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DO YOU
HAVE A GRAMMAR GENE? According
to an Associated Press article in the Pensacola News Journal
February 11, 1992, "a single dominant gene controls the ability to
learn grammar. . . . People lacking the gene . . . must continually
struggle with verb tenses and noun plurals. People with a normal grammar
gene naturally learn language rules, while people lacking the gene must
learn through another intellectual process how to make verbs past tense
and turn nouns into plurals." Do you have a grammar gene?
Is
your memo littered with grammatical errors? Whom are you gonna call?
The
Grammar Checkers -- at the UWF Writing Lab.
We will undangle your modifiers,
unsplit your infinitives, make your subjects and verbs agree, and separate
your run-on sentences.
TEST
YOURSELF!
So, as a professional, you think you already know grammar,
huh? Well, test yourself on your knowledge of on-the-job writing skills by
labeling each of the following sentences as Correct
or Incorrect. Watch for errors in grammar, word choice,
capitalization, sentence construction, and punctuation. Use the
requirements for standard written American English. If you miss
none or one, you should be the Office Grammarian. If you miss more than
one, you should call the UWF Grammar Hotline at (850)474-2129.
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CORRECT |
INCORRECT |
| 1. |
We have no record of you
having sent this information.
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| 2. |
Please contact the officer
manager or myself if you need additional information.
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| 3. |
The responsibilities will be divided
between you and I.
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| 4. |
If there is a problem, please discuss it
with the supervisor or I.
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| 5. |
The Court will mail the subpoenas to
whoever is on the witness list.
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| 6. |
The district administrator will appoint
whoever the board chooses.
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| 7. |
Each physician should review their
appointment schedule for the week.
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| 8. |
Our corporate office must accept
responsibility for it's behavior.
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| 9. |
Please pass this information to others
whom you know may be interested in attending.
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| 10. |
No other candidate is more qualified for
the job than her.
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| 11. |
It's going to take a while for we
reporters to do a thorough investigation.
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| 12. |
At the Help Center, they have given away
several food boxes this past year.
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| 13. |
Her sole support are her parents.
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| 14. |
It is important that all employees are on
time.
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| 15. |
Neither the County nor the City have
supervisory responsibility for the Commission.
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| 16. |
There's many new
treatments available.
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| 17. |
The Pensacola Pain &
Injury Clinic focus on treating car accident victims.
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| 18. |
Each of the cars are in
need of repair.
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| 19. |
The prognosis of both
patients are exactly the same.
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| 20. |
A growing number of
studies confirms that drivers who use their cell or car phones while
driving are frequently distracted.
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| 21. |
The number of cosmetic
surgery patients have grown over the past four years.
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| 22. |
Recycling telephone
directories help save landfill space each year.
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| 23. |
If either your phone
number or your address have changed, please let us know.
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| 24. |
The proposal as well as
the budget are enclosed.
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| 25. |
Neither of the passengers
were hurt in the accident.
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| 26. |
The data is not accurate.
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| 27. |
The seminar is for anyone
who want to learn computer skills.
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| 28. |
The candidate has ran for
public office before.
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| 29. |
The company has not began
its investigation.
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| 30. |
Stock prices have went up
considerably this year.
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ANSWERS ON THE LAST PAGE OF
THIS NEWSLETTER
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