Dr. Fe M.

Tangalin
DMMMSU-SLUC
Agoo, La Union
 Faulty Diction
 Verb Forms and Tenses
 Disagreement of Subject and Verb
 Misplaced & dangling modifiers
 Unparalleled structures
 Inconsistency of tense, number, person
 Fragment & Run-on Sentences
 Punctuation marks
DICTION – choice of words
 Accept – I accept the nomination. ( to take, to
receive)

 Except - All the students except Rosita passed

the examination. (excluding)
Affect - We were affected by the change in the
administration (have an influence on)

Effect – The new administration effected a few changes

in the policy. ( to cause, produce, results in)
What will be the effect of increased taxes upon the
people?
 all ready - Are the children all ready to go to
school? (everything is set, everybody is prepared)

 already – You have already seen this.

(previously, before the specified time)
 all right – All right is overused to mean very well
and satisfactory
Everything is all right.

 Alright is NOT recorded in any standard

dictionary and is to be avoided
 Beside- The secretary sat beside her boss. ( prep.
next to, close to)

 Besides – Several employees, besides their

supervisors, were given awards. ( prep. In addition
to)
 Bring – Please bring me the reports on the
seminar.( to indicate movement toward that
speaker)

 Take – I asked the liaison officer to take the

papers to the main office. (to indicate a movement
away from the speaker)
 complement – The sauce complements the meat
dish. (to supply a deficiency, a complete set)

 compliment – Let me compliment you on your

good cooking. (a formal expression of courtesy,
praise)
 Different than is not accepted
 Different from - She is different from her sister in
many ways.
 Less- There is less sugar in that bowl.
( refers to amount)

 Few - There are fewer students in the

library.(refers to number)
 lose – We cannot afford to lose this game. ( to be
deprive of, be defeated)

 loose – Her dress is too loose for her. (unbound,

not fixed)
stationary – That star seems to be in a
stationary position. ( fixed, not moving)

stationery – Kindly give me some of

your office stationery. (writing materials)
 Mistake: We are pleased to report that the mutual
funds performed good this fiscal year.

 Correction: We are pleased to report that the mutual

funds performed well this fiscal year.

"Good" is an adjective, and "well" in this context is an

adverb.
BASE PAST PAST
PARTICIPLE
Arrive Arrived Arrived

Go Went Gone

Hide Hid hidden

BASE VERB – no change; no addition
a. To + base = to go ( not to went)
b. Will/would
can/could + BASE will go might arrive
may/might
c. Do
does + BASE Where did the incident happen?
did
PAST FORM – used by itself
- when there are no auxiliary verbs
The meeting was presided over by the Director.
It started at exactly 9 o’clock in the morning and
was adjourned at 11:00.
PAST PARTICIPLE
a. Has/have/had + Past Participle
b. Is/am/are/was/were + Past Participle

The meeting will be held at 8:30 on Wednesday,

July 2, 2015 in the Conference Room.
 Teenagers have change their outlook in life.
 Many students failed last year because they did not took their
studies seriously.
 People lose their respect for the government officials who are
find guilty of enriching themselves while in office.
 The car that gone into flames was bought only last year.
 Many persons have chose to suffer than give up their
principles.
 Their pleas fallen into deaf ears.
 Sufferings are usually bear by Filipino mothers without
complaint.
 The sun had rose when we woke up.
 Food technology students are teached how to set tables
attractively.
 Filipino soldiers were known to have fight valiantly in the last
world war.
 Simple Perfect Progressive Perfect
Progressive
PRESENT Simple Present Present Perfect Present Present Perfect
Progressive Progressive
PAST Simple Past Past Perfect Past Progressive Past Perfect
Progressive
FUTURE Simple Future Perfect Future Progressive Future Perfect
Future Progressive
0 have + -en be + -ing have + -en be + -
ing
Present Write/writes Has/have written Am/is/are writing Has/have been
Walk/walks Has/have walked Am/is/are walking writing
Has/have been
walking
Past Wrote Had written Was/were writing Had been writing
Walked Had walked Was/were walking Has been walking
Future Will write Will have written Will be writing Will have been
Will walk Will have walked Will be walking writing
Will have been
walking
SINGULAR NOUN --- SINGULAR VERB (Vs)
PLURAL SUBJECT ---- PLURAL VERB (Vo)
1. Our plans, subject to approval, (is, are) now ready.
2. Neither (has, have) signed the contract.
3. The director, as well as his associates, (is, are) here.
4. A number of traffic accidents (has, have) increased.
5. The most difficult part of a grammar lesson (is, are) the
forms and tenses of verbs.
6. A skull and crossbones (was, were) the emblem of pirate ships.
7. A pencil and a pad paper (was, were) beside the telephone.
8. Every corner and cabinet in his study room (was, were) bulging
with books.
9. A list of the investors with their contributions (was, were)
published.
10. The folder, together with the documents (has, have) been
misplaced.
11.The man to whom the invitations are offered ( refuse,
refuses) to accept them.
12.The only thing that will be left in the folder (is, are) the
application letters.
13.Nobody except spiteful people (rejoice, rejoices) at the
misfortunes of others.
14.When I am on stage, neither my memory nor my voice
(is, are) reliable.
15.A series of lectures (was, were) held in the AVR.
In the lobby of a Moscow hotel:
You are welcome to visit the cemetery
where famous Russian and Soviet
composers, artists and writers are buried
daily except Thursday.
In a Tokyo bar:
Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts.
In the window of a Swedish furrier:
Fur coats made for ladies from their own
skin.
WRONG: Being an excellent typist, the office should be her place.

