Chapters 17-20 Flashcards
What is the prescriptive concern with “different from” vs. “different than?”
The idea that difference does not express a comparison of degree. So should not take “than.”
What is an example of a misplaced or wrongly attached modifier?
“Plummeting from the sky, Cindy watched the punted football drop right between her outstretched hands.”
What is the constant template for good writing?
Keeping the subject constant from one sentence to the next, even repeating it.
What’s a double possessive?
A friend of Kate’s vs. A friend of Kate.
A preposition that focuses our attention.
regarding.
When are we more forgiving of a dangling modifier?
When the participial phrase is at the end of a sentence, such as: “Sarah stepped to the door, looking for her friend.”
What is an example of a dangling modifier?
“Glancing through the document, the typos jumped off the page.”
Some prepositions that express relationships of location.
over, through, inside.
What is an absolute construction?
Something that looks like a dangling modifier, but is actually a phrase that acts adverbially, modifying a whole sentence: “Weather permitting, the race will start on time.”
What is the “known-new” or “given-new” contract?
The principle that good writing flows better when known information is in the subject position and new information is in the predicate.
What is the mechanism for stranded prepositions?
When the pronoun of a clause gets fronted without pied-piping the preposition.
What are some examples of new usages of “because.”
“I Can’t diet because chocolate.” “Because tired.” “Because arrgh.”
What is the derived template for good writing?
The subject leads to one thing, and then a derivation of the subject leads to another.
What’s an example of a mandatory double possessive?
“A friend of mine” not “ A friend of me.”
How are prepositions generally defined?
Difficult to pin down. But words that express relationships between a noun or pronoun and some other word in a sentence.
