Internet Exercise 6.2
WORKSHEETS
The worksheets below correlate with the Practice exercises in Chapter 6. If you find that certain topics in the chapter are more challenging than others, or if you simply want to practice working with certain aspects of modifiers, find the appropriate worksheet and get started!
Worksheet 6.1a
Adverbs and Adjectives—Basics
Instructions: Correct the sentences below for their use of adjectives and adverbs. For example:
Incorrect: If you feel badly about the situation, change it.
Corrected: If you feel bad about the situation, change it.
1. The conversation made the customer comfortabler while she waited.
2. I’m doing very good today, thank you.
3 Alice seemed contenter with her performance than did Gary.
4. He was the smartest of the two brothers.
5. With all divisions competing, the annual drive was true a Unified Food Drive.
6. The last section is the more important of the three.
7. His measurements were more accurate than you were.
8. Of the two plants, the willow grows fastest.
9. Margie worked more harder on her project than you.
10. Teaching was more easier to commit myself to than a career in sales.
11. Emerson scored bad on her last licensing exam.
12. The Middewood offices are located further down the road.
13. The board and the bolt need to be more squared to fit the space.
14. The production delay is more seriouser than you think.
15. It’s a good opportunity to farther your education.
Worksheet 6.2
Modifying Action Verbs with Adverbs
Instructions: Correct the errors in the following sentences. For example:
Incorrect: Jason feels badly about the mistake.
Corrected: Jason feels bad about the mistake.
1. The test vehicle accelerated quick on the slick track.
2. The arbitrator settled the case in a judiciously manner.
3. Walter handled the restructuring bad.
4. I asked her to reconstruct careful the afternoon’s events.
5. Disappointing, the vendor failed to deliver on time.
6. He was performing his job good last I dropped in.
7. Susan did not inventory the boxes accurate.
Worksheet 6.3
Using Comparative and Superlative Degrees
Instructions: Correct the modifiers in the following sentences.
Incorrect: Everyone seemed more crankier after today’s meeting than yesterday’s.
Corrected: Everyone seemed more cranky (or crankier) after today’s meeting than yesterday’s.
1. In the most simplest scenario, Martin has the documents in his office.
2. The train station is more near to my office than yours.
3. She sent back her soup; she likes it well doner than most.
4. Mr. Edelman was seriouser than I have ever seen him.
5. The conference was the most liveliest that I have attended.
Worksheet 6.4
Using Adjectives to Compare
Instructions: In the following sentences, make corrections in adjectives and adverbs. For example:
Incorrect: Jones Company introduced their line of clothing faster than us.
Corrected: Jones Company introduced their line of clothing faster than we introduced ours.
1. The bulkhead row of seats has less storage than the others.
2. He placed his order before us.
3. Miriam worked harder for the job than them.
4. Ellen’s new laptop worked better than the supervisor.
5. My calculations might be a little more accurate than him.
Worksheet 6-5
Avoiding Double Negatives
Instructions: Correct the double negatives or incorrect forms in the following sentences. For example:
Incorrect: Jim couldn’t hardly believe what he heard from the contractor.
Corrected: Jim could hardly believe what he heard from the contractor.
Or: Jim couldn’t believe what he heard from the contractor.
1. Martine said that she did not do nothing wrong.
2. Without hardly a glance backward, the businessman boarded the plane.
3. Irregardless of the outcome, we have to make a bid on the project.
4. It has not barely been two days since the project was completed.
5. No one has done nothing to solve the problem of late deliveries.
Worksheet 6-6
Avoid Misplaced Modifiers
Instructions: Place modifiers close to the words they modify.
1. The judge banged his desk loudly after failing to restore order.
2. Visitors should avoid using the side entrance when late.
3. After the training session, we could understand the jargon used easily.
4. The car in the garage is mine that is blue.
5. I’ve got the perfect item in the back office for your display.
Worksheet 6-7
Misplaced Modifiers
Instructions: In the following sentences, place modifiers correctly. For example:
Incorrect: Expecting conflict, the team formations were announced by the president.
Corrected: Expecting conflict, the president announced team formations.
1. The paperwork is beside the fax machine that has all the client information.
2. Chris watched the weightlifter exercise sitting on a bench.
3. Drew installed a speaker in the wall that was defective.
4. The new policy was incomprehensible regarding health benefits.
4. A tree fell across the building which had been uprooted by the winds.
5 Cookie told the story to the man who first shared the story with her obliviously.
Worksheet 6-8
Correct Dangling Modifiers
Instructions: Reposition the modifiers as needed in the following sentences. For example:
Incorrect: Janine told me about the meeting this morning last night.
Corrected: Janine told me last night about the meeting this morning.
1. Having been thrown into the basket, the cat leapt at the ball of yarn.
2. While driving down Vermont Street, a deer stopped to stare at Orton’s car.
3. Hurrying down the hallway, the missing briefcase was seen by Kevin.
4. After seeing the floodwaters on the news, cars are staying off the streets.
5. A few talented painters weren’t “discovered” by audiences until after their deaths.
Worksheet 6-9
Placing Modifiers Correctly
Instructions: Correct the sentences below by placing modifiers close to the word or words they modify. For example:
Incorrect: Rushing to get the report finished, calls went unanswered.
