0% found this document useful (0 votes)
57 views16 pages

Grammar Essentials for Technical Writing

Uploaded by

Mecah Rivera
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
57 views16 pages

Grammar Essentials for Technical Writing

Uploaded by

Mecah Rivera
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Romblon State University

San Fernando Campus


San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department

MODULE

A REVIEW OF THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF GRAMMAR DISCOURSE

I. Course Description

This course acquaints the students in writing business letters, technical reports, proposals, feasibility studies,
and other related technical papers.

II. Course Code/Title : ENG1 – TECHNICAL WRITING


III. Course/ Year : BSBA/2
IV. Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:


1. Inculcate the basic concepts of effective communication.
2. Identity, construct and transform basic statement patterns in English.
3. Construct sentences in different ways to achieve [Link] fragment and run-on sentences
4. Learn how to use proper modifiers to effective sentences

V. Warm Up

Directions: Let’s play Un/Fortunately! Come up with appropriate (or funny) “Fortunate” responses to the
following “Unfortunate” events or vice versa.

Example:
Yesterday, my motorcycle was stolen. Fortunately, I’m the Ghost Rider.

1. I’m alive today!


________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. I lost my only money yesterday.


________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. The food smelled delicious.


________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. The shoes were too big.


________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. I did study for the examination.


________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. I’m so bad at Math.


________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. My crush smiled at me earlier today.


________________________________________________________________________________________________

1
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department

VI. Discussion
LESSON 4 - The Sentence
Recalling the definition of a sentence, it
is a word or a group of words expressing a complete thought. A sentence has a subject (person or thing spoken of in the
sentence) and a predicate (that which tells something about the subject), and begins with a capital letter and ends with
a punctuation mark - a period, a question mark or an exclamation point.

Sentence is the largest unit of any language. Generally, it is defined as a word or group of words that
expresses a thorough idea by giving a statement or order, or asking a question or exclaiming.

EXAMPLES:

1. He is a good boy. (statement)


2. Is he a good boy? (question)
3. What a nice weather! (exclaiming)

Ideally, a sentence requires at least a subject and one verb. Sometimes the subject of a sentence can be
hidden, but the verb must be visible and present in the sentence. Verb is called the heart of a sentence.

EXAMPLE:

1. Do it. (In this sentence, a subject “you” is hidden but the verb “do” is visible.

In other words, complete English sentence must have three (3) characteristics:

1. In written form, a sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period (.), question mark (?), or
exclamation point (!).
2. It must express a complete thought.
3. It must contain at least one subject (hidden or visible) and one verb comprising an independent clause.

TYPES OF SENTENCES

A. According to STRUCTURES

1. SIMPLE SENTENCE- Contains only one independent clause.


EXAMPLE:
I kicked the ball.

2. COMPOUND SENTENCE - Contains at least two independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions (and,
but, for, or, nor, so, yet).
EXAMPLE:
I kicked the ball and it hit Tom.

3. COMPLEX SENTENCE - Contains one independent clause and one or more dependent clause joined by
subordinating conjunctions (because, after, as, before, once since, until, while) or relative pronouns (that, which, who, whom,
whose).
EXAMPLE:
Tom cried because the ball hit him.

4. COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE - Contains at least two or more independent clauses and at least one or
more dependent clause.
EXAMPLE:
Tom cried because the ball hit him, and I apologized immediately.

*An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.

2
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department
* A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete
thought. Often, it is marked by a dependent marker word – a word added to the beginning of an independent
clause (e.g. after, although, as if, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order to, since, though, whenever, whether, and while).

B. According to FUNCTIONS

1. Declarative sentence – it simply expresses an opinion or feeling, or makes a statement, or describe


things and it ends with a period.
EXAMPLE:
o I want to be a good doctor. (a statement)
o I am happy today. (a feeling)

2. Imperative sentence – it is used to make request or to give a command. It usually ends with a period (.),
but under certain circumstances, it can end with an exclamation point or mark (!).
EXAMPLE:
o Please sit down. (a request)
o I need you to sit down! (a command)

3. Interrogative sentence – it asks a question and ends with a question mark (?).
EXAMPLE:
o When are you going home?
o Do you know me?

