Contents:
• Edit to correct errors involving frequently confused words at a satisfactory level
• Edit to correct errors in pronoun usage at a satisfactory level
• Edit to eliminate dangling or misplaced modifiers or illogical word order at a satisfactory level
• Edit to correct errors in subject-verb or pronoun-antecedent agreement in more complicated
situations at a satisfactory level
• Edit to eliminate wordiness or awkward sentence construction at a satisfactory level
• Edit to ensure effective use of transitional words, conjunctive adverbs, and other words and
phrases that support logic and clarity, at a satisfactory level
• Edit to ensure correct use of capitalization at a satisfactory level
• Edit to eliminate run-on sentences, fused sentences, or sentence fragments at a satisfactory
level
• Edit to ensure correct use of apostrophes with possessive nouns at a satisfactory level
• Edit to ensure correct use of punctuation at a satisfactory level
Dangling Modifiers:
First, you must understand the purpose of a modifier:
a word, especially an adjective or noun used attributively, that restricts or adds to the sense of a head noun (e.g. good and family in a good family house ).
Definitions from Oxford Languages
Further examples of modifiers:
‘Fun’ in “The fun sport,” or ‘cute’ in “A cute cat.”
Dangling Modifiers are:
a type of ambiguous grammatical construct whereby a grammatical modifier could be misinterpreted as being associated with a word other than the one intended.
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dangling_modifier#cite_note-1
Example:
Further examples:
- Hoping to gain insight, the book held many points of advice.
The modifier ‘Hoping to gain insight’ doesn’t have a subject. We know that a book can’t gain ‘insight,’ it typically holds insight within itself. We could fix the sentence by simply adding a subject:
Hoping to gain insight, I read a book that held many points of advice
2. Stuck in line, the coffee shop was stalling busy peoples days.
The modifier ‘stuck in line’ is currently describing the coffee shop in this instance. In other words, the sentence is currently articulating that the coffee shop is the subject stuck in line. We are wishing to express that the patrons are stuck in line, meaning we must transform the sentence:
Stuck in line at the coffee shop, busy people’s days were stalled.
Apostrophes
Apostrophe
a punctuation mark ( ’ ) used to indicate either possession (e.g., Harry’s book ; boys’ coats ) or the omission of letters or numbers (e.g., can’t ; he’s ; class of ’99 ).
Definitions from Oxford Languages
Possessives
relating to or denoting the case of nouns and pronouns expressing possession.
Using apostrophe to indicate possession (or membership) of something is one of its two core uses. Luckily, there are some simple rules required to master apostrophes.
Rules:
- Use apostrophe before s to show one person/thing possesses or is a member of something.
Stacy’s car, Bob’s room, Keegan’s favorite team, Ross’s sister
- Use apostrophe after s to show MULITPLE persons/things possess or are members of something.
The Oblonskys’ Car, The parents’ room, the Kensingtons’ studio
- Add apostrophe before s to show MULITPLE persons/things possess or are members of something when the pluralized word DOESN’T end in s naturally.
The children’s rooms, the men’s team, The cacti’s needles.
Contractions
a word or group of words resulting from shortening an original form.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_English_contractions
