grammar tips

Use between when you are thinking of two things at a time, even though they may be part of a group consisting of a larger number.

I loved to sit between my two brothers in the back seat of the car on family road trips.

The team certainly needed that short rest period between quarters. (Although there are more than two quarters, a rest period occurs only between two of them at a time).

Use among when you are thinking of a group of three or more rather than of separate individuals.

Although there was a significant disagreement among the officers about the theme for Sports Night, we eventually compromised.

Since we had only $25 cash among the six of us, I decided to pay with my credit card.

Beside means “by the side of” something or someone. It is always a preposition.

Besides as a preposition means “in addition to.” As an adverb, it means “moreover” or “in addition.”

My grandmother would often sit beside me and tell me stories of the “old country.”

Besides playing sports with the children, I would also help them with their homework after school.

I decided to stay in the class. Besides, I had begun to enjoy chemistry more than I had imagined possible.

Accept is a verb. It can mean to agree, to be admitted, to receive, to answer affirmatively, to regard as true. It may also mean to receive officially or to endure with patience.

I was thrilled to accept the offer of a summer internship.I hope that I will be accepted to the college of my choice.I accepted the fact that I would not be chosen as captain of the team.

It was a generally accepted fact that students who were in band could not also participate in chorus.

Except may be either a verb or a preposition.

As a verb, it means “to leave out” or “to omit.”
As a preposition, it means “excluding.”

I do not have a final exam grade in physics because honor students were excepted from having to take the test.

I participated on the tennis team each spring except last semester because I had broken my leg.

The Case of the Dangling Participle: Answers

Here are some ways to correct the dangling participles from last Wednesday’s Words of “Whiz”dom:

Incorrect: Ripped to shreds, Jason had to throw out his jeans
Correct: Jason had to throw out his jeans because they were ripped to shreds.

Incorrect: Flying around the kitchen, Fred chased his parakeet
Correct: Fred chased his parakeet as it was flying around the kitchen.

Incorrect: A bowling ball was used by John weighing twelve pounds.
Correct! John used a bowling ball that weighed twelve pounds. (or) John used a bowling ball weighing five pounds.

Incorrect: These footprints were made wearing high heels.
Correct; These footprints were made by someone wearing high heels.

Stay tuned for more examples of dangling modifiers with clever and creative illustrations.

Be sure to write right!

What’s wrong with these pictures?

• Moaning in the distance, Henry heard the foghorn.
• Locked in the book cabinet, Mrs. Stevens found her keys.
• Sizzling and dripping with gravy, Mr. Jonas began to eat his steak.
• Screaming wildly, the court was stormed by the fans.
• Vacuuming the living room, the lost necklace was discovered under the couch.

You are probably saying to yourself, “These sentences don’t sound right, but I’m not sure why.”

Well, you’re right.  The sentences don’t sound right because they are grammatically incorrect – for a variety of reasons.  All of these sentences have what is known as “dangling participles” or “misplaced modifiers.”  The first three sentences are easy to correct.  The last two have some additional complications!

Here’s the rule:  Each of the participial phrases like “moaning in the distance,” “sizzling and dripping with gravy,” and “locked in her book cabinet” must describe (or modify) the noun closest to it in the sentence. 

In these sentences, therefore, Henry is moaning in the distance, Mr. Jonas is extremely messy, and poor Mrs. Stevens is locked in the cabinet. That’s pretty funny, but an admissions officer may not laugh – or even giggle – if you write sentences like these.

There are several ways to correct or edit these sentences.  The easiest way is to move the modifier so that it is closest to the word it is intended to describe. So we write:

• Henry heard the foghorn moaning in the distance.
• Mrs. Stevens found her keys locked in the book cabinet.

The best way to clean up Mr. Jonas would be to say:
• Mr. Jonas began to eat his steak, which was sizzling and dripping with gravy.

The basketball game is a bit more complicated because it also has the problem of “passive voice,” which we will discuss in a future blog.
• Screaming wildly, the fans stormed the court.

In the last sentence, who is doing the vacuuming?  The necklace or the couch?  Obviously, neither.  The person who is doing the vacuuming needs to be inserted into the sentence.
• Vacuuming the living room, Dahlia discovered the lost necklace under the couch.

Now test yourself:  How would you edit these sentences?
• Ripped to shreds, Jason had to throw out his jeans.
• Flying around the kitchen, Fred chased his parakeet.
• A bowling ball was used by John weighing twelve pounds.
• These footprints were made wearing high heels.

The answers will be in next Wednesday’s “Words of ‘Whiz’dom.”

Be sure to write right!

In the late 1970s, a popular Catskill Mountains resort touted:  “I shoulda gone to the Nevele” on billboards, in print and on TV and radio ads.  Then, thanks to the 2001 “Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda” episode of “Sex and the City” and Celine Dion’s “Coulda Woulda Shoulda” in 2003 (still available as a ringtone), many people now have unwittingly expanded upon a typical usage error!

Too often you will see “could of” in a piece of writing.  Because the spoken version of “could’ve” – the contraction for “could have” – often sounds like “could of,” the error is easily made.

However, neither “coulda” nor “could of” is correct!  The same goes for “should of” or “would of.”  The proper verb forms are:  could have, should have, or would have.  If you want to emphasize the pronunciation, you may remove the “ha” from “have” and add “ve” to form contractions:  could’ve, should’ve, or would’ve.

In a formal piece of writing, it is advisable to avoid contractions altogether unless you are writing dialogue (or trying mightily to stay within the imposed limits of characters and spaces).   And although “coulda, woulda, shoulda” has found its way into our vernacular, meaning “I wish I had done things differently, but it’s too late now,” it has no place in a college admissions essay!

Be sure to write right!

When you fill out your applications, you want to make every effort to write with correct grammar, usage, punctuation and capitalization.  Be sure to proofread everything, including the fill-ins and short answers!

Over the course of the next few months, the College Essay Whiz will give you tips on avoiding common pitfalls in these areas.  We are going to start with two words that are often confused with each other:  affect and effect.

Generally speaking, affect is a verb and effect is a noun.  Usually, the verb “affect” means “to influence.” “Effect” is the noun form meaning “the influence” or “the result of an action.”

Examples:
The economic crisis may affect (verb) the outcome of the election.
The effect (noun) is being felt nationwide.
My personal trainer is trying to affect (verb) my attitude toward exercise.
His efforts are having a positive effect (noun) on my exercise regimen.

So when you affect a situation, you have an effect on it!

There are a few other meanings of the word “effect.”
• As a verb, “effect” means “to accomplish” or “to produce a result.”
It is often used with the words “change” or “solution.”

Example:
Our principal was determined to effect a change in policy regarding student use of cell phones in the school building.”

• Personal “effects” are your belongings; films often have special “effects.”

An unusual meaning of the verb form of “affect” is “to cultivate or make a display of.” A person might affect the manners and accents of British royalty, for instance.

As a noun, “affect” is a psychological term referring to emotions as elements of the thinking process or behavior.  This word is pronounced AFF-ect (with emphasis on the first syllable).

Be sure to write right!

For more details and examples, go here or here.