4. Exclamatory sentence – it expresses an overflow of emotions like happiness, wonder, sorrow, anger, etc.
and it ends with an exclamation point or mark (!).
EXAMPLE:
o What a day it was!
o I cannot believe he would do that!

ERRORS IN WRITING SENTENCES

Two common errors in writing sentences are the sentence fragment and the run-on sentence.

A. Sentence Fragments
Sometimes, a group of words looks like a sentence, but is actually not. This is called a sentence fragment,
a group of words that does not make sense at all.

a. Avoiding Sentence Fragments

To avoid sentence fragments, make certain that each sentence contains a subject and a verb, and
makes sense. Pay attention to how the following sentence fragments have been revised to form complete
sentences:

Examples:
1. Water pollution which can be prevented through waste water treatment
2. Population rapidly increasing
3. Wastes from factories polluting rivers and seas

3
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department
1. The first example does not make a complete sentence because it has a subject but has no predicate. Which can
be prevented through waste water treatment is a subordinate clause and subordinate clauses do not function as
predicates. To correct example 1, delete the relative pronoun “which” and replace this with an auxiliary verb.

a. Water pollution can be prevented through waste water treatment. (the relative pronoun “which” is omitted)

Another way is to retain the subordinate clause and add a complete predicate.

b. Water pollution, which can be prevented through waste water treatment, is a government-initiated project.

2. The second and third examples contain participial phrases. To correct such fragments, change the participles to
predicates by using auxiliary verbs or participles as main verbs.

a. Population is rapidly increasing. (use of auxiliary verb “is”)

b. Population increases rapidiy. (use “increases” as main verb)

c. Wastes from factories are polluting our rivers and seas. (use of auxiliary verb “are”)

d. Wastes from factories pollute our rivers and seas. (use “pollute” as main verb)

Skilled writers sometimes use sentence fragments for the purpose of style. These are called elliptical
sentences. An elliptical sentence is a grammatically incomplete group, a part of a sentence without a subject
or a predicate or both, but the omitted parts are understood from the context. This is common in recording
dialogues or giving answers to questions like:

"Where have you been?"

"In the library." (I’ve been in the library.)

"Did you work on your assignment?"

"Yes." (I did work on my assignment.)

Or in some exclamatory or transitional statements like:

“Fine!”

“What a mess (that was)!”

“Never again (will I let him enter my house)!”

“Now (here is) another important matter.”

B. Run-On Sentences

4
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department
Another common writing fault is the run-on sentence. A run-on sentence occurs when its writer fails to recognize
the end of a sentence which runs on into the next sentence without proper punctuation or any punctuation at
all.

Run-on sentences, also called fused sentences, consist of two or more grammatically correct sentences written as
if they were one sentence. The reader is confused because the writer has not indicated where one complete
thought ends and another complete thought begins.

EXAMPLE:

Run-on: Every season of rain raises threat of disastrous flooding watersheds without trees cause
rivers to dry up and fertile fields to turn hollow.

Complete: Every season of rain raises the threat of disastrous flooding. Watersheds without trees
cause rivers to dry up and fertile fields to turn hollow.

Several Ways to Correct Run-on Sentences

1. Separate the run-on sentence into two or more sentences.

Run-on: The loss of rain forests has caused grave climatic changes extending the dry season into lengthy
droughts the erosion of mountain slopes causes serious problems.

Correct: The loss of rain forests has caused grave climatic changes extending the dry season into lengthy
droughts. The erosion of mountain slopes causes serious problems.

2. Join the independent clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or,
for, nor and yet.

Run-on: The loss of rain forests has caused grave climatic changes extending the dry season to lengthy
droughts the erosion of mountain slopes causes serious problems.

Correct: The loss of rain forests has caused grave climatic changes, extending the dry season to lengthy
droughts, and the erosion of mountain slopes causes serious problems.

