Clear and Logical Construction

1. Clear and Logical Construction Section 21

2. Clarity • Don’t omit words that are necessary for clarity

3. Verbs • Don’t omit a necessary verb • Examples: • They thought they could do what no one ever had before. • Is this sentence clear? • No, it needs a verb; do can’t serve both helping verbs • They thought they could do what no one had ever done before. • Is this sentence clear? • Yes, it is • I have not and probably never will visit Europe. • Is this sentence clear? • No. Visit can’t serve both helping verbs • I have not visited and probably never will visit Europe. • Is this sentence clear? • Yes

4. Articles • Don’t omit necessary articles (a, an, or the) • Examples: • Our neighbor has a black and white dog. • Is this sentence clear? • No, because the neighbor owns two dogs not a single black and white one • Our neighbor has a black and a white dog. • Is this sentence clear? • Yes, it’s talking about two separate dogs • They built a field house and administration building. • Clear? • No, because there is no distinction between separate buildings • They built a filed house and an administration building. • Clear? • Yes, because I said so

5. Prepositions and Conjunctions • Don’t omit necessary prepositions and conjunctions • Examples: • We have great confidence and respect for our President. • Clear? • Nope…you knew that was going to be the answer…now tell me why it’s not clear? • We have great confidence in and respect for our President. • Clear? • Yup! • Do not imagine things will automatically correct themselves. • Clear? • No • Do not imagine that things will automatically correct themselves. • Clear? • As mud…I mean…yes

6. Comparisons • Don’t omit words necessary to complete an alternate comparison • Examples: • Your suggestion was as good, if not better, than mine. • Clear? • Absolutely…not • The first part of the comparison is not complete • The sentence reads “…was as good…than mine.” • Your suggestion was as good as, if not better than, mine. OR • Your suggestion was as good as mine, if not better. • Clear? • Better be…or else

7. Comparison • Another example: (because I’m afraid you don’t understand) • Gabe is one of the tallest if not the tallest man in college basketball. • Clear? • You should know the routine by this slide • Gabe is one of the tallest men in college basketball, if not the tallest. • Clear? • Just nod yes and make me happy

8. Non sequiturs • Don’t write non sequiturs • What is a non sequitur you ask? • It’s a Latin phrase that means “it does not follow” • So, that means it’s a statement that has no logical connection with the rest of the sentence • That means…don’t write them! • Let me give you an example: • Born in Milan, Ohio, in 1847, Thomas Edison became a famous inventor. • That right there is a non sequitur…can anyone tell me why? • Anyone???? • It doesn’t logically follow that if you’re born in Milan, Ohio, you’ll become a famous inventor

9. Non sequiturs • How about this? • A handsome young man and well liked by all his friends, Caleb Brown was fatally injured in a car accident today. • Why is this a non sequitur? • Because it does not follow that if you’re handsome and well liked, that you’ll have a fatal accident • So, the important part: • To correct a non sequiturs put it with information to which it is logically related or remove it altogether