1. GRAMMAR EXERCISES Ms. Amorin English *IMPROVING WRITING SKILLS
Writing structure/ grammar
&
Prepositions
Homonyms
Parallelism
Fragments
Tense

2. #1. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Mark struggles in both english and math class so he is gonna stay after school for tutoring.
Mark struggles in both english and math
class so he is gonna stay after school for
tutoring.

3. This weekend I have plans to go
#2. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
This weekend I have plans to go mini-
golfing, to see the movie “The Vow” and
a giants vs. patriots Super Bowl party to
attend.
This weekend I have plans to go
mini- golfing, to see the movie “The Vow” and a giants vs. patriots Super Bowl party to attend.

4. #3. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
She was effected by acid in the tropicana orange juice which gave her a stomach ache since she does not normally drank it for brakefast.
She was effected by acid in the tropicana orange juice which gave her a stomach ache since she does not normally drank it for brakefast.

5. Their going to the birthday
#4. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Their going to the birthday
party for Lily at little scoops a children’s ice cream parlor.
Their going to the birthday party for Lily at
little scoops a children’s ice cream parlor.

6. #5. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Tara my hair dresser specializes in coloring
hair at her salon sheer precision.
Tara my hair dresser specializes in coloring hair at her salon sheer precision.

7. #6. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes. “Fortune Favors the bold”, said Dr. Zega principle of Colonia high school.
“Fortune Favors the bold”, said Dr. Zega principle of Colonia high school.

8. #7. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Because Claire arrived late class on two
occasions she recieved detention from the vice principal Mr. Short.
Because Claire arrived late too class on two occasions she recieved detention from the vice principal Mr. Vernon.

9. #8. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
David wants to take his wife Susan to dinner
and a movie for valentines day but she would
rather go away to Cape May for the weekend.
David wants to take his wife Susan to dinner and a movie for valentines day but she would rather go away to cape may for the weekend.

10. #9. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Courtney wants to come to the amusement
park with us to but we only bought 4 tickets.
Courtney wants to come to the amusement park with us to but we only bought 4 tickets.

11. #10. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Its not write to be a bystander in a case of bullying because the victim usually feels hopless.

12. #11. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Lets go to jones beech and get some sun! I need a tan since Im looking pail but I dont wanna burn my skin.
Lets go to jones beech and get some sun! I
need a tan since Im looking pail but I dont
wanna burn my skin.

13. #12. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
The affects of not wearing sun screen
outdoors in the summer are peeling burning
aging and melanoma of the skin
The affects of not wearing sun screen outdoors in the summer are peeling burning aging and melanoma of the skin

14. #13. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Since Bill Gates has a superfluous amount of
money he donates alot of it to charities.
Bill gates is a inventor that has a superfluous amount of money so he donates alot off it too charities

15. #14. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Before going to the museum the students had to do a report on dinosaurs the tyrannosaurus diplodocus brontosaurus and triceratops

16. #15. Brainstorming- Prize!
Try to come up with as many words from the letters in the ‘name’ given.
Ex.) LOS ANGELES
Sang sell sane lose loan lone
COLONIA NEW JERSEY

17. #16. Question thinkers?!?!?!?
Answer the following questions.
A surgeon performed an operation on a patient. The patient is the surgeon’s sister, but the patient is not the patient’s brother. How can this be?
The surgeon is a woman
A plane crashed on the border between Canada and the U.S. Where did they bury the survivors?
The survivors are still alive.
Is it legal in California for a man to marry his widow’s sister?
A man is no longer living if his wife has become a widow.

18. PREPOSITIONS that are commonly misused in sentences are:
#17. PREPOSITION errors.
Prepositions are words that link noun, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence.
PREPOSITIONS that are commonly misused in sentences are:
about, above, across, after, against, among, around, at before, beside, between, beyond, with, by, down, during, for, from, in, out, into, to, through, throughout, over, like
(Yankee Doodle song)

19. #17. Correct the following sentences for PREPOSITION errors.
about, above, across, after, against, among, around, at before, beside, between, beyond, with, by, down, during, for, from, in, out, into, to, through, throughout, over, like
I was working very hard during twenty years.
I was listening on the radio this morning.
I haven’t seen him during three months.
One great thing of Valencia is the great climate.
My boss expects a lot of me.

