Chapter 4 Sentence Problems In this chapter, you will learn how to identify fragments, comma splices, and run-on sentences. You will also learn how to correct them.

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Sentence Problem #1--Fragments What is a Fragment? Every sentence you write must have both a subject and a verb. If a group of words does not have both a subject and a verb that express a complete, or independent, thought, it is called a fragment. In other words, a fragment is an incomplete thought punctuated as if it were a sentence. There are four types of fragment errors.

FRAGMENT TYPE #1: MISSING SUBJECT A group of words that begins with a capital letter and ends with a period but does not have a SUBJECT is a fragment. Example:

Was walking down the street in a great hurry.

In this example, the group of words is punctuated as if it were a sentence, but it has no subject; therefore, it is not complete. To correct this fragment error, we must add a subject that tells who was walking . Correction:

A strange-looking man was walking down the street in a great hurry.

Practice 1: Follow the example above and correct the following fragments by adding subjects to the groups of words to make them complete sentences. 1. Stopped on the side of the road.

2. Hit the curb.

3. Ran into the store. [Special Note: Usually, in order to express a complete thought, a sentence must contain both a subject and a verb. In certain instances, however, a sentence may contain only a verb. This particular type of sentence is called an imperative sentence and is used to express commands.] Example:

Open the door right now!

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In this sentence, the verb is open. The subject is called the “understood you,” because the speaker is commanding someone to open the door, but the word “you” does not actually appear in the sentence.]

FRAGMENT TYPE #2--MISSING VERB A group of words that begins with a capital letter and ends with a period but does not have a VERB is a fragment.

Example:

The woman in the yellow dress.

In this example, the group of words is punctuated as if it were a sentence, but it has no verb; therefore, it is not complete. To correct this fragment error, we must add a verb that expresses an action or a condition.

Correction:

The woman in the yellow dress slipped on a banana peel. (Action) The woman in the yellow dress is my teacher. (Condition)

Practice 2: Follow the example above and correct the following fragments by adding verbs to the groups of words to make them complete sentences. 1. The child in the clown costume.

2. The tiger with the loud roar.

3. The duck pond at the center of town.

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FRAGMENT TYPE #3: -ING VERB WITH NO HELPING VERB A group of words that begins with a capital letter and ends with a period but that contains an ing verb without a helping verb is a fragment. Example:

Barry battling bravely against the encroaching ants.

In this example, the word battling is an -ing verb, but it does not make sense in the sentence by itself. It needs a helping verb to make it fit in the sentence properly. To correct the example fragment, we must put a helping verb before the -ing verb. Correction:

Barry was battling bravely against the encroaching ants.

Practice 3: Using the “--ing fragment” example on the previous page, correct the following fragments by adding helping verbs before the -ing verbs. You may refer to the list of helping verbs in Chapter 1. 1. Yesterday the wolves circling the injured doe.

2. The helicopter hovering overhead.

3. The plane landing on the runway tomorrow if the snow melts. FRAGMENT TYPE #4: DEPENDENT CLAUSE A dependent clause (a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but begins with a subordinate conjunction and does not express a complete thought) is a fragment even if it is punctuated as a sentence: Example:

That the children were very unhappy

Notice that the above-example begins with the word that which is on the list of Dependent Words/Relative Pronouns so automatically, you know that this group of words is a dependent clause and not an independent, complete sentence. When editing very quickly, you might see a subject and a verb in this dependent clause and incorrectly think it is a sentence. But if you read the clause carefully, you can hear that it is not a complete thought. The fragment leaves the reader hanging

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in mid-air, asking “What about the children being unhappy?” This fragment needs more information to make it complete.

There are two ways to correct Dependent Clause fragments: Correction Method #1-Because it is the dependent word (first word of the clause) that makes the group of words a dependent clause, simply eliminate the dependent word to correct the fragment. Once you take away the dependent word, you will be left with a simple sentence or independent clause. Example:

That the children were very unhappy.

Correction:

The children were very unhappy.

Dependent clause

Complete Simple Sentence

NOTE: This method does not always work, because certain subordinate conjunctions (Who, That, Which) can sometimes serve as the subject of the dependent clause. Example:

Which was difficult.

If you omit the subordinate conjunction, you still have a fragment: Was difficult.

This group of words is still a fragment because it does not have a subject. In such a case, you must add a subject to the group of words to make it a complete sentence (see Fragment Type #1--Missing Subject, page 43). Correction Method #2-Connect the dependent clause to an independent clause and create a complex sentence. Fragment:

That the children were very unhappy Independent Clause

Dependent Clause

Correction:

Anyone could see that the children were very unhappy.

