Sentences require a subject, a verb, and must form an independent clause to make sense. Phrases lack either a subject or a verb or both. Infinitive phrases contain "to" followed by a verb, and split infinitives insert words between "to" and the verb. Sentences can be fragments if they lack a subject or verb, or run-on if joined improperly with commas. Dangling modifiers are not grammatically linked to the words they modify.

2. Sentences need. . . .
•A subject
•A verb
•And they need to make sense
(be an independent clause)
“When writing, silent thoughts produce powerful
sentences.”

3. A phrase is a group of words
that lacks a subject, a verb,
or both. Two phrases that
we use are—
Prepositional phrase
•Sentence: They kept dialing
Rose’s phone number with no
success.
Infinitive phrase (to + verb)
•Sentence: Matilda always wanted
to run a marathon

4. • An infinitive phrase is
the word “to” + a verb—
to run, to jump, to kiss.
•What we call a “split
infinitive is when a word
or phrase comes
between the word “to”
and the verb.
•We want to sincerely
welcome you to class.
(A clumsy infinitive—
to welcome.)

5. Fix the split infinitives in the following:
1. The coach told her to quickly run five laps
around the track.
2. It is important to softly and silently step
into the baby’s room.
3. Jonathan Edwards preached with such
strong conviction to positively, absolutely,
unequivocally keep sinners from hell.

6. Sometimes sentences are not
really a sentence, but a
fragment.
Sometimes a sentence is lacks
the subject or verb.
Sometimes a sentence lacks
both a subject and verb.

7. Sometimes sentences are run-on
sentences or what is called, a
“comma splice.”
For example:
Joey ran to the store he ate a hamburger on his way home.
(run-on)
Joey ran to the store, he ate a hamburger on his way home.
(comma splice)
Joey ran to the store. He ate a hamburger on his way home.
(correct)

8. Now it’s your turn. How might you correct
these fragments or run-on/comma splice
sentences?
1. Rosa talks about her relationship with her
parents, she grew up following her family’s
values.
2. Ralph always wanted to be a stand-up
comic he liked to make people laugh.
3. The family set out for a new country. In
which they could practice their culture and
religion.

9. A modifier that is not
grammatically linked to the
noun or phrase it is
intended to describe is said
to be dangling.
Walking into the house, the
telephone rang.
(The sentence says the
telephone was walking.)

10. Delighted with the team’s victory, the parade route
was decorated by fans.
(The sentence says the parade route was
delighted.)

11. Method 1: Keep the modifier, but make the
subject of the independent clause the
person or thing modified.
1.Walking into the house, we heard the
telephone.
2.Delighted with the team’s victory, the fans
decorated the parade route.

12. More on Dangle
Method 2: Change the
modifier phrase into a
clause with its own subject
and verb.
1. While we were walking into
the house, the telephone
rang.
2. Because the fans were
delighted with the team’s
victory, they decorated the
parade route.

13. Remember….
The sentence is very
powerful: choose
your words
carefully, and use
them to your
advantage.