Common Sentence Problems Once you understand how to select a topic, create an introduction, body, and conclusion for

your paper, develop a strong thesis statement, work with an outline, provide transitions between your ideas, and write research papers, you are ready to address some more specific issues in regard to