The document provides guidance on avoiding shifts and mixed constructions when writing. It discusses avoiding shifts in person, number, tense, mood, voice, subject, and between direct and indirect quotes. Mixed constructions should also be revised for clarity. Illogical constructions and faulty predication should be avoided or corrected through careful proofreading. Maintaining consistency in these areas keeps writing clear and easy for readers to understand.

1. Eliminating Shifts and
Mixed Constructions
Keeping your passengers
comfortable

2. Keeping your writing on
the road…
• Good writers avoid anything that makes
the audience stop reading (or go back and
re-read)
– Shifts in person and number
– Shifts in tense
– Shifts in mood
– Shifts in voice and subject
– Shifts between direct and indirect quotes
– Mixed constructions
– Illogical constructions
– Faulty predication (ooh—that sounds horrible!)

3. Shifts in Person and
Number
• Person-occurs when pronouns are used
Person
in sentences about groups or
unidentified people. (pronoun antecedent
agreement)
– When the researchers mixed the two
chemicals, you saw a surprising reaction.
– When the researchers mixed the two
chemicals, they saw a surprising reaction.

4. Shifts in Person and
Number
• Person-Some writers shift from the
Person
third person (he, she, it, one, they) to
the second person.
– With the cost of prescription drugs
spiraling upward, you can see that
regulation of the drug companies is
inevitable.
– With the cost of prescription drugs
spiraling upward, one can see that
regulation of the drug companies is
inevitable.

5. Shifts in Person and
Number
• Number shifts occur often when
trying to avoid gender issues or when
using indefinite pronouns.
– Every employee sets their own pace.
– Every employee sets his or her own pace.
– Each has their duty.
– Each has his or her duty.
• Each has a duty.

6. Shifts in Tense
• Tense places the action of the verb in
time.
• Maintain an overall sense of tense ()
– When the letter arrived, it says nothing
about the contract.
• When discussing literature or art, use
the present tense.
– In The Glass Menagerie, Tom realizes how
trapped he is after the Gentleman Caller
departs.

7. Shifts in Mood
• When writing commands (imperative
mood) and using the “you” understood
subject—don’t shift back to indicative.
(just read the following sentence)
– First, cover your work surface with paper,
and then you make sure your materials are
within reach.
– First, cover your work surface with paper,
and then make sure your materials are
within reach.
• Second IC is also “you” understood

8. Shifts in Voice and
Subject
• Voice is either active or passive.
– If the subject does it, it’s active.
– If the subject is acted upon, it’s passive.
• If a sentence has 2 verbs that share
the same subject, it’s okay to shift
voice (I know, we’re supposed to avoid it…)
– The students completed the project first
and were awarded the prize.
• Completed is active, were awarded is passive—
but since the one subject is students, it works.

9. Shifts in Voice and
Subject
• Avoid shifting from active to passive
(or vice versa) if it requires a subject
change.
– As we peered out of the tent, the waning
moon was seen through the trees.
• Peered is active-subject we
• Was seen is passive—subject the moon
• This is also a dangling modifier. (re-write
sentence)
– As we peered out of the tent, we saw the
waning moon through the trees.

10. Shifts between Direct
and Indirect Quotes
• Careful use of quotation marks clarifies
statements for the reader.
– Direct quote—it came out of someone’s mouth
just that way
– He insisted that he loved his wife and cried,
“Why did she leave me?”

11. Shifts between Direct
and Indirect Quotes
• Indirect quote—repeating something
that was said.
– He insisted that he loved his wife and
wondered why she had to leave him.him

12. Shifts between Direct
and Indirect Quotes
• Consider the following:
– Dr. Ryan claims that the play was
composed before 1600 and that it was
written by the hand of Shakespeare.
– Dr. Ryan claims that the play was
composed before 1600 and that it “shows
the clear hand of Shakespeare.”
– Dr. Ryan claims that the play was
composed before 1600. He says, “It shows
the clear hand of Shakespeare.”

13. Mixed Constructions
Revise for Clarity
• A sentence that begins one way and
then takes a turn in another way is a
mixed construction:
– By listening closely and paying attention to
nonverbal signals helps a doctor make a
better diagnosis.
• By listening closely is a prep phrase-can’t be a
subject
• Revised: Listening closely and paying attention
to nonverbal signals helps a doctor make a
better diagnosis.

14. Mixed Constructions
Revise for Clarity
• Clauses and other phrases are often
misused as a subject.
– Because the doctor is an expert does
not mean a patient shouldn’t get a
second opinion.
• Because the doctor is an expert is a
subordinate clause—can’t be the subject
• Revised: The doctor’s status as an expert
does not mean a patient shouldn’t get a
second opinion.

15. Mixed Constructions
Revise for Clarity
• Mixed constructions can happen with
verbs, too. Main verbs of the sentence
can’t be in verbal phrases or
subordinate clauses.
– The fact that most patients are afraid to
ask questions which gives doctors complete
control.
• The verb give is in the sub-clause although it’s
the main verb in the sentence.
• Revised: The fact that most patients are afraid
to ask questions gives doctors complete control.

16. Illogical Constructions
Revise for Clarity
• Things that make your reader say, “Hmmm, I
wonder what that is supposed to mean.”
– The opinion of most people believe that dogs are
better pets than cats.
• Revised: Most people believe that dogs are better pets than
cats.
– Repeat offenders whose licenses have already been
suspended for drunk driving will be revoked.
• Revised: Repeat offenders whose licenses have already been
suspended for drunk driving will have their licenses revoked.
– CAREFUL PROOFREADING SHOULD CATCH THESE!

17. Faulty Predication
• Don’t use a clause beginning with when,
where or because after a linking verb.
– Pop art is where an artist reproduces
images from commercial products.
• Revised: Pop art is based on images from
commercial products.
– Sudden death overtime is when the game is
extended until one team scores.
• Revised: In sudden-death overtime, the game is
extended until one team scores.

18. Faulty Predication
• This is a tricky one: “The reason … is”
often becomes faulty because writers
don’t make both parts of the sentence
match up. (can’t use “reason is because”)
– The reason little has been done to solve the
problem is because Congress is deadlocked.
• Revised: Little has been done to solve the
problem because Congress is deadlocked.
» OR
• The reason little has been done to solve the
problem is that Congress is deadlocked.