Grammar Bites

Impress Narrow-minded Instructors with

Ease

Run-on/ Comma splice (CS)

You are not allowed to fuse two independent clauses without the proper punctuation (a period or a semi-colon, depending on the sentence.)

Ex: This computer doesn't make sense to me, it came without a manual.

Fix: This computer doesn't make sense to me. It came without a manual.

OR This computer doesn't make sense to me; it came without a manual.

OR This computer doesn’t make sense to me because it came without a manual.

Verb Tense Shift

You are not allowed to time travel between past and present verb tenses while telling one story in one time period. Inconsistency in verb tense confuses your reader.

Ex: The boy insisted that he has paid for the candy bars.

Fix: The boy insisted that he had paid for the candy bars.

OR The boy insists that he has paid for the candy bars.

Pronoun-Antecedent Error

Your pronoun must agree in singular/plural form with the antecedent

Ex: The school board made their decision.

Fix: The school board members made their decision.

Dangling modifier

You have ended your sentence with either a preposition (of, about, over, etc.) or a "to be" or helping verb (is, was, be, might, should, etc.)

Ex: Where are you at? Fix: Where are you? Ex: He behaved as every boy should. Fix: He behaved as every boy should

behave. OR His behavior was a model for his

peers.