Grammar%20Period%203

Grammar Questionnaire Period 3
Point of View
Point of view is the perspective from which a speaker or writer recounts a narrative or presents
information.
As an aid to coherence, we should avoid unnecessary shifts in point of view:
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Avoid unnecessary shifts in subject.
When it comes to point of view, we have to maintain the same subject.
Example: I like to play soccer, but basketball is also fun.
The problem is that the subject shifts from I to basketball.
It should be: I like to play soccer, but I also like to play basketball.
Now the sentence is correct because it has the same subject.
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Avoid unnecessary shifts in voice (active and passive).
We have to maintain either active or passive voice.
Voice is that property of a transitive verb that tells whether the subject is doing the action or
receiving the action described by the verb.
Transitive verbs: a verb that has a receiver (direct object) for its action.
If the subject is doing the action, the transitive verb is in the active voice. If the subject is receiving
the action, the transitive verb is in the passive voice.
Example: The school's volleyball team won the tournament, and a prize was given to them. The
problem is that "team won" is in active voice, and "prize was given" is in passive voice.
It should be: The school's volleyball team won the tournament, and they were given a prize. Now
the sentence is correct because both parts are in active voice.
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Avoid unnecessary shifts in tense.
We have to maintain the same tenses in the verbs.
The tense of a verb indicates the time of the action or condition expressed by the verb.
Tenses: present tense, past tense, future tense, present perfect tense, past perfect tense, and
future perfect tense.
Example: The girl played all morning with her dog, but now she is playing with her toys.
the problem is that in the first part of the sentence the verb: played, is in the past tense, and in the
second part the verb: is playing, is in the present continuous tense.
It should be: The girl played all morning with her dog, and in the afternoon, she played with her
toys.
Now the sentence is correct because both verbs are in the past tense.
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Avoid unnecessary shifts in mood.
We don’t have to mix moods, we have three moods imperative, indicative, and
subjunctive.
If we start the sentence with the imperative mood we have to finish the sentence
with the imperative mood.
Mood is a grammatical form that indicates the state of mind or the manner in which a statement is
made.
There are three types of moods:
The indicative, imperative, and subjunctive mood.
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The indicative mood states a fact or asks a question.
The imperative mood gives a command or makes a request.
The subjunctive mood is used in dependent clauses to express (1) a condition contrary to fact,
(2) a wish, request, or requirement, (3) a statement following as if and as though, (4)
parliamentary motions and legal judgments.
Example: Read the chapter carefully, and then you should do your homework.
The problem is that the first part of the sentence is in the imperative mood, and the second part of
the sentence is in the indicative mood.
It should be: Read the chapter carefully, then do your homework.
Now the sentence is correct because both parts of the sentence are in the imperative mood.
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Avoid unnecessary shifts in person.
a person is the way of referring to someone taking part in an event, such as the person talking, the
person being talked to, the person being talked about.
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First person: I, we
Second person: you
Third person: he, she, it, they
Unless the meaning of a sentence clearly requires a change, keep person consistent within a
sentence.
Example: If he wants to get a good grade on the test, you should study.
The problem is that the pronoun "he" is a third person pronoun and the pronoun "you" is a second
person pronoun.
It should be: If he wants to get a good grade on the test, he must study.
Now the sentence is correct because both pronouns are in the third person.
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Avoid unnecessary shifts in number.
Number refers to singular and plural.
We have to use singular pronouns to refer to singular antecedents; use plural pronouns to refer to
plural antecedents.
We need to avoid mixing singular and plural in a sentence
Example: The students ate his lunch.
The problem in the sentence is that "his" is a singular pronoun and "students" is a plural
antecedent.
It should be: The student ate his lunch.
Now the sentence is correct because "students" and "their" are both plural.
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Avoid unnecessary shifts from indirect to direct discourse.
Indirect discourse: reporting what someone else said in your own words but without changing
the meaning of what was said.
Direct discourse: the actual and exact words of the speaker.
We need to make sure everything is either in direct or indirect discourse.
Example: My friend asked me if I had done the homework that the teacher left and "Will the
teacher ask for the homework today?"
The problem is that the sentence change from indirect discourse to direct discourse.
It can be: My friend asked me if I had done the homework that the teacher left and if the teacher
would ask for the homework today.
Now the sentence is correct because is in the indirect discourse only
Or it can be: My friend asked me: "Did you do the homework that the teacher left? Will the
teacher ask for the homework today?"
Now the sentence is correct because is in the direct discourse only
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Avoid unintentional shifts in style or tone within a sentence or within a larger piece of writing.
We don’t have to shift from formal to informal or from informal to formal.
Contractions are informal.
The clause
A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a verb.
There are two types of clauses: independent and dependent.
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An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.
Example: The game will start again when the rain stops. (The independent clause is: The game will
start again and the dependent clause is when the rain stops).
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A dependent (subordinate) clause does not express a complete thought and cannot stand
alone as a sentence. The dependent clause can be classified as noun, adjective, or adverb.
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All dependent clauses are introduced by introductory words.
That, whether, and if are specifically called introductory words, they have no grammatical
purpose.
Noun clause
Noun clause: a dependent clause that functions as a noun within a sentence. It can a subject,
direct object, predicate nominative, appositive, object of preposition.
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Noun clauses are introduced by signal words. Those are that, whether, if, who, whom, whose,
which, what, when, where, why, how, whoever, whomever, whichever, and whatever.
The words what and whatever are also pronouns.
Sometimes the introductory word that is omitted when the noun clause is used as a direct
object.
Examples:
Subject:
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Whoever took this picture is a great photographer. (in this example the noun clause is
working as a subject).
