Verbs, Prepositions, Pronouns

Sample Summary Analysis

Verbs

Active verbs

Whenever possible avoid the passive voice and

use the active voice
Makes writing crisper, more lively, more
concise
Avoid or replace be verbs

be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been

The fly ball was caught by Hernando.

Hernando caught the fly ball.

Active Verbs

Use the active voice unless you have a good

reason for choosing the passive.
In active, the subject does the action
In passive, the subject receives the action

Mostly scientific writing

The settlers stripped the land of timber.

The land was stripped of timber by the settlers.

Active Verbs

Replace be verbs that result in dull or wordy

sentences
As a rule, choose a subject that names the
person or thing doing the action.

Active or passive? If its passive, make it

active. If its active, make it passive.
1.Thomas fed his dog.
2.The dog is fed by Thomas.
3.The family went to the beach.
4.The letter was written by Marshall.
5.The game had been won by the blue team.
6.The problem was solved.
7.The stunt man risked his life.
8.The fire was extinguished.
9.The car was being cleaned by its owner
10. It gets cold here during the winter.

Proofreading tip
Circle all Be verbs in your writing
Edit out.

Prepositions

Parts of Speech

Preposition
indicates the relationship between the noun or
pronoun that follows it and another word in the
sentence

At, by, for, from, in, of, on, to , with

The road to the summit travels past craters from an
extinct volcano.

Prepositions

Can you end a sentence with a preposition?

Where are you at?

Where are you?
She displayed the good humor shes known for.
She displayed the good humor for which she is known.
I want to know where he came from.
I want to know from where he came.

Prepositions
She is a person I cannot cope with.
She is a person with whom I cannot cope.

If the restructured sentence sounds contrived and

unnatural, simply rewrite the sentence:

It is behavior I will not put up with.

It is behavior up with which I will not put.
It is behavior I will not tolerate.

Proofreading Tip
Look at the word before each sentences ending
punctuation.
Is it a preposition? Fix it!

Pronouns

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

What is a pronoun?
Substitutes a noun
He, she, it, her, him, they, we, us, them
What is an antecedent?
Noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers to
Dr. Berto finished her rounds.
The hospital interns finished their rounds.

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

Do not use plural pronouns to refer to singular

antecedents
3 Ways to correct
When someone travels outside the US for the first
time, they need to apply for a passport.

Replace plural pronoun with he or she (his or her)

When someone travels outside the US for the first time, he
or she needs to apply for a passport.
Make antecedent plural
When people travel outside the US for the first time, they
need to apply for a passport.
Rewrite sentence to correct problem
Anyone who travels outside the US for the first time needs
to apply for a passport.

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

Do not use plural pronouns to refer to singular

antecedents
These indefinite pronouns are all singular
Anybody
anyone
anything each
Everybody
either
everyone everything
Nobody
no one
neither
nothing
Somebody
someone something

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

Treat collective nouns as singular unless the

meaning is clearly plural
Collective nouns are treated as a group and
functions as a unit
Jury
committee
audience couple
Crowd
class
troop
family
team
The committee granted its permission to build.
Sometimes they act as individuals though
The committee put their signatures on the
document.
Simplify by adding a clearly plural antecedent
The members of the committee put their signatures
on the document.

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

Treat most compound antecedents joined with

and as plural
In 1987, Reagan and Gorbachev held a summit
where they signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear
Forces Treaty.
With compound antecedents joined with or or
nor (or with eitheror or neithernor), make the
pronoun agree with the closer antecedent
Either Bruce or Tom should receive first prize for his
poem.
Neither the mouse nor the rats could find their way
through the maze.

Pronoun & Antecedent Agreement

With compound antecedents joined with or or

nor (or with eitheror or neithernor), make the
pronoun agree with the closer antecedent
*if one antecedent is singular and the other
plural, put plural one last to avoid awkwardness
*If one antecedent is male and the other female,
do not follow the traditional rule
Either Bruce or Elizabeth should receive first prize
for her short story.
The prize for best short story should go to either
Bruce or Elizabeth.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

1. Meteorology has made many advances in the past
few decades, but they still cannot answer a number of
questions about tornadoes.
Meteorology has made many advances in the past few
decades, but it still cannot answer a number of
questions about tornadoes.

2. Every tornado has their own unique characteristics.

Every tornado has its own unique characteristics.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

3.The science of tornado watching has its own system,
the Fujita scale, for measuring storms from weakest
(F0) to strongest (F5).
correct
4. An F4 tornado or an F5 tornado can destroy
everything in their path.
An F4 tornado or an F5 tornado can destroy
everything in its path.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

5. Scientists cannot yet predict how strong any tornado
will be before they happen.
Scientists cannot yet predict how strong any tornado
will be before it happens.
6. One mystery about tornadoes involves the last step
when it forms.
One mystery about tornadoes involves the last step
when they form.

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

7. Specialists do not know if a tornado forms in a cloud
and travels to the ground or if they begin on earth
and spiral upward.
Specialists do not know if a tornado forms in a cloud
and travels to the ground or if it begins on earth and
spirals upward.

