Correct and Incorrect Syntax



Grammar Rules!! Basic Sentence StructureSubject, verb, predicate.EXAMPLE: I am a teacher.Syntax is the way in which words and punctuation are used and arranged to form phrases, clauses and sentences. This can mean the selection of a word or the word's tense, the arrangement of the words and the selection of the punctuation.Syntax is also known as the study of the rules that must be followed to create well-formed phrases, clauses and sentences.Correct and Incorrect Syntax?Incorrect - While watching a movie, people who text on their phone are very annoying.Correct - People who text on their phone while watching a movie are very annoying.The phrase "while watching a movie" modifies the noun phrase "People who text on their phone" by explaining when they text. The modifier should follow the noun phrase of the sentence.Incorrect - Happy about her upcoming promotion, the trip home was full of singing.Correct - Happy about her upcoming promotion, Sammie sang all the way home.The phrase "Sammie sang all the way home" is more descriptive than "the trip home was full of singing.Incorrect - Come for a visit I have plenty of food.Correct - Come for a visit! I have plenty of food.Breaking the words into two sentences allows for an exclamation mark which increases the impact of "Come for a visit!"Incorrect - Before we go to the movies.Correct - I need to rest before we go to the movies."Before we go to the movies" is a sentence fragment. Adding "I need to rest" makes the words a complete sentence.Incorrect - I gave him money I stole from the store.Correct - I gave him the money I stole from the store.Adding the word "the" further explains which money was given.Subject-Verb Agreement1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. The dog growls when he is angry. The dogs growl when they are angry.2. Don’t get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb; they do not affect agreement.The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.3. If two subjects are joined by and, they typically require a plural verb form.The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.4. However, The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by and refer to the same person or thing.Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.5. If one of the words each, every, or no comes before the subject, the verb is singular.No smoking or drinking is allowed. Every man and woman is required to check in.6. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also the verb is singular.Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.7. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, the verb is plural.Dogs or cats are available at the pound.8. The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement or time.Four quarts of oil is required to get the car running.9. If one subject is singular and one plural and the words are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, you use the verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb.Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.?Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.10. Collective nouns like herd, senate, class, crowd, etc. usually take a singular verb form.The herd is stampeding.11. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular verb.The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.12. Final Rule – Remember, only the subject affects the verb!Noun/Pronoun ErrorsPronouns take the place of nouns in sentences. In order to avoid a grammar error, the pronoun has to agree with the noun that it is replacing.EX: Anna and Pat are married and he has been married for 20 years. Anna and Pat are plural, and he?is singular. The sentence should read Anna and Pat?are married and they?have been married for 20 years.?EX: Everyone forgot their notebook. Everyone?is singular (every single individual one) and their?is plural. This should read Everyone?forgot his or her notebook. This is one of the most common grammatical errors that exists today.?Tense AgreementIncorrect: The instructor?explains?the diagram to students who?asked questions during the lecture. Correct: The instructor?explains?the diagram to students who?ask?questions during the lecture.Incorrect: About noon the sky darkened, a breeze sprang up, and a low rumble announces the approaching storm.Correct: About noon the sky darkened, a breeze sprang up, and a low rumble announced the approaching storm.Practice! Inequality between men and women has started when the first human species came to being. In agricultural and hunting-gathering societies, men were responsible for those jobs that required physical strength, whereas women have to stay at home and look after the baby. It’s obvious that the males have been physically much stronger than women. Unequal power relations between two genders lead to violence, to which especially women have been exposed. Thus, this issue became so important that it needs to be talked about, discussing the reasons for violence and possible solutions.Double NegativesEX: I don't want no pudding.?Because you have said you do not want no?pudding, essentially this sentence suggests that you do want some?pudding, which is the opposite of the intended meaning.?EX: I can't hardly believe. Can't?and hardly?are both negative constructions.?ParallelismBalance between two or more similar words, phrases or clauses is called parallelism in grammar.. Parallel