EVER THOUGHT THIS?

“Grammar. I never get it. There’s

too much to remember.”

21
— Tony Mancuso, Student
This chapter
• tells you which four errors are
the most important to find
and fix
• gives you practice working
with the basic elements of a
sentence
• keeps grammar terms to a
minimum
• simplifies grammar so that
you can get it
The Basic Sentence
write for two minutes on
what you know about a An Overview
sentence.

The Four Most Serious Errors

This book focuses first on four grammar errors that people most often TIP In the examples in
notice. this chapter, subjects are
underlined once, and verbs
are underlined twice.
THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS

1. Fragments (Chapter 22)

2. Run-ons (Chapter 23)
3. Problems with subject-verb agreement (Chapter 24)
4. Problems with verb form and tense (Chapter 25)

If you can edit your writing to correct these four errors, your grades TIP For fun podcasts
will improve. with tips on grammar and
usage, check out Grammar
This chapter reviews the basic sentence elements that you will need Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips
to understand before starting the chapters covering the four most serious for Better Writing at
errors. bedfordstmartins.com/
realwriting.

The Parts of Speech

There are seven basic parts of speech:

1. Noun: names a person, place, thing, or idea.

Jaime dances.

311
 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
312 Chapter 21 • The Basic Sentence

2. Pronoun: replaces a noun in a sentence. He, she, it, we, and they are
pronouns.

She dances.

3. Verb: tells what action the subject does or links a subject to another
word that describes it.

Jaime dances. [The verb dances is what the subject, Jaime, does.]
She is a dancer. [The verb is links the subject, Jaime, to a word that describes
her, dancer.]

4. Adjective: describes a noun or a pronoun.

Jaime is skinny. [The adjective skinny describes the noun Jaime.]

She is thin. [The adjective thin describes the pronoun She.]

5. Adverb: describes an adjective, a verb, or another adverb. Adverbs

often end in -ly.

Jaime is extremely thin. [The adverb extremely describes the adjective thin.]

She practices often. [The adverb often describes the verb practices.]

Jaime dances quite beautifully. [The adverb quite describes another adverb,
beautifully.]

6. Preposition: connects a noun, pronoun, or verb with some other

information about it. Across, around, at, in, of, on, and out are prepo-
sitions (there are many others).

Jaime practices at the studio. [The preposition at connects the verb practices
with the noun studio.]

TIP For more practice with the 7. Conjunction: connects words to each other. And, but, for, nor, or, so,
parts of speech, visit Exercise and yet are conjunctions. An easy way to remember the seven com-
Central at bedfordstmartins
.com/realwriting.
mon conjunctions is to remember FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or,
yet, so.

The studio is expensive but good.

LANGUAGE NOTE: Any idea that ends with a period needs a subject and a
verb to be a complete sentence. For a review of subjects and verbs, see
pages 312–19.
If you are not sure about how to order the parts of speech, see
Chapter 33.
 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
The Basic Sentence 313

PRACTICE 1 Using the Parts of Speech TIP For answers to odd-

numbered practice items, see
Fill in the blanks with the part of speech indicated. pages AK-1–10 at the back of
the book.

EXAMPLE: More and more wild animals are coming into towns and
cities, making life challenging (adjective) for them
and humans.

1. Two (adjective) hawks built a

(noun) on the roof (preposition) a city apartment
building.
2. The female laid (noun) there, and
(pronoun) hatched a few days later, releasing four
(adverb) noisy chicks.
3. Some of the building’s residents (verb) about the
hawks, (conjunction) others loved to stand
(preposition) the street from the birds and watch
(pronoun).
4. Because of the complaints, the (noun) was removed,
(conjunction) the people who liked the hawks got
(adverb) upset.
5. The supporters (preposition) the birds eventually
won, and the hawks were allowed to (verb) to rebuild
their (noun).

The Basic Sentence

A sentence is the basic unit of written communication. A complete sen-
tence in written standard English must have these three elements:

■ A subject
■ A verb
■ A complete thought

Subjects
The subject of a sentence is the person, place, or thing that primarily acts,
experiences, or is described in a sentence. The subject of a sentence can be
a noun or a pronoun. For a list of common pronouns, see page 412.
 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
314 Chapter 21 • The Basic Sentence

To find the subject, ask yourself, Who or what is performing the

action in the sentence?

PERSON AS SUBJECT Isaac arrived last night.

[Whom is the sentence about? Isaac]

THING AS SUBJECT The restaurant has closed.

[What is the sentence about? The restaurant]

LANGUAGE NOTE: English sentences always have a subject because the verb
does not always have an ending that identifies the subject.
INCORRECT: Took the test.
CORRECT: Jerome took the test.

A compound subject consists of two or more subjects joined by and, or,

or nor.

