Workbook for dummies 1 pdf

w
The descriptive word only should precede the word being compared — in this case, only two as
compared to three or four or whatever the professor assigns.
x
Possessive pronouns have no apostrophes.
y
Admission is singular and takes a singular verb, is.
A
The adjective Political describes the noun Science. Politically is an adverb and may describe
only verbs (speaking politically) or other descriptions (politically inexperienced).
B
A statement should end with a period, which is missing in the original.
C
Irregardless isn’t standard English. Substitute regardless.
D
As and than don’t belong in the same comparison. An as comparison is for equal items and a
than comparison for unequal items.
E
Try and implies two actions, but the sentence refers to one that should be attempted. The
proper expression is try to.
283
Appendix: Grabbing Grammar Goofs
32_599321 app.qxp 4/3/06 11:05 PM Page 283
Answers to Exercise Two
In the following figure the errors from the original letter are boldfaced and crossed out,
with a possible correction following each one, as well as an occasional addition of a miss-
ing word or mark. All corrections are boldfaced and underlined. Check the corresponding
numbered explanations that follow the revised letter.
Higgen Publishing Company
459 elm Elm Avenue
Bronxton, VT 05599

October 31, 2006
Mr. Chester Slonton
33 Warwickville Road
Alaistair, CA 90990
Dear Mr. Slonton:
Thank you for sending us your novel, “The Lily Droops at Dawn.” The Lily Droops at Dawn.
To read over more than 1,000 pages about a love affair between plants is a very unique
experience. In your talented hands, both of the plants becomes become characters that are
well-rounded and of great interest interesting to the reader. Before Mr. Higgen, whom who
you know is our founder, commits to publishing this masterpiece, I must ask for some
real really minor changes.
Most of the editors, including Mr. Higgen, was were confused about the names. You are
absolutely right in stating that each of the lovers are is in the lily family,; scientifically they have
similar characteristics. Calling the lovers Lila and Lyle would not of have been a problem if the
characters were distinguished from one another in personality or habits or appearance.
Unfortunately, your main characters resembles resemble each other in petal color and height.
True, one of the lilies is said to be smartest smarter, but the reader doesn’t know which.
A second problem are is the love scenes. You mention in your cover letter that you can make
them more lengthier. Mr. Higgen feels, and I agree, that you write vivid vividly; nevertheless,
we think you could cut them alot a lot without losing the reader’s attention. After all, once a
person has read one flower proposal, he or she has essentially read them all.
Finally, the ending needs work. When the lily droops, the book ended ends. Are you
comfortable with a tiny change. ? Market research shows that books with happy endings appeal
to the readers, whoever he or she they may be. These volumes sell good well. Instead of
drooping, perhaps the lily could spread it’s petals and welcome the dawn. Or dawn or become
a rose.
Higgen Publishing would like this novel for their its fall list. I hope that you are open to the
changes I had outlined in this letter. I cannot help but mention mentioning that Higgen
Publishing is probably the only publisher with experience in plant romance volumes. I look
forward to having talked talking with you about the editing process.

Sincerely,
Cynthia Higgen
31
33
36
38
39
40
44
46
52
60
51
54
57
49
47
32
35
37
42
43
48
50
53
55
56
58
59
45

41
34
284
English Grammar Workbook For Dummies
32_599321 app.qxp 4/3/06 11:05 PM Page 284
F
Proper names are capitalized.
G
The title of a full-length work (in this case, a novel) is italicized or underlined, not enclosed in
quotation marks.
H
Over precedes a singular word, and more than precedes a plural.
I
Unique is an absolute, so no degrees of uniqueness (very unique, a little unique, and so on) exist.
J
Both is plural and should be matched with the plural verb become.
K
The original sentence isn’t parallel because it pairs the simple description well rounded with the
phrase of great interest. The correction changes the phrase to a simple description, interesting.
L
The pronoun who is needed to act as a subject for the verb is.
M
Real is an adjective and appropriate for descriptions of people, places, things, or ideas. The
adverb really intensifies the description minor.
N
Most of the editors is a plural subject and requires a plural verb, were.
O
Each of the lovers is a singular subject and requires a singular verb, is.
P
A comma may not join two complete sentences. Use a semicolon instead.

Q
Would of doesn’t exist in standard English. The proper expression is would have, here changed
to the negative would not have.
R
The plural subject characters needs the plural verb resemble.
S
Smartest is for the extreme in groups of three or more. Because only two lilies are compared,
smarter is correct.
T
The contraction doesn’t contains an apostrophe.
U
The singular subject problem takes the singular verb is.
V
Double comparisons aren’t correct. Use lengthier or more lengthy.
W
The verb write may be described by the adverb vividly but not by the adjective vivid.
X
The expression a lot is always written as two words.
Y
The present-tense verb ends works best with the rest of the sentence, which contains the
present-tense verb droops.
z
This sentence, a question, calls for a question mark instead of a period.
Z
The plural pronoun they refers to readers.
1
Good is an adjective, but the sentence calls for the adverb well to describe the verb sell.
2
A possessive pronoun, such as its, never includes an apostrophe.
3

