Pronoun References and Parallelism

9th Grade Grammar Review

What can go wrong in a sentence?Subject – Verb AgreementPronoun – Antecedent AgreementIncorrect Pronoun CaseModifiers (Dangling and Misplaced)Lack of parallelismUnclear Pronoun Reference (ambiguous,

general and weak)Run ons – Comma splice

Do you remember?

An organization of homeowners and

merchants has been formed to keep the A B

mayor informed of their concerns about the C Dproposal to build a new stadium.

No error. E

What is wrong here?

The achievements as well as the failures of

the space program has been a matter of A B

contention for many years as interest groups

of many kinds compete for a share of the C Dfederal budget. No error. E

What is wrong here?

The argument between he and his friends Aforced him to find a new lunch table, and he B Ceventually moved on to a new and better Dgroup of friends. No error. E

How to improve a sentence…Driving to Litchfield, the freezing rain made the

road slippery and hazardous.

A. Driving to LitchfieldB. While we drove to LitchfieldC. Enroute to LitchfieldD. To drive to LitchfieldE. We drove to Litchfield

What can go wrong in a sentence?Subject – Verb AgreementPronoun – Antecedent AgreementIncorrect Pronoun CaseModifiers (Dangling and Misplaced)Lack of parallelismUnclear Pronoun Reference

(ambiguous, general and weak)Run ons – Comma splice

ParallelismParallel ideas in a series should be

expressed in the same grammatical form.

Her parents objected to the loud music she played and to the late hours she kept.

Parallel prepositional phrases

Verbs also must be coordinated

Going out to eat no longer thrills me as much as to cook at home.

Going out to eat no longer thrills me as much as cooking at home.

Error?

Its large size, simple structure, and how readily available it is,

make the common cockroach convenient to study.

Error?

One of the accident victims suffered a broken arm, several

broken ribs, and one of her lungs was punctured.

Error?

Water skiing no longer interests me as much as to go scuba

diving.

Error?

Ms. Connor’s lectures are easier to comprehend than

Ms. Moore.

Pronoun ProblemsPronouns refer clearly to the nouns that they

replace.

The teacher told the student that it was her responsibility to hand out the books.

Mike became a good friend of Mark’s after he helped him repair his car.

When Dave phoned his father, he wasn’t feeling well.

Implied ReferenceWatch out for it, they, and you and the

relative pronouns which, that and this.

On the news last night, they said that unemployment is down again.

On the news last night, Brian Williams said that unemployment is down again.

Choose the letter that identifies the error in the sentences that follow

Practice

Upon reviewing a map of his property, John realized that he

A

could not build the barn where he had intended because

B

it belonged to a neighboring farmer. No error. C D E

Because a basketball scout from the university was in the

A Bbleachers, Kurt’s coach knew that it was

essential for him to C D

play well during the final game against their school’s arch-rival.

No error. E

Excessive sugar intake can lead to addiction, obesity, and

A B Cto a person with diabetes. No error. D E

In a beginning ballet class, a dancer learns the five positions,

A Babout ballet’s history, and arm exercises. No

error. C D

E