20. #17. Correct the following sentences for PREPOSITION errors.
about, above, across, after, against, among, around, at before, beside, between, beyond, with, by, down, during, for, from, in, out, into, to, through, throughout, over, like, of
It’s the same of your situation.
I’m fed up of politicians.
I need do exercise.
By the other hand, he’s a good communicator.

21. #17. Correct the following sentences for PREPOSITION errors.
about, above, across, after, against, among, around, at before, beside, between, beyond, with, by, down, during, for, from, in, out, into, to, through, throughout, over, like
I saw a good film in TV.
Dan was present in the wedding.
They arrived to Paris without any issues.
I went to Barcelona for visit a client.
I always gain weight at Christmas.

22. #18. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Alice Walker one of Americas best known writers she has published both Poetry and Prose.

23. #19. Brainstorming- Prize!!
Try to come up with as many words from the letters in the ‘name’ given.
Ex.) Superfluous- extra; more than needed
Super flu of us soup surf pole etc…
Crucible Frankenstein

24. #20. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Find the SIX mistakes in this sentence.
Jenny, James and Victoria are going on vacation this summer in galicia, Spain when they will also expereince a spanish bull fight.

25. #21. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Last night the patriots baseball team recieved the first place award this season. Timmy the pitcher got an additional award for “good sportsmanship”.

26. #22. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
Stacey and Danny who have been dating for 3 years are getting married this Saturday April 7 in the Bridgewater manor.

27. Satirical Definitions*
#23- Writing fun!
Satirical Definitions*
Satire= to ridicule something using irony or sarcasm
Read these satirical definitions. Come up with some of your own! 
Luck- When the predicted forecast is wrong, and it doesn’t rain on someone’s wedding day.
Peace- A pause in history to plan the next war.
Mother- The person you ask after your father says “no.”
Fortune-
Anger-
Love-
(or choose another word)
#22. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.

28. mandate (enforce)- male escort
#24- Writing fun! Use those creative critical thinking skills!
DAFFY DEFINITIONS!
Look at these words that contain definitions as to what is implied in the word.
mandate (enforce)- male escort
alarms (loud notification or warning)- what an octopus is
lawsuit (being sued))- judge’s clothes
shamrock (Irish symbol)- a fake diamond
stalemate (chess- not moving)- a former husband/wife or boyfriend/ girlfriend
archangel (saint)- a patron saint of fast food workers
Write definitions for these words. They are meant to be humorous! 
autograph (signature)-
billboard (advertisement)-
cargo (shipment; carries a lot of things)-
chainsaw (tool for cutting)-
carpool (drive in a group)-
butterflies (colorful insect)-
Can you think of some of your own words?

29. Common basic HOMONYM Mistakes
*Common basic HOMONYM Mistakes* Homonyms are two or more words that have the same sound but different spellings and meanings.
its= belonging to it (posession)
It’s= contraction of ‘it is’
It’s a shame that the shiny car lots its muffler and now roars like a truck.
their= belonging to them
there= (1) location; (2) verb “to be”- is, are, was, were
they’re = contraction of ‘they are’
Our neighbors are health food addicts. When we attend parties at their home, they serve pizza with broccoli florets on top. They’re also fond of serving carrot juice. I hope they won’t be offended if we don’t go there often.

30. *Common basic HOMONYM Mistakes*
to= (1) used before a verb, as in ‘to serve’;
(2) so as to reach
too= (1) overly or extremely
(2) also
two= the number 2
I’ll take these two letters to the post office for you, but you’ll need to put more postage on one of them. It is too heavy for only one stamp.
your= belonging to you
you’re= contraction of ‘you are’
You’re going to need a first-aid kit and high boots for your camping trip.

31. *Common basic HOMONYM Mistakes*
Joe and Terri live in Philadelphia. The (two, to, too) of them have been married for thirteen years. They met after Terri had an operation on her knee. While she was recovering, she had (two, to, too) ride in a special bus for people with disabilities. Because he had a spinal-cord injury, Joe used that bus (two, to, too). It was (there, their, they’re) on the bus that they began getting acquainted. You never know where (your, you’re) going to meet someone special!

