PRETEST: What do I already know?

Write "C" if a sentence has the correct word choice and word forms, subject-verb agreement, and
punctuation. Write "I" for incorrect. Check your answers below. After you complete each chart
listed, make the necessary corrections.

1. __ By obeying the speed limit, we can save energy, lives, and it costs us less. (16-1)
2. __ My home offers me a feeling of security, warm, and love. (16-1)
3. __ On my vacation, I lost a suitcase, broke my glasses, and I missed my flight home. (16-1)
4. __ My sister brother-in-law, and I wanted to see a movie. The three of us went to the
theater, but the line was too long. (16-2)
5. __ I appreciate your help, I was feeling overwhelmed by all the work I had to do. (16-3)
6. __ I refused Alicia's help, she became very angry and shouted at me. (16-3)
7. __ Either the sales clerk or the manager have your refund. (16-4)
8. __ Both the bride and the groom were late for their wedding. (16-4)
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EXERCISE 1 9'> Warm-up. (Chart 16-1)

Identify the parts of speech of the words in blue. Are they nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs?
What words connect them?
A Birthday Adventure

N N
1. We hiked to a waterfall and a bridge.
2. The bridge was extremely high and scary.
3. I felt shaky but excited when I got on it.
4. The bridge rocked and swayed.
S. I tried not to hurry or to look down.

Coordinating Conjunctions 357

 16-1 Parallel Structure
One use of a conjunction is to connect words or phrases that have the same grammatical function in a sentence. This
use of conjunctions is called "parallel structure." The conjunctions used in this pattern are and, but, or, and nor. These
words are called "coordinating conjunctions."

(a) Steve and his friend are coming to dinner. In (a): noun + and+ noun
(b) Susan raised her hand and snapped her fingers. In (b): verb + and+ verb
(c) He is waving his arms and (is) shouting at us. In (c): verb+ and+ verb (The second auxiliary may be
omitted if it is the same as the first auxiliary.)

(d) These shoes are old but comfortable. In (d): adjective+ but+ adjective
(e) He wants to watch TV or (to) listen to some music. In (e): infinitive+ or+ infinitive (The second to is usually
omitted.)

EXERCISE 2 .,. Looking at grammar. {Chart 16-1)

Choose all the words that are parallel with the given words.
1. to watch hearing to listen saw to decide having thought
2. beautiful friendly nice honest happily goodness
3. texting contacted to type chatting email sending
4. rapidly difficult fast good slowly wild

EXERCISE 3 .,. Looking at grammar. (Chart 16-1)

Choose the correct completions.
My Roommate
1. My roommate, Kate, is friendly and __ .
®
helpful @ kind c. kindness

2. Friendliness and __ are admirable qualities in a roommate.

a. kind b. kindness c. kindly

3. We are opposites. She likes to be busy and--·

a. actively b. activity c. active

4. I'm a quieter type. I prefer to stay home or __ time with a few friends.
a. spending b. spend c. to spending
5. Kate studies by listening to music and __ at the same time.
a. smg b. singing c. sings
6. I sit at the library and __ in silence.
a. work b. working c. worked
7. We get along well, though. We're both very neat and __ .
a. tidy b. tidily c. have tidiness

8. We take turns cleaning our apartment and __ the cooking.

a. do b. to do c. doing

358 CHAPTER 16
EXERCISE 4.,, Looking at grammar. (Chart 16-1)
Complete each sentence with one word that gives the same idea as the words in parentheses.
Road Rage
1. The driver ran a stop sign and sped down the street.
(he was driving at a high speed )
2. A pedestrian was shocked and that she was almost hit in the crosswalk.
(her feelings were upset)
3. A police officer stopped him, but the driver spoke impatiently and ________
(his words were rude)

4. He got out ofhis car and walked toward the officer. He was tall and ________
(has a lot of strength)
5. Another police officer arrived and _________ him into custody.
(she took)
EXERCISE 5.,, Warm-up. (Chart 16-2)
Check ( .!) the sentences that are correctly punctuated with commas.
1. __ Oranges, and lemons are high in vitamin C. (not correct)
2. ___:{__ Oranges and lemons are high in vitamin C.
3. __ Oranges, lemons, and broccoli are high in vitamin C.
4. __ Oranges, lemons and broccoli are high in vitamin C.
5. __ Oranges lemons and broccoli are high in vitamin C.
6. __ Oranges, lemons, and broccoli, are high in vitamin C.

