1. Editing for Grammar and Punctuation
Module Fourteen
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Learning Objectives
LO 14-1 Apply strategies for professional image creation with grammar and mechanics. LO 14-2 Apply principles for common grammatical error correction. LO 14-3 Apply principles for sentence error correction. LO 14-4 Evaluate situations for comma use.
LO 14-1 Apply strategies for professional image creation with grammar and mechanics.
LO 14-2 Apply principles for common grammatical error correction.
LO 14-3 Apply principles for sentence error correction.
LO 14-4 Evaluate situations for comma use.

3. Learning Objectives
LO 14-5 Apply principles for punctuation use inside sentences. LO 14-6 Apply principles for source quotation. LO 14-7 Apply principles for number and date use. LO 14-8 Apply standard proofreading marks throughout the writing process.
LO 14-5 Apply principles for punctuation use inside sentences.
LO 14-6 Apply principles for source quotation.
LO 14-7 Apply principles for number and date use.
LO 14-8 Apply standard proofreading marks throughout the writing process.

4. Creating a Professional Image
Many business leaders see good grammar and mechanics as essential to creating effective messages—and to demonstrating quality.
A sentence fragment is a group of words punctuated like a sentence but lacking necessary parts. Often, the subject or verb is missing in a fragment. Independent clauses are complete statements. Even when they are part of larger sentences, they could be sentences by themselves. While dependent clauses may have a subject and a verb, they lack the necessary parts to stand on their own. Therefore, they must be in a larger sentence. A period tells readers we’re stopping, a semicolon that what comes next is closely related to what came before, a colon that what comes next is an example of what came before, a dash that what comes next is a dramatic example of what came before, and a comma that what comes next is a slight turn, but we’re still going in the same basic direction.

5. Creating a Professional Image
Errors can create a negative image of the writer.
Occasionally, errors in grammar and punctuation hide the writer’s meaning.
Don’t try to fix errors in your first and second drafts.
Most writers make a small number of grammatical errors repeatedly.
Errors can create a negative image of the writer. Occasionally, errors in grammar and punctuation hide the writer’s meaning. Don’t try to fix errors in your first and second drafts. Most writers make a small number of grammatical errors repeatedly.

6. What grammatical errors do I need to be able to fix?
Subject-Verb agreement
Noun-pronoun agreement
Case
Dangling and Misplaced Modifier
Parallel Structure
Predication Errors
These six common grammatical errors often challenge writers. Subjects must agree with verbs; that is, a singular subject must have a singular verb, and a plural subject must have a plural verb. A modifier dangles when the word it is intended to modify does not appear in the sentence. With case, a pronoun must match the purpose it serves in a sentence. A misplaced modifier appears to modify the wrong word in a sentence. Parallel structure means that items in a series or list follow the same grammatical structure. Predication errors occur when the predicate of a sentence does not fit logically with the subject.

7. What grammatical errors do I need to be able to fix?
Subjects and verbs agree when they are both singular or both plural.
Incorrect: The accountants who conducted the audit was recommended highly.
Correct: The accountants who conducted the audit were recommended highly.
Subjects and verbs agree when they are both singular or both plural.
Incorrect: The accountants who conducted the audit was recommended highly.
Correct: The accountants who conducted the audit were recommended highly.
Subject–verb agreement errors often occur when other words come between the subject
and the verb. Edit your draft by finding the subject and the verb of each sentence.

8. What grammatical errors do I need to be able to fix?
Errors in noun–pronoun agreement occur if a pronoun is of a different number or person than the word it refers to.
Incorrect: All drivers of leased automobiles are billed $100 if damages to his automobile are caused by a collision.
Correct: All drivers of leased automobiles are billed $100 if damages to their automobiles are caused by collisions.
Errors in noun–pronoun agreement occur if a pronoun is of a different number or person than the word it refers to.
Incorrect: All drivers of leased automobiles are billed $100 if damages to his automobile are caused by a collision.
Correct: All drivers of leased automobiles are billed $100 if damages to their automobiles are caused by collisions.

9. What grammatical errors do I need to be able to fix?
Use reflexive and intensive pronouns (the form with self or selves ) to refer to or emphasize a noun or pronoun that has already appeared in the sentence.
Incorrect: Elaine and myself will follow up on this order.
Correct: Elaine and I will follow up on this order.
Case refers to the grammatical role a noun or pronoun plays in a sentence. Use reflexive and intensive pronouns (the form with self or selves ) to refer to or emphasize a noun or pronoun that has already appeared in the sentence. Do not use reflexive pronouns as subjects of clauses or as objects of verbs or prepositions.

