Topic Stop Signs What to check Good Example Bad ExampleSVA S & V must agree in number correct verb is used John is a tall man The kids plays football

SVA S & V

SVA the verb is plural

SVA Pseudo-plural singular subject

SVA a collective noun

SVA the subject is always singular Swimming is very healthy Swimming are very healthy

SVA an X of Y subject

SVA S & V

SVA Or, Either… Or, & Neither .. Nor

SVA The verb is singular

SVA

SVA Each, Every

SVA The number of.. singular verb only

A long, complex subject or great distance between S & V

In the waning days of the emperor's life, the conquest of

new lands on the borders of the empire was considered vital

The tidal forces to which an object falling into a black

hole is subjected is sufficient to tear the object apart

A plural subject made up of singular nouns that are

connected by and John and Jane are lovers John and Jane is lovers

Nouns that end with -s: news, thesis, crisis. Mathematics is a mandatory high-

school subjectThe news are very

interesting

Collective nouns: audience, committee, family, team. POLICE is an exception its

actually pluralThe police are looking for the

criminal.The audience enjoy the

show bening played.

A subject in the form of Verb+ing or to+verb

Verbs must agree with the X part of the subject

Three members of an organization are waiting outside

A test of 150 questions are long

the verb comes before the subject There are boys in the playground

There are a boy in the playground

Verbs must agree with the noun nearest to the verb

Neither the coach nor the players are going to the game

Neither the players nor the coach are going to the game

Indefinite pronouns that end with -one, -body, -thing

(someone, nobody, anything) everybody loves dogs everybody love dogs

SANAM pronouns - Some, Any None, All, More/Most

the of pharse which usually follows the pronoun

Some of the money was stolen from the vault.

Some of the documents was stolen from me.

singular verb for a subject following Each/Every Every dog HAS paws

Each of these shirts are pretty

The number of hardworking students in this class is quite large

the number of companies which are affected by software piracy is huge.

SVA the noun in the of-prepositional phrase

SVA subject pharses and clauses always singular

Parallelism

Parallelism

Parallelism A and B must be of the same part of speech

Parallelism A and B must be logically parallel

Parallelism

Pronouns

quantites or parts: A number of, half of,the majority of

A number of students in the class are hard workers.

In the Senate, the majority have coalesced into a unifed

voting block

Having good friends IS a wonderful thing

Whatever they want to do are fine with me

A list of 3 items or more, separated by commas and and/or before the last item

all item must belong to the same part of speech

Jane likes skiing, watching movies and reading books, magazines

and dictionaries

Jane likes skiing, watching movies, reading books,

magazines and dictionaries

A list of 3 items or more, separated by commas and and/or before the last item

if the list items are verbs, all verbs should be conjugated or unconjungated, if the verbs

are unconjugated, they must be of the same type (to verb, verb+ing, or V3) I like to eat, to swim and to run

I like to eat, to swim and running

Not only A but Also B, (n)either A (n) B, A is/means B, A rather

than B, A and/or/but B

I want to retire to a place where I can relax AND where the taxes

are low

Ralph likes both those who are popular AND who are

not

Not only A but Also B, (n)either A (n) B, A is/means B, A rather

than B, A and/or/but B, So much A as B

. According to one expert, the cause of genetic irregularities in

many breeds of dog is not so much that dogs are being bred for

looks or to meet other narrow criteria as that the breeds have

relatively few

. According to one expert, the cause of genetic

irregularities in many breeds of dog is not as much their

being bred for looks or meeting other narrow

criteria as much as that the breeds have relatively few

Not only A but Also B, (n)either A (n) B, A is/means B, A rather

than B, A and/or/but BEither/Neither cannot be followed by nor/or,

Not only/but also cannot be aloneHe met them Either at the park or

at the train stationHe met them at the park but

also at the train station

Every pronoun in the underlined part of the sentence or after it

a pronoun must agree with the noun to which it refers in number, gender and person

Bill Clinton is a former president. He is no longer a president.

Bill Clinton is a former president. She is no longer a

president.

