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ACT PREPARATION: GRAMMAR PACKET FOUR
Table of ContentsPRONOUN USE......................................2
PRE-TEST...................................................2PRONOUN TYPES...........................................3PRONOUNS AND ANTECEDENTS...........................5PRONOUN PRACTICE #2...................................6PRONOUN PRACTICE #3...................................7PRONOUN PRACTICE #4...................................8SIMPLE PRONOUN CONCEPTS.............................9PRONOUN PRACTICE #5.................................10ADVANCED PRONOUN PROBLEMS #1...................11ADVANCED PRONOUN PROBLEMS #2...................12PRONOUN PRACTICE #6.................................13PRONOUN PRACTICE #7.................................14PRONOUN PRACTICE #8.................................15PRONOUN PRACTICE #9.................................16PRONOUN PRACTICE #10................................17PRONOUN PRACTICE #11................................18PRONOUN PRACTICE #12................................19
SENTENCE FLUENCY.......................20PARALLEL STRUCTURE..............................20PRACTICE WITH PARALLEL STRUCTURE 1......21PRACTICE WITH PARALLEL STRUCTURE 2......22
STYLE...........................................23FORMAL VS. INFORMAL LANGUAGE..............23PRACTICE REVISING INFORMAL LANGUAGE....25
VERB TENSE AND ASPECT.........................26UNDERSTANDING TENSE.................................26UNDERSTANDING ASPECT (PRINCIPAL PARTS OF VERBS)26PRACTICE WITH VERB TENSE AND ASPECT..............27MAINTAINING VERB TENSE..............................28PRACTICE MAINTAINING VERB TENSE #1.....29PRACTICE MAINTAINING VERB TENSE #2.....30PRACTICE MAINTAINING VERB TENSE #3.....31
CLAUSES.......................................32TYPES OF INDEPENDENT CLAUSES...............32TYPES OF DEPENDENT CLAUSES.................33PRACTICE FINDING CLAUSES 1...................34PRACTICE FINDING CLAUSES 2...................35
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PHRASES...........................................36PHRASE TYPES PRACTICE 1..............................41PHRASE TYPES PRACTICE 2..............................42PHRASE TYPES PRACTICE 3..............................43PHRASE TYPES PRACTICE 4..............................44PRACTICE WRITING PHRASES............................45PRACTICE IDENTIFYING PHRASES 1......................46
DO THE NEXT PAGE ....................46ABSOLUTE PHRASES......................................48ABSOLUTE PHRASE PRACTICE............................49
PASSIVE VOICE..............................50WHAT IS PASSIVE VOICE?.........................50WHAT MAKES THE PASSIVE VOICE?............50IS IT OKAY TO WRITE IN PASSIVE VOICE?.....51PASSIVE VOICE PRACTICE #1....................51PASSIVE VOICE PRACTICE #2....................52PASSIVE VOICE PRACTICE #3....................53
PUNCTUATION CHEAT SHEET.....................54
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Pronoun UsePre-Test
Circle all the pronouns. There are 29 pronouns!
1. I have always loved to read suspenseful stories.
2. My main pleasure in reading mysteries is the effect they have on my imagination.
3. What different lives I live in each of them!
4. Sometimes an author chooses to set a story in the English country side.
5. I imagine I am disguised as a guest.
6. My days are leisurely; servants attend to all of my needs.
7. None of my companions, also guests, know that I am stalking one of them who is a thief.
8. At other times, a mystery writer will place me in an espionage ring.
9. Then, everything is sinister; no one can be trusted; anything can happen.
10. Every move counts in a spy story.
11. Any of us could be a killer, and I certainly don’t want to be the one who ends up dead!
12. Of course, the setting never alters the outcome. I always catch the thief, outwit the spies,
and live on to enjoy my next mystery story.
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Pronoun Types
Pronoun: a word used in place of a noun (or in place of more than one noun).
Antecedent: the noun(s) the pronoun stands for.
By itself, a pronoun conveys no clear meaning. For example, “She,” by itself, is unclear. The reader needs to know whom “she” refers to, needs to know who/what the antecedent is. If the antecedent is not obvious, then the pronoun will be vague and unspecific, which is bad.
Q: What are Personal Pronouns?
A: Personal pronouns give four layers of information about their antecedent. 1) who (person – first, second, and third), 2) how many (number – singular and plural), 3) what gender (male, female, or neutral) and 4) what role (case – subject, object, or possessive).
IMPORTANT: If someone asks, “What case is this pronoun in?” He or she is asking whether the pronoun is a subject, object, or a possessive pronoun.
Singular Subjective (Nominative)
Objective Possessive(double as adjectives)
First Person I me mine/mySecond Person you you yours/yourThird Person he/she/it him/her/it his/hers/its
Plural Subjective (Nominative)
Objective Possessive
First Person we us oursSecond Person you you yoursThird Person they them theirs
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Q: What are Demonstrative Pronouns?A: Demonstrative pronouns…
Point out or indicate specific things or persons, near and far. They will have a clear antecedent. (They stand in place of a known noun.)
o Ex: This, that, these, and those This is the one I was looking for. Should I take those home? That is broken! I’m not sure I like these that much.
Q: What are Indefinite Pronouns?A: Indefinite Pronouns…
Point out or indicate an identifiable but non-specific person or thing. They don’t have any clear antecedent.
o Singular: anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody, someone, something.
o Plural: both, few, many, several. o Singular or Plural: all, any, most, none, some
Somebody has to know the answer. We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. –O. Wilde I have nothing to say; there are none left.
Q: What are Relative Pronouns?A: Relative Pronouns…
Are used to add more information to a sentence. They connect clauses to words they modify. They stand in place of a known noun, helping one say more about the antecedent, which has
just been mentioned in the sentence.o Definite Relative Pronouns: which, that, who/whom/whose, whereo Indefinite Relative Pronouns: whichever, whoever, whomever
Mr. Hansen, who taught for many years, probably would know about this method, which I just found out about.
This is the house that Jack built. The man who first saw the house was horrified.
Q: What are Interrogative Pronouns?A: Interrogative Pronouns…
Are used in questions. They let us know a question is coming. They stand in for a noun, although the noun may not be known (since we’re asking a question).
o Ex: Who, whom, which, what, where, whose, and how Which number did you call? Who told you to call this number? How did you do that? What did your mom say about it? To whom am I speaking? Where are you calling from?
Q: What are Reflexive Pronouns?A: Reflexive Pronouns…
End in self/selves and refer back to another noun or pronoun in the sentence. These pronouns act as intensifiers.
o Ex: myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. He does all the laundry himself. We were pretty sure we could handle it ourselves.
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Pronouns and Antecedents
In order to avoid mistakes with pronoun/antecedent agreement, we first need to be able to identify antecedents!
• The “antecedent” is the noun the pronoun stands for. • For example, if I say, “All students must return to their seats,” the word “their” is the
pronoun, and the word “students” is the antecedent.
Singular antecedents need to go with singular pronouns, while plural antecedents must go with plural pronouns.
• NO: A student (singular) must see their counselor before the end of the semester.• YES: Students (plural) must see their counselor before the end of the semester. • YES: A student (singular) must see his or her counselor before the end of the semester.
Practice #1
Circle the pronoun(s). Draw an arrow from the pronoun to the antecedent(s).
1. Laura passed the ball to Ann, who caught it easily.
2. Oliver called his sister, but she didn’t answer the phone.
3. When asked about the game, Mike said, “I didn’t see it.”
4. Since Gabe found the money, it belongs to him unless claimed.
5. The children like the new bus driver who drives in the mornings.
6. Although Elliott studied French in school, he didn’t feel comfortable speaking it.
7. Denise brought sandwiches with her on the hike and carried them with her.
8. “You,” Jerry said to Darlene, “definitely surprised me!”
9. Because Sheila liked romantic comedies, she tried to rent them often.
10. Peggy enjoyed volleyball so much that she played it every day.
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Pronoun Practice #2
Find the PRONOUNS and circle them. Then draw an arrow to ANTECEDENTS. ANTECEDENTS may be stated in an earlier sentence.
1. Edith Cavell was a British nurse who served in Belgium during World War I.
2. In 1907, Dr. Antoine Depage had asked Miss Cavell to come to Brussels. He wanted
the hospital she ran to be modernized in accordance with the principles of Florence
Nightingale.
3. With the outbreak of the war in 1914, it became a Red Cross hospital.
4. The Germans marched into Belgium, despite it being a neutral country.
5. While the hospital was filled with many casualties of the war, Edith Cavell joined an
underground group that gave aid to Belgians of military age and to escaped Allied
prisoners.
6. The Germans discovered the group, and in 1915, they arrested Edith Cavell and
thirty-four other members.
7. Edith Cavell, because of her religious convictions, refused to lie, even in order to
protect herself.
8. She was sentenced to death and executed by a firing squad on October 12, 1915.
Note: You should be able to see from this exercise how pronouns help writers avoid repeating the same noun(s) over and over again, as has been done here by replacing “Edith Cavell” with various pronouns.
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Pronoun Practice #3
Circle each pronoun. Then write its type. (There are 38 pronouns total.)
EX: John took his brother and mine to the store so that they could buy candy for themselves.
Personal x 3 & Reflexive
1. I felt terrible when I went to work last Friday.
2. My back ached and my head hurt so much that I told myself I was crazy for going to work.
3. Several guys were waiting near the time clock for the bell to ring.
4. They had already punched their time cards.
5. For them, this was just another normal day.
6. When I reached my department, my supervisor asked me which project I would prefer to start with.
7. She was so pleasant that I couldn’t tell her that I didn’t want to work on any of them.
8. One of my fellow workers offered to get the job set up for me.
9. I said to her, “Thanks, but I would rather do it myself.”
10. At the end of the morning, Sherry said to us all, “Who is going out for lunch?”
11. Somebody else asked, “Which restaurant are you going to?”
12. Sherry ignored the question and said, “Whoever is going with me better be ready to go right away.”
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Pronoun Practice #4
Circle each pronoun. Then write its type. (26 total)
1. Do you remember how you found out there was no Santa Claus?
2. My memory of the scene is as clear as if it happened yesterday.
3. Our holiday tradition included a visit from Santa himself, who joined the family in the living room shortly after midnight.
