Lino comments...

 Comments click here!!

WELCOME....TO MY TOELF BLOG...

                                                                                              

SKILL 15: PARALLEL STRUCTURE WITH PAIRED CONJUNCTIONS

SKILL 15: PARALLEL STRUCTURE WITH PAIRED CONJUNCTIONS                                                              The paired conjunctions both …… and, either …… or; neither …… nor; and not only ….. but also require parallel structures.

The lecture was both informative and enjoyable

Either the history exam or the physics exam is on Tuesday.

The missing papers are neither on his desk nor in the file

He visited not only his cousin but also his grandmother.

The following is not parallel and must be corrected:

They want either to play tennis or golf*.

It is not correct because to play tennis is not parallel to golf It can be corrected in different ways.

They want either to play tennis or to play golf

They want to play either tennis or golf.

When you are using these paired conjunctions, be sure that the correct parts are used together. The following are incorrect:

He lent me both some paper or a pencil

Either breakfast nor* lunch is included in the price.

These sentences are incorrect because the wrong parts of the paired conjunctions are used together. In the first example, and should be used with both. In the second example, or should be used with either                

SKILL 14: PARALLEL STRUCTURE WITH COORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS

SKILL 14:                           PARALLEL STRUCTURE         WITH COORDINATE            CONJUNCTIONS                                                                             The job of the coordinate conjunctions (and, but, or) is to join together equal expressions. In other words, what is on one side of these words must be parallel to what is on the other side. These conjunctions can join nouns, or verbs, or adjectives, or phrases, or clauses; they just must join together the same structures. Here are examples of equal structures correctly joined by coordinate conjunctions:

He discussed the problem with the nurse and the doctor

The professor was knowledgeable but boring

She hikes, jogs, or rides her bicycle whenever she can.

There are meetings in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening

You can do the work because you want to do it or because you have to do it

In the first example, two nouns are joined by the coordinate conjunction and. In the second example, two adjectives are joined by the coordinate conjunction but. In the third example, three verbs are joined by the coordinate conjunction or. In the fourth example, three phrases are joined by the coordinate conjunction and. In the last example; two clauses are joined by the coordinate conjunction or.

The sentences that follow show the types of errors in parallel structure that are common on the TOEFL test.

The evening dress was beauty* but expensive.

The student reads each chapter, takes a lot of notes, and memories* the material.

In the first example, the coordinate conjunction but joins the noun beauty and the adjective expensive. The adjective beautiful is needed in place of beauty. In the second example, the coordinate conjunction and joins the verb reads, the verb takes, and the plural noun memories.         The verb memorizes is needed in place of memories.                                                                     

          

SKILL 13: AGREEMENT AFTER CERTAIN WORDS

         SKILL 13:        AGREEMENT AFTER     CERTAIN WORDS                              Certain words in English are always grammatically singular, even though they might have plural meanings.

Everybody in the theater are watching* the film attentively.

Even though we understand from this example that a lot of people are watching the film, Everybody is singular and requires a singular verb. The plural verb are watching should be changed to the singular verb is watching.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

SKILL 12: AGREEMENT AFTER EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY

         SKILL 12               AGREEMENT AFTER          EXPRESSIONS OF             QUANTITY                                                                     problem occurs when the subject is an expression of quantity such as all, most, or somefollowed by the preposition of. In this situation, the subject (all, most, or some) can be singular or plural, depending on what follows the preposition of

Most (of the meal) was delicious.

             SINGULAR

Most (of the meals) were delicious.

               PLURAL

Most (of the food) was delicious.

       UNCOUNTABLE

In the first example, the subject most refers to the singular noun meal, so the correct                                                                                                                                                                               

       

SKILL 11: AGREEMENT AFTER PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

                                         SKILL 11:         AGREEMENT AFTER    PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES                                       Subject/verb agreement is simple: if the subject of a sentence is singular, then the verb must be singular; if the subject of the sentence is plural, then the verb must be plural. An s on a verb usually indicates that a verb is singular, while an s on a noun usually indicates that the noun is plural. (Do not forget irregular                                    plurals of nouns such as women .