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INTRODUCTION
Sources
•
Dos, Don’ts, and Maybes, by T. Bernstein
•
Words Into Type, compiled by Skillin, Gay et al.
•
Woe Is I, by Patricia T. O’Connor
•
A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage, by B. Garner
•
The Copyeditor’s Handbook, by A. Einsohn
VERBS!
I. Agreement
II. Danglers
III. Mood & Myth
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AGREEMENT
In a sentence, every part should agree
logically with every other related part.
So, a verb should agree in number with its
subject.
AGREEMENT
Every part of Sam needs a massage.
part = singular verb
Sam’s shoulders, arms, and legs need a massage.
shoulders, arms, and legs = plural verb
~ easy ~
AGREEMENT
Every part of Sam—his legs, his
neck, his shoulders, his feet—
{need or needs} a massage.
Singular or plural?
AGREEMENT
Since the closest word, feet, is plural, it might be
tempting to pick the plural verb form, need.
However, the subject (part) hasn’t changed, so the verb
is still needs.
Every part of Sam—his legs, his neck, his
shoulders, his feet—needs a massage.
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AGREEMENT
The first group of cases discuss the applicability of the
doctrine of collateral estoppel to administrative- agency
decisions and the second group discuss the NoerrPennington doctrine and the sham exception.
(Garner, p. 521)
CORRECT?
The number of the subject is sometimes
obscured by words coming between it and the
verb.
AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT
The first group of cases discuss the applicability of the doctrine
of collateral estoppel to administrative- agency decisions and
the second group discuss the Noerr-Pennington doctrine and
the sham exception.
Sec. 252.002, Texas Insurance Code
(b) The commissioner shall annually adjust the rate of
assessment of the maintenance tax so that the tax
imposed that year, together with any unexpended
funds produced by the tax, produce the amount the
commissioner determines is necessary to pay the
expenses …
The subject is group:
The first group of cases discusses the applicability … and the
second group discusses the Noerr-Pennington doctrine … .
CORRECT?
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AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT
The number of the subject and verb is also not affected by
intervening words introduced by:
… so that the tax imposed that year … produces
the amount the commissioner determines …
together with
as well as
in addition to
plus
and similar expressions.
AGREEMENT: COLLECTIVE NOUNS
A collective noun is a noun that denotes a group
of individuals.
COLLECTIVE NOUNS
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AGREEMENT: COLLECTIVE NOUNS
faculty
jury
staff
board
class
AGREEMENT: COLLECTIVE NOUNS
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure
Art. 38.04. JURY ARE JUDGES OF FACTS. The jury, in all cases, is
the exclusive judge of the facts proved, and of the weight to
be given to the testimony … .
A collective noun could take a singular or plural
verb, depending on context.
AGREEMENT: COLLECTIVE NOUNS
AGREEMENT: COLLECTIVE NOUNS
Total, all, majority, number, any, and all
The faculty has determined that all faculty meetings
will occur outside of working hours.
can also be interpreted as singular or plural.
The faculty were arguing about what to do about the
increasing plagiarism on the part of the students.
The before the word is usually a hint that it is
singular.
A before the word most often indicates it’s plural,
especially if the word is followed by of.
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The majority is in charge.
Still, a majority of voters are unhappy.
AGREEMENT: COLLECTIVE NOUNS
Subjects plural in form but singular in effect get a
singular verb.
Penal Acts was the legal name, Intolerable Acts
what the colonists called them.
Politics is a dangerous game.
(WIT, p. 354)
AGREEMENT: INVERTED SUBJECT
In the employee handbook is a sample expense
voucher.
Also in the handbook are procedures for
submitting expense vouchers.
INVERTED SUBJECT
(Copyeditor’s Handbook, p. 343)
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AGREEMENT TAKEAWAYS
• The key to making a subject and its verb agree
is to correctly identify the subject.
• A collective noun takes a singular verb unless
the individuals forming the group are to be
emphasized, in which case the verb is plural.
DANGLERS
DANGLERS
What is a dangler?
A dangling participle is one type of dangler. It is also
called an unattached, hanging, or misrelated participle.
A dangler is a sentence element that modifies an
unintended subject, usually taking for granted that the
reader will know what the subject of the sentence is.
What is a participle, you may ask?
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DANGLERS
DANGLERS
Participle = verb acting as an adjective (ends in
–ing, –ed, –d, –t, or –n)
Participial phrase = a group of words used as a
modifier and consisting of a participle with its
modifiers and complements
Strolling along the path …
Born into poverty …
Strengthened in his resolve …
developing nations
watched pot
frozen tundra
Buried in grad school
debt, finding a job was
a high priority for Kim.
Correct?
Buried in grad school
debt, Kim made her
first priority finding a
job.
Buried in debt
modifies
Kim
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DANGLERS
DANGLERS
Walking down Congress Avenue, the Capitol came into view.
Walking down Congress Avenue, Albert got a good view of the
Capitol.
DANGLERS
Other types of danglers—
As a legislative staff member, his office is his home
away from home.
1. Modifying phrases other than participial
phrases.
Correct?
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As a legislative staff member, James considers the
office his home away from home.
