Weeks 4,5,6: Assignment 1

Exercise 8:

Correct any unnecessary tense shifts in the following paragraph.

1. The exchange of wedding rings during the wedding ceremony came into fashion in the
late nineteenth century.
2. Before the Great Depression, it is was more common for just women to wear wedding
rings.
3. However, successful advertising campaigns after the Second World War convinces
convinced couples to exchange rings.
4. This custom is now widespread.

Exercise 9:

It’s important to recognize the passive voice when you see it – so that you’ll know how to use it
deliberately and effectively. Remember that the passive voice must have a form of the auxiliary
be and the past participle of the main verb.

A. Transform the following active sentences into the passive voice; remember that the object
of the active functions as the subject in the passive.

1. My roommate penned the lead article in today’s Collegian.

 The lead article in today’s Collegian was penned by my roommate.
2. Bach composed some of our most intricate fugues.
 Some of our most intricate fugues were composed by Bach.
3. The county commissioners are proposing a new tax-collection system this year.
 This year a new tax-collection system is being proposed by the county
commissioners.
4. The young researcher developed a new drug for migraines.
 A new drug for migraines was developed by the young researcher.

B. Transform the following passive sentences into the active voice; remember that the
subject of the passive is an object in the active. (Note: If the agent is missing, you will
have to supply one to act as the subject for the sentences in the active voice.)

1. This year’s cheerleading squad was chosen by a committee last spring.

 A committee chose this year’s cheerleading squad last spring.
2. The election of the class officers will be held on Tuesday.
 We will hold the class officers’ election on Tuesday
3. Your car’s oil should be changed on a regular basis.
 You should change your car’s oil on a regular basis.
4. The suspect is being kept in solitary confinement.
 They are keeping the suspect in solitary confinement.

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 C. First decide if the following sentences are active or passive; then transform them.

1. You should read the next six chapters before Monday. (Active voice)
 Passive voice: The next six chapters should be read before Monday.
2. After the dot-com bubble burst, many employees of financial institutions were
cheated out of their retirement savings. (Passive voice)
 Active voice: After the dot-com bubble burst, the financial institutions
cheated many of their employees out of their retirement savings.
3. Our company is trying out a new vacation schedule this year. (Active voice)
 Passive voice: A new vacation schedule is being tried out by our company
this year.
4. The streetlights on campus are finally being repaired. (Passive voice)
 Active voice: They have finally repaired the streetlights on campus.

Exercise 10:

The writer of the following passage has managed to avoid using the first-person point of view
but in doing so has obliterated any resemblance to a personal voice. Revise the passage, avoiding
both the passive and the first person. Remember to think about the agent as subject.

The woods in the morning seemed both peaceful and lively. Birds could be heard in the pines
and oaks, staking out their territory. Squirrels could be seen scampering across the leaves that
covered the forest floor, while in the branches above, the new leaves of the birches and maples
were outlined by the sun’s rays. The leaves, too, could be heard, rustling to the rhythm of the
wind.

Revised: In the morning, the woods are peaceful and lively. I can hear the birds in the pines and
oaks, staking out their territory. I see the squirrels scampering across the leaves covering the
forest floor, while the birches and maples outlines the sun’s rays in the branches above. I can
also hear the leaves, rustling to the rhythm of the wind.

Exercise 11:

Revise the following sentences by substituting correlatives for the coordinating conjunctions. In
your revisions, use all four of the correlatives at least once: both – and, either – or, neither – nor,
not only – but also. Explain how the focus of each of your revised sentences differs from that of
the originals.

1. Tea and coffee contain caffeine.

 Both tea and coffee contain caffeine.
 I grouped them together in this new sentence.
2. Caffeine quickens metabolism and increases the heart rate.
 Not only does caffeine quickens the metabolism, but it also increases the heart
rate.

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  In this sentence I added not only – but also enrich the sentence.
3. Some people drink coffee or tea, but not both.
 Not all people drink both tea and coffee.
 In this sentence I added both/and
4. Caffeine cannot make you intelligent, and it cannot ensure a good night’s sleep.
 Caffeine can neither make you intelligent nor can it ensure a good night’s
sleep.
 In this sentence adding neither/nor increases description.

Exercise 12:

Choose the verb that agrees in number and in person with the subject. If compound subject is
joined by either – or or neither – nor, the verb should agree with the closer member.

1. The students in Biology 101 (goes/go) on a field trip each spring for a full day.
2. Either the students or the instructor (chooses/choose) a site in the region to explore.
3. Neither the instructor nor the students (goes/go) to any other classes that day.
4. A lunch, along with plenty of water, (is/are) essential for the trip.
5. A field guide, as well as a writer’s notebook, (finds/find) a place in most students’
backpacks.

Exercise 13:

Add punctuation to the following passages, if necessary. In some cases there may be more than
one possibility.

1. The Smithsonian Institution comprises nineteen museums, nine research centers, and the
National Zoo.
2. Most of the museums are located on the National Mall in Washington, DC; but the
National Air and Space Museum has two locations.
3. You can find one of the museums on the National Mall and the other near Dulles
International Airport.
4. The National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall contains in its collection: the
Wright Flyer, Sputnik 1, and the Apollo 11 lunar module.
5. The museums on the National Mall opened in 1976 however, its collection was so large
that an additional museum was built near Dulles International Airport.
6. Visitors to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, can view the Boeing B-29 Superfortress,
Enola Gay; the MacCready Gossamer Albatross, and the space shuttle Enterprise.
7. Together, these two museums maintain a vast collection of air-and spacecraft, they also
sponsor vital research into aviation, and related technologies.
8. These museums share the same mission; they are dedicated to the commemoration of the
nation’s aeronautic history.

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Exercise 15:

Revise the following sentences, paying particular attention to unparallel ideas or structures.

1. At the new recreation center, students have the privilege of deciding whether to life
weights or swimming in an Olympic-size pool.
 At the new recreation center, students have the privilege of deciding whether to
lift weights or swim in an Olympic-sized pool.
2. The Baltimore Orioles’ stadium at Camden Yards has all the virtues of the beloved
ballparks of another era and is in the great tradition of classic baseball architecture.
 The Baltimore Orioles’ stadium at Camden Yards has all the virtues of the
beloved ballparks of another era: it is in the great tradition of classic baseball
architecture.
3. The academic adviser introduced a number of programs and said that we could make
individual appointments to see her.
 The academic adviser introduced a number of programs and then said that we
could make individual appointments to see her.
4. Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France seven times but is also known for his
philanthropy.
 While Lance Armstrong has won the Tour de France seven times, he is also
known for his philanthropy.
5. I almost never watch television: There is either nothing on that appeals to me, or the
picture disappears at a crucial moment.
 I almost never watch television because nothing that appeals to me is on or the
picture disappears at a crucial moment.
6. Blue whales are the largest of all animals, and up to 80 percent of them congregate
seasonally in Antarctic waters.
 Blue whales are the largest of all animals; up to 80 percent of them congregate
seasonally in Antarctic waters.