3. Join the independent clauses with a semicolon.

Correct: The loss of rain forests has caused grave climatic changes, extending the dry sea son into lengthy
droughts; the erosion of mountain slopes causes serious problems.

4. Use conjunctive adverbs such as moreover, consequently, therefore or furthermore.

Correct: The loss of rain forests has caused grave climatic changes extending the dry season into lengthy
droughts; furthermore, the erosion of mountain slopes causes serious problems.

VII. Exercises

5
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department
Directions: Create an infographic to summarize your understanding of Lesson 4. Be guided by the below
rubric in creating your infographic.
15 Points. LESSON 5 - Basic Sentence Pattern

Criteria 3 POINTS: 2 POINTS: MEETS 1 POINT: NEEDS


EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS WORK
EXPECTATIONS
Topic/ The topic/purpose of The topic/purpose was somewhat The topic/purpose of the
Purpose the material was broad and did not allow viewer to material was not clear
clear and concise. understand the purpose. and concise.
Data Data of the material Data of the material was Data of the material was
was accurate and somewhat accurate and relevant not accurate and was
relevant to topic to topic. not relevant to topic.
Layout The material had a The graphics were somewhat The graphics had
great layout, with applicable to the material, nothing to do with the
applicable graphics. creating an average layout. topic and had a poor
layout. There was an
overload of text.
Color/Font The font was legible The font was somewhat legible The font was not legible
and the color and the color scheme didn't affect and the color scheme
scheme enhanced the material. detracted from the
the material. material.
Sourcing Citations for the Citations for some of the sources No citations of the
material’s sources used were included. material’s sources were
were included. included.

VIII. Synthesis

If you think about your composition as a building, then you will see that sentences are small building blocks in
the structure as a whole. And just as a building depends on the quality of its basic materials, so does your
composition depend on the quality and grace of its sentences. Well-created sentences express ideas clearly.

An effective composition like a well-written theme, article, narrative or an essay - is developed from a series of
related paragraphs, which in turn are created from clear and coherent sentences. A well-structured
composition cannot be framed from faulty paragraphs, nor good paragraphs be made from awkward, choppy
and incomplete sentences.

To be effective, writers must express their ideas accurately and clearly. A good writer achieves unity, clarity,
effectiveness and appropriateness in writing.

6
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department

I. Discussion

The concept of pattern is one of the essential principles of modern methods of language teaching. English has
basic sentence Patterns and grammatical structures which Filipino students like you would do well to master in
order that you can understand, Speak, and write English well. You should know them thoroughly and make
sentences according to these patterns.

Pattern is an arrangement that reveals or suggests a design; it is the framework of an utterance. In your study of
language, you must deal with patterning on every level of linguistic analysis. For example, a Tagalog speaker often
says, “Saan ka pupunta?” but never “Ka pupunta saan?” or an English speaker says I saw her but never “Saw
I her" or "Her saw I." When you speak Tagalog, you often begin a word with the sound /ng/ as in ngayon,
ngalan, or ngipin, but you never begin with the sound /st/ as in steak, Star or stretch. You realize that /ng/ and /st/
are normal patterns sounds that occur in the sound systems of Tagalog and English respectively.

Word Order is another important aspect of the English language. It is the arrangement of words in parts or
segments to convey meaning. It gives significance to the features of form that operates the devices of structural
meaning. English has a relatively fixed word order. Thus, a small nipa hut is the usual pattern of single word
modifiers along with a noun. English speakers will not say a nipa small hut.

Compare:

(Tagalog) Maliwanag ang langit. (Tagalog) Lumipad ang eroplano.


(English) The sky is clear (English) The airplane flew.

(Tagalog) Piloto ang lalaki.


(English) The man is a pilot.

The structures and sounds or language are patterned. These patterns must be learned until production becomes
automatic when situations calling for them present themselves.

