:

My neighbor Mr. Hoffman is seventy-five years

old, he plays tennis every Saturday afternoon.

Avoiding Comma Splices

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The run-on and the comma splice can be corrected

in five ways:

1. Use two separate sentences.

My neighbor Mr. Hoffman is seventy-five years old.

He plays tennis every Saturday afternoon.

2. Use a coordinating conjunction.

My neighbor Mr. Hoffman is seventy-five years old,

but he plays tennis every Saturday afternoon.

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3. Use a subordinating conjunction.

Although my neighbor Mr. Hoffman is seventy-five years

old, he plays tennis every Saturday afternoon.

4. Use a semicolon.

My neighbor Mr. Hoffman is seventy-five years old; he

plays tennis every Saturday afternoon.

5. Use a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb.

My neighbor Mr. Hoffman is seventy-five years old;

however, he plays tennis every Saturday afternoon.

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A sentence fragment is incomplete.

It lacks a subject, a verb, or both—or it does

not stand alone as a complete idea.

Avoiding Fragments

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Six common sentence fragments:

Dependent Clause Fragments

A dependent clause fragment often starts with a

subordinating conjunction like although, because, if,

and when.

Relative Clause Fragments

A dependent clause fragment can also start with

who, whose, which, or that.

-ing Fragments

An -ing fragment starts with an -ing verb form.

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Six common sentence fragments (continued):

Prepositional Phrase Fragments

Appositive Phrase Fragments

Infinitive Phrase Fragments

Watch out for fragments beginning with a subordinating

conjunction; who, which, or that; or an -ing verb form. These

groups of words cannot stand alone, but must be combined

with another sentence or changed into a complete

sentence.

Watch out for phrase fragments. A prepositional phrase,

appositive phrase, or infinitive cannot stand alone, but must

be combined with another sentence or changed into a

complete sentence.

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Review Chart: Correcting Sentence Fragments Type of Fragment F Fragment

C Corrected

1. Dependent clause F After Jake moved to Colorado.

C After Jake moved to Colorado, he learned to ski.

2. Relative clause F Who loves computer games.

C My niece, who loves computer games, repairs

my computer.

3. -ing modifier F Surfing the Web.

C Surfing the Web, we visited European art museum

sites.

4. Prepositional phrase F Inside the cave.

C They found mastodon bones inside the cave.

5. Appositive F A slow student.

C Einstein, a slow student, proved to be a genius.

6. Infinitive F To go dancing tonight.

C She wants to go dancing tonight.

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EXPLORING ONLINE

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-

shl/quiz/pl/run-ons_add’l.htm

Review and quizzes to help you root out run-ons

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizz

es/fragment_fixing.htm

Great tips and quizzes to help you find and fix

sentence fragments

Chapter 29

Present Tense (Agreement)

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Subjects and verbs in the present tense must

agree in number; that is, singular subjects

take verbs with singular endings, and plural

subjects take verbs with plural endings.

Defining Subject-Verb Agreement

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Three Troublesome Verbs in the Present Tense: To Be, To

Have, To Do

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Each of these constructions takes a singular verb:

either (of) . . . each (of) . . . every one (of) . . .

neither (of) . . . one (of) . . . which one (of) . . .

Special Singular Constructions

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Sometimes a phrase or a clause separates the subject from the

verb. First, look for the subject; then make sure that the verb

agrees with the subject.

1. The economist’s ideas on this matter seem well thought out.

2. Radios that were made in the 1930s are now collectors’ items.

In sentence 1, the ideas are well thought out. The prepositional

phrase on this matter separates the subject ideas from the verb

seem.

In sentence 2, radios are now collectors’ items. The relative

clause that were made in the 1930s separates the subject radios

from the verb are.

Separation of Subject and Verb

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In sentences that begin with there or here, the

subject usually follows the verb:

1.There seem to be two flies in my soup.

2.Here is my prediction for the coming year.

In sentence 1, the plural subject flies takes the

plural verb seem.

In sentence 2, the singular subject prediction takes

the singular verb is.

Sentences Beginning with There and Here

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In questions, the subject usually follows the verb:

1. What is the secret of your success?

2. Where are the copies of the review?

In sentence 1, the subject secret takes the singular verb is.

In sentence 2, the subject copies takes the plural verb are.

Agreement in Questions

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A relative clause is a subordinate clause that begins with

who, which, or that. The verb in the relative clause must

agree with the antecedent of the who, which, or that.

1. People who have a good sense of humor make good

neighbors.

2. Be careful of a scheme that promises you a lot of money

fast.

In sentence 1, the antecedent of who is people. People

should take the plural verb have.

In sentence 2, the antecedent of that is scheme. Scheme

takes the singular verb promises.

Agreement in Relative Clauses

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EXPLORING ONLINE

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/sv_agr.htm

Review the rules of subject-verb agreement; then scroll

to the bottom for three interactive quizzes.

http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/svagr.html

Take this verb quiz and get instant feedback on your

answers.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-

shl/quiz.pl/agreement_add2.htm

Test your verb skills with this more difficult quiz.