Pronouns

Pronouns The word/term … it is …

Pronouns

Pronouns the pronoun one one agrees only with itself

Pronouns

Pronouns This, That, These and Those

Pronouns That/Those

Pronouns This/These

Pronouns one of

Check for ambiguity for every pronoun

if the pronoun can refer to more than one antecedent and it is a logical one.

New papers incorporating tiny cellulose fibers, which allegedly

give these materials the strength of cast iron.

John told the boy that he was quick.

a word/term should refer to something, to describe something, or to mean something

The word precipatioation does not only mean rain. It also refers

to snow and hail.

The word precipaitation is not only rain. It is also snow

and hail.

the pronoun it refering to a verb use the pharse to do so or doing so insteadJohn is playing tennis. He enjoys

doing so.John is playing tennis. He

enjoys it.

One must work hard for one to succeed

One must work hard for him to succeed

It - referring to a singular non-human noun / as a subject

replacementit may switch roles between answer choices -

as a pronoun or as a subjectThe baby is asleep. It was tired

after eating.The baby is asleep.she was

tired after eating.

That/those indicating a new copy must be modfied

Her Company is outperforming THAT OF her competitor

That/those must agree in number with the previous version.

Her Company is outperforming THE COMPANIES OF her

competitors

Her Company is outperforming THOSE OF

her competitors

do not use this or these in place of nouns, and unless modified That or those also.

Her products are unusual; many consider THEM unique

Her products are unusual; many consider THESE

unique

the entity that is singular mus be one of something plural

Able to synthesize chemical energy or obtain it from an external source in both the presence and the absence of oxygen, kingdom Eubacteria is the only one of the six-kingdom classification systems who displays the full range of metabolic diversity

Able to synthesize chemical energy or obtain it from an external source in both the presence and the absence of oxygen, kingdom Eubacteria is the only one of the six-kingdom classification system who displays the full range of metabolic diversity

Modifiers

Modifiers Noun modifier

Modifiers

Modifiers Who/Whom

Modifiers That/Whom

Modifiers Where

Modifiers When

Modifiers That Which -

Modifiers That/Which

verb+ing or V3, at the beginning of the sentence, and separated

by a commathe modifier must appear immediately

before or after the noun it describesBursting with fascination, the professor read the old book

Bursting with fascination, the old book was read by

the professor

A noun and its modifier should touch each other

Resigned to the bad news, the office workers made no

commotion

Resigned to the bad news, there was no commotion in

the office

Which,That,Who,Whose,Whom,Where,When

clauses led by the pronoun that cannot modify people

The scientists WHO made the discovery were rewarded

The scientists THAT made the discovery were

rewarded

Who is used as the subject of the verb, whereas whom is used as the object

The security guard WHOM we met was nice

The security guard WHO we met was nice

That or Whom can be dropped when the modified noun is the object of the clause

The movie (THAT) we watched last Friday was scary

where can modify a noun place but not a "metaphorical" one (condition,situation) use

in which insteadwe had an arrangement IN

WHICH he cooked and I cleaned

We had an arrangement WHERE he cooked and I

cleaned

when can modify a noun event or time, you can also use in which instead.

I went to the park when the clouds became dark.

That which is always incorrect

the growth of the global economy between 1990 and 2000 exceeds that which had been for 10,000 years from the beginning of agriculture to 1950

check if the modifying clause is essential or not. When the clause is not essential it will

be usually separated by commas

Financial success often results from certain decisions made by individuals, specifically, decisions that differ from those made by the majority of the market.

Financial success often results from certain decisions made by individuals, specifically, decisions which differ from those made by the majority of the market.

Modifiers

Modifiers Which vs. the -Ing form

Modifiers Adjective/Adverb (-ly)

Modifiers

When + PAST PARTICIPLE vs. That

when + PAST PARTICIPLE refers to the subject of the sentence. Check if it is a logical

one.

Recently documented examples of neurogenesis, the production of new brain cells, include. brain growth in mice that are placed in a stimulating environment or an increase in neurons in canaries

that learn new songs.