32. There is only one (write, right) answer to a math problem.
*OTHER Common basic HOMONYM Mistakes*
There is only one (write, right) answer to a math problem.
No child will be able to (break, brake) this toy.
We drove (through, threw) the entire state in only three hours.
Everyone wants (piece, peace) on earth.
I forgot (where, wear) I stored the Christmas presents.
Are you going to order a half or a (hole, whole) barbecued chicken?
The (weather, whether) in England is rainy much of the time.
Ray and Coral, who just got married, want all (new, knew) furniture in their house.
People who cannot (hear, here) often communicate by American Sign Language.
The sign in the bus said, “(There, They’re, Their) is no excuse for domestic violence.”

33. Parallelism
In grammar, parallelism is a balance of two or more similar words, phrases, or clauses.
The application of parallelism in sentence construction can sometimes improve writing style, clearness, and readability.
Basically, the wording of the sentence "flows" logically
Fix this sentence to make it parallel!
Ex.) For homework, the teacher assigned ten multiple choice questions, one short essay, and students were to complete a crossword puzzle.

34. Parallelism
Ex.) Not parallel- The new restaurant has fresh food, reasonable prices, and service that is fast.
Parallel- The new restaurant has fresh food, reasonable prices, and fast service.
Not parallel- The children were arguing in the lobby, talked during the movie, and complained on the ride home.
Parallel- The children argued in the lobby, talked during the movie, and complained on the ride home.
Not parallel- Every morning, I have to feed the dog and bringing in the mail.
Parallel- Every morning, I have to feed the dog and bring in the mail.

35. Parallelism- Fix the following sentences to make them parallel
Our neighbors spend a lot of time shopping, visiting friends, and they go to the movies.
My aunt is selfish, impatient, and she is not a kind person.
Aimee is laughing, answering the telephone, and she works on the computer.

36. Parallelism- Fix the following sentences to make them parallel
Detective stories, popular music, and sports that are on television are things that my grandparents enjoy most.
Laura usually either braids her hair or is putting it up in a French twist.

37. REVIEW* (Homonyms) Homonyms
Terri works as a receptionist in a law office. When (your, you’re) answering the phone, (writing, righting) messages, sorting mail, and talking to visitors all at once, you need (too, two,to) keep both hands free. That’s why Terri is wearing a telephone headset. She may have several phone conversations going at once. Sometimes it is not easy remembering (who’s, whose) on which line.

38. REVIEW* (Homonyms) Homonyms
Joe works (here, hear), in a mental-health clinic. He is a counselor. His job is to help people with (their, there, they’re) problems. When clients first come in for counseling, they are often nervous. They don’t (know, no) what to expect. Joe tries hard to make his clients feel comfortable. He believes that when (you’re, your) a counselor, you should treat (you’re, your) clients with respect.

39. *REVIEW- Parallelism Parallelism
1.) My little brother would play video games night and day if it weren’t for eating and to have to sleep.
2.) Amanda chose a bouquet of white roses, red carnations, and tulips that were yellow.
3.) Smoking and to spit are both prohibited on the subway.
4.) These apples are not only small but also have a sour taste.

40. *REVIEW- Parallelism Parallelism
5.) It is easier to wash dishes every day than letting them pile up for a week.
6.) In a foreign country, a visitor is overwhelmed with strange sounds, smells that surprise, and unusual sights.
7.) For lunch we were given limp bologna sandwiches, peanut-butter crackers that were stale, and warm sugary punch.
8.) Many runaways are lured to the city by the bright lights, activity going on constantly, and empty promises.

41. #25. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
“Some times people make mistakes. That should not be a representation of there character”, said artist Whitney Houston in an televised interview with Diane Sawyer.

42. #26. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes FRAGMENTS!!!******
Although Tina is a wife and mother. She is also a college student. She atends Rutgers university. Since she is very busy with her son husband job and other duties. She has decided to take her college courses online. She even have the option of taking exams online. Which she can do using .
Although Tina is a wife and mother. She is also a college student. She atends Kean university. Since she is very busy with her son husband job and other duties. She has decided to take her college courses online. She even have the option of taking exams online. Which she can do using .

