Michaela Grasko
English language:
Textual editing
Gerund: a verb which functions as a noun
E.g.: cooking, my cooking is delicious
Gardening, my gardening is admired
Dancing, do you like my dancing
Can be used as a participle, adjective or noun.
1: inconsistent pronouns
✗ when one hears of such things you are disheartened
✓ when one hears of such things one is disheartened
We, one and you are problem pronouns
Change second pronoun to suite first
Sometimes need to change verb linked to second pronoun
2: Misrelated participle phrase
✗ Hurrying across the playground, my books fell in the mud.
✓ As I was hurrying across the playground, my books fell in the mud
“hurrying” – non-finite verb because it has no tense subjects or number
“was hurrying” – finite verb because “I” is the subject and number, “was”
is the tense. Was is auxiliary and hurrying is a non-finite verb (aux+ nfv =
fv)
Participle (in misrelated participle): verb and always end with ing
“my books fell in the mud: mustn’t touch when doing error as the first
sentence has the mistake and not the second
“hurrying across the playground” is a phrase as it does not pose a finite
verb. Whereas “as I was….” Is a clause as it contains finite verb
“as” can also be when or while dependant on the context
3: misplaced adjectival phrase:
✗ I have a parrot in a cage that can talk
✓ In a cage I have a parrot that can talk
The adjective “in a cage” is describing the subject and therefore has to go
Infront of the subject
Hardly asked
4: misplaced adverbial phrase
✗ sweep up the leaves which are now falling twice a week
, Michaela Grasko
✓ Twice a week sweep up the leaves which are now falling
The first sentence implies that the leaves are only falling twice a week
The second sentence corrects this in saying that you sweep the leaves
twice a week because these leaves are now falling
Twice a week refers to sweeping up the leaves, it describes the verb which
makes it an adverb so therefore has to be before the verb
5: preposition must be followed by the object form of the pronoun
✗ Between you and I, she is not brilliant
✓ Between you and me, she is not brilliant.
“I” is governed by the preposition “between”; and should therefore be in
the object form of the pronoun
It is only a problem with a preposition that is followed by you and then
another pronoun, e.g.: the cat sits on you and me(wrong)/ I (right)
Subject pronoun (does Object pronoun (receives Possessive pronoun/
the action) the action) possessive adjective
(indicates the person
who owns the object)
I He loves me My
love trampoline
You (singular) He loves you Your (s)
love (singular) trampoline
He/She/It He loves him/her/it His/her/its
love trampoline
We He loves us Our
love trampoline
You (plural) He loves you (plural) Your (p)
love trampoline
They He loves them Their
love trampoline
6: wrong position of linking/ qualifying words
✗ she not only stole the money but also the watch
✓ she stole not only the money but also the watch
The problem is where “not only” goes before or after the verb:
1: identify how many verbs there are in the sentence
2: if there is only 1 verb put the “not only” straight after the verb
3: if there are two verbs keep the “not only” before the first verb
7: false ellipsis
✗ they did not and could not have known
English language:
Textual editing
Gerund: a verb which functions as a noun
E.g.: cooking, my cooking is delicious
Gardening, my gardening is admired
Dancing, do you like my dancing
Can be used as a participle, adjective or noun.
1: inconsistent pronouns
✗ when one hears of such things you are disheartened
✓ when one hears of such things one is disheartened
We, one and you are problem pronouns
Change second pronoun to suite first
Sometimes need to change verb linked to second pronoun
2: Misrelated participle phrase
✗ Hurrying across the playground, my books fell in the mud.
✓ As I was hurrying across the playground, my books fell in the mud
“hurrying” – non-finite verb because it has no tense subjects or number
“was hurrying” – finite verb because “I” is the subject and number, “was”
is the tense. Was is auxiliary and hurrying is a non-finite verb (aux+ nfv =
fv)
Participle (in misrelated participle): verb and always end with ing
“my books fell in the mud: mustn’t touch when doing error as the first
sentence has the mistake and not the second
“hurrying across the playground” is a phrase as it does not pose a finite
verb. Whereas “as I was….” Is a clause as it contains finite verb
“as” can also be when or while dependant on the context
3: misplaced adjectival phrase:
✗ I have a parrot in a cage that can talk
✓ In a cage I have a parrot that can talk
The adjective “in a cage” is describing the subject and therefore has to go
Infront of the subject
Hardly asked
4: misplaced adverbial phrase
✗ sweep up the leaves which are now falling twice a week
, Michaela Grasko
✓ Twice a week sweep up the leaves which are now falling
The first sentence implies that the leaves are only falling twice a week
The second sentence corrects this in saying that you sweep the leaves
twice a week because these leaves are now falling
Twice a week refers to sweeping up the leaves, it describes the verb which
makes it an adverb so therefore has to be before the verb
5: preposition must be followed by the object form of the pronoun
✗ Between you and I, she is not brilliant
✓ Between you and me, she is not brilliant.
“I” is governed by the preposition “between”; and should therefore be in
the object form of the pronoun
It is only a problem with a preposition that is followed by you and then
another pronoun, e.g.: the cat sits on you and me(wrong)/ I (right)
Subject pronoun (does Object pronoun (receives Possessive pronoun/
the action) the action) possessive adjective
(indicates the person
who owns the object)
I He loves me My
love trampoline
You (singular) He loves you Your (s)
love (singular) trampoline
He/She/It He loves him/her/it His/her/its
love trampoline
We He loves us Our
love trampoline
You (plural) He loves you (plural) Your (p)
love trampoline
They He loves them Their
love trampoline
6: wrong position of linking/ qualifying words
✗ she not only stole the money but also the watch
✓ she stole not only the money but also the watch
The problem is where “not only” goes before or after the verb:
1: identify how many verbs there are in the sentence
2: if there is only 1 verb put the “not only” straight after the verb
3: if there are two verbs keep the “not only” before the first verb
7: false ellipsis
✗ they did not and could not have known