The expression or become a rose is a fragment and may not stand as a separate sentence.
4
A company is singular, so the matching pronoun is its.
5
The helping verb had is used only to place one action in the past before another past action.
6
Cannot help but mention is a double negative.
7
Every sentence needs an endmark. This statement calls for a period.
8
Having talked implies a deadline, and the sentence doesn’t support such a meaning.
285
Appendix: Grabbing Grammar Goofs
32_599321 app.qxp 4/3/06 11:05 PM Page 285
Answers to Exercise Three
In the following figure the errors from the original article are boldfaced and crossed out,
with a possible correction following each one, as well as an occasional addition of a miss-
ing word or mark. All corrections are boldfaced and underlined. Check the corresponding
numbered explanations that follow the revised article.
Hold the Tights: a A Former Television Star Plays Shakespeare
Silver, the actor that played a talking horse on the Emmy-winning series Mr. Said, is now
starring in the Royal Theater production of “Hamlet.” Hamlet. The handsome blond recently
agreed to discuss his approach to acting. It were was never about talking, in Silvers’ Silver’s
view. As he had munched oats and sipped delicately from a water pail, the colt explained that
he learned to talk at the age of one. Him His talking was not fulfilling enough,; only acting met
his need for recognition.
“I started by reciting monologues for whomever whoever would listen,” he said. “Then one day
I got a call from a Hollywood agent offering me the part of Mr. Said.” Tossing his mane in the air,
Silver continued, “I plays played that role for nine seasons. You get typecast. Nobody
want wants to take a chance on your dramatic ability if they he or she can find someone else

for the role.” He added, “Sitting by the phone one day, it rang I heard the phone ring, and my
agent told me that I had a an audition.” That audition resulted in him his getting the part. Silver
is the only horse that have has ever played Hamlet, as far as he knows.
The actor has all ready already began begun rehearsals. His costume includes a
traditionally traditional velvet coat but no tights. “Between you and I me,” he whispered, “the
tights snag on my fur.” Director Ed Walketers asked Silver to consider shaving, and he Silver
also tried several types of material for the tights. Even Silver’s wife got involved in this key
costuming decision. “No one tried harder than her she to find tights I could wear,” Silver said.
Nothing was suitable for this extremely unique situation.
Silver is equally as involved with the role itself. “I relate to Hamlet’s problems,” he explained.
“Us We horses often find it hard to take action and being to be decisive.” The role is also
exhausting; Silver lays lies down for a quickly quick nap everyday every day before going
onstage as Hamlet.
61
64
66
67
69
71
72
75
77
78
80
84
86
88
85
63
62

65
70
73
74
76
79
81
82
83
87
90
89
68
286
English Grammar Workbook For Dummies
32_599321 app.qxp 4/3/06 11:05 PM Page 286
9
The first word of a title and a subtitle should always be capitalized.
0
Silver identifies the horse being discussed. The original sentence has a comma at the beginning
of the long, descriptive expression (the actor who played a talking horse on the Emmy-winning
series Mr. Said) but none at the end. The second comma is necessary because the information
supplied is extra, not essential to the meaning of the sentence. It should be set off from the rest
of the sentence by a pair of commas.
!
The title of a full-length work (in this sentence, a play) should be in italics or underlined.
@
The singular it pairs with the singular verb was.
#
A singular possessive is formed by the addition of an apostrophe and the letter s.

$
The helping verb had places one past action before another past action, but in this sentence
the actions take place at the same time. Drop the had.
%
The possessive pronoun his should precede an -ing form of a verb that is being used as a noun
(in this sentence, talking).
^
Two complete sentences shouldn’t be joined by a comma. Use a semicolon instead.
&
The subject pronoun whoever is needed as the subject of the verb would listen. The preposition
for may have confused you because normally an object follows a preposition. However, in this
sentence the entire expression (whoever would listen) is the object of the preposition, not just
the pronoun.
*
A quotation mark belongs at the beginning and the end of the quotation.
(
The past tense verb matches the meaning of the sentence.
)
The pronoun nobody is singular and requires a singular verb, wants.
-
Only singular pronouns (in this sentence, he or she) can refer to the singular pronoun nobody.
_
In the original sentence, it (the phone) is sitting by the phone — illogical! Reword in some way
so that the speaker is sitting by the phone. Another possible correction: Add a subject/verb
combo to the beginning of the sentence so that it reads When I was sitting by the phone.
=
The article an precedes vowel sounds, such as the au in audition.
+
The possessive pronoun his should precede the -ing form of a verb that is being used as a noun
(in this sentence, getting).

[
Because only one horse is the meaning of the pronoun that, the verb paired with that is singular.
Has is singular, and have is plural.
{
The single word already means “before this time,” the meaning required by the sentence.
]
Begun is the combination form of to begin and here is paired with has.
}
The adjective traditional describes the noun coat.
\
Between is a preposition and thus takes an object. The pronoun me is an object.
287
Appendix: Grabbing Grammar Goofs
32_599321 app.qxp 4/3/06 11:05 PM Page 287
|
Two males appear in the sentence (Silver and Ed), so the pronoun he is unclear. Substitute a noun.
;
The missing word in the original is did, as in than she did. Her is inappropriate as the subject of
the implied verb did.
:
Unique is an absolute and can’t be compared, so the extremely must be deleted.
,
The comparison equally should not be followed by as.
<
We is the subject pronoun needed here. Us is for objects.
.
To keep the sentence parallel, to be should be paired with to take action. Another alternative is
to change to take action to acting.
>
To lay is “to place something else somewhere.” To lie is “to rest or to recline,” the meaning here.

/
The noun nap must be described by an adjective (quick), not an adverb (quickly).
?
The single word everyday means “ordinary.” In this sentence you need the two-word form,
which means “each day.”
288
English Grammar Workbook For Dummies
32_599321 app.qxp 4/3/06 11:05 PM Page 288