[b]十二个易犯的语法错误：An Editing Checklist[/b]

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from: uw-madison writing center

1 . Sentence fragments



Make sure each word group you have punctuated as a sentence contains a grammatically complete and independent thought that can stand alone as an acceptable sentence.

我经常看到句子成分不全，或者两个句子不加任何连词的用在一起的情况，出现这种情况的原因有两个：
1是句子太长，把作者自己搞晕了
2是有些人还不清楚两个完整的句子不能排在一起而不加任何连词。


还有一种情况是一个完整的单句带有有连词，却没有主句。或者将一个主从句断裂开了。第二个例句就是此类。
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Sentence Fragment   
Tests of the Shroud of Turin have produced some curious findings. For example, the pollen of forty-eight plants native to Europe and the Middle East.

[2nd sentence = fragment]

改正：
Tests of the Shroud of Turin have produced some curious findings. For example, the cloth contains the pollen of forty-eight plants native to Europe and the Middle East.
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原句：
Scientists report no human deaths due to excessive caffeine consumption. Although caffeine does cause convulsions and death in certain animals.
改正：
[2nd sentence = fragment]
Scientists report no human deaths due to excessive caffeine consumption, although caffeine does cause convulsions and death in certain animals.

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2. Sentence sprawl

Too many equally weighted phrases and clauses produce tiresome sentences.

过尤不及，虽然我们强调句子要有一定的复杂性，但是实际上老米教授、专家从来不主张过长的句子，读者也不爱看。不过，要达到精确而又不啰嗦的表达，的确是有难度的。
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Sentence sprawl
The hearing was planned for Monday, December 2, but not all of the witnesses could be available, so it was rescheduled for the following Friday, and then all the witnesses could attend.

[There are no grammatical errors here, but the sprawling sentence does not communicate clearly and concisely.]

改正：
The hearing, which had been planned for Monday, December 2, was rescheduled for the following Friday so that all witnesses would be able to attend.

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3. Misplaced and dangling modifiers

Place modifiers near the words they describe; be sure the modified words actually appear in the sentence.




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Misplaced or Dangling Modifier
When writing a proposal, an original task is set for research.（错位）
改正：
When writing a proposal, a scholar sets an original task for research.
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原句
Many tourists visit Arlington National Cemetery, where veterans and military personnel are buried every day from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  
本句最后是一个dangling modifer悬虚的修饰成分，让人产生误解，此成分应该靠近发出动作的人或物
改正：
Every day from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., many tourists visit Arlington National Cemetery, where veterans and military personnel are buried.

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4. Faulty parallelism

Be sure you use grammatically equal sentence elements to express two or more matching ideas or items in a series.
平行结构是很容易出错的，在托福语法中也是出题点，这种错误很容易被忽视。英语我们的是非母语，在语感上来识别错误的可能就降低了。写作和检查的时候注意主胃、动宾的搭配、一致，主动被动的转换。


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Faulty parallelism
The candidate's goals include winning the election, a national health program, and the educational system.
改正：
The candidate's goals include winning the election, enacting a national health program, and improving the educational system.

原句：
Some critics are not so much opposed to capital punishment as postponing it for so long.
改正：
Some critics are not so much opposed to capital punishment as they are to postponing it for so long.

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5. Unclear pronoun reference

All pronouns must clearly refer to definite referents [nouns].

Use it, they, this, that, these, those, and which carefully to prevent confusion.

错误的使用代词或模糊的是用代词，是我经常在论坛作文里面发现的。不是说不可以用，但是一定要很清楚地有所指。作文的开头部分，我的建议是尽量不要用很多代词，因为开头部分是整个文章的一个概览，thesis必须clear, 不要怕麻烦，即便是多陈述一遍（不要用原句！换换说法），也是对thesis的强调，并不累赘。正文、结尾只要使用代词得当就可以了。

不要小看代词，它对你思想的表达有的时候很关键，如果指代不清，其他写得再好读者也会confused

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Unclear pronoun reference
Einstein was a brilliant mathematician. This is how he was able to explain the universe.
改正：
Einstein, who was a brilliant mathematician, used his ability with numbers to explain the universe.