DANGLERS
Misplaced modifiers are not always located at the head of a
sentence:
The stage drama is a gripping saga of betrayal by
one of the greatest playwrights of the region.
Staff member = James, not office
DANGLERS
DANGLERS
2. Gerunds may also dangle precariously.
After clarifying the instructions, the bill was easy to
write.
When the participle in a dangling gerund is the object of
a preposition, it functions as noun.
(Chicago, p. 5.111)
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DANGLERS
DANGLERS
After clarifying the instructions, Sarah found bill
easy to write.
3. Dangling infinitive
Infinitive = basic form of a verb, preceded by the
word to
DANGLERS
DANGLERS
To get a bill passed, the draft request is first
submitted to the legislative council.
To get a bill passed, the member must first
submit a draft request to the legislative
council.
Is this ok?
Most bill drafting avoids the passive voice
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DANGLERS
DANGLERS
IS DANGLING EVER ACCEPTABLE?
Examples of acceptable danglers are easy to come by—
they usually stand apart from (as if to comment on) the
content of the sentence and are commonly introduced
with words such as
concerning, considering, judging, owing, regarding,
speaking, according, barring,
etc.
(Garner, p.167)
Considering the current atmosphere in the
legislature, it is unlikely that the legislation will pass.
(Garner, p. 166)
Generally speaking, an alien may become trustee of property
that the alien can own beneficially.
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ANACOLUTHON
ˌanəkəˈlo͞oTHän/
a sentence or construction that
lacks grammatical sequence, such
as while in the garden, the door
banged shut.
Greek: anakolouthos means “lacking sequence”
DANGLERS TAKEAWAYS
• Always suspect an –ing word of dangling if it’s at the
beginning of a sentence. Ask yourself who or what is
performing the action.
• Dangling is almost inevitable when the independent
clause is in the passive voice.
• Revise the sentence so the expression is clearly
related to the word it is intended to modify.
(Woe, p. 191)
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MOOD
MOOD = The form of a verb indicating the
manner of doing or being
Indicative (expresses facts and asks questions)
Imperative (expresses commands and direct requests)
Subjunctive (expresses an imagined state, wish,
command, or desire)
MOOD
The subjunctive is almost extinct in spoken English and is passing away
even in written English.
Certain phrases are still used, such as:
be that as it may
so be it
if I were you
far be it from me
The following examples are also viable uses of the subjunctive but
could be rewritten:
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MOOD
MOOD
WHEREAS, Eagle Scout Dillard's dedication to excellence and his
perseverance in the pursuit of his goals have proven him worthy to stand
among scouting's elite, and he may indeed reflect with pride on a job
well done; now, therefore, be it
He gave orders that the bills be paid.
He gave orders for the bills to be paid.
It is important that he breathe fresh air.
He needs to breathe fresh air.
How can one insure that the power of science be used for the
benefit of humanity?
How can one insure the use of the power of science for the benefit
of humanity?
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature
hereby congratulate Stephen Dillard on achieving the rank of Eagle
Scout and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success and
happiness; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Eagle
Scout Dillard as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of
Representatives.
(WIT, p. 342)
MOOD
MOOD
Clauses introduced by as if or though usually express an
unreal condition and require a past subjunctive.
However, many clauses introduced by if do not express a
condition contrary to fact, but merely a condition or
contingency. In this case, the subjunctive is incorrect.
Before I turned left,
I looked to see if the road were clear.
??
Some patients feel as if they were falling.
(WIT, p. 343)
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MOOD
(b) The law and rules governing the provisional license
program under Section 101.203 apply to a practitioner as
if the practitioner {was} {were} a provisional license holder
when the practitioner is completing the requirements of
the provisional license program.
MOOD TAKEAWAYS
• Use be instead of was or were after someone
suggests, insists, asks, requires, or demands that
something be done.
• If it sounds unnatural, imagine an unspoken should in
front of it.
(He urged that the parties negotiate.)
• The subjunctive is required in that clauses following
verbs of command, demand, wish, request, necessity,
etc.
MYTH
Myth #1
Never split an infinitive (or any verb phrase for that
matter).
The infinitive, the simplest form of a verb, is one word in
Latin and thus can't be split.
Grammar police of the 18th and 19th centuries imposed
it on writers and editors of English.
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MYTH
MYTH
More often than not the natural position for the adverb is just
ahead of the main part of the verb it modifies.
Myth #2
Never use a preposition to end a sentence.
The following example illustrates an unfortunate placing of the
adverb:
A plan for reducing unemployment slowly has been evolving in
Congress.
~Yikes~
MYTH
Okay, you shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition
when the sentence would mean the same thing if you left
off the preposition.
The “rule” was an ill-founded superstition, according to the
Chicago Manual of Style.
MYTH
Myth #3
I.e. and e.g. mean the same thing.
i.e. means that is
e.g. means for example
“That is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I shall
not put.”
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MYTH
CONCLUSION
i.e. is used for clarifying a statement:
Connect the 5-pin output to the DIS port, i.e., the display
adapter.
e.g. is used for listing examples:
Consider planting evergreens, e.g., pines, firs, and
cedars.
(Copyeditor’s Handbook)
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