Recently documented examples of neurogenesis,

the production of new brain cells, include. the brain

growth in mice when placed in a stimulating environment or the increase in canaries' neurons when they learn

new songs.

must modify the immediately preceding noun only, it cannot modify the action of an entire clause. To modify a clause use the -ing form.

Crime has recently decreased in our negihborhood, leading to a

rise in propery values

the textbook's chapter on genetics is surprisingly tentative, which leads one to doubt the author's scholarship in that particular area.

Adjective must modify only noun or pronouns. Adverbs modify anything but

noun and pronouns. (pay attention to the -ly added in answer choices)

James Joyce is Max's supposed irish ancestor

James Joyce is Max's supposedly irish ancestor

Verb/infinitive - Adverb - Verb/infinitive

the adverb can only modify one verb/infinitive, if it logically can modify both

sourronding verbs/infinitives than it is ambigous and should be placed where it is

not.

Although his early critics had viewed Christopher Marlowe as a talented and brilliant writer and had often compared his plays to those of Shakespeare, it was not until almost 1950 that modern

critics and biographers seriously began considering the literary

merits of his works.

Although his early critics had viewed Christopher

Marlowe as a talented and brilliant writer and had

often compared his plays to those of Shakespeare, until almost 1950, modern critics

and biographers did not begin seriously to consider

the literary merits of his works.

Modifiers Resulting from

Modifiers Comma + Noun (, Noun)

Modifiers 's or s' The dog's hair is curly.

Tenses

Tenses

Tenses

Tenses

Tenses

Tenses Present Perfect - has/have + V3

Tenses Present Perfect - has/have + V3

'resulting from' after a comma is generally considered unacceptable

the flooding resulting from the abnormally strong storms had left six inches of standing water in the street.

creatures of the seabed were suffering from

dwindling food supplies, possibly resulting from increasing sea surface

temperatures during the same period.

is the noun abstract or not. Abstract noun is allowed to stand for the ENTIRE IDEA OF THE PRECEDING CLAUSE. while concreate nouns usually stands for the DIRECTLY PRECEDING

NOUN.

the coach tried to put 5 receivers on the line, a strategy that failed.

OR i went to the bar with john smith, a consultant in los angeles.

one goal of semiconductor research is to develop a

silicon chip that can transmit and receive light signals

directly , which may one day lead to smaller, faster

semiconductors.

If the object is a concrete noun - something tangible, can be sensed with one of the five

senses

The festival's week actually lasted more than seven

days.

Present Simple - the first Verb is in V1

action that occurs in a certain frequency/facts & generalizations/"eternal"

states it rains here all the timeThe earth is revolving

around the sun

Present Progressive - am/is/are + Verb+ing actions that are in progress at present I am eating my dinner now

Quentin IS MEETING Harvey for lunch tomorrow

Past Simple - the first Verb is in V2

describe historical facts/actions that occurred at a specific point in the past

John missed the bus to work yesterday John had met Jane in 2005

Past Progressive - was/were + Verb+ing

an action that was in progress: at a certain point the past/when another action

occurred/took place last night at ten I was trainingSandy is playing soccer

yesterday

Verbs that express general state: know or signify

these verbs are not using the progressive form

The inscription SIGNIFIES the emperor's birth

The inscription is signifying the emperor's birth

actions that occurred at [an unknown or unspecified time/several times] in the past John has had his tonsils removed

they had known each other since 1987

actions that began in the past and are still relevant/in progress at present

The child DREW a square in the sand, but the ocean HAS ERASED

it.

The child HAS DRAWN a square in the sand, but the

ocean HAS ERASED it.

Tenses

Tenses Past perfect - had + V3

Tenses

Tenses

Tenses if/unless

Tenses if/unless

Tenses

Tenses

Within the past [some time frame]

Indicates an action that started in the past and continues in the present, hence the verb

should be in the present perfect.

An examination of scandals within the past few years

involving insidertrading reveals that most accused employees have chosen to leave

their jobspreemptively rather than face the

embarrassment of being fired.

