MODULE 12: COMMON

LAPSES IN GRAMMAR AND

SENTENCE STRUCTURE
BY JOHN GEMIL JAVIER
INTRODUCTION

• IN THE PREVIOUS MODULE, YOU LEARNED THAT, DURING THE LAST STAGE
OF THE WRITING PROCESS, YOU CHECK FOR GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS.
THUS, YOU WILL BE REVIEWING BASIC GRAMMAR RULES IN THIS MODULE.
ASIDE FROM COMMON GRAMMAR LAPSES, YOU WILL ALSO REVIEW BASIC
LAPSES IN SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION. THESE RULES ARE NO LONGER
STRANGE TO YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED THEM ALREADY EVER
SINCE YOU STARTED LEARNING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. THE MODULE
AIMS TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY REGARDING THESE RULES, SO THAT YOU
CAN APPLY THEM WHEN YOU WRITE AND PROOFREAD YOUR OWN WRITING.
 GRAMMAR AND WRITING
THERE ARE SOME WHO ARGUE THAT KNOWLEDGE IN
GRAMMAR HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WRITING SKILLS. IN
THE PHILIPPINE CONTEXT, THERE ARE MORE FILIPINOS WHO
ARE VERY SHARP IN RECOGNIZING GRAMMATICAL ERRORS
THAN THOSE WHO ARE GOOD IN WRITING. YOU MAY WONDER
WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN GRAMMAR AND
WRITING. GRAMMAR RULES GUIDE ONE TO CORRECT
SENTENCE STRUCTURE, WHEREAS WRITING IS THE OVERALL
APPLICATION OF LANGUAGE SKILLS. A GOOD KNOWLEDGE IN
GRAMMAR RULES AND WISDOM ON HOW TO APPLY THEM IN
WRITING WILL RESULT IN A WRITING OUTPUT THAT CAN
EASILY BE UNDERSTOOD.
• WHILE GOOD GRAMMAR LEADS
• HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW PEOPLE
TO CLEAR AND EFFECTIVE
WHO ARE POOR IN GRAMMAR
WRITING, THE CONSTRUCTION
ARE NOT CONFIDENT IN
OF IDEAS AND LOGICAL
WRITING? A GOOD KNOWLEDGE
ARRANGEMENT OF DISCOURSE
IN GRAMMAR IS ESSENTIAL TO
INTO A COMPREHENSIBLE
HAVE EFFECTIVE WRITING
WHOLE MAKES ONE A GOOD
SKILLS. WE CANNOT DISCUSS
WRITER. SO WHILE IT IS
ALL GRAMMAR RULES IN THIS
IMPORTANT FOR IDEAS TO BE
MODULE. BUT WE WILL DISCUSS
PRESENTED IN GOOD GRAMMAR,
THE MOST COMMON LAPSES IN
THEY SHOULD ALSO BE WRITTEN
BOTH AGREEMENT AND
IN A CLEAR AND LOGICAL
STRUCTURE.
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

The first set of basic rules that a learner of an

English language encounters is subject-verb
The subject of a sentence tells who the doer
agreement. The rule is simple: a singular subject
is, and the verb tells what is being done.
should have a singular verb and vice versa. A
These two are the core parts of a sentence.
fundamental knowledge on the guidelines of
They form the skeleton-the frame in which:
subject-verb agreement is your foundation for an
other surrounding words add to the meaning
easier application of the subject-verb agreement
of the sentence. If these two parts are all
principle.
absent, then the sentence is not complete. If
these two do not agree with one another,
then the sentence is not in harmony.
BASIC RULES IN SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
• THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF ACTION VERBS: REGULAR VERBS
AND IRREGULAR VERBS.
• THE PAST AND PAST PARTICIPLE FORMS OF REGULAR ACTION
VERBS ARE FORMED WITH AN-ED
• IRREGULAR VERBS ARE MORE DIFFICULT AS THEY VARY IN
STYLE AND FORM. BUT THERE ARE PATTERNS THAT YOU CAN
WATCH OUT FOR.
• IRREGULAR VERBS IN PAST TIME DO NOT NEED HELPING VERBS.
• IRREGULAR VERBS IN THE PAST PARTICIPLE FORM NEED
HELPING VERBS.
A subject and verb should always agree in number. This is the foundation of all the other subject-verb
agreement rules. When it comes to subject-verb agreement, here are a few more basic rules.
1. A sentence in present tense with a singular subject is paired with a verb in the -s form.
2. The lady throws her bouquet in the air. A sentence in present tense with a plural subject is paired
with a verb in a regular present form (i.e., no-s). The ladies throw their bouquet in the air.
3. Do not get confused with the words that may come between the subject and the verb. Incorrect:
Belen, who gave me cupcakes, are my aunt. Correct: Belen, who gave me cupcakes, is my aunt.
4. Do not shift verb tenses unnecessarily in the sentences all throughout the paragraph and in the
whole text.
5. Incorrect: She likes cupcakes; thus, she baked them. Correct: She likes cupcakes; thus, she bakes
them. Place the subject after the verb when a sentence begins with the word "here" or "there." This
will help you determine what number your verb should agree with. The following boldfaced words
are the subjects, and the italicized words are the verbs. Look at how they agree together.
“Here are your clothes.” “There is a rainbow.”
RE GU LAR AN D IR RE GU LAR VE RBS

THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF ACTION VERBS: REGULAR VERBS AND

IRREGULAR VERBS. THE PAST F REGULAR VERBS END WITH -ED,
WHEREAS IRREGULAR VERBS ARE WRITTEN IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
HOW TO WRITE IRREGULAR VERBS MAY BE CONFUSING AND
HARD TO REMEMBER, BUT THERE ARE PATTERNS THAT CAN HELP
YOU FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH IRREGULAR VERB FORMS.
Pattern Base Form Past Form Past Participle

-d ending changes to -t Bend Bent Bent

Lend Lent Lent
Send Sent Sent
minus one vowel but a plus in Sleep Slept Slept
consonant ending Feed Fed Fed
Kneel Knelt Knelt
-d or -t ending with ea vowels Dream Dreamt Dreamt
pronounced as short e Mean Meant Meant
Hear Heard Heard
vowel is changed to -ought or Teach Taught Taught
-aught Bring Brought Brought
Fight Fought Fought

Remember to use auxiliary verbs-has, have, or had-with the past participle form of verbs.
Common Mistakes
The following table shows the singular and plural forms of verbs.

Present Tense Past Tense Preseent Tense Past Tense

is was are were
has had have had
does did do did
SINGULAR PLURAL
THE RULE ON THE AUXILIARY VERBS "IS/WAS" AND "ARE/WERE" IS
EASY TO UNDERSTAND, BUT IT CAN BE CONFUSING WHEN THE
SUBJECT AND THE VERB IS SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER BY A
PHRASE CLAUSE. ALWAYS REMEMBER TO IDENTIFY WHO OR WHAT
THE SIMPLE SUBJECT IS TO HELP YOU DETERMINE THE RIGHT FORM
TO USE. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND MORE OF THIS RULE WHEN WE
DISCUSS THE MODIFIERS.
• THE REPRESENTATIVE [FROM THE PHILIPPINES TO THE
SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES] IS FROM LAGUNA.
• THE REPRESENTATIVES [FROM THE PHILIPPINES, TOGETHER
WITH MY UNCLE WHO HAPPENS TO BE THEIR COACH,] ARE
LEAVING TOMORROW.
NOTE THE CLAUSES ENCLOSED IN BRACKETS ON THE TWO
SENTENCES ABOVE.
"IS." THE SUBJECT "REPRESENTATIVE" IS SEPARATED FROM THE
VERB "IS" BY A DEPENDENT CLAUSE: "FROM THE PHILIPPINES TO
THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES." DO NOT LET THE WORD "GAMES"
CONFUSE YOU. EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE NOUN CLOSEST TO THE
VERB, IT IS STILL PART OF THE CLAUSE SO IT IS NOT THE SUBJECT
OF THE SENTENCE.
• IN THE SECOND SENTENCE, • REMEMBER, ALWAYS
THE WORD "COACH" MAY IDENTIFY THE SUBJECT
FIRST AND THE VERB IN
CONFUSE YOU BECAUSE IT
YOUR SENTENCES TO CHECK
IS THE NOUN CLOSEST TO
IF THEY AGREE, MOST
THE VERB. BUT IT IS NOT ESPECIALLY IN THE
THE SUBJECT OF THE CONFUSING CASES OF
SENTENCE. CLAUSES.
• THE GRADUATING CLASS OF MRS. LIM, THE TEACHER WHO IS BELOVED BY THE
STUDENTS, IS PLANNING A BIRTHDAY SURPRISE FOR HER.
• THE CUPCAKES WHICH KITTY DECORATED WITH CAPPUCCINO ICING AND NUTS WERE
GONE AN INSTANT.
IN THE AUXILIARY VERB "HAS" IS THE SINGULAR FORM, WHILE "HAVE" IS THE PLURAL FORM
FOR THE PRESENT TENSE. THE PAST FORM FOR BOTH IS "HAD.“
• INCORRECT: SHE HAVE CHICKENPOX. (PRESENT TENSE)
• CORRECT: SHE HAS CHICKENPOX. (PRESENT TENSE)
THE MAIN IDEA OF THE SENTENCE IN THE PREVIOUS EXAMPLE IS THAT SHE IS
CURRENTLY SICK WITH CHICKENPOX. IF SHE HAS RECOVERED FROM THE DISEASE, THEN
