Mixed Constructions A mixed construction contains sentence parts

Mixed Constructions

A mixed construction contains sentence parts that do not sensibly fit together. The mismatch may be a matter of grammar or of logic. MIXED For most drivers who have a blood alcohol level of. 05 percent double their risk of causing an accident. REVISED Most drivers who have a blood alcohol level of. 05 percent double their risk of causing an accident. Hacker and Sommers

Occasionally a mixed construction is so tangled that it defies grammatical analysis. When this happens, back away from the sen tence, rethink what you want to say, and then rewrite the sentence. MIXED In the whole-word method, children learn to recognize entire words rather than by the phonics method in which they learn to sound out and groups of letters REVISED The whole-word method teaches children to recognize entire words; the phonics method teaches them to sound out letters and groups of letters. Hacker and Sommers

The subject and the verb and its modifiers should make sense together; when they don't, the error is known as faulty predication. MIXED We decided that Tiffany’s welfare would not be safe living with her mother. REVISED We decided that Tiffany would not be safe living with her mother. Hacker and Sommers

In formal English, readers sometimes object to is when, is where, and reason. . . is because constructions on grammatical or logical grounds. MIXED The reason the experiment failed is because conditions in the lab were not sterile. REVISED The experiment failed because conditions in the lab were not sterile. Hacker and Sommers

Work Cited Hacker, Diana and Nancy Sommers. “Mixed Constructions. ” A Writer’s Reference. 7 th ed. , Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.