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GRAMMAR 20-21Subordination of too many parts of a sentence, however,can be just as confusing. Look at the following example:EXCESSIVE SUBORDINATION:Standing on the corner were many aliens who hadentered the country illegally, and most of whomhad applied for amnesty, and even moreimportant to them though, who had families backin Mexico or El Salvador who needed food andshelter.REVISED:Standing on the corner were many illegal aliens,most of whom had applied for amnesty. Evenmore important to them, though, was the fact thatthey had families needing food and shelter back inMexico or El Salvador.Notice how proper coordination and subordination helpsclarify a confusing stream of excessively entwined modifiers.You must also keep in mind the logic of subordination.What you choose to subordinate in a sentence has tomake sense to the reader. For example, the sentence "Suehappened to glance at the sky, amazed to see an enormousflying saucer hovering over the barn" gives greaterimportance to the fact that Sue glanced at the sky. Amore logical version of that sentence is, "Happening toglance at the sky, Sue was amazed to see an enormousflying saucer hovering over the barn."BACKWARD SUBORDINATION:She studied medicine with great intensity for fifteenyears, becoming a doctor.LOGICAL REVISION:She became a doctor, having studied medicinewith great intensity for fifteen years.BACKWARD SUBORDINATION:The pitcher momentarily let the runner on first basetake a wide lead, when he stole second.LOGICAL REVISION:The runner stole second when the pitchermomentarily let him take a wide lead.BACKWARD SUBORDINATION:He ran over with a fire extinguisher, saving thedriver's life.LOGICAL REVISION:Running over with a fire extinguisher, he saved thedriver's life.21 PREDICATION21A Predication refers to the process of joiningthe naming part of the sentence (thesubject) to the doing or describing part ofthe sentence (the predicate)21BSubjectPeopleCeliaPredicateare buying more fish.is a counselor.It is not likely that a writer or reader will have troublelinking the subjects and predicates of sentences as shortas these. It is in the use of longer, more detailed sentencesthat predication errors come about. Illogical predicationequates unlike constructions and ideas. Look at thefollowing incorrect examples.INCORRECT:By working at such technical plants as Lockheedand Bendix gives the engineering students insightinto what will be expected of them. [By workingdoes not give them insight; working does.)According to one authority, the ages of thirty toforty are subject to the most pressures concerningself-identity. [The ages are not subject to thepressures, but rather the people or those ages.)The sheer simplicity of frozen food may soonreplace home-cooked meals. [Simplicity will notreplace the meals; frozen food will, because of itssimplicity of preparation.)Paying bills on time causes many worries foryoung families. [Paying bills does not causeworries, but not paying them does.)Is when, is where, is becauseThe use of is when, is where, is because is always incorrect.The reason is simple: when, where, and becauseintroduce adverbial clauses; and a noun subject followedby a form of the verb to be must be equated with a nounstructure, not with an adverb clause.INCORRECT:Lepidopterology is where you study butterflies andmoths.CORRECT:Lepidopterology is the study of butterflies andmoths. (Here, the adverb clause where you study...has been changed to a subject complement:lepidopterology = study.)INCORRECT:The reason they won is because they had bettercoaching.CORRECT:ORThe reason they won is that they had bettercoaching. (The noun clause that they had bettercoaching equates with the noun reason.)They won because they had better coaching. (Theadverb clause modifies the verb won.)21C ParallelismParallel ideas in a sentence should be expressed in thesame grammatical form. If they are not, the sentence willbe unbalanced.34