Introduction

A very short but very nice time for a true relation with our friends or love ones; "Hurt me with the truth, but never comfort me with a lie".

I am Dannah Grace Lacro, 17 years of age, and i was born on April 4, 1994 in Poblacion Surrallah, Surrallah South Cotabato. When gratuated my Primary education at Centrala Central Elementary School in Surallah South Cotabato. I graduated also my Secondary education at Edward's High School in T'boli South Cotabato. A youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Norberto Lacro Sr. I like watching TV and reading books. My favorite color is white and black. I decided to took up Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurial Management because I want to become a successful one in terms of business. I also desire to achieve my dreams and something outstanding that i can be proud of. I don't like people that is noisy and self fish. I  have an  ideal man but he doesn't exist right now. For now i want to focus in my studies and very lucky of  who i am right now. As a student and a daughter i always doing my obligations to my family, friends and in my community.  

I. The Isles of My Portfolio in English 121 (Writing in the Discipline)

Chapter 1 - Avoiding Sentence Errors

How to avoid sentence errors

There are two types of sentence error:
1 Writing an incomplete sentence, i.e. one that does not contain a subject
or a finite verb, or does not express a complete idea.
2 Writing two or more sentences with only a comma between them.
The most common error of sentence structure is joining two or more sentences
together with only a comma between them. People seem to do this less often
when the subjects of the sentences are different than when they are the
same. Fewer people would write:
• The client ran down the road, the supervisor ate a doughnut.
than
• He ran down the road, he was in a hurry.
A moment’s thought will show that the structure of both these ‘sentences’ is
identical and, if one is wrong, both are wrong.
1 The client ran down the road,
2 The supervisor ate a doughnut.
3 He ran down the road.
4 He was in a hurry.
These mistakes happen because the writer feels that the sentences are too
short and that, as they belong together in meaning, they ought to be joined.
This may be true, but using a comma is not the way to do it.
Let us look again at the faulty construction:
• He ran down the road, he was in a hurry.
There are four ways of putting this right:
1 He ran down the road. He was in a hurry.
2 He ran down the road; he was in a hurry.
3 He ran down the road because he was in a hurry.
4 Being in a hurry, he ran down the road.

Chapter 2 - Levels of Usage

I tend to use a formal level of usage, and only occasionally dip into a conversational level of usage. In general I use a formal level of usage for everyday conversation, but there are those days that I just use whatever level of usage that comes out. Whether it be formal, conversational, intimate, or any other level. Most times the meanings of what I say and write are literal to the word's themselves, and not have alternate meanings. As well as with my usage, there are some times in which I use double-meanings, alternate connotations, and figurative language. It just depends on how I feel that day, and who I'm dealing with.

Chapter 3 - Verb Usage

A common error that appears in the writing of UTEP students is verb tense usage.  A common mistake is to switch tense throughout one’s essay, sometimes using a present form while using a past form at other points.  This is complicated by the fact that different citation styles have different rules for verb usage, with MLA preferring present tense (i.e. Daniels says) and APA preferring past tense (i.e. Daniels said).  It is important to be consistent throughout your writing projects by using the same tense throughout.  

Another common mistake in verb usage is subject-verb agreement. Singular verbs must be used with singular subjects, and plural verbs must be used with plural subjects. First-person verbs must be used with first-person pronoun subjects (I, we), second-person verbs must be used with second-person pronoun subjects (you), and third-person verbs must be used with third-person subjects (she, he, it, or they).

MLA and APA style reference research using different verb tenses.  You are likely most familiar with an MLA reference, which might look like this:

Norton argues that the deep sea sawtooth is the most dangerous fish in the world.

With APA style, which you will be using in 1311 and 1312, you can use the past or present perfect to reference research.  According to the APA Manual, “Use the past tense to express an action or a condition that occurred at a specific, definite time in the past, as when discussing another researcher’s work and when reporting your results” (p. 78).  Here is an example of a past tense citation:

Norton (2003) argued that the deep sea sawtooth is the most dangerous fish in the world.

Similarly, the APA Manual states, “Use the present perfect tense to express a past action or condition that did not occur at a specific, definite time or to describe an action beginning tin the past and continuing to the present” (p. 78).

Since that time, several investigators have used this method.The present perfect is also used to reference previous research, like in the following example:

Norton (2003) has argued that the deep sea sawtooth is the most dangerous fish in the world.

