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Common sentence errors
The document discusses common sentence errors such as parallelism errors, run-on sentences, sentence fragments, and misplaced/dangling modifiers. It provides definitions, examples, and corrections for each type of error, illustrating how to structure sentences correctly. The emphasis is on ensuring that clauses and verbs match appropriately and modifiers are properly placed to convey clear meaning.
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Common sentence errors
- 1.
- 2. Parallelism Errors Run-onSentences Sentence Fragments Misplaced, Dangling Modifiers
- 3. Parallelism Parallelism meansthat words, phrases, and clauses used in pairs or groups must all have the same form. Verbs must match with verbs, nouns must match with nouns, etc.
- 4. I have beento Beijing and saw the Summer Palace. I have been to Beijing and have seen the Summer Palace. I went to Beijing and saw the Summer Palace. ✗ ✔ ✔
- 5. She likes toread but not write. She likes to read but not to write. ✗ ✔
- 6. Wayne likes toread, exercise, and watching movies. Wayne likes to read, exercise, and watch movies. Wayne likes reading, exercising, and watching movies. ✗ ✔ ✔
- 7. My car issporty, economical, and goes very fast. My car is sporty, economical, and fast. My car looks sporty, runs economically, and goes very fast. ✗ ✔ ✔
- 8. As we nearedthe airport, you could hear the jets. As we neared the airport, we could hear the jets. ✗ ✔
- 9. Please judge meby my words and what I do. Please judge me by my words and (by) my actions. Please judge me by what I say and (by) what I do. ✗ ✔ ✔
- 10. Run-On Sentences Arun-on sentence has two or more Independent Clauses that are joined without the correct punctuation or conjunction.
- 11. The speech waslong, it lasted for one hour. The speech was long. It lasted for one hour. The speech was long; it lasted for one hour. The speech was long, lasting for one hour. ✗ ✔ ✔ ✔
- 12. Which is betterfor joining two independent clauses – a semicolon or a period? If you want the two clauses to be closely connected, use a semicolon. If you want to separate the thoughts more, create two sentences.
- 13. A run-on sentenceis not necessarily long. I walked she ran. I walked. She ran. I walked, but she ran. While I walked, she ran.
- 14. Sentence Fragments First,a definition: Fragment (noun) – a small part broken off or separated from something. After the window shattered, small fragments of glass covered the floor.
- 15. Sentence Fragments Asentence fragment (incomplete sentence) is almost a sentence, but it lacks: • a subject, • a finite verb, or • a completed thought.
- 16. Finite Verbs Afinite verb has a specific tense, person and number (singular / plural). In other words, it must match a subject. • I go, she goes, he went (finite) • To go, going (non-finite)
- 17. Examples: Sentence Fragments Sentence fragments often begin with “because”, “that” or an “-ing” verb. Because I love staying in shape and losing weight.
- 18. Spoken vs. WrittenEnglish Why do you exercise so much? Because I love staying in shape and losing weight.
- 19. Suggested Corrections BecauseI love staying in shape and losing weight, I exercise every day. I love staying in shape and losing weight, so I exercise every day.
- 20. Examples Working onmy homework all night. I have been working on my homework all night.
- 21. Examples That Ididn’t have time for any fun. I was so busy that I didn’t have time for any fun.
- 22. Misplaced / DanglingModifiers Modifier: A word or phrase that changes or describes another word or phrase. Dangle: to hang or swing loosely
- 23. Misplaced & DanglingModifiers A modifier is misplaced if it modifies the wrong word or phrase. A modifier is dangling if the word or phrase that is supposed to be modified does not appear in the sentence.
- 24. Example: Misplaced Modifier After biting two children, the police took away our dog. After biting two children, our dog was taken away by the police. If a sentence begins with a modifier followed by a comma, whatever word or phrase is being modified must immediately follow the comma.
- 25. Another solution: Rewritethe Sentence! Having been thrown into the air, the dog caught the ball. When the ball was thrown into the air, the dog caught it. The dog caught the ball that had been thrown into the air.
- 26. Example: Dangling Modifier Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on. Having finished the assignment, Wayne turned on the TV.
- 27. Dangling Modifiers Don’tlet the context fool you! Wayne worked hard on his English homework. Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on.
- 28. No Mangling, Dangling, or Tangling!