Modifiers, Parallelism, and Comparisons

Question 1

What are modifiers?

Answer 1

Are phrases that describe something in the sentence, but they are not part of the core sentence. (e.g., prepositional phrases)

Question 2

What should be right after the comma following a opening modifier or “warm-up”?

Answer 2

The thing being described by the opening modifier. The warm-up creates a question that must be answered right after the comma. E.g.:
Accomplished mathematicians and astronomers, (who are they?) the ancient Babylonians used a base-60 number system and were able to measure the length of the solar year with a high degree of accuracy

Question 3

Can you use that or which for people?

Answer 3

No, you should use who

Question 4

Can you use when only for times?

Answer 4

Yes

Question 5

Can you use where only for places?

Answer 5

Yes

Question 6

When to use “whose”?

Answer 6

Use it to refer to objects (whereas who is only for people)

Question 7

What is an opening modifier?

Answer 7

Is a phrase that start off sentences by providing information about something without telling you what that something is.

Question 8

What is a parallelism?

Answer 8

Is the list of two or more things connected between themselves in a logical way and with grammatical form that is parallel

Question 9

Correct the phrase: The college cut expenses by laying off staff and it stopped work on a new library

Answer 9

The list has two items:
1. laying off staff
2. it stopped work on a new library
Correct form: The college cut expenses by laying off staff and stopping work on a new library

Question 10

Correct or incorrect: You can purchase tickets by phone or on the web

Answer 10

Correct. By phone and on the web are both prepositional phrases that indicate how to purchase tickets. Prepositional phrases don’t have to use the same preposition to be parallel to each other. The items in the list just have to be the same part of speech, not the exact same word

Question 11

What is a comparison?

Answer 11

Is the comparison of two or more things, that needs to form a logical comparison and at the same time be grammatically parallel

Question 12

What is a comparison?

Answer 12

Is the comparison of two or more things, that needs to form a logical comparison and at the same time be grammatically parallel

Question 13

Correct or incorrect: The theories of astronomer Johannes Kepler superseded his teacher and colleague, Tycho Brahe

Answer 13

Incorrect. The sentence is comparing a person’s theories with another person. So, although the pieces of the comparison are both nouns, the sentence needs to compare theories to theories or people to people

Question 14

True or false: It is not parallel to put singular nouns and plural nouns in the same list or to compare them with one another

Answer 14

False. As long as the items in a list or comparison are all nouns, some can be singular and some plural. It’s fine to say “i’m going to the store to buy rice, vegetables, and a carton of milk”

Question 15

Correct or incorrect: Liechtenstein is the only European nation that still has a monarchy with real - rather than largely ceremonial or diplomatic - power and where the power given to the sovereign has actually increased in the current millennium.

Answer 15

Incorrect. The things compared are:
1) that still has a monarchy, and
2) where the power given
Note that you should not compare a phrase that starts with that to one that starts with when, where, which, or who