Correct word usage in a sentence

Main Body

Chapter 2. Working with Words: Which Word Is Right?

2.1 Commonly Confused Words

Learning Objectives

• Identify commonly confused words
• Use strategies to avoid commonly confused words

Just as a mason uses bricks to build sturdy homes, writers use words to build successful documents. Consider the construction of a building. Builders need to use tough, reliable materials to build a solid and structurally sound skyscraper. From the foundation to the roof and every floor in between, every part is necessary. Writers need to use strong, meaningful words from the first sentence to the last and in every sentence in between.

You already know many words that you use every day as part of your writing and speaking vocabulary. You probably also know that certain words fit better in certain situations. Letters, emails, and even quickly jotted grocery lists require the proper selection of vocabulary. Imagine you are writing a grocery list to purchase the ingredients for a recipe but accidentally write down cilantro when the recipe calls for parsley. Even though cilantro and parsley look remarkably alike, each produces a very different effect in food. This seemingly small error could radically alter the flavour of your dish!

Having a solid everyday vocabulary will help you while writing, but learning new words and avoiding common word errors will make a real impression on your readers. Experienced writers know that deliberate, careful word selection and usage can lead to more polished, more meaningful work. This chapter covers word choice and vocabulary-building strategies that will improve your writing.

Commonly Confused Words

Some words in English cause trouble for speakers and writers because they share a similar pronunciation, meaning, or spelling with another word. These words are called commonly confused words. For example, read aloud the following sentences containing the commonly confused words new and knew:

I liked her new sweater.

I knew she would wear that sweater today.

These words may sound alike when spoken, but they carry entirely different usages and meanings. New is an adjective that describes the sweater, and knew is the past tense of the verb to know. To read more about adjectives, verbs, and other parts of speech see Section 3.1: Sentence Writing.

Recognizing Commonly Confused Words

New and knew are just two of the words that can be confusing because of their similarities. Familiarize yourself with the following list of commonly confused words. Recognizing these words in your own writing and in other pieces of writing can help you choose the correct word to avoid confusing the reader and, ultimately, being incorrect in your writing.

Commonly Confused Words

A, An, And

A (article). Used before a word that begins with a consonant.
a key, a mouse, a screen

An (article). Used before a word that begins with a vowel.
an airplane, an ocean, an igloo

And (conjunction). Connects two or more words together.
peanut butter and jelly, pen and pencil, jump and shout

Accept, Except

Accept (verb). Means to take or agree to something offered.
They accepted our proposal for the conference.

Except (conjunction). Means only or but.
We could fly there except the tickets cost too much.

Affect, Effect

Affect (verb). Means to create a change.
Hurricane winds affect the amount of rainfall.

Effect (noun). Means an outcome or result.
The heavy rains will have an effect on the crop growth.

Are, Our

Are (verb). A conjugated form of the verb to be.
My cousins are all tall and blonde.

Our (pronoun). Indicates possession, usually follows the pronoun we.
We will bring our cameras to take pictures.

By, Buy

By (preposition). Means next to.
My glasses are by the bed.

Buy (verb). Means to purchase.
I will buy new glasses after the doctor’s appointment.

Its, It’s

Its (pronoun). A form of it that shows possession.
The butterfly flapped its wings.

It’s (contraction). Joins the words it and is.
It’s the most beautiful butterfly I have ever seen.

Know, No

Know (verb). Means to understand or possess knowledge.
I know the male peacock sports the brilliant feathers.

No. Used to make a negative.
I have no time to visit the zoo this weekend.

Loose, Lose

Loose (adjective). Describes something that is not tight or is detached.
Without a belt, her pants are loose on her waist.

Lose (verb). Means to forget, to give up, or to fail to earn something.
She will lose even more weight after finishing the marathon training.

Of, Have

Of (preposition). Means from or about.
I studied maps of the city to know where to rent a new apartment.

Have (verb). Means to possess something.
I have many friends to help me move.

Have (linking verb). Used to connect verbs.
I should have helped her with that heavy box.

Quite, Quiet, Quit

Quite (adverb). Means really or truly.
My work will require quite a lot of concentration.

Quiet (adjective). Means not loud.
I need a quiet room to complete the assignments.

Quit (verb). Means to stop or to end.
I will quit when I am hungry for dinner.

Right, Write

Right (adjective). Means proper or correct.
When bowling, she practises the right form.

Right (adjective). Also means the opposite of left.
The ball curved to the right and hit the last pin.

Write (verb). Means to communicate on paper.
After the team members bowl, I will write down their scores.

Set, Sit

Set (verb). Means to put an item down.
She set the mug on the saucer.

Set (noun). Means a group of similar objects.
All the mugs and saucers belonged in a set.

Sit (verb). Means to lower oneself down on a chair or another place.
I’ll sit on the sofa while she brews the tea.

Suppose, Supposed

Suppose (verb). Means to think or to consider.
I suppose I will bake the bread, because no one else has the recipe.

Suppose (verb). Means to suggest.
Suppose we all split the cost of the dinner.

Supposed (verb). The past tense form of the verb suppose, meaning required or allowed.
She was supposed to create the menu.

Than, Then

Than (conjunction). Used to connect two or more items when comparing.
Registered nurses require less schooling than doctors.

Then (adverb). Means next or at a specific time.
Doctors first complete medical school and then obtain a residency.

Their, They’re, There

Their (pronoun). A form of they that shows possession.
The dog walker feeds their dogs everyday at two o’clock.

They’re (contraction). Joins the words they and are.
They’re the sweetest dogs in the neighbourhood.

There (pronoun). Indicates the presence of something
There are more treats if the dogs behave.

To, Two, Too

To (preposition). Indicates movement.
Let’s go to the circus.

To. A word that completes an infinitive verb.
to play, to ride, to watch.

Two. The number after one. It describes how many.
Two clowns squirted the elephants with water.

Too (adverb). Means also or very.
The tents were too loud, and we left.

Use (verb). Means to apply for some purpose.
We use a weed whacker to trim the hedges.

Used. The past tense form of the verb to use
He used the lawnmower last night before it rained.

Used to. Indicates something done in the past but not in the present
He used to hire a team to landscape, but now he landscapes alone.

Who’s, Whose

Who’s (contraction). Joins the words who and either is or has.
Who’s the new student? Who’s met him?

Whose (pronoun). A form of who that shows possession.
Whose schedule allows them to take the new student on a campus tour?

Your (pronoun). A form of you that shows possession.

Your book bag is unzipped.

You’re (contraction). Joins the words you and are.

You’re the girl with the unzipped book bag.

The English language contains so many words; no one can say for certain how many words exist. In fact, many words in English are borrowed from other languages. Many words have multiple meanings and forms, further expanding the immeasurable number of English words. Although the list of commonly confused words serves as a helpful guide, even these words may have more meanings than shown here. When in doubt, consult an expert: the dictionary!

Self-Practice EXERCISE 2.1

Complete the following sentences by selecting the correct word.

My little cousin turns ________(to, too, two) years old tomorrow.

The next-door neighbour’s dog is ________(quite, quiet, quit) loud. He barks constantly throughout the night.

________(Your, You’re) mother called this morning to talk about the party.

I would rather eat a slice of chocolate cake ________(than, then) eat a chocolate muffin.

Before the meeting, he drank a cup of coffee and ________(than, then) brushed his teeth.

Do you have any ________(loose, lose) change to pay the parking meter?

Father must ________(have, of) left his briefcase at the office.

Before playing ice hockey, I was ________(suppose, supposed) to read the contract, but I only skimmed it and signed my name quickly, which may ________(affect, effect) my understanding of the rules.

Tonight she will ________(set, sit) down and ________(right, write) a cover letter to accompany her resumé and job application.

It must be fall, because the leaves ________(are, our) changing, and ________(it’s, its) getting darker earlier.

Strategies to Avoid Commonly Confused Words

When writing, you need to choose the correct word according to its spelling and meaning in the context. Not only does selecting the correct word improve your vocabulary and your writing, but it also makes a good impression on your readers. It also helps reduce confusion and improve clarity. The following strategies can help you avoid misusing confusing words.

Use a dictionary. Keep a dictionary at your desk while you write. Look up words when you are uncertain of their meanings or spellings. Many dictionaries are also available online, and the Internet’s easy access will not slow you down. Check out your cell phone or smartphone to see if a dictionary app is available.

Keep a list of words you commonly confuse. Be aware of the words that often confuse you. When you notice a pattern of confusing words, keep a list nearby, and consult the list as you write. Check the list again before you submit an assignment to your instructor.

Study the list of commonly confused words. You may not yet know which words confuse you, but before you sit down to write, study the words on the list. Prepare your mind for working with words by reviewing the commonly confused words identified in this chapter.

Tip

Commonly confused words appear in many locations, not just at work or at school. Be on the lookout for misused words wherever you find yourself throughout the day. Make a mental note of the error and remember its correction for your own pieces of writing.

Writing at Work

All employers value effective communication. From an application to an interview to the first month on the job, employers pay attention to your vocabulary. You do not need a large vocabulary to succeed, but you do need to be able to express yourself clearly and avoid commonly misused words.

When giving an important presentation on the effect of inflation on profit margins, you must know the difference between effect and affect and choose the correct word. When writing an email to confirm deliveries, you must know if the shipment will arrive in to days, too days, or two days. Confusion may arise if you choose the wrong word.

Consistently using the proper words will improve your communication and make a positive impression on your boss and colleagues.

Self-Practice EXERCISE 2.2

The following paragraph contains 11 errors. Find each misused word and correct it by adding the proper word.

The original United States Declaration of Independence sets in a case at the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom as part of the National Archives in Washington, DC. Since 1952, over one million visitors each year of passed through the Rotunda too snap a photograph to capture they’re experience. Although signs state, “No Flash Photography,” forgetful tourists leave the flash on, an a bright light flickers for just a millisecond. This millisecond of light may not seem like enough to effect the precious document, but supposed how much light could be generated when all those milliseconds are added up. According to the National Archives administrators, its enough to significantly damage the historic document. So, now, the signs display quit a different message: “No Photography.” Visitors continue to travel to see the Declaration that began are country, but know longer can personal pictures serve as mementos. The administrators’ compromise, they say, is a visit to the gift shop for a preprinted photograph.

Collaboration: Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Key Takeaways

In order to write accurately, it is important for writers to be aware of commonly confused words.

Although commonly confused words may look alike or sound alike, their meanings are very different.

Consulting the dictionary is one way to make sure you are using the correct word in your writing. You may also keep a list of commonly confused words nearby when you write, or study the chart in this section.

Choosing the proper words leaves a positive impression on your readers.

Writing Application

Review the latest assignment you completed for school or for work. Does it contain any commonly confused words? Circle each example and use the circled words to begin your own checklist of commonly confused words. Continue to add to your checklist each time you complete an assignment and find a misused word.

2.2 Spelling

Learning Objectives

• Identify common spelling rules
• Identify commonly misused homonyms
• Identify commonly misspelled words

One essential aspect of good writing is accurate spelling. With computer spell checkers at your disposal, spelling may seem simple, but these programs fail to catch every error. Spell checkers identify some errors, but writers still have to consider the flagged words and suggested replacements. Writers are still responsible for the errors that remain.

For example, if the spell checker highlights a word that is misspelled and gives you a list of alternative words, you may choose a word that you never intended even though it is spelled correctly. This can change the meaning of your sentence. It can also confuse readers, making them lose interest. Computer spell checkers are useful editing tools, but they can never replace human knowledge of spelling rules, homonyms, and commonly misspelled words.

Common Spelling Rules

The best way to master new words is to understand the key spelling rules. Keep in mind, however, that some spelling rules carry exceptions. A spell checker may catch these exceptions, but knowing them yourself will prepare you to spell accurately on the first try. You may want to try memorizing each rule and its exception like you would memorize a rhyme or lyrics to a song.

achieve, niece, alien

receive, deceive

When words end in a consonant plusy, drop the y and add an i before adding another ending.

happy + er = happier

cry + ed = cried

When words end in a vowel plusy, keep the y and add the ending.

delay + ed = delayed

Memorize the following exceptions to this rule: day, lay, say, pay = daily, laid, said, paid

When adding an ending that begins with a vowel, such as –able, –ence, –ing, or –ity, drop the last e in a word.

write + ing = writing

pure + ity = purity

When adding an ending that begins with a consonant, such as –less, –ment, or –ly, keep the last e in a word.hope + less = hopeless
advertise + ment = advertisementFor many words ending in a consonant and ano, add –s when using the plural form.photo + s = photossoprano + s = sopranos

Add –esto words that end ins,ch,sh, and x.
church + es = churches

fax + es = faxes

Self-Practice EXERCISE 2.3

Identify and correct the nine misspelled words in the following paragraph.
Sherman J. Alexie Jr. was born in October 1966. He is a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian and an American writer, poet, and filmmaker. Alexie was born with hydrocephalus, or water on the brain. This condition led doctors to predict that he would likly suffer long-term brain damage and possibly mental retardation. Although Alexie survived with no mental disabilitys, he did suffer other serious side effects from his condition that plagud him throughout his childhood. Amazingly, Alexie learned to read by the age of three, and by age five he had read novels such as John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Raised on an Indian reservation, Alexie often felt aleinated from his peers due to his avid love for reading and also from the long-term effects of his illness, which often kept him from socializeing with his peers on the reservation. The reading skills he displaid at such a young age foreshadowed what he would later become. Today Alexie is a prolific and successful writer with several story anthologeis to his credit, noteably The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and The Toughest Indian in the World. Most of his fiction is about contemporary Native Americans who are influenced by pop culture and powwows and everything in between. His work is sometimes funny but always thoughtful and full of richness and depth. Alexie also writes poetry, novels, and screenplays. His latest collection of storys is called War Dances, which came out in 2009.