That you forgot to do your homework doesn't surprise me. (in these example the noun clause
is working as a subject).
Direct object:
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I didn’t find what I was looking for. (in these example the noun clause is working as a direct
object, the noun clause is: what I was looking for)
I think that Ms. Graham is a good teacher. (in these example the noun clause is working as a
direct object, the noun clause is: that Ms. Graham is a good teacher).
Can you tell me where you bought your new hat? (in these example the noun clause is
working as a direct object, the noun clause is: where you bought your new hat)
Predicate nominative:
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My question is if you will go with us. (in thse example the noun clause is working as a
predicate nominative and it renames the subject which is: question, the noun clause is: if you
will go with us).
The first place winner will be whomever has the most beautiful painting. (in these example
the noun clause is working as predicate nomitaive and it renames the subject which is: winner,
the noun clause is: whomever has the most beautiful painting).
Object of preposition:
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The lake is visible from where we are. (in this example the noun clause is working as an object
of the prepostion, the preposition is: from and the noun clause is: where we are, which is
used as the object of the preposition)
People will blame me for what I did. (in these example the noun clause is working as the
object of preposition, the preposition is: for and the object of the preposition is: what i did,
which is also the noun clause)
Appositive:
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The workers, whoever they were, left the work incomplete. (in these example the noun clause
is working as an appositive and it is not an essential appositive, the noun clause is: whoever
they were).
The situation, that the fire was out of control, alarmed people. (in these example the noun
clause is working as an appositive and it’s an essential appositive, the noun clause is: that the
fire was out of control, and it’s renaming the subject: situation)
Adjective clause
Adjective clause: a dependent clause that modifies a noun or a pronoun.
The adjective clauses answer the questions what kind, which one, how many, how much, or
whose.
Adjective clauses are introduced by words called relatives. Those are: Who, whom, which, that are
relative pronouns. Whose (and occasionally which) are relative adjectives. When and where are
relative adverbs.
Relatives:
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Serves a grammatical function within its own dependent clause
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Joins the dependent clause that it introduces to another clause
Refers to an antecedent in another clause.
(Antecedent is the noun or pronoun being modified by the adjective clause)
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When the relative is an object of a preposition, the clause begins with the preposition.
Sometimes the relative pronoun is omitted, but this understood pronoun still serves its usual
functions.
Examples:
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This is the house that jack bought. (In these example of adjective clause, the adjective clause
is modifying the subject house).
The man who is sitting in the car is my dad. (this is an example of adjective clause, the
adjective clause is modifying the subject man).
Adverb clause
Adverb clause: a dependent clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb.
Adverb clauses answer the questions where, when, how, why, to what extent, or under what
condition.
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Adverb clauses are introduced by subordinating conjunctions. Those are after, although, as, as
if, as much as, as long as, as soon as, because, before, if, in order that, lest, since, so that, than,
that, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where, wherever, whether, while.
Essential parts of an adverb clause may properly be omitted if no misunderstanding will occur.
Such a clause is called an elliptical clause.
Example: He runs faster than I run.
Or it can be: He runs faster than I. The word run was omitted but it still makes sense.
Examples:
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Because he was sleepy, he went to bed. (in these example of adverb clause, the adverb clause
is modifying the verb: went, the adverb clause is: because he was sleepy).
Danna sounds as if she has caught a cold. (in these example of adverb clause, the adverb
clause is modifying the verb: sounds, telling how danna sounds).
Coordination
Coordination is the joining of words, phrases, or clauses of the same grammatical rank to give
them equal emphasis and importance.
If the sentence is a compound sentence, we use a comma and a coordinating conjunction.
A coordinating conjunction is a word that joins two independent clauses. The most common
coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.
Example:
Emily forgot to set her alarm, so she overslept.
I have a math test on Friday, so I need to study.
In order to express coordination correctly we have to:
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Avoid excessive coordination.
We don’t have to use excessive coordination because coordination often cannot indicate the
exact relationship between ideas, nor can it indicate the relative importance. The problem is
usually solved through subordination or division.
Subordination – Change a compound sentence into a complex sentence.
Division – Divide some compound sentences into two or more separate sentences.
Avoid false coordination.
For example we don’t to use a coordinating conjunction to join an adjective clause to an
independent clause.
We coordinate to join ideas of equal importance and make emphasis on that.
Subordination
Subordination is linking two clauses of unequal grammatical rank in a sentence.
Subordination reduces repetition, aids coherence, and makes the important ideas stand out.
Example:
After the party, we all went home.
When you called, I was in the kitchen.
Why do we subordinate sentences?
Because not every idea is a main idea so we subordinate details that are not important.
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Simple sentences indicate main ideas
Independent clause – main idea
Dependent clause – secondary idea
What can you subordinate?
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Ideas expressing time, place, manner, cause, purpose, result, condition, concession, or degree.
(Adverb clause)
Details stating size, color, cost, etc. (Adjective clause)
Predications containing pronouns and the verb be.
(Predication is that part of a sentence which, with the subject, expresses a complete thought.)
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Form a complex sentence that contains an adjective clause.
Example: The woman, who baked the pie, is my mother.
Form a complex sentence that contains an adverb clause.
Example: As soon as I get home, I’m going to take a nap.
In order to express subordination correctly we have to:
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Avoid upside­down subordination, which occurs when the main idea is placed in the
dependent clause, and the subordinate idea is placed in the independent clause.
Example:
Avoid illogical subordination.
Do not use an adverb clause in the place of a noun clause or other substantive.
Example:
Do not use an independent clause in the place of a noun clause.
Example:
Avoid excessive subordination.
Compound sentence: 2 (or more) independent clauses.
Complex sentence: 1 independent and 1 (or more) dependent clauses