construction prevents awkwardness, promotes clarity and improves writing style and readability.Rules of parallelism Parallelism is used to balance nouns with nouns, prepositional phrases with prepositional phrases, participles with participles, infinitives with infinitives, clauses with clauses. Parallelism is used with elements joined by coordinating conjunctions.?My mother likes cooking and to read.My mother likes cooking and reading Parallelism is used with elements in lists or in a series.This task can be done individually, in pairs, or can be done in groups of four. This task can be done individually, in pairs, or in groups of four.Parallelism is used with elements being compared.?She is mad about watching TV more than to read a book .She is mad about watching TV more than reading a book. Parallelism is used with elements joined by a linking verb or a form of beTo learn is understanding the world. To learn is to understand the world. Examples:Nancy likes playing the piano, the trumpet and play the guitar. Nancy likes the piano, the trumpet and the guitar.Nancy likes playing the piano, the trumpet and the guitar.She played basketball, had a shower and gone to school.She played basketball, had a shower and went to school. You can apply to the job by filling this form or apply by telephone.You can apply to the job by filling this form or you can apply by ma DramaA run-on sentence has at least two parts, either one of which can stand by itself (in other words, two independent clauses), but the two parts have been improperly combined instead of being appropriately connected. Comma splices are similar to run-on sentences because they also incorrectly connect independent clauses. A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are connected with only a comma. As with a run-on sentence, there are a few different ways to correct a comma ma, Semi-colon, and Colon RulesRule #1: Use a comma to separate a list with three or more items.Ex: I bought tomatoes, melons, pears and broccoli.Rule #2: Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, or, but, for, etc.) if the two clauses it separates are independent; in other words, both clauses have a subject and a predicate.Ex: I want to go to the movies, and I want to eat delicious popcorn!*Never use a comma before a conjunction if it separates two predicates or two subjects vs. two independent clauses.Ex: I want to go to the movies and watch Avatar. **(Here watch Avatar depends on going to the movies).Rule #3: Use a comma when you have a hanging clause or a clause that cannot stand alone and depends on a complete sentence that either follows it or precedes it.Ex: While she was out, I went to Monica’s house and cleaned it.Rule #4: Use a comma to set off non-essential information that clarifies or explains the subject.Ex: The Kiwanis, an organization that offers many scholarships to Hispanic students, gave me a scholarship this year for outstanding achievement. Rule #5: Use a comma to set off an introductory phrase.Ex: Now, I am going to explain commas. No, you don’t have to write this down. Once upon a time, there lived a prince in a castle.Rule #6: Use a comma to set off non-essential information that interrupts the sentence.Ex: Many of my students, who are obviously not rocket scientists, did poorly on the science exam.Rule #7: Use a comma to separate two or more adjectives before a noun.Ex: I have a big, black shoe painted on my wall.Rule #8: Use a comma to introduce quotations. Ex: Ms. Manzano asked, “Have you done your homework?”The pool boy said, “I will get you the towels.”“I will get you the towels,” said the pool boy.“Martha, hand me that stack of paper,” Ms. Manzano said, “I really need them.”“How many times am I going to ask you to write your name on this paper?” asked Jessica.“You have no sense of humor!” screamed Alex.Alex screamed, “You have no sense of humor!”Semi-colon RulesRule #1: Use a semi-colon to separate (or unite) two COMPLETE sentences that are related. Ex: I am an eagle; I fly free.*Never start the second sentence with a capital letter unless it is a proper noun or a name.Rule #2: Use a semi-colon before an adverb that unites two clauses. NOTE* always place a comma after the adverb.Ex: I enjoy the cold; however, I would never live in Alaska.Rule #3: To separate clauses that already have commas in them.Ex: Here, in the middle of the item, there are commas; here there are not, so we use semicolons to separate these clauses.Colon RulesRule #1: Use a colon to introduce a list only after the words as follows or the following**Ex: Please bring me the following items: bread, flour, and sugar.Rule #2: Use a colon to clarify information that leaves the reader wondering. Ex: The food was interesting: there were strange shaped meatballs made out of fish and thick coarse spaghetti that looked like worms. **NOTE** The food was interesting is not something you would normally say about food; hence, we put a colon to explain why the food was interesting. The food was delicious would not take a comma because it is not something that requires CLARIFICATION. Coordinating Conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So =FANBOYSCoordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, and clauses. Look at the examples that follow:The bowl of squid eyeball stew is hot and delicious.The squid eyeball stew is so thick that you can eat it with a fork or spoon.Rocky, my orange tomcat, loves having his head