Transcript Corrected - Garnet Valley School District

Gruesome Grammar
It’s not just for Halloween!
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Flee from Freaky, Frightening
Fragments
A fragment is a group of words that is punctuated like
a sentence but does not express a complete thought.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Frightening Fragments
Bought a new book at Border’s.
Corrected: My mom bought a new book at Border’s.
While you were in English class.
Corrected: While you were in English class, the fire erupted.
Running down the street in the pouring rain.
Corrected: Running down the street in the pouring rain, Jimmy
slipped and broke his arm.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Frightening Fragments
For additional information on fragments, see
Garnet Valley Style Manual p. 14
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Run from Revolting, Repulsive Run-ons
Two or more complete thoughts cannot be merged
into a single sentence without the proper
punctuation.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Repulsive Run-ons
I
closed the coffin I hurt my hand.
Ways to correct this sentence:
I closed the coffin. I hurt my hand.
I closed the coffin; I hurt my hand.
I closed the coffin, and I hurt my hand.
I closed the coffin and hurt my hand.
Because I closed the coffin, I hurt my hand.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Repulsive Run-ons
For additional information on run-ons, see
Garnet Valley Style Manual p. 15.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Beware of deadly, devilish
disagreement
 Subjects and verbs must agree.
 Pronouns and antecedents must agree.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Devilish Disagreement
 Singular
noun + singular verb
 Example: The cat on the fence scream.
 Plural noun + plural verb
 Example: The boys teases their sister.
 A singular noun must be replaced by a singular
pronoun; a plural noun must be replaced by a plural
pronoun.
 Example: Each of the cats brought their best voice.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Devilish Disagreement
For additional information on subject-verb agreement, see
Garnet Valley Style Manual p. 13.
For additional information on pronoun agreement, see
Garnet Valley Style Manual p.14.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Beware of terrifying, tangled tenses
Don’t go from past tense to present tense!
Don’t go from present tense to past tense!
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Tangled Tenses
The ocean contains (present tense) rich minerals that washed
down (past tense)from rivers and streams.
Corrected: The ocean contains (present tense)rich minerals
that wash down (present tense) from rivers and streams.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Tangled Tenses
For additional information on tenses, see
Garnet Valley Style Manual p. 14
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Be careful with creepy, crawly,
crafty commas
 Use commas to separate items in a series (and before the
conjunction).
Example: Alice got Milky Ways, Snickers, and Three
Musketeers for Halloween.
 An introductory phrase should be set off from the main part
of the sentence with a comma.
Example: By the end of the night, she couldn’t carry
her bag.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Creepy Commas
 Use commas to distinguish items in an address and items in a date.
Example: On October 31, 2009, I will visit my aunt at 23
Scary Drive, Newport, Rhode Island.
 Use a comma to separate clauses of a compound sentence.
Example: Jimmy collected three bags of goodies, and he ate
everything.
 Use commas to set off words that explain or define other words.
Example: Barack Obama, our president, made a speech last
night.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Creepy Commas
For additional information on commas, see
Garnet Valley Style Manual p. 24.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Watch out for weird and
wacky misplaced modifiers
A descriptive or explanatory phrase should go as near as
possible to the thing it is describing.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Misplaced Modifiers
Jerry got new sneakers at the store with three stripes.
Correction: Jerry got new sneakers with three stripes at the store.
The little kindergartener asked her teacher to explain the days of the
week in her quiet voice.
Correction: In her quiet voice, the little kindergartener asked her
teacher to explain the days of the week.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Misplaced Modifiers
For additional information on misplaced modifiers, see
Garnet Valley Style Manual p. 16
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Paralyzing Parallel Structure
Items in a series should follow the same general pattern.
I spend my spare time reading, hiking, or at a movie.
Corrected: I spend my spare time reading, hiking, or watching a movie.
At camp, I learned to cook over an open fire, pitch a tent that
wouldn’t blow down in the wind, and the proper way to pack a
backpack.
Corrected: At camp, I learned to cook over an open fire, to pitch a
tent that wouldn’t blow down in the wind, and to pack a backpack
properly.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Paralyzing Parallel Structure
For additional information on parallel structure, see
Garnet Valley Style Manual p. 14
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Do not let awful, atrocious
apostrophes drive you batty!
 An
apostrophe is used to show possession (ownership).
the bat’s wings the girls’ coats the mice’s tails
 Apostrophes are also used in contractions.
I’m, he’s, they’re, it’s, we’d, you’ve…
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Atrocious Apostrophes
For additional information on apostrophes, see
Garnet Valley Style Manual p. 29
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Pronoun Perils
Pronouns as subjects: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, and who
Pronouns as objects: Me, you, him, her, us, them, and whom
Pronouns that show possession: my (mine), your (yours),
his, her (hers), it (its), our (ours), their (theirs), and
whose
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Pronoun Perils
The witch and me travel a good deal.
Corrected: The witch and I travel a good deal.
She is taller than me.
Corrected: She is taller than I.
She gave her broom to Jane and I.
Corrected: She gave her broom to Jane and me.
Us boys like the witch’s hat.
Corrected: We boys like witch’s hat.
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Pronoun Perils
For additional information on pronouns, see
Mr. Stevenson
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07
Gruesome Grammar
Come Again…
If You Dare!!!
B. Stevenson Sept. ‘07