PATTERN 1: SUBJECT - VERB (SV)

The first irreducible basic sentence pattern is that of Subject Verb or Noun-Verb (NV). One noun plus verb
combination may include a determiner (D) before the noun and an adverb (i.e., The rain soon stopped.). Put in
parentheses the words which do not always occur: (D) S-V (Adv.).

Examples:
S V

Atoms Split
Verbs used in this pattern are called
Flowers Bloom
intransitive. An intransitive verb is a verb that
Ice Melts
is not followed by a complement of any kind.
Liquids Freeze
Gas Expands

The S-V pattern can be expanded, of course. Now examine the following illustrations. They have been expanded
with phrases.

1. Atoms split and break down.


2. Flowers bloom in the garden.

7
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department
3. Ice melts fast in hot weather.
4. Liquids freeze and solidify.
5. Gas expands and occupies space

Affirmative statements are made negative with the use of not with the verb. The present and past forms of be (am,
is, are, was, were) and all the auxiliaries are followed by not to make their negative forms. The contracted forms
isn’t, wasn't, weren't, can’t won't, don’t, doesn’t, and didn’t, are usual in conversation an informal writing.

Examples:

1. I am not scientifically inclined.


2. Man has not learned everything about space.
3. An element cannot break down further.
4. Oceanography is not a separate science.
5. Surface features of the earth's crust are not permanent.

PATTERN 2: SUBJECT VERB - DIRECT OBJECT (S-V-0)

The S-V-0, perhaps is one of the most widely used in English, is another basic structure. It is also known and
expressed symbolically as N - V-N2. N1 and N2 means that the first noun which is the "subject" is different from
the second which is the "object".

Examples:

S V O
Verbs used in this pattern are transitive.
Matter possesses inertia You cannot substitute the verb to be for
Plants produce seeds verbs in sentences that follow this pattern.
Trees prevent soil Such verbs are followed by a complement
erosion receiver. Remember that any element in the
Winds increase evaporation pattern may be modified or expanded.
The sun emits energy

Through filling in this pattern with new sets of nouns and verbs, you learn inductively the functional differences
between intransitive and transitive verbs. Some verbs however, can be used in both patterns: Birds fly. (SV) or Men
fly planes (S-V-0); some only in Pattern 1 (Dogs bark.) or in Pattern 2 (Plants need water.) By observing which verbs
work in one pattern only and which work in both, you can grasp the concept of the intransitive verb.

PATTERN 3: SUBJECT-VERB-INDIRECT OBJECT- DIRECT OBJECT (S-V-I0-DO)

A third pattern uses a transitive verb and two objects; the first or the name word that tells to whom or for whom
the action is done comes between the verb and the direct object and is called the indirect object, and the second
direct object. This structure is also known as N1-V-N2-N3.

The symbols IO and DO (or N2- N3) indicate that the first and second objects in this pattern refer to two different
persons or things. Common verbs in this structure are:

award how sell grant


buy bring teach promise
paints give draw tell

8
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department
find leave send write

S V IO DO

Computers now teach the children the 3 R’s.


Agencies gave flood victims relief goods.
The lecturer showed the teachers sample modules.
Skylab brought the world knowledge.

PATTERN 4: SUBJECT- LINKING VERB -COMPLEMENT (S-LV-C)

Another basic sentence pattern is S-LV-C (also known as N-V-C). The complement may either be an adjective
which tells something about the subject or a noun that explains or means person of thing as the subject. Thus,
Pattern IV may either S-LV-C (N) or S-LV-C (A).

A. Subject-Linking Verb - Noun Complement (S-LV-C (N)

S LV C(N)

Asia is the largest Continent on earth.


Skylab became the first research center in space.
Space sickness remains a problem of astronauts.
Gas molecules are essential independent particles.
Audio-visual materials have become indispensable aids in education.

The verbs in this pattern are called linking verbs. Here a liking verb joins a subject with a noun that refers to the
subject. Such a complement is called a subjective complement or predicate noun. The most common linking verbs
used with nouns as subjective complements are forms of to be (am, is, was, were) will be has been, become and
remain.

