Dashes
Where would one dash be needed?
—
Mount Rainier's Liberty Ridge climbing route is known for its amazing views and technical difficulty not to mention its long history of mountaineering accidents.
between difficulty and not (THE TRICK IS WHERE YOU PAUSE WHEN YOU READ IT!)
Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference?
(A) Emma takes yoga classes at Kate's studio, so this yoga mat might be hers.
(B) Emma takes yoga classes at Kate's studio, so this yoga mat might be Emma's.
(A) Emma takes yoga classes at Kate's studio, so this yoga mat might be hers.(vague means that we don't know who "hers" is...is it Emma or Kate?)
Complete the sentence with the pronoun that agrees with the word or words in bold.
Mother Teresa first worked as a high school teacher before devoting____ life to working with India's poor.
her (antecedent is the word that the pronoun refers to)
Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president to hold a patent. In 1849, approximately twelve years before taking office, Lincoln invented a system for lifting riverboats stuck on sandbars.
Is this an appropriate use of an ellipsis?
"Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president to hold a patent. In 1849 . . . Lincoln invented a system for lifting riverboats stuck on sandbars."
Yes, it is correct (an ellipses is used correctly when it represents words that are left out...still is correct in grammar and meaning)
Select the correct pronoun to complete the sentence.
Are you absolutely certain that it was ____?
Which pronoun should go in the blank?
Her or
she (subject pronoun - reverse the sentence order to " SHE was it."
Where would one dash be needed?
—
The astronomer, with his eye at the telescope, said, "I see Mercury about ten degrees above the wow, look at that comet!"
Between THE and WOW (again...the key is where you PAUSE when you read it!)
Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference?
(A) When Ethan tackled Rick during the football game, his arm was injured.
(B) Ethan's arm was injured when he tackled Rick during the football game.
(A)When Ethan tackled Rick during the football game, his arm was injured. (we don't know if "his" is Ethan or Rick)
Select the pronoun whose antecedent is Lillian Moller Gilbreth.
Not only was Lillian Moller Gilbreth an engineer and a writer, but she was also the mother of twelve children!
she (what the pronoun refers to)
Read this text.
That man has lived as a hermit in the remote wilderness, more than two hundred miles from the nearest town, for nearly thirty years.
Is this an appropriate use of an ellipsis?
"That man has lived as a hermit in the remote wilderness . . . for nearly thirty years."
Yes
Choose the correct pronoun:
____ and his sister rummaged through the attic for old clothes last night.
He? Him?
He (subject of the sentence---subject pronoun and cover up "his sister" and the sentence would read "He rummaged..."
Where would one dash be needed?
—
"The art festival features face painting, food vendors, live music oh, and fireworks," Jenna said.
between music and oh
Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference?
(A) Just as Mrs. Chapman finished brewing Megan a cup of tea, her phone rang.
(B) Mrs. Chapman's phone rang just as she finished brewing Megan a cup of tea.
(A) Just as Mrs. Chapman finished brewing Megan a cup of tea, her phone rang. (is "her" Megan or Mrs. Chapman?)
Select the pronoun whose antecedent is Cubism.
Cubism is a style of art. Some of its early practitioners, including Pablo Picasso and George Braque, painted human figures using shapes such as cubes.
its
Read this text.
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that all slaves in states that had seceded from the Union were now free.
Is this an appropriate use of an ellipsis?
"The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that all slaves . . . were now free."
No- the meaning is different
You may not remember, but your father and ____ do.
Which pronoun? I? Me?
I
(Subject pronoun---also you can cover up "your father and" and it would read "...I do.")
Where would one dash be needed?
—
"We'll use the town of Killarney as our base," the Irish tour guide said. "Then we'll head out to oh, how about the Dingle Peninsula?"
between TO and OH
Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference?
(A) Sarah asked Mia to volunteer at the event, so Mia's absence today is a surprise.
(B) Sarah asked Mia to volunteer at the event, so her absence today is a surprise.
(B) Sarah asked Mia to volunteer at the event, so her absence today is a surprise.
Select the antecedent of the pronoun their.
Although poinsettia plants are not highly toxic,
their sap can irritate the skin.
poinsettia plants
Read this text.
After falling seventy feet into an icy crevasse in the Himalayas, geographer John All dragged himself out with his ice pick and survived.
Is this an appropriate use of an ellipsis?
"After falling seventy feet into an icy crevasse in the Himalayas, geographer . . . with his ice pick and survived."
No-it is not grammatically correct.
I have plenty of confidence in ____ and Tim.
Which pronoun? him? he?
HIM-- (object pronoun...object of the preposition "in". Also, cover up "and Tim" and the sentence would read, "I have plenty of confidence in ."HIM."
Where would two dashes be needed?
—
Mike Dawkins a man who started keeping tarantulas in 2011 won Best in Show at the 29th Annual Exhibition of the British Tarantula Society with a Socotra Island Blue Baboon spider.
between DAWKINS and A
and
between 2011 and WON
Which of the following contains a vague pronoun reference?
(A) Peter washed the windshield of his car even though he knew it would just get dirty again.
(B) Peter washed the windshield of his car even though he knew the car would just get dirty again.
(A) Peter washed the windshield of his car even though he knew it would just get dirty again.
Select the antecedent of the pronoun we.
Brody and I meant to buy oranges, but they turned out to be tangerines. I guess we both think that oranges and tangerines look the same.
Brody and I
Read this text.
The Seismological Society of America has predicted that the Bay Area, which includes the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, is more likely to be rattled by a string of several smaller earthquakes than by one large seismic event.
Is this an appropriate use of an ellipsis?
"The Seismological Society of America has predicted that the Bay Area . . . is more likely to be rattled by a string of several smaller earthquakes than by one large seismic event."
Yes
Gary impressed ____ and Jane.
Which pronoun? her? she?
HER (object pronoun--receives the action of the verb "impressed". Also, you can cover up "and Jane" and it would read, "Gary impressed HER."