Phrasal Verbs

Posted on by admin

English phrasal verbs are multi-word verbs that combine verbs and prepositions or adverbs to create new verbs with a separate meaning from the words individually. Phrasal verbs are used in every day life allow a level of flexibility to the English language where people can invent new verbs to create a new expression.

Phrasal verbs examples include words such as hit on, add up, knock out, and phase out. For the most part these words are used in informal speech or otherwise shorten an otherwise lengthy phrase. In the case of the sentence; “I hope I get over this cold quickly, I want to hang out with my friends,” the words “get over” and “hang out” are phrasal verbs. The phrases convey the meaning of this person’s desire to recover from a cold so he or she can do something with her or his friends.

A phrasal verb can be difficult in a sense as more often or not, it often won’t be found in a dictionary and the individual words which make up the phrasal verb are seldom is used in the same way. Phrasal verbs lists and phrasal verbs dictionary will allow a writer or speaker to locate or define the phrasal verb to convey the meaning that he or she wishes to express.

Pronouns

Posted on by admin

The pronoun substitutes for a noun or noun phrase to make communication easier. The noun replaced by the pronoun is called the antecedent. Some common examples are: I, you, he, it, they, me. The pronoun is a very common part of speech; using it correctly and clearly is important.
Subjective pronouns are used when the person or thing referred to is the subject of a sentence or clause. For example, in the sentence “I like ice cream,” the pronoun “I” is a subjective pronoun.
Objective pronouns are used when the person or thing referred to is the object of a sentence or clause. For example, in the command, “Call me tomorrow,” the pronoun “me” is an objective pronoun.
Possessive pronouns show possession, or who owns what. In the sentence “The comb is hers,” the pronoun “hers” is a possessive pronoun. Other examples include: mine, his, yours, theirs.
Indefinite pronouns refer to a nonspecific single or group of people and things. For example, in the sentence “Everyone loves Raymond,” the word “everyone” is an indefinite pronoun. Other indefinite pronouns include: somebody, anyone, nobody, either.
Reflective pronouns are used when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same. For example, in the sentence “We blame ourselves,” the word “ourselves” is a reflective pronoun referring to the subjective pronoun “we”. Other reflective pronouns include: myself, herself, itself, themselves.
It can be confusing if there are too many pronouns in a sentence, so antecedents should always be clear. The pronoun is a great tool to avoid repetition and shorten lengthy sentences.

Modifier Mistakes

Posted on by admin

Modifiers are words that clarify and describe a portion of the sentence. Modifiers can either be single words or phrases. Incorrect modifiers in a sentence can confuse the meaning of the sentence and make readers question what the writer is trying to say. This usually happens when there are dangling and misplaced modifiers. Misplaced modifiers happen when the modifier is not in the correct place to properly describe. This will often add confusion to the sentence by having the modifier describe something else. Here are some examples of misplaced modifiers. Going crazy and running through the trees, the children enjoyed watching the monkeys. The misplaced modifier is the phrase, going crazy and running through the trees. Because the modifier is misplaced, a reader will read the sentence as thinking that the children are going crazy and running through the trees instead of the monkeys. A better way for this sentence to be worded is: The children enjoyed watching the monkeys going crazy and running through the trees.

Dangling modifiers are modifiers that are placed in the sentence but have no clearly modified word. Dangling modifiers cause problems because they confuse the reader of the sentence. An example of a sentence with a dangling modifier is this: Raised in South Dakota, it is natural to be used to the cold. The dangling modifier is raised in South Dakota. This sentence is very confusing because it is very unclear what is raised in South Dakota. Is this a person or an animal? A better way to word this sentence would be: Because she was raised in South Dakota she was used to the cold.

Whenever using modifiers in a sentence it is very important to make sure that the sentence makes sense. A writer should be sure to reread the sentence and make sure that the sentence can be easily read by someone who is unsure of what the writer is speaking about. Checking dangling and misplaced modifiers is an important part of editing and proofreading.