3 Problems of Nonparallel Interjections

3 Problems of Nonparallel Interjections 3 Problems of Nonparallel Interjections 3 Problems of Nonparallel Interjections By Mark Nichol In a post published recently, I discussed simple problems of parallelism in sentence construction. Here are three examples of more complex errors involving corresponding sentence elements. 1. â€Å"Low-interest rates have been one of the primary, if not the primary factor in extending the real estate boom in the United States.† The corresponding phrases in this sentence are neither parallel nor complete. First, the additional consideration (â€Å"if not the primary factor†) must be structured as an interjection, meaning that it has to be bracketed parenthetically by commas, em dashes, or parentheses. (Which method you choose depends on the emphasis you want to give the interjection: Parentheses minimize the interruption, commas are the default punctuation for separating an interrupting phrase from the main sentence, and em dashes call attention to the inserted phrase.) In this case, â€Å"if not the primary factor† must be set off from the rest of the sentence with punctuation before and after; any of the three punctuation forms is appropriate. However, there’s more work to be done. The key to correctly constructing a sentence with an interjection is that if the interjection is omitted, the sentence is still complete. But read this version of the sentence with the interjection omitted: â€Å"Low-interest rates have been one of the primary in extending the real estate boom in the United States.† Obviously, factors must be inserted after the first use of primary in additional to the inclusion of the singular form of the word in the interjection: â€Å"Low-interest rates have been one of the primary factors, if not the primary factor, in extending the real estate boom in the United States.† 2. â€Å"Talk of a name change has struck some political observers as not only a merely cosmetic, but also as a pointless gesture.† As with the previous example, this sentence lacks a correctly framed interjection â€Å"but also as a pointless† must be set off from the rest of the sentence: â€Å"Talk of a name change has struck some political observers as . . . a merely cosmetic gesture.† (The ellipsis marks the omission of â€Å"not only,† which as part of the â€Å"not only . . . but also† comparative device is technically a part of the interjection.) The corrected sentence should read, â€Å"Talk of a name change has struck some political observers as not only a merely cosmetic, but also a pointless, gesture.† (Note the omission of the second instance of as.) Better yet, convert the interjection to a sentence-ending tag: â€Å"Talk of a name change has struck some political observers as not only a merely cosmetic gesture but also a pointless one.† 3. â€Å"He could have, but he didn’t, press for a clear, bilateral agreement on immigration.† Use the interjection-omission test described above to analyze this sentence’s problem: Without the (correctly punctuated) interjection, the sentence erroneously reads â€Å"He could have press for a clear, bilateral agreement on immigration.† A hypercorrection featuring logical correspondence at the expense of readability is â€Å"He could have pressed, but he didn’t press, for a clear, bilateral agreement on immigration.† As with the previous example, the sentence is best repaired by moving the interjection to the end of the sentence: â€Å"He could have pressed for a clear, bilateral agreement on immigration, but he didn’t.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Math or Maths?â€Å"As Well As† Does Not Mean â€Å"And†While vs. Whilst

Gender As A Socially Constructed Accomplishment1 essays

Gender As A Socially Constructed Accomplishment1 essays Gender As A Socially Constructed Accomplishment Gender is a very strange topic in todays society. Many people dont know what to do with people who are transvestites or transsexuals and they often times hate them because they are different. People always think that there can only be two types of gender: masculine and feminine. People also feel that these genders most always correspond to a persons sex. So if the person is a male, then most people wouldnt accept that person into society if they acted feminine. For human beings there is no essential femaleness and maleness, femininity or masculinity, womanhood, or manhood, but once gender is ascribed, the social order constructs and holds individuals to strongly gendered norms and expectations. Individuals may vary on many of the components of gender any may shift genders temporarily or permanently, but they must fit into the limited number of gender statuses their society recognizes. (Lorber, Night To His Day: The Social Construction of Gender, For Individuals, Gender Means Sameness, Page 463) ...a defining feature of reality construction is to see our world as being the only possible one. (Kessler Many people dont realize that gender is a socially constructed accomplishment. People make up methods in their heads about ways that people should be and if one doesnt act they way the other person deems that one should, then they do not fit into that persons reality. Every society classifies people as girl and boy children... (Lorber, Night To His Day: The Social Construction of Gender, Page 460) People always try to guess what gender a person is. If one doesnt know and is unsure of anothers gender than they keep on looking at them trying to find clues on about that persons g...

NBA vs. Owners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

NBA vs. Owners - Essay Example For instance, in 2009 he paid $2.73 in fines to the federal government to settle claims that were placed on him regarding discrimination towards the African Americans and Latinos. Donald Sterling has also been sued in the past by his own 22-year manger on claims of harassment, discrimination, as well as wrongful termination. This case becomes a moral issue because the recording that Donald Sterling has been accused of was released to the press illegally and his conversation was recorded without his consent. This has led to Sterling claiming that his rights were violated. The image conscious NBA has several options that can be taken against the billionaire who has since maintained that he is not racist. This issue becomes more confusing because Donald Sterling has been involved in initiatives to support the minority groups. However, one of his own managers has maintained that he does something expecting to benefit in another way. For instance, helping the minorities and having a girlf riend from a minority group would be effective in showing that he is not racist and in improving his own image. Although the NBA has a clear constitution, several changes should be incorporated in it to ensure that firm actions are taken against individuals who make racist remarks. Due to the evil that is involved in racism, NBA should punish such individuals as Donald Sterling accordingly to ensure that such instances do not occur again in the future and to ensure equality in the American society. Preventing a re-occurrence of the same in the league, NBA should monitor the behavior of the team owners, create an environment that advocates for equality, react immediately to racist behaviors, and enforce racism cases regarding the league in the U.S constitution. The NBA should monitor the behavior of the team owners as well as their actions so as to ensure that actions that may tarnish the name of the organization and the image of