YOU SHOULD SAY
CORRECT: SHE HAD CHICKENPOX. (PRESENT TENSE)
THIS PRESENT TENSE RULE APPLIES ONLY TO THE THIRD PERSON. THE FIRST PERSON
AND
INCORRECT: I HAS CHICKENPOX.
CORRECT: I HAVE CHICKENPOX.(PRESENT TENSE) I HAD CHICKENPOX. (PAST TENSE)
INCORRECT: YOU HAS CHICKENPOX.
CORRECT: YOU HAVE CHICKENPOX. (PRESENT TENSE) YOU HAD
CHICKENPOX. (PAST TENSE)
COLLECTIVE NOUNS SUCH AS CLASS TAKE THE SINGULAR FORM.
• THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS TAKEN A STEP TO HELP
SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
• THE ASSOCIATION OF ORGANIC FARMERS HAS BEEN BUSY
EDUCATING AND ENCOURAGING OTHER FARMERS TO SHIFT TO
ORGANIC FARMING.
• THE COMMITTEE HAS DECIDED TO CHANGE THE DATE AND VENUE
OF THE MEETING.
"HAS," "HAVE," AND "HAD" SHOULD GO WITH THE PAST PARTICIPLE
FORM OF AN ACTION VERB.
• I HAVE FROZEN THE CAKE BEFORE PUTTING ICING ON IT. (NOT
FREEZE NOR FROZE)
• THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ACTRESS REGARDING HER RECENT
DEPRESSION BOUTS HAS SHAKEN MANY FANS. (NOT SHAKE NOR
SHOOK)
• I HAVE HIDDEN MY VALUABLES BENEATH THE PILE OF PAPER UNDER
MY TABLE.
• I DEEPLY REGRET THAT I HAD THROWN ALL THE OLD LETTERS I
RECEIVED FROM MY FRIENDS. (NOT THROW NOR THREW)
• THE NURSE HAD DRAWN THE BLINDS TO DARKEN THE ROOM SO
THAT THE PATIENT CAN RELAX AND SLEEP. (NOT DRAW NOR DREW)
THE AUXILIARY VERB "DID" ALWAYS GOES ALONG WITH THE BASE FORM
OF A VERB AND NEVER WITH THE PAST FORM.
INCORRECT:
DID SHE WENT TO SOUTH KOREA FOR A VACATION?
DID SHE GONE TO SOUTH KOREA FOR A VACATION?
CORRECT:
DID SHE GO TO SOUTH KOREA FOR A VACATION?
INCORRECT:
I DID TAKEN THE TEACHERS' LICENSURE EXAM.
I DID TOOK THE TEACHERS' LICENSURE EXAM.
CORRECT:
I DID TAKE THE TEACHERS' LICENSURE EXAM.
"DOES" IS THE SINGULAR FORM, AND "DO" IS THE PLURAL
FORM IN THE THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW.
 PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT
FIRST OF ALL, YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY THE FUNCTION OF THE
PRONOUN IN THE SENTENCE. PRONOUNS CAN BE SUBJECTIVE,
OBJECTIVE, POSSESSIVE, OR REFLEXIVE. LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING
TABLE FOR YOUR REFERENCE:
CASE
Subjective Objective Possessive Reflexive

Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural

I We Me Us My Our Myself Oursleves

Mine Ours
You < < < You < Yourself Yourselves
Your
he/she/it they him/her them his/hers/its Their himself themselves
it Theirs herself
itself

Note. In religious writing, the first letter of the pronoun pertaining to God should always be capitalized and thus
written as "He," "His," and "Himself."
ASIDE FROM THE SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT AND VERB CONSISTENCY RULES,
THERE IS ANOTHER RULE THAT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED BY MANY STUDENTS. THE
PRONOUNS AND THEIR ANTECEDENTS SHOULD ALWAYS AGREE WITH EACH OTHER.
THE FIRST THING THAT YOU SHOULD DO IS TO IDENTIFY THE ANTECEDENT OF THE
PRONOUN. THE ANTECEDENT IS THE NOUN THE PRONOUN IS REFERRING TO.

JOHN LEFT THE CAR KEYS AT THE COUNTER. HE WENT BACK TO GET THEM.