TWO SUBJECTS Kelli and Kate love animals of all kinds.

SEVERAL SUBJECTS The baby, the cats, and the dog play well together.

A preposition connects a noun, pronoun, or verb with other informa-

tion about it. A prepositional phrase is a word group that begins with a
preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun, called the object of a prepo-
sition. The subject of a sentence is never in a prepositional phrase.
Object of
Subject Preposition preposition

Your dinner is in the oven.

Prepositional
phrase

PREPOSITION OBJECT PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE

from the bakery from the bakery

to the next corner to the next corner
under the table under the table

LANGUAGE NOTE: In and on can be tricky prepositions for people whose

native language is not English. Keep these definitions and examples in
mind:
in = inside of (in the box, in the office) or at a certain time (in January, in
the fall, in three weeks)
on = on top of (on the table, on my foot), located in a certain place (on
the page, on Main Street), or at a certain time (on January 31)
If you have trouble deciding what prepositions to use, see Chapter 33.
 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
The Basic Sentence 315

Common Prepositions
about before for on until
above behind from out up
across below in outside upon
after beneath inside over with
against beside into past within
along between like since without
among by near through
around down next to to TIP For common prepositional
phrases, see Chapter 33.
at during of toward
because of except off under

Subject Preposition

One of my best friends races cars.

Prepositional phrase

Although you might think the word friends is the subject of the sen-
tence, it isn’t. One is the subject. The word friends cannot be the subject be-
cause it is in the prepositional phrase of my best friends. When you are looking
for the subject of a sentence, cross out the prepositional phrase.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE CROSSED OUT

One of the students won the science prize.

The rules about the dress code are very specific.
The sound of water dripping drives me crazy.

LANGUAGE NOTE: The example sentences use the word the before the noun
(the rules, the dress code, the sound). The, a, and an are called articles. If
you have trouble deciding which article to use with which nouns, see
Chapter 33.

PRACTICE 2 Identifying Subjects and Prepositional Phrases

In each of the following sentences, cross out any prepositional phrases, and TIP For more practices on
underline the subject of the sentence. sentence basics, visit Exercise
Central at bedfordstmartins
EXAMPLE: The head of the company earned a high salary. .com/realwriting.
 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
316 Chapter 21 • The Basic Sentence

1. A company without a chief executive officer conducted a search to find a

new leader.
2. The policy of the corporate board was to find an experienced CEO.
3. The people on the short list of candidates had all run other companies.
4. Their work at other businesses had not always made the companies more
successful.
5. One man from a bankrupt firm had earned a ten-million-dollar salary.
6. His payments in stock options had been even higher.
7. His appearance before the members of the board did not convince them.
8. One member of the board suggested looking further.
9. The workforce within the company included many talented executives.
10. A vice president from the marketing division became the company’s
new CEO.

Verbs
Every sentence has a main verb, the word or words that tell what the sub-
ject does or that link the subject to another word that describes it. Verbs do
not always immediately follow the subject: Other words may come between
the subject and the verb. There are three kinds of verbs: action verbs, linking
verbs, and helping verbs.

Action Verbs
An action verb tells what action the subject performs.
To find the main action verb in a sentence, ask yourself: What action
does the subject perform?

ACTION VERBS The band played all night.

The alarm rings loudly.

Linking Verbs
A linking verb connects (links) the subject to another word or group of
words that describes the subject. Linking verbs show no action. The most
common linking verb is be (am, is, are, and so on). Other linking verbs, such
as seem and become, can usually be replaced by a form of the verb be, and the
sentence will still make sense.
To find linking verbs, ask yourself: What word joins the subject and
the words that describe the subject?
 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
The Basic Sentence 317

LINKING VERBS The bus is late.

I feel great today. (I am great today.)
My new shoes look shiny. (My new shoes are shiny.)
The milk tastes sour. (The milk is sour.)

Some words can be used as either action verbs or linking verbs, de-
pending on how the verb is used in a particular sentence.

ACTION VERB Justine smelled the flowers.

LINKING VERB The flowers smelled wonderful.

Common Linking Verbs

FORMS OF FORMS OF FORMS OF
BE SEEM AND BECOME SENSE VERBS

am seem, seems, look, looks, looked

seemed
are appear, appears,
become, becomes, appeared
is became
smell, smells, smelled
was
taste, tastes, tasted
were
feel, feels, felt

LANGUAGE NOTE: The verb be cannot be left out of sentences in English.

INCORRECT Tonya well now.
CORRECT Tonya is well now.

Helping Verbs
A helping verb joins the main verb in a sentence to form the complete
verb. The helping verb is often a form of the verbs be, have, or do. A sentence
may have more than one helping verb along with the main verb.

