STYLE IN WRITTEN ENGLISH

Participles As Adjective 

In English grammar, participial adjective is a traditional term for an adjective that has the same form as the participle (that is, a verb ending in -ing or -ed/-en) and that usually exhibits the ordinary properties of an adjective. Also called a verbal adjective or a deverbal adjective. In the text English Grammar: A University Course (2006), Downing and Locke use the term pseudo-participial adjective to characterize the "increasing number of adjectives [that] are coined by adding -ing or -ed not to verbs but to nouns." Examples include enterprising, neighboring, talented, and skilled.

 Comparative and superlative forms of participial adjectives are formed with more and most and with less and least--not with the endings -er and -est.

Examples

Some participles (like 'bored' or 'boring') can be used as adjectives. These are used in a slightly different way from normal adjectives. We usually use the past participle (ending in -ed) to talk about how someone feels:

• I was really bored during the flight (NOT: I was really boring during the flight).
• She's interested in history (NOT: She's really interesting in history).
• John's frightened of spiders (NOT: John's frightening of spiders).

We usually use the present participle (ending in -ing) to talk about the person, thing, or situation which has caused the feeling:

• It was such a long, boring flight (so I was bored).
• I read a really interesting book about history (so I was interested).
• Many people find spiders frightening (so they're frightened when they see spiders).

PARALEL CONTRUCTION

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of joining words that we frequently use to connect two ideas together in a sentence. In this lesson, we will define what a correlative conjunction is, learn the most commonly used correlative conjunctions, and discover rules for using them in sentences

The most commonly used correlative conjunction pairs are:

• both...and
• either...or
• neither...nor
• not only...but also
• whether...or

Example

·  I want either the cheesecake or the frozen hot chocolate.

·  I’ll have both the cheesecake and the frozen hot chocolate.

·  I didn’t know whether you’d want the cheesecake or the frozen hot chocolate, so I got you both.

·  Oh, you want neither the cheesecake nor the frozen hot chocolate? No problem.

·  I’ll eat them both - not only the cheesecake but also the frozen hot chocolate.

·   I see you’re in the mood not for dessert but appetizers. I’ll help you with those too.

Redundancy

means superfluity or using words unnecessarily or using words for a second time. 

Example-1: 

• If all of us cooperate together, we will succeed. 

In this sentence, the words cooperate and together have been used. But both these words convey the same meaning. 

One of the two words should be dropped in order to make the sentence a correct one. 

• If all of us cooperate, we will succeed. 
• If all of us work together, we will succeed. 

Both these sentences are correct ones. 

Example-2: 

• The accused was guilty of false misstatement. 

This sentence uses false and misstatement whereas both these words convey the same meaning. 

The correct sentence is: 

• The accused was guilty of misstatement.