(a) Steve and Joe are in class. No commas are used when and connects two parts of a parallel
, structure, as in (a).
(b) INCORRECT PUNCTUATION:
Steve, and Joe are in class.

(c) Steve, Joe and Rita are in class. When and connects three or more parts of a parallel structure, a
(d) Steve, Joe, and Rita are in class. comma is used between the first items in the series.
A comma may also be used before and, as in (d) and (f). The use
(e) Steve, Joe, Rita, Jan and Kim are in class. of this comma is optional (i.e., the writer can choose).*
( f ) Steve, Joe, Rita, Jan, and Kim are in class. ' NOTE: A comma often represents a pause in speech.

*The purpose of punctuation is to make writing clear for readers. This chart and others in this chapter describe the usual
use of commas in parallel structures. Sometimes commas are required according to convention (i.e., the e:xpected use by
educated language users). Sometimes use of commas is a stylistic choice made by the experienced writer.

Coordinating Conjunctions 359

EXERCISE 6 � Looking at grammar. (Chart 16-2)
Add commas as necessary.
At a Hotel
1. The room includes a king-sized bed, a desk (optional comma), and a balcony.
2. The price of the room includes Wi-Fi buffet breakfast and use of the exercise room.
3. The price of the room includes Wi-Fi and buffet breakfast.
4. We got an adjoining room for our son his wife and their daughter.
5. Our son's wife and daughter met us at the rooftop pool.
6. My wife called room service asked about vegetarian options
and ordered a meal.
7. We searched for an on-demand movie with action adventure
and suspense.
8. We enjoy action and adventure films.
9. The front-desk clerk the bellhop the concierge and the
housekeeping staff were very attentive and courteous.

EXERCISE 7 � Looking at grammar. (Charts 16-1 and 16-2)

Parallel structure makes repeating the same words unnecessary. Cross out the words that are
unnecessary. Combine the given sentences into one concise sentence. Use parallel structure.
Molly's Party
1. Molly will open the door. Molly •.vill greet her guests.
� Molly will open the door and greet her gu.ests.
2. She is opening the door. She is greeting her guests.
3. She is taking their coats. She is hanging them up in the closet.
4. Molly is kind. Molly is generous. Molly is trustworthy.
5. Since she is hard of hearing, please try to speak loudly. Please try to speak clearly.
6. Her boyfriend has come to the party. He has come with flowers. He has come with candy.
He has come with a ring.
7. He has knelt down in front of her. He has taken her hand. He has asked her to marry him.
8. Molly is calm enough to listen. Molly is calm enough to say yes.
9. They talked about getting married in June. Or they could get married in August.
10. Molly had expected a surprise. She did not expect a ring.
� Molly had expected a surprise but not a ring
11. Molly was surprised. She was not shocked.
12. They had discussed getting married at some point. They had not discussed getting married
this year.

360 CHAPTER 16
EXERCISE 8 "" Looking at grammar. (Charts 16-1 and 16- 2)
First, complete the unfinished sentence in each group. Second, combine the sentences into one
concise sentence that contains parallel structure.
1. The mountain road was curvy.
The mountain road was steep.
The mountain road was _____n_a_r_ro_w___ ___
The mountain road was curvy,_____;:;_ te:;..:e�p-'-. =a.:....;.nd;,.c...;..,;n=a�rr...;;;o...;..w'----
s.:;..;

2. I dislike living in a city because of the air pollution.

I dislike living in a city because of the crime.
I dislike living in a city because of ________________________
I dislike living in a city because of the air pollution,------------------

3. Hawaii has a warm climate.

Hawaii has beautiful beaches.
Hawaii has many interesting tropical trees.
Hawaii has many interesting tropical ----------------------­
Hawaii has a warm climate,beautiful beaches,-------------------

4. Mary Hart would make a good president because she works effectively with others.
Mary Hart would make a good president because she has a reputation for integrity.
Mary Hart would make a good president because she has a reputation for independent thinking.
Mary Hart would make a good president because she---------------­
Mary Hart would make a good president because she works effectively with others,

EXERCISE 9"" Let's talk. (Charts 16-1 and 16-2)

Work with a parmer. Take turns completing each sentence. Share some of your parmer's answers
with the class.
1. A good friend needs to be ___________ and-----------
2. English teachers should have these qualities:
____________ ,and ____________
3. ---------- ----------,and---------- are three
easy ways for me to relax at the end of the day.
4. In my free time,I like to----------- ___________ ,and

5. Three activities I don't enjoy are--------- _________ ,and

6. --------- ---- -----,and _________ are difficult

subjects for me.

