A word or phrase that is placed in

the wrong location in a sentence.

 Misplaced modifier:
Three offices were reported robbed by
the Atlanta police last week.
.
Revision:
Last week, the Atlanta police
reported that three offices were
robbed.
 MISPLACED MODIFIER:
If we contend that the contract applies, it
will be attacked by the defense.
REVISION:
If we contend that the contract applies, the
defense will attack the contention.
 DANGLING MODIFIERS

Modifiers that do not modify any

other part of the sentence.
To determine whether the contract was
breached, the provisions of the statute
must be referred to.

REVISION: To determine whether the

terms was breached, the provisions of the
statute must be referred to.
 After reading your notes, your case is not
supported.

REVISION: After reading your notes, I

cannot support your case
 Squinting Modifiers

A modifier located in a position in the

sentence that makes it unclear whether it
modifies the word that precedes it or the
word that follows it
 Example
The report that was prepared routinely
indicated that the structure was unsafe.

Revision: The report that was routinely

prepared indicated that the structure was
unsafe.
Helping his mother often made him feel
proud.

Revision:
Helping his mother made him feel proud
often.
 Limiting Modifiers
Only
Even
Almost
Nearly
Just

• Limiting modifiers impose restrictions on the words

they modify.

• These modify should be placed in front of the word

they modify.
 EXAMPLE

The lawyer only prepared the document.

(As the sentence reads, the lawyer prepared the

document and nothing else. If the sentence is
intended to mean that the lawyer and no one else
prepared the document, only is misplaced.)

Revision:
Only the lawyer prepared the document.
 EXAMPLE

Incorrect: Danica almost likes everyone.

Revision: Danica likes almost everyone.

 SPLIT INFINITIVES
An infinitive is a verb form that functions as a
noun or as an auxiliary verb, such as:
• To argue
• To understand
• To consider

General Rule:
Infinitives should not be split; that is, an
adverb should not be placed after the to and
before the verb.
For example:
To completely understand
To rapidly climb
To thoroughly test

An adverb is placed between the to and the verb.

Revisions:
To understand completely
To climb rapidly
To test thoroughly
A word that is the name of
something and is typically used in a
sentence as subject or object of a
verb or as object of a preposition.
A word that I used instead of a
noun or noun phrase.
 Pronouns include :
I, me, mine, my, we, us, our, you,
yours, your, he, him, his, she, her,
hers, it, its, they, them, their, and
theirs
 General Rule :
Pronouns must agree in number
(singular/plural) and gender
(feminine, masculine/neuter) with
the nouns which they refer – their
antecedents.
Are words which replace nouns
without specifying which noun
they replace.
 Singular indefinite pronouns

Another, anybody, anyone, anything,

each, either, everybody, everyone,
everything, little, much, neither,
nobody, no one, nothing, one, other,
somebody, someone, something
 Plural Indefinite Pronouns

Both, few, many, others, several

Singular or Plural Indefinite Pronouns

All, any, more, most, none, some

 4. Antecedents joined by or or nor require a
pronoun that agrees in number and gender with
the antecedent closest to the pronoun.

Ex. Shine or the other defendants must conduct

their investigation.

The defendants or Mark must conduct his

investigation.
 •

When a construction appears awkward,

consider rephrasing the sentence.
• Ex. The defendants or Mark must conduct his
investigation.

 Mark or the defendants must conduct an

investigation.
5. The number of a pronoun that refers to a collective
noun is determined by the function of the collective
noun.
• A collective noun is a noun that refers to a group.

• If the collective noun functions as a unit, the

pronoun is singular.

Ex. The committee, after reviewing the matter,

presented its conclusion.
If the collective noun does not function as a
unit, that is, the members of the
collective noun are acting separately and
not as a unit, then a plural noun is
required.

Ex. The team have started their various

positions on the question of whether
they should wear the new helmets.
A word used to modify a noun or
pronoun.
 Examples:
She wore a red dress to the party.

The race car had vinyl seats.

A word used to modify a verb,
adjective, or another adverb.
 Example:

Dora ran quickly into the classroom.

A word that connects words,
phrases, clauses, or sentences.
 Example:

You can ask for fulfilment of the

obligation or rescission of the
contract.
 Linking Verbs:

Feel Smell
Look Taste
Believe Appear
Become Grow
Adjective

Adverb
Adjective

Adverb
 Base Comparative Superlative
Good Better Best
Old Older Oldest
Easy Easier Easiest
Outrageous More Most
Outrageous Outrageous
 Adverbs
• Lots of times they are “L-Y” words
• They explain how, where and when
• Verbs are lonely without them
• An adverb can modify a verb, an adjective another verb, a
phrase or clause
• Example: Last year’s bar exams were hellishly hard.
• Victor hastily dressed up and casually kept his cool
composure while his mistress cautiously escaped through
the window of his house.
Danforth was a great reader of bizarre material,
and had talked a good deal of Poe. I was
interested myself because of the Antarctic scene
of Poe’s only long story—the disturbing and
enigmatical Arthur Gordon Pym. On the barren
shore, and on the lofty ice barrier in the
background, myriads of grotesque penguins
squawked and flapped their fins; while many fat
seals were visible on the water, swimming or
sprawling across large cakes of slowly drifting ice.
– ATMOM, H.P. Lovecraft
 Coordinating Conjunctions
• Use coordinating conjunction when joining clauses and
words of equal rank

• FANBOYS – For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet and So

• Examples:
• I said I love you but I lied.

• Laws shall take effect after fifteen days following the

completion of their publication either in the Official
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the
Philippines, unless it is otherwise provided.
 Correlative Conjunctions

• Also used to link items in equal rank

• 3 things to consider in using Correlative
Conjunctions:
When using correlative conjunctions,
ensure verbs agree so your sentences make
sense.
When you use a correlative conjunction, you
must be sure that pronouns agree.
When using correlative conjunctions, be sure to keep
parallel structure intact. Equal grammatical units need
to be incorporated into the entire sentence.
Used in pairs – either/or, neither/nor, if/then,
since/therefore, on the one hand/on the other hand
Examples:
Its either we march towards the wall or we die, there
is no retreat.
Not only did Mary grill burgers for
Michael, but she also fixed a steak for her dog, Vinny.