10. The Case of the Personal Pronoun
Figure 14.1 identifies the case of each personal pronoun.

11. What grammatical errors do I need to be able to fix?
Modifiers are words or phrases that give more information about the subject, verb, or object in a clause.
A modifier dangles when the word it modifies is not actually in the sentence.
Modifiers are words or phrases that give more information about the subject, verb, or object in a clause. A modifier dangles when the word it modifies is not actually in the sentence. The solution is to reword the modifier so that it is grammatically correct.

12. What grammatical errors do I need to be able to fix?
Dangling Modifier
Incorrect: Confirming our conversation, the truck will leave Monday.
[The speaker is doing the confirming. But the speaker isn’t in the sentence.]
Correct: As I told you, the truck will leave Monday.

13. What grammatical errors do I need to be able to fix?
A misplaced modifier appears to modify another element of the sentence than the writer intended.
Incorrect: Customers who complain often alert us to changes we need to make.
Correct: Often, customers who complain alert us to changes we need to make.
A misplaced modifier appears to modify another element of the sentence than the writer intended.
Incorrect: Customers who complain often alert us to changes we need to make.
Correct: Often, customers who complain alert us to changes we need to make.

14. What grammatical errors do I need to be able to fix?
Items in a series or list must have the same grammatical structure.
Not parallel: In the second month of your internship, you will
1. Learn how to resolve customers’ complaints.
2. Supervision of desk staff.
3. Interns will help plan store displays.
Hint: When you have two or three items in a list (whether the list is horizontal or vertical), make sure the items are in the same grammatical form. Put lists vertically to make them easier to see.

15. What grammatical errors do I need to be able to fix?
Parallel: In the second month of your internship, you will 1. Learn how to resolve customers’ complaints. 2. Supervise desk staff. 3. Plan store displays.

16. What grammatical errors do I need to be able to fix?
The predicate of a sentence must fit grammatically and logically with the subject.
Incorrect: The reason for this change is because the SEC now requires fuller disclosure.
Correct: The reason for this change is that the SEC now requires fuller disclosure.
The predicate of a sentence must fit grammatically and logically with the subject. In sentences using is and other linking verbs, the complement must be a noun, an
adjective, or a noun clause.
Incorrect: The reason for this change is because the SEC now requires fuller disclosure.
Correct: The reason for this change is that the SEC now requires fuller disclosure.

17. How can I fix sentence errors?
Main clause
a complete statement
Subordinate or dependent clause
contains both a subject and verb but is not a complete statement and cannot stand by itself
A sentence contains at least one main clause. A main clause is a complete statement. A subordinate or dependent clause contains both a subject and verb but is not a complete statement and cannot stand by itself. A phrase is a group of words that does not contain both a subject and a verb.

18. How can I fix sentence errors?
Comma splices
Run-on sentences
Fused sentences
Sentence fragments
A comma splice or comma fault occurs when two main clauses are joined only by a comma (instead of by a comma and a coordinating conjunction). A run-on sentence strings together several main clauses using and, but, or, so, and for. A fused sentence results when two or more sentences are fused or joined with neither punctuation nor conjunctions. In a sentence fragment, a group of words that is not a complete sentence is punctuated as if it were a complete sentence.

19. Should I put a comma every place I’d take a breath?
When you move from the subject to the verb, you’re going in a straight line; no comma is needed
When you end an introductory phrase or clause, the comma tells readers the introduction is over and you’re turning to the main clause.
When you move from the subject to the verb, you’re going in a straight line; no comma is needed. When you end an introductory phrase or clause, the comma tells readers the introduction is over and you’re turning to the main clause. When words interrupt the main clause, like this, commas tell the reader when to turn off the main clause for a short side route and when to return.

20. What Punctuation Tells the Reader
Punctuation marks are road signs to help readers predict what comes next (see Figure 14.2 ).

21. What do I use when I quote sources?
Use quotation marks around:
the names of brochures, pamphlets, and magazine articles
words to indicate that you think the term is misleading
words that you are discussing as words
words or sentences that you quote from someone else
Use quotation marks around:
the names of brochures, pamphlets, and magazine articles
words to indicate that you think the term is misleading
words that you are discussing as words
words or sentences that you quote from someone else

22. What do I use when I quote sources?
Use square brackets to add your own additions to or changes in quoted material.
Use ellipses to indicate that one or more words have been omitted in the middle of quoted material.
Underline or italicize words to emphasize them
Use square brackets to add your own additions to or changes in quoted material. Use ellipses to indicate that one or more words have been omitted in the middle of quoted material. Underline or italicize words to emphasize them

23. How should I write numbers and dates?
Spell out numbers from one to nine.
Always use figures for amounts of money
In dates, use numbers for the day and year.
In general, spell out numbers under 10 unless a sentence starts with a number. In dates, use numbers for the day and year. Always use figures for money.

24. Proofreading Symbols
Use the proofreading symbols in Figure 14.3 to make corrections when you no longer have access to a computer.

25. Marked Text
Figure 14.4 shows how the symbols can be used to correct a typed text.