An examination of scandals within the past few years

involving insidertrading reveals that most accused employees had

chosen to leave their jobspreemptively rather than

face the embarrassment of being fired.

actions that had been completed before [a certain point in time/another action] in the

pastJohn had moved to Seattle before

he met JaneJohn moved to Seattle

before he met Jane

reported Speech with reporting verb in Past tense

if the reporting verb is in the past tense, present -> past, past -> past perfect, future -

> conditionalJane said that she would arrive at

noonJane said that she will arrive

at noon

PRRR IS MAD - propose/recommend/require/request/insist/suggest/mandate/a

sk/demand that the next verb must be in its base formThe law mandates that a person be tried by a jury of one's peers

The law mandates that a person will be tried by a jury

of one's peers

if/unless should never be followed by will or would

IF you study diligently, you will score highly

IF you will study diligently, you will score highly

was is never used in the condition part; use were instead

IF she ate pizza tomorrow, then she would become ill

students will take ethics only if it would be taught as a separate, required course

Conditional 1 - future situations; the result is realistic or possible

condition in present, result in future/present

IF john drops the pen, it will land on the floor

IF Sophie will eat pizza, then she will become ill

Conditional 2-hypothetical situations; the result is unrealistic because the

condition is never fulfilledcondition in past simple, result in future

past (conditional)IF john owned a dog, it would be

a LabradorIF john owned a dog, it will

be a Labrador

Tenses

Comparisons Like,Unlike,Than,As

Comparisons Like/Unlike

Comparisons As

Comparisons As/Like

Comparisons That/It

Conditional 3-situations that could have happened but did

not; result is "too late"condition in past perfect, result in future

past perfect (conditional perfect)If john had met Jane 5 years ago,

she would have married himIf john had met Jane 5 years ago, she would marry him

1. The comparison uses equality/inequality words 2. The things being compared are logically comparable and grammatically

parallel 3. Preferably there is a conjugated verb in the second part of the comparison.

Jane is a better painter than John is.

Jane is a better painter than John's paintings.

Comparing the essence of two nouns, must always be followed by a noun, the section

beginning with like/unlike must never include a conjugated verb.

Like skiing, snowboarding is a winter sport.

Like skiing is, snowboarding is a winter sport

comparing verbs (actions), the section beginning with as must always include a

conjugated verbAs John once did, Jane is now

starting her trainingAs John, Jane is now starting

her training

When comparing two clauses use as

In even upper middle-class Amercan homes during the Great Depression, the potato was the

staple of the family diet, just as it had once been in relatively well-off English households during the

Industrial Revolution.

In even upper middle-class Amercan homes during the

Great Depression, the potato was the staple of the family diet, just like it once had been in relatively well-

off English households during the Industrial

Revolution.

if you want to compare one thing to another use that, and if you want to compare something to itself, use it

The seat of chair A is more worn than that of chair B / The seat of chair A is more worn than it was

last week

Between 1990 and 2000 the growth of the global

economy was more than that (it did) during 10,000

years, from when agriculture began to 1950

Comparisons Greater / Higher

Comparisons Superlatives - most

Redundancy

Redundancy

Redundancy

Redundancy The reason .. Is because

Redundancy annual + year

When describing the magnitude of a quantity, use great and greater; one such

magnitude includes the portion of a whole, a percent.

Although, according to several studies, the costs of treating

acute otitis media (AOM) episodes amounted to greater

than 2 percent of the estimated $3 billion the nation spent on

illness last year, doctors say that these costs can be mitigated if

parents take preventative measures for their children.

Although, according to several studies, the costs of treating acute otitis media (AOM) episodes amounted to higher than 2 percent of the estimated $3 billion the nation spent on illness last

year, doctors say that these costs can be mitigated if

parents take preventative measures for their children.

the most adjective or the adjective-est., include a definition of the group being

comparedJane is the most pleasant person

in townJane is the most pleasant

person

or not after whether/ if without a condition and result

answer choice that uses whether (preferred to if) without the or not

Jane is not sure whether John is making dinner tonight.

Jane is not sure if John is making dinner tonight or

not.

