Sentence Structure/Weak Sentence Guides
Select the letter (A or B) that contains the sentence that correctly uses active voice.
A. The report was completed two days before the due date.
B. The student completed the report two days before the due date.
B.
Good writers use active-voice in order to have the true subject as the doer of the action. When passive-voice is used, the true subject may not be clear or may be unknown.
Correct the sentence:
Cathy and her worked together on the report.
Cathy and she worked together on the report.
She worked on the report.
not
Her worked on the report.
Correct the sentence:
Professor Jackson recommended we complete the writing phrase quick and then edit carefully.
Adverbs: describes an adjective, verb, or other adverb.
Professor Jackson recommended we complete the writing phrase quickly and then edit carefully.
Correct the sentence:
Would you please send me a copy of the company directory?
Polite request.
Would you please send me a copy of the company directory.
Capitalize all words that need to be capitalized and lower case all words that should not be capitalized in the following sentence:
Using his new iphone, vice president pike called our director of sales during the meeting to confirm the second quarter budget figures.
Using his new iPhone, Vice President Pike called our director of sales during the meeting to confirm the second quarter budget figures.
Correct the sentence:
The group members conducted secondary research, created an outline, and then after dividing the work wrote the first draft of the analytic report.
The group members conducted secondary research, created an outline, divided the work, and drafted the analytic report.
Use parallel structure when two or more sentence elements have the same relationship with one another in the sentence. Parallelism should be used when more than one noun, verb, phrase, or clause is used in a list within a sentence.
Correct the sentence:
Janice and myself will distribute the awards at the banquet.
Janice and I will distribute the awards at the banquet.
not
Myself will distribute the awards at the banquet.
Correct the sentence:
Robert humming during the opera was annoying.
Robert's humming during the opera was annoying.
Gerunds- verbals formed by adding -ing. Gerunds are used as nouns within a sentence. Issues arise when ownership words are not used properly with gerunds.
Correct the sentence:
Jonah went to the library to study and then he went out to eat dinner.
Combining independent clauses
Jonah went to the library to study, and then he went out to eat dinner.
Capitalize all words that need to be capitalized and lower case all words that should not be capitalized in the following sentence:
My aunt susan sent me an article from the oc register titled "can you build a company loyalty in today's business environment?"
My Aunt Susan sent me an article from the OC Register titled "Can You Build a Company Loyalty in Today's Business Environment?"
Correct the sentence:
The group worked together for several weeks, the group successfully completed the report.
Error is a comma splice.
The group worked together for several weeks; the group successfully completed the report.
The group worked together for several weeks. The group successfully completed the report.
The group worked together for several weeks, so the group successfully completed the report.
Correct the sentence:
Everyone except John and Tory are coming to the picnic.
Everyone except John and Tory is coming to the picnic.
Correct the sentence:
The department meeting is scheduled at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, consequently, no one will be leaving early that day.
The department meeting is scheduled at 3:00 p.m. on Friday; consequently, no one will be leaving early that day.
Semi-colon and a subordinating conjunction
Correct the sentence:
The doctor said that "I should rest for a week before resuming a normal schedule."
Paraphrase of what the doctor said.
The doctor said that I should rest for a week before resuming a normal schedule.
Capitalize all words that need to be capitalized and lower case all words that should not be capitalized in the following sentence:
The class meets tuesdays and thursdays in room 115 during august and september.
The class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays in Room 115 during August and September.
Correct the sentence:
You should follow a systematic writing process you will have better results.
Error: Run-on sentence
You should follow a systematic writing process. You will have better results.
You should follow a systematic writing process; you will have better results.
You should follow a systematic writing process, so you will have better results.
Correct the sentence:
Either Mr. Jones or one of his assistants were at the meeting.
Either Mr. Jones or one of his assistants was at the meeting.
With either/or, neither/nor statements, the subject closest to the verb influences the form of the verb.
Correct the sentence:
Sometimes Sara wishes she was still in college.
Sometimes Sara wishes she were still in college.
Verb mood- this is hypothetical
Correct the sentence:
Having spent two days studying for the exam Chase was well prepared to take the test.
Combining introductory phrase with independent clause.
Having spent two days studying for the exam, Chase was well prepared to take the test.
Capitalize all words that need to be capitalized and lower case all words that should not be capitalized in the following sentence:
George drove north on highway 65 and returned south on route 58 during his travels of the northeast.
George drove north on Highway 65 and returned south on Route 58 during his travels of the northeast.
Correct the sentence:
The girl was walking the dog in a short skirt.
Error: Misplaced modifier
The girl in the short skirt was walking the dog.
Correct the sentence:
A group of students and faculty members are planning the rally.
Incorrect.
Subject is Group, verb should be "is"
A group is planning the rally.
Correct the sentence:
Format and appearance is key elements in professional-looking documents.
Subject/verb agreement
Format and appearance are key elements in professional-looking documents.
Correct the sentence:
Dr. Le the chair of the department agreed to speak at the technology symposium.
Appositive
Dr. Le, the chair of the department, agreed to speak at the technology symposium.
Correct the following sentence:
The cost of identity theft to business exceeds thirty billion dollars each year.
The cost of identity theft to business exceeds $30 billion each year.