S LV C(A)

Astronauts remain human.


Boiled water tastes flat.
Babies are cute.
Rhodora seems nervous.
I am tall.

PATTERN 5: SUBJECT-VERB-OBJECT-OBJECTIVE COMPLEMENT (S-V-O-0C)

This pattern resembles Pattern III in that it also has three nouns, two or which follow the verb and which have the
same referent. It is also known as the N1-V-N2-N2 structure.

S V O OC (N)

9
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department

Doctors call Hippocrates “the father of medicine”.


Scientists consider Roentgen the discoverer of X-ray.
The French regard Andre Ampere the Newton of electricity.
Admiral Byrd named his outpost little America.

S V O OC (A)

Chemists found atoms exceedingly small.


Doctors consider vaccines indispensable.
Scientists think astrologers superstitious.
Anthropologists declare the jars genuine.
Observers believe the project commendable.

II. Evaluation:

Directions: Examine and identify the sentence pattern the following sentences. Label each word/phrase
according to its function.

Example: The President appointed Ms. Ruiz the new secretary.


S V O OC

1) The benefits of Science are universally acknowledged.

2) Current investments in science are enormous.

3) New scientific knowledge is both satisfying and staggering

4) Science has given man a higher standard of living.

5) Science and technology have transformed the life of modern man.

6) Technology has afforded man broader intellectual horizons.

7) An admirable aspect of science is internationalism.

8) Space programs constitute the greatest technological successes in human history.

10
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department
9) Some people however see only the evils of technology.

LESSON 6 - Writing Effective Sentences


10) Pollution illustrates an
environmental problem.

III. Synthesis:

The statement patterns you have studied in this topic are the most important devices for conveying ideas in
the English language. With these basic patterns you can express almost any idea and, with some practice
many shades of meaning. Once you have mastered the patterns, you should be able to express simply and
naturally, in speaking and writing, any idea you wish to convey. If you have mastered these basic patterns, you
should be able to use them at will. To check your ability to handle these patterns easily, study the following
chart, which lists all five patterns.

PATTERN 1: N-V = S-V = Subject - Verb

PATTERN 2: N-V-N2 = S-V-O = Subject – Verb - Object

PATTERN 3: N-V-N2-N3 = S-V-I0-DO = Subject – Verb - Indirect Object - Direct Object

PATTERN 4: (A) N-LV-N, = S-LV-C(N) = Subject - Linking Verb - Noun - Complement


(B) N-LV-A = S-LV-CA) = Subject – Verb - Adjective Complement

PATTERN 5: (A) N-V-N,-N2 = S-V-0-OC =Subject Verb-Object- Objective complement


(B) N-V-N-A = S-V-0-OC =Subject Verb-Object- Objective complement

Statements are made negative with the use of not with the verb.

I. Discussion:

An effective sentence must have unity. Unity means "oneness or singleness of purpose." A sentence should contain a
single thought or a group of closely-related thoughts. In other words, ideas are closely related and forma unit of
thought.
To achieve unity in a sentence, avoid:

1. Introducing too many details; and


2. Combining unrelated ideas; thus, you should shorten long rambling sentences and omit
unrelated ideas.
11
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department

Many details: Farms, pastures, forests, fisheries and wild species which should be preserved and protected to stop
their deterioration through careful planning for they are considered irreplaceable resources.

Unified: Farms, pastures, forests, fisheries and wild species should be viewed as irreplaceable resources.

PARALLELISM IN A SENTENCE

To present a series of ideas of equal importance, use parallel grammatical structures.

Parallelism means "like construction for like ideas." If a sentence is well-constructed, the precise meaning is
conveyed surely and effectively to the readers; they can immediately see what ideas are of equal importance. Parallel
construction for like ideas is indispensable for clear, grammatically correct and effective sentences. Parallel movement
when correctly handled, is one means of attaining an emphatic, vigorous style.

EXAMPLES:

Parallel words: The plants looked vigorous, fresh and green.


