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Following, are some common prepositional pairs.
either...or (I like either yellow or blue.)
neither...nor (I want neither hamburgers nor chicken.)
between...and (The argument is between Richard and me.)
Note: either, or, neither, between, and and can all be used alone, but nor cannot be used alone.
prefer...to (I prefer a day at the spa to a night at the movies.)
no sooner...than (No sooner had I made the reservation than he called canceling our date.)
the reason...is that (The reason Zach cannot have a dog is that he is allergic to fur.)
whether...or (I was debating whether to wear the red dress or the blue one.)
not only...but also (She not only does not want to take chemistry, but also does not want to take economics.)
as...as (She is as fortunate as her sister.)
Let’s try it out:
She makes her assistant grade her students’ papers so that she is not prevented to go home early.
Ask: Are you prevented to go somewhere? No, you are prevented from going somewhere.
Revised sentence: She makes her assistant grade her students’ papers so that she is not prevented from going
home early.
Remember the gerund infinitive switch? All you need is to spot is the infinitive
(to go) and check to see if it should be a gerund (from going).
Rule #8: Unclear Comparisons .............................................................
How to Find: Look for the tip-off words than, like, or as.
How to Fix: Insert that of or those of to make the comparison clear.
Comparisons are one of the most difficult errors to spot. The following is a simplistic version of an Unclear
Comparison error: His shirt was redder than her.
Step 1: Spot the “er” word (redder) followed by our tip-off word (than).
Step 2: Ask: What is this sentence comparing? It is supposed to be comparing his shirt to her shirt, but as
written the sentence is comparing his shirt to her (the person), which is not a legit comparison.
Revised sentence: His shirt was redder than her shirt.