43. FRAGMENTS
To be a complete sentence, a group of words must contain a subject and
a verb.
It must also express a complete thought. If a sentence LACKS a subject, verb, or complete thought, it is a FRAGMENT.
The most common type of fragment is a dependent word FRAGMENT, which
has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought.
Example)
Because Laura was tired.
This sentence is a Fragment!
(What happened to Laura?)- The thought needs to be completed.
Because Laura was tired, she took a nap.
Because is the dependent word
…..“she took a nap” completes the thought
*Note:
- Think of these DEPENDENT WORD FRAGMENTS as having a “cause and effect” relationship; if there is a cause, there should be an effect…. And vice versa.
- If the dependent word is in the middle of the sentence, there is no need to insert a comma before it.

44. FRAGMENTS after even though unless wherever
Common DEPENDENT WORDS*
after even though unless wherever
although even when until whether
as if what which
because since when while
before that whenever who
even if though where
*The way to correct a dependent word fragment is to connect it to the sentence that comes before or after it.

45. FRAGMENTS Before she goes to bed at night. Donna gets ready for the
Examples of dependent word fragments. The way to correct a dependent word
fragment is to connect it to the sentence that comes before or after it.
Before she goes to bed at night. Donna gets ready for the
next day.
She will get up before sunrise. Even if she stays up late
studying.
She does the cleaning job early in the morning. Before the
employees arrive at the office.
Donna can’t do everything she needs to do. Unless she
is well organized.

46. Although it’s hard to work and go to school.
FRAGMENTS
Add a complete thought before or after the dependent word fragment to make it a complete sentence. Underline the dependent word.
Although it’s hard to work and go to school.
After she gets home from school.
When they are determined.
Until they’ve finished all their work.
When the boy refused to do his assignment.

47. FRAGMENTS Other ‘types’ of FRAGMENTS include:
* Fragments without a subject *
Ex.) Joe Davis lowered himself from the van into his wheelchair. And
then rolled up the sidewalk ramp.
The second word group lacks a subject, so it is a fragment.
Corrected Sentence: Joe Davis lowered himself from the van into
his wheelchair and then rolled up the sidewalk ramp.
* Fragments with “-ing” and “to” *
Ex.) Hoping to furnish their new home cheaply. The newlyweds go to garage sales.
The first group lacks both a subject and a verb, so it is a fragment.
Corrected Sentence: Hoping to furnish their new home cheaply, the newlyweds go to garage sales.
Ex.) Leo jogged through the park. To clear his mind before the midterm.
The second word is a fragment and lacks both a subject and a complete verb
Corrected Sentence: Leo jogged through the park to clear his mind before the
midterm.

48. FRAGMENTS Other “types” of FRAGMENTS include:
Specific “word groups” at the beginning of a sentence
often form fragments if not written correctly. Such words
include:
Such as For example
Including Especially
Examples)
She has to learn some very challenging material for her major. Such as
the names of dozens of drugs and medical disorders.
For class, we had to read several books. Including To Kill A Mockingbird.
My grandfather has many interests. For example, playing poker and watching old cowboy movies.

49. FRAGMENTS
Correct the following fragments.
1.) Lila’s children are all in school now. Remembering her own hard time
in school. Lila is determined that her children will have a better
experience.
2.) Working on her degree at the local business college. She has a great
deal of reading and studying to do.
3.) There are plenty of days that Lila feels overwhelmed. But knows she must
keep on going.
4.) To relieve her stress. Lila began taking yoga classes.
5.) Lila loves to see her children learn. Especially about science and history.

50. FRAGMENT Exercises
Correct the following fragments to make them a correctly
written complete sentence.
Because the movie was so violent.
2. Our neighbor is a quiet man. Who works as a nurse on a
night shift.
3. We jumped from the sofa. When we heard the crash in
the kitchen.
4. Unless the refrigerator is fixed soon.
5. Teenagers are often confused about life. Feeling the need to have different experiences to learn more about
themselves.

51. #27. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes (TENSE)
I and my best friend will be going to vacation this past spring break to Puerto Rico. When we were there we went parasailing, scuba diving, and snorkeling. It is like being in paradise!

52. #27. Correct the following sentence for sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage mistakes.
The students’ which are taking the SAT next week is studying a lot every day two be prepared for the Test.