parallelism, pronouns, who+that
Proper diction requires an understanding of words that are commonly misused. Understanding grammar errors can make them easier to identify and avoid.
"I was not the kind of artist that had my mommy hold my hand and my daddy managing my career." - Christina Aguilera in GQ
This sentence contains two errors: an error in pronoun choice and an error in parallelism.
This entry continues with an analysis and description of errors in the quote.
The pronoun "that" refers to "kind of artist." An artist is a person, so the correct proun to use in this sentence is "who."
Christina uses two different types of verbal phrases: an infinitive phrase and a participial phrase. The structure of the sentence is not parallel.
The infinitive phrase "hold my hand" functions as an adjective modifying the noun "mommy." Christina has left out the preposition "to" that is generally included with an infinitive. While this is commonly seen in colloquial speech, it should be avoided in formal writing.
The participial phrase "managing my career" functions as an adjective modifying the noun "daddy."
To correct the sentence, use two infinitive phrases or two participial phrases. Either choice will make the sentence parallel in structure.
"I was not the kind of artist who had my mommy to hold my hand and my daddy to manage my career."
or
"I was not the kind of artist who had my mommy holding my hand and my daddy managing my career."
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