The following chart shows a few sentences with verb errors, explains the problem, and provides corrections:

Chapter 4 - Pronoun Usage

WRITING STYLE TIPS
Nominative case pronouns are used ONLY as subjects or predicate nominatives. Objective case pronouns are used ONLY as direct objects, indirect objects, or objects of prepositions.
Note: An appositive pronoun is nominative case when the appositive renames a subject or a predicate nominative. An appositive pronoun is objective case when it renames a direct object, an indirect object or the object of a preposition.
EXAMPLES
The Queen and I had tea together.
          NOT
The Queen and me had tea together.

    Subject = I
             Use I because it is a nominative case pronoun.

King John and she were friends.
          NOT
King John and her were friends.

     Subject = she
              Use she because it is a nominative case pronoun.

The winner is she.
         NOT
The winner is her.

     Predicate nominative = she
              Use she because it is a nominative case pronoun.

The President gave him the Medal of Honor.

     Indirect object = him
              Use him because it is an objective case pronoun.

The police stopped them at the interstate exit.

     Direct object = them
              Use them because it is an objective case pronoun.

The little boy ate dinner with her.

     Object of the preposition = her
              Use her because it is an objective case pronoun.

Hint: When a pronoun functions as ANY sort of object in a sentence, always use the objective case.
Usage tips for indefinite pronouns:

Verbs must agree in number with pronoun subjects. Indefinite pronouns ending in “body” are always considered singular.

EXAMPLE    
 Everybody leaves at the same time.
        NOT
 Everybody leave at the same time.

Often indefinite pronouns are followed by a (prepositional phrase). The verb must agree in number with the indefinite pronoun.

EXAMPLE    
Each of the books is on the shelf.
        NOT
Each of the books are on the shelf.

Other pronouns used with indefinite pronouns ending in “body” must be singular in number.

EXAMPLE     
Everybody needs his or her hat.
        NOT
Everybody needs their hat.
Exceptions: Some, all, any, none, most.  For these pronouns you must look at the (prepositional phrase) or the context to determine singular or plural.
EXAMPLES of the exceptions
            Some (of the pie) is gone.
            Some (of the girls) are gone.
            Most (of the pie) is gone.
            Most (of the girls) are gone.
WRITING STYLE TIPS
Note the use of the relative pronoun in the sentence to tell which to use.
To begin questions:

Who are those Montagues?
Whom did Tybalt slay?
Which books are the new ones?
Whose friends are the Smiths?
What are you doing?

To connect a [noun clause] or an {adjective clause} with an independent clause:

[Whoever wants help] should see the teacher tomorrow.
     [Noun clause] used as subject = [whoever wants help]

Be careful not to use demonstrative pronouns as nouns.

This book is a new one.		These friends are special.
NOT		NOT
This is a new one.		These are special.

WRITING STYLE TIPS
Only use reflexive pronouns to add emphasis (intensive pronouns) or to refer to the subject in the sentence.
EXAMPLE
For emphasis
It was Christopher Columbus /himself/ who led the ships across the ocean to the New World
         Pronoun of emphasis used as /appositive/= /himself/
George Washington chopped the cherry tree down (by himself).
         Pronoun referring to the subject and used as object of the preposition = himself
Reflexive pronouns are not used as subjects 

Mother and I are going to the mountains.
        NOT
Mother and myself are going to the mountains.

Hisself and theirselves are not legitimate reflexive pronouns. Anna and the King of Siam built a school (by themselves).
        NOT
Anna and the King of Siam built a school by theirselves.

Chapter 5 - Subject and Verb Agreement

See the section on Plurals for additional help with subject-verb agreement.

The indefinite pronouns anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody are always singular and, therefore, require singular verbs.

• Everyone has done his or her homework.
• Somebody has left her purse.

Some indefinite pronouns — such as all, some — are singular or plural depending on what they're referring to. (Is the thing referred to countable or not?) Be careful choosing a verb to accompany such pronouns.

• Some of the beads are missing.
• Some of the water is gone.

On the other hand, there is one indefinite pronoun, none, that can be either singular or plural; it often doesn't matter whether you use a singular or a plural verb — unless something else in the sentence determines its number. (Writers generally think of none as meaning not any and will choose a plural verb, as in "None of the engines are working," but when something else makes us regard none as meaning not one, we want a singular verb, as in "None of the food is fresh.")

