Writing Tutorials

The doctor [at the seminar] explained advances in cancer treatment to the families of patients at the seminar.

The doctor, not the patients, is at the seminar.

[Before the anesthesiologist arrived], T(t)he surgeons assured the patient that they intended to make only two small incisions before the anesthesiologist arrived.

The original sentence suggests that the incisions will be made without anesthesia, surely not the case.

To avoid ambiguity, position limiting modifiers such as almost, even, just, merely, and only next to the word or phrase they modify—and be careful that your meaning is clear.

Be careful that your placement of not doesn't result in a meaning you don't intend.

When I attended college, [not] every student was not using a laptop

Modifiers are said to be dangling when they do not clearly modify any prticular word in the sentence. You can usually fix a dangling modifer by adding a SUBJECT that the modifer clearly refers to, either in the rest of the sentence or in the modifier itself.

Speaking simply and respectfully, [the doctor comforted] many people felt comforted by the doctor's [with his] presentation.

The doctor was speaking, not the other people.

While [I was] running to catch the bus, the shoulder strap on my bag broke.

Without inserting "I was" into the sentence, the writer is suggesting that the shoulder strap is the subject of "running" - "While the shoulder strap was running to catch the bus..."

When you place a modifier between to and the base form of the verb in an infinitive, you create a split infinitive: to deliberately avoid. When a split infinitive is awkward or makes a sentence difficult to follow, put the modifier elsewhere in the sentence.

Professional soccer players are expected to rigorously train [rigorously] every day.

Introduced in 1991, the McLean Deluxe was perhaps the boldest single effort the food industry has ever undertaken to shift the masses to healthier eating.

—David Freedman, "How Junk Food Can End Obesity"

Freedman refers to a failed McDonald’s menu item “the McLean Deluxe was perhaps the food industry’s boldest single effort to shift the masses to healthier eating.”

accept/except—Accept is a verb that means “to receive willingly”: accept an award. Except is a preposition that means “excluding”: all languages except English.

affect/effect—Affect is a verb that means “to produce a change in”: Stress can affect health. Effect is a noun that means “result”: The effects of smoking are well known.

its/it's—Its is a possessive pronoun: The movie is rated R because of its language. It's is a contraction of "it is" or "it has": It's an action film.

lay/lie—Lay, meaning "to put" or "to place," always takes a direct object: She lays the blanket down. Lie, meaning "to recline" or "to be positioned," never takes a direct object: She lies on the blanket.

Daniel Craig's eyes

someone else's problem

the children's playground

The neighbors' complaints about oise led the club owner to install soundproof insulation.

The surgeon general's report persuaded many people to stop smoking.

I've learned that sometimes friends and business don't mix.

I do not love Shakespeare, but I still have those books.

Most people think the avocado is a vegetable, yet it is actually a fruit.

Typically, a girl has a best friend with whom she sits and talks.

In terms of wealth rather than income, the top 1 percent control 40 percent.

When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral.

I s—the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth.

Nadia held a large platter of sandwiches—egg salad, peanut butter, ham, and cheese.

Spanish, which is a Romance language, is one of six official languages at the United Nations.

He always drove Chryslers, which are made in America.

Bob’s conduct, most of us will immediately respond, was gravely wrong.

With as little as two servings of vegetables a day, it seems to me, you can improve your eating habits.

The real world, however, is run by money.

Pa shouts back, “I just want to know where the gunfire is coming from.”

“You put a slick and a con man together,” she said, “and you have predatory lenders.”

Grandma took her pie out of the oven.

My grandparents spent weekends at their their cabin on Big Bear Lake.

Every lab technician should always wear goggles to protect his or her eyes while working with chemicals.

The winning team drew its inspiration from the manager.

The winning team threw their gloves in the air.

After I plugged the printer into the computer, [the printer] it sputtered and died.

What sputtered and died—the computer or the printer? The edit makes the reference clear.

In fact, Li was not the one who broke the code; I broke it.

On our vacations, my grandfather and I went fishing together.

There were never any secrets between him and me.

You trust John more than me. (meaning, you trust John more than you trust me)

You trust John more than I do. (meaning, you trust John more than I trust John)

A 1922 ad for Resinol soap urges women to “make that dream come true” by using Resinol.

In the backyard, the leaves of the apple tree rattle across the lawn.

Swiss cheese and shrimp are both high in vitamin B12.

Forty acres and a mule is what General William T. Sherman promised each freed slave.

Either you are she is mistaken.

Neither the teacher nor his students were able to solve the equation.

Everyone in our dorm has already signed the petition.

Each of the candidates agrees with the president.

Although there are many great actors working today, few are as versatile as Meryl Streep.

In the backyard, the leaves of the apple tree rattle accross the lawn.

Although the Yankees loaded the bases.

Political commercials appearing on television more frequently than in years past

Put off by negative campaigning.

T. S. Eliot is best known for his poetry, he also wrote several plays.

The school board debated the issue for three days they were unable to reach an agreement.