(Notice in the sentence that the adjectives vigorous, fresh and green are placed together.)

Parallel phrases: Trees prevent soil erosion and flood, and provide our basic needs.
(The verb phrases prevent soil erosion and flood and provide our basic needs are joined by the
conjunction “and”. These phrases are parallel because soil erosion and flood are both natural calamities while
provide our basic needs supports the idea presented in the subject trees.)

Parallel clauses: I will continue cleaning the surroundings when the mower is repaired and gasoline is here.
(The clauses when the mower is repaired and gasoline is here are connected by the connective “and”.)

Here are some more examples.

1. Nonparallel: The earth provides every living organism with food to eat, air to breathe and water for
drinking.
Parallel: The earth provides every living organism with food to eat, air to breathe and water to drink.

2. Nonparallel: If we produce a lot of carbon dioxide by burning fossil fuel and we do not maintain our
vehicles properly, fuel is burned incompletely.
Parallel: If we produce a lot of carbon dioxide by burning fossil fuel and if we do not maintain our vehicles
properly, fuel is burned incompletely.

CONSISTENCY IN TENSE

Writing often involves telling stories. Sometimes we narrate a story as our main purpose in writing; we also include
brief anecdotes or hypothetical scenarios as illustrations or reference points in an essay. Changes in verb tense help
readers understand the temporal relationships among various narrated events. But, unnecessary or inconsistent shifts
in tense can cause confusion.

Another way of writing an effective sentence is to observe consistency in tense and pronoun reference. Consistency in
tense refers to using the same tense of verbs throughout the sentence. Generally, writers maintain one tense for the
main discourse and indicate changes in time frame by changing tense relative to that primary tense, which is usually
either simple past or simple present.

We could use this general guideline: “Do not shift from one tense to another if the time frame for each action
or state is the same.”

EXAMPLE:
The students were planting trees when the rain fell.

and not

12
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department
The students are planting trees when the rain fell.
(Notice that the verb “fell” is in the past tense which is consistent with the verb “were”.)

It is somewhat surprising that ozone has come to be popularly associated with pure air and those
devices which produce ozone have been regarded as air purifiers.

and not

It is somewhat surprising that ozone has come to be popularly associated with pure air and those
devices which produced ozone have been regarded as air purifiers.
(All the main verbs are in the present tense.)

PRONOUN REFERENCE

Pronoun reference agreement should be carefully observed in writing sentences. Appropriate pronouns should be used
in place of nouns.

Singular nouns require singular pronouns and plural nouns require plural pronouns. Pronouns agree with their referents
in number and gender.

EXAMPLE:
Now that we have a general idea of what pollution and air pollutants are, we can discuss these air
pollutants and trace their sources, causes and possible effects.

(In this example, the pronoun “we” is used from the very start until the end of the
sentence and the pronoun “their” is the appropriate pronoun to refer to air pollutants.)

Everyone should be aware of his/her role in environmental conservation.

and not

Everyone should be aware of their role in environmental conservation.

(Since “everyone” is a singular indefinite pronoun, the pronoun “his/her” should be used
and not the pronoun “their" because it refers to a plural antecedent.)

MODIFIER

A modifier is a word/phrase/clause which modifies or describes the other words in a sentence. It is either an adjective
(modifies noun or pronoun) or an adverb (modifies verb, adjective or adverb).
There are three types of modifiers: misplaced, squinting and dangling which contribute to the ineffectiveness of
sentences.

EXAMPLE:
The dog was barking aggressively.
verb modifier

1. MISPLACED MODIFIERS
13
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department
A misplaced modifier is a modifier which is not placed close enough to the word or to the phrase it modifies.
To avoid having misplaced modifiers, place the modifier as close as possible to the word it modifies.

Example:

Misplaced: Planting trees along the road, their work is enjoyed by the Environmental Science students.

In the above sentence, the participial phrase “planting trees along the road” modifies the action of the
students and not the word “work” which closely follows it. The word “students” is the word being modified so
the sentence should be:

Improved: Planting trees along the road, the environmental science students enjoyed their work.

