Lecture 8 Eliminating Shifts and Mixed Constructions

Eliminating Shifts and
Mixed Constructions
Anum Aziz
Lecturer Humanities & Social Sciences
Bahria University, Islamabad
Keeping your writing on
the road…
• Good writers avoid anything that makes the
audience stop reading (or go back and re-read)
– Shifts in person and number
– Shifts in tense
– Shifts in mood
– Shifts in voice and subject
– Shifts between direct and indirect quotes
– Mixed constructions
– Illogical constructions
Shifts in Person and Number
• Person-occurs when pronouns are used in
sentences about groups or unidentified people.
(pronoun antecedent agreement)
– When the researchers mixed the two chemicals,
you saw a surprising reaction.
– When the researchers mixed the two chemicals,

they saw a surprising reaction.
• Person-Some writers shift from the third
person (he, she, it, one, they) to the second
person.
– With the cost of prescription drugs spiraling
upward, you can see that regulation of the drug
companies is inevitable.
– With the cost of prescription drugs spiraling
upward, one can see that regulation of the drug
companies is inevitable.
• Number shifts occur often when trying to

avoid gender issues or when using indefinite
pronouns.
– Every employee sets their own pace.
– Every employee sets his or her own pace.
– Each has their duty.

– Each has his or her duty.
• Each has a duty.
Shifts in Tense
• Tense places the action of the verb in time.
• Maintain an overall sense of tense
– When the letter arrived, it says nothing about the
contract.
• When discussing literature or art, use the
present tense.
– In The Glass Menagerie, Tom realizes how
trapped he is after the Gentleman Caller departs.
Shifts in Mood
• When writing commands (imperative mood)
and using the “you” understood subject—
don’t shift back to indicative. (just read the
following sentence)
– First, cover your work surface with paper, and
then you make sure your materials are within
reach.
– First, cover your work surface with paper, and
then make sure your materials are within reach.
• Second IC is also “you” understood
Shifts in Voice and Subject
• Voice is either active or passive.
– If the subject does it, it’s active.
– If the subject is acted upon, it’s passive.
• If a sentence has 2 verbs that share the same
subject, it’s okay to shift voice (I know, we’re
supposed to avoid it…)
– The students completed the project first and were
awarded the prize.
• Completed is active, were awarded is passive—but
since the one subject is students, it works.
Shifts in Voice and Subject
• Avoid shifting from active to passive (or
vice versa) if it requires a subject change.
– As we peered out of the tent, the waning
moon was seen through the trees.
• Peered is active-subject we
• Was seen is passive—subject the moon
• This is also a dangling modifier. (re-write sentence)
– As we peered out of the tent, we saw the
waning moon through the trees.
Shifts between Direct and
Indirect Quotes
• Careful use of quotation marks clarifies
statements for the reader.
– Direct quote—it came out of someone’s mouth just
that way
– He insisted that he loved his wife and cried, “Why

did she leave me?”
Indirect Quotes
• Indirect quote—repeating something that was

said.
– He insisted that he loved his wife and wondered
why she had to leave him.
Indirect Quotes
• Consider the following:
– Dr. Ryan claims that the play was composed
before 1600 and that it was written by the hand of
Shakespeare.

before 1600 and that it “shows the clear hand of
Shakespeare.”
before 1600. He says, “It shows the clear hand of
Shakespeare.”
Mixed Constructions
Revise for Clarity
• A sentence that begins one way and then takes
a turn in another way is a mixed construction:
– By listening closely and paying attention to
nonverbal signals helps a doctor make a better
diagnosis.
• By listening closely is a prep phrase-can’t be a subject
• Revised: Listening closely and paying attention to
nonverbal signals helps a doctor make a better
diagnosis.
Mixed Constructions
Revise for Clarity
• Clauses and other phrases are often
misused as a subject.
– Because the doctor is an expert does not mean
a patient shouldn’t get a second opinion.
• Because the doctor is an expert is a subordinate
clause—can’t be the subject
• Revised: The doctor’s status as an expert does not
mean a patient shouldn’t get a second opinion.
Mixed Constructions
Revise for Clarity
• Mixed constructions can happen with verbs,
too. Main verbs of the sentence can’t be in
verbal phrases or subordinate clauses.
– The fact that most patients are afraid to ask
questions which gives doctors complete control.
• The verb give is in the sub-clause although it’s the main
verb in the sentence.
• Revised: The fact that most patients are afraid to ask
questions gives doctors complete control.
Illogical Constructions
Revise for Clarity
• Things that make your reader say, “Hmmm, I wonder
what that is supposed to mean.”
– The opinion of most people believe that dogs are better pets
than cats.
• Revised: Most people believe that dogs are better pets than cats.
– Repeat offenders whose licenses have already been suspended
for drunk driving will be revoked.
• Revised: Repeat offenders whose licenses have already been
suspended for drunk driving will have their licenses revoked.
– CAREFUL PROOFREADING SHOULD CATCH THESE!

Faulty Predication
• Don’t use a clause beginning with when,
where or because after a linking verb.
– Pop art is where an artist reproduces images from
commercial products.
• Revised: Pop art is based on images from commercial
products.
– Sudden death overtime is when the game is
extended until one team scores.
• Revised: In sudden-death overtime, the game is
extended until one team scores.
Faulty Predication
• This is a tricky one: “The reason … is” often
becomes faulty because writers don’t make
both parts of the sentence match up. (can’t use
“reason is because”)
– The reason little has been done to solve the
problem is because Congress is deadlocked.
• Revised: Little has been done to solve the problem
because Congress is deadlocked.
» OR
• The reason little has been done to solve the problem is
that Congress is deadlocked.

Lecture 8 Eliminating Shifts and Mixed Constructions

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 8 Eliminating Shifts and Mixed Constructions

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 8 Eliminating Shifts and Mixed Constructions

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Eliminating Shifts and

– When the researchers mixed the two chemicals,

• Number shifts occur often when trying to

– Each has their duty.

– He insisted that he loved his wife and cried, “Why

• Indirect quote—repeating something that was

– Dr. Ryan claims that the play was composed

– CAREFUL PROOFREADING SHOULD CATCH THESE!

You might also like