Collaboration: Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Tip

Use these eight tips to improve your spelling skills:

Read the words in your assignment carefully, and avoid skimming over the page. Focusing on your written assignment word by word will help you pay close attention to each word’s spelling. Skimming quickly, you may overlook misspelled words.

Use mnemonic devices to remember the correct spelling of words. Mnemonic devices, or memory techniques and learning aids, include inventive sayings or practices that help you remember. For example, the saying “It is important to be a beautiful person inside and out” may help you remember that beautiful begins with “be a.” The practice of pronouncing the word Wednesday Wed-nes-day may help you remember how to spell the word correctly.

Use a dictionary. Many professional writers rely on the dictionary—either in print or online. If you find it difficult to use a regular dictionary, ask your instructor to help you find a “poor speller’s dictionary.”

Use your computer’s spell checker. The spell checker will not solve all your spelling problems, but it is a useful tool. See the introduction to this section for cautions about spell checkers.

Keep a list of frequently misspelled words. You will often misspell the same words again and again, but do not let this discourage you. All writers struggle with the spellings of certain words; they become aware of their spelling weaknesses and work to improve. Be aware of which words you commonly misspell, and you can add them to a list to learn to spell them correctly.

Look over corrected papers for misspelled words. Add these words to your list and practise writing each word four to five times. Writing teachers will especially notice which words you frequently misspell, and it will help you excel in your classes if they see your spelling improve.

Test yourself with flash cards. Sometimes the old-fashioned methods are best, and for spelling, this tried-and-true technique has worked for many students. You can work with a peer or alone.

Review the common spelling rules explained in this chapter. Take the necessary time to master the material; you may return to the rules in this chapter again and again, as needed.

Tip

Remember to focus on spelling during the editing and revising step of the writing process. Start with the big ideas such as organizing your piece of writing and developing effective paragraphs, and then work your way down toward the smaller—but equally important—details like spelling and punctuation.

Homonyms

Homonyms are words that sound like one another but have different meanings.

Commonly Misused Homonyms

Lead, Led

Lead (noun). A type of metal used in pipes and batteries.
The lead pipes in my homes are old and need to be replaced.

Led (verb). The past tense of the verb lead.
After the garden, she led the patrons through the museum.

Lessen, Lesson

Lessen (verb). To reduce in number, size, or degree.
My dentist gave me medicine to lessen the pain of my aching tooth.

Lesson (noun). A reading or exercise to be studied by a student.
Today’s lesson was about mortgage interest rates.

Passed, Past

Passed (verb). To go away or move.
He passed the slower cars on the road using the left lane.

Past (noun). Having existed or taken place in a period before the present.
The argument happened in the past, so there is no use in dwelling on it.

Patience, Patients

Patience (noun). The capacity of being patient (waiting for a period of time or enduring pains and trials calmly).
The novice teacher’s patience with the unruly class was astounding.

Patients (plural noun). Individuals under medical care.
The patients were tired of eating the hospital food, and they could not wait for a home-cooked meal.

Peace, Piece

Peace (noun). A state of tranquility or quiet.
For once, there was peace between the argumentative brothers.

Piece (noun). A part of a whole.
I would like a large piece of cake, thank you.

Principle, Principal

Principle (noun). A fundamental concept that is accepted as true.
The principle of human equality is an important foundation for all nations.

Principal (noun). The original amount of debt on which interest is calculated.
The payment plan allows me to pay back only the principal amount, not any compounded interest.

Principal (noun). A person who is the main authority of a school.
The principal held a conference for both parents and teachers.

Sees, Seas, Seize

Sees (verb). To perceive with the eye.
He sees a whale through his binoculars.

Seas (plural noun). The plural of sea, a great body of salt water.
The tidal fluctuation of the oceans and seas are influenced by the moon.

Seize (verb). To possess or take by force.
The king plans to seize all the peasants’ land.

Threw, Through

Threw (verb). The past tense of throw.
She threw the football with perfect form.

Through (preposition). A word that indicates movement.
She walked through the door and out of his life.

Where, Wear, Ware

Where (adverb). The place in which something happens.
Where is the restaurant?

Wear (verb). To carry or have on the body.
I will wear my hiking shoes when go on a climb tomorrow morning.

Ware (noun). Articles of merchandise or manufacture (usually, wares).
When I return from shopping, I will show you my wares.

Which, Witch

Which (pronoun). Replaces one out of a group.
Which apartment is yours?

Witch (noun). A person who practises sorcery or who has supernatural powers.
She thinks she is a witch, but she does not seem to have any powers.

Self-Practice EXERCISE 2.4

Complete the following sentences by selecting the correct homonym.

Do you agree with the underlying ________(principle, principal) that ensures copyrights are protected in the digital age?
I like to ________(where, wear, ware) unique clothing from thrift stores that do not have company logos on them.
Marjorie felt like she was being ________(led, lead) on a wild goose chase, and she did not like it one bit.
Serina described ________(witch, which) house was hers, but now that I am here, they all look the same.
Seeing his friend without a lunch, Miguel gave her a ________(peace, piece) of his apple.
Do you think that it is healthy for mother to talk about the ________(passed, past) all the time?
Eating healthier foods will ________(lessen, lesson) the risk of heart disease.
Daniela ________(sees, seas, seize) possibilities in the bleakest situations, and that it is why she is successful.
Everyone goes ________(through, threw) hardships in life regardless of who they are.

Collaboration: Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Commonly Misspelled Words

Table 2.1: Commonly Misspelled Words provides a list of commonly misspelled words. You probably use these words every day in either speaking or writing. Each word has a segment in bold type that indicates the problem area of the word that is often spelled incorrectly. Refer to this list as needed before, during, and after you write.

Tip

Use these two techniques to help you master these troublesome words:

Copy each word a few times and underline the problem area.

Copy the words onto flash cards and have a friend test you.

Table 2.1 Commonly Misspelled Words

across	address	answer	argument	athlete	beginning	behaviour	calendar
career	conscience	crowded	definite	describe	desperate	different	disappoint
disapprove	eighth	embarrass	environment	exaggerate	familiar	finally	government
grammar	height	illegal	immediate	important	integration	intelligent	interest
interfere	jewellery	judgment	knowledge	maintain	mathematics	meant	necessary
nervous	occasion	opinion	optimist	particular	perform	personnel	possess
possible	prefer	prejudice	privilege	probably	psychology	pursue	reference
rhythm	ridiculous	separate	speech	similar	since	strength	success
surprise	taught	temperature	thorough	thought	tired	until	weight
written	writing

Self-Practice EXERCISE 2.5

Identify and correct the 10 commonly misspelled words in the following passage.

Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs that make up New York City. It is located on the eastern shore of Long Island directly accross the East River from the island of Manhattan. Its beginings stretch back to the 16th century when it was founded by the Dutch who originally called it “Breuckelen.” Immedietely after the Dutch settled Brooklyn, it came under British rule. However, neither the Dutch nor the British were Brooklyn’s first inhabitants. When European settlers first arrived, Brooklyn was largely inhabited by the Lenapi, a collective name for several organized bands of Native American people who settled a large area of land that extended from upstate New York through the entire state of New Jersey. They are sometimes referred to as the Delaware Indians. Over time, the Lenapi succumbed to European diseases or conflicts between European settlers or other Native American enemies. Finalley, they were pushed out of Brooklyn completely by the British.

In 1776, Brooklyn was the site of the first importent battle of the American Revolution known as the Battle of Brooklyn. The colonists lost this battle, which was led by George Washington, but over the next two years they would win the war, kicking the British out of the colonies once and for all.

By the end of the 19th century, Brooklyn grew to be a city in its own right. The completion of the Brooklyn Bridge was an ocasion for celebration; transportation and commerce between Brooklyn and Manhattan now became much easier. Eventually, in 1898, Brooklyn lost its seperate identity as an independent city and became one of five boroughs of New York City. However, in some people’s opinien, the intagration into New York City should have never happened; they though Brooklyn should have remained an independant city.

Collaboration: Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Writing at Work

In today’s job market, writing emails has become a means by which many people find employment. Emails to prospective employers require thoughtful word choice, accurate spelling, and perfect punctuation. Employers’ inboxes are inundated with countless emails daily. If even the subject line of an email contains a spelling error, it will likely be overlooked and someone else’s email will take priority.

The best thing to do after you proofread an email to an employer and run the spell checker is to have an additional set of eyes go over it with you; one of your teachers may be able to read the email and give you suggestions for improvement. Most colleges and universities have writing centres, which may also be able to assist you.

Key Takeaways

Accurate, error-free spelling enhances your credibility with the reader.

Mastering the rules of spelling may help you become a better speller.

Knowing the commonly misused homonyms may prevent spelling errors.

Studying the list of commonly misspelled words in this chapter, or studying a list of your own, is one way to improve your spelling skills.

Writing Application

What is your definition of a successful person? Is it based on a person’s profession or character? Perhaps success means a combination of both. In one paragraph, describe in detail what you think makes a person successful. When you are finished, proofread your work for spelling errors. Exchange papers with a partner and read each other’s work. See if you catch any spelling errors that your partner missed.

2.3 Word Choice

Learning Objectives

• Identify the reasons why using a dictionary and thesaurus is important when writing
• Identify how to use proper connotations
• Identify how to avoid using slang, clichés, and overly general words in your writing

Effective writing involves making conscious word choices. When you prepare to sit down to write your first draft, you likely have already completed some freewriting exercises, chosen your topic, developed your thesis statement, written an outline, and even selected your sources. When it is time to write your first draft, start to consider which words to use to best convey your ideas to the reader.

Some writers are picky about word choice as they start drafting. They may practise some specific strategies, such as using a dictionary and thesaurus, using words and phrases with proper connotations, and avoiding slang, clichés, and overly general words.

Once you understand these tricks of the trade, you can move ahead confidently in writing your assignment. Remember, the skill and accuracy of your word choice is a major factor in developing your writing style. Precise selection of your words will help you be more clearly understood—in both writing and speaking.

Using a Dictionary and Thesaurus

Even professional writers need help with the meanings, spellings, pronunciations, and uses of particular words. In fact, they rely on dictionaries to help them write better. No one knows every word in the English language and their multiple uses and meanings, so all writers, from novices to professionals, can benefit from the use of dictionaries.

Most dictionaries provide the following information:

• Spelling: How the word and its different forms are spelled
• Pronunciation: How to say the word
• Part of speech: The function of the word
• Definition: The meaning of the word
• Synonyms: Words that have similar meanings
• Etymology: The history of the word

Look at the following sample dictionary entry and see which of the preceding information you can identify:

myth, mith, n. [Gr. mythos, a word, a fable, a legend.] A fable or legend embodying the convictions of a people as to their gods or other divine beings, their own beginnings and early history and the heroes connected with it, or the origin of the world; any invented story; something or someone having no existence in fact.—myth • ic, myth • i • cal

Like a dictionary, a thesaurus is another indispensable writing tool. A thesaurus gives you a list of synonyms—words that have the same (or close to the same) meaning as another word. It also lists antonyms—words with the opposite meaning of the word. A thesaurus will help you when you are looking for the perfect word with just the right meaning to convey your ideas. It will also help you learn more words and use the ones you already know more correctly. Look at the following thesaurus entry:

precocious adj, She’s such a precocious little girl!: uncommonly smart, mature, advanced, smart, bright, brilliant, gifted, quick, clever, apt.

Ant. slow, backward, stupid.

Using Proper Connotations

A denotation is the dictionary definition of a word. A connotation, on the other hand, is the emotional or cultural meaning attached to a word. The connotation of a word can be positive, negative, or neutral. Keep in mind the connotative meaning when choosing a word. Look at the examples below:

Scrawny

Denotation: Exceptionally thin and slight or meagre in body or size.

Word used in a sentence: Although he was a premature baby and a scrawny child, Martin has developed into a strong man.

Connotation: (Negative) In this sentence the word scrawny may have a negative connotation in the readers’ minds. They might find it to mean a weakness or a personal flaw; however, the word fits into the sentence appropriately.