Coordinating Conjunctions 361

EXERCISE 10 .- Warm-up. (Chart 16- 3)
Check ( I) the three sentences with correct punctuation.
1. __ Thunder clouds rolled by. Flashes of lightning lit the sky.
2. __ Thunder clouds rolled by, flashes of lightning lit the sky.
3. __ Thunder clouds rolled by, and flashes of lightning lit the sky.
4. __ Thunder clouds rolled by. And flashes of lightning lit the sky.

-�.
16-3 Punctuation for Independent Clauses; Connecting Them with
And and But
(a) It was raining hard. There was a strong wind. Example (a) contains two independent clauses (i.e., two
complete sentences).
(b) INCORRECT PUNCTUATION: It was raining hard, there PUNCTUATION:
was a strong wind. A period,* NOT A COMMA, is used to separate two independent
clauses.
(c) It was raining hard; there was a strong wind. A semicolon may be used in place of a period. Semicolons
are used between two closely related ideas.

(d) It was raining hard, and there was a strong wind. And and but (coordinating conjunctions) are often used to
connect two independent clauses.
(e) It was raining hard. And there was a strong wind.
PUNCTUATION:
( f ) It was raining hard andthere was a strong wind.
Usually a comma immediately precedes the conjunction, as
in (d) and (g).
(g) It was late, but he didn't care.
In informal writing, a writer might choose to begin a sentence
(h) It was late. But he didn't care. with a conjunction, as in (e) and (h).
In a very short sentence, a writer might choose to omit the
comma in front of and, as in (f). (Omitting the comma in
front of but is rare.)

*In British English, a period is called a "full stop."

EXERCISE 11 .- Looking at grammar. (Chart 16- 3)

Punctuate the sentences by adding commas and periods. Do not add any words. Capitalize as
necessary.
Athletic Conditioning Class
1. Some members did push-ups some members lifted weights.
--; Some members did push-ups. Some members lifted weights.
2. Some members did push-ups and some members lifted
weights.
3. The teacher demonstrated correct form a group of new
members watched.
4. The teacher demonstrated correct form and a group of new
members watched.
5. An assistant was available to help but only a few people
needed him.
6. An assistant was available to help only a few people needed him.

362 CHAPTER 16
EXERCISE 12 IJl> Looking at grammar. (Chart 16- 3)
Check (.I) the correct sentences. Punctuate the incorrect ones. Do not add any words. Capitalize
as necessary.
Email Excerpts
1. __ I'd like to help, let me know what you need.
2. __ I'll be happy to come. Thank you for inviting me.
3. __ It's really hard to know what to do, we don't have much information yet.
4. __ I'll pay you back. I get paid tomorrow.
5. __ Let's wait to see what happens, we don't want to make a decision_prematurely.

EXERCISE 13 1> Looking at grammar. (Chart 16- 3)

Rewrite the email with correct punctuation. You may add and and but.

From: J.B. Leeds

To: Majda
Today at 2:11 PM
Subject: Update/Thanks

Dear Majda,
Thank you for offering to drive students to the track meet. We are still hoping we can get a bus, we
will know later today. The first race starts at 4:00 the boys will be leaving school around 1: 15 the
girls can leave at 1 :30 since their race is at 4:30. We always appreciate parent volunteers, thanks
again for contacting me, I will be back in touch soon.

EXERCISE 14 1> Reading and grammar. (Charts 16-1 --+ 16- 3)

Work with a partner. Find and correct the errors with parallel structure and punctuation.

Ziplining
Ziplining began as a way to get people across impassible
places like canyons and crossing rivers. But in the 1980s,
Costa Rica, with its emphasis on eco-tourism, turned it
into a thrilling adventure. The opportunity to soar over
spectacular scenery has made ziplining one of Costa Rica's
top tourist attractions.
The concept is very simple, a cable is strung across a
scenic area, for example, a lush forest or fast-moving river
one end of the cable is higher than the other. A harness
for the rider hangs from the cable, riders are strapped tightly into the harness. They climb to a
platform, jump off, and flying through the air.
Ziplining's popularity has spread worldwide, the longest zipline is in Sun City, South Africa,
where one cable is 1.2 miles (2 km) long. Average speeds are 75 miles (120 km) per hour! Not all
zipline rides are as hair-raising, companies around the world strive to provide exciting and safety
rides that will appeal to a variety of experience levels and age groups.

Coordinating Conjunctions 363