4. My sister and I were always cautioned not to leave the living room or even peek out to get an advance view.
5. Santa would be displeased if he met us in the hall or in another of the rooms in the apartment.
6. On the night of my discovery, I risked a little snooping.
7. As I stole back to my sisters in the living room, whom did I see in the kitchen but Uncle Joe, adjusting a Santa beard.
8. No one seemed to notice me.
9. A little while later, Santa rushed into the living room, where everyone waited expectantly.
10. Santa greeted each by name, distributed gifts to all, and gave me a knowing wink and a big hug.
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Simple Pronoun Concepts
Tip #1Pronouns that end in “one” or “body” are always singular. Same with each, either, and neither (even though they seem to be referring to two things).
Memory trick: Each soul has one body.
Tip #2“Who” is the SUBJECT case; “Whom” is the OBJECT case.Memory trick: “whom” and “him” both end in “m.” If “him” works in the sentence, use whom. Who ate the pie? (“Him ate the pie” doesn’t work, so we need “who.”) She gave the pie to whom? (“She gave the pie to him” does work, so we want “whom.”) This is the man to whom I wanted to speak. (“I wanted to speak to him,” does work, so use
“whom.”) Emma was the student who wanted to go today. (“Him wanted to go” doesn’t work; use
“who.”)
Tip #3“Who” refers to a single person and groups of people… when the people are thought of as a loose collection of individuals, like children playing tag in a park.
“That” refers to things and groups of people… when the group is thought of as a singular entity, like a sports team.
Yes: Alice is the one who rescued the seals.Yes: John is on the team that won first place.
NO: Ella is the one that started Ecology Club.NO: These are the kids that sing in our choir.
Tip #4“That” introduces essential information (“restrictive clauses”).
“Which” introduces nonessential clauses (“non-restrictive clauses”).
Essential means that the information cannot be taken out of the sentence.
The telephone pole that is bent is the one I ran into. I do not trust products that claim “all natural ingredients.” Cars that have hybrid technology get great gas mileage.
Nonessential means it gives you extra information (which could be taken out) about the word(s) it modifies.
I hit the telephone pole on 53rd street, which is near my home. The product claiming “all natural ingredients,” which appeared in the Sunday newspaper ,
is on sale. There was an earthquake in Asia, which is very sad news .
Hint: If the extra information has commas around it, it is nonessential, so use “which.”
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Pronoun Practice #5
Choose the right case! Circle the correct pronoun, depending on which is correct.
In #8, you get to choose either the subject or possessive pronoun.The rest are a choice between subject case and object case.
1. It's up to we/us geologists to warn the people of impending volcanic activity.
2. The principal made Jayden and I/me personally repair the damage we did to the school
parking lot.
3. The writers of the bylaws, Micki and he/him, presented a report to the senate.
4. If it were up to Marylynn and I/me, the new office would have been painted yellow.
5. Josie, Mary, and he/him rode their bikes all the way to the Hy-Vee in the next town over.
6. The boss was asking whether we/us secretaries would do the after-hours work without
additional compensation.
7. Rani and his father are going to throw a big party for Rani’s mother’s retirement, but
that's a secret between his father and he/him.
8. I really don't appreciate you/your arriving late all the time. that’s a noun phrase…
9. The only students studying in the cafeteria this morning were Jayden and I/me.
10. I don't want anybody but she/her working on this project.
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Advanced Pronoun Problems #1
Problem One: the missing antecedent
A pronoun that leaves one asking “who/whom?” is a problem. Don’t be vague!
NO: They say that an untreated cough can have a detrimental effect on lung function. Who says that? YES: Doctors say…
Problem Two: ambiguity
A pronoun that could refer to more than one noun is a problem. Don’t be vague!
NO: Jessica met with Sarah after she had lunch. After which person had lunch? YES: Jessica met with Sarah after Jessica had lunch. --or-- After having lunch, Jessica met with Sarah.
Problem Three: number mismatches
Pronouns must always match in “number” and “person” w/ their antecedent.
NO: If a student wants to get a good grade, they have to learn to keep up with the homework. (a student is third person singular, but they is third person plural)NO: A big company’s store-house burnt down, and all their files burned. (company is singular, but their is plural)NO: One should go places where they feel comfortable. (one is singular, but they is plural)NO: When everyone gets along, they will be happier. (everyone is singular, but they is plural)
Problem Four: person-switching
Don’t switch between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person. Be consistent.
NO: My dad was upset when he lost his job. He was mostly upset because it is hard when you put in so much effort for nothing.
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Advanced Pronoun Problems #2
Problem: Using object pronouns after “to be” verbs
Use subject pronouns after “to be” verbs. Why? Because if you have a linking verb, it can only connect matching grammatical units. It cannot connect a subject pronoun to an object pronoun. It doesn’t match.
Let’s say you’re wondering how to answer, “Who is it?” Should you say “Me!” or “I!”? To solve the problem in your head, finish the sentence. Who’s there? I am here (not “me is here”). Who did it? THEY did it (not “them did it”). You might be tempted to say, “Them!” But answer with a full sentence, and you’ll be correct: “They did it!”
NO: “Who did this?”“Well, I feel like it could have been them.”YES: I think it could have been they who did it.Who = subject ; them = object ; they = subject
NO: “Is this Mrs. Lamp?” “Mm-hm, this is her.”YES: “Mm-hm, this is she.”This = subject ; her = object ; she = subject
NO: “Who’s there?”“Don’t worry; it’s just me!”YES: “Don’t worry; it is I!”
Who = subject ; me = object ; I = subject
Problem: Using the wrong pronoun case (subject or object) in comparisons.
Look out for the words “THAN” and “AS.” When you see them, always mentally complete the sentence to decide what pronoun to choose.
I am as smart as he/him.Choose “he” – I am as smart as he is.
Taylor is taller than I/me.Choose “I” – Taylor is taller than I am.
He did better than we/us.Choose “we” – He did better than we did.
Daniel would rather talk to her than I/me.There are two choices here. Do you mean he would rather talk to her? Or, do you mean he would rather talk to her than I would? Choose accordingly.
Problem: Using apostrophes with possessive PERSONAL pronouns.
Usually, we add an apostrophe to make a word possessive. This works for indefinite pronouns, like in “One must do one’s own homework,” or
“Someone’s car is parked on our lawn.” However, possessive personal pronouns never need apostrophes ! Why not? Because they
actually have their own forms. Here they are: mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs. These are all possessive, yet none needs or uses an apostrophe!
MOST COMMON ERROR: USING IT’S WHEN YOU MEAN ITS.o IT’S always means “it is.”o ITS is always a possessive third person pronoun.
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Pronoun Practice #6 PART A) Choose the correct word and circle it.
1. Each of us like/likes horror movies, but I think I like them the most.
2. Neither of our parents approve/approves of the genre, but we have tried to get them to
try the Halloween franchise, with Michael Myers.
3. Who/whom was Michael Myers?
4. Who/whom did he frighten from 1978 onward? He frightened teen movie-goers and
horror fans, of course.
5. Michael was a well-known movie character twenty years ago, especially among young
people who/that liked a good slasher flick.
6. If you can’t tell me who/whom Michael killed first, you’re either too young, or you don’t
like scary movies.
7. The Halloween movies were some of the first to have a main character who/whom was
utterly un-redeemable.
8. The movie creators were the ones who/that wanted him to be “pure evil.”
9. This seemed like a good formula though. Whoever/whomever they drew in with their
blockbuster franchise was hooked for life.
PART B) Choose the right relative pronoun. So, your choices are “that,” “which,” or “who.”
1. Here is the woman _____________ wants to help you.
2. Over there is the coat of arms _____________ we drew.
3. The children _____________ love running want to play tag.
4. The nail polish, _____________ you can find in the first aisle, is on sale.
5. She has the kind of attitude _____________ works well for this job.
6. Thomas wanted to find a raincoat ________ would last him at least three years.
7. Those kids are people _____________ always try their best.
8. I made a miscalculation, _____________ almost cost me my life.
9. My mother was a woman _____________ liked to clip coupons.
10. People _________like to argue should learn when and where it is appropriate.
11. Books have been discovered _______ address the horrors of the Salem witch trials.
12. That book, ________ was discovered in the basement of the library, will be published
next year.
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Pronoun Practice #7
Which case should you use? Circle either the subject or object pronoun.
1. Diane and I/me painted the room together.
2. Everyone applauded the winning team, Mark and she/her.
3. Tom, like you and I/me, enjoys tennis.
4. At the top of the hill stood Tamara and he/him.
5. Ellen was worried about the project, but Mrs. Anderson said she/her earned an A.
6. We went with two guides, Steven and he/him.
7. Eliza was as excited as they/them about their vacation.
8. Can you give Theresa and I/me directions to Brady Street?
9. Darius wrote this song for you and I/me.
10. Carol has been working on this longer than he/him.
Circle the pronoun(s). Near each sentence, write the type for each pronoun you find. (See pp. 3 & 4.)
1. Why did she miss the soccer banquet?
2. The record album was signed by Garth Brooks himself.
3. That is a beautiful house!
4. For Henry's birthday, which is next Tuesday, Sarah will bake a cake.
5. Someone on the faculty wrote the school song.
6. Ms. Charlotte reminded herself to order tickets as soon as possible.
7. Most of Tina's neighbors were extremely friendly.
8. Whom did David invite to the dance?
9. Sean washed and dried the dishes and stacked them in the cabinet.
10. The sailors spotted a squid that was thirty feet long.
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Pronoun Practice #8
Proofread the following paragraphs; it is your job to “edit” the writing below. Do what you have to do to fix any “pronoun problems” you notice. (See pp. 12 & 13.)
I have a good job, and I have always treated people well. I should think it would be
enough to satisfy my father, but I guess not. We’ve never been super close, but I’ve always
loved him. However, he has become more and more judgmental and distant as he’s aged. This
is one reason I have avoided his place lately.