Fragment:

Which was difficult.

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Independent Clause

Correction:

Dependent Clause

We had to take a make-up exam which was difficult.

Practice 4: Using the examples above, correct the following dependent clause fragments by either eliminating the subordinate conjunction or adding an independent clause.

1. Because new cars get better gas mileage.

2. When it began to snow.

3. Although we raced to the scene of the accident.

PRACTICE 5 Decide whether each group of words below is a sentence or a fragment. If the sentence is correct, write C in the blank. If the group of words is a fragment, write Frag in the blank. Then correct all fragments. 1. Man’s best friend a dog.

2. The summer which is a pleasant season.

3. Professor Royer is my English teacher.

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4. Many people vacation at Disneyland because children love to go there.

5. Taking tests a terrible experience.

6. The boy in the swimming trunks.

7. Barcode a good place to dance.

8. Joey swimming the Lake Natoma

PRACTICE 6--the following statements are dependent clauses. Add to or change each in whatever way you want to make each a complete sentence. 1. because I am tired

2. before Jeffery left for school

3. when Tina tried to cheat on her income tax return

4. while the tutors in the Writing Center were helping students

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3. since the air conditioner broke 6. even though an attendance book is a legal document

PRACTICE 7 Read the following sentences carefully. If a group of words is a correct sentence, write C in the blank at the beginning of the sentence. If the group of words is a fragment, write Frag in the blank. Then, correct all fragments. _______ 1. Summer is supposed to be an enjoyable time. _______ 2. Going to the beach. _______ 3. Playing tennis and other games. _______ 4. Even just taking walks during the evening hours. _______ 5. Unfortunately, not everyone can enjoy the season. _______ 6. There are people for whom the summer is pure torture. _______ 7. For instance, my aunt who is elderly. _______ 8. Suffers terribly in the heat.

Sentence Problem #2--Comma Splices What is a Comma Splice Error? A comma splice error (CS) occurs when two independent clauses or complete sentences are “spliced” together or joined by a comma and punctuated as one sentence. Using only a comma to join two complete thoughts is incorrect. Also, a comma cannot separate two complete sentences. Example:

Independent clause Independent clause The teacher was not smiling , he was frowning.

CORRECTING THE COMMA SPLICE ERROR

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There are three ways to correct comma splice errors. Comma Splice Correction #1--Make the two independent clauses into two separate complete sentences by putting a period at the end of the first independent clause and a capital letter at the beginning of the second. Comma Splice:

Correction:

The teacher was not smiling, he was frowning.

First Complete Sentence Second Complete Sentence The teacher was not smiling. He was frowning.

Practice 8: Correct these comma splices by making two complete sentences. Nathan is an expert snowboarder, he won three trophies. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Jeffery enjoys adventure movies, he saw “Pirates of the Carribean” ten times. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

Today the research paper is due, Tami didn’t finish hers. _______________________________________________________________________ ______ _____________________________________________________________________________

Comma Splice Correction #2--Join the independent clauses with a comma and an appropriate coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS). As mentioned in chapter 2, there are seven coordinate conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So . Comma Splice: The teacher was not smiling, he seemed very grumpy. Correction: The teacher was not smiling, and he seemed very grumpy.

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Practice 9: Correct the comma splice errors in the following sentences by joining the two independent clauses with a comma and an appropriate coordinate conjunction. Be sure to notice the relationship between the two independent clauses. 1. The blizzard forced us to change our plans for a five mile hike, we decided to stay home and build a fire.

2. We usually go to Lake Tahoe in January, this year we are going to Denver.

3. Jeffery was very excited when he got his grade report, he got an “A” in English.

Comma Splice Correction #3--Join the two independent clauses with a semicolon (;) and a conjunctive adverb. A semi-colon functions similarly to a period; that is, it can be used at the end of an independent clause (sentence) to join the independent clause to another independent clause. The difference between a semi-colon and a period is that a period separates the two independent clauses, while a semi-colon links or joins them. The semicolon also suggests that a relationship exists between the two independent clauses. Therefore, when you use a semicolon between two independent clauses, there should be some connection between the two. Comma Splice: It rained for ten hours, there’s a huge puddle in my front yard. Correction: It rained for ten hours; there’s a huge puddle in my front yard.

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Common Conjunctive Adverbs

The most common conjunctive adverbs are: also

consequently

finally

furthermore

hence

however

incidentally

indeed

instead

likewise

meanwhile

still

nevertheless

nonetheless

next

otherwise

then

therefore

moreover

thus

Practice 10: Correct the comma splice errors by joining the two independent clauses with semicolons and conjunctive adverbs. 1. We did not buy the self-cleaning oven, it was too expensive.

