Ccontents:
1. Capitalization 2.Subject-Verb Agreement 3.Sentence
Parts and Types
4. Fragments 5. Run-ons 6. Commas
7.Apostrophes 8 Quotation Marks
9. Misplaced Modifiers. 10. Dangling 11.
Parallel Structure
12. Conciseness
Capitalization:
1. The first word in a sentence
or direct quotation
2. Names of persons and the word I
3. Names of particular places.
4. Names of commercial products.
5. Names of days of
the week, months, and holidays.
6. Names of organizations such
as religious and political groups, associations, companies, unions, and clubs.
7. Titles of books, magazines,
newspapers, articles, stories, poems, films, television
shows, songs, papers that you write,and the first word in
direct quotation.
Subject-Verb Agreement:
A verb must agree with its subject in number. A
singular subject takes a singular verb. A plural subject
takes a plural verb.
Sentence Parts and Types:
Definition of a Sentence: A group of words needs
three ingredients to be a complete sentence: a subject, a
verb, and a complete thought.
Definition of a Clause: The subjects and verbs in
a sentence are contained in word group called clauses.
Clause are the most important ingredients of a sentence;
putting clauses together in different ways creates the
different sentence structures.
An independent clause is a group of words that
contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete
thought.
ex: My cell phone rang.
A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a
subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought.
ex: Because I forgot to turn off the ringer.
A dependent clause is a fragment and cannot stand alone; it
is dependent upon an independent clause to complete its
meaning. Dependent clauses start with subordinating
conjunctions or relative pronouns.
Subordinating Conjunctions: after, even though, until, as,
because, since, unless...
Relative Pronouns: that,
which, who, whoever. whom whose, whomever, whichever.
Definition of a Phrase:
A phrase is group of words that doesn't include a subject
and a verb. The most common phrases are:
Noun phrases: The old gray station wagon
turned the corner.
Verb phrases: The computer has been broken for
two weeks.
Prepositional phrases: There are two oak trees
in my yard.
Verbal phrases: Taking a walk is fun.
(ground phrase)
My dog loves to take walks.
(infinitive phrase)
Founded in the 1820s,
the college is one of the best in the country. (past
participial phrase)
The four types of sentences are simple, complex, compound,
and compound-complex.
The four types of sentences are simple,
complex compound, and compound-complex. 1.Simple-contains
one independent clause and no dependent classes. Example:
I got the job. 2.Complex-contains one
independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. Example:
(I got a great new job) (because I applied early.)
independent clause
+ dependent clause
(Although I applied,) (I did not get the job)(
because I applied late.)
dependent
clause
+ independent
clause
dependent clause
**Comma Use: Use a comma between the clauses
only if the dependent clause comes first. 3.Compound-contains
at least two independent clauses and no dependent clauses.
Example: (I got the job,) (and I am
elated.)
independent clause
+ independent clause
(I got the job,) (and I will make more,)( so I am
elated.)
independent clause +
independent clause
+ independent clause
**Comma
Use: Use a comma between two independent clause
4.compound-complex-at least two independent clauses
and at least one dependent clause.
Example:
(Because I prepared for the interview,)(I answered the questions
well,)( so I got the job.)
dependent
clause
+ independent
clause
+ independent clause
(Because I got the
job,)( and I will earn more,)( I am happy,) ( although
the hours are long.)
dependent clause
+ independent clause +
independent clause
+ dependent clause
Fragments:
A word group that lacks a subject or a verb
and does not express a complete thought is a fragment.
We often speak in fragments. However, in writing,
fragments create a breakdown in communication between write
and reader. The most common types of fragments are:
1. Missing-Subject Fragments: When sentence
fragments are missing the subject, the reader is left
wondering who or what is doing the action of the verb. To
correct these fragments, add a subject.
Ex: Work for the sheriff's department
in Collier County.
(Who works for the sheriff's department?)
My aunt works for the sheriff's
department in Collier County.
2. Missing-Verb Fragments: Some fragments
have a subject but are missing the verb.To correct these
fragments, and a complete verb.
Ex: The elderly woman
with the large shopping bag.
(What about the woman?)
The elderly woman with the large shopping
bag sits at the bus stop.
The long limb
of the oak tree in the back yard.
(What is the action or state of being of the limb?)
The long limb of the oak tree in the back
yard is ready to fall.
2a. Fragments also occur when the verb of the
sentence is not complete. For example, present participles
and past participles are not complete verbs. Too correct
this kind of fragment, add a helping verb or a complete
verb.
The elderly woman
sitting next to me on the bus.
(What is the action or state of being of the woman sitting
next to me?)
The elderly woman sitting next to me on the bus
offered me an apple.
(a complete verb added)
The tree knocked
over during the storm.
(What is the action or state of being of the tree?)
The tree was knocked over during the storm. (a
helping verb added)
3. Dependent Clause Fragments: Dependent
clause are fragments that start with a subordinating
conjunction (fun boy) or relative pronoun and contain a
subject and a verb. Dependent clauses should be added to an
independent clause. Removing or adding words can also make
dependent clauses into sentences.
After I learned the price of
new cars.
( Add the dependent clause to an independent clause to make a
complete sentence. change a period to a comma.)
After I learned the price of new cars, I decided to keep my old
Buick.
4. -ing and to fragments: When
an -ing word appears at or near the start of a word
group, a fragment may result. Such fragments often lack a
subject and part of the verb.
I spent almost two hours on the phone yesterday. Trying to find a
garage to repair my car.
( Attach the -ing fragment to the sentence that comes before it or
the sentence that comes after it.
Change the period the to a comma and low case the word "trying":
I spent almost two hours on the phone yesterday, trying to
find a garage to repair my car.
Add subject and helping verb; and add a fun boy between tow
independent clause:
I was trying to find a garage to repair my car, so I spent
almost two hours on the phone yesterday.
When to appears at or near the start
of a word group, a fragment sometimes results:
I plan on working overtime. To get this job finished.
Correcting: I plan on working overtime to get this job finished.
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