Corrected: Rushing to get the report finished, I did not answer calls.
1. The grateful employee followed the supervisor into the meeting with a spring to his step.
2. Riding up in the glass elevator, the water fountains looked lovely to me.
3. He worked night and day and almost scored as high as last year’s winner.
4. Eileen ordered more copies for Susan using her own credit account.
5. Avoiding the cow, my motorcycle crashed into a haystack.
6. The road service team only actually spent a half-hour on the repairs.
7. Walking through the lobby, an advertising logo caught my eye.
8. The fire captain greeted the visitor who was recently promoted.
9. People are discovering drawbacks who have switched to the new cable company.
10. The jockey raced the horse with a cell phone in his hand around the track.
11. Shasha wants to really score high on this certification test.
12. He barely gave them enough time to finish the job.
Worksheet 6-10
Place Adverbs Correctly
Instructions: Adjust the following sentences for adverb placement.
Incorrect: Bob only was trying to help you.
Correct: Bob was only trying to help you.
1. Elliot offered only to do it to spite his coworker.
2. Frank practically screened every interviewee personally.
3. At the Monday morning meeting, we probably will discuss the issue.
4. Mark has nearly identified all of the potential markets.
5. Josh certainly will not make an important decision without checking with you first.
Worksheet 6-11
Possessive Pronouns
Instructions: In the following sentences, correct or replace the possessive case pronouns that precede nouns.
Incorrect: The employees took they lunch early.
Corrected: The employees took their lunch early.
1. Avery and Janette shared they contrasting opinions on the project.
2. They need to focus theirselves on learning to accomplish anything extraordinary.
3. The diet sodas in the employee kitchen refrigerator are mines.
4. Ted wants you’s projections first thing tomorrow.
5. Artie doesn’t know about me background as lawyer.
Worksheet 6-12
Demonstrative Pronouns
Instructions: In the following sentences, correct the demonstrative pronouns. For example:
Incorrect: I gave them reports to Sylvia.
Corrected: I gave those reports to Sylvia.
1. Ted wanted them there logos printed at top of the stationary.
2. The field over their is being developed for housing.
3. These here paints are melting under the bright lights.
4. Are them your slides for the presentation?
5. I am going to find me a new part-time job before this weekend.
Worksheet 6-13
Compound Modifiers
Instructions: In the following sentences, correct the compound-adjective modifiers by placing a hyphen where needed. For example:
Incorrect: The out of date policy created problems for our agents.
Corrected: The out-of-date policy created problems for our agents.
1. His bride to be was meeting with the wedding photographer.
2. Year to year sales at this location have declined precipitously.
3. We received an e-mailed reply from the editor in chief.
4. We’re hoping to broadcast the event on pay per view.
5. The warm up exercises included Roman chair sit ups and lunges.
Worksheet 6-14
Hedges and Emphatics
Instructions: Remove the hedges and fillers from the following paragraph.
If it hasn’t become completely clear to you by now, we are totally unable at this time, due to the unprecedented number of employees currently on sick leave with this lousy flu, to commit to delivering anything above and beyond the product agreed to in our initial contract until after the first benchmark date we both initially agreed on. After that benchmark date, by my best estimations (which may or may not prove true), as far as I know, we should be able to return to a more regular delivery cycle, with product shipping to your stores something like around every 10 days. It would be excellent if you could agree to hold off on this conversation until we’re closer to the benchmark day; at that point I would be agreeable to the idea of us working out the details of any further above and beyond contracts.
Worksheet 6-15
Fillers and Tag-ons
Instructions: Edit the following sentences for fillers, tag-ons, hedges, and emphatics.
Incorrect: I just like sort of forgot to do the assignment.
Corrected: I forgot to do the assignment.
1. The Chairman just like arrived earlier than expected.
2. Mark really, really needs to be totally, completely honest with the staff.
3. I am, in fact, more than sure the package will be on your desk tomorrow.
4. I’m like not even sure this is the right address to use to contact you at.
5. In my opinion, and this is only my perspective alone—I know that everybody is allowed to their own opinions—I agree with the decision Pam made.
Worksheet 6-16
Pronouns and Compound Adjectives
Instructions: The following sentences contain errors in modifying pronouns and compound adjectives. Make corrections as needed. For example:
Incorrect: All long term leases were offered and signed.
Corrected: All long-term leases were offered and signed.
1. What do you think of them fancy new wireless phones?
2. Mines is the cubicle with the Dilbert poster behind the computer monitor.
3. The attendees parked they cars in the upper level parking lot.
4. The program calls for 4, 8, and 10 week evaluations.
5. That there printer is the one that serves your computer.
6. Corinne bought she new scarf while shopping online.
7. This here invention was eight years in development.
8. The 80 year old tree down the street was struck by lightning.
9. The old looking vending machine has candy treats in it.
10. Last year’s runner up took the first place trophy in this year’s show.
11. I’d like to move that there cabinet into the back room.
12. The waiter told us we were facing a half hour to forty minute wait for our meal.
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