Mixed Constructions

Phrases and Clauses

Sentence Construction
 Mixed Constructions

 Mixed constructions occur when sentences or phrases combine

incompatible grammatical structures, leading to ambiguity or
confusion.

 This often happens when clauses, phrases, or ideas are

improperly fused together.
 Common Types of Mixed
Constructions:
 Mixed Comparisons: Combining different comparison forms, like mixing “more” with
“than” inappropriately.
 Incorrect: “She is more talented than her brother.”
 Correct: “She is more talented than her brother is.”
 If she were more careful, she would have passed the exam.
 "If she had been more careful, she would have passed the exam.
 Mixed Conditionals: Mixing conditional structures that don’t align in meaning or
tense.
 Incorrect: “If I had known about the meeting, I would be there now.”
 Correct: “If I had known about the meeting, I would have been there.”
 Mixed Modifiers: Combining modifiers or phrases in a way that confuses the
meaning.
 Incorrect: “Hoping to finish the project, the deadline is tight.”
 Examples

 Her cooking is as good, if not better than, any chef in town.

 If you would have told me earlier, I would be prepared now.
 The reason I didn’t attend the meeting is because I was sick.
 Driving through the mountains, the scenery was beautiful.
 To bake a cake, precision in measuring ingredients is important
and that you follow the instructions.
 Correct:
 Her cooking is as good as, if not better than, any chef's in town.
 If you had told me earlier, I would be prepared now.
or
If you had told me earlier, I would have been prepared.
 The reason I didn’t attend the meeting is that I was sick.
or
I didn’t attend the meeting because I was sick.
 As I was driving through the mountains, I saw that the scenery was beautiful.
 To bake a cake, it’s important to measure the ingredients precisely and to
follow the instructions.
 Concept of Phrase & Clause
Phrase: Clause:
 A phrase is a group of words •A clause is a group of words that
that work together as a unit but
do not contain both a subject
contain both a subject and a verb.
and a verb. It can express a complete thought
 Example: “in the park” (independent clause) or an
(prepositional phrase), “the big incomplete thought
dog” (noun phrase). (dependent/subordinate clause).

•Example: “She went home”

(independent clause), “because she
was tired” (dependent clause).
 Types of Phrases
 1. Noun Phrase (NP):
A noun and its modifiers that act as a subject, object, or complement.
Example: "The large, hungry cat sat on the windowsill."
 2. Verb Phrase (VP):
A verb and its modifiers, including auxiliaries and objects.
Example: "She has been reading all day."
 3. Adjective Phrase (AdjP):
An adjective and its modifiers, describing a noun.
Example: "The house on the corner is quite beautiful."
 4. Adverb Phrase (AdvP):
An adverb and its modifiers, describing a verb, adjective, or other adverbs.
Example: "She spoke very softly."
 5. Prepositional Phrase (PP):
A preposition and its object (noun/pronoun) with modifiers, functioning as an
adjective or adverb.
Example: "The book on the table is mine."
 Types of Clauses
 1. Independent Clause:
A complete thought with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a sentence.
Example: "He enjoys reading."
 2. Dependent (Subordinate) Clause:
Contains a subject and verb but cannot stand alone because it does not express a complete thought.
Example: "Although he enjoys reading..."
 Dependent clauses can be further classified into:
 Adjective Clauses: Modify nouns and start with relative pronouns (who, which, that).
Example: "The book that you lent me is interesting.“
The girl who sits next to me in class is my best friend.
I saw the movie which won the award for best picture.
 Adverb Clauses:
Modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and start with subordinating conjunctions (because, although, if,
when).
Example: "I will call you when I get home."
 Noun Clauses:
Act as a noun and can be a subject, object, or complement.
Example: "What she said was surprising.“
What he did shocked everyone
 Sentence Construction & Types of
 1. Simple Sentences: Sentences
Consist of one independent clause.
Example: "She reads every day."
Structure: Subject + Verb (+ Object/Complement)
 2. Compound Sentences:
Contain two or more independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet,
so) or a semicolon.
Example: "She reads every day, and she enjoys it."
 3. Complex Sentences:
Consist of one independent clause and one or more dependent (subordinate) clauses.
Example: "She reads every day because it helps her relax.“
Although she studied all night, she still didn’t pass the test.
 4. Compound-Complex Sentences:
Contain at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
Independent Clause 1 + Coordinating Conjunction + Independent Clause 2
Example: "She reads every day because it helps her relax, and she often reads before bed.“