8. Improved meteorological technology and the skill to

interpret data have made their contributions to
tornado prediction.
correct

Exercise 7.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

9. Either a few extra minutes of warning or more
information about a storms power would prove their
effectiveness in saving lives.
Either a few extra minutes of warning or more
information about a storms power would prove its
effectiveness in saving lives.
10. People who live in a tornado zone should always
know where his or her nearest safe area is.
People who live in a tornado zone should always know
where their nearest safe area is.
People who live in a tornado zone should always know
the location of their nearest safe zone.

Pronoun References

Avoid ambiguous or remote pronoun reference

Occurs when pronoun could refer to 2 possible
antecedents
When Gloria set the pitcher on the glass-topped
table, it broke.
Which object broke the pitcher or the table?
The pitcher broke when Gloria set it on the glasstopped table.
Tom told Sam that he had won the lottery.
Who won the lottery Tom or Sam?
Tom told Sam, You have won the lottery.

Pronoun References

Generally, avoid broad reference of this, that,

which, it
By advertising on TV, pharmaceutical companies
gain exposure for their prescription drugs. Patients
respond to this by requesting drugs they might not
need.
What are patients responding to ads,
companies, prescription drugs?
By advertising on TV, pharmaceutical companies
gain exposure for their prescription drugs. Patients
respond to the ads by requesting drugs they might
not need.

Pronoun References

Do not use a pronoun to refer to an implied

antecedent
A pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent,
not to a word that isnt actually in the sentence
After braiding Anns hair, Sue decorated them with
ribbons.
What is the antecedent for the pronoun them?
After braiding Anns hair, Sue decorated the braids
with ribbons.

Pronoun References

Avoid the indefinite use of they, it, you

A pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent,
not to a word that isnt actually in the sentence
In June, they announced that parents would have to
pay a fee.
In June, the board announced that parents would
have to pay a fee.
In the encyclopedia it states that male moths can
smell female moths from several miles away.
The encyclopedia states that male moths can smell
female moths from several miles away.

Pronoun References

Avoid the indefinite use of they, it, you

A pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent,
not to a word that isnt actually in the sentence
Ms. Pickersgills book stipulates that you should not
arrive at a party too early or leave too late.
Ms. Pickersgills book stipulates that a guest should
not arrive at a party too early or leave too late.

Pronoun References

To refer to persons, use who, whom, whose NOT

which, that
Use which, that to refer to animals or things
All thirty-two women in the study, half of which were
unemployed for more than six months, reported
higher self-esteem after job training.
All thirty-two women in the study, half of who were
unemployed for more than six months, reported
higher self-esteem after job training.
During the two-day festival El Dia de los Muertos,
Mexican families celebrate loved ones that have died.
During the two-day festival El Dia de los Muertos,
Mexican families celebrate loved ones who have died.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

1. In much political analysis, they say that public distrust
of the US government began with Watergate.
Many political analysts say that public distrust of the US
government began with Watergate.
2.That scandals continuing legacy may make it one of
the most influential American events of the twentieth
century.
That scandals continuing legacy may make Watergate
one of the most influential American events of the
twentieth century.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

3. Since the early 1970s, political scandals have rarely
interested Americans; they often seem to have very
little effect.
Since the early 1970s, political scandals have rarely
interested Americans; the scandals often seem to have
very little effect.
4. Journalists provided the American people with a lot of
information about the Iran-Contra hearings, but they
could not have cared less.
Journalists provided the American people with a lot of
information about the Iran-Contra hearings, but the
public could not have cared less.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

5. Most people were indifferent; could it have been the
result of post-Watergate trauma?
Could the indifference of most people have been the
result of post-Watergate trauma?
6. If Americans expect politicians to be corrupt, it will not
surprise or even interest them.
If Americans expect politicians to be corrupt,
government scandals will not surprise or even interest
them.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

7. Ironically, the medias coverage of scandals seems to
have made the public suspicious of them as well.
Ironically, the medias coverage of scandals seems to have
made the public suspicious of journalists as well.
8. Cynicism about political and journalistic motives, leads
to apathy and it can spread contagiously.
Cynicism about political and journalistic motives, which
can spread contagiously, leads to apathy.

Exercise 7.1 Pronoun Reference

9. Many people are so apathetic that it makes them
refuse to vote.
Many people are so apathetic that they refuse to vote.

10. If people do not believe that they can make a

difference in the political process, it makes the country
less democratic.
If people do not believe that they can make a difference
in the political process, the country becomes less
democratic.

Proofreading Tip

Underline all pronouns. Check the pronouns

antecedent to ensure that it exists. Ensure
that the pronoun and antecedent align in
singularity and plurality.

In Groups

Read and grade the sample summary essays

For Thursday

Read chapter 2 Critique

(Not due til Thursday 9/29) Begin reading the
articles in Chapter 8. Create your topic/keyword
list for summarizing these articles:

A Cloudful of Stormy Weather by Harold Arlen &

Ted Koehler
How to Talk and Write about Popular Music by
Greg Blair
Comparing & Contrasting Three Covers of Stormy
Weather by Greg Blair
Why Do Some Covers Disappoint? by Jeff Turrentine
The Greatest Covers of All Time