dialogue rules, parallel structure, verbals, phrases, and participle problems
We’ll cover all five topics with:
A simple explanation
Easy examples
Tricks to remember the rules
A practice test at the end
1.Dialoguerules
Dialogue is when a character speaks. The words sp]] oken aloud go inside quotation marks.
Themainrules
Rule 1: Use quotation marks aroundspoken words.
Correct: She said, “I am ready.”
Incorrect: She said, I am ready.
Rule 2: Put commas in the right place.
When the speaker tag comes first:
She said, “Let's go!”
When the speaker tag comes after:
“Let's go!” she said.
Notice that the exclamation point staysinside the quotation marks.
Rule 3: Start a new paragraph whena different person speaks.
“Where are you going?” Maya asked.
“To the library,” Jordan replied.
Rule 4: Capitalize the beginning of a directquotation when it is a complete sentence.
Dad said, “Finish your homework.”
If a quotation is only a fragment withina sentence, capitalization dependson how it fitsinto that sentence.
Easy trick: Quotation marks show exactly whatsomeone says. Keep commas and periods insidetheclosing quotation marks in standardAmerican English.
2.Parallelstructure
Parallel structure means using the samegrammatical pattern for items in a list orconnected ideas.
Think: Make the parts match!
Incorrect
She likes dancing, singing, and to swim.
Correct
She likes dancing, singing, and swimming.
All three items use the same -ing form.
Incorrect
He is smart, funny, and works hard.
Correct
He is smart, funny, and hardworking.
All three descriptions are adjectives.
Whatshouldmatch?
If the first item is… | Make the other items… |
|---|---|
Running | Jumping, swimming |
To read | To write, to study |
A noun | Other nouns |
An adjective | Other adjectives |
Examples:
Incorrect: I want to sleep, eating, and to relax.
Correct: I want to sleep, to eat, and to relax.
Correct: I want sleeping, eating, and relaxing.(With a suitable sentence structure.)
Easy trick: Look at a list and ask, “Do all theitems match?”
3.Verbals
A verbal is a word made from a verb that actsas a different part of speech instead of servingasthe main verb of the sentence.
There are three main types you should know.
A. Gerund = acts like a noun
Usually ends in -ing.
Example: Swimming is fun.
Ask: What is fun? Swimming.
Swimming is the subject ofthe sentence, so it is a gerund.
B. Participle = acts like an adjective
Often ends in -ing or -ed, butcan take other forms.
Example: The barking dogwoke me up.
Barking describes the dog,so it is a participle.
C. Infinitive = to + base verb
Example: I want to learn.
The phrase “to learn” is aninfinitive. Infinitives can act asnouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
Thebiggestverbaltrick
The same word ending can do different jobs!
Running is my favorite activity. → Gerund (noun)
The running water was cold. →Participle (adjective)
I am running home. → Part of the verb phrase(main verb with helping verb “am”), nota gerundor participle acting separately.
Remember:
Gerund = noun
Participle = adjective
Infinitive = to + verb
4.Phrases
A phrase is a group of words that works togetherbut does not contain a complete subject-and-verb combination expressing a complete thought.
There are several kinds, but these are especiallyimportant for your topics.
Themainphrasetypes
A. Prepositional phrase
Starts with a preposition, such as in, on,under, beside, after, or during.
Example: The book on the table is mine.
“On the table” tells where the book is.
B. Gerund phrase
Starts with a gerund (-ing word acting asa noun) and can include other words.
Example: Reading mystery novels is relaxing.
The whole phrase is the subject of the sentence.
C. Participial phrase
Starts with a participle and describes anoun or pronoun.
Example: Exhausted from practice, theplayer went home.
The phrase describes the player.
D. Infinitive phrase
Starts with “to” plus a verb and can includeother words.
Example: I studied to pass the test.
The phrase explains why I studied.
E. Appositive phrase
Renames or explains a noun.
Example: My friend, a talented artist, paintedthe mural.
“A talented artist” tells us more about my friend.
Phrasevs.clause
This is a common test question!
Phrase: under the bed
Clause: the cat slept
Complete sentence: The cat slept underthe bed.
A clause contains a subject and a verb. Anindependent clause can stand alone as acomplete sentence.
Easy trick: If the group of words has no subject-and-verb combination, it is usually a phrase.Becareful: some phrases contain verb forms, suchas “running down the street,” without havingacomplete subject-and-finite-verb combination.
5.Participleproblems
This is probably the trickiest topic, but it getsmuch easier once you know what to look for.
A participle is a verb form acting as an adjective.A participial phrase is a participle plusitsrelated words.
ProblemA:Danglingparticiple
A dangling participle happens when the phrasedescribes something that is not actually namedordoes not make sense as the thing being described.
Incorrect
Walking into the classroom, the bell rang.
Who was walking into the classroom? Thesentence seems to say the bell was walking!
Correct
Walking into the classroom, I heard thebell ring.
Now “walking into the classroom” describes “I.”
Test trick: Ask, “Who is doing the action inthe opening phrase?” Make sure that personor thingappears right after the phrase.
ProblemB:Misplacedparticiple
A misplaced participle is placed too far from thenoun it describes, making the sentence confusing.
Incorrect
The girl saw a puppy driving home.
This sounds like the puppy was driving!
Correct
Driving home, the girl saw a puppy.
Now the phrase clearly describes the girl.
Test trick: Put the descriptive phrase as closeas possible to the noun it describes.
ProblemC:Confusingaparticiplewithagerund
Both can end in -ing, so look at the job theword performs.
Sentence | Correctidentification | Why? |
|---|---|---|
Dancing is fun. | Gerund | Dancing acts as a noun. |
The dancingstudentssmiled. | Participle | Dancing describesstudents. |
The studentsare dancing. | Verb phrase | Are dancing tells whatthe students are doing |
PRACTICE TEST
Write 2 lines of dialogue between two people.Use quotation marks, correct punctuation, anda new paragraphwhen the speaker changes.
2. Parallel structure
Write one sentence listing 3 things you enjoydoing. Make all 3 activities match grammatically.
3. Gerund
Write a sentence that begins with a gerundacting as the subject. (Example pattern:Swimming is...)
4. Participle
Write a sentence using a participle to describe anoun. (Example pattern: The _____ dog barked.)
5. Infinitive phrase
Write a sentence using an infinitive phraseto explain a purpose or goal. (Examplepattern: I studied to...)
6. Prepositional phrase
Write a sentence that includes a prepositionalphrase telling where something is.
7. Participial phrase
Write a sentence that starts with a participialphrase and clearly describes the personor thing immediately after it.
8. Fix a dangling participle
Rewrite this sentence so the person doingthe action is clear: “Running down thehallway, the backpack fell open.”
9. Appositive phrase
Write a sentence with an appositive phrasethat renames a person or thing. (Examplepattern: My friend, a talentedartist, ...)
10. Challenge: use 2 concepts
Write one sentence that uses parallel structureAND an infinitive phrase.