Meaning/Modifiers Flashcards
Extra
Each pledge have their pledge pins at inductions
NO.
Each = Singular
Verb needs to be singular “has”
the honeybee population density is growing each year
Too short
the density OF the honeybee population.
Whenever you have a time period, quantity, or measurement as the first word, keep the prepositional phrase of.
Never modify a measurement using a noun-adjective form
Okeechobee weekend was cancelled this year
too short.
the weekend of Okeechobee was cancelled this year.
Never modify a measurement (time) using n-adj form
Some of the money was stolen from my wallet
Correct
SANAM nouns. look for main noun for clue
Not one of my friends are here this weekend to party
Incorrect
SANAM pronouns. NOT ONE always takes the singular
Not one of my friends IS here this weekend
Monica, a friend of Ross’s, is going to be staying over at Chandler’s this weekend
Incorrect. Possessive nuances
Y of X’s is incorrect
choose:
Y of X or X’s Y
Monica, a friend of Ross, is going to be staying over this weekend.
The Pro Team held mock interviews for its pledges, some of which are minorities students
Correct Subgroup modifier form
“some of which is correct”
Which must be followed by a working verb (in this case “are”
The Pro Team held mock interviews for its pledges, most of them which were minority students
Incorrect
If you have “of them” subgroup modifier, you don’t need which were included
Correct: …most of them minority students.
The Pro Team held mock interviews for its pledges, half of which minority students
Which needs working verb “are”
The rate of language extinction is accelerating, a tendency ultimately culminating in the survival of just a few languages, according to some
Explain the issue with using a participle modifier “ultimately culminating” in this sentence and how we can fix it.
The word ultimately hints that the action of cultimating is going to happen in the future. Moreover, the action of the main verb “is accelerating” is occuring in the future.
The culminating action of extinction and “accelerating” logically cannot happen in the same time frame, one must precede the other.
We can fix this by using a relative clause modifier instead “that will ultimately culminate”
In Alexandria, the Ptolemys founded a library IN WHICH the written remains of Greek literature could be gathered together and systematized.
In Alexandria, the Ptolemys founded a library WHEREBY the written remains of Greek literature could be gathered together and systematized.
here the library is a place WHERE info could be gathered
the library is not a means to gather info. Whereby is synonymous with “by means of”
Restorers say that “if allowed to remove and replace the discolored layer of varnish on the Mona Lisa”, the colors Leonardo da Vinci painted nearly five hundred years ago will once again shine through.
what is the “if” clause modifying in this sentence
illogically modifies the colors.
we want to make restorers the subject of the verb allowed to restore meaning.
The pledges who we like the best are those that participate in discussions
Incorrect:
the first “who” should be “whom” to indicate that the pledges are the OBJECT of verb “like”
“That” should be “who” to refer back to pledges (people)
The pledges whom we like the best are those who participate in discussions
