1. SENTENCE ERRORS UWF WRITING LAB GRAMMAR SKILLS SERIES #3
FROM REAL GOOD GRAMMAR, TOO BY MAMIE WEBB HIXON
POWERPOINT CREATED BY OLIVIA HAWKINS
LAST UPDATED SPRING 2017

2. THREE TYPES OF SENTENCE ERRORS
Fragments
Comma splices
Run-on sentences

3. FRAGMENT
A GROUP OF WORDS PRETENDING TO BE A SENTENCE

4. WHAT IS A COMPLETE SENTENCE, ANYWAY?
You need three things to create a complete sentence:
Subject
Verb
Complete Thought

5. FRAGMENT DETECTION FLOW CHART
START HERE
FRAGMENT DETECTION FLOW CHART
Run these word groups through the chart to find out if they are fragments.
Does it have a subject?
FRAGMENT NO
My father having the blandest sense of humor in the world.
Some students put forth a lot of effort. While others procrastinate and never excel in anything academic.
Soccer, which is the number one sport in the world.
The steaks were all right, but the vegetables were overdone.
It is obsolete.
YES
FRAGMENT
Does it have a verb? NO
YES
Does it make a complete thought?
FRAGMENT NO
YES
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE A COMPLETE SENTENCE!

6. FRAGMENT TEST RESULTS POSITIVE FRAGMENT TEST NEGATIVE FRAGMENT TEST
My father having the blandest sense of humor in the world.
It is obsolete.
The steaks were all right, but the vegetables were overdone.
Soccer, which is the number one sport in the world.
Some students put forth a lot of effort.
While others procrastinate and never excel in anything academic.

7. COMMA SPLICE
THE USE OF ONLY A COMMA TO SEPARATE TWO SENTENCES

8. FOUR WAYS TO REVISE A COMMA SPLICE
Tevon won the award, he had the highest score.

9. FOUR WAYS TO REVISE A COMMA SPLICE
Tevon won the award, he had the highest score.
OPTION 1
Replace the comma with a period.
The simplest solution, but perhaps not the most elegant.
Tevon won the award. He had the highest score.

10. FOUR WAYS TO REVISE A COMMA SPLICE
Tevon won the award, he had the highest score.
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
Replace the comma with a period.
Replace the comma with a semicolon.
Semicolon = fancy period that shows connection
Tevon won the award. He had the highest score.
Tevon won the award; he had the highest score.

11. FOUR WAYS TO REVISE A COMMA SPLICE
Tevon won the award, he had the highest score.
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
FANBOYS
(coordinating conjunctions)
For
And
Nor
But Or
Yet So
Replace the comma with a period.
Replace the comma with a semicolon.
Add one of the FANBOYS to help the comma.
Tevon won the award. He had the highest score.
Tevon won the award; he had the highest score.
Tevon won the award, for he had the highest score.

12. FOUR WAYS TO REVISE A COMMA SPLICE
Tevon won the award, he had the highest score.
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
Subordinating conjunctions include because, as if, and even though.
OPTION 3
OPTION 4
Separate the sentences with a subordinating conjunction.
Replace the comma with a period.
Replace the comma with a semicolon.
Add one of the FANBOYS to help the comma.
Tevon won the award because he had the highest score.
Tevon won the award. He had the highest score.
Tevon won the award; he had the highest score.
Tevon won the award, for he had the highest score.

13. RUN-ON SENTENCES
OR FUSED SENTENCES
TWO COMPLETE SENTENCES WHICH ARE NOT SEPARATED BY ANY PUNCTUATION.

14. IS IT A RUN-ON? Walk with your feet dance with your heart.
The scandal broke after the teacher was charged with sexual harassment so the administration and the school board issued a statement to the media to dispel any rumors.

15. The conjunction so actually joins the two sentences.
IS IT A RUN-ON?
Walk with your feet dance with your heart.
The scandal broke after the teacher was charged with sexual harassment so the administration and the school board issued a statement to the media to dispel any rumors.
RUN-ON
NOT A RUN-ON
This sentence is actually a compound sentence in which the comma is omitted before the coordinating conjunction so.
The conjunction so actually joins the two sentences.

16. The conjunction so actually joins the two sentences.
A run-on sentence is not a sentence that goes on and on or a sentence that needs punctuation; a run-on sentence is two sentences not separated by a period, a semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction with a comma.
IS IT A RUN-ON?
Walk with your feet dance with your heart.
The scandal broke after the teacher was charged with sexual harassment, so the administration and the school board issued a statement to the media to dispel any rumors.
RUN-ON
NOT A RUN-ON
This sentence is actually a compound sentence in which the comma omitted before the coordinating conjunction so.
The conjunction so actually joins the two sentences.

17. FOUR WAYS TO FIX A RUN-ON
It was a beautiful day there was not a cloud in the sky.
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
OPTION 4
Hint: they’re really familiar.

18. FOUR WAYS TO FIX A RUN-ON
It was a beautiful day there was not a cloud in the sky.
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
OPTION 4
Separate the sentences with a period.
Connect the sentences with a semicolon.
Use one of the FANBOYS with a comma.
Connect the sentences with a subordinating conjunction.
It was a beautiful day. There was not a cloud in the sky.
It was a beautiful day; there was not a cloud in the sky.
It was a beautiful day, and there was not a cloud in the sky.
It was a beautiful day since there was not a cloud in the sky.

19. FOUR WAYS TO FIX A RUN-ON
Option 4.5: semicolon or period + conjunctive adverb
You can think of a conjunctive adverb as a word that transitions between and connects two ideas.
It was a beautiful day there was not a cloud in the sky.
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
OPTION 4
Separate the sentences with a period.
Connect the sentences with a semicolon.
Use one of the FANBOYS with a comma.
Connect the sentences with a subordinating conjunction.
Just because there’s a comma, the sentence is not automatically a comma splice!
Run-on sentence with a conjunctive adverb: there are several dozen electric household appliances however, the average home has less than a quarter of these.
It was a beautiful day. There was not a cloud in the sky.
It was a beautiful day; there was not a cloud in the sky.
It was a beautiful day, and there was not a cloud in the sky.
It was a beautiful day since there was not a cloud in the sky.

20. SO I FOUND THIS PICTURE ON THE INTERNET . . .