Skinny

Denotation: Lacking sufficient flesh, very thin.

Word used in a sentence: Skinny jeans have become very fashionable in the past couple of years.

Connotation: (Positive) Based on cultural and personal impressions of what it means to be skinny, the reader may have positive connotations of the word skinny.

Lean

Denotation: Lacking or deficient in flesh; containing little or no fat.

Word used in a sentence: My brother has a lean figure, whereas I have a more muscular build.

Connotation: (Neutral) In this sentence, lean has a neutral connotation. It does not call to mind an overly skinny person like the word scrawny, nor does imply the positive cultural impressions of the word skinny. It is merely a neutral descriptive word.

Notice that all the words have a very similar denotation; however, the connotations of each word differ.

Self-Practice-EXERCISE 2.6

In each of the following list items, you will find words with similar denotations. Identify the words’ connotations as positive, negative, or neutral by writing the word in the appropriate box. Use the table below.

curious, nosy, interested
lazy, relaxed, slow
courageous, foolhardy, assured
new, newfangled, modern
mansion, shack, residence
spinster, unmarried woman, career woman
giggle, laugh, cackle
boring, routine, prosaic
noted, notorious, famous
assertive, confident, pushy

Positive

Negative

Neutral

Avoiding Slang

Slang describes informal words that are considered nonstandard English. Slang often changes with passing fads and may be used by or familiar to only a specific group of people. Most people use slang when they speak and in personal correspondence, such as emails, text messages, and instant messages.

Slang is appropriate between friends in an informal context but should be avoided in formal academic writing.

Writing at Work

Frequent exposure to media and popular culture has desensitized many of us to slang. In certain situations, using slang at work may not be problematic, but keep in mind that words can have a powerful effect. Slang in professional emails or during meetings may convey the wrong message or even mistakenly offend someone.

Self-Practice EXERCISE 2.7

Edit the following paragraph by replacing the slang words and phrases with more formal language. Rewrite the paragraph on your own sheet of paper.

I felt like such an airhead when I got up to give my speech. As I walked toward the podium, I banged my knee on a chair. Man, I felt like such a klutz. On top of that, I kept saying “like” and “um,” and I could not stop fidgeting. I was so stressed out about being up there. I feel like I’ve been practising this speech 24/7, and I still bombed. It was 10 minutes of me going off about how we sometimes have to do things we don’t enjoy doing. Wow, did I ever prove my point. My speech was so bad I’m surprised that people didn’t boo. My teacher said not to sweat it, though. Everyone gets nervous his or her first time speaking in public, and she said, with time, I would become a whiz at this speech giving stuff. I wonder if I have the guts to do it again.

Collaboration: Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Avoiding Clichés

Clichés are descriptive expressions that have lost their effectiveness because they are overused. Writing that uses clichés often suffers from a lack of originality and insight. Avoiding clichés in formal writing will help you write in original and fresh ways.

Clichéd: Whenever my brother and I get into an argument, he always says something that makes my blood boil.

Plain: Whenever my brother and I get into an argument, he always says something that makes me really angry.

Original: Whenever my brother and I get into an argument, he always says something that makes me want to go to the gym and punch the bag for a few hours.

Tip

Think about all the cliché phrases that you hear in popular music or in everyday conversation. What would happen if these clichés were transformed into something unique?

Self-Practice EXERCISE 2.8

On your own sheet of paper, revise the following sentences by replacing the clichés with fresh, original descriptions.

She is writing a memoir in which she will air her family’s dirty laundry.
Fran had an axe to grind with Benny, and she planned to confront him that night at the party.
Mr. Muller was at his wit’s end with the rowdy class of seventh graders.
The bottom line is that Greg was fired because he missed too many days of work.
Sometimes it is hard to make ends meet with just one paycheque.
My brain is fried from pulling an all-nighter.
Maria left the dishes in the sink all week to give Jeff a taste of his own medicine.
While they were at the carnival, Janice exclaimed, “Time sure does fly when you are having fun!”
Jeremy became tongue-tied after the interviewer asked him where he saw himself in five years.

Avoiding Overly General Words

Specific words and images make your writing more interesting to read. Whenever possible, avoid overly general words in your writing; instead, try to replace general language with particular nouns, verbs, and modifiers that convey details and that bring yours words to life. Add words that provide colour, texture, sound, and even smell to your writing.

General: My new puppy is cute.

General: My teacher told us that plagiarism is bad.

Specific: My teacher, Ms. Atwater, created a presentation detailing exactly how plagiarism is illegal and unethical.

Self-practice EXERCISE 2.9

Revise the following sentences by replacing the overly general words with more precise and attractive language. Write the new sentences on your own sheet of paper.

Reilly got into her car and drove off.
I would like to travel to outer space because it would be amazing.
Jane came home after a bad day at the office.
I thought Milo’s essay was fascinating.
The dog walked up the street.
The coal miners were tired after a long day.
The tropical fish are pretty.
I sweat a lot after running.
The goalie blocked the shot.
I enjoyed my Mexican meal.

Key Takeaways

• Using a dictionary and thesaurus as you write will improve your writing by improving your word choice.
• Connotations of words may be positive, neutral, or negative.
• Slang, clichés, and overly general words should be avoided in academic writing.

Writing Application

Review a piece of writing that you have completed for school. Circle any sentences with slang, clichés, or overly general words and rewrite them using stronger language.

2.4 Angle of Vision

Learning Objectives

• Identify how different wording can change angles of vision and impact on readers
• Apply techniques to demonstrate different angles of vision and create objective writing

On occasion, you will be asked to write an emotionally expressive or sensory piece—something like your journal entries. However, during your academic studies, your instructors will ask you to write essays that are fact based and academic in tone. This means you will only be able to show your opinions by the choice of ideas you discuss and how you present your evidence. Your instructors will expect you to compose emotion-free papers, which means you have to choose your words carefully. When you write pieces full of emotion without facts, the reader is less likely to trust your argument. Imagine that you feel very strongly on an issue but do not use facts to support your argument. What if the reader disagrees with you? Since you have not provided factual supporting evidence, the reader will not be convinced of your point of view.

In this section, we will explore the impact of emotional writing and the impact on the reader; we will also explore word choices and their possible connotations. To begin, look at the two passages in Self-Practice Exercise 2.10 showing different angles of vision or points of view.

Self-practice EXERCISE 2.10

This exercise will show you how simple changes in word choice and a writer using a lot of personal opinion will impact the reader. Look at the two passages below then answer the questions.

Passage 1
What a glorious day! The beautiful sun is shining down on those basking, hoping to absorb its wonderful rays. The surf is playfully nudging the young children who are frolicking in the waves. A group of smiling young people laugh joyously as they plan an exciting game of volleyball. As I watch their rousing game, I enjoy the feel of the warm sand playing between my toes. I love summer at the beach!

Passage 2
It is way too hot! The sun is beating down on all those foolish enough to think it is healthy to get a suntan. They will be sorry when they burn. I keep seeing unsupervised children getting knocked down by the strong waves, and their negligent parents are nowhere to be seen. Nearby, some rowdy teenagers keep laughing obnoxiously every time one in their group misses the volleyball; they are really terrible volleyball players. I would like to move from where I am sitting, but the sand is scorching hot and will burn my feet. I wish I had stayed home!

Questions

What are the differences in the physical setting that these passages are describing? Are they in different locations or happening at different times of day? Are there different people involved?

What evidence beyond sensory perceptions and personal opinion do the writers provide?

Which one are you more likely to agree with? Why? Is this because it matches your personal opinion of the beach or because it is combined with supporting facts?

It is clear that the two authors like or appreciate conditions and experiences differently. In Passage 1, the writer likes warm weather and does not mind noise, but in Passage 2, the writer would probably prefer to be at home in air conditioning. Ultimately, the passage that you connect with more is probably based on how you personally feel about going to the beach. Because the passages are based solely on opinion, there is nothing in them to convince the reader that other perspectives or angles of vision are valid. This is why you need to use facts to back up your ideas when writing (and of course include citations, which are discussed in Chapter 9: Citations and Referencing). However, before we look at objective, fact-based writing, your first assignment will give you an opportunity to practise choosing your words to show differing perspectives; it will also help you to see how changing words can completely change the effect of the writing.

Assignment 1: angles of vision (2.5%)

Choose a place where you can sit and observe for 15 to-20 minutes. Then write a focused description of the scene that will enable the reader to see what you see. You will actually have to write two descriptions of the same scene. One will be of the scene from a positive or favourable perspective; the other needs to convey a negative or unfavourable impression.

Both descriptions must contain only factual details and must describe exactly the same scene from the same location at the same time. This means that you cannot just change the facts like making the weather cloudy instead of sunny; your descriptive words need to do the work for you. Length: combined total of 300 to 400 words.

You can start with either the positive or negative paragraph, but remember, you do not want to just substitute antonyms, or opposite words, when writing from the opposite angle. You want to step back from the scene, so to speak, and visualize how aspects of what you are experiencing or witnessing would appear to someone who did not feel the same way you do.

You need to submit this assignment to your instructor for marking. (2.5%)

Assignment 1 shows you that changing your wording even slightly can completely change the impact or effect. This exercise also showed you an example of subjective writing—something that is writer centred often based on the writer’s sensory perceptions or emotions.

We have also talked about how the reader’s angle of vision may differ from the writer’s, and since there are no facts to give the reader a solid and believable perspective, the reader could be unconvinced. Now, we will look at an objective, or quantifiable, factual/scientific, example of the same type of passage.

Self-practice EXERCISE 2.11

This exercise will show you how simple changes in word choice and a writer using a lot of personal opinion will impact the reader. Look at the two passages below then answer the questions.

Objective passage

On the morning of Saturday, June 10, I decided to visit the beach. The sky was clear with no clouds visible in the sky. I arrived at the beach at about 12:30, and it was already quite warm. I had to drive with the windows open, and it read 25C on the car’s temperature display. Just before getting out of the car, I remembered to grab my 30 SPF sunscreen because I got burned so badly last year, and I do not want to experience that blistering again this year. In front of me, there were five children who were about six years old playing in the foot-high waves; it looked like their parents were sitting watching them carefully from about four metres away probably just in case the waves got too high and they needed to dash to their children quickly. I chose a spot 10 metres to the right away from a group of young people, maybe 16 years old, playing volleyball, close enough to watch them having fun but far away enough to not get hit by any stray balls. These teenagers must have been playing just for fun because it seemed like someone missed every second ball, and the entire group started laughing when they did. Thankfully I wore my sandals, so I could feel the warmth of the sand between my toes but protect my feet in case the sand got too hot.

Questions

How is this passage different from the subjective examples in Self-Practice Exercise 2.10?
What evidence beyond sensory perceptions and personal opinion does the writer provide?
Is the passage more positive or negative? Does it discuss both good and bad things? What is different about how the different perspectives are presented?

In the passage above, the writer has presented both positive and negative situations, but the language she used is neutral and without judgment. The writer has linked bad past experiences and put a positive spin on them or was able to see possible negatives but also present solutions. She also provided enough detail (measurements, temperatures, distances, etc.) to present a more complete description, so the reader could visualize where everyone was situated in the scene, how hot it was, how high the waves were. Essentially, the writer presented a complete, unemotional, and objective perspective that is supported by quantifiable evidence.

2.5 Reading Comprehension Techniques

Learning Objectives

• Recognize patterns and identify key words to differentiate between main and supporting ideas
• Apply pattern identification words to reinforce understanding of main ideas
• Make inferences from implied information

In the last chapter, we looked at ways to approach reading to help you understand, process, analyze, synthesize, and, ultimately, remember information better. In this chapter, we will take this a step further by developing your skills in how to understand the material you read by helping you to distinguish the main ideas in a passage from the more specific supporting details. One way to do this is to recognize patterns, which will help you organize your thinking in systematic ways that parallel the presentation in the source. Key terms for such patterns are:

• Main/controlling ideas (located in topic sentences)
• Key details (located within paragraphs)
• Patterns (form the structure of the paragraph or section)
• Inferences (are not usually written and must be concluded by the reader)

Many people read to remember everything and do not distinguish between key concepts, key supporting details, positions relative to these concepts, and inferences that can be drawn. Creating a road map with these highlights helps you both to understand and to remember what you read. This section includes a few exercises to practise identifying the main and supporting ideas in passages representing the different patterns.

Reading for Main Ideas and Details

Creating or identifying main ideas is like creating a skeleton that holds all the rest of the information together—creating a body. Key facts are like muscles. The point of view and its implications are like the blood that gives life to the body. Some main ideas are directly stated; others are implied, and you must infer a statement yourself. When you read, you can identify the main idea of a paragraph, section, chapter, or book by asking yourself the following questions:

• What is the topic or subject matter? What/who is this about?
• What am I supposed to understand about this? (This is the idea about the topic.)
• Are there any sentences that help clarify what I am supposed to understand about the topic? (Often the first or last sentence will state the main idea.)
• How do I know for sure? All the important information in the paragraph is covered by the main idea sentence. Does it help me to understand what is being said about the topic?