Misplaced: The denuded mountain was visited by the environmentalist to be planted with seedlings.

Improved: The denuded mountain to be planted with seedlings was visited by the environmentalist.

2. SQUINTING MODIFIERS

A squinting modifier is a modifier between two words both of which it could modify. This could lead to
confusion as to which word the modifier modifies. To avoid this, the modifier should be placed as closely as
possible to the word it modifies.

Example:

Squinting: The boy admitted to his mother with a sad face that he accidentally cut the trees

In the sentence, it is not clear whether the prepositional phrase modifier “with a sad face” is describing “the
boy or the mother”.

Improved: With a sad face, the boy admitted to his mother that he accidentally cut the trees.

3. DANGLING MODIFIERS
A dangling modifier is a modifier that is not related to any of the words in the sentence. In other words, the
word being described is not present in the sentence. To avoid dangling modifiers, be sure to supply the word
being modified and place it close to the modifier in the sentence.

EXAMPLES:

Dangling: To ensure the attainment of a quality environment, it is advisable that the resources of the earth
be managed carefully.

Improved: To ensure the attainment of a quality environment, we should carefully manage the resources of
the earth.

Dangling: Standing by the window, the garbage was noticed uncollected.

14
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department

Improved: Standing by the window, the teacher noticed the uncollected garbage.

II. Evaluation

A. Directions: Read the following statements carefully. Write C if the sentence is correct. If the grammar is
incorrect, rewrite the sentence/s to make them effective and accurate sentences.

Example:

The instructor explains the diagram to students who asked questions during the lecture.
(Since the grammar is incorrect, you have to rewrite the sentence with its correct grammar.)

ANSWER: The instructor explains the diagram to students who ask questions during the lecture.

a) Yesterday we walk to school but later we rode the bus home.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b) Before they even began the deliberations, many jury members had reached a verdict.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c) The winds along the coast blew the trees over when the weather got bad.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

d) Mark finished his essay, tidies his room, and went out for dinner.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

e) I ate the cake that my mom baked.


________________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. Directions: Write S if the group of words is a complete sentence, F if it is a fragment, and R if it is a run-
on sentence. Provide the correct punctuation marks when necessary.

a) Water supply a major problem in many parts of Manila


b) Pollution is a serious problem that should concern everyone
c) Participating in a fund raising campaign for the restoration of the forest
d) The clean, fresh air of the countryside
e) Our supply of drinking water is dwindling and if we continue to pollute our stream as we are now

C. Directions: The following sentences are erroneous. They may contain faulty parallelism or inconsistency
in tense or in pronoun preference. Rewrite the sentences to make them effective sentences.

a) Each of the dancers welcomed their partners.


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b) May Ann and Ivan climbed up the mountain where we can breathe fresh air.

15
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”
Romblon State University
San Fernando Campus
San Fernando, Romblon RSU-SFC TED FORM NO. 005 COURSE MODULE
Teacher Education Department
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c) Food is important; without them, we cannot survive.


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

D. Directions: Rewrite the following sentences that pose ambiguities due to dangling modifiers.

a) Observing the crop, the pests were laying eggs abundantly.


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b) The doctor announced the result with a heavy heart to his patient.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

III. Synthesis

Sentence unity is where you make sure the subject and predicate of a sentence join logically. Sentence unity is when
the parts of a sentence come together grammatically and make sense. The reason sentence unity is important
is because without it, a sentence is incoherent.

VII. References

1. Portillo, R. [Link]. (2003). Research and Technical Writing. Trinitas Publishing, Inc.
2. “Sentence: Definition & Types”. Retrieved from [Link]
3. “Verb Consistency”. Retrieved from [Link]
4. “Verb Tense Consistency”. Retrieved from [Link]

Prepared by:

NEIL JOHN BLANCO R. MACATO


Lecturer

16
“Be proud of your school and make your school proud of you.”

