Professional Writing Workshop Series

Making Grammar Work for You!

By Steve Compian

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Solve the following mathematical statements:

1. (2+1+1)  = _____
2. +1(2) +1 = _____
3. +1(+2)1  = _____

We used the exact same numbers, parentheses, and plus signs in each statement. Did we arrive at the same answer for each statement?

I. Introduction:

You’ve probably been taught that English grammar contains a complex set of rules and procedures, and for every rule, there are an infinite number of exceptions. Perhaps that made writing a difficult process for you to understand. In your place of business, however, writing has become an important skill you must master to be successful. You want a better understanding of how written English works to help you fulfill your potential as an office professional.

In today’s workshop, we want you to understand English has a structure you can manipulate if you understand its order. Similar to mathematics, English uses certain grammatical conventions you can use to make your messages clear. Moreover, English wasn’t only meant to be written and read; it was meant to be heard. You can approximate spoken English’s intonation in its written form by arranging language symbols known as punctuation. By the end of this workshop, we hope you’ll see written language, not as a set of rules but as a mirror image of its spoken form.

II. Purpose:

The purpose of this workshop is to focus on sentence-level grammar issues. We won’t try to make you a “Grammar Expert” by teaching you a set of rules, rather we want you to understand some concepts and conventions about the structure of English and how to look at punctuation as adding to the language, not restricting it. We’ll practice some discrete grammar skills and talk about using punctuation that supports the writing concepts you learned in The Seven Essentials. We want you to build confidence in using English to articulate your messages in all forms of written communication.

III. Method:

We will learn today’s information by lecture, audience participation, and practice. Feel free to ask questions, and remember there are no right or wrong answers.

IV. Learning Objectives:

Our long-term goal for today is to discuss ways we can manipulate the structure of the English and how punctuation adds intonation to written language. We will discuss the following topics:

1. The S-V-O order of the English language and its importance;
2. The use of active vs. passive voice constructions; and
3. Strategies for using punctuation.

III. Testing:

You will take short self-tests for every topic we cover. They will help you build confidence for performing the final task of taking a “grammar test.”

By the end of this workshop, we hope you gain a better understanding for how sentence-level English works and how to make it work for you. This workshop may not provide you with “the answer,” but the information should help you in understanding how to make English work for you. We know you are hungry for information. Our goal is to provide you with the tools to feed yourself--for a lifetime.

English, the S-V-O Language: Learning the Order of Things

The English language adheres to a set of conventions. One convention says English is an S-V-O language. The S-V-O letters denote not only the parts of a sentence (subject-verb-object) but also the way many sentences are ordered. Similar to using the order of operations to make sense of mathematical statements, you can use the S-V-O pattern to make sense of statements in English.

I. Read the following statement:

Johnson’s Baby Powder absorbs excess wetness from the skin to keep you dry.

Is it a clear statement? If so, what makes it clear? Can you pick out the subject, verb, and object (S-V-O pattern) in that statement?

II. Identifying the S-V-O sentence pattern.

1. The first convention in identifying the S-V-O pattern is to read the statement from left to right. Subjects and verbs usually appear next to each other near the beginning of sentences.
2. Next, you may need to identify extra information (by “extra” we mean any word or phrase added to the core S-V-O message).
   1. Prepositional phrases are some of the most common “extra” words. They are often used to explain who, what, when, where, and how. Common prepositions are at, in, for, from, like, on, over, and to.
   2. Verb phrases describe action outside of the S-V-O core message. Some phrases even start with prepositions, but they will include a verb.
   3. Commas are often used to add extra information to the S-V-O statement. When the words because, if, when, although, since, and while introduce phrases to the S-V-O core, they usually end with a comma.

3. Let’s practice looking for the S-V-O core.

Draw a line under the subject (S), draw two lines under the verb (V), and circle the object (O) in the following statements:

1. Johnson’s Baby Powder absorbs excess wetness from the skin to keep you dry.

2. If more than used for rinsing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.

The second statement may have been harder to decode. Here are some other conventions to think about:

a.       The subject you may be implied and not always written. Note: The word you is the only implied subject. ALL OTHER SUBJECTS MUST BE NAMED.

b.      Compound subjects refer to the same verb. Compound verbs refer to the same subject.

Example: Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.

Example: Jack ran up the hill and fetched a pail of water.

Try it again. Draw a line under the subject(s), two lines under the verb(s), and circle the object(s) in the sample sentence:

If more than used for rinsing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.

III. Divide and Conquer.

Similar to a math euphemism, you have been using your knowledge of the S-V-O pattern to “divide and conquer” statements written in English. Some statements are extremely long and use long words, making the S-V-O pattern hard to detect. Here are other ways of uncovering the S-V-O pattern:

1. Cross out helper verbs such as have, had, was, were, would, could, and should. Consider changing verbs to either the simple present or past tense verb forms.

2. Look for verbs ending in –ance, -ment, and -tion. Verbs ending this way are being nominalized. Sentences containing nominalizations are often wordy. Sometimes nominalizations are crucial. Sometimes we use them just to sound intelligent.