Anyone that knows my father recognized the change that came over him, and it wasn’t
hard to figure out why they happened. My father owned a little bookstore that had been owned
and operated by his family for three generations, but then a new Barnes and Noble opened up
down the street. Last year, it closed its doors due to lack of business. The store lost almost all of
their customers in a matter of a few months. Even the most loyal of patrons started to go to the
bigger store. However, my father’s old customers still said he or she preferred the atmosphere
and friendliness of his small, local store more.
That didn’t really change how terrible my father felt though. What does it matter when
your life’s work has been erased? As the months slid by, he went from being overly snappy to
withdrawing completely. A few months after it closed, I brought my boyfriend over to meet my
father, and he acted like he didn’t even realize he was there.
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Pronoun Practice #9
Put an “x” through the choices that are wrong. Sometimes, multiple choices are wrong! (This means you may need to “x” out more than
one answer choice.)
1. We saw them as they left the parking lot.A. We is a personal pronoun.
B. Them is a personal pronoun.
C. As is a personal pronoun.
D. They is a personal pronoun.
2. Mario is the person who said he did not say that.A. Who is a personal pronoun.
B. He is a personal pronoun.
C. That is an relative pronoun.
D. Person is a personal pronoun.
3. That is not what I want, so take it back.A. I is a personal pronoun.
B. That is a personal pronoun.
C. It is an relative pronoun.
D. Back is not a pronoun of any sort.
4. Rithu said she does not like the color of her sweater.A. She is a personal pronoun.
B. Rithu is a personal pronoun.
C. Rithu is the antecedent of she.
D. Her is a possessive pronoun.
5. Meaghan, you should go with whoever asks first. A. You is a personal pronoun.
B. You is the antecedent of Meaghan.
C. Whoever is a personal pronoun.
D. Meaghan is the antecedent of you.
6. The girl whom Joe asked refused to go with him.A. Whom is a personal pronoun.
B. Girl is a the antecedent of whom.
C. Him is the antecedent of Joe.
D. Joe is the antecedent of him.
7. The man who asked me is no longer here.A. Who is a personal pronoun.
B. Man is the antecedent of who.
C. Me is the antecedent of who.
D. Me is a personal pronoun.
8. Malcolm invited us to visit his parents at their cabin.A. Us is a possessive pronoun.
B. Us is a personal pronoun.
C. His is a possessive pronoun.
D. Their is a possessive pronoun.
9. I finished my job, so I can help you with yours. A. You is a possessive pronoun.
B. You is a personal pronoun.
C. My is a possessive pronoun.
D. Yours is a possessive pronoun.
10. He said we must finish our job and help him with his.A. Our is a possessive pronoun.
B. He is a personal pronoun.
C. His is an reflexive pronoun.
D. His is a possessive pronoun.
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Pronoun Practice #10
Who, that, or which?
1. A person ________ lives in s glass house shouldn't throw stones.
2. She prefers to watch movies ________ make her cry.
3. In the crowd was a recruit ________ was regarded as an excellent prospect for next
year's team.
4. The police were able to find no evidence against her, ________ surprised no one
who knows her well.
5. Tay Smith’s only child, ________ recently moved to Canada, came home for her
twentieth birthday.
6. Predictably, the students ________ did best were not the ones who stayed up all
night studying.
7. She wanted to buy a scarf ________ would complement her blue eyes.
8. The state law to ban logging ancient redwoods, ________ began at the grassroots
level, has gained the attention of lawmakers at the national level.
Who or whom?
1. Mrs. Jackson, who/whom I work for, owns a pet shop.
2. Both of the women who/whom ran for election won.
3. Is there anyone here who/whom needs a bus pass?
4. She is the only one who/whom everybody trusts.
5. Her grandmother, to who/whom she sent flowers, won the over-fifty race!
6. I helped Mr. Washington, who/whom was shingling his roof.
7. Tiffany couldn’t guess who/whom had done it.
8. It was John Adams who/whom founded the American Society of Arts and Letters.
9. That author who/whom you admire is scheduled to visit our town today.
10. Picasso, who/whom we are studying, is very well known.
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Pronoun Practice #11 Pronoun Case
1. Several of (we, us) teachers will be attending the conference. 2. The friendship between Jeannie and (she, her) ended abruptly.3. The manager and (they, them) were discussing the recent winner.4. The writers of the bylaws, Veronica and (he/him), presented a report to the senate.5. Through Marion and (he, him), James learned about the job opening. 6. When the neighbors arrived, my parents and (they, them) started to reminisce about the
old days.7. The librarian explained that my brother, (who / whom) we were trying to pick up, had left
earlier.8. The teacher glanced again at Ashley, (who / whom) had been asleep for most of the
class hour.9. Into the basement went Oscar, (who / whom) we scared with a mechanical spider.10. Finally, Tracy asked for help from her professor, (who / whom), she finally realized,
wanted to help.
Singular/Plural Agreement
1. Someone with muddy shoes didn’t wipe (his or her, their) feet on the mat.2. My dog’s litter occupied (itself, themselves) by running, jumping, and barking.3. Both of my sisters are successful in (her, their) careers.4. Neither of us (was/were) able to predict the outcome of the vote.5. Did Martin or José volunteer (their, his) time to the tutoring program?6. Either Tatianna or April will give (their, her) oral report next.7. Everything in the rooms was in (their, its) proper place.
Relative Pronouns
1. Anne was running too late to stop and fill up with the gas __________ she actually kind of needed.
2. The sunflower seeds, __________ were getting caught in Dani’s teeth, were at least yummy.
3. Grandpa took Uri, __________ usually likes to listen to metal bands, to see the symphony.
4. Grandpa is a classically trained pianist, __________ explains his love of classical music.
5. The household __________ usually gives Ring Pops for Halloween is a neighborhood favorite.
Name the Pronoun Type
1. Have you had any of those?2. Whom did you pick to win the U.S. Open?3. Tim saved one of the cookies for himself, which made his brother angry.4. Did you find anyone to take your shift tomorrow?5. The new show, which is Kelly’s favorite, won quite a few awards this year.
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Pronoun Practice #12
PRONOUN CASE (SUBJECT, OBJECT, or POSESSIVE?)1. (She, Her) and (I, me) drove to her house.2. As we sat by the pool, a lizard scurried across Sue and (she, her).3. At the party Mom and (we, us) posed for family pictures.4. Everyone except Al and (they, them) handed in term papers on time. 5. I am going to the movies with (he, him) and (she, her). 6. I don't want anybody but she/her working on this project.7. If it were up to Marylynn and (I/me), the new office would have been painted yellow.8. It's up to (we/us) geologists to warn the people of impending volcanic activity.9. Jack and (I, me) decided to go out to dinner.10. John Livingston wrote a biography about (I, me). 11. Kay jumped over (they, them) and (I, me) while playing leapfrog.12. Mrs. Schultz received a letter from her daughter and (he, him). 13. My sister and (I, me) planned a surprise party for our parents.14. On the way home, (she and he / her and him) stopped at the convenience store.15. I really don't appreciate (you/your) arriving late all the time. that’s a noun phrase…
AGREEMENT ISSUES (SINGULAR OR PLURAL?)1. The jury went (its, their) separate ways for lunch.2. The emergency crew congratulated (itself, themselves) on the rescue.3. A small percentage of the grain (was/were) ruined by the abnormal rains.4. Ants and flies found (its, their) way to our picnic.5. Any of the jewelry found should be returned to (its, their) owner.6. At my grandmother’s deli, few ordered the daily special for (his or her, their) meal.7. Hardee’s is considering changing (its/their) drink sizes.8. Macaroni and cheese (is/are) my favorite dish.9. Many of the mice are sleeping in (its / their) cage.10. Neither of the coaches scheduled (her/their) team for the gym this afternoon though.11. Most of the desks have had (its / their) wooden surfaces re-varnished.12. At the foot of the hill (was/were) two massive buildings.13. Contrary to expectation, none of the treasure was worth (its / their) weight in gold.14. Neither Paul nor Bonnie was surprised by (his or her / their) exam grades.15. No one has offered to let us use his or (her/their) home for the meeting tonight.
PRONOUN TYPES (NAME THE PRONOUN TYPE OF THE UNDERLINED WORD)1. Whoever spots the weirdest license plate wins the competition!2. Whose was the most impressive pie at the fair?3. Please try his new recipe and tell us what you think!4. The snake that startled my dog was just as frightened as she was.5. When Enid catches up, she will offer them some help.6. Some of the vegetables, neither of the pies, but most of the other desserts are ready to
go.7. Which of these are you going to wear to the dance?8. Did the mail carrier bring anything for Elsie?9. Do you ever start laughing at yourself?10. Ronaldo asked, “Where will the match be held?”
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Sentence FluencyParallel Structure
Parallel structure means using equivalent grammatical parts to emphasize a similarity among ideas.
Parallel structure is about matching (using the same parts of speech or the same phrase types).
Issue One: Slipping out of parallelism when writing a series (3+ elements in a list).
Issue Two: Failing to match up grammatical units on either side of coordinating (FANBOYS) or
correlative (neither/nor, whether/or, etc.) conjunctions.
EX 1: The man was old, lonely, and a miser. (not parallel)
While “old” and “lonely” are both adjectives, “miser” is a noun.
There are two options for fixing the sentence.
1) Change the element that doesn’t match. The man was old, lonely, and miserly.
2) Re-arrange the sentence, taking out the coordinating conjunction. The old, lonely man was a
miser.
EX 2: The candidates learned to speak well, standing with good posture, and that they must be careful
with their social media activity. (not parallel)
This is a series of phrases, but the phrase types are not identical. It uses an infinitive phrase, a
gerund phrase, and a dependent clause.
There are many options for fixing the sentence. Here are a few:
1) The candidates learned to speak well, stand with good posture, and be careful with their
social media activity.
2) The candidates learned the importance of speaking well, standing with good posture, and
being careful with their social media activity.
3) The candidates learned that they must speak well, stand with good posture, and be careful
with their social media activity.
EX 3: Professor Jay not only gave the class a talking to but also he gives extra homework when people
misbehave. (not parallel)
After the first coordinating conjunction, there is a verb phrase in the past tense. After the second,
there is an independent clause in the present tense.