scratched but hates getting his claws trimmed.Rocky terrorizes the poodles next door yet adores the German shepherd across the street.Rocky refuses to eat dry cat food, nor will he touch a saucer of squid eyeball stew.I hate to waste a single drop of squid eyeball stew, for it is expensive and time-consuming to make.Even though I added cream to the squid eyeball stew, Rocky ignored his serving, so I got a spoon and ate it myself.Use a coordinating conjunction when you want to give equal emphasis to two main clauses. The pattern for coordination looks like this:main clause + , + coordinating conjunction + main clause.Read the pairs of sentences that follow. The first version coordinates the two ideas. The second version subordinates one idea to emphasize the other.To survive the fetal pig dissection, Rinalda agreed to make all of the incisions; and Frances promised to remove and label the organs.To survive the fetal pig dissection, Rinalda agreed to make all of the incisions if Frances would promise to remove and label the organs.At a red light, Maria jumped out of Gino's car and slammed the door, for she could not tolerate one more minute of the heavy metal music that Gino insisted on blasting from the stereo.At a red light, Maria jumped out of Gino's car and slammed the door because she could not tolerate one more minute of the heavy metal music that Gino insisted on blasting from the stereo.Kyle refused to eat the salad served with the meal, nor would he touch any green vegetable put on his plate.After Kyle refused the salad served with the meal, he then would not touch the green vegetables put on his plate.Joe spent seven hours studying calculus at the Mexican diner, so now he can set his math book on fire with his salsa breath.Since Joe spent seven hours studying calculus at the Mexican diner, he can now set his math book on fire with his salsa breath.Punctuate coordinating conjunctions correctly.Connecting two main clausesWhen you connect two main clauses with a coordinating conjunction, use a comma. The pattern looks like this:Here is an example:My dog Floyd sleeps on the bed, and my cat Buster naps in the bathtub.Connecting two itemsYou can also use a coordinating conjunction to connect any two items. These items can be any grammatical unit except main clauses. The pattern looks like this:Here are some examples:My dog Floyd has too many fleas and too much hair.My cat Buster has beautiful blue eyes but a destructive personality.Subordinate clause A subordinate clause—also called a dependent clause—will begin with a subordinate conjunction or a relative pronoun and will contain both a subject and a verb. This combination of words will not form a complete sentence. It will instead make a reader want additional information to finish the thought.Here is a list of subordinate conjunctions:afteralthoughasbecausebeforeeven ifeven thoughifin order thatonceprovided thatrather thansinceso thatthanthatthoughunlessuntilwhenwheneverwherewhereaswhereverwhetherwhilewhyRemember this important point: A subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence because it does not provide a complete thought. The reader is left wondering, "So what happened?" A word group that begins with a capital letter and ends with a period must contain at least one main clause. Otherwise, you will have written a fragment.After Amy sneezed all over the tuna salad.So what happened? Did Amy throw it down the garbage disposal or serve it on toast to her friends? No complete thought = fragment.Once Adam smashed the spider.So what happened? Did Belinda cheer him for his bravery or lecture him on animal rights? No complete thought = fragment.Until Mr. Sanchez has his first cup of coffee.So what happens? Is he too sleepy to work, or does he have a grumpy disposition? No complete thought = fragment.Who ate handfuls of Cheerios with his bare hands.So what happened? Were the roommates shocked, or did they ask him to pass the box so that they could do the same? No complete thought = fragment.When you attach a subordinate clause in front of?a main clause, use a comma, like this:subordinate clause + , + main clause.Even though the broccoli was covered in cheddar cheese, Emily refused to eat it.Unless Christine finishes her calculus homework, she will have to suffer Mr. Nguyen's wrath in class tomorrow.While Bailey slept on the sofa in front of the television, Samson, the family dog, gnawed on the leg of the coffee table.When you attach a subordinate clause at the end of a main clause, you will generally use no punctuation, like this:main clause + ? + subordinate clause.Tanya did poorly on her history exam ? because her best friend Giselle insisted on gossiping during their study session the night before.Jonathon spent his class time reading comic books ? since his average was a 45 one week before final exams.Diane decided to plant tomatoes in the back of the yard ? where the sun blazed the longest during the day.PrepositionsWords that combine words. A phrase containing a preposition is a prepositional phrase.aboutaboveacrossafteragainstaroundatbeforebehindbelowbeneathbesidebesidesbetweenbeyondbydownduringexceptforfromininsideintolikenearofoffonoutoutsideoversincethroughthroughouttilltotowardunderuntilupuponwithwithoutaccording tobecause ofby way ofin addition toin front ofin place ofin regard toin spite ofinstead ofon account ofout of ................
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