Name and Date: ______

GRAMMAR AND STYLE/USAGE RULES

1)Fragments and Run-Ons (And correct use of transition words/punctuation, including: Apostrophes, Hyphens and Dashes, Colons, Semi-colons, and Commas).

  • I did not study, however, I did well.
  • He did the work. But he still failed.

2)Adjective and Adverb Confusion

  • I hope you do excellent on the grammar test!
  • I am doing good.
  • It is amazing delicious.
  • She felt badly about her poor behavior.

3)Use of Slang/Colloquialisms/Contractions in formal writing (Academic Voice)

  • That teacher sure knows her stuff.
  • At first he wasn’t really into learning grammar, but eventually he came around.

4)Error in Case of Pronoun

  • Can you keep this secret between you and I?
  • John and me went to the store.
  • It is her.
  • He is the one who I love.

5)Error in Pronoun Number Agreement

  • Each of the girls on the team wore their uniform.
  • Everybody did their work.

6)Subject – Verb Agreement

  • We was happy yesterday.
  • The joys of climbing mountains, especially if one is a novice climber, escapes me.

7)Error in Tense of a Verb

  • In the science fiction novel Flowers for Algernon, Charlie tells Professor Nemur that he had decided to get the surgery.
  • I found the keys I lost.
  • We begun to do the work.

8)Error in Modification and Word Order

  • The two young boys robbed the old lady with a gun.
  • I saw the fight peeking through the window.

9)Use Pronouns correctly.

  • The teacher told the student he was lazy.
  • Both Isabel and Barbara loved her children.

10)Error in Parallelism

  • Fred likes to swim and candy.
  • All students should learn word processing, accounting, and how to program computers.

11)Shifting of Narrative Voice

  • In my lifetime I have seen many challenges to the principle of free speech. We can see how a free society can get too complacent when this freedom is taken for granted. One should always be informed and active about his or her rights!

12)Errors in Logical Comparison

  • Unfortunately some doubt exists over whether women’s salaries will ever achieve parity with men.
  • Between chocolate and vanilla I like vanilla best.

13)Avoid “Wordiness” (this means minimal use of passive voice!!!)

  • He dropped out of school on account of the fact that it was necessary that he help to support his family by working to earn money.
  • The subjects considered the most important by students are those that have been shown to be useful to them after graduation.