Worksheet: Identifying Grammatical Elements of the Plan

Below are several idea plans that may be familiar to you because they were used in Competitive Communication to illustrate circularity. We are after something else now: please identify the grammatical elements (subjects, verbs, and both objects) of each plan. When you have, check the color-coded solutions on our web site by following the appropriate link on our syllabus or by clicking here.

1. Cost containment in medical care will hurt the quality of patient care because cost containment in medical care will cause physicians to perform unnecessary operations.

2. The company's reputation for unsafe practices will cause a reduction in product purchases because the company's reputation for unsafe practices will cause customers to boycott its products.

3. Establishing quality circles within this division will improve employee performance because establishing these circles will cause employees to perceive that management values their ideas about and participation in the running of the company.

4. A policy that restricts smoking because of pressure from a small group will result in smokers disregarding the policy because a policy that restricts smoking for this reason will cause the majority of smokers to believe they are being victimized by a minority.