Example: The union’s representation served its workers adequately. (Old)

                            The union represented its workers adequately. (Revised)

                           The union served its workers adequately. (Alternate revision)

In each revision, using the simple past tense of the verbs represented and served made the sentence sound more direct that their nominalized forms.

Let’s practice changing nominalizations. Revise the following sentence by changing the nominalized verbs. Then identify the S-V-O pattern.

The accumulative rise of violence was a demonstration of the need for stronger laws.

We made our arrangement of the dinner guests’ seating according to the affiliation of their organizations. 

Now that we understand how the S-V-O pattern works, we can tackle all those “grammar trouble spots” that have given us problems.

V. Common grammar problems clarified by understanding the S-V-O order.

1. The pronouns that, which, and who can cause some people problems. We use that and which to identify non-human sentence elements.
   1. The word that introduces information considered essential to identifying the element in question. It does not require a comma.

The coffee that Tom made was an excellent choice!

2. The word which introduces non-essential or extra information. A comma should appear before its use.

The Foldgers Coffee, which Tom made, was an excellent choice!

3. When referring to human elements, we use the pronoun who. Choosing to place a comma before who depends on whether the information you introduce is essential to identifying the human element.

Tom, who sat in the corner, asked some provocative questions.

The person who sat in the corner asked some provocative questions.

2. The pronouns who and whom are often mistaken. Who is usually used as a subject, and whom is usually used as an object. Underline the correct form (who or whom) in the following sentences:

Who/whom is the new director?

Who/whom were they looking for?

(Try substituting he/she or him/her for who or whom in deciding which to use. If you decide to use whom, you will have to flip the sentence order for it to make sense.)

He (who) is the new director.

They were looking for him (whom).

Many of our decisions are made by ear; however, longer sentences may be more difficult to decode:

The delivery person wants to know who/whom the package belongs to.

Hint: Divide and conquer.

Look for the S-V-O pattern.

Is who/whom part of the core sentence or part of some extra information?

Substitute he/she or him/her for who/whom in the extra information.

Example:          …the package belongs to he.

                        …the package belongs to him.

Underline the correct form of who or whom in the statement below:

Joanna is the candidate who/whom we believe earned the job.

3. The pronouns I and me are often confused. I has been classified as a subject. Me has been classified as an object. Our confusion usually occurs when we see compound subjects and compound objects.

Determine whether to use I or me in the following examples: 

George and (I, me) need to talk.

Between you and (I, me), this contract is awful.

4. Select the appropriate pronouns in statements using he/him or she/her:

Karen and he/him completed the reports on time.

David and she/her teamed with Karen and he/him on the city contracts.

5. By identifying the word order of statements, we can identify our core messages and determine what other parts to consider essential or extra to their meaning. If they are clear to us, they will be clear to others.

Active vs. Passive Voice.

“To be” verbs represent opportunities to use better verbs.

Dr. Susie Lan Cassel, CSUSM Literature and Writing Studies

I. Definition of the Active Voice.

1. The S-V-O pattern is also known as the active voice in English. The active voice makes clear who is doing what. These types of sentences usually contain subjects and verbs side-by-side near the beginning of the sentence.

S                            V                      O

Johnson’s Baby Shampoo absorbs excess wetness from the skin to keep you dry.

2.   Some active voice sentences use linking verbs (be, been, is, seem, look, and appear) in their construction. They follow a subject-verb-compliment (S-V-C) pattern. Compliments rename or describe the subject.

This product is a special blend of Aloe Vera and moisturizers. (old)

Oil of Olay contains a special blend of Aloe Vera and moisturizers. (revised)

In our revision of the S-V-C statement, we name the product and use a more descriptive verb. Both the S-V-O and S-V-C patterns are a matter of choice in being direct. But what happens if we want to be less direct?

II. Using the Passive Voice.

1. The passive voice uses to be verbs that tell us what is done to the subject of the sentence. Passive voice construction usually inverts the S-V-O pattern, causing the action to come first.

S         V                O

Tom cleaned the garage. (Active)

          O                 V              S

The garage was cleaned by Tom. (Passive)

Sometimes subjects are omitted when using the passive voice:

      The garage was cleaned. 

Ann Raimes’ Keys for Writers handbook suggests using the passive voice “only when the doer or the agent in your sentence is unknown or is unimportant.” Overuse of the passive voice, however, might make your writing dull and wordy. Look at sentences that use the verbs is, are, were and helper verbs such as can, may, might, must, would, could, and should. Those verbs trigger the passive voice.

Change the following example sentences taken from Purdue’s On-line Writing Lab (OWL) from passive to active voice:

1. The book is being read by most of the class.

_______________________________________________________________

2. Mistakes were made.

_______________________________________________________________

3. Traces of ice may have been discovered on Mars.

_______________________________________________________________

Did you have to invent a subject to make the change?

Where the active voice is usually more direct, the passive tends to be indirect. Passive sentences help to vary your writing and delay giving bad news such as, “You’re fired.”

One final note about the passive voice—be prepared to flip-flop everything we learned about word order using the S-V-O pattern. Because subjects and objects come after the verb or are completely omitted, you may have difficulty making sense of some passive voice constructions.

