Sentence Structure and Correction Flashcards

An editor is reviewing a document and finds the following sentence: 'The new software is very efficient, it has significantly reduced our processing time.' Which of the following revisions corrects the error in this sentence?

Answer: The new software is very efficient, so it has significantly reduced our processing time.

The original sentence contains a comma splice, which is the error of joining two independent clauses with only a comma. An independent clause can stand alone as a complete sentence. 'The new software is very efficient' and 'it has significantly reduced our processing time' are both independent clauses. The correct revision adds the coordinating conjunction 'so' after the comma to properly connect the two clauses, showing a cause-and-effect relationship.

Which of the following sentences contains a dangling modifier?

Answer: Typing quickly, the document was completed just before the deadline.

A dangling modifier is a phrase that describes a subject that is not actually in the sentence. In the correct answer, the introductory phrase 'Typing quickly' has no subject to modify. It seems to describe 'the document,' but a document cannot type. To fix this, one would need to add the person who was typing, for example: 'Typing quickly, *I* completed the document just before the deadline.'

The project plan requires researching competitors, analyzing market trends, and _______.

Answer: creating a detailed budget

This question tests parallel structure, which requires that items in a list or series follow the same grammatical form. The first two items in the list, 'researching competitors' and 'analyzing market trends,' are gerund phrases (using the -ing form of a verb as a noun). To maintain parallelism, the third item must also be a gerund phrase. 'Creating a detailed budget' correctly follows this pattern.

A student wrote the following: 'The city council approved the new park. Because the community had been requesting it for years.' Which of the following best describes the error in the student's writing?

Answer: It contains a sentence fragment.

The second part, 'Because the community had been requesting it for years,' is a sentence fragment. It is a dependent clause that starts with the subordinating conjunction 'Because' but does not have an independent clause to complete the thought. It cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. The correct way to write this would be to combine it with the preceding sentence: 'The city council approved the new park because the community had been requesting it for years.'

Which of the following sentences is structured correctly and is free of errors?

Answer: Covered in flour, the baker put his apron in the wash.

This question tests for a misplaced modifier. A misplaced modifier is a descriptive phrase that is not placed near the word it is intended to modify, creating confusion. In options A, B, and C, the phrase 'covered in flour' incorrectly appears to describe the apron or is placed awkwardly. Option D is correct because the modifier 'Covered in flour' is placed directly before 'the baker,' the person it logically describes.

Scenario: You need to combine the following two sentences into one effective sentence: 'The company invested heavily in new technology. Its productivity did not improve as expected.' Which option provides the best combination?

Answer: Although the company invested heavily in new technology, its productivity did not improve as expected.

This question assesses faulty subordination or coordination. The best way to combine these two sentences is by showing the contrast between the investment and the result. The subordinating conjunction 'Although' correctly establishes this contrasting relationship. Option A is grammatically correct but less effective because 'and' doesn't show contrast. Option B reverses the cause and effect. Option D is a comma splice.