Correcting Common Sentence Errors

1. Correcting Common Sentence Errors Finding and Fixing Comma Splices, Run-Ons and Fragments

2. Do you want papers with less red marks?

3. This workshop will: • Help you identify common sentence errors • Give you easy ways to make corrections • Enable you to develop your own personal editing checklist

4. Understanding Sentences • In order to identify a fragment, you need to know what makes up a sentence. • Subject + verb . • A subject is a noun – but you can have lots of other parts of speech attached to that noun • (Prepositional Phrase) (adjectives) SUBJECT NOUN + verb • In the morning, the beautiful tiny birdsings loudly. • (Adverb clause) , SUBJECT NOUN + verb • While I was eating, hewatched television. • SUBJECT NOUN + adjective clause + verb • The girlwho has three sisters has lots of clothes.

5. Understanding Sentences • There are four different types of sentences in academic American English • Simple – also called an Independent Clause • Compound – two independent clauses joined together • Complex – a dependent clause and an independent clause • Compound Complex – two independent clauses joined with at least one dependent clause Questions about Clauses or Phrases? Click here. To continue Questions about Sentence Types, Click here

6. ClauseorPhrase? Unlock the clues to discover the answer

7. What makes a Clause? • A clause is a collection of words that has both a subject and a verb. • There are two types of clauses: independent and dependent. • Examples: • I enjoy working at PGCC. • Because working at PGCC is enjoyable Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

8. What makes a Clause? • A clause is a collection of words that has both a subject and a verb. • There are two types of clauses: independent and dependent. • Examples: Ienjoy working at PGCC. Because working at PGCC is enjoyable SUBJECT Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

9. What makes a Clause? • A clause is a collection of words that has both a subject and a verb. • There are two types of clauses: independent and dependent. • Examples: Ienjoy working at PGCC. Because working at PGCCis enjoyable VERB Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

10. What makes a Clause? • A clause is a collection of words that has both a subject and a verb. • There are two types of clauses: independent and dependent. • Examples: Ienjoy working at PGCC. Because working at PGCCis enjoyable INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

11. What makes a Clause? • A clause is a collection of words that has both a subject and a verb. • There are two types of clauses: independent and dependent. • Examples: Ienjoy working at PGCC. Because working at PGCCis enjoyable INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT Dependent Word Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

12. What makes a Clause? • An Independent Clause is a complete thought. At a minimum, it contains a subject and a verb. Note: A command independent clause has an implied subject – you. • Example: Close the window. Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

13. What makes a Clause? • A Dependent Clause is an incomplete thought. It contains a subject and a verb, but it also has a dependent word. • If left unattached to an independent clause, the listener or reader may be left with unanswered questions. • Example • The apartment where he lives • While I was out • Although driving can be challenging Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

14. Identifying Dependent Words • There are numerous dependent words that are used to convey meaning. A few are listed below. After Although As Because Before Even if Even though If In order to Just as Like Since Unless Until Whereas When Where While Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

15. What makes a Phrase? • A Phrase is a collection of two or more words that do not have a subject/verb relationship. • Examples: • Walking on the beach • In the afternoon • Someone on the phone • Beautiful child • Yelled on the phone • After graduation Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

16. Practice Your Skills • In the following exercise, determine if the collection of words is a Phrase, Independent Clause or a Dependent Clause. • Things to think about: • To do this, identify nouns and/or verbs. • If there isn’t a subject and verb, it can’t be a clause! It may be a phrase. • Is the collection of words a complete thought? • Is there a dependent word? Click here to return to CS/Frag /RO presentation Click here to go to practice

17. Practice Your Skills • after the soccer game ended • at the store • Gina came into the store • although I could not play • the running water • from earlier centuries • before a hurricane occurs • during the rainy season • I took a quick jog • Just as he passed by • through the winter months • to do the paper route • jumping rope • will have finished Besides identification, another way to practice is to create independent clauses from the dependent clauses and phrases. Example: During the rainy season (phrase) IC: The jungle comes alive during the rainy season. Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

18. Practice Your Skills • While the baby slept • In the moonlight • Running is fun • The student’s grades • approached silently • Giraffes eat leaves • Throughout our time together • Understanding his meaning • Although he apologized • The audience clapped • On the broken steps • The baby’s surprising long hair • In order to succeed • The team won Besides identification, another way to practice is to create independent clauses from the dependent clauses and phrases. Example: During the rainy season (phrase) IC: The jungle comes alive during the rainy season. Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

19. Sentence Types in American Academic English

20. Four Types • Simple • Compound • Complex • Compound Complex Understanding how these sentences are constructed will enhance your writing. Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

21. Simple • Also known as an Independent Clause (IC) • A complete thought • Made up of a Subject and a Verb • Can have a compound subject and/or a compound verb • May not have a stated subject (in command sentences) Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

22. Simple • SV = IC • Examples: • Iwent to the store. • Oluand Mariagot married. • Samira and Oscarwent home and made dinner. • Don’t drink that coffee! Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

