English 350/355 Wednesday, February 19, 2014 Melissa Gunby

Freewrite! If you could invite four people (living or dead) to a dinner party, whom would you invite? Name your guests and write a little about the topics you would discuss or questions you would ask.

GRAMMAR REVIEW Fragments, Run-ons, and Comma Splices

FINDING AND CORRECTING SENTENCE FRAGMENTS (FRAG) Chapter 25 (page 471)

Fragments A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence – a clause or a phrase—that is punctuated as if it were a sentence. Common fragment errors: Missing a subject Missing a verb Missing a subject and verb Being an incomplete thought

Please do practice 25-1 on page 473. Just mark each item as a fragment (F) or sentence (S)

Missing a subject He packed his books and papers. And also took an umbrella. correct: He packed his books and papers and also took an umbrella Why don’t we need a comma in this sentence? Correct: He packed his books and papers. He also took an umbrella.

Phrase Fragment (pp 477) A phrase is a group of words that is missing a subject, a verb, or both. Usually, phrase fragments can be corrected by attaching it to the sentence that comes right before it. He decorated the room in his favorite colors. Brown and black. He decorated the room in his favorite colors, brown and black A balanced diet should include high-fiber foods. Such as leafy vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole –grain bread. A balanced diet should include high-fiber foods, such as leafy vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole-grain bread.

Cont (478) Prepositional fragments will be a prepositional phrase. She promised to stand by him. In sickness and in health. Correct: she promised to stand by him in sickness and in health. Infinitive fragments will contain the infinitive form of the verb and can’t stand alone as a sentence. Eric considered dropping out of school. To start his own business. Correct: Eric considered dropping out of school to start his own business Also correct: Eric considered dropping out of school. He wanted to start his own business.

Please practice Working on your own or with a partner, do the first half of practice Identify the fragments. Then, as a class, we will re-write the paragraph.

-ing fragments (481) -ing verbs, words that end in ING cannot be main verbs; they require a helping verb. Frequently, we begin sentences with – ing verbs and get sentence fragments because they are incomplete thoughts. The twins are full of mischief. Always looking for trouble. Correct: The twins are full of mischief, always looking for trouble. Also correct: The twins are full of mischief. They are always looking for trouble.

Dependent Clause Fragments (484) Dependent clauses that are not completed by ICs are fragments, because they are not complete thoughts. The sub (or transition word) make them fragments. After Simon won the lottery. After Simon won the lottery, he quit his job. Although Marisol had always dreamed of visiting America. Although Marisol had always dreamed of visiting America, she did not have enough money for the trip until 1985.

You also have to watch out for relative pronoun dependent clauses Novelist Richard Wright, who came to Paris in Novelist Richard Wright, who came to Paris in 1947, spent the rest of his life there. A quinceañera, which celebrates a Latina’s fifteenth birthday. A quinceañera, which celebrates a Latina’s fifteenth birthday, signifies her entrance into womanhood. A key World War II battle that was fought on the Pacific island of Guadalcanal. A key World War II battle that was fought on the Pacific island of Guadalcanal took place in 1943.

Another trick Try adding “it is true that” in front of a sentence that you think may be a fragment. A complete sentence will make sense; a fragment will not.

Fragment triggers Look out for the following. They almost always trigger a sentence fragment: Beginning a sentence with “for example.” Beginning a sentence with a gerund (-ing) form verb Beginning a sentence with a subordinating conjunction (however, because, although) These are words used to set up dependent clauses, which cannot function as sentences without the support of an independent clause.

One Last Practice Please do the first 5 of practice You may work alone or with a partner. I then need 5 volunteers to put their work on the board.

RECOGNIZING AND CORRECTION RUN- ON SENTENCES (RO)

YOUR QUESTIONS

Homework Read pages in Of Mice and Men. Complete the reading journal Complete the vocabulary handout Be prepared to discuss the book in class next week.