Mixed constructions occur when sentence parts don’t logically fit together (Langan & Goldstein, 2011, p. 201). They can be corrected by either turning the first part of the sentence into a subject or turning the second part of the sentence into a complete thought.
Examples:
Mixed: By running four times a week helped me get ready for the marathon.
Fixed: Running four times a week helped me get ready for the marathon.
Mixed: Just because you did your chores does not automatically give you permission to play with your friends.
Fixed: Just because you did your chores, you do not automatically get permission to play with your friends.
These groups of words lead to mixed constructions:
- is when
- is where
- reason is because
Because is and other “being” verbs are linking verbs, they must be followed by a noun not words like where, when, and because (Langan & Goldstein, 2011, p. 201).
Teaching Resources:
This video begins by reviewing basic sentence structure. Lots of examples and color coding are provided to make concepts clearer. Mixed constructions are introduced around the three minute mark. The speaker talks very clearly and slowly. This video would be most appropriate middle or high school students.
Walden University’s writing center produced this video. It is short, but provides many examples. It would be most appropriate for high school age students or even college students.
At this link, you’ll find a self-paced interactive lesson students can complete independently. Again, the target audience is a bit older, as the lesson was created by a college writing center.
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