23. Compound • Made up of two Independent Clauses joined by a coordinator (a conjunction or a transitional word) • Conjunctions: • FANBOYS • Always proceeded by a comma • Transitional Word: • Always proceeded by a semicolon and followed by a comma Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

24. Compound • IC(SV) conIC(SV) = Compound • Examples: • Olugot married to Maria, andtheymoved to Washington, DC. • Samira made dinner, soOscardid the dishes. • Wespent time together; however,itwasn’t always a good experience. Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

25. Complex • Made up of at least one Independent Clause (IC) and one Dependent Clause (DC) • DC = dependent word (subordinator)SV. • Some dependent words can also act as the subject of the dependent clause. DC= depV • A dependent clause is not a complete thought. • Comma Rules: DC, IC. IC DC. Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

26. Complex • DC(depSV) IC(SV) = Complex • Examples: • Olugot married afterhe moved to Washington, DC. • While Samira made dinner,Oscardid the dishes. • The storybookthatIread to my son made him laugh. Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

27. Compound-Complex • Made up of at least two Independent Clauses joined by a coordinator (a conjunction or a transitional word) and a Dependent Clause • Must meet the requirements of both Compound and Complex sentences. Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

28. Compound-Complex • DC (depSV) IC(SV) conIC(SV) • Examples: • Olugot married to Maria afterheimmigrated, andtheydecided to livein Washington, DC. • Samira made dinner, soOscar, whowasa good husband, did the dishes. • Wespent a lot of time together; however,itwasn’t always a good experience becausewe frequently argued. Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

29. Practice Exercise • Identify the Sentence Type: • Although he was a nice person, he didn’t have many friends. • She frequented the library; however, she never checked out any books. • When the police made an arrest, the neighbors were relieved. • The noise of the airplane rattled the windows, and it scared the animals. • When he graduated, he looked for a job, but he couldn’t find one that suited him. • The dog ran after the cat. • The rainstorm lasted into the evening and caused flooding. Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

30. Practice Exercise • Identify the Sentence Type: • CX: Although he was a nice person, he didn’t have many friends. • CO: She frequented the library; however, she never checked out any books. • CX: When the police made an arrest, the neighbors were relieved. • CO: The noise of the airplane rattled the windows, and it scared the animals. • COCX: When he graduated, he looked for a job, but he couldn’t find one that suited him. • S: The dog ran after the cat. • S: The rainstorm lasted into the evening and caused flooding. Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

31. Practice Exercise • Use these clauses to practice creating sentences • when they left • however, the teacher gave the test • she was happy • so they talked • a bird sang in the tree • who was very frightened • if he wanted Click here to return to CS/Frag/RO presentation

32. This workshop will NOT: • Make your sentence errors disappear • Guarantee “A” papers But it will help you get closer to your goal of less red, more well said

33. Practice Exercise • Read the following paragraph and try to identify errors with sentence structure. The many serious effects of smoking. The principle effect is the deterioration of a smoker’s health. Smoking increases the risk of lung disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain. Smoking creates respiratory problems prolonged use may lead to emphysema and the need to be hooked up to a machine to pump enough oxygen into the lungs. Another effect of this habit is that smoking breeds halitosis, a smoker's breath always smells foul and repulsive. The strong, offensive odor of smoke in clothing, hair, and skin. The final effect of smoking is that it depletes the pocketbook, smoking has always been an expensive habit, and the price of cigarettes continues to rise. The negative effects of smoking are many. Which one is wondering why people do not find a way to break this harmful addiction.

34. Practice Exercise • Let’s review one sentence at a time. The many serious effects of smoking. The principle effect is the deterioration of a smoker’s health. Smoking increases the risk of lung dis1.1.ease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain. Smoking creates respiratory problems prolonged use may lead to emphysema and the need to be hooked up to a machine to pump enough oxygen into the lungs. Another effect of this habit is that smoking breeds halitosis, a smoker's breath always smells foul and repulsive. The strong, offensive odor of smoke in clothing, hair, and skin. The final effect of smoking is that it depletes the pocketbook, smoking has always been an expensive habit, and the price of cigarettes continues to rise. The negative effects of smoking are many. Which one is wondering why people do not find a way to break this harmful addiction. Can you identify the subject and verb? There is no verb! This is a FRAGMENT. Fix the problem by adding a verb.

35. Practice Exercise • Let’s review one sentence at a time. The many serious effects of smoking. The principle effect is the deterioration of a smoker’s health. Smoking increases the risk of lung disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain. Smoking creates respiratory problems prolonged use may lead to emphysema and the need to be hooked up to a machine to pump enough oxygen into the lungs. Another effect of this habit is that smoking breeds halitosis, a smoker's breath always smells foul and repulsive. The strong, offensive odor of smoke in clothing, hair, and skin. The final effect of smoking is that it depletes the pocketbook, smoking has always been an expensive habit, and the price of cigarettes continues to rise. The negative effects of smoking are many. Which one is wondering why people do not find a way to break this harmful addiction. The principle effect is the deterioration of a smoker’s health. Can you identify the subject and verb? Yes. No problems here.