There are lots of ways to fix the sentence, but here is one good way: When people misbehaved,
Professor Jay gave the class not only a talking to but also extra homework.
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Practice with Parallel Structure 1
In the sentences below, fix any errors in parallel structure
1) Monica brewed espresso, steamed milk, and tells jokes as she prepared Mike’s latte.
2) Natasha tried holding her breath, chewed a piece of gum, and poking her belly, but she could not
quiet her empty stomach, which rumbled all throughout the chemistry exam.
3) In the powder room, Tosha was fixing her hair, freshened her lip gloss, and took deep breaths, trying
to work up the courage to ask Ernest to Turnabout.
4) Selina looked behind the dresser, in the laundry basket, and checked under the bed, but she simply
could not find her missing hamster, Boo-Boo.
5) Not only did Dennis apply an extra layer of deodorant, but he also polished his teeth with special
care. He did not want to offend the hiring committee.
6) For his anniversary with Malinda, Erik brought not only a dozen roses, but also he purchased a box of
her favorite chocolates.
7) Not only did Malinda exclaim at the sight of the beautiful bouquet, but she also was tearing open the
box and eating chocolates on the way to the restaurant.
8) Erik tried to be thoughtful and generous, yet Malinda not only refused to do anything to show him the
day was special, but also to show appreciation for the gifts.
9) Chelsea had to paddle past a school of jellyfish, kick a small sand shark in his nose, and seaweed got
tangled in her surfboard before she reached her favorite point break.
10) Spiders that bite, hissing snakes, and squealing rodents fill the cages in Deonte’s basement.
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Practice with Parallel Structure 2
In the sentences below, fix any errors in parallel structure
1. Class with Dr. Roita was a nightmare: the clock seemed stuck in place, the air conditioner blew
inadequate cool air, and annoyingly, the fluorescent bulb clicked and sputtered.
2. Ernie is too noisy as a roommate, crunching on his food, slurping his drinks, and the snapping of his
fingers at all hours of the day and night.
3. Neither the scowls from her neighbors nor the disapproval of her husband will deter Larissa from
painting their house hot pink with orange and white trim.
4. Larissa will either add a flock of plastic pink flamingos, or she purchased a family of ceramic gnomes
for the front lawn.
5. Until the Watson’s arrived home at 5 p.m., the clock ticked, humming refrigerator, and the dog
snoring in the quiet house.
6. Jessica has found that background music, eating a snack, and closed the door make writing her essay
a lot easier.
7. Mark looked under his bed, in his hamper, and he even searched his closet, but he could not find his
lucky t-shirt.
8. After you eat the tuna salad, your stomach will rumble, you will sneeze for hours, and too much salt
is in the sandwich.
9. Natalia blinked her eyes, she wiped her glasses, and then squinted at the screen, but she still could not
decipher the tiny text her classmate used on the presentation slides.
10. Neither the unhappy man with the cold soup nor angrily shouting woman with an empty glass of soda
could get the waitress’s attention, for she was too busy flirting with her new boyfriend via text.
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StyleFormal vs. Informal Language
In academic writing, business communications, and certain personal contexts (like writing an email to a teacher or professor), it is important to communicate respect for the reader and for the writing task itself. Writing in a formal style can show that you care and that you have put significant thought and effort into communicating your ideas. Sometimes, writing in an informal style (a style reminiscent of casual conversation) might make the reader less apt to take one seriously. No one wants to come across as unprofessional or sloppy, so it is good to know the difference between formal and informal style.
Informal Language The More Formal Version
Vague1. School is a big thing in my life.2. Some people were arrested at the rally.3. When you work with a patient who is very
ill, it can be both difficult and rewarding.4. My aunt has a lot of hobbies.
Be Specific1. School takes up a lot of time in my life.2. Fifteen protesters were arrested at the rally.3. When nurses work with patients who are very
ill, it can be both difficult and rewarding.4. My aunt has many varied hobbies, from water
polo to painting to musical theatre.My aunt has several hobbies.
Slang1. There are a lot of choices for students now.2. The current system is messed up.3. My mom’s cooking is fire.4. I’m living that YOLO life.5. It was pretty worthwhile.6. They use to be made of clay.7. It’s a could of, would of, should of
situation.
Reword1. There are numerous choices for students now.2. The current system has serious problems.3. My mom’s cooking is exquisite.4. Carpe diem is my motto.5. It was worthwhile.6. They USED TO be made of clay.7. It’s a could HAVE, would HAVE, should
HAVE situation.
Informal Words1. “kind of” / “sort of”2. “let” (to mean “allow”)3. “okay” or “ok”4. “so” (as an adverb)5. “anybody/nobody/somebody”
More Formal Choices1. Use “rather” or “somewhat” instead!2. Use “allow” or “permit” instead!3. Use “all right” instead!4. Replace “so” with “very” (adverb)5. Use “anyone/no one/someone” instead!
First and Second Person1. Have you ever wanted to start over?2. We all feel lonely sometimes.3. I believe humility is very important.
Third Person1. It is very human to wish for a reset button.2. Most people feel lonely from time to time.3. Humility is very important.
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Contractions This area hasn’t seen those effects yet, and
experts don’t think they’ll emerge any time soon.
Spell Out Words This area has not seen those effects yet, and
experts do not think they will emerge any time soon.
Referring to the Reader, the Self as Writer, or the Paper Itself1. The reader comes to understand that the
main character is flawed.2. Harper Lee shows the reader the
importance of empathy.3. In this paper, I will show the important
themes of the novel.
Take it Out
1. The main character is flawed.2. Harper Lee illuminates the importance of
empathy.3. The important themes of the novel
include…
Uncertainty1. I think he made the wrong choice.2. His actions could be seen as malicious.3. This is, possibly, the most important part.
Be Forceful1. He made the wrong choice.2. His actions are malicious.3. This is the most important part.
Filler Words1. Basically2. Even3. Just4. Well5. Like
Remove Them!1. The microphone basically picks up sound.2. The protagonist even had help.3. He just was not cut out for the job.4. Well, one issue is her motive.5. It was like thirty degrees below zero.
Arabic Numerals1. He went on to write 13 more novels.2. The novel sold 2,000 copies.3. This happened in the 20th century. It was
20th-century Russia.
Spell Numbers Out!1. Spell out numbers from 0-20.2. Spell out large round numbers (like one hundred
or two million).3. Write out centuries, both when they are used as
nouns and as adjectives.
Back in the day, some non-rules became accepted as THE TRUTH because they were passed around so much, published in so many well-respected books, and insisted upon by so many teachers and adults.
Some people are still, to this day, huge sticklers about them, even though they aren’t valid.
“No-Nos” Fixing “No-Nos”
Prepositions to End SentencesWhat is the bag filled with?That was the topic it was on.
Rearrange the SentenceWhat is inside the bag?It was on that topic.
Starting SentencesA) But, And, Or, & So cannot start a sentence.B) “However” isn’t allowed to start a sentence.
Use Sentence CombiningShe loved bread, but she was gluten intolerant.Henry wanted to run; however, he knew it was a bad idea.
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Practice Revising Informal Language
Highlight or underline instances of informal language in the following paragraphs.Is Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness an anti-colonial novella? Not to be salty, but this question
is kind of sketch in a lot of ways, and it does a disservice to the text in question. First, what does it even mean to be “anti-colonial”? By what standards can you judge the moral and political assumptions and values implicit in the novella in order to come to a conclusion? Second, it’d be too easy to get bogged down in an intellectual quagmire of terms and definitions and political bias, especially because it is tempting to try to fit post-colonial literature into one box or another.
For us to let such a heavily loaded question come to bear on any reading of the novella is to ignore stuff like nuances and shades of gray in its positionality. For sure, the book is both v. critical of imperialism and complicit in colonial discourse.
In this paper, I will argue that the text is not just colonial or anti-colonial. Instead, the novella addresses the issue of colonialism with profound ambivalence. Now, fam, I know you might say that very ambivalence itself should exclude the book from a place on the shelf with other anti-colonial literature. But then I would ask whether it is such a big deal for anybody to know (for sure) whether this text, or any text, occupies a space on that shelf? The label doesn’t matter if your intent is a thorough and open-minded assessment of the text’s true position on the matter of the European presence in Africa.
Possibly the biggest thing that is clear about Marlow’s position on the colonial mission is that he thinks the Belgian colonial project is whack. This is not a narrator who’s running around all like, colonialism is lit, bros, hundo p! In fact, Marlow isn’t even low key about his criticisms of imperialism. He is straight-up appalled ‘cause he sees a lot of violence and death and human suffering once he gets to the Congo, and even though he sort of just sits back and sips tea or whatever, at least he reports the horror of the situation as he tells his tale. It isn’t like he buries those truths or anything. For a more specific example, Marlow curves all the Western assumptions about the “civilizing mission” that is supposedly being carried out in Africa when he laughs to himself about his aunt’s assumptions about all the “good” that is being done up in there.
I think Marlow feels a lot of sympathy for the people he sees chained and exploited, which one can see quite easily in the scene where he encounters a bunch of guys dying on the perimeter of the jungle. He bugs so hard after he sees the guy with the white thread on his neck that he ends up basically running out of there. And later on, when his African bruv catches a fatality, Marlow does feel the tug of their common humanity, even though he continues to resist admitting that he and the African people are the same.
Anyways, we can see through the novella’s narration of several key scenes involving the mistreatment and death of African people in the Congo that European actions in Africa are not in alignment with the “civilizing mission” everybody back home is on about. Marlow even makes it a point to draw attention to the profit motive surrounding the whole entire thing when he makes a little snide comment, “I ventured to hint that the company was run for profit” (Conrad 7). The parts of Marlow’s story that focus on the “work” of the colonizers all show that the “civilizing mission” is only a mask for a darker purpose: exploitation. In fact, Marlow can be interpreted as portraying the economically motivated violence of colonialism as not only immoral, but also futile, as the Africans who get forced into digging and blasting holes on the coast are being made to do this for literally no reason at all.