Self-practice EXERCISE 2.12

Read the three passages below and identify the main idea in each. With the first two examples, the controlling idea is directly stated. Identify the main idea in both (expressed in the topic sentence).

In the third passage, the main idea in the third passage is implied: choose the statement from the list given that best represents the entire paragraph and then explain why the other three statements do not work.

Passage 1: Identify the main idea in this paragraph.

When we think about it, is there really something that we can call “the public”? The population of communities is really made up of a set of publics. The needs and interests of a population are uniform on only the broadest matters, such as health and the security of the person and his or her property. Beyond those very broad areas of policy, needs and interests differ, sometimes very markedly, and sometimes in ways that cause conflict between competing interests. It is highly unlikely that diverse needs or interests of all groups or individuals can all be satisfied at the same time. Thus, industrial firms that produce hazardous wastes may need sites to dispose of such undesirable by-products. Such firms can be thought of as one “public.” and it is apparent that their need will conflict with the interests of another public—the people who live near the proposed disposal site.

Main idea:

__________________________________________________________________

Passage 2: Identify the main idea in this paragraph.
Marketing research is a major component or subsystem within a marketing information system. It is used in a very wide variety of marketing situations. Typically, in a marketing research study the problem to be solved is first identified. Then a researcher decides whether to use secondary or primary sources of information. To gather primary data, the researcher may use the survey, observation, or experimental method. Normally, primary data are gathered by sampling. Then the data are analyzed, and a written report is prepared.

Main idea:

__________________________________________________________________

Passage 3: Identify the implied main point in this paragraph.

According to psychiatrist Richard Moscotti, the ability to work well is one key to a balanced life. He feels both underworking and overworking are to be avoided. A second key is the ability to love, which requires a certain amount of openness. The ability to be loved is the third key to a balanced life. This is difficult for those who feel unworthy of love. The last key is the ability to play, which involves knowing how to relax.

Main idea:

• The first key to a balanced life, according to Moscotti, is the ability to work well.
• According to Moscotti, some people having trouble receiving love.
• The final key to a balanced life, according to Moscotti, is the ability to play.
• According to Moscotti, there are four keys to a balanced life.

State why the other three answers are not the unstated main idea.

Reasons:

• _____________________________________________________________
• _____________________________________________________________
• _____________________________________________________________

Here are the answers:

Passage 1 main idea: The population of communities is really made up of a set of publics.
Passage 2 main Idea: Marketing research is a major component or subsystem within a marketing information system.
Passage 3 main idea (implied): According to psychiatrist Richard Moscotti, the ability to work well is one key to a balanced life (main elements: psychiatrist, R.M., four keys, balanced life).

D is the answer: The unstated main idea is that, according to Moscotti, there are four keys to a balanced life.
A: Too detailed to be the main idea; it expresses just one key
B: A detail of the third key
C: Too detailed to be the main idea; it is only one of four keys

Examples taken from: Langan, J. & Kay, G. (1989). Ten Steps to Building College Reading Skills. Marlton, NJ: Townsend Press.

How did you do? Were you able to identify which were the more general statements from the supporting details? Most of the time, the topic sentence (= the controlling/main idea) is at or near the beginning of the paragraph, but sometimes it is not. Always remember that when identifying the topic sentence, all of the other ideas in that paragraph need to be an example or detail relating to that main point. If one of the ideas does not fit, either you have chosen a statement or idea that is too specific (or the writer did not create a strong topic sentence in the paragraph). When we look at creating paragraphs and topic sentences in the next chapter, you will learn what creates a strong topic sentence, and this will help you with identifying them in the future.

Reading for Patterns

Depending on the writer’s purpose and the information being shared, there are four general groupings by which information is organized:

• Definitions, details, and illustrations
• Time sequences, process descriptions, experiment/instructions, and simple listing
• Comparison and contrast
• Cause and effect

Reading for Key Details

Some details are more important than others in explaining, supporting, or developing the main idea. Others are further illustrations of details.

Table 2.2: Key Words for Identifying Idea Patterns shows key words you can use to help you identify patterns with ideas in relation to the four groupings listed above. Whichever words from whichever group are used, they will help the reader follow the logical organization of the material.

Purpose	Key Words
Definitions, details, and Illustrations Usually when you see these, a definition or concept preceded it.	for example for instance as an illustration to illustrate	such as to be specific specifically including one
Time sequence, process description, experiment/instructions, simple listing Some of these can be used to both show sequence in time and ideas.	Time order	Additive listing
first, second, third, etc. then, since, next, before, after, as soon as, now, until, later, while, during, when, finally	also, another, and, in addition, moreover, next, first of all, first, second, furthermore, last of all, finally
Compare and contrast	Compare	Contrast
similarly similar to just as with in comparison likewise like liken both compared to in the same way in a similar fashion	on the other hand conversely rather on the contrary but however alternatively differ instead of in contrast to despite nevertheless
Cause and effect	thus because because of causes as a result results in result	affects therefore since leads to brings about consequently

Table 2.2: Key Words for Identifying Idea Patterns categorizes key words that can help you identify main and supporting ideas when you are reading. You will also need to apply these throughout the rest of the chapters when developing sentences, paragraphs, and essays. In Chapter 12: Final Revisions and Peer Review, we will look at the punctuation that you need to use with these words.

The next exercises will give you opportunities to practise identifying the main and key ideas in paragraphs.

Self-practice EXERCISE 2.13

Survey, read, and identify the main points and key details in this paragraph.

Eidetic imagery is the technical term for what most people know as photographic memory. People with eidetic imagery can recall every detail of a memory as clearly as if they were looking at a photograph. People often wish they had this ability, but it can lead to trouble. For example, a law student with eidetic imagery was accused of cheating on an examination because his test paper contained exactly the words in his textbook. To prove his innocence, he studied an unfamiliar passage for five minutes and then wrote down more than 400 words from it without making a mistake.

Here are the answers:
Main term: eidetic imagery
Definition: photographic memory
Details: can recall every detail of a memory as clearly as if they were looking at a paragraph
Example: a law student with eidetic imagery was accused of cheating on an examination because his test paper contained exactly the words in his textbook.
Example taken from: Langan, J. & Kay, G. (1989). Ten Steps to Building College Reading Skills. Marlton, NJ: Townsend Press.

Self-practice EXERCISE 2.14

Highlight the several effects caused by the condition described.

Suffering from debilitating guilt causes many self-defeating behaviours in adulthood. We see adults submitting to the outrageous demands of partners or employers. We see individuals who appear to be constantly angry and then, almost immediately, guilty. We see adults who have felt lifelong depression. The rage felt when shamed in childhood and when suffering from debilitating shame in adulthood is turned against the self because of the dependency on the other for survival. When we are rejected in adulthood by a mate or lover, the feelings we experience are anger at being rejected. Furthermore, if we suffer from debilitating shame, we have not been able to gain autonomy. We continue to feel dependent upon attachment figures. It is from them, from their feelings, attitudes and opinions of us, that we feel worthwhile. To be angry at someone depended upon for survival causes us enormous guilt. Anger is redirected on the vulnerable self. We become trapped in a circular bind of shame, anger, anxiety, guilt, and depression.

Here are the answers:

• childhood shame
• rage
• anger turned against self out of guilt
• dependence on others opinions of us for worth
• rejection or outrageous demands from partners or employers
• anger
• guilt
• anger turned against self, resulting in depression

Example taken from: Middleton-Moz, J. (1990). Shame & Guilt: Masters of Disguise. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications Inc., p.62.

Reading for Implications/Inferences: Tracing a Theme to its Conclusion

The methods of recognizing patterns discussed above are concrete and easy to identify. Inferences, on the other hand, are more subtle. When a writer implies something, he or she is giving hints but does not state the point directly. Think about a time, for example, when you had people visiting you at home; it was late, and you wanted them to leave. Did you ask them directly, “Hey, can you leave now”? Probably not, but you may have hinted that you had to wake up early in the morning, or you may have subtly yawned. Hopefully, those people picked up on your cues and inferred it was time to leave: meaning they put the pieces together to arrive at the conclusion you wanted them to leave, yet you did not say it directly.

When a writer does this, the reader may not actually pick up on the hints or maybe even interpret them differently. Sometimes readers make inferences that are based more on their own preferences and experience than on the information provided. This also means that two readers may interpret the same information differently because of differing individual experiences that led them to arrive at their conclusions. For you as a writer, you need to remember that it is your responsibility to give the readers everything they need in order for them to arrive at the conclusions you want them to make. If you are not direct, readers may be left confused or not catch your point.

There are also times that you as a reader will need to read passages requiring you to make inferences. The next exercises will help you to practise reading for inference. Remember, if your answers are different than the ones given, it means you interpreted the information differently and may have missed the author’s point. In these passages, you can also use a process of elimination and ask yourself statement best completes the passage.

Self-practice EXERCISE 2.15

Read each passage and choose the answer that best completes the thought of the passage. Think about why the other answers would not be a correct conclusion to the passage.

Check your answers against the key at the bottom of the exercise. If you missed an answer, look back and try to figure out why. What clues did you focus on? What did you miss?

• To a manufacturer, the wages paid to employees are a large portion of production expenses. The fact that wages also determine the buying power of the consumer is sometimes overlooked. In times of overproduction, the manufacturer tries to lower operating costs by decreasing the number of employees. This reduces expenditures of money in wages, but it also:
• maintains the status quo
• increases population
• raises costs
• reduces consumption
• Totally new cities that will be built in the future may be better planned than the large cities that already exist. Old cities were not properly planned for the great growth in population and industry that they have had, and many are in the process of tearing down and rebuilding large sections. This process is helping to improve some old cities—both large and small ones—but it does not give them the choice of complete city designing that will be available to:
• richer cities
• larger cities
• foreign cities
• new cities
• The director of this company believes that there is a growing awareness by management that business corporations are, and should be, guided by policies that are designed to satisfy human needs as well as material needs, and that there is nothing inconsistent between this and the making of:
• educational opportunities for workers
• good and satisfying profits
• political enemies in some quarters
• better opportunities for workers
• Knowledge and pleasure are inextricably interlocked. It is impossible for us to learn what we do not enjoy, and we cannot enjoy that which does not impart:
• a lesson
• a novelty
• a practical use
• strong emotion
• Oratory is to be best estimated on different principles from those that are applied to other productions. Truth is the object of philosophy and history. The merit of poetry is in its truth even though the truth is understood only through the imagination, which is aroused by poetry. The object of oratory is not truth but persuasion. A speaker who exhausts the whole philosophy of a question, who displays every grace of style, yet produces no effect on an audience, may be a great essayist, a great politician, a great master of composition, but:
• essentially a persuader
• not a poet
• essentially an orator
• not an orator

Here are the answers:
1. D
2. D
3. B
4. A
5. D

Exercises taken from: Science Research Associates. (1978). Reading for Comprehension Exercises. SRA Achievement Series. Chicago: Science Research Associates.

Check back if you missed any of the answers in this self-exercise. In which instances did you read into the passages your ideas when selecting an answer versus what is stated in the passage?

In the next chapter, we will practise taking these main ideas and supporting ideas and put them into our own words, or paraphrase, to compose summaries which are very useful not only for remembering and studying information before tests but also for looking at sources and incorporating the information in them into your essays—essentially providing backing evidence to make your arguments more convincing.

Journal entry #2

Write a paragraph or two responding to the following.

What did you notice about your writing style? Do you write more subjectively or objectively? Did you find that you struggled with one perspective or angle of vision over the other? What do you think you need to work on in regards to this?

Which, if any, of the spelling and word choice issues do think you will have to focus on throughout the semester and in your writing in general?

Reflect on the goals you set in Chapter 1. Is there anything you would like to add or already feel more confident with doing?

Remember as mentioned in the Assessment Descriptions in your syllabus:

• You will be expected to respond to the questions by reflecting on and discussing your experiences with the week’s material.
• When writing your journals, you should focus on freewriting—writing without (overly) considering formal writing structures—but you want to remember that it will be read by the instructor, who needs to be able to understand your ideas.
• Your instructor will be able to see if you have completed this entry by the end of the week but will not read all of the journals until week 6.

The rules of correct sentence structure are a closely guarded secret, which is why people get into deep water with the Courts and Legal system, according to DWM.

The best source for rules of correct sentence structure is DWM’s website and videos. These are Quantum Grammar Coach’s notes. Do you own research…

Jump here to the Syntax Key Code “Numbering System”, the Rules of Correct-Sentence-Structure-Communication-Parse-Syntax-Grammar, and using parts of speech.

By keeping people in ignorance, Governments and Courts can fleece the people, keeping you in bondage, with debts, banks loans, registration and licence fees, all by your own volition.