原句：
Because Senator Martin is less interested in the environment than in economic development, he sometimes neglects it.
改正
Because of his interest in economic development, Senator Martin sometimes neglects the environment.

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Determine whether the pronoun is being used as a subject, or an object, or a possessive in the sentence, and select the pronoun form to match.

比较弱的错法，不过你敢保证你从没犯过？！


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Incorrect pronoun case
Castro's communist principles inevitably led to an ideological conflict between he and President Kennedy.
改正：
Castro's communist principles inevitably led to an ideological conflict between him and President Kennedy.

原句：
Because strict constructionists recommend fidelity to the Constitution as written, no one objects more than them to judicial reinterpretation.
改正：
Because strict constructionists recommend fidelity to the Constitution as written, no one objects more than they [do] to judicial reinterpretation.

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Omitted commas

Use commas to signal nonrestrictive or nonessential material, to prevent confusion, and to indicate relationships among ideas and sentence parts.

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Omitted commas
When it comes to eating people differ in their tastes.
改正：
When it comes to eating, people differ in their tastes.

原句：
The Huns who were Mongolian invaded Gaul in 451.
改正：
The Huns, who were Mongolian, invaded Gaul in 451.

["Who were Mongolian" adds information but does not change the core meaning of the sentence because Huns were a Mongolian people; this material is therefore nonrestrictive or nonessential.]

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Unnecessary commas make sentences difficult to read.


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Superfluous commas  
Field trips are required, in several courses, such as, botany and geology.
改正：
Field trips are required in several courses, such as botany and geology.

原句：
The term, "scientific illiteracy," has become almost a cliche, in educational circles.
改正：
The term "scientific illiteracy" has become almost a cliche in educational circles.

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Do not link two independent clauses with a comma (unless you also use a coordinating conjunction: and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet).

Instead use a period or semicolon, or rewrite the sentence.

两个句子之间要有连词，或者把句子分开。


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Comma splice
In 1952 Japan's gross national product was one third that of France, by the late 1970s it was larger than the GNPs of France and Britain combined.
改正：
In 1952 Japan's gross national product was one third that of France. By the late 1970s it was larger than the GNPs of France and Britain combined.

原句：
Diseased coronary arteries are often surgically bypassed, however half of all bypass grafts fail within ten years.
改正：
Diseased coronary arteries are often surgically bypassed; however, half of all bypass grafts fail within ten years.

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10. Apostrophe errors 撇号用法错误

Apostrophes indicate possession for nouns ("Jim's hat," "several years' work") but not for personal pronouns (its, your, their, and whose).

Apostrophes also indicate omissions in contractions ("it's" = "it is").

In general, they are not used to indicate plurals.


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Apostrophe error  How to fix it
In the current conflict its uncertain who's borders their contesting.
改正：
In the current conflict it is [it's] uncertain whose borders they are [they're] contesting.

原句：
The Aztecs ritual's of renewal increased in frequency over the course of time.
改正：
The Aztecs' rituals of renewal increased in frequency over the course of time.

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"Effect" is most often a noun (the effect), and "affect" is almost always a verb.

Other pairs commonly confused: "lead"/"led" and "accept"/"except."

Check a glossary of usage to find the right choice.


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Confused word
The recession had a negative affect on sales.
改正：
The recession had a negative effect on sales.

(or) The recession affected sales negatively.

原句：
The laboratory instructor chose not to offer detailed advise.
改：
The laboratory instructor chose not to offer detailed advice

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Spelling errors are usually perceived as a reflection of the writer's careless attitude toward the whole project.

Don't allow your hard work to be marred in this way!

In addition to comprehensive dictionaries, you may want to use electronic spell checks, spelling dictionaries, and lists of frequently misspelled words found in handbooks

写完之后贴到word里检查一下。但是word也是不让人放心的，很多名词动词单复数问题还有其他问题都检查不出来。被动在word里面也被认为不恰当，这都是仅供参考，我一般都是不改的，只要不过多地使用被动语态。最近刚看到一篇文章批评word 语法检查的失误之出。所以检查不要过分依赖word, 最好亲自动手的习惯，考场上可没有spell checks。

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