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Verb Tense and Aspect
Understanding Tense
Tense expresses time—when an action happened!
o It’s easy… When did the action happen? o Is the verb expressing something that happened (PAST), something that is happening
(PRESENT), or something that will happen (FUTURE)?
Understanding Aspect (Principal Parts of Verbs) Aspect tells us whether the action is/was ongoing or completed!
o Simple = Indefinite (no emphasis of completed or on-going action) He wrote the poems.
o Perfect = Complete (action = totally finished/completed) He had written the poems by the time night fell.
o Progressive = Continuing (action = on-going/continuing) He was writing the poems all night long.
o Present Progressive (action on-going or continuing but then finished or completed) He had been writing the poems before he went to bed.
Although these sentences are all in the past tense, they each have a different aspect. Aspect tells us whether the action was on going or completed, while tense expresses time – when an action happened.
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Practice with Verb Tense and Aspect Write a sentence that uses each of the following types of verbs/verb phrases. Underline the verb/verb phrase.
1. Past Perfect
2. Future Progressive
3. Present Simple
4. Present Perfect Progressive
5. Future Simple
6. Past Progressive
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Maintaining Verb Tense
When it comes to tense, Do not switch from one tense to another unless the timing of an action demands it. Keep the verb tense consistent in sentences, paragraphs, and essays.
A. Usually, you need to stay consistent with the tense within a sentence. NO: During the movie, Sam stands up and then dropped his popcorn.
B. Usually, writers should maintain a consistent tense within a paragraph. However, sometimes one must show a time change! In the example below, most verbs are present, but some of verbs have to do with future possibility, so there is a switch to future tense. A baby bird sits on the ground near the nest. He cries out nervously for his mother. If a cat sees
the bird, the cat will kill it. Hopefully, the bird’s mother will be able to swoop him up.
C. For essays, writers should use the present tense for discussing their own ideas and arguments; factual topics; and the action in a movie, play, or book. Hamlet’s indecisiveness becomes apparent as the play progresses. He is full of doubts, and so he
does not act forcefully.
D. When quoting a source, maintain present tense in your own writing, but keep the original tense of the quoted material. (In this example, the quoted material uses past tense, so we leave it that way.) Ishmael is stunned when he first sees Captain Ahab. He recalls, “So powerfully did the whole
grim aspect of Ahab affect me, and the livid brand which streaked it, that for the first few moments I hardly noted that not a little of this overbearing grimness was owing to the barbaric white leg upon which he partly stood.”
E. Use the past tense when writing an essay about past events in history; completed scientific studies or findings; and arguments found in scientific literature. The Declaration of Independence, which was adopted on July 4, 1776, asserted independence
from Great Britain and explained the justifications for breaking away. A copy is now on display in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
All the patients in the study had recurrent, high-grade glioma, and all showed a favorable immune response to the X-toperin vaccination.
F. It is fine to use the future tense when writing about an event that will occur in the future. The proposed vehicle will use carbon dioxide as its primary fuel and will convert the CO2 into
oxygen, which it will then release into the air.
G. Sometimes, tense changes are necessary within an essay in order to clarify shifts among several different time periods. Below, there is a shift from present to past tense. Joan Didion’s memoir examines the period of grief following the death of a loved one. The book
is based upon the death of Didion’s husband, John Gregory Dunne, who died in December 2003. At that time, their daughter, Quintana, was hospitalized for a serious infection following an illness. Didion and Dunne had just returned from visiting their daughter at the hospital when Dunne suffered a fatal heart attack.
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Practice Maintaining Verb Tense #1
Circle verbs that create a shift in verb tense from the tense that is first established in the sentence, and then write the verb in the correct tense below the sentence.
So, if the sentence starts in present tense, assume the rest of the sentence should stay in present tense.
1. When he kicked the ball into the net, the fans go wild.
2. Yesterday, Rebecca was told to remove her wet boots before she enters the kitchen, but she
walks in without removing them anyway.
3. When you have the chance to see Ronny for yourself, you should have seen that I do not
exaggerate about the amount of weight he had lost.
4. I started writing my thesis four weeks ago, but I am finishing it right before class last night
despite my early preparation.
5. Every morning when the alarm clock rings, I yawned, stretched and roll over for an extra five
minutes of sleep.
6. By the time Christopher Columbus sighted land, most of the crew lost all hope of survival.
7. Muriel likes to display the porcelain teacups she has collected each year on vacation.
8. Kelsey had arrived too late to join the other guests in shouting, “Surprise!” when she attends
the birthday party.
9. Katie will plan a trip to visit the Museum of Natural History next weekend so that she
attended a lecture about the healing powers of snake venom.
10. By the time Chad is finished cramming for finals, he studied for seven hours.
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Practice Maintaining Verb Tense #2
PART ONE: Edit the paragraph to ensure consistent verb tense!
The school cafeteria is usually crowded, but the other day things were worse than usual. A
visiting band plays for the morning assembly and our band master invited the young men for lunch. Forty
more people isn't much more when you are in a large auditorium, but when you bring them to an already
crowded cafeteria, something had to give. It did! The moveable partition separating the faculty dining
room from the student section came out laughing. For one day, at least, we had plenty of room and the
faculty had the rare pleasure of student guests at lunch.
PART TWO: Choose the correct verb tense (circle the right choices).
My grandmother was not at all the way my friends describe their grandmothers. They still (speak,
spoke) of Grandma as a grey-haired old woman who (is, was) always forgetting things she should
remember and remembering things no one else is very interested in. My grandmother (is, was) not at all
like that. She
(is, was) always very lucid. No matter what we (do, did) as children, Grandma always (wants, wanted) to
hear about it.
I will never (forget, forgot) my first date. I didn't even want my brothers and sisters to know
about Ray. But Grandma! She (is, was) different. Even before I (tell, told) my mother, I (rush, rushed)
over to grandma's and let her in on the secret. She just (smiles, smiled) and kept rocking and (tells, told)
me to be sure to bring Ray over to meet her sometime. That night, on the way to our first dance together,
Ray and I (stop, stopped) in for a minute to see Grandma. She (is, was) someone we always wanted to
share our secrets with.
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Practice Maintaining Verb Tense #3
This paragraph changes verb tense frequently, but it’s all necessary because the action of the story deals with the present, the past, and the future!
Circle and label all verbs with PR, PA, or F.
My mother loves to tell me the story of a frightening experience she had when she was
only five years old. I cannot tell you how often I have heard that story, but every time, it is still
exciting.
She describes how she was riding her bike out on the driveway when a car pulled up, and
the driver whisked her into the front seat of the car and drove away. Then she explains how she
calmed down a little when he picked up a woman at a nearby corner.
My mother really gets dramatic when she tells me the rest of the story. “We sped along
the expressway for about twenty minutes. Just as we were turning off onto a narrow lane, the
woman suddenly grabbed the man’s arm and screamed hysterically that she could not go on with
their plan to kidnap me.”
At this point in the story, my mom always ends it the same: “I will never forget that night
when the woman drove me back home. She dropped me off about three blocks away from my
house. As she drove away, I ran as fast as I could run back home.” By this point in my life, I
think I can tell the story as well as my mother!
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Clauses
A clause is a group of related words containing both a subject and a verb working together to express a complete idea.
Every sentence MUST have at least one independent clause.
There are two major types of clauses:
1. Independent Clause 2. Dependent Clause
EX: I saw a man who was helping.
“I saw a man” can stand alone as an independent sentence because its meaning is complete all by itself. This type of clause is called an independent clause.
On the other hand, the remaining part of the sentence, “who was helping,” cannot stand alone as an independent sentence. It does not give anyone a sense of completeness because it depends on the main clause to become a full sentence and give a complete idea. This kind of clause is called a dependent clause.
Types of Independent Clauses
Declarative: Make a statement to relay information or ideas. Punctuated with a period.
o Ex: The concert begins in two hours.
Imperative: Issue commands or requests, expressing a desire or a wish. Punctuated with either a period or an exclamation mark, depending on how strong an emotion one wants to express.
o Ex: Watch out for oncoming traffic. Halt!
Exclamatory: Express a strong emotion with an exclamation mark.
o Ex: The river is rising very quickly!
Interrogative: Ask a question. These end with a question mark.
o Ex: Has it stopped snowing yet?
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Types of Dependent ClausesDependent clauses can act as adjectives, nouns, or adverbs.
Noun ClauseA dependent clause that acts as a noun. It usually begins with relative pronouns: that, what, whatever, who, whom, whoever, whomever.Remember: Nouns can be subjects, predicate nouns, direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions.
Whatever we study increases our knowledge. (Noun as a subject)What you eat contributes to your health. (Noun as a subject) I will buy whatever I need. (Noun as an object)Now I realized what you thought. (Noun as an object)
Adjective ClauseA dependent clause that acts as an adjective (modifies or adds information to nouns or pronouns) and usually uses relative pronouns to connect to the main clause: that, who, whom, whose, which, or whose. Tip: adjective clauses always appear AFTER the noun they modify.
I saw a child who was crying. (modifies noun: child)He hates the activities that waste time. (modifies noun: activities)He was a friend whom I met in college. (modifies noun: friend)The car, which I like, consumes less fuel. (modifies noun: car)
Adverb ClauseA dependent clause that acts as an adverb (modifying the main clause’s verb). It will modify the verb in terms of time/frequency (when or how often?), location (where?) under what conditions (how?), purpose (why?), or intensity (to what extent?). These start with subordinating conjunctions (see list in box below). Tip: Adverb clauses can be flip-flopped with the main clause, while adjective and noun clauses CANNOT be flipped with the main clause!
Time: when, whenever, since, until, before, after, while, as, by the time, as soon asCause and effect: because, since, now that, as long as, so, so that, Contrast: although, even, whereas, while, thoughCondition: if, unless, only if, whether or not, even if, providing or provided that, in case
Call me when you need my help. (call when?)Unless you try, you can’t succeed. (can under what conditions?)The patient had recovered before the doctor arrived. (recovered when?)You will feel better as long as you think positively. (will feel better how?)I worked in a factory while I was living in London. (worked when?)
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Practice Finding Clauses 1
Circle the simple subjects and underline the simple predicates. Draw a double slash (//) between separate clauses in the sentence. At the end of each sentence, write the number of clauses found in the sentence.
