© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Ch. 17 – Sentence Problems © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Opening Activity The following phrases are fragments. Add words and phrases to help turn these fragments into complete sentences. At the next light. Driving over the speed bump. When braking too hard. Ignoring the stop sign. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Answers The following phrases are fragments. Add words and phrases to help turn these fragments into complete sentences. Tina took a sharp turn at the next light. Driving over the speed bump, she jostled her groceries. Tina felt the car screech when braking too hard. Ignoring the stop sign, Tina sped down the street. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Learning Outcomes By the time you finish reading and studying this chapter, you should be able to: Recognize and correct LO1 Common Fragments LO2 Tricky Fragments LO3 Comma Splices L04 Run-On Sentences L05 Rambling Sentences L06 Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers L07 Shifts in Sentence Construction © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Common Fragments Fragment - a group of words that is missing a subject or a predicate (or both) or that does not express a complete thought Checked the mirror. (FRAGMENT) Doran checked the mirror. To rearrange his hair again. (FRAGMENT) To rearrange his hair again, Doran looked in the rear view mirror. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Tricky Fragments Some fragments are more difficult to find and correct. Absolute phrase - a group of words with a noun and a participle (a word ending in ing or ed) and the words that modify them Leaping across the stage. (ABSOLUTE PHRASE - FRAGMENT) Micah sprained her ankle when leaping across the stage. At the spotlight. (ABSOLUTE PHRASE - FRAGMENT) At the spotlight, Micah paused for applause. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Tricky Fragments Fragments commonly used in speech should be eliminated from formal writing (Informal Fragments). Hey there! How come? Delayed subject - a subject that appears after the verb, as in a sentence that begins with here or there or a sentence that asks a question There go Russell’s parents with his guitar. Implied subject - the word you, assumed to begin command sentences Get the door. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Comma Splices Comma splice - a sentence error that occurs when two sentences are connected with only a comma Comma splices can be corrected by: Adding a coordinating conjunction (For, and, nor, but, or, yet, or so) Natalie asked the question, but Molly followed-up. Adding a subordinating conjunction (while, when, if, after, where, etc.) While Natalie asked the question, Molly followed-up. Replacing the comma with a semi-colon Natalie asked the question; Molly followed-up. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Run-on Sentences Run-on sentence - a sentence error that occurs when two sentences are joined without punctuation or a connecting word Run-on Sentences can be corrected by: Adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction (For, and, nor, but, or, yet, or so) The engineer drew, but the architect added detail. Adding a subordinating conjunction and a comma (while, when, if, after, where, etc.) While the engineer drew, the architect added detail. Inserting a semi-colon The engineer drew; the architect added detail. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Rambling Sentences Rambling sentence - a sentence error that occurs when a long series of separate ideas are connected by one and, but, or so after another After several days the rain began to drop angrily from the sky Daisy attempted to mow the lawn early in the morning, but she was not successful as the water drenched the grass and lawn mower. (RAMBLING SENTENCE) After several days, the rain began to drop angrily from the sky. Daisy attempted to mow the lawn early in the morning, but she was not successful as the water drenched the grass and lawn mower. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Misplaced / Dangling Modifiers Dangling modifier - a modifying word, phrase, or clause that appears to modify the wrong word or a word that isn’t in the sentence After losing her shoe at the bowling alley, a call came with some information about its whereabouts. (DANGLING MODIFIER) After losing her shoe at the bowling alley, a call came from a man at the bowling alley who had some information about its whereabouts. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Misplaced / Dangling Modifiers Misplaced modifier - a modifying word, phrase, or clause that has been placed incorrectly in a sentence, often creating an amusing or illogical idea The lost boy was found by the terrified Mother with the red hat. (MISPLACED MODIFIER) The lost boy with the red hat was found by the terrified Mother. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Shifts in Sentences Shift in person - an error that occurs when first, second, and/or third person are improperly mixed in a sentence. First person - I or we (the person speaking) Second person - you (the person spoken to) Third person - he, she, it, or they (the person or thing spoken about) They grow when you get to know yourself better. (SHIFT IN PERSON) You grow when you get to know yourself better. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Shifts in Sentences Shift in tense - an error that occurs when more than one verb tense is improperly used in a sentence Blogged regularly about politics prepares Nancy to discussed the topic during heated debates. (SHIFT IN TENSE) Blogging regularly about politics prepares Nancy to discuss the topic during heated debates. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Shifts in Sentences Shift in voice - an error that occurs when active voice and passive voice are mixed in a sentence Nicoli traveled to South Africa hoping he was to be involved in the African culture. (SHIFT IN VOICE) Nicoli traveled to South Africa hoping to be involved in the African culture. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Closing Activity Correct the following comma splices using each of the three methods noted in the chapter. Gwyneth and Ben were in love, their parents did not approve. Gwyneth’s Mom thought that Ben was too egotistical, her Dad believed Ben was not reliable. Ben pretended to like Gwyneth’s parents, he knew they were not pleased he was dating her. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Answers Correct the following comma splices using each of the three methods noted in the chapter. While Gwyneth and Ben were in love, their parents did not approve. Gwyneth’s Mom thought that Ben was too egotistical, and her Dad believed Ben was not reliable. Ben pretended to like Gwyneth’s parents; he knew they were not pleased he was dating her. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.