Sentences and Sentence Structure Errors

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Sentences and Sentence Structure Errors
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The Dreaded Complete Sentence

• To be a complete sentence, a group of words must
  have three things
• 1) A _____________ (noun or pronoun)
• 2) A __________________(verb)
• 3) Express a _________________________
• If a group of words does not have the above
  things, or has too many, it commits a
  _____________________________________.
• NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

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Sentence Structure Errors

• There are three types of sentence structure
  errors
• 1) _____________________ Incomplete sentences
• 2) ______________________ Too many complete
  sentences separated with no complete sentences
• 3) ________________________ Too many complete
  sentences separated with a comma instead of a
  period

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Fragments

• 1) Fragment A ___________________________________
  ________________________ that is punctuated as
  if it were complete (with a capital letter and a
  period)
• Is missing one or more of the following
• 1) A _______________
• 2) A ______________________
• 3) A __________________________
• Why is this bad?
• Think of it like a partial train car. Without
  all the parts, it wont be able to run! A
  fragment _________________________________________
  __.

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Fixing Fragments

• Since fragments are only a part of a sentence,
  you have to ______________________________________
  __________ to make it a complete sentence.
• Though Bernard likes school.
• Though Bernard likes school, _____________________
  _______ ________________________________________(c
  omplete thought add independent clause!)
• _____________________________. (eliminate
  subordinating conjunction)
• Because of the students misbehavior with the
  substitute.
• Because of the students misbehavior with the
  substitute, ____________________________________.
  (add subject, verb, and complete thought)

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Run-Ons

• 2) Run-on _______________________________________
  __ _____________________________________
  punctuated as a single sentence (The thoughts
  run on without stopping!)
• Why is this bad?
• This makes the ideas run together, which can be
  quite _________________________________________.
• Think of it like two train engines
  crammed together. With that many ideas
  (engines), youll get a runaway train!

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Fixing a Run-On

• To fix a run-on, we have a few options
• 1) _______________________________________________
  _____ We can do this with various red light
  punctuation
• Period and capital letter
• Semi-colon and lower case letter
• 2) _______________________________________________
  ___correctly with the use of the following
  conjunctions
• FANBOYS (with a comma)
• Subordinating (with a comma sometimes)
• Correlative (with a comma sometimes)
• Note Conjunctive adverbs ________________________
  __________ __________________. It can only start
  a new one.
• Another Note A ______________alone WILL NOT fix
  a run-on!

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Fixing Run-Ons

• Darcy cant stand Theodore he smells like cheese.
• What are the ways we can stop this runaway train?
• STOP between the two separate sentences
• Darcy cant stand Theodore_________smells like
  cheese.
• Darcy cant stand Theodore_________smells like
  cheese.

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Fixing Run-Ons
2. CONNECT the separate sentences correctly with
the appropriate conjunction FANBOYS Darcy
cant stand Theodore________he smells like
cheese. Subordinating Darcy cant stand Theodore
______________he smells like cheese. ____________h
e smells like cheese___Darcy cant stand
Theodore. Darcy ____________he smells like
cheese___cant stand Theodore. Correlative (Doesn
t really work for this example, but heres
something similar.) __________ does Theodore
smell like cheese________he ______enjoys cheese
as a tasty snack. What about Conjunctive
Adverbs? (consequently, therefore, etc.)
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Fixing Run-Ons

• What about Conjunctive Adverbs? (consequently,
  therefore, etc.)
• A conjunctive adverb and a comma CANNOT fix a
  run-on!
• Darcy cant stand Theodore________________he
  smells like cheese.
• NOOOOOOO!
• Darcy cant stand Theodore________________he
  smells like cheese.
• NOOOOOOO!
• All of these are incorrect. In fact, they went
  from a run-on to another sentence structure
  error the comma splice!

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Comma Splices

• 3) Comma Splices Splitting two independent
  clauses __________________________________________
  ____ (Placing a comma where there SHOULD be a
  period)
• Why is this bad?
• A comma inserts a brief pause, but this isnt
  enough. After the pause, the reader just keeps
  running on to the next thought! This is very
  confusing for the reader.
• You must _________________________________ or use
  _________________________ to appropriately
  connect the thoughts. A comma is not enough!

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Fixing a Comma Splice

• To fix a comma splice, we have the
  ___________________________ (since its
  essentially the same as a run-on with the
  addition of a comma)
• 1) _________________________________________(inste
  ad of pause).
• Period and capital letter
• Semi-colon and lower case letter
• 2) __________________________________(and comma
  if necessary)
• FANBOYS (with a comma)
• Subordinating (with a comma sometimes)
• Correlative (with a comma sometimes)
• Note __________________________________still
  dont work!

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Fixing Comma Splices

• Theodore loves Darcy, she smells like cookies.
• What are the ways we can revise this correctly?
• STOP between the two separate sentences
• Theodore loves Darcy_________smells like cookies.
• Theodore loves Darcy_________smells like cookies.

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Fixing Comma Splices
2. CONNECT the separate sentences correctly with
the appropriate conjunction FANBOYS Theodore
loves Darcy__________she smells like
cookies. Subordinating Theodore loves Darcy
___________she smells like cookies. __________she
smells like cookies_____Theodore loves
Darcy. Theodore__________________she smells like
cookies_____loves Darcy. Correlative (Doesnt
really work for this example, but heres
something similar.) __________________ does Darcy
smell like cookies__________ Theodore
_____________loves her. What about Conjunctive
Adverbs? (consequently, therefore, etc.)
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Fixing Comma Splices

• What about Conjunctive Adverbs? (consequently,
  therefore, etc.)
• A conjunctive adverb and a comma CANNOT fix a
  comma splice!
• Theodore loves Darcy_________________she smells
  like cookies.
• NOOOOOOO!
• Theodore loves Darcy_________________she smells
  like cookies.
• NOOOOOOO!
• All of these are wrong wrong wrong! How can we
  fix it?
• Theodore loves Darcy_________________she smells
  like cookies.

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Identify the Errorand Fix It!

• Decide if the following are examples of
  fragments, run-ons, comma splices, or complete
  sentences. Then fix the error using the ways
  weve learned.
• 1. Because Herald forgot his book.
• Error?
• ______________________________
• Revision? (Choose 1-2)
• _________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  ______________________________________________

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Identify the Errorand Fix It!

• Herald is not a very good student, he refuses to
  do his homework.
• Error?
• ____________________________________
• Revision?
• _________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  ______________

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Identify the Errorand Fix It!

• Paul ran then he decided to relax.
• Error?
• ___________________________________________
• Revision?
• _________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  ______________

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Identify the Errorand Fix It!

• Paul ran then he decided to relax.
• Error?
• ______________________________________________
• Revision?
• _________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  ______________

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Identify the Errorand Fix It!

• Amy went home because she became incredibly
  sleepy.
• Error?
• ___________________________________________
• Revision?
• _________________________________________________
  __________
• Despite his lack of patience for people who never
  meet deadlines.
• Error?
• ______________________________________________
• Revision?
• _________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  ___________________

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Identify the Errorand Fix It!

• Margaret arrived tardy, therefore, she didnt
  have time to finish the quiz.
• Error?
• _______________________________________________
• Revision?
• _________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  _______________________

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Why does it matter ?

• WRITING WRITING WRITING!
• Sentence structure errors and punctuation are not
  only VERY frequent ___________________________,
  but also compromise the ___________________of
  your writing!
• Sentence structure errors severely impede (get in
  the way of) meaning and clarity.
• They also are _________________________________
  for college-level writing, yet these concepts are
  not taught.

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Summary/Quiz Questions