Sample: It is warm in the classroom, // but it is freezing in the halls. (2 clauses)
1 . M y s i s t e r a n d I w e r e a t m y g r a n d m a ’ s h o u s e w h e n t h e p h o n e r a n g .
2 . W e w e r e w a t c h i n g T V o n t h e c o u c h , t h e o l d b r o w n o n e , a n d e a t i n g
s a n d w i c h e s .
3 . I t w a s J e n n y , m y s i s t e r ’ s f r i e n d , a n d s h e w a n t e d t o t a l k t o m y s i s t e r .
4 . I s a i d , “ I ’ l l g o g e t h e r , J e n n y , ” a n d t h e n I w e n t u p s t a i r s t o g e t h e r .
5 . J e n n y t o l d m y s i s t e r t h a t t h e i r f a v o r i t e K - P o p g r o u p , B T S , w a s g o i n g t o
b e a t t h e m a l l .
6 . M y s i s t e r a l m o s t f a i n t e d w i t h e x c i t e m e n t b e c a u s e s h e h a s l o v e d t h i s b a n d
f o r a l o n g t i m e , a n d s h e i s o n e o f t h e b i g g e s t f a n s o f B T S .
7 . “ I c a n ’ t b e l i e v e t h i s , ” s h e s a i d h a p p i l y .
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Practice Finding Clauses 2
UNDERLINE all of the independent clauses. [BRACKET] all of the dependent clauses. Label each dependent clause “N,” “ADJ,” or “ADV” depending upon whether the dependent clause is
acting like a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
ADVSample: [Whenever she’s nervous,] she bites her nails.
1 . U n l e s s I a c e t h e f i n a l e x a m , I c a n ’ t e a r n
2 . S i n c e w e a l l p i t c h e d i n t o h e l p , i t d i d n ’ t t a k e l o n g a t a l l .
3 . W e ’ l l g o a s s o o n a s I ’ m o f f t h e p h o n e .
4 . T h a t ’ s t h e g i r l w h o s e b r o t h e r d a t e d m y o l d e r s i s t e r .
5 . I d r a n k p r a c t i c a l l y t h e w h o l e p i t c h e r o f l e m o n a d e t h a t m y m o m m a d e .
6 . H e a d i n g u p t h e h i l l , S a l a m a c o u l d f i n a l l y s e e t h e f i n i s h l i n e .
7 . Y o u s h o u l d a l l o w e x t r a t i m e i n c a s e t h e r e i s t r a f f i c .
8 . B e f o r e y o u l e a v e , w o u l d y o u p l e a s e l o c k a l l t h e d o o r s ?
9 . J u l i e i s d e t e r m i n e d t o g o u p t o t h e t o p o f t h e E i f f e l T o w e r e v e n t h o u g h
s h e i s a f r a i d o f h e i g h t s .
1 0 . Y o u r w a l l e t i s s t i l l o n t h e d i n i n g r o o m t a b l e w h e r e y o u l e f t i t l a s t n i g h t .
1 1 . D o n ’ t b o t h e r c a l l i n g m e l a t e r b e c a u s e I ’ l l b e a s l e e p b y t h e n .
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PhrasesPhrase: a group of related words that lacks a subject, a verb, or both. A phrase is a combination of words that, when considered as a unit, works just like a single part of speech does. (For example, a phrase might act like a noun or an adjective within a sentence.) A phrase will never be able to stand on its own as a complete thought. Example: The old fence (This is a noun phrase – it lacks a predicate.)
Clause: a group of words that contains both a subject and a verb, working together. It may or may not stand on its own, however (remember dependent clauses?). Example: The old fence fell down yesterday. (The subject is “fence,” and the verb is “fell.”)
Verbal: a word formed from a verb that is acting as another part of speech. The three types of verbals are 1) “infinitives” (to + verb), 2) “gerunds” (end in -ing), and 3) “participles” (end in -ing/-ed). Example: “Swimming is fun” uses “swimming” as a noun, which means that, here, “swimming” is a verbal called a gerund.
*In the samples below, main verbs are underlined. The key phrase is highlighted.
Noun Phrase- “The crazy old lady in the park feeds the pigeons every day.” A noun phrase is a group of related words that consists of a noun and all of its modifiers, which can include other phrases (like the prepositional phrase in the park). Noun phrases can play any role a noun can play (subject, predicate noun, direct object, indirect object, and object of a preposition).
Highlight the noun phrases in the sentence below.The two young waiters inside the empty café knew that the deaf old man was a little
drunk, and while he was a good client, they knew that if he became too drunk, he would
leave without paying, so they kept watch on him.
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Appositive Phrase– “Bob, my best friend, works here.” An appositive (single word, phrase, or clause) renames another noun, but it is not technically modifying it. The appositive phrase must be specific enough to replace the noun it is renaming. It will ALWAYS be a noun phrase.
Highlight the appositive phrases in the lines below.Mitchell was partial to the older establishments on Monroe Street, restaurants like the
Grecian Gardens are Hellas Café, where his parents had taken him and his brothers as
children for big family occasions. The men gave their hats to a girl, usually the owner’s
daughter, who stacked them neatly in the coatroom.
Gerund Phrase- “I love baking cakes.” A gerund phrase is just a noun phrase with a gerund as its core word. (Gerunds are derived from verbs (they are called “verbals”), but they work as nouns in the sentence. They always end in –ing. In the sample above, you can see that “baking cakes” is a noun—how can one tell? It is the object of the sentence. (Remember that objects must be either nouns or pronouns.) Another way to tell is that nouns can be replaced with the word “it,” and the sentence will still make sense grammatically.
Highlight the gerund phrases in the passage below.“Good night,” the old waiter said. Turning off the electric light made him think. He
continued the conversation with himself: as a lonely old man, it is necessary that the
places you go be clean and pleasant. You do not want singing in the music. Certainly,
you do not want music at all. Nor can you stand before a bar with dignity, although that
is all that is provided for these hours. Standing before a bar is out.
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Infinitive Phrase – “I love to bake cakes.” Infinitives = “to + verb.” An infinitive phrase is created by placing a noun after an infinitive . In the example phrase, “to bake cakes” is an infinitive phrase called an “infinitive noun phrase” because it’s the object of the verb “love,” and objects (as we know) are nouns. Unlike the other noun phrases, however, an infinitive phrase may also work as an adjective or an adverb, depending on context.
Infinitives as Noun Phraseso To finish her shift is Michelle's only goal tonight. (Here, the infinitive phrase is
the subject of the sentence because “is” = verb.)o Tina hopes to win her mother’s approval by switching her major from fine arts
to pre-med. (Here, it is the direct object of the verb “hopes.”)
Infinitive as an Adjective Phraseo The best way to stay awake in class is holding a pencil up. It will fall if you
start drifting off. (Here, it is an adjective because it modifies “way” – it answers the question “which one?”)
Infinitive as an Adverb Phraseo Andy, an aspiring comic book artist, is taking Anatomy and Physiology this
semester to understand the interplay of muscle and bone in the human body. (Here, the infinitive phrase is an adverb phrase because it modifies “taking” – it answers the question “why?”)
Highlight the infinitive phrases in the passage below.“He was in despair,” one waiter said. “What about?” “Nothing.” “How do you know it was
nothing?” “He has plenty of money to buy what he needs.” The waiters sat together at a
table close against the wall to watch over the terrace where the tables were all empty
except where the old man sat in the shadow of the leaves of the tree. A girl and a soldier
went by in the street, hurrying to catch the evening train. The street light shone on the
brass number on the soldier’s collar. The girl wore no head covering and kept close
beside him to stay out of the wind.
Prepositional Phrase–
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A prepositional phrase, which has a preposition as the beginning and its object at the end, typically appears as a modifier, meaning it will usually either function as an adjective (The food on the table looked delicious) or as an adverb (They have a house by the train tracks). This means that in most cases, prepositional phrases can be crossed out. Rarely, one might see a prepositional phrase as a noun phrase: Inside the house is the best place to be during a storm.
Highlight the prepositional phrases in the lines below.On this side, there was no shade and no trees, and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. Close against the side of the station there was the warm shadow of the building and a curtain, made of bamboo beads, hung across the open door into the bar, to keep out flies.
Participial Phrase– “Crushed to pieces, the computer no longer worked.”A participial phrase starts with a past or present participle. Past participles usually end in –ed, but there are some irregulars (like brought, rung, sung, and swum). Present participles always end in –ing.
Participial phrases always function as adjectives. Because they are verbal adjectives, they can be modified by adverbs or adverb phrases (as with the first four examples below) and take objects (as with the final two examples).
Examples:Singing loudly, he turned the corner.Waxed heavily, the floors were dangerous and slippery.Darting suddenly, the cat escaped through the back door.The speaker, known for her eloquent speeches, drew lots of applause.Watching the clock, our coach became worried.I had a note excusing me from gym class.
Highlight the participial phrases in the lines below.Leaking from restaurant walls, beamed into airports as they landed and automobiles as they crashed, chiming from steeples, thundering from parade grounds, tingling through apartment walls, carried through the streets in small boxes, violating even the peace of desert and the forest, where drive-ins featured blue musical comedies, music at first overwhelmed, then delighted, then disgusted, and finally bored them.
Adjective and Adverb Phrases
Remember…
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Adjectives modify (meaning they describe or limit) nouns and pronouns. They can do this near the noun/pronoun OR from the other side of a linking verb. For example, “Tardy students will get written up,” and “Scott was tardy,” both use “tardy” as an adjective.
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They will often modify action verbs. For example, “Scott walked hurriedly to get to class,” uses “hurriedly” as an adverb modifying “walked.”
Adverb Phrase– An adverbial phrase is a prepositional phrase that acts as an adverb. This means that it will give more information about a verb/verb phrase. In the following example, the prepositional phrase tells WHERE one went swimming, so it is an “adverbial phrase.” (I went swimming in the Indian Ocean.)
Adjective Phrase– Adjective phrases are phrases that do adjective jobs (modifying nouns or pronouns). They can be either participial (I think the guy sitting over there likes you.) or prepositional (The girl in that line looks really bored.).