And ignorance of the law is no excuse, so by you not knowing about the rules of correct sentence structure, you continue entering in to contracts and sign documents that say nothing.

DWM claims that on 6 April 1988 he finally puts together all the pieces of a mathematical and grammatical puzzle to uncover this secret.

The secret of the rules of correct sentence structure all focus on the parts of speech and order of operations in math and language grammar. This, together with the fact that you make assumptions and presumptions every day, is the key to securing your freedom.

It’s very simple, says DWM. There are ten parts of speech, and around 12,000 words in the English language that most people commonly use.

In his over 90,000 hours of study, DWM creates a list of around 700 words for writing contracts and law suits that are water-tight and cannot create any source of argument or dispute.

Freedom and Rules of Correct Sentence Structure

By following these rules of correct sentence structure, you have power to stop and correct Government departments or agencies, or corporations who are seeking to take money or possessions by force.

DWM claims that without writing sentences using prepositional phrases, all Acts, Statutes, Codes, Rules and Regulations say nothing and have no factual basis. The reason for this is that every sentence contains adverbs, verbs, adjectives and pronouns, yet there are no facts or nouns.

Looking through any large dictionary, you will see that every letter of the alphabet is a noun. Every word, standing alone, is a noun.

When you follow the order of operations, and the rules of correct sentence structure, the positioning of words together changes their definitions. Parts of speech all follow rules.

Without International rules of grammar, there can be no international commerce, because all commerce begins with a contract. Every thing starts with a contract, whether it’s a verbal agreement, or something in writing.

For instance, you go to a coffee shop, and the waiter asks for your order. They make an offer, you accept, there’s an exchange, and that’s a contract.

Or you’re at home, and your child asks you to get a glass of water. There’s an offer, acceptance, and you hand over the glass of water, completing the contract.

In both situations, assumptions are made about the size of the container, the strength of the coffee, and temperature of the liquids.

Word Meanings In Correct Sentence Structure

Relationships of words in a sentence can change their meaning.

You can table a move, and you can move a table. The words, “Table” and “Move” don’t have the same meaning in both instances.

“Table a move” can mean you’re sitting in a board meeting, and someone calls for a vote to move premises, so they “table” the idea of making a move.

“Move a table” is perhaps a little more obvious, where you’re sitting in a café, and a friend joins you for a coffee, so you move one table closer to another table.

“The rabbit is ready to eat,” can mean the rabbit is hungry, and looking for some food. But that sentence can also mean dinner is ready and your host is announcing: “The rabbit is ready to eat!”

Now multiply the effect of such confusion in commercial contracts, and see how easy it is to create arguments that go in front of a judge and jury.

You think if lawyers are really acting in your best interest, they could write contracts avoiding such argument. Maybe they can, but they know there’s more money for them writing in adverb-verb, without using nouns or facts.

DWM tells a story about swapping “secrets” with a judge. Soon the judge lets it slip that all barristers, lawyers, attorneys and judges live by a “secret code” that states:

“No Law or Fact Shall Be Tried In Court”

And any barrister, lawyer, attorney or judge failing to follow this secret loses their licence to practice law.

Which leads us to parts of speech, and mathematical certification of grammar, proving there are no facts in any Acts, Statutes, Codes, Rules and Regulations.

Parts of Speech in a Sentence

DWM gives “values” to each of the ten parts of speech, and as you watch closely, you’ll see why.

1. The first one is the “ADVERB”; it modifies adverbs, verbs, adjectives and nouns. Next time you look at any legal sentence, write the number “1” (one) above every “THE”.

Then count the amount of the number “1” you find on one page.

Now if you’re thinking “table” is a noun, then you could be right, because it is an object, a thing. But with the adverb in front of it, the word “THE” modifies table to be a “verb”. Huh??

In law, if you change or modify something, then you’re adding your opinion, which is perjury. So the modification destroys the contract, meaning an adverb is a “no Contract” word.

2. The second of the parts of speech is “VERB”, which we give a value of “2” (two).

Your verb is what causes any action. And before you have any action, you first think about it. Since verb = action-thinking, in Correct Sentence Structure, there are only two verbs:
IS=SINGULAR,
ARE=PLURAL

So when a fact (Noun) changes (because of an adverb in front of it) into a verb, as in “the table”, with criminal volition, it’s a crime, because you create a “Gerund-Noun”, which means a “No – No”.

“No-Contract” Words In Sentence Structure

If your head’s spinning because this seems no[n]sense, while you think about classroom grammar lessons, you’ll love what comes next:

3. Third comes the “ADJECTIVE”, with a value of “3” (three). An adjective is also a modifier, because you use your opinion to describe, in this case, “the table”. If you say “The Red Table”, you’re deciding what colour the table is, where someone else may say the table is a magenta or crimson colour.

So again, when a fact (Noun) changes (because of an adjective in front of it) into a pronoun, as in “the red table”, with criminal volition, it’s a crime. Because you modify the state of the noun, it’s “colouring of the fact” which again breaks the contract. This means every time you introduce an adjective, you create a “No Contract” situation.

4. A Pronoun is an object, a place, or a person. “Table” is a pronoun. But let’s look at the word “pro-no-un”. “PRO” means “No” in any dictionary; “NO” means “No” in any language; and “UN” means “No.” So any word that’s a “pronoun” is a “No-No-No”, and is therefore not a fact.

As you apply the rules of correct sentence structure, you’ll now see how any legal [fiction] document contains no facts, only adverbs, verbs, adjectives and pronouns…

Because grammar rules say that any preposition, without an article or a noun becomes an adverb. And any article without a proposition or a noun, becomes an adverb.

Even though there’s 68 prepositions, and 38 articles in English Language, such as:

At, Am, Because, Before, By, Can, Come, Do, Does, From, He, Her, His, In, Just, Of, Over, It, She, Should, Some, Such, The, They, Their, Then, To, This, Those, Through, Under, etc. those same words can also be adverbs.

Prepositional Phrases In Correct Sentence Structure

So as DWM’s reading through huge volumes of dictionaries looking for the secrets to correct sentence structures, he remembers learning prepositional phrases as a child in an Amish Community school.

Because for a table to be a fact, it needs a position, and a location, otherwise it can be a verb, “table a motion,” in the example above.

5.“Position” or, if you like “Pre-position”, has the value of “5” (five).
The position gives the noun some terms, like the spelling, meaning, rules, and performance-methods.

6. For words commonly thought of as an “Article”, like “The”, or “A’, DWM uses the word “LODIAL”, with a value of 6 (six). The word LODIAL comes from LO=LOCATION, DI=ORIGINAL, AL=CONTRACT. Lodial means “Ownership from the beginning”, original-venue.

So when you have a [pre]position word, then an article word, you have a fact.

7. FACT [NOUN]= no-no, WITH A LINE OVER THE “OWN”=LODIAL

“For my table”, For = 5; my = 6; table = 7;

Now-Time Sentence Structure

You can never live in past time, only in the Now.

Time is always the present, and it is a gift, that we call “present”. Right now, you are reading this… you are not “right now” reading this “yesterday”.

Yesterday does not exist, and nor are you reading this tomorrow, because to-morrow is not here yet.

Since a valid contract must have full [dis]closure, any reference to something that may happen is purely “make-belief”, or “Fiction”. Right this exact second or minute, as you read this, nobody knows for sure what to-morrow will bring, or even if there will be a to-morrow. So how can we agree on an event that may never happen?

8.  PAST-TIME. Since past time comes before future time, “Past Time Tense” has the value of 8 (eight). Past time is not real, because it is not happening right this very second.

9. Future time comes after past time, so “Future Time” has the value of 9 (nine).

10. CONJUNCTION is the last of these parts of speech, has a value of zero (0), because it gives a choice. There are only two conjunctions, AND =COMMAND, DUTY; and OR=OPTION, CHOICE, EITHER.

5 – 6 – 7 Rules Correct Sentences

In math, to check the accuracy of a calculation, you read the equation start to finish, and then you start at the finish and work through to the front, as in

2 + 3 = 5    ||     5 – 3 = 2.

It’s with this logic that DWM opens the secret key to correct sentence structure, reading start to finish, and then finish to start, as in:

“For the bridge is OVER the river”, and “For the river is UNDER the bridge”, where OVER and UNDER are the opposite prepositions.

Here you have “position-article-noun – VERB (IS or ARE) – position-article-noun.”

Notice also, the sentence structure using the values above: 5-6-7 – 2 – 5–6-7 and taking the prepositional phrase (5-6-7) left to right is 5-6-7-2-5-6-7, and right to left is 5-6-7-2-5-6-7.

In both cases, the Now-Time claims are equal, and there are no adverbs, adjectives or pronouns mixing with the claim or causing any fraudulent parse syntax grammar.

With every sentence in DWM’s book, website, Contracts or Law suits, he follows the same pattern and rules of correct sentence structure, as follows:

FOR ……..   ………………. [5-6-7]
OF ……..   ………………. [5-6-7]

IS / ARE [2]

WITH ……..   ……………….[5-6-7]
OF ……..   ……………….[5-6-7]
WITH……..   ………………. [5-6-7]
OF ……..   ……………….[5-6-7]
WITH ……..   ……………….[5-6-7]
BY……..   ……………….. [5-6-7]

Frontwards: “For the positions in the now-Time-Tense with the same-plane ARE with the correct-positions-both-ways by an authority.”

And backwards: “For the authority of the correct-positions-both-ways ARE with the same-plane in the now-Time-Tense by the positions.”

Words not to use include “TO” and “From”, because you can never be charged in the future, and nor from the past beyond your birth-time.

DWM claims that when you apply this knowledge, you have power to stop and correct any Government departments, agencies, or corporations who are seeking to take money or possessions by force.

The best source to learn CSSCPSGP is by reading dwmlc.net, buying a copy of his book, and watching DWM videos.

With this technology you write contracts and law suits that are water-tight, stopping lawyers and judges in their tracks and admitting to their fraud. And there’s no wriggle room to create any source of argument or dispute, when you follow the correct order of operations and these rules of correct sentence structure.

1. What is Word Order?

Word order is important: it’s what makes your sentences make sense! So, proper word order is an essential part of writing and speaking—when we put words in the wrong order, the result is a confusing, unclear, and an incorrect sentence.

2.Examples of Word Order

Here are some examples of words put into the correct and incorrect order:

I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters at home. CORRECT

2 brothers and 2 sisters have I at home. INCORRECT

I am in middle school. CORRECT

In middle school I am. INCORRECT

How are you today? CORRECT

You are how today? INCORRECT

As you can see, it’s usually easy to see whether or not your words are in the correct order. When words are out of order, they stand out, and usually change the meaning of a sentence or make it hard to understand.

3. Types of Word Order

In English, we follow one main pattern for normal sentences and one main pattern for sentences that ask a question.

a. Standard Word Order

A sentence’s standard word order is Subject + Verb + Object (SVO). Remember, the subject is what a sentence is about; so, it comes first. For example:

The dog (subject) + eats (verb) + popcorn (object).

The subject comes first in a sentence because it makes our meaning clear when writing and speaking. Then, the verb comes after the subject, and the object comes after the verb; and that’s the most common word order. Otherwise, a sentence doesn’t make sense, like this:

Eats popcorn the dog. (verb + object + subject)

Popcorn the dog eats. (object + subject + verb)

B. Questions

When asking a question, we follow the order auxiliary verb/modal auxiliary + subject + verb (ASV). Auxiliary verbs and modal auxiliaries share meaning or function, many which are forms of the verb “to be.” Auxiliary verbs can change form, but modal auxiliaries don’t. Here’s a chart to help you:

As said, questions follow the form ASV; or, if they have an object, ASVO. Here are some examples:

Can he cook?  “Can” (auxiliary) “he” (subject) “cook” (verb)

Does your dog like popcorn?  “Does” (A) “your dog” (S) “like” (V) “popcorn” (O)

Are you burning the popcorn? “Are” (A) “you” (S) “burning” (V) “popcorn” (O)

4. Parts of Word Order

While almost sentences need to follow the basic SVO word order, we add other words, like indirect objects and modifiers, to make them more detailed.

a. Indirect Objects

When we add an indirect object, a sentence will follow a slightly different order. Indirect objects always come between the verb and the object, following the pattern SVIO, like this:

I fed the dog some popcorn.

This sentence has “I” (subject) “fed” (verb) “dog” (indirect object) “popcorn” (direct object).

b. Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases also have special positions in sentences. When we use the prepositions like “to” or “for,” then the indirect object becomes part of a prepositional phrase, and follows the order SVOP, like this:

I fed some popcorn to the dog.

Other prepositional phrases, determining time and location, can go at either the beginning or the end of a sentence:

            He ate popcorn at the fair.      -Or-     At the fair he ate popcorn.

      In the morning I will go home.            I will go home in the morning.

c. Adverbs

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, adding things like time, manner, degree; and often end in ly, like “slowly,” “recently,” “nearly,” and so on. As a rule, an adverb (or any modifier) should be as close as possible to the thing it is modifying. But, adverbs are special because they can usually be placed in more than one spot in the sentence and are still correct. So, there are rules about their placement, but also many exceptions.