• None of you claims responsibility for this incident?
• None of you claim responsibility for this incident?
• None of the students have done their homework. (In this last example, the word their precludes the use of the singular verb.

Some indefinite pronouns are particularly troublesome Everyone and everybody (listed above, also) certainly feel like more than one person and, therefore, students are sometimes tempted to use a plural verb with them. They are always singular, though. Each is often followed by a prepositional phrase ending in a plural word (Each of the cars), thus confusing the verb choice. Each, too, is always singular and requires a singular verb.

Everyone has finished his or her homework.

You would always say, "Everybody is here." This means that the word is singular and nothing will change that.

Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work in the library.

Don't let the word "students" confuse you; the subject is each and each is always singular — Each is responsible.

Phrases such as together with, as well as, and along with are not the same as and. The phrase introduced by as well as or along with will modify the earlier word (mayor in this case), but it does not compound the subjects (as the word and would do).

• The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison.
• The mayor and his brothers are going to jail.

The pronouns neither and either are singular and require singular verbs even though they seem to be referring, in a sense, to two things.

• Neither of the two traffic lights is working.
• Which shirt do you want for Christmas?
  Either is fine with me.

In informal writing, neither and either sometimes take a plural verb when these pronouns are followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with of. This is particularly true of interrogative constructions: "Have either of you two clowns read the assignment?" "Are either of you taking this seriously?" Burchfield calls this "a clash between notional and actual agreement."*

The conjunction or does not conjoin (as and does): when nor or or is used the subject closer to the verb determines the number of the verb. Whether the subject comes before or after the verb doesn't matter; the proximity determines the number.

• Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house.
• Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house.
• Are either my brothers or my father responsible?
• Is either my father or my brothers responsible?

Because a sentence like "Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house" sounds peculiar, it is probably a good idea to put the plural subject closer to the verb whenever that is possible.

The words there and here are never subjects.

• There are two reasons [plural subject] for this.
• There is no reason for this.
• Here are two apples.

With these constructions (called expletive constructions), the subject follows the verb but still determines the number of the verb.

Verbs in the present tense for third-person, singular subjects (he, she, it and anything those words can stand for) have s-endings. Other verbs do not add s-endings.

He loves and she loves and they love_ and . . . .

Sometimes modifiers will get betwen a subject and its verb, but these modifiers must not confuse the agreement between the subject and its verb.

The mayor, who has been convicted along with his four brothers on four counts of various crimes but who also seems, like a cat, to have several political lives, is finally going to jail.

Sometimes nouns take weird forms and can fool us into thinking they're plural when they're really singular and vice-versa. Consult the section on the Plural Forms of Nouns and the section on Collective Nouns for additional help. Words such as glasses, pants, pliers, and scissors are regarded as plural (and require plural verbs) unless they're preceded the phrase pair of (in which case the word pair becomes the subject).

• My glasses were on the bed.
• My pants were torn.
• A pair of plaid trousers is in the closet.

Some words end in -s and appear to be plural but are really singular and require singular verbs.

• The news from the front is bad.
• Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women.

On the other hand, some words ending in -s refer to a single thing but are nonetheless plural and require a plural verb.

• My assets were wiped out in the depression.
• The average worker's earnings have gone up dramatically.
• Our thanks go to the workers who supported the union.

The names of sports teams that do not end in "s" will take a plural verb: the Miami Heat have been looking … , The Connecticut Sun are hoping that new talent … . See the section on plurals for help with this problem.

Fractional expressions such as half of, a part of, a percentage of, a majority of are sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending on the meaning. (The same is true, of course, when all, any, more, most and some act as subjects.) Sums and products of mathematical processes are expressed as singular and require singular verbs. The expression "more than one" (oddly enough) takes a singular verb: "More than one student has tried this."

• Some of the voters are still angry.
• A large percentage of the older population is voting against her.
• Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle.
• Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by fire.
• Forty percent of the students are in favor of changing the policy.
• Forty percent of the student body is in favor of changing the policy.
• Two and two is four.
• Four times four divided by two is eight.

If your sentence compounds a positive and a negative subject and one is plural, the other singular, the verb should agree with the positive subject.

• The department members but not the chair have decided not to teach on Valentine's Day.
• It is not the faculty members but the president who decides this issue.
• It was the speaker, not his ideas, that has provoked the students to riot.