GRAMMAR AND USAGE REVIEW

1. GRAMMAR AND USAGE REVIEW

2. To surprise Marie, everyone hid behind pieces of furniture. And suddenly jumped out when she arrived.

3. To surprise Marie, everyone hid behind pieces of furniture. And suddenly jumped out when she arrived. INCORRECT. 19 – Sentence fragment.

4. When Clementine first awakens, several things can irritate her. Such as cold coffee, unexpected guests, and dancing llamas.

5. When Clementine first awakens, several things can irritate her. Such as cold coffee, unexpected guests, and dancing llamas. INCORRECT. 19 – Sentence fragment.

6. As Gwen advanced in age, she gave up a lot of her favorite things. Running with the bulls at Pamplona. Skydiving. Biting her toenails in public.

7. As Gwen advanced in age, she gave up a lot of her favorite things. Running with the bulls at Pamplona. Skydiving. Biting her toenails in public. INCORRECT. 19 – Sentence fragment.

8. Repairing Sentence Fragments Attach fragmented subordinate clauses with a coordinating conjunction. Attach fragmented subordinate clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Turn the fragments into complete sentences. Maybe even try a colon.

9. 1. To surprise Marie, everyone hid behind pieces of furniture. And suddenly jumped out when she arrived.2. When Clementine first awakens, several things can irritate her. Such as cold coffee, unexpected guests, and dancing llamas.3. As Gwen advanced in age, she gave up a lot of her favorite things. Running with the bulls at Pamplona. Skydiving. Biting her toenails in public.

10. Several of my friends love the theater, some have even performed live on stage.

11. Several of my friends love the theater, some have even performed live on stage. INCORRECT. 20 – Comma splice.

12. My pet monkey Herbert loves Twinkies he eats them all the time.

13. My pet monkey Herbert loves Twinkies he eats them all the time. INCORRECT. Fused sentence.

14. Repairing Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction. Use a semicolon. Make the clauses into two separate sentences. Restructure the sentence, perhaps subordinating one of the clauses.

15. The cheeseburgers on the grill need flipping.

16. The cheeseburgers on the grill need flipping. CORRECT. 21b – Subject/verb agreement. Both are plural.

17. Jon Stewart along with Stephen Colbert are bitterly funny.

18. Jon Stewart along with Stephen Colbert are bitterly funny. INCORRECT. 21b – I know, I know, it looks perfectly correct, but phrases beginning with prepositions such as as well as, in addition to, accompanied by, together with, and along with do not make a singular subject plural. Sheesh.

19. When a baby or six hyenas start crying, I have to leave the room.

20. When a baby or six hyenas start crying, I have to leave the room. CORRECT. 21d – With subjects joined with or, nor, either/or, neither/nor, make the verb agree with the part of the subject nearer the verb.

21. In the front of the room are a huge crocodile and a chocolate Easter bunny.

22. In the front of the room are a huge crocodile and a chocolate Easter bunny. CORRECT. 21c – Treat most subjects joined with and as plural. 21g – Make the verb agree with its subject even when the subject follows the verb.

23. Right there, in front of my new boyfriend, was my father and his five poker buddies, all buck naked.

24. Right there, in front of my new boyfriend, was my father and his five poker buddies, all buck naked. INCORRECT. 21c – Treat most subjects joined with and as plural. 21g – Make the verb agree with its subject even when the subject follows the verb.

25. An important consideration for new farmers are marauding kangaroo gangs.

26. An important consideration for new farmers are marauding kangaroo gangs. INCORRECT. 21h – Subject is consideration“marauding kangaroo gangs” is the subject complement).

27. Riboflavin is one of the vitamins that improves the health contribution of chocolate chip cookies.

28. Riboflavin is one of the vitamins that improves the health contribution of chocolate chip cookies. INCORRECT. 21i – Who, which, and that take verbs that agree with their immediate antecedents (“vitamins”).

29. The entire company put their signatures on the document. SKIP

30. The entire company put their signatures on the document. CORRECT. 22b – Treat collective nouns as singular unless the meaning is clearly plural.

31. The Red Cross opened their new office in the local Starbucks. SKIP

32. The Red Cross opened their new office in the local Starbucks. INCORRECT. 22b – Treat collective nouns as singular unless the meaning is clearly plural.

33. Either Winifred or Prunella left her hat in the oven.

34. Either Winifred or Prunella left her hat in the oven. CORRECT. 22d – With compound antecedents connected by or, nor, either/or, or neither/nor, make the pronoun agree with the nearer antecedent.

35. Either Winifred or her children has to go.

36. Either Winifred or her children has to go. INCORRECT. 22d – With compound antecedents connected by or, nor, either/or, or neither/nor, make the pronoun agree with the nearer antecedent.

37. First we had Enron and Worldcom, then the mortgage crisis, and now large banks and investment firms are collapsing. Voters are getting fed up with this.

38. First we had Enron and Worldcom, then the mortgage crisis, and now large banks and investment firms are collapsing. Voters are getting fed up with this. INCORRECT. 23b – Generally, avoid broad references of this, that, which, and it.

39. In the article it states that worms should be swallowed whole, not chewed.

40. In the article it states that worms should be swallowed whole, not chewed. INCORRECT. 23d – Avoid the indefinite use of they, it, and you.

41. My boss told me that you should never pick your nose at work.

42. My boss told me that you should never pick your nose at work. INCORRECT. 23d - Avoid the indefinite use of they, it, and you.

43. My boss is the kind of person that throws a fit if anything goes wrong.

44. My boss is the kind of person that throws a fit if anything goes wrong. INCORRECT. 23e – Use who, whom, or whose to refer to people, not that or which.

45. Edwin got dizzy and passed out the first time his girlfriend and he/him/himself kissed.

46. Edwin got dizzy and passed out the first time his girlfriend and he kissed. Strip away “his girlfriend and.”

47. Carlos’ new dirigible is large enough for both his wife and he/him/himself.

48. Carlos’ new dirigible is large enough for both his wife and him. 24b – Strip away “both his wife and.”

49. My girlfriend and me/myself/I each got tattoos on our noses.

50. My girlfriend and I each got tattoos on our noses. 24b – Strip away “My girlfriend and”; then adjust the rest of the sentence accordingly.