Identify the word order in the following statement:

Example: With whom/who should I sit at the reception?

Making a Statement with Punctuation!

When you can’t decide whether to use commas, follow this general guideline, “When in doubt, leave them out.” Keys for Writers by Ann Raimes

Compare the following sentences to each other:

• Hey! I want to have a word with you.
• Please see me at your earliest convenience.

• Thank you for your interest in our company and for your fine resume; however, your qualifications must be reviewed by our hiring manager.
• Sorry, you didn’t get the job.

Each set of statements contain similar messages. How might their structures affect the way their messages will be received?

Writing, like making music, is about making choices. Earlier we saw that the language has a structure and that the structure affects reader expectations. Now we’re going to talk about how using punctuation adds intonation to our writing and helps to signal our readers how to interpret meaning in what we write.

I. Commas. As we mentioned earlier, you can use commas to add extra information to your messages. However, what information is considered extra? What information is considered essential to the core message? Read the following statements:

The person who sits in the corner asked some provocative questions.

Jim, who sits in the corner, asked some provocative questions.

Note: The first sentence uses a generic subject; therefore, the words who sits in the corner are essential to its meaning. If you can eliminate the pronoun who and still identify the word it refers to without changing any context, the information is usually considered essential.

Example: The person who sitting in the corner asked some provocative questions.

Note: In the second sentence, the subject Jim is specific, making any clarification about him unnecessary. If you can eliminate words without loss of meaning to the sentence, the information is usually considered extra.

Example: Jim, who sits in the corner, asked some provocative questions.

Reading the sentence without the words in question is a good method of determining what should be considered essential or extra. The following sentence examples were taken from Simon and Shuster’s Handbook for Writers. Punctuate them as needed:

1. My parents who are both over sixty-five took a defensive driving course.

2. Anna Hom who is in excellent physical condition enjoys jogging.

3. Some people who are in excellent physical condition enjoy jogging.

4. Some people in my neighborhood enjoy jogging.

Every writing handbook contains a different number of “rules” for using commas and a different number of exceptions to those rules. Instead of trying to memorize all the different rules, try using commas (and all punctuation) to replicate human speech. Also, treat each punctuation mark as a different signpost that helps your reader follow the ideas you have mapped out for them.

II. Semi-Colons.

1. The semi-colon has three uses; one is to join two closely related sentences. In the following example, is it better to use a semi-colon or a period?

Mary had a little lamb; its fleece was white as snow.

By using the semi-colon, we signal the reader to understand that an element in the second part refers to another element in the first. Without the semi-colon, we might have to name the element again. The lamb’s fleece was white as snow.

2. You can also use expressions such as however, moreover, in fact, nevertheless, above all, or therefore to signal your reader to look for a transition between the joined thoughts:

Thank you for your interest in our company and for your fine resume; however, your qualifications must be reviewed by our hiring manager.

You may have joined two different sentences; however, they combine to send one message. Sometimes you may have to be less than direct to sound cordial. This style of tone is an important consideration in business writing.

Note: Make sure that you use complete sentences before using the semi-colon in those first two circumstances.

3. The third occasion for using semi-colons would be to clarify a sentence that uses other internal punctuation.

Example: My inbox is full of small, white memos; big, white envelopes; and odd, cardboard boxes.

You use the semi-colons in this example to avoid confusing your readers. Complete sentences are not required before them in this case.

III. Colons.

1. Colons signal readers to look for lists and explanations.

Example: My job as a facilitator requires me to be proficient in three areas: reading, writing, and talking.

What I want to convey in this workshop is simple: Writing is about making choices.

Note (1): Similar to using a semi-colon, you must write a complete sentence before using a colon in those circumstances.

Note (2): If the explanation that follows your colon makes a complete sentence, you may capitalize the first word after the colon. This is a choice unless you’re introducing a rule. Then you must capitalize the first word. Most people capitalize all sentences after a colon to be consistent throughout their writing.

2. We also use colons instead of commas in the salutations of formal letters:

Dear Councilmember:  

3. We use colons in titles to signal the reader what information to expect from reports:

            Analyzing the Governor’s Budget: Preparing to Do More with Less

III. Extra Punctuation.

Most of you written messages can be communicated by using periods, commas, semi-colons, and colons. Other punctuation symbols signal the reader to expect something extra ordinary or extra important in the message. The work you do is already important, so you should consider using the following punctuation symbols sparingly:

1. Exclamation points (!) tell readers you may be excited or angry. Ask yourself if those the kinds of tones you want to convey in a business letter.

2. Dashes—interrupt your message—and cause your readers to expect something highly unusual in that part of it.   

3. Parenthesis ( ) tell readers you are providing extra information.

SUMMARY: The English language adheres to certain conventions that are governed by different levels of acceptance. Since language is fluid and ever changing, some conventions stand firm while others give way over time. Instead of trying to show you all the different rules and all the different exceptions to those rules, we wanted you to understand how the language works. You should consult the grammar handbook or web site of your choice to answer any specific questions.