IN THE TWO SENTENCES ABOVE, THE FIRST SENTENCE CONTAINS THE

ANTECEDENTS "JOHN" AND "KEYS." IN THE SECOND SENTENCE, WE CAN
UNDERSTAND THAT "HE" REFERS TO "JOHN" AND "THEM" REFERS TO THE "KEYS."
THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF WRITING COMPLEX SENTENCES, BOTH THE WRITER
AND THE READER CAN GET LOST AND CONFUSED. WHEN THIS HAPPENS TO YOU,
REMEMBER THE SIMPLE RULE: FIND THE ANTECEDENT.
PARALLEL STRUCTURE
KEEP IN MIND THAT ONE CHARACTERISTIC OF GOOD WRITING IS ITS OBSERVANCE OF
PARALLELISM IN THE SENTENCE STRUCTURES. PAY ATTENTION TO GERUNDS (-ING) AND
INFINITIVES ("TO" + BASE FORM OF VERB). DO NOT SHIFT VOICE (ACTIVE OR PASSIVE)
UNNECESSARILY.

INCORRECT: RAINIER SAID THAT HE ENJOYS GARDENING AND TO LANDSCAPE.

CORRECT: RAINIER SAID THAT HE ENJOYS GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING.
INCORRECT: SWIMMING, BIKING, AND TO RUN ARE GOOD EXERCISES FOR PEOPLE
WITH SEDENTARY JOBS.
CORRECT: SWIMMING, BIKING, AND RUNNING ARE GOOD EXERCISES FOR PEOPLE
WITH SEDENTARY JOBS.
INCORRECT: THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DEANS WERE TO DEVELOP A POLICY AND
THE PROFESSORS SHOULD BE INFORMED.
CORRECT: THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DEANS WERE TO DEVELOP A POLICY IN GIVING
MODIFIERS
MODIFIERS ARE WORDS OR PHRASES THAT ADD OR CHANGE (MODIFY) THE MEANING OF
ANOTHER WORD OR PHRASE. FOR CLARITY AND CONSISTENT FLOW OF IDEAS IN YOUR
DISCOURSE, PLACE MODIFYING WORDS AS CLOSE TO THE WORD OR PHRASE THEY
DESCRIBE. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF ERRORS THAT CAN BE COMMITTED IF YOU ARE
CARELESS IN THE PLACEMENT OF YOUR MODIFIERS: MISPLACED MODIFIERS AND
DANGLING MODIFIERS.
FOR MISPLACED MODIFIERS, MOVE THEM AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE WORDS OR
PHRASES THAT THEY DESCRIBE.
INCORRECT: THE REFRIGERATOR IS IN THE PANTRY WITH A MISSING HANDLE.
CORRECT: THE REFRIGERATOR WITH A MISSING HANDLE IS IN THE PANTRY.
IN THE FIRST SENTENCE, WHICH ONE HAS A MISSING HANDLE? YOU'RE RIGHT. IT IS THE
PANTRY! BE VERY CAREFUL WITH MODIFIERS BECAUSE THEY CAN CHANGE THE
MEANING OF THE SENTENCE. THE SECOND SENTENCE STATES WHAT THE WRITER
ORIGINALLY MEANT. IN DANGLING MODIFIERS, THE ONE THAT IS BEING DESCRIBED BY
THE MODIFYING WORDS IS MISSING. MAKE SURE THAT THE SUBJECT FOLLOWS THE
MODIFIERS RIGHT AWAY. YOU MAY SUPPLY THE MISSING SUBJECT (IF IT IS MISSING).
INCORRECT: ARRIVING LATE TO WORK, THE FLAG CEREMONY WAS MISSED.
CORRECT: ARRIVING LATE TO WORK, CLIFFORD MISSED THE FLAG CEREMONY.
IN THE FIRST SENTENCE, THE SUBJECT WHO ARRIVED LATE TO WORK AND MISSED
THE FLAG CEREMONY WAS NOT CLEARLY SPECIFIED. THE SUBJECT-CLIFFORD, THE
DOER OF THE ACTION WAS CLEARLY SPECIFIED IN THE SECOND EXAMPLE.
DANGLING MODIFIERS CAN ALSO CAUSE A FUNNY IMPLICATION IN YOUR
SENTENCES. LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE:
INCORRECT: ANSWERING THE PHONE, MY FEET SLIPPED ON THE FLOOR. WHO
ANSWERED THE PHONE? DID THE FEET ANSWER IT?
THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES MAKE THE MEANING CLEAR BY SPECIFYING THE
SUBJECT.
CORRECT: ANSWERING THE PHONE, I SLIPPED ON THE FLOOR. ANSWERING THE
PHONE, I STEPPED ON SOMETHING AND MY FEET SLIPPED ON THE FLOOR. MY
FEET SLIPPED ON THE FLOOR AS I ANSWERED THE PHONE. AS I ANSWERED THE
PHONE, MY FEET SLIPPED ON THE FLOOR.