Today we had two classes.
-1st class we did pages 3-5 in the WRITE PATH book.
Common errors in clauses are Fragment sentences, the run on sentence, and the comma splice.
HOMEWORK:
- write page pages 5b, 5c, 5d
- Impact Grammar lesson #4
- Post card writing assignment. Uses Present continuous and simple present tenses.
ERROR #1 THE FRAGMENT
Definition
A SENTENCE FRAGMENT fails to be a sentence in the sense that it cannot stand by itself. It does not contain even one independent clause. There are several reasons why a group of words may seem to act like a sentence but not have the wherewithal to make it as a complete thought.
It may locate something in time and place with a prepositional phrase or a series of such phrases, but it's still lacking a proper subject-verb relationship within an independent clause:
In Japan, during the last war and just before the armistice.This sentence accomplishes a great deal in terms of placing the reader in time and place, but there is no subject, no verb.
It describes something, but there is no subject-verb relationship:
Working far into the night in an effort to salvage her little boat. This is a verbal phrase that wants to modify something, the real subject of the sentence (about to come up), probably the she who was working so hard.
It may have most of the makings of a sentence but still be missing an important part of a verb string:
Some of the students working in Professor Espinoza's laboratory last semester. Remember that an -ing verb form without an auxiliary form to accompany it can never be a verb.
It may even have a subject-verb relationship, but it has been subordinated to another idea by a dependent word and so cannot stand by itself:
Even though he had the better arguments and was by far the more powerful speaker. This sentence fragment has a subject, he, and two verbs, had and was, but it cannot stand by itself because of the dependent word (subordinating conjunction) even though. We need an independent clause to follow up this dependent clause: . . . the more powerful speaker, he lost the case because he didn't understand the jury.
Try this online game http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/fragment_fixing.htm
-1st class we did pages 3-5 in the WRITE PATH book.
Common errors in clauses are Fragment sentences, the run on sentence, and the comma splice.
HOMEWORK:
- write page pages 5b, 5c, 5d
- Impact Grammar lesson #4
- Post card writing assignment. Uses Present continuous and simple present tenses.
ERROR #1 THE FRAGMENT
Definition
A SENTENCE FRAGMENT fails to be a sentence in the sense that it cannot stand by itself. It does not contain even one independent clause. There are several reasons why a group of words may seem to act like a sentence but not have the wherewithal to make it as a complete thought.
It may locate something in time and place with a prepositional phrase or a series of such phrases, but it's still lacking a proper subject-verb relationship within an independent clause:
In Japan, during the last war and just before the armistice.This sentence accomplishes a great deal in terms of placing the reader in time and place, but there is no subject, no verb.
It describes something, but there is no subject-verb relationship:
Working far into the night in an effort to salvage her little boat. This is a verbal phrase that wants to modify something, the real subject of the sentence (about to come up), probably the she who was working so hard.
It may have most of the makings of a sentence but still be missing an important part of a verb string:
Some of the students working in Professor Espinoza's laboratory last semester. Remember that an -ing verb form without an auxiliary form to accompany it can never be a verb.
It may even have a subject-verb relationship, but it has been subordinated to another idea by a dependent word and so cannot stand by itself:
Even though he had the better arguments and was by far the more powerful speaker. This sentence fragment has a subject, he, and two verbs, had and was, but it cannot stand by itself because of the dependent word (subordinating conjunction) even though. We need an independent clause to follow up this dependent clause: . . . the more powerful speaker, he lost the case because he didn't understand the jury.
Try this online game http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/fragment_fixing.htm
ERROR #2 THE RUN-ON SENTENCE
A RUN ON SENTENCE (sometimes called a "fused sentence") has at least two parts, either one of which can stand by itself (in other words, two independent clauses), but the two parts have been smooshed together instead of being properly connected. Review, also, the section which describes Things That Can Happen Between Two Independent Clauses.
It is important to realize that the length of a sentence really has nothing to do with whether a sentence is a run-on or not; being a run-on is a structural flaw that can plague even a very short sentence:
The sun is high, put on some sunblock.
An extremely long sentence, on the other hand, might be a "run-off-at-the-mouth" sentence, but it can be otherwise sound, structurally. Click here to see a 239-word sentence that is a perfectly fine sentence (structurally)
When two independent clauses are connected by only a comma, they constitute a run-on sentence that is called a comma-splice. The example just above (about the sunscreen) is a comma-splice. When you use a comma to connect two independent clauses, it must be accompanied by a little conjunction (and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so).
The sun is high, so put on some sunscreen.
Run-on sentences happen typically under the following circumstances*:
When an independent clause gives an order or directive based on what was said in the prior independent clause:
This next chapter has a lot of difficult information in it, you should start studying right away.(We could put a period where that comma is and start a new sentence. A semicolon might also work there.)
When two independent clauses are connected by a transitional expression (conjunctive adverb) such as however, moreover, nevertheless.
Mr. Nguyen has sent his four children to ivy-league colleges, however, he has sacrificed his health working day and night in that dusty bakery.(Again, where that first comma appears, we could have used either a period — and started a new sentence — or a semicolon.)
When the second of two independent clauses contains a pronoun that connects it to the first independent clause.
This computer doesn't make sense to me, it came without a manual. (Although these two clauses are quite brief, and the ideas are closely related, this is a run-on sentence. We need a period where that comma now stands.)
Most of those computers in the Learning Assistance Center are broken already, this proves my point about American computer manufacturers. Again, two nicely related clauses, incorrectly connected — a run-on. Use a period to cure this sentence.
Try the run-on sentence quiz http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/runons_quiz.htm
ERROR #3 THE COMMA SPLICE
A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses (thoughts capable of standing by themselves) are connected only by a comma, as in the following example:
The Titanic continues to draw big crowds, I really want to see it. There are four ways to correct a comma splice.
Turn each independent clause into a separate sentence.
The Titanic continues to draw big crowds. I really want to see it.
Join the independent clauses with an appropriate coordinating conjunction (joining word), preceded by a comma:
The Titanic continues to draw big crowds, but I really want to see it.
Coordinating Conjunctions:
and
or
for
yet
but
nor
so
Join the independent clauses with a semicolon, if they are closely related in meaning or intent:
The Titanic continues to draw big crowds; I really want to see it.
Rearrange the clauses so that one is subordinate to (depends upon) the other:
Although The Titanic continues to draw big crowds, I really want to see it.
Try some questions here http://www.mun.ca/writingcentre/csexercise1.shtml
