Mixed Constructions: According to Writing from A to Z, mixed constructions occur when "the writer starts a sentence with one kind of structure in mind . . . but . . . unintentionally switches to another structure." The most commonly occurring example for UCI student writers looks something like this one,

        In George Orwell's Politics and the English Language, he advises writers to "avoid passive voice whenever possible."

Who is this "he"? Probaby Orwell, but there is nothing in the grammar of the sentence that guarantees that. In fact, the example mixes two possible sentences,

        Structure #1: George Orwell's Politics and the English Language advises writers to "avoid passive voice whenever
                                possible." [The unclear "he" has been eliminated and the essay itself is now the subject of the sentence.]

        Structure #2: In Politics and the English Language, George Orwell  advises writers to "avoid passive voice whenever
                                possible." [The unclear "he" has been replaced by "George Orwell.]

The way to fix mixed constructions is to decide what constructions have been mixed in the first place and choose between them.

 RETURN TO GRAMMAR CHECKLIST