RIGHT: Being an excellent typist, she should stay in the office.

WRONG: Torn and mutilated, the screening committee
did not accept his papers.

RIGHT: Torn and mutilated, his papers were not accepted

by the screening committee.
WRONG: Deciding to purchase a piece of real estate,
an agreement was negotiated by the buyer and
seller.
RIGHT: Deciding to purchase a piece of real estate, the
buyer and seller negotiated an agreement.
An adjective is placed closest to the word it
modifies.
 A large number of undeposited checks were found in
the file cabinets worth over P50,000.

 A large number of undeposited checks worth over

P50,000.00 were found in the file cabinets.
 While answering the phone, his calculator fell to
the floor.
 While he was answering the phone, his calculator fell
to the floor.
 While he was answering the phone, he didn’t realize
that his calculator fell to the floor.
 INCONSISTENCY IN NUMBER

WRONG: If one wants to be promoted, they should manifest their

love and commitment to the company.

RIGHT: If they want to be promoted, they should manifest their love

and commitment to the company.
 INCONSISTENCY IN PERSON
WRONG: If he wishes to succeed, you should not
give up.
RIGHT: If he wishes to succeed, he should not give
up.
 INCONSISTENCY IN TENSE
WRONG: The client asked what he should do next. So
I tell him to fill out the form.

RIGHT: The client asked what he should do next. So I

told him to fill out the form.
1. When you wish your work to be done well, he should
do it himself.
2. It is probable that every one will do their best to
win.
3. The laborers went to work but little was finished.
4. Every man must do their share in the undertaking.
5. If a student wishes to get good grades, you should
study hard.
6. He said that we knew it, but we don’t.
7. He did not get the job because he was not prepared for
them.
8. When one works hard, you will succeed.
9. After people have worked long and hard, we need time for
relaxation.
10. None of the delegates who were housed in our room
admitted their fault – vandalizing.
11. What an opportunity he had, yet how poorly he use it.
12. He was staring at the girl by the vending machine wearing
dark glasses.
13. I found a huge boulder taking a shortcut through the
woods.
14. One midnight we heard loud screams we peeked out from
behind the shades but could see nothing.
15. Being an excellent typist, the office should be her place.
 Faulty Parallelism Corrected Version

It was both a long ceremony and The ceremony was both long and
very tedious. tedious.
A time not for words, but action A time not for words, but for action

Either you must grant his request or You must either grant his request or
incur his ill will. incur his ill will.

My objections are, first, the injustice My objections are, first, that the
of the measure; second, that it is measure is unjust; second, that it is
unconstitutional. unconstitutional.
Faulty Parallelism
My income is smaller than my wife.
Despite the high esteem in which I hold
Ms. Jones, I believe that Mr. Smith is
more familiar with the company's cash
disbursements than her.
My job is as important as you.
Corrected Version
My income is smaller than my wife's.
Despite the high esteem in which I hold
Ms. Jones, I believe that Mr. Smith is
more familiar with the company's cash
disbursements than she.
My job is as important as yours.
 Regarding your letter of April 15 about the recent
revisions to the BIR and their implications for the
economy.

 Thank you for your letter of April 15 about the recent

revisions to the BIR and their implications for the economy.
 If the results are not available by the close of business
today.

 While some people carefully consider the attributes of

the candidates running for the presidency and often
find the candidates lacking .
Wrong: I love technical communication it is a great class.
Correct: I love technical communication because it is a great class.

Wrong: Technical communication requires study, it can be

difficult.
Correct: Technical communication requires study; it can be difficult.
Or: Technical communication requires study, and it can be difficult.
 We asked the director to look at the problem he is an
expert in the field.
 Reggie is a licensed attorney he has chosen to devote
his life to his first love—teaching.
 Cara was shy she usually refused all party invitations.