The Best Grammar from Dr. Charles Best Secondary School
What the English Department Wants You to Know. . .
The Best Grammar from Dr. Charles Best Secondary School
1. Avoid Fragments. A fragment is an incomplete sentence missing a subject and/or main verb.
X (wrong) While writing her novel. (missing the subject and main verb)
Fixed: While writing her novel, she heard the doorbell ring.
X Sitting on a log near the stream. (missing the subject and main verb)
Fixed: He was sitting on a long near the stream.
2. Run-on Sentences. A run-on sentence is two sentences incorrectly joined together.
X I like to ski, my friend prefers to snowboard.
X I like to ski my friend prefers to snow board.
Fixed: I like to ski, and my friend prefers to snowboard (use a linking word such as FANBOYS)
Fixed: I like to ski ; my friend prefers to snowboard. (use a semi-colon)
Fixed: Although I like to ski, my friend likes to snowboard (make one sentence a fragment with
an appropriate linking word such as although, since, after, if, because, while, as, and
when).
Fixed: I like to ski. My friend prefers to snowboard. (use a period)
3. Subject/Verb Agreement. The subject and verb need to agree.
X He walk to the store.
Fixed: He walks to the store.
X Either John or the boys walks to the store. (the subject closest to the verb must agree)
Fixed: Either John or the boys walkto the store.
X Everyone were here. (if the word ends with one or thing, the subject is singular)
Fixed: Everyone was here.
X Five dollars are too much money for a coffee. (Any measurement is always singular)
Fixed: Fix dollars is too much for a coffee.
X Five miles is too much to walk.
Fixed: Five miles is too far to walk.
4. Commas. Commas are used to separate sentences and words.
XThe dog is very upset and the cat is very delighted. (use commas to separate sentences joined by
“FOR, AND, NOR, BUT, OR, YET & SO”)
Fixed: The dog is very upset , and the cat is very delighted
5. Parallelism. All items in a list should use the same structure.
X The camp counselor told us to clean our rooms, stack firewood, and we sang traditional songs.
Fixed: The camp counselor told us to clean our rooms, stack firewood, and sing traditional songs.
X Our fiberglass canoe holds five people, requires no paint, and it paddles easily.
Fixed: Our fiberglass canoe holds five people, requires no paint, and paddles easily.
5. Parallelism (continued)
X The girl uses her dictionary all the time, and the thesaurus is used by the boy.
(subject) (verb) (object)(object) (verb) (subject)
Fixed: The girl uses her dictionary all the time, and the boy uses the thesaurus. (same word order)
(subject) (verb) (object) (subject) (verb) (object)
6. Pronoun Agreement. Pronouns referring to the subject must agree with the subject.
X Everyone must bring his guitar. (“Everyone” is not male)
X Everyone must bring their guitar. (“Everyone” is singular not plural)
Fixed: The students must bring their guitars. (eliminate the gender problem)
Fixed: Everyone must bring a guitar. (eliminate the pronoun)
7. Modifier Problems. A modifier is simply a word or group of words that describes the subject or object. The placement of the modifier is very important. It should be as close as possible to the described subject.
X The boy walked to the store who was in grade 10.
Fixed: The boy, who is in grade 10, walked to the store.
X The man nearly drank every can of pop in the table. (since he “nearly” drank, he never drank)
Fixed: The name drank nearly every can of pop in the table.
(all modifying words like “nearly”, “only”, “even” , “almost”, “hardly”, & “merely” modify what is RIGHT of it)
X Stepping off the curb, the taxi stopped for the man. (“A taxi can not ‘step off a curb’, but a ‘man’ can)
Fixed: Stepping off the curb, the man approached the taxi.
8. Avoid the word “thing” such as something, nothing, & everything. “Thing” is too vague. 9. Avoid simple words such as “good”, “bad”, “nice”, “big” & “small”. Use more descriptive
words. Use a thesaurus for help.
10. Avoid slang or conversational language such as “cool”, “kids”, “totally”