Verb Phrase–
The verb phrase can refer to the whole predicate of a sentence (I was watching my favorite show yesterday) or just the simple predicate (was watching).
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Phrase Types Practice 1
INF = infinitive phrase (to + verb) APP = appositive (re-namer)GER = gerund phrase (verbal noun)
PREP = prepositional phrase C = clause (subject and verb)PART = participial phrase (verbal adjective)
At the end of each sentence, write which type of phrase has been underlined/bolded.
1. Marta fell over the enormous cat.
2. Pretending to be bigger, the hiker escaped the bear.
3. Susan Sarandon, a famous actress, has been very supportive of the striking workers.
4. To finish the marathon in less than five hours is Tom's goal.
5. She preferred eating at the local deli for lunch.
6. He should discover a gift certificate for dinner at Cafe Sofia under his seat at the table.
7. After learning the parts of speech, the class began studying punctuation.
8. The candidate elected by the voters promised to put "a chicken in every pot."
9. Will someone be here soon to open the door?
10. Delivering the pizza on time became his single mission.
11. The woman who led the workshop was a math teacher.
12. Frustrated and angered by the delays, Erin tried to break her dog out of quarantine.
13. Tom visited India while studying the history of Indian art.
14. While she looked behind the house, the rest of us searched the local parks for the puppy.
15. Tom Hanks, star of "Philadelphia, will be appearing in a new film this holiday season.
16. Before putting too much effort into the project, maybe you should get some guidance.
17. The car that Devon sold to the dealership has been wrecked twice.
18. Does the captain want us to lower the sails before we enter the harbor?
19. She liked the shirt given to her by her grandmother.
20. Did you really think that robbing a bank would solve your problems?
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Phrase Types Practice 2
Finding PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
[Bracket] the prepositional phrases in each sentence. There may be more than one.
1. Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 is the longest of all symphonies.
2. Claude Monet painted hundreds of pictures of the same water-lily garden.
3. Among the most easily recognized photographs are those of Ansel Adams.
4. Julia Margaret Cameron, a photographer of the 19th century, developed new techniques in portrait photography.
5. During his career, Italian sculptor Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini worked for five popes.
Identifying ADVERBIAL and ADJECTIVAL PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
[Bracket] the prepositional phrase in each sentence. Draw an arrow to the word or words that it modifies. Write ADJ or ADV on the side to identify the specific type of prepositional phrase.
1. Early phonograph records of Enrico Caruso are valuable today.
2. Computer animation produces special effects for many films.
3. Frank Lloyd Wright turned against traditional architectural styles.
4. Sculptures can be created from clay, wood, stone, plaster, or metal.
5. Artist Georgia O’Keefe began painting the sky and clouds after an airplane ride
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Phrase Types Practice 3
Finding APPOSITIVE PHRASES (a type of noun phrase)
Underline appositive phrases (re-namers). Draw an arrow to the noun they identify. Add commas if the appositive is “nonessential” (extra information).
1. Jacques Piccard the most famous Swiss scientist is an oceanographic engineer.
2. Auguste Piccard Jacques Piccard’s father designed the bathyscaphe.
3. In 1953, the two Piccards descended 10,300 feet under the Mediterranean Sea in a bathyscaphe a manned submersible vessel.
4. The Great Barrier Reef a chain of coral reefs is located on the northeastern coast of Australia.
5. The coral is formed by polyps hardened skeletons of flowerlike water animals.
Finding PARTICIPIAL PHRASES
In each sentence, underline the participial phrase (verbal = adjective). Draw an arrow from it to the boldfaced noun or pronoun that it modifies.
1. Sweating nervously, the students took the exam.
2. The travelers saw a huge stone castle perched on the rocky cliff.
3. The boy performing a solo on the trumpet is my brother.
4. Ed’s sailboat, damaged near the stern, was unusable.
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Phrase Types Practice 4
Finding GERUNDS
In each sentence, underline every gerund phrase (verbal = noun, ends in -ing). At the end of the sentence, write whether the gerund phrase was the subject, direct object, or
object of the preposition (S, D.O., O.P.)
1. Speeding down mountain slopes thrills many skiers.
2. Cross-country style identifies hiking on skis over snow-covered ground.
3. Norwegians introduced skiing down mountains to the United States in the mid-1800s.
4. Almost every ski area in the United States has machines for making snow.
5. Ski areas also have ski lifts, devices for transporting skiers to the tops of slopes.
Finding INFINITIVE PHRASES
In each sentence, underline the infinitive phrase (to + verb + modifiers/objects). Is it acting like a noun, an adverb, or an adjective? Write N, ADV, or ADJ.
1. The tourists asked the bus driver to go slower.
2. Their purpose for taking the tour was to see the countryside.
3. The earliest attempts to fly ended in embarrassment, if not injury.
4. Robert’s plan to compete in a triathlon surprised everyone.
5. In the spring, crabs begin to shed their shells.
6. Yes, we packed supplies – enough to last a full week.
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Practice Writing Phrases
In the spaces underneath each type of phrase, write a sentence that contains the type of phrase indicated, and then UNDERLINE that target phrase.
Noun PhraseA noun phrase consists of a noun and all of its modifiers, which can include other phrases if those phrases are modifying the noun.
Appositive Phrase An appositive renames another noun, but it is not technically modifying it.
Gerund Phrase A gerund phrase is just a noun phrase with a gerund. (Gerunds are derived from verbs, but they work as nouns in the sentence (that means they are the subject or an object in the sentence). They end in –ing).
Infinitive Phrase An infinitive phrase is a noun phrase, adjective phrase, or adverb phrase with an infinitive at the beginning. Write a sentence with an infinitive phrase that is a noun phrase.
Verb Phrase A verb phrase may refer to the predicate or the complete predicate of a sentence. Ask your teacher to be sure what he or she is referring to when he or she says “verb phrase.”
Prepositional Phrase
Prepositional phrases have prepositions @ the beginning & can function as an adjective or an adverb. 1. Write a sentence that uses a prepositional phrase as an adjective phrase.
2. Write a sentence that uses a prepositional phrase as an adverb phrase.
Participial Phrase Participial phrases have a past or present participle at the beginning, and they always function as adjectives. Place them NEAR the noun/pronoun they describe; otherwise, you’ll have a misplaced or dangling modifier!
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Practice Identifying Phrases 1 Color code, or otherwise clearly label as many phrases as you can in the following sentences.
Mark up the A-E code below to show what your colors mean.
A. APPOSITIVE PHRASE: “re-namer”
Acts as a noun.
B. GERUND PHRASE: Gerund + modifiers (verbal noun, ends in -ing)
Acts as a noun.
C. INFINITIVE PHRASE: Infinitive (to +verb) + modifiers/objects
Can act as an adjective, an adverb, or a noun.
D. PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE: Preposition + object of the preposition + modifiers
Can act as an adjective or an adverb.
E. PARTICIPIAL PHRASE: Present participle (-ing) or past participle (-en/-ed) + modifiers.
Acts as an adjective. (Participles are verbal adjectives)
1. My teacher, the best chess player in town, has won several tournaments.
2. Cramming for tests is not a good study strategy.
3. Lisa’s goal, to become an occupational therapist, is within her grasp this year.
4. Except Jo, the children were remarkably like their father.
5. His ship, beaten by the wind, headed for shore.
6. Working around the clock, the firefighters put out the last of the brush fires.
7. Her plan to subsidize childcare won wide acceptance among urban politicians.
8. I'm really not interested in studying biochemistry for the rest of my life.
9. Jimmy Carter, the 39th American President, traveled extensively to conduct peace negotiations,
observe elections, and advance disease prevention and eradication in developing nations.
10. John enjoyed swimming in the lake after dark.
Do the next page
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A. APPOSITIVE PHRASE: “re-namer”
Acts as a noun.
B. GERUND PHRASE: Gerund + modifiers (verbal noun, ends in -ing)
Acts as a noun.
C. INFINITIVE PHRASE: Infinitive (to +verb) + modifiers/objects
Can act as an adjective, an adverb, or a noun.
D. PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE: Preposition + object of the preposition + modifiers
Can act as an adjective or an adverb.
E. PARTICIPIAL PHRASE: Present participle (-ing) or past participle (-en/-ed) + modifiers.
Acts as an adjective. (Participles are verbal adjectives)
11. Kristen went to college to study veterinary medicine.
12. A curtain, made of strings of bamboo beads, hung across the open door.
13. One of the trails following the edge of the lake was covered in fallen leaves.
14. Eating before swimming is often warned against.
15. The best exercise, walking briskly, is also the least expensive.
16. The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white.
17. Our pond, frozen over since early December, is now safe for ice-skating.
18. Tyler wanted to go to the building next to the lodge by the highway.
19. The steps, having been worn down by generations of students, needed repair.
20. The time had come to stop spending money and to save for the future.
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21. It was very hot, and the express from Barcelona would arrive in forty minutes.
Absolute Phrases
o Absolute phrases are created by combining a noun/pronoun + a participle + any modifiers. o EX: My cake finally baking in the oven, I was free to rest for thirty minutes.o “Cake” = noun; “Baking” = participle; and “My,” “Finally,” and “In the oven” = modifiers.o Formula: noun/pronoun + participle + modifiers = absolute phrase
o An absolute phrase can include some form of a verb (like baking) and a subject (like cake), but it cannot stand on its own.
o The problem is that the verb form is NOT FINITE: this means that it “leaves one hanging.” It is incomplete. In fact, it would need just a touch more to turn an absolute phrase into a full sentence.
o For example, if one added just one finite verb to the example phrase, one could have this sentence: “My cake was finally baking in the oven.”
o Absolute phrases are always treated as parenthetical elements and are set off from the rest of the sentence with a comma or a pair of commas (or by a dash or pair of dashes).
o Their job is to modify the main clause of whatever sentence they appear within.
Absolute phrases can add information to, modify, or add a focusing detail to the main clause of a sentence, as opposed to modifying just one specific word, as a prepositional phrase might.