Helping verb + Main verb = Complete verb

Sharon was listening to the radio as she was studying for the test.
[The helping verb is was; the complete verbs are was listening and was studying.]
 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
318 Chapter 21 • The Basic Sentence

I am saving my money for a car.

Colleen might have borrowed my sweater.
You must pass this course before taking the next one.
You should stop smoking.

Common Helping Verbs

FORMS OF BE FORMS OF HAVE FORMS OF DO OTHER

am have do can
are has does could
been had did may
being might
is must
was should
were will
would

Before you begin Practice 3, look at these examples to see how action,
linking, and helping verbs are different.

ACTION VERB Kara graduated last year.

[The verb graduated is an action that Kara performed.]

LINKING VERB Kara is a graduate.

[The verb is links Kara to the word that describes her: graduate.
No action is performed.]

HELPING VERB Kara is graduating next spring.

[The helping verb is joins the main verb graduating to make the
complete verb is graduating, which tells what action the subject is
taking.]

PRACTICE 3 Identifying the Verb (Action, Linking, or Helping Verb +

Main Verb)
In the following sentences, underline each subject and double-underline each
verb. Then, identify each verb as an action verb, a linking verb, or a helping
verb + a main verb.

Helping verb + main verb

EXAMPLE: Bowling was created a long time ago.
 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
The Basic Sentence 319

1. The ancient Egyptians invented bowling.

2. Dutch settlers were responsible for bowling’s introduction to North
America.
3. They bowled outdoors on fields of grass.
4. One area in New York City is called Bowling Green because the Dutch
bowled there in the 1600s.
5. The first indoor bowling alley in the United States opened in 1840 in
New York.
6. Indoor bowling soon became popular across the country.
7. The largest bowling alley in the United States offers more than a hun-
dred lanes.
8. Visitors to Las Vegas can bowl there.
9. Most people would not think of bowling as more popular than
basketball.
10. However, more Americans participate in bowling than in any other sport.

Complete Thoughts
A complete thought is an idea, expressed in a sentence, that makes sense
by itself, without other sentences. An incomplete thought leaves readers
wondering what’s going on.

INCOMPLETE THOUGHT because my alarm didn’t go off

COMPLETE THOUGHT I was late because my alarm didn’t go off.
INCOMPLETE THOUGHT the people who won the lottery
COMPLETE THOUGHT The people who won the lottery were old.

To determine whether a thought is complete, ask yourself: Do I have

to ask a question to understand?

INCOMPLETE THOUGHT in my wallet

[You would have to ask a question to understand, so
this is not a complete thought.]

COMPLETE THOUGHT My ticket is in my wallet.

 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
320 Chapter 21 • The Basic Sentence

PRACTICE 4 Identifying Complete Thoughts

Some of the following items contain complete thoughts, and others do not. In the
space to the left of each item, write either “C” for complete thought or “I” for in-
complete thought. If you write “I,” add words to make a sentence.

are well known

EXAMPLE: I My limited cooking skills.
^
1. Last week, I wanted to cook dinner for my new roommate.
2. Decided to fix spaghetti and a salad.
3. Because mother had taught me to cook spaghetti.
4. I bought the ingredients and decided to buy dessert.
5. A luscious cherry pie from the bakery.
6. Walking into the kitchen, I tripped and fell.
7. Landing face down in the cherry pie.
8. At that moment, my roommate walked in and stared at the mess.
9. And then started to laugh at the ridiculous sight.
10. Together, we cleaned up the mess and then went out for hamburgers.

Six Basic English Sentence Patterns

In English, there are six basic sentence patterns, some of which you have
just worked through in this chapter. Although there are other patterns, they
build on these six.

1. Subject-Verb (S-V). This is the most basic pattern, as you have

already seen.
S V
Babies cry.

2. Subject-Linking Verb-Noun (S-LV-N)

S LV N
They are children.

3. Subject-Linking Verb-Adjective (S-LV-ADJ)

S LV ADJ
Parents are tired.

4. Subject-Verb-Adverb (S-V-ADV)
S V ADV
They sleep poorly.
 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
The Basic Sentence 321

5. Subject-Verb-Direct Object (S-V-DO). A direct object directly

receives the action of the verb.
S V DO
Teachers give tests. [The tests are given.]

6. Subject-Verb-Direct Object-Indirect Object. An indirect object

does not directly receive the action of the verb.
S V DO IO
Teachers give tests to students. [The tests are given; the students are not.]

This pattern can also have the indirect object before the direct object.
S V IO DO
Teachers give students tests.

PRACTICE 5 Identifying Basic Sentence Patterns

Using the sentence pattern indicated, write a sentence for each of the following
items.

1. (Subject-verb-direct object)

2. (Subject-linking verb-noun)

3. (Subject-verb-adverb)

4. (Subject-verb-direct object-indirect object)

5. (Subject-verb-indirect object-direct object)

PRACTICE 6 Identifying Complete Sentences

In this essay, underline the subject of each sentence, and double-underline the
verb. Correct five incomplete thoughts.