2. Tami’s membership in the club was important to her, the club provided her with activities and social contacts.

Important Note: If you put only a comma before the conjunctive adverb , you will still have a comma splice error, so be careful!

Practice 11: Correct these comma splice errors by joining the two independent clauses with semicolons and conjunctive adverbs. Be sure to put a comma after the conjunctive adverb.

1. Students need to plan for a lunch break in their schedules, they get better grades when they have a chance to relax for a while.

2. We lost every game this year, none of us liked the coach very much.

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PRACTICE 12 In the blank at the left of each sentence, write C if the sentence is correct. Write CS if the sentence contains a comma splice. Then correct any sentences with comma splices. Try to use all three correction methods. 1. April is a lovely month, but I like June best.

2. Tami got a good promotion at her job, she also managed to take courses in the evening.

3. The cost of living in Folsom is very high, I heard that an apartment could cost as much as $1500 a month.

4. Last summer, Joey spent most of his time at the beach, however, he never learned how to surf.

5. One of the best jobs I ever had was as a drive-thru clerk at Carl’s Jr., I met many new people.

6. Photography is a good hobby; many people like to take pictures of people they know and places they have visited.

7. Teachers prefer typed papers, yet some students don’t own a computer.

8. Textbook costs are getting higher all the time, I just bought a book for $60.00.

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PRACTICE 13 Join the following pairs of sentences into one sentence by using either a comma and a conjunction, a semicolon, or a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb (transitional word). 1. Learning grammar may not be interesting. It certainly is necessary.

2. On a clear day, you can see three states from here. On a cloudy day, you can’t see across the river.

3. Wool retains the body’s heat best. Fiberfill is a close second.

4. Completing an income tax return requires too much time. The government should streamline the forms.

5. Keyboarding should be a required course for students who attend college. Almost all college classes require using a computer.

6. I’ve always liked studying current events. I like to know where the world is heading from week to week.

7. High school graduates should work for a year before going to college. This time

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away from school could be used to save money and decide upon a career goal.

PRACTICE 14 In the blank at the beginning of each sentence, write C if the sentence is correctly punctuated or CS if it has a comma splice error. Correct all of the comma splices. Try to use all three of the comma splice correction methods. 1.

Christmas is a terrible holdiay, I think it should be abolished.

2.

Have you ever noticed how many people are depressed during the holidays?

3.____Have you ever thought about the reason for that depression? 4.

If you are one of the people who enjoy Christmas, you probably haven’t even considered the problem.

4. There are many reasons for disliking Christmas, the classic one is that Christmas makes some people feel lonely. 6. 7. 9.

All of a sudden, they realize that they don’t have anyone to share the occasion with. Another reason people don’t like Christmas is that they hate buying gifts for people. It’s depressing because they know people will just return them anyways.

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Sentence Problem #3--Run-On Sentences What is a Run-On Sentence? A run-on sentence (sometimes called a fused sentence or a run-together sentence) contains two or more independent clauses that have been punctuated as one sentence; that is, no punctuation separates the two independent clauses, nor have the sentence been joined in any way. The first sentence “runs on” into the second sentence, with no indication as to where the first ends and the second begins. Run-On Sentence:

The doctor was not smiling he was frowning.

In this example, there are two independent clauses: 1. The doctor was not smiling 2. he was frowning However, the writer did not indicate with punctuation where the first independent clause ends and the second one begins. The two independent clauses, or sentences, have been run together and punctuated as if they were just one sentence. Correction: The doctor was not smiling . He was frowning. In the correction, a period now separates the two independent clauses. Practice 15 Read the following sentences. If a sentence is correct, place a C next to it. If the group of words is a run-on, place RO next to it and draw a vertical line separating the two independent clauses. Example:

RO

I work at a factory during the night/ I go to school during the day.

1. Nate is my best friend he will do anything for me. 2. Chemistry is a difficult subject.

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3. America is a nation on the move many families move four or more times in a ten-year period. 4. Shawna is a good dancer she has been selected to appear with the New York Ballet Company.

CORRECTING THE RUN-ON SENTENCE PROBLEM There are three ways to correct a run-on sentence. They involve either separating the two independent clauses with the proper ending punctuation, or joining the two independent clauses with an appropriate joining method. Run-On Sentence Correction #1--Separate the Run-On For this correction method, you put the missing period, question mark, or exclamation point at the end of the first independent clause and capitalize the first word of the second independent clause, thereby breaking the run-on sentence into two separate sentences. Examples: Run-On:

The doctor was not smiling he was frowning.

