1. ENGLISH Sentence Structure

2. CHECKLIST FOR ANALYZING SENTENCE STRUCTURE 1.Is the sentence a run-on sentence? 2. Does the sentence contain a common splice? 3. Is the sentence a fragment? 4. Does the sentence contain logical coordinating and subordinating clauses? 5. Are the elements of a sentence parallel? 6. Are there any incomplete split constructions? 7. Are there any misplaced modifiers? 8. Does the misplacement or omission of certain elements in the sentence create unintended meanings? When analyzing the structure of a sentence, ask the following 8 questions:

3. Sentence Structure RUN-ON SENTENCES Run-on sentences can be corrected 3 ways: 1.“End-Stop” Punctuation: The lecture was incredibly dull you almost fell asleep. x The lecture was incredibly dull. You almost fell asleep. ☺ *DO NOT use a comma by itself to separate 2 sentences. 2. Semicolons: Use a semi-colon when 2 sentences are very closely related in meaning. It was a beautiful day there was not a cloud in the sky. x It was a beautiful day; there was not a cloud in the sky. ☺ 3. Connector: (#57) Use a conjunction (and, but, for, or, nor) if 2 sentences are equally important. You usually need to place a comma before the connector. I like to ski my friend prefers to sit by the fire. x I like to ski, but my friend prefers to sit by the fire. ☺

4. Sentence Structure COMMA SPLICES To correct comma splices, replace the comma with: 1.end-stop punctuation 2.a semicolon 3.A connector Jane missed the bus, she needs a ride. x Jane missed the bus; she needs a ride. ☺ I can’t concentrate on the paper, the music is distracting me. x I can’t concentrate on the paper because the music is distracting me. ☺

5. Sentence Structure FRAGMENTS  Fragments are incomplete pieces of a sentence.  They may lack a subject, verb, or both.  Sometimes a fragment is a dependent clause or prepositional phrase that needs an independent clause to be complete.  Fragments can be corrected by supplying the missing element. Jumps out of the box. x Jack jumps out of the box. ☺ The phone with call waiting. x The phone has call waiting. ☺ While reading the story. x While reading the story, Beth heard a loud noise in the dining room. ☺

6. Sentence Structure PROBLEMS OF COORDINATION & SUBORDINATION  Items may contain incorrect coordinating and subordinating conjunctions that join 2 or more clauses.  Always check to see whether the conjunction creates a logical connector. The car skidded across the street, but the ground was icy. x The car skidded across the street because the ground was icy. ☺

7. Sentence Structure FAULTY PARALLELISM  Whenever elements of a sentence perform similar or equal functions, they should have the same form.  Consider the following faulty sentences; they are missing necessary words: At most colleges the dominant attitude among students is that gaining admission to professional graduate school is more important than to obtain a well-rounded education. x The review was critical of the film, citing the poor photography, the weak plot, and the dialogue was stilted. X CHECK THAT ALL ELEMENTS OF A SENTENCE ARE PARALLEL Check that all elements of a sentence are parallel – including verb forms, noun forms, and word pairs such as “this…that,” “either…or,” and “neither…nor.”

8. Sentence Structure INCOMPLETE SPLIT CONSTRUCTIONS  Split constructions refer to phrases in which a thought, interrupted by intervening material, is completed later in the sentence. The officials were not only aware of, but actually encouraged, the misreporting of scores. ☺ CHECK THAT SPLIT CONSTRUCTIONS ARE COMPLETED A split construction is a sentence structure in which 2 otherwise separate ideas are joined together by a later element. Be alert for split constructions and check that any interrupted thought is correctly completed.

9. Sentence Structure INCOMPLETE SPLIT CONSTRUCTIONS (cont.)  Consider the following faulty constructions: Her collegeagues always speak of Professor Collins as a person who has and will always be sensitive to the needs of younger students. x Judging from the pricing policies of many large corporations, maintaining a stable share of the market is as important, if not more important than, making a large profit. x RULES FOR CHECKING SPLIT CONSTRUCTIONS The intervening material makes it difficult to spot errors of split construction. Therefore, when checking split constructions, read the sentence without the intervening material – it should make sense, be grammatically correct, and be a complete sentence.

10. Sentence Structure MISPLACED MODIFIER  A modifier should be as close as possible to what it modifies.  If a modifier is too distant from what is supposed to modify, it can modify the wrong part of the sentence. Stuffed with herb dressing, trussed neatly, and baked to a golden hue, Aunt Fannie served her famous holiday turkey. x At the party, Fred served cold lemonade to his thirst guests in paper cups. X WATCHING FOR MISPLACED MODIFIERS Watch for sentences with ambiguous or incorrect modification. A modifier should be as close as possible to what it’s supposed to modify.

11. Sentence Structure UNINTENDED MEANING  Sometimes a sentence intends to say one thing but actually says another. A childless charwoman’s daughter, Dr. Roberts was a self-made woman. X If the present interest rates fall, the dollar will lose some of its value on the foreign exchange. X  There are countless ways in which sentences can include unintended meanings, so when you review a sentence… VERIFY THAT EACH SENTENCE HAS ITS INTENDED MEANING Use logic to verify that each sentence has its intended meaning.