36. Practice Exercise • Let’s review one sentence at a time. The many serious effects of smoking. The principle effect is the deterioration of a smoker’s health. Smoking increases the risk of lung disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain. Smoking creates respiratory problems prolonged use may lead to emphysema and the need to be hooked up to a machine to pump enough oxygen into the lungs. Another effect of this habit is that smoking breeds halitosis, a smoker's breath always smells foul and repulsive. The strong, offensive odor of smoke in clothing, hair, and skin. The final effect of smoking is that it depletes the pocketbook, smoking has always been an expensive habit, and the price of cigarettes continues to rise. The negative effects of smoking are many. Which one is wondering why people do not find a way to break this harmful addiction.

37. Practice Exercise • Let’s review one sentence at a time. The many serious effects of smoking. The principle effect is the deterioration of a smoker’s health. Smoking increases the risk of lung disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain. Smoking creates respiratory problems prolonged use may lead to emphysema and the need to be hooked up to a machine to pump enough oxygen into the lungs. Another effect of this habit is that smoking breeds halitosis, a smoker's breath always smells foul and repulsive. The strong, offensive odor of smoke in clothing, hair, and skin. The final effect of smoking is that it depletes the pocketbook, smoking has always been an expensive habit, and the price of cigarettes continues to rise. The negative effects of smoking are many. Which one is wondering why people do not find a way to break this harmful addiction.

38. Practice Exercise • Let’s review one sentence at a time. The many serious effects of smoking. The principle effect is the deterioration of a smoker’s health. Smoking increases the risk of lung disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain. Smoking creates respiratory problems prolonged use may lead to emphysema and the need to be hooked up to a machine to pump enough oxygen into the lungs. Another effect of this habit is that smoking breeds halitosis, a smoker's breath always smells foul and repulsive. The strong, offensive odor of smoke in clothing, hair, and skin. The final effect of smoking is that it depletes the pocketbook, smoking has always been an expensive habit, and the price of cigarettes continues to rise. The negative effects of smoking are many. Which one is wondering why people do not find a way to break this harmful addiction.

39. Practice Exercise • Let’s review one sentence at a time. The many serious effects of smoking. The principle effect is the deterioration of a smoker’s health. Smoking increases the risk of lung disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain. Smoking creates respiratory problems prolonged use may lead to emphysema and the need to be hooked up to a machine to pump enough oxygen into the lungs. Another effect of this habit is that smoking breeds halitosis, a smoker's breath always smells foul and repulsive. The strong, offensive odor of smoke in clothing, hair, and skin. The final effect of smoking is that it depletes the pocketbook, smoking has always been an expensive habit, and the price of cigarettes continues to rise. The negative effects of smoking are many. Which one is wondering why people do not find a way to break this harmful addiction.

40. Practice Exercise • Let’s review one sentence at a time. The many serious effects of smoking. The principle effect is the deterioration of a smoker’s health. Smoking increases the risk of lung disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain. Smoking creates respiratory problems prolonged use may lead to emphysema and the need to be hooked up to a machine to pump enough oxygen into the lungs. Another effect of this habit is that smoking breeds halitosis, a smoker's breath always smells foul and repulsive. The strong, offensive odor of smoke in clothing, hair, and skin. The final effect of smoking is that it depletes the pocketbook, smoking has always been an expensive habit, and the price of cigarettes continues to rise. The negative effects of smoking are many. Which one is wondering why people do not find a way to break this harmful addiction.

41. Practice Exercise • Let’s review one sentence at a time. The many serious effects of smoking. The principle effect is the deterioration of a smoker’s health. Smoking increases the risk of lung disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain. Smoking creates respiratory problems prolonged use may lead to emphysema and the need to be hooked up to a machine to pump enough oxygen into the lungs. Another effect of this habit is that smoking breeds halitosis, a smoker's breath always smells foul and repulsive. The strong, offensive odor of smoke in clothing, hair, and skin. The final effect of smoking is that it depletes the pocketbook, smoking has always been an expensive habit, and the price of cigarettes continues to rise. The negative effects of smoking are many. Which one is wondering why people do not find a way to break this harmful addiction.

42. Practice Exercise • Let’s review one sentence at a time. The many serious effects of smoking. The principle effect is the deterioration of a smoker’s health. Smoking increases the risk of lung disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain. Smoking creates respiratory problems prolonged use may lead to emphysema and the need to be hooked up to a machine to pump enough oxygen into the lungs. Another effect of this habit is that smoking breeds halitosis, a smoker's breath always smells foul and repulsive. The strong, offensive odor of smoke in clothing, hair, and skin. The final effect of smoking is that it depletes the pocketbook, smoking has always been an expensive habit, and the price of cigarettes continues to rise. The negative effects of smoking are many. Which one is wondering why people do not find a way to break this harmful addiction.