Correction:

First Sentence Second Sentence The doctor was not smiling. He was frowning.

Practice 16 Correct these run-on sentences by separating the two independent clauses into two separate sentences: put a period at the end of the first independent clause and a capital letter at the beginning of the second. 1.

The students went to the dean’s office they wanted to complain about a teacher.

2.

The professor sighed as she left her office after her retirement party she had worked there for 35 years.

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3.

Smoke detectors do not cost very much they have helped save many lives.

Run-On Sentence Correction #2--use a coordinating conjunction to join the independent clauses This run-on correction method involved connecting the two independent clauses with a comma and an appropriate coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS), thereby creating a compound sentence. As you previously learned in this module, the seven coordinating conjunctions are: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. Remember that a comma must be placed before the conjunction when you are joining two independent clauses. NOTE: Using only a comma is not enough to join the two clauses--simply putting a comma would make the sentence a comma splice. You must use both a comma and a coordinate conjunction.

Practice 17 Correct these run-on sentences by joining the two independent clauses with a comma and an appropriate coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS). Be sure to pay attention to the relationship between the two sentences as you choose a coordinating conjunction. 1. Sacramento has very mild winters summers are very hot.

2. The new snow thrilled us we wanted to go skiing.

3. Nathan gently unlocked the front door he did not want to awaken his parents.

Run-On Sentence Correction #3--Join the two independent clauses with a semi-colon As you previously learned in this module, a semi-colon is a punctuation mark similar to a period because it can be used between two independent clauses. However, unlike a period, a semi-colon does not separate the clauses; instead, it joins them into one compound sentence. This means that when you put a semi-

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colon between two independent clauses, the second clause should not begin with a capital letter since you have combined the two into one sentence. The semicolon can be used between two independent clauses only when the two clauses are closely related. Example: Run-On:

The giant black and white pandas are native to China in fact they are the national animals of China.

Correction:

The giant black and white pandas are native to China; in fact they are the national animals of China.

Practice 18: Correct these run-on sentences by using a semi-colon to join the two independent clauses as shown in the above example. 1. We could not buy the house it was priced at $250,000.00. 2. You must dress warmly in Alaska in winter the average temperature is zero degrees Fahrenheit.

3. In the 1800’s, life in the American West was hard a pioneer might fall victim to natural disasters or wild animals.

NOTE: As previously mentioned in this module, often when you use a semicolon, you may want to follow it with a conjunctive adverb (also called a transition word) to indicate what kind of relationship exists between the two independent clauses. When you use one of these conjunctive adverbs at the beginning of an independent clause, a semicolon must come before the conjunctive adverb and a comma after it. Example:

We were supposed to be at school at 9:00 a.m.; however, our car wouldn’t start.

CAUTION: If you put only a comma before the conjunctive adverb in a sentence with two independent clauses, you will still have a comma splice error.

PRACTICE 19

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In the blank at the right of each sentence, write C if the sentence is correctly punctuated, or RO if it is a run-on sentence. Correct all run-on sentences; try to use all three run-on sentence correction methods.

1. It was a cold, wet day; however, we still had our picnic on the beach.

2. Jeffery plans to go to law school he hopes that he will be accepted.

3. Mathematics is my hardest course English is my favorite course.

4. Shawna will be a lawyer her father and grandfather are lawyers.

5. Running is good exercise; moreover, it relieves tension. \ 6. My uncle has a cabin in Lake Tahoe, and he has a cottage in Oregon.

7. The lake was crystal clear and warm the sky was a brilliant blue.

8. College demands quite a lot from a student; however, it offers many rewards.

PRACTICE 20 Separate the following Run-On sentences using the punctuation directions at the left of each sentence. semicolon

1. College offers many opportunities to ambitious students each person must decide to take advantage of them.

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comma and FANBOYS

2. Left-handed people face many obstacles few ordinary items--such as can openers and doors--are designed for them.

semicolon 3. There was a time when a young man would hold the door open for a and young lady however the time has passed. transition word

period

comma and FANBOYS

semicolon

semicolon and Transitional word

period

4. Most people don’t realize that the dictionary offers a plethora of valuable information they use it only to look up word definitions.

5. Textbooks are very expensive students try to buy used ones.

6. I think clocks should be outlawed they put too much pressure on people.

7. Many people thought the world would stop functioning on January 1, 2000 nothing went wrong .

8. Whoever invented Velcro probably made a fortune I’d like to meet him or her.

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