Their reputation as winners secured by victory, the New York Liberty charged into the semifinals. The season nearly finished, Rebecca Lobo and Sophie Witherspoon emerged as true leaders. The two superstars signed autographs into the night, their faces beaming happily. The old firefighter stood over the smoking ruins, his senses alert to any sign of another flare-up. His subordinates, their faces sweaty and smudged with ash, leaned heavily against the fire truck. Coach strolled onto the court, her arms akimbo and a silver whistle clenched between her teeth. The new recruits stood in one corner of the gym, their uniforms stiff and ill-fitting, their faces
betraying their anxiety.
Sometimes, in absolute phrases, the participle is left out, but still understood. This can happen when the participle within an absolute phrase is a form of “to be,” such as “being” or “having been.”
The season over, the players were mobbed by fans in Times Square.o The season [being] over, they were mobbed by fans in Times Square.
Stars all their adult lives, they seemed used to the attention.o [Having been] stars all their adult lives, they seemed used to the attention.
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Absolute Phrase PracticeREVIEW:
An absolute phrase contains a noun (or pronoun) modified by a participle/participial phrase.
An absolute phrase may appear to be a clause, but it lacks a finite verb!
Remember to use a comma before/after/surrounding an absolute phrase!
EXAMPLES;
Its leaves burned off by the fire , the dead tree fell.
We hurried to the game, our anticipation (being) high .
DIRECTIONS FOR THE PRACTICE ACTIVITY:
Underline each absolute phrase .
Be careful! DO NOT underline just any old participial phrase, thinking it’s an absolute phrase. A participial phrase differs from an absolute phrase because participial phrases lack the noun/pronoun kernel that absolute phrases will have.
1. Backing out of the driveway, I hit the mailbox.
2. They will take the daytime train, the landscape inviting.
3. My doubts relieved, I gained confidence as the game progressed.
4. Peering through a microscope, the scientist identified several microbes.
5. Her dogs panting with exertion, Jaida took a break from her run.
6. Its shutters hanging limply in the wind, the house looked abandoned and forlorn.
7. The car rusted and worthless, I left it at the junkyard.
8. Wearing a red plaid outfit, Lydia looked like a character in a novel.
9. Everything planned in advance, the party went like clockwork.
10. We scrambled from the car, racing to the amusement park gates.
11. Moving quickly, the lion cut off the fleeing zebra.
12. My garden is dying, pesticides having been applied by mistake.
13. As the parole board met to decide the fates of several people, the prisoner was hoping for parole.
Passive Voice
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What Is Passive Voice?
Passive voice is often wordy or vague. It places the cart before the horse. The object of the action comes first (becoming the subject); then comes the harnessing verb, as though the carriage were running backwards; and finally, the driver, which should be the subject, is either dead last (as the object of the preposition “by”) or forgotten entirely.
PASSIVE (17 words) It was voted that there would be a drive for the cleaning up of the people’s park.
ACTIVE (11 words) The council voted a drive to clean up the people’s park.
You can tell whether something is passive or not by noting whether the subject is doing the action (as with normal, “active voice”), or whether the “do-er” is missing or at the end of the sentence (which is not normal).
ACTIVE: The subject is doing the action. (Ex: The chicken crossed the road.)
PASSIVE: The subject is actually receiving the action. (Ex: The road was crossed by the chicken.)
PASSIVE: The do-er is missing. (Ex: The road was crossed.)
What Makes the Passive Voice?
Passive voice will always include a form of “to be” + a past participle.
To Be VERBS: is, are, am, was, were, has been, have been, had been, will be, will have been, being
Past Participle: Past participles are verbs in past tense, and they usually end in –ed, although there are many irregulars, like swam, rang, and ate.
Past participles work together with helping verbs to create the past perfect tense (I had seen the movie).
They can also act like adjectives, in which case, they are “participles,” a type of verbal (Ex: Finished, Alex pushed her plate away).
Finally, they are often used in passive-voice sentences. (Ex: The car had been stolen).
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Is It Okay to Write in Passive Voice?
Active voice is USUALLY best because sentences should not be wordy or vague.
However, passive voice is okay when…
You don’t know who/what the subject is.
o Sewage was spilled into the river.
o All the dogs were adopted.
You want to be vague for some rhetorical reason.
o Your power will be turned off.o Mistakes have been made.
You feel it doesn’t really matter who/what the subject is.
o The baby was delivered yesterday.
o After her car was totaled, Elizabeth had to save up for a new one.
You want to put the subject at the end in order to emphasize the object.
o The Prime Minister was assassinated by members of the opposition party.
o The bill was finally passed by the U.S. Senate.
Passive Voice Practice #1
Find the verb or verb phrase. Underline it. If whoever/whatever actually performed the action of the main verb is either missing or
placed at the end of the sentence, mark it “P,” for “passive.” If the subject is normal (the “do-er” comes before the verb), mark it “A,” for “active.”
1. I ate a piece of chocolate cake.
2. The librarian read the book to the students.
3. The money was stolen.
4. They are paid on Fridays.
5. The movie is being made in Hollywood.
6. I washed my car three weeks ago.
7. His hair was cut by a professional.
8. I will introduce you to my boss this week.
9. It would have been fixed on the weekend.
10. The national anthem is being sung by Jason this time.
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Passive Voice Practice #2
Eliminate vagueness and wordiness by making sentences active. Q: Are all of the sentences passive? A: Yes. Q: What if there is no subject? A: Make one up!
How many words could you cut out of each sentence by doing so?
(ANSWERS WILL VARY) WORDS CUT
1. It has been claimed
2. A dangerous situation could easily be seen.
3. The struggle for power is explored.
4. This theory is proven through the character’s actions.
5. Mr. Darcy is driven by his strong desire to uphold familial and societal obligations.
6. As his motives are explained, Elizabeth begins to realize she judged too quickly.
7. It is a driving force of many actions made by people.
8. Elizabeth, however, is not associated with either wealth or respect.
9. The cause for any war can always be traced back to a struggle for power.
10. It has been seen as a constant and unyielding source of goodness.
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Passive Voice Practice #3 Underline the main verb/verb phrase. Label each sentence “P” or “A.”
1. Reggie feels really bad for his friend Thomas.
2. The cake was made by a very famous chef.
3. The slide on the playground had been broken for a long time.
4. The band was under the direction of Mrs. Gibson.
5. Kendra had to go visit her dad in Colorado.
6. The world’s oldest alligator was killed.
7. Pinwheels have been used for decorations at Prom in the past.
8. Some kinds of birds can be taught to speak.
9. My backpack is starting to break.
10. It is not that hard for people to falsify documents.
11. Nike shoes are made in that sweat shop.
12. Men of great character and tremendous grit built this famous skyscraper in 1934.
13. The new golf course will be finished by July.
14. The streets on the east side of the city are being repaired this month.
15. Young kids in the third world make Old Navy clothing.
16. My mother finally finished her new product design at work.
17. Dinner was cooking when I arrived.
18. The popular novel was written in the early 1600s by Cotton Mather.
19. The excellent plan had to be abandoned.
20. People must not skateboard in front of these office buildings.
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Punctuation Cheat SheetCommas ( , )
The big four:
1. Set off introductory clauses/phrases2. In a compound sentence before the coordinating conjunction3. Set off “extra information”4. Separate items in a list (be sure that you do use the Oxford
comma!)
And three more:
1. Used to introduce a quote or dialogue2. Used in-between coordinate
adjectives (you can say “and” between them)
3. Used to indicate contrast
Semicolons ( ; )
Use a semicolon to connect two sentences that are closely related.A semicolon can ONLY go where a period could also go!
Colons ( : )
Place a colon to introduce a list or an illustration/example*.A colon can ONLY go after an independent clause!!!
YES:Bring these items to the ACT: an admission ticket, pencils, and a watch.There is only necessary personal trait: perseverance.*Notice the “illustration/example” word is sort of like an answer when the independent clause left you asking “what?”
NO:You should bring: an admission ticket, pencils, and a watch to the ACT.
Apostrophes (’)
Used in contractions. (Ex: You’re = You Are, he’s = He Is, don’t = Do Not)
Used to make nouns possessive. (Note: possessive pronouns have their own forms, like my/mine and their/theirs)
Add ’s to all singular nouns and plural nouns that don’t end in “s.”Paul’s book. Jesus’s life. The women’s shoe department
Add just ’ to plural nouns that end in “s”The carpenters’ tools
Don’t mix up your plurals and your possessives!
Adding an s makes most nouns plural. Adding ’s makes nouns possessive.
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Parentheses ( )
Use parentheses to set off explanations or definitions.Whatever is in parentheses is extra information. It is of lesser importance than the rest of the sentence.
YES:
The atmosphere on Venus (an uninhabitable planet) is not like Earth’s.There is a paucity (scarcity) of information about the most distant parts of the galaxy.
Dashes( –)
Dashes usually separate extra information from the rest of the sentence. They emphasize whatever they surround.The extra info is often an idea that interrupted the original idea of the sentence.Unlike commas, dashes and parentheses can set off entire independent clauses within another sentence!
YES:Mr. Lee is suited to the job—he has more experience than everyone else in the department—but he has been dealing with some things at home recently and would probably not be available for hire.All four of them—Bob, Jeffrey, Jason, and Brett—did well in college.
Hyphens (-)
Hyphens combine compound adjectives. Compound adjectives are modifying a word as one unit; they do not each modify the word separately.
Tricks to see if you need a hyphen: A) If can’t use the word “and” between the words, you need a hyphen. B) If you can’t pause for 2 beats between the last adjective and the noun modified, you need a
hyphen.
YES: It was an ill-fated plan.She didn’t want a run-of-the-mill pony; she wanted an appaloosa.
No:She was wearing tall-black boots.
Quotation Marks Place double quotation marks around direct quotations. Place single quotation marks around quotations within quotations (triple-quote dialogue).You do NOT place quotation marks around something that is paraphrased.
You are working with dialogue, not citing from a text: You are citing from a text:
Place periods and commas inside the quotation marks. Place semicolons and colons outside quotation marks. Place question marks and exclamation points inside quotation marks if they belong to the quotation.
Remove the final period, comma, colon, or semicolon.Keep a final “?” or “!”Place a period after the parenthetical
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