(1) Space travel fascinates my grandpa Bill. (2) He watches every

space movie at least a dozen times. (3) Before 1996, he never even
thought about the moon, Mars, or beyond. (4) He was too old to be an
astronaut. (5) Now, however, he is on board a satellite. (6) It analyzes
particles in the atmosphere. (7) He has the company of millions of other
people. (8) And me, too. (9) Truthfully, only our names travel to Mars or
beyond. (10) We are happy with that.
 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
322 Chapter 21 • The Basic Sentence

(11) In 1996, the Planetary Society flew the names of members into
space. (12) Using the Mars Pathfinder. (13) At first, individuals signed
a paper. (14) Then, Planetary Society members put the signatures into
electronic form. (15) Now, people submit names on the Internet.
(16) By filling out a form. (17) The names go on a microchip. (18) The
next spacecraft to the moon will have more than a million names on
board. (19) Some people have placed their names on a spacecraft going
past Pluto and out of our solar system. (20) Their names are on a CD.
(21) Which could survive for billions of years.
(22) Grandpa and I feel good about our journey into space. (23) In
a way, we will travel to places only dreamed about. (24) After signing
up, we received colorful certificates to print out. (25) To tell about our
mission. (26) My certificate hangs on my wall. (27) My grandpa and I
travel proudly into space.

PRACTICE 7 Using the Parts of Speech

Fill in the blanks with the specified part of speech.

(1) Last week, I forgot to take my notebook and my

(noun) to class. (2) I blame it on all the (noun) we
have to do in school. (3) Yesterday, I (verb) to the car,
(verb) my backpack (preposition)
the seat, and was ready to go. (4) Then, I realized my car keys were in
the house. (5) This seems to happen often: For example, today, when
(noun) was over, I stopped at the
(adjective) supermarket. (6) I arrived home (con-
junction) (verb) my books on the table. (7) The ice
cream I had bought was melting (adverb), so I shoved
it in the freezer while my roommate put the (plural
noun) on the shelf. (8) Then, (pronoun) asked to
borrow my car to go to a lecture, where a famous writer was going to
speak. (9) I looked on the table, (conjunction) I
could not find my keys. (10) We (verb) my backpack.
(11) “What did you do when you came in?” my roommate asked
(adverb). (12) I knew (adverb)
where my car keys were. (13) We found them next to the ice cream
(preposition) the freezer.
 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
Chapter Test 323

Chapter Review
1. List the seven parts of speech. LEARNING JOURNAL What is
the main thing you learned from
this chapter? What is one thing
that is unclear to you?
2. Write three sentences using all the parts of speech. Label the parts.

3. A sentence must have three things:

4. A is the person, place, or thing that a sentence is

about.
5. A noun is a word that
6. A prepositional phrase is

7. What are five common prepositions?

8. Write an example of a prepositional phrase (not from one of the ex-
amples presented earlier):
9. An action verb tells
10. A linking verb

11. A helping verb

Chapter Test
Circle the correct choice for each of the following items. TIP For advice on taking tests,
see Appendix A.
1. Identify the underlined part of speech in this sentence.

Devon walks so fast that I can never keep up with him.

a. Noun b. Verb c. Preposition d. Adjective

2. Identify the underlined part of speech in this sentence.

When you sent Gita a birthday present, did she send you a
thank-you note?

a. Noun b. Verb c. Pronoun d. Conjunction

 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS
324 Chapter 21 • The Basic Sentence

3. Identify the underlined part of speech in this sentence.

In spring, the trees around our house are a beautiful shade of green.

a. Adjective b. Adverb c. Preposition d. Verb

4. Identify the underlined part of speech in this sentence.

I ran for the bus, but it drove away before I reached it.

a. Noun b. Verb c. Pronoun d. Conjunction

5. Identify the underlined part of speech in this sentence.

Shopping is Jerimiah’s favorite hobby.

a. Noun b. Verb c. Adjective d. Adverb

6. Identify the type of verb in this sentence.

The baby always seems tired after lunch.

a. Action verb b. Linking verb c. Helping verb

7. Identify the type of verb in this sentence.

Katarina swims five miles every day.

a. Action verb b. Linking verb c. Helping verb

8. Identify the type of verb in this sentence.

He has flown small planes in several countries.

a. Action verb b. Linking verb c. Helping verb

9. Choose the item that is a complete sentence.

a. Driving to the store.
b. Driving to the store, I hit a squirrel.
c. Driving to the grocery store last Wednesday.

10. Choose the item that is a complete sentence.

a. Whenever I feel sick, I take aspirin.
b. Whenever I feel sick.
c. Takes me to the doctor whenever I feel sick.