Common questions

Powered by AI

Structural aspects of grammar, including sentence patterns like S-V-O and understanding modifiers, are crucial in technical writing as they support clarity, precision, and concise communication. Technical writing demands a high level of detail and accuracy, where clarity of subject-verb-object relationships ensures that instructions, reports, and proposals are easily understood by reducing ambiguity and eliminating superfluous language . This precision is indispensable for effectively conveying complex technical information to a varied audience.

Understanding sentence errors such as fragments, which lack complete thought, and run-on sentences, which improperly connect independent clauses, helps writers identify flaws that affect clarity and readability. Correcting these errors involves ensuring sentences have a subject and predicate that express a complete thought and appropriately using punctuation and conjunctions to separate clauses. This understanding fosters the ability to construct well-structured arguments and narrative flow .

Sentence patterns in English, such as Subject-Verb (S-V), Subject-Verb-Object (S-V-O), and Subject-Linking Verb-Complement (S-LV-C), provide a structural framework that enhances clarity by ensuring that each sentence expresses a complete thought and maintains logical flow. For example, in the S-V-O pattern, the subject performs an action described by the verb that affects the object, effectively conveying meaning . These patterns ensure the elements of a sentence are logically connected, minimizing ambiguities and enhancing readability.

Different sentence patterns such as Subject-Verb (S-V), Subject-Verb-Object (S-V-O), and Subject-Verb-Indirect Object-Direct Object (S-V-IO-DO) allow speakers and writers to convey various nuances. For example, using indirect objects can imply the beneficiary of an action, offering clarity in transactions or attributes of possession, thus subtly altering meaning. Understanding and applying these structures enables nuanced communication tailored to different contexts, like emphasizing actions versus the outcomes or recipients .

Basic sentence structures like S-V and S-V-O patterns provide a foundation upon which more complex sentences can be formed. Mastering these fundamental patterns aids in understanding how variations like adding adjectives, adverbs, and additional clauses can change the meaning, fluency, and expressiveness of language. This foundational knowledge is essential for acquiring advanced linguistic skills, such as varying sentence style for effect or constructing complex narratives with intricate syntactic elements .

Recognizing the distinction between independent and dependent clauses is crucial because it affects sentence completeness and coherence. Independent clauses convey complete thoughts and can stand alone as sentences, whereas dependent clauses provide additional context but cannot stand independently. Misidentifying these can lead to sentence fragments or run-on sentences, thereby affecting clarity and communication in writing . Distinguishing these ensures correct structuring of thoughts and ideas in writing.

In English, word order is relatively fixed, playing a critical role in conveying grammatical relationships and meaning. For instance, the standard S-V-O order is essential for establishing who is doing what to whom. Deviations from normal word order can lead to confusion or a change in emphasis, unlike in languages with more flexible word order like Tagalog, where context and inflection carry more weight in determining relationships and meaning . Studying word order across languages illuminates the syntactic constraints that shape effective communication.

Mastering different types of sentences according to functions—declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory—enhances a speaker's or writer's ability to effectively convey information, make requests, ask questions, and express emotions or emphasis. This versatility allows for more dynamic and engaging communication by providing tools to tailor messages appropriately for different contexts or purposes . By understanding these structures, users are better equipped to match their language to their communicative intentions.

Modifiers add detail to a sentence, clarifying or changing the meaning of nouns and verbs, thereby enhancing the richness of communication. However, when misplaced or dangling, modifiers can lead to ambiguity by making it unclear which word they are describing. For example, a dangling modifier can confuse the reader by suggesting an illogical subject for the modifier . Proper placement close to the word being modified is essential to avoid confusion.

Compound sentences contain at least two independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions such as 'and' or 'but', which allows them to express two complete thoughts independently. In contrast, complex sentences consist of one independent clause and at least one dependent clause connected by subordinating conjunctions like 'because' or 'although', facilitating the expression of a main idea with additional, subordinate information . This structural difference allows compound sentences to relate equal ideas and complex sentences to highlight one main idea over others.

You might also like