Textual editing
Misrelated Participle Phrase
a) Hurry across the playground - no finite verb
b) As I was hurrying across the playground
c) a participle is a verb ending in “ing”
Misplaced Adjective Phrase
a) I have a parrot in a cage that can talk
b) In a cage I have a parrot that can talk
c) Can the cage talk? Can the parrot only talk in a cage? — Adjective- describes “in a cage” is the same as an adjective
Misplaced Adverb Phrase
a) Sweep up the leaves which are now falling twice a week
b) Twice a week sweep up the leaves which are falling
c) Adverb - Describes the action (sweep). The adverb must stand near the verb it modifies
Misplaced words
a) She not only stole the money but also the wallet
b) She stole not only the money but also the wallet
c) Checklist — 1. If 1 verb move the “not only” to after the verb. 2. If 2 verbs keep the “not only” before the 1st verb.
Prepositions must be Followed by the Object form of the Pronoun
Inconsistent Pronouns:
a) when one hears of such things, you are disheartened
b) when one hears of such things, one is disheartened
c) Always change 2nd pronoun to match the 1st
a) Between you and I, she is not brilliant
b) Between you and me , she is not brilliant
c) Cannot have 2 subject pronouns in the same sentence,
Subject pronouns Object Pronoun. Possessive Adjective/Pronoun
I (singular). I see me My dog
You (singular). I see you Your dog
You (plural) I see you Your dog
He/She/it I see him/her/it His/hers/its dog
We. I see us Our dog
They I see them Their dog
, Ambiguity
a) When Jane saw Mary, She blushed
b) When Jane saw Mary, Mary blushed OR When Jane saw Mary, Jane blushed
c) Occurs when a sentence has 2 different meanings leading to confusion.
Error of concord
a) None of these men are eligible for promotion
b) None of these men is eligible for promotion
c) Verb must agree with subject: “none”= no one is singular
NB: When you add who, which or that to “none of these men”, the verb MUST be plural eg. None of these men who are
eligible for promotion
False ellipsis
a) They did not and could not have known They did not and could not sing
b) They did not know and could not have known
c) “have known” cannot be understood with “did not”. Know = known
Inconsistent Verb Tenses
a) He said that he is coming to visit
b) He said that he was coming to visit
c) 2nd verb tense must match 1st verb tense
BUT
a) Either Jane or John is coming to tea
b) Neither Jane or John was at school
c) The rule for either/or and neither/nor is that the singular form of the verb must be followed
Split Infinitive
a) he considered it necessary to completely disarm Germany
b) he considered it necessary to disarm Germany completely
c) an infinitive is 2 words. Nothing must come between them
“Like” is a preposition and thus introduces a phrase (no finite verb)
“As” is a conjunction and thus introduces a clause (finite verb)
a) She writes like I do
b) she writes as I do
c) when you want to put “like” use “as
Misrelated Participle Phrase
a) Hurry across the playground - no finite verb
b) As I was hurrying across the playground
c) a participle is a verb ending in “ing”
Misplaced Adjective Phrase
a) I have a parrot in a cage that can talk
b) In a cage I have a parrot that can talk
c) Can the cage talk? Can the parrot only talk in a cage? — Adjective- describes “in a cage” is the same as an adjective
Misplaced Adverb Phrase
a) Sweep up the leaves which are now falling twice a week
b) Twice a week sweep up the leaves which are falling
c) Adverb - Describes the action (sweep). The adverb must stand near the verb it modifies
Misplaced words
a) She not only stole the money but also the wallet
b) She stole not only the money but also the wallet
c) Checklist — 1. If 1 verb move the “not only” to after the verb. 2. If 2 verbs keep the “not only” before the 1st verb.
Prepositions must be Followed by the Object form of the Pronoun
Inconsistent Pronouns:
a) when one hears of such things, you are disheartened
b) when one hears of such things, one is disheartened
c) Always change 2nd pronoun to match the 1st
a) Between you and I, she is not brilliant
b) Between you and me , she is not brilliant
c) Cannot have 2 subject pronouns in the same sentence,
Subject pronouns Object Pronoun. Possessive Adjective/Pronoun
I (singular). I see me My dog
You (singular). I see you Your dog
You (plural) I see you Your dog
He/She/it I see him/her/it His/hers/its dog
We. I see us Our dog
They I see them Their dog
, Ambiguity
a) When Jane saw Mary, She blushed
b) When Jane saw Mary, Mary blushed OR When Jane saw Mary, Jane blushed
c) Occurs when a sentence has 2 different meanings leading to confusion.
Error of concord
a) None of these men are eligible for promotion
b) None of these men is eligible for promotion
c) Verb must agree with subject: “none”= no one is singular
NB: When you add who, which or that to “none of these men”, the verb MUST be plural eg. None of these men who are
eligible for promotion
False ellipsis
a) They did not and could not have known They did not and could not sing
b) They did not know and could not have known
c) “have known” cannot be understood with “did not”. Know = known
Inconsistent Verb Tenses
a) He said that he is coming to visit
b) He said that he was coming to visit
c) 2nd verb tense must match 1st verb tense
BUT
a) Either Jane or John is coming to tea
b) Neither Jane or John was at school
c) The rule for either/or and neither/nor is that the singular form of the verb must be followed
Split Infinitive
a) he considered it necessary to completely disarm Germany
b) he considered it necessary to disarm Germany completely
c) an infinitive is 2 words. Nothing must come between them
“Like” is a preposition and thus introduces a phrase (no finite verb)
“As” is a conjunction and thus introduces a clause (finite verb)
a) She writes like I do
b) she writes as I do
c) when you want to put “like” use “as
