SENTENCE STRUCTURE: COMMON ERRORS

There are about 40 errors in English. 10 are common in any writing and another 10 are common in business writing. If your writing is free of the errors below it is probably sound.

COMMON ERROR 1.: MISRELATED PARTICIPLE
Participles can be troublesome when they work as adjectives but do not immediately go before the noun they relate to. When a phrase begins with a participle e.g. having in having left the country, the participle must link with the nearest noun or pronoun outside the phrase.

WRONG
Having left the country, it is obvious that Andy will not be attending the seminar this Saturday.
RIGHT
Having left the country, Andy will obviously not be attending the seminar this Saturday.
ALSO RIGHT
Since he has left the country, it is obvious that Andy will not be attending the seminar this Saturday.

A comic example from the 19th century will help you remember the pattern:
WRONG
Peeping over the graveyard wall, the headstone was seen by us all.
RIGHT
Peeping over the graveyard wall, we all saw the headstone.
ALSO RIGHT
When we peeped over the graveyard wall, we all saw the headstone.

To correct a misrelated participle, use 1 of 2 strategies:

a. Ensure that the nearest noun or pronoun outside the construction, which usually means straight after the comma, links naturally with the participle, as in the first correct example (above). WE are the ones peeping.

OR

b. Change the participle so that it is a complete verb instead of part of one as in the 2nd correct example (above). “Peeping” is incomplete but “When we peeped” is complete.