Though/Although/Even though/Despite/In spite of...

later followed by but/yet/however/still/neverthe

lesstwo opposition conjunctions when referring

to the same relation is redundantJohn is tall, nevertheless he is

shorter than jack

Although John is tall, nevertheless he is shorter

than jack

Because/Since/Due to/As later followed by

so/therefore/thus/consequently

using both a reason conjunction and a conclusion conjunction referring to the same

relation.Since Jane cannot fly, she takes

the trainSince Jane cannot fly, so she

takes the train

using both the reason and "is because" is redudndant. The correct sentence will use

only one of these two expressions

The reason Airline X is closing down after 30 years is that it cannot afford to upgrade its

planes to meet the new safety regulations.

The reason Airline X is closing down after 30 years is because it cannot afford

to upgrade its planes to meet the new safety

regulations.

it is redundant to use both annual and a year - should always be corrected

John's annual salary is ten thousand dollars.

John annual salary is ten thousand dollars a year.

Redundancy

Redundancy x or (even) more than x

Redundancy amount to a sum

Redundancy more than one negation word

Redundancy one/two/three/four times

Redundancy as well as

Redundancy Maybe

Odds & Ends

Odds & Ends relating 2 things or more 2 things - between, 3 or more - among

Odds & Ends ;

Odds & Ends -

Odds & Ends :

to such a large degree / to a large enough degree should be replaced with so

John is so scared of spiders that he freezes when he sees one.

John is scared of spiders to such a large degree that he freezes when he sees one

should be replaced by the expression at least - should always be corrected I want to lose at least ten pounds

I want to lose ten or even more than ten pounds

should be amount tothe annual fees amount to ten

million dollarsthe annual fees amount to a

sum of ten million dollars

two or more negation words: no,not-neither,never,none-nothing,nobody,no one-

hardly,seldom,rarely,scarcely,barely John does not know anything John does not know nothing

use once,double,twice,triple,thrice,quadruple

insteadJohn won the running

competition twice.John won the running

competition two times.

use and instead - should always be correctedJohn like collecting stamps and

model trainsJohn like collecting stamps

as well as model trains

Maybe is a forbidden word, use perhaps, possibly or probably Maybe I will go to the park. Perhaps I will go to the park

Many/Much, Few/Less, Number/Amount, More/Great

is the noun countable or not (Countable/Non Countable)

There were fewer Numidian kings than roman emperors

There were less Numidian kings than roman emperors

I mediated a dispute among Maya, Logan and Kalen

I mediated a dispute between Maya, Logan and

Kalen

connects 2 closely related statements. Each must be able to stand alone.

Earl walked to school; he later ate his lunch

Earl walked to school, he later ate his lunch

1. separate an aooisutuve from items in a list. 2. Restate or explain an earlier part of

the sentence. 3. Unlike the colon (:) the dash does not need to be immediately preceded

by the part needing explanation

Post MBA compensation for investment bankers tend to surge

far ahead of that for management consultants - by

tens, if not hundereds , of thousnds of dollars a year

provides further explanation for what comes before it. The words preceding the colon can

stand alone as a sentence.I love listening to many kinds of music: classical, rock and pop.

I love listening to: classical, rock, rap and pop music.

Odds & Ends rate / height

Odds & Ends THE the cannot be followed by a list of items

Odds & Ends

rate can't be fast the rate can be high, the increase itself can be fast. similarly,a height can't be tall (a person can be tall, or a height

can be greater than...) .

To meet the rising marketing demand for fish and seafood,

suppliers are growing fish twice as fast as they grow naturally,

cutting their feed allotment by nearly half and raising them on

special diets.

To meet the rising marketing demand for fish and seafood, suppliers are growing fish twice as fast as their natural growth rate, cutting their feed allotment by nearly half and raising them on special diets.

I never read this book, but I read the other books on the shelf.

I never read this book, but I read the other books on the shelf, such as "Right Hand, Left Hand" and "The Rise

and Fall of the Third Reich."

a comma followed by a FANBOYS - For And Nor But Or

Yet Sothe "FANBOYS" can only connect two

indepdent clauses

the shipping company was understaffed last holiday season,

and it decided to hire more employees

the shipping company was understaffed last holiday season, it decided to hire

more employees