In general, when modifying an adjective or adverb, an adverb should go before the word it modifies:

The dog was extremely hungry. CORRECT adverb modifies “hungry”

Extremely, the dog was hungry. INCORRECT misplaced adverb

The extremely dog was hungry. INCORRECT misplaced adverb

The dog was hungry extremely. INCORRECT misplaced adverb

As you can see, the word “extremely” only makes sense just before the adjective “hungry.” In this situation, the adverb can only go in one place.

When modifying a verb, an adverb should generally go right after the word it modifies, as in the first sentence below. BUT, these other uses are also correct, though they may not be the best:

The dog ran quickly to the fair. CORRECT * BEST POSITION

Quickly the dog ran to the fair. CORRECT

The dog quickly ran to the fair. CORRECT

The dog ran to the fair quickly. CORRECT

For adverbs expressing frequency (how often something happens) the adverb goes directly after the subject:

The dog always eats popcorn.

He never runs slowly.

I rarely see him.

Adverbs expressing time (when something happens) can go at either the beginning or of the end of the sentence, depending what’s important about the sentence. If the time isn’t very important, then it goes at the beginning of the sentence, but if you want to emphasize the time, then the adverb goes at the end of the sentence:

Now the dog wants popcorn. Emphasis on “the dog wants popcorn”

The dog wants popcorn now. Emphasis on “now”

5. How to Use Avoid Mistakes with Word Order

Aside from following the proper SVO pattern, it’s important to write and speak in the way that is the least confusing and the most clear. If you make mistakes with your word order, then your sentences won’t make sense. Basically, if a sentence is hard to understand, then it isn’t correct. Here are a few key things to remember:

• The subject is what a sentence is about, so it should come first.
• A modifier (like an adverb) should generally go as close as possible to the thing it is modifying.
• Indirect objects can change the word order from SVO to SVIO
• Prepositional phrases have special positions in sentences

Finally, here’s an easy tip: when writing, always reread your sentences out loud to make sure that the words are in the proper order—it is usually pretty easy to hear! If a sentence is clear, then you should only need to read it once to understand it.

The standard order of words in an English sentence is subject + verb + object. While this sounds simple, there are far more complicated sentences where placing the words in the right order may turn out quite challenging. 

Here we have prepared three types of interactive exercises created on Learning Apps and suitable for the Intermediate level.

Task 1. Choose the correct word order of the sentences

This exercise presents two options of sentences in which one sentence has the correct word order while the other does not. Here students get a general understanding of word order in English.

Task 2. Put the words in the correct order

Here students go deeper and have more practice with the word order in English. In the exercise, they will find examples with different types of adjectives, adverbs, indirect questions, etc.

Task 3. Complete the questions with the correct question tags

The last exercise aims to check how well your students know the rules of question tags.

Share with us in the comments below how effective the exercises were and how you usually practise word order with your Intermediate students.

Read as well:

Sentence correction or sentence improvement is a type of grammatical practice where a sentence is given with a word or a phrase that requires grammatical changes or improvement. A sentence requires modification grammatically and contextually to have a better understanding of the same. Sentence improvement is always required when a sentence is grammatically wrong in ‘Tense and time’, ‘Number of Subjects and verbs in a sentence’, ‘Usage of proper article before a noun’, ‘Identification of Adjective and Adverb’, ‘Forms of the verb used correctly’ in a sentence.

Example of English Grammar Sentence Correction: 

• The kakistocracy have require the attention of the citizens of a country. (Incorrect)
• The Kakistocracy requires the attention of the citizens of a country. (Correct)

Check out Direct Indirect Speech here.

Types of Sentence Improvement Asked in Exam

1. Highlighted sentence improvement: The category of sentence improvement where the incorrect part of the sentence is ‘Highlighted’. For instance, You’ve made a spelling mistake here. Rub it off and correct it, please.
2. Blank sentence improvement: The category of sentence improvement where the incorrect grammatical part of the sentence is given in blank.  For instance, The train is running late after time.
3. Blank sentence improvement: the category of sentence improvement is where the incorrect part of the sentence is given in (brackets). For instance, Each and everyone (are) interested in the cricket match.

Rules and Cases of English Grammar Sentence Correction

Rule #1: Subject – Verb Agreement As the name says itself, the verb used in the sentence should be in accordance with the subject. Both should be either plural or singular at the same time.

Example: 

• The girl was reading. (Singular)

• The girls were reading. (Plural)

In the case of collective nouns (like police, army, herd, etc.), the verb used is singular.

Example:

• The army is a collection for soldiers. 
• Despite the riots, the police did not protect the citizens.

For details on the Para Jumbles, refer to the linked article.

Q. A part of the sentence is underlined. Below are given alternatives to the underlined part which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case no improvement is needed, choose ‘No Improvement’.

The list of items are in my bag.

1. Would
2. Were
3. Is
4. No Improvement

Ans: The correct answer is 3. The list is the subject here and a singular subject takes a singular verb. Therefore, the correct sentence is: The list of items is in my bag.

Rule #2: Conjunctions (Subjects connected by ‘BY’, ‘AND’, ‘OR’)

Example:

• Point A and Point B are adjacent to each other in the diagram.

• Sam or Stella is planning to study tonight. 

Q. Martin and Martha is planning to take a vacation after a long time.

1. Are planning
2. Have planning
3. Am planning
4. No improvement

Ans: The correct answer is option 1) i.e. ‘Are planning’ The sentence has two subjects, ‘Martin’ and ‘Martha’. Both the subjects are conjoined by ‘and’ as a conjunction. The subjects are plural in number. Plural subjects = Plural verbs Hence, the correct sentence will be: Martin and Martha are planning to take a vacation after a long time.

Learn all about Adverbs here.

Rule #3: If the sentence begins with each/anyone/everyone, a singular verb is used.

Example: Each one of us is deciding upon the matter.

Q. A part of the sentence is underlined. Below are given alternatives to the underlined part which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case no improvement is needed, choose ‘No Improvement.

Everyone remained silent and no one steps up the plate for the change.

1. Has remained
2. Am remained
3. Remains
4. No improvement

Ans:

• The correct answer is option 3) i.e. ‘remains’
• The subject of the sentence is ‘Singular indefinite pronoun’.
• ‘Everyone’ always takes a singular verb with it.
• As this is a sentence in simple present tense, hence, the sentence will follow the rule of Singular subject = Singular verb.
• Thus, the correct sentence will be: Everyone remains silent and no one steps up the plate for the change.

For details on the Cloze Test, refer to the linked article.

Rule #4: For the sentences that contain ‘either/or’ and ‘neither/nor’ pairs, the verb used will be singular if both the subjects are singular. In case one or both the subjects are plural, the plural verb is used.

Example:

• Either he or she smirks when the teacher discusses politics.

• Either he or they smirk when the teacher discusses politics.

• Neither he nor she smirks when the teacher discusses politics.

• Neither he or they smirk when the teacher discusses politics.

Q. A part of the sentence is bracketed. Below are given alternatives to the underlined part which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case no improvement is needed, choose ‘No Improvement.

Either Ham or egg (are prepared) for breakfast this morning.

1. Is prepared
2. Have prepared
3. Has prepared
4. No improvement

Ans:

• The correct answer is option 1) i.e. ‘Is prepared’
• The sentence given has the case of ‘Either/or’.
• In the case of ‘Either/or’, there is always a choice of subject out of two given.
• Despite two subjects in a sentence, only singular subject is considered.
• Thus and so, the correct sentence will be: Either Ham or eggis prepared for breakfast this morning.

To get details on Idioms and Phrases, candidates can visit the linked article.

Example: Either Ham or eggs (is prepared) for breakfast this morning.

1. Has prepared
2. Would prepare
3. Are prepared
4. No Improvement

Ans:

• The correct answer is option 3) i.e. ‘Are prepared’
• The sentence given has the case of ‘Either/or’.
• In the case of ‘Either/or’, if the subject close to the verb is plural, then the plural subject takes plural verb.
• Thus and so, the correct sentence will be: Either Ham or eggs are prepared for breakfast this morning.

Rule #5: Often, there arises confusion between the usage of ‘I’ and ‘me’.

Examples:

• Chris, Stepheny and I are good friends. 

• Chris and I are good friends. 

For details on the Types and Rules of Tenses, refer to the linked article.

Q. A sentence/a part of the sentence is underlined. Four alternatives are given to the underlined part which will improve the meaning of the sentence. Choose the correct alternative and click the button corresponding to it. In case no improvement is needed, click the option corresponding to ‘No improvement’.

My father, mother and (me) went to the market.

1. My father, mother and I
2. Me father, me mother and me
3. Mine father, mine mother and we
4. No Improvement

Ans: 

• The correct answer is option 1) i.e. ‘My father, mother and I’
• The personal pronoun, ‘I’ is an objective case of pronoun which means that we always use it after the verb.
• Hence, options 2 and 3 are deleted
• Since, ‘I’ is a subject pronoun; we use it before the verb ‘went’ here.
• Thus, the correct sentence will be: My father, mother and I

Rule #6: Sometimes, there is redundancy in the sentence. In other words, the same thing is written twice in a single statement. Most of the times, you can spot such errors easily.

Example:

• I returned back from Goa. (Incorrect)
• I came back from Goa. (Correct)

Q. A sentence/a part of the sentence is bracketed. Four alternatives are given to the underlined part which will improve the meaning of the sentence. Choose the correct alternative and click the button corresponding to it. In case no improvement is needed, click the option corresponding to ‘No improvement’.

I, along with my friends, (discussed about) the chapter with our teacher.

1. Discussed with
2. Discussed to
3. Discussed
4. No improvement

Ans:

• The correct is answer is option 3) i.e. ‘Discussed’
• There are certain verbs which do not take any preposition along with them.
• For e.g.:- discuss, explain, describe, near, enter, visit, attend, etc.

Here’s all you need to know about Gerund, Infinitive and Participle

Rule #7: Errors in Modifiers As you can guess from the name itself, modifiers ‘modify’ the subject. So, where do you think should the modifiers be placed? Yes, they need to be placed next to the subject it modifies.

Example:

• Sitting in the garden, a scorpion stung her.
• (Here, you can’t figure out who is sitting in the garden- the scorpion or the girl. This is an incorrect way. )
• The correct way would be: Sitting in the garden, she was stung by a scorpion.

Q. A sentence/a part of the sentence is bracketed. Four alternatives are given to the underlined part which will improve the meaning of the sentence. Choose the correct alternative and click the button corresponding to it. In case no improvement is needed, click the option corresponding to ‘No improvement’.

When being eight years old, my father gave me a pony for Christmas.

1. When was I
2. When I was
3. Once I was
4. No improvement

Ans:

• The correct answer is option 2) i.e. ‘When I was’
• To communicate ideas clearly, a modifier should be placed directly next to the word it is supposed to modify.
• The modifier should clearly refer to a specific word in the sentence.
• When I was eight years old, my father gave me a pony for Christmas.

Learn about Types of Conjunction Explained with Examples Here.

Rule #8: Wrong Comparisons Sometimes, the comparisons are made between dissimilar things or in an incorrect way.

Example:

• John is wiser than all men. (Incorrect way)
• John is wiser than all other men. (Correct way- John needs to be excluded from the rest of the same category.)

In the above example, comparative degree is used. But in case of superlative degree, the person/thing compared is included in the rest of the class. E.g. John is the strongest of all men.

Q. A sentence/a part of the sentence is underlined. Four alternatives are given to the underlined part which will improve the meaning of the sentence. Choose the correct alternative and click the button corresponding to it. In case no improvement is needed, click the option corresponding to ‘No improvement’.

Sunita is the wisest and honest teller in the wisest and honester

1. the wisest and most honest
2. the wisest and more honest
3. No Improvement

Ans: Correct option – 2 Since the adjective ‘honest’ comes after the adjective ‘wisest’ in the given sentence, we will replace honest with ‘most honest’ as all the adjectives which refer to the same noun should be in the same degree of comparison. The adjectives ‘honester’ and ‘more honest’ belong to the comparative degree of adjectives and hence cannot be used with the adjective in the superlative degree, i.e., ‘wisest’.

Correct Sentence: Sunita is the wisest and most honest teller in the bank.

To get detailed knowledge and examples on Prefixes and Suffixes, candidates can visit the linked article.

Rule #9: Error in Diction: A diction error refers to the error in choice of words/phrases. At other times, even some idioms occur in sentences in an incorrect way.

Common pair of words and phrases where you may face diction error are:

• affect v/s effect (E.g. the effect of the decision, ..affect the outcome)
• adapt v/s adopt
• argue against v/s argue with
• later v/s latter
• lay v/s lie
• few v/s less (E.g. less water left.., ..few students in the class)

Hope this article helped you to understand the types of Sentence Correction or Sentence Improvement in the exams. Do practice it on the Testbook App through free mock tests.

For details on the Synonyms & Antonyms, refer to the linked article.

Even after years of education, there are some things that some people still mess up. For me, it’s algebra. For others, it’s the laws of physics. And for many, it’s grammar.

It’s not easy. Words and phrases that sound fine in your head can look like gibberish when written down — that is, if you even realize you made a mistake in the first place. It’s easy for little grammar mistakes to slip by, especially when you’re self-editing.

But how do you prevent grammatical errors if you’re not even aware you’re making them?

Well, you can start by reading through this post to see which common grammar mistakes resonate with you the most. (It’s okay — we’re all guilty of at least one.) Make a mental note to avoid that mistake in the future, or heck, just bookmark this page to remind yourself of them over and over (and over) again.

One’s a contraction for «they are» (they’re), one refers to something owned by a group (their), and one refers to a place (there). You know the difference among the three — just make sure you triple check that you’re using the right ones in the right places at the right times.

I find it’s helpful to search through my posts (try control + F on PC or command + F on Mac) for those words and check that they’re being used in the right context. Here’s the correct usage of «they’re,» «there,» and «their»:

They’re going to love going there — I heard their food is the best!

2. Your vs. You’re

The difference between these two is owning something versus actually being something:

You made it around the track in under a minute — you’re fast!

How’s your fast going? Are you getting hungry?

See the difference? «Your» is possessive and «you’re» is a contraction of «you are.»

Again, if you’re having trouble keeping them straight, try doing another grammar check before you hit publish.

3. Its vs. It’s

This one tends to confuse even the best of writers. «Its» is possessive and «it’s» is a contraction of «it is.» Lots of people get tripped up because «it’s» has an ‘s after it, which normally means something is possessive. But in this case, it’s actually a contraction.

Do a control + F to find this mistake in your writing. It’s really hard to catch on your own, but it’s a mistake everyone can make.

4. Incomplete Comparisons

This one drives me up a wall when I see it in the wild. Can you see what’s wrong with this sentence?

Our car model is faster, better, stronger.

Faster, better, stronger … than what? What are you comparing your car to? A horse? A competitor’s car? An older model?

When you’re asserting that something should be compared to something else, make sure you always clarify what that something else is. Otherwise, it’s impossible for your readers to discern what the comparison actually means.

5. Passive Voice

If you have a sentence with an object in it — basically a noun that receives the action — passive voice can happen to you. Passive happens when the object of a sentence is put at the beginning of a sentence instead of at the end. With passive voice, your writing comes across as sounding weak and unclear.

Hold up. Re-read that last paragraph I just wrote:

«… Passive happens when the object of a sentence is put at the beginning of a sentence instead of at the end …»

There’s way too much passive voice. See how the sentence doesn’t have a subject that’s acting upon the object? The object is mysteriously being «put at the beginning,» making the sentence sound vague and clunky.

Passive voice happens when you have an object (a noun that receives the action) as the subject of a sentence. Normally, the object of the sentence appears at the end, following a verb. Passive writing isn’t as clear as active writing — your readers will thank you for your attention to detail later.

Let’s try that again, using active voice:

Passive happens when the writer puts the object of a sentence at the beginning, instead of at the end.

In this example, the sentence correctly uses a subject, «the writer,» to actively describe the object.

Make sense? It’s kind of a complicated thing to describe, but active voice makes your writing seem more alive and clear. Want to get into the nitty-gritty of avoiding passive voice? Check out this tip from Grammar Girl.

6. Dangling Modifiers

I love the name of this mistake — it makes me think of a dramatic, life-or-death situation such as hanging precariously off a cliff. (Of course grammar mistakes are never that drastic, but it helps me remember to keep them out of my writing.)

This mistake happens when a descriptive phrase doesn’t apply to the noun that immediately follows it. It’s easier to see in an example taken from my colleague over on the HubSpot Sales Blog:

After declining for months, Jean tried a new tactic to increase ROI.

What exactly is declining for months? Jean? In reality, the sentence was trying to say that the ROI was declining — not Jean. To fix this problem, try flipping around the sentence structure (though beware of passive voice):

Jean tried a new tactic to increase ROI after it had been declining for months.

Better, right?

7. Referring to a Brand or Entity as ‘They’

A business ethics professor made me aware of this mistake. «A business is not plural,» he told our class. «Therefore, the business is not ‘they.’ It’s ‘it.'»

So, what’s the problem with this sentence?

To keep up with their changing audience, Southwest Airlines rebranded in 2014.

The confusion is understandable. In English, we don’t identify a brand or an entity as «he» or «she» — so «they» seems to make more sense. But as the professor pointed out, it’s just not accurate. A brand or an entity is «it.»

To keep up with its changing audience, Southwest Airlines rebranded in 2014.

It might seem a little strange at first, but once you start correctly referring to a brand or entity as «it,» the phrasing will sound much more natural than «they.»

8. Possessive Nouns

Most possessive nouns will have an apostrophe — but where you put that apostrophe can be confusing. Here’s an example of possessive nouns used incorrectly:

All of the lizard’s tails grew back.

In this sentence, «all» implies there’s more than one lizard, but the location of the apostrophe suggests there really is just one.

Here are a few general rules to follow:

• If the noun is plural, add the apostrophe after the s. For example: the dogs’ bones.
• If the noun is singular and ends in s, you should also put the apostrophe after the s. For example: the dress’ blue color.
• On the other hand, if the noun is singular and doesn’t end in an s, you’ll add the apostrophe before the s. For example: the lizard’s tail.

Simple, right? If you want a deeper dive into the rules of possessive nouns, check out this website.

9. Affect vs. Effect

This one is another one of my pet peeves. Most people confuse them when they’re talking about something changing another thing.

That movie effected me greatly.

Effect, with an «e,» isn’t used as a verb the way «affect» is, so the sentence above is incorrect. When you’re talking about the change itself — the noun — you’ll use «effect.»

That movie had a great effect on me.

When you’re talking about the act of changing — the verb — you’ll use «affect.»

That movie affected me greatly.

10. Me vs. I

Most people understand the difference between the two of these, until it comes time for them to use one in a sentence.

When you get done with that lab report, can you send it to Bill and I?

The sentence above is actually wrong, as proper as it sounds.

Try taking Bill out of that sentence — it sounds weird, right? You would never ask someone to send something to «I» when he or she is done. The reason it sounds weird is because «I» is the object of that sentence — and «I» should not be used in objects. In that situation, you’d use «me.»

When you get done with that lab report, can you send it to Bill and me?

Much better.

11. To vs. Too

We’ve all accidentally left the second «o» off of «too» when texting in a hurry. But in case the mistake goes beyond that, let’s review some usage rules.

«To» is typically used before a noun or verb, and describes a destination, recipient, or action. Take these examples:

My friend drove me to my doctor’s appointment. (Destination)

I sent the files to my boss. (Recipient)

I’m going to get a cup of coffee. (Action)

«Too,» on the other hand, is a word that’s used as an alternative to «also» or «as well.» It’s also used to describe an adjective in extremes. Have a look:

My colleague, Sophia Bernazzani, writes for the HubSpot marketing blog, too.

She, too, is vegan.

We both think it’s too cold outside.

You might have noticed that there’s some interesting comma usage where the word «too» is involved. We’ll cover commas a bit more later, but when you’re using the word «too» to replace «also» or «as well,» the general rule is to use a comma both before and after. The only exception occurs when «too» is the last word in the sentence — then, follow it with a period.

12. Do’s and Don’ts

I’m not talking about the do’s and don’ts of grammar here — I’m talking about the actual words: «do’s» and «don’ts.» They look weird, right? That’s because of two things:

1. There’s an apostrophe in one to make it plural … which typically isn’t done, and
2. The apostrophes aren’t put in the same place in both words.

Unfortunately, it’s AP Style, so we just have to live with it. It’s a hot angle for content formats, so I wouldn’t shy away from using it. But when you’re checking your writing for grammatical errors, just remember that the apostrophes should be in different places.

Note: There are different schools of thought about how to punctuate this one depending on what style guide/usage book you’re using. The Chicago Manual of Style, for instance, recommends «dos» and «don’ts.» The important thing is to be consistent and stick to one style guide, whether it’s AP Style, Chicago, or your own house style guide.

13. i.e. vs. e.g.

Confession: I never remember this rule, so I have to Google it every single time I want to use it in my writing. I’m hoping that by writing about it here, the trend will stop.

Many people use the terms interchangeably when trying to elaborate on a point, but each one means something different: «i.e.» roughly means «that is» or «in other words,» while «e.g.» means «example given» or «for example.» The former is used to clarify something you’ve said, while the latter adds color to a story through an example.

14. Peek vs. Peak vs. Pique

This mistake is another one I often see people make, even if they know what they mean.

• Peek is taking a quick look at something — like a sneak peek of a new film.
• Peak is a sharp point — like the peak of a mountain.
• And pique means to provoke or instigate — you know, like your interest.

If you’re going to use one in your writing, stop and think for a second — is that the right «peek» you should be using?

15. Who vs. That

This one is tricky. These two words can be used when you’re describing someone or something through a phrase like, «Lindsay is a blogger who likes ice cream.» When you’re describing a person, be sure to use «who.»

When you’re describing an object, use «that.» For example, you should say, «Her computer is the one that overheats all the time.» It’s pretty simple, but definitely something that gets overlooked frequently.

16. Who vs. Whom vs. Whose vs. Who’s

Whoa. This one looks like a bit of a doozy. Let’s break it down, shall we?

«Who» is used to identify a living pronoun. If you asked, «Who ate all of the cookies?» the answer could be a person, like myself («I did»), or another living being («the dog did»).

Hey, both are realistic scenarios in my world.

«Whom» is a little trickier. It’s usually used to describe someone who’s receiving something, like a letter — «To whom will it be addressed?» But it can also be used to describe someone on the receiving end of an action, like in this sentence:

Whom did we hire to join the podcast team?

«Whose» is used to assign ownership to someone. See if you can spot the error in this question:

Who’s sweater is that?

Because the sweater belongs to someone, it should actually be written this way:

Whose sweater is that?

«Who’s,» on the other hand, is used to identify a living being. It’s a contraction for «who is» — here’s an example of how we might use it in a sentence here in Boston:

Who’s pitching for the Red Sox tonight?

See the difference? «Whose» is used to figure out who something belongs to, whereas «who’s» is used to identify someone who’s doing something.

17. «Alot» vs. A lot vs. Allot

I hate to break it to all of you «alot» fans out there, but «alot» is not a word. If you’re trying to say that someone has a vast number of things, you’d say they have «a lot» of things. And if you’re trying to say that you want to set aside a certain amount of money to buy something, you’d say you’ll «allot» $20 to spend on gas.

If you’re trying to remember to stay away from «alot,» check out this awesome cartoon by Hyperbole and a Half featuring the alot. That face will haunt you for the rest of your content marketing days.

18. Into vs. In to

Let’s clarify the «into» versus «in to» debate.

They’re often confused, but «into» indicates movement (Lindsay walked into the office) while «in to» is used in lots of situations because the individual words «to» and «in» are frequently used in other parts of a sentence. For example, «to» is often used with infinitive verbs (e.g. «to drive»). Or «in» can be used as part of a verb (e.g. «call in to a meeting»).

So if you’re trying to decide which to use, first figure out if the words «in» or «to» actually modify other words in the sentence. If they don’t, ask yourself if it’s indicating some sort of movement — if it does, you’re good to use «into.»

19. Lose vs. Loose

When people mix up «lose» and «loose,» it’s usually just because they’re spelled so similarly. They know their definitions are completely different.

According to Merriam-Webster, «lose» is a verb that means «to be unable to find (something or someone), to fail to win (a game, contest, etc.), or to fail to keep or hold (something wanted or valued).» It’s like losing your keys or losing a football match.

«Loose» is an adjective that means «not tightly fastened, attached, or held,» like loose clothing or a loose tooth.

A trick for remembering the difference is to think of the term «loosey-goosey» — both of those words are spelled with two o’s.

20. Then vs. Than

What’s wrong with this sentence?

My dinner was better then yours.

*Shudder.* In the sentence above, «then» should be «than.» Why? Because «than» is a conjunction used mainly to make comparisons — like saying one thing was better «than» another. «Then» is mainly an adverb used to situate actions in time:

We made dinner, and then we ate it.

21. Of vs. Have

I have a bad habit of overusing a phrase that goes like this: «Shoulda, coulda, woulda.» That basically means I regret not doing something, but it’s too late to dwell on it now. For example, «I shoulda done my laundry on Sunday.»

But «shoulda,» «coulda,» and «woulda» are all short for something else. What’s wrong with this statement?

I should of done my laundry on Sunday.

Since it’s so common for us to throw around fake worlds like «shoulda,» the above mistake is an easy one to make — «shoulda» sounds like a shortened version of «should of.» But really, «shoulda» is short for «should have.» See how it works in these sentences:

I should have done my laundry on Sunday.

I could have taken a shorter route.

I would have gone grocery shopping on Friday, if I had time.

So next time, instead of saying, «shoulda, woulda, coulda,» I should probably say, «should’ve, would’ve, could’ve.»

22. Use of Commas

There are entire courses on correct comma usage, but let’s go over some of the most common comma use cases here.

To Separate Elements in a Series

Each element in a series should be separated by a comma. For example: «I brought a jacket, a blanket, and an umbrella to the park.» That last comma is optional. It’s called an «Oxford comma,» and whether you use it depends on your company’s internal style guide.

To Separate Independent Clauses

You can use commas to separate independent clauses that are joined by «and,» «but,» «for,» «or,» «nor,» «so,» or «yet.» For example, this sentence is correctly written: «My brother is very smart, and I’ve learned a lot from him.»

An independent clause is a sentence that can stand on its own. Here’s how to test it: Would the second part of the sentence (following one of those coordinating conjunctions) make a full sentence on its own? If so, add a comma. If it doesn’t, leave it out.

To Separate an Introductory Word or Phrase.

At the beginning of a sentence, we often add an introductory word or phrase that requires a subsequent comma. For example:

In the beginning, I had no idea how to use a comma.

Or:

However, after reading an awesome blog post, I understand the difference.

Other common introductory words and phrases include «after,» «although,» «when,» and «while.»

To learn about more use cases for the comma, check out this blog post from Daily Writing Tips.

23. Assure vs. Insure vs. Ensure

All of these words have to do with «making an outcome sure,» which is why they’re so often mixed up. However, they aren’t interchangeable.

• «To assure» means to promise or say with confidence. For example, «I assure you that he’s good at his job.»
• «To ensure» means to make certain. For example, «Ensure you’re free when I visit next weekend.»
• Finally, «to insure» means to protect against risk by regularly paying an insurance company. For example, «I insure my car because the law requires it.»

24. Less vs. Fewer

You know the checkout aisle in the grocery store that says «10 Items or Less»? That’s actually incorrect. It should be «10 Items or Fewer.»

Why? Because «items» are quantifiable — you can count out 10 items. Use «fewer» for things that are quantifiable, like «fewer M&Ms» or «fewer road trips.» Use «less» for things that aren’t quantifiable, like «less candy» and «less traveling.»

25. Semicolons

Semicolons are used to connect two independent clauses that, though they could stand on their own, are closely related. For example, you could use a semicolon in the sentence: «Call me tomorrow; I’ll have an answer for you by then.»

Notice that each clause could be its own sentence — but stylistically, it makes more sense for them to be joined. (If there’s a coordinating conjunction between the two clauses — like «and,» «but», or «or» — use a comma instead.)

You can also use semicolons to separate items in a list when those items contain commas themselves:

There are two options for breakfast: eggs and bacon, which is high in protein and low in carbs; or oatmeal and fruit, which is high in carbs but has more fiber.

26. Compliment vs. Complement

These two words are pronounced exactly the same, making them easy to mix up. But they’re actually quite different.

If something «complements» something else, that means it completes it, enhances it, or makes it perfect. For example, a wine selection can complement a meal, and two colors can complement each other.

The word «compliment» though, refers to an expression of praise (as a noun), or to praise or express admiration for someone (as a verb). You can compliment your friend’s new haircut, or pay someone a compliment on his or her haircut.

27. Farther vs. Further

People often use «farther» and «further» interchangeably to mean «at a greater distance.»

However, in most countries, there are actually subtle differences in meaning between the two. «Farther» is used more to refer to physical distances, while «further» is used more to refer to figurative and nonphysical distances. So while Paris is «farther» away than Madrid, a marketing team falls «further» away from its leads goal. (Note: The word «further» is preferred for all senses of the word in the U.K., Australia, Canada, and elsewhere in the Commonwealth of Nations.)

The word «further» can also be used as an adjective or as an adverb to mean «additionally.» For example, «I have no further questions.»

28. En Dash vs. Em Dash

Both «–» and «—» are versions of the dash: «–» is the en dash, and «—» or «—» are both versions of the em dash. You can use either the en dash or the em dash to signify a break in a sentence or set off parenthetical statements.

The en dash can also be used to represent time spans or differentiation, such as, «That will take 5–10 minutes.»

The em dash, on the other hand, can be used to set off quotation sources, such as, «‘To be, or not to be, that is the question.’ —Shakespeare.»

29. Title Capitalization

This one is tough, since so many different outlets apply different rules to how titles are capitalized. Luckily, I have a secret weapon — TitleCapitalize.

The site outlines capitalization rules as follows:

1. Capitalize the first and the last word.
2. Capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions.
3. Lowercase articles («a,» «an,» «the»), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions.
4. Lowercase the ‘to’ in an infinitive («I want to play guitar»).

Let’s use the title of this post as an example: «Grammar Police: 30 of the Most Common Grammatical Errors We All Need to Stop Making.» If left to my own devices — and remember, I write for a living — I would have left «We» lowercase. I always have to double-check, which is why guides like this one are so valuable.

30. Between vs. Among

Let’s clear this one up: The word «between» is used to refer to two (or sometimes more) things that are clearly separated, and the word «among» is used to refer to things that aren’t clearly separated because they’re part of a group or mass of objects.

So you choose between a red shirt and a black shirt, but you choose among all your shirts. You walk between Centre Street and Broad Street, but you walk among your friends.

English, like many other languages, has its own set of tricky rules and intricacies. But with a little bit of practice and help from guides like this one, you can become a grammar master.

Want to learn more about grammar? Check out the 23 Witty Grammar Jokes & Puns to Satisfy Your Inner Grammar Nerd.

Quick summary: You should say «correction(s) to» when describing tangible, countable changes, but «correction of» when describing the general act of correcting, but no one is likely to care if you mix it up.

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Right away, we can rule out «corrections with.» This has a different meaning: «with» introduces an object which is doing or aiding the corrections. For example, we can say «I made corrections with a pen,» but should not say «I made corrections with spelling» (although this would still be easily understood).

The other choices are a little murkier. I’ve encountered «corrections of…», «corrections to…» and «corrections in…» in well-written literature. To my ear, «corrections to…» sounds the most correct, but not by much. Since English has no authoritative definition, we have to do a little more research.

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First, we have to make a distinction between two subtly different meanings of «correction.» The first meaning refers to the change itself. From dictionary.com:

noun 1 something that is substituted or proposed for what is wrong or inaccurate; emendation.

We intend this meaning when we talk about making a correction. It is a countable noun: you can make 2 or 3 corrections, for example.

The second meaning refers to the action of making the change:

noun 2 the act of correcting.

We intend this meaning when we talk about the general act of correction. It is an uncountable noun. For example, «vitamins can be prescribed for correction of nutrient deficiency.»

In the OP sentence, the first meaning (1) is the sense intended.

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Here are some example sentences listed at dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster. In each example I have marked which of the two above meanings (1 or 2) are being used, and I have also emphasized the preposition following correction in bold.

• dictionary.com:

  • He ordered his secretary to reimburse the fees and will issue a correction to his political funds reports. (1)
  • Cases may arise in which a correction of the judgment thus formed may be necessary. (2)

• Merriam-Webster:

  • correction of (acidity / vision / etc.) (2)
  • Restylane® Silk is for lip augmentation and for correction of perioral wrinkles in patients over the age of 21. (2)

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We can also look at Ngrams, although we have to be careful to note that Google’s search engine is not capable of differentiating between meanings 1 and 2 that we distinguished earlier.

corrections to/of/in:

correction to/of/in:

The top graph uses the plural corrections, which limits the results to the countable form (meaning 1). It clearly shows that to is the preferred preposition.

The bottom graph uses the singular form correction, which would include both meanings 1 and 2. It clearly shows that of is the preferred preposition.

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Taking all of this into account, it seems safe to infer that when speaking about tangible, countable corrections being made to something, the preferred form is corrections to:

I made corrections to the spelling and grammar.

On the other hand, when talking about the general, uncountable act of correcting, the preferred form is corrections of:

Vitamins can be prescribed for correction of nutrient deficiency.

Of course, I doubt many native speakers have ever taken the time to think about this, and I seriously doubt very many people would think twice whether you say «to,» «in» or «of.»

Normally, sentences in the English language take a simple form. However, there are times it would be a little complex. In these cases, the basic rules for how words appear in a sentence can help you.

Word order typically refers to the way the words in a sentence are arranged. In the English language, the order of words is important if you wish to accurately and effectively communicate your thoughts and ideas.

Although there are some exceptions to these rules, this article aims to outline some basic sentence structures that can be used as templates. Also, the article provides the rules for the ordering of adverbs and adjectives in English sentences.

Basic Sentence Structure and word order rules in English

For English sentences, the simple rule of thumb is that the subject should always come before the verb followed by the object. This rule is usually referred to as the SVO word order, and then most sentences must conform to this. However, it is essential to know that this rule only applies to sentences that have a subject, verb, and object.

For example

Subject + Verb + Object

He loves food

She killed the rat

Sentences are usually made of at least one clause. A clause is a string of words with a subject(noun) and a predicate (verb). A sentence with just one clause is referred to as a simple sentence, while those with more than one clause are referred to as compound sentences, complex sentences, or compound-complex sentences.

The following is an explanation and example of the most commonly used clause patterns in the English language.

Inversion

The English word order is inverted in questions. The subject changes its place in a question. Also, English questions usually begin with a verb or a helping verb if the verb is complex.

For example

Verb + Subject + object

Can you finish the assignment?

Did you go to work?

Intransitive Verbs

Some sentences use verbs that require no object or nothing else to follow them. These verbs are generally referred to as intransitive verbs. With intransitive verbs, you can form the most basic sentences since all that is required is a subject (made of one noun) and a predicate (made of one verb).

For example

Subject + verb

John eats

Christine fights

Linking Verbs

Linking verbs are verbs that connect a subject to the quality of the subject. Sentences that use linking verbs usually contain a subject, the linking verb and a subject complement or predicate adjective in this order.

For example

Subject + verb + Subject complement/Predicate adjective

The dress was beautiful

Her voice was amazing

Transitive Verbs

Transitive verbs are verbs that tell what the subject did to something else. Sentences that use transitive verbs usually contain a subject, the transitive verb, and a direct object, usually in this order.

For example

Subject + Verb + Direct object

The father slapped his son

The teacher questioned his students

Indirect Objects

Sentences with transitive verbs can have a mixture of direct and indirect objects. Indirect objects are usually the receiver of the action or the audience of the direct object.

For example

Subject + Verb + IndirectObject + DirectObject

He gave the man a good job.

The singer gave the crowd a spectacular concert.

The order of direct and indirect objects can also be reversed. However, for the reversal of the order, there needs to be the inclusion of the preposition “to” before the indirect object. The addition of the preposition transforms the indirect object into what is called a prepositional phrase.

For example

Subject + Verb + DirectObject + Preposition + IndirectObject

He gave a lot of money to the man

The singer gave a spectacular concert to the crowd.

Adverbials

Adverbs are phrases or words that modify or qualify a verb, adjective, or other adverbs. They typically provide information on the when, where, how, and why of an action. Adverbs are usually very difficult to place as they can be in different positions in a sentence. Changing the placement of an adverb in a sentence can change the meaning or emphasis of that sentence.

Therefore, adverbials should be placed as close as possible to the things they modify, generally before the verbs.

For example

He hastily went to work.

He hurriedly ate his food.

However, if the verb is transitive, then the adverb should come after the transitive verb.

For example

John sat uncomfortably in the examination exam.

She spoke quietly in the class

The adverb of place is usually placed before the adverb of time

For example

John goes to work every morning

They arrived at school very late

The adverb of time can also be placed at the beginning of a sentence

For example

On Sunday he is traveling home

Every evening James jogs around the block

When there is more than one verb in the sentence, the adverb should be placed after the first verb.

For example

Peter will never forget his first dog

She has always loved eating rice.

Adjectives

Adjectives commonly refer to words that are used to describe someone or something. Adjectives can appear almost anywhere in the sentence.

Adjectives can sometimes appear after the verb to be

For example

He is fat

She is big

Adjectives can also appear before a noun.

For example

A big house

A fat boy

However, some sentences can contain more than one adjective to describe something or someone. These adjectives have an order in which they can appear before a now. The order is

Opinion – size – physical quality – shape – condition – age – color – pattern – origin – material – type – purpose

If more than one adjective is expected to come before a noun in a sentence, then it should follow this order. This order feels intuitive for native English speakers. However, it can be a little difficult to unpack for non-native English speakers.

For example

The ugly old woman is back

The dirty red car parked outside your house

When more than one adjective comes after a verb, it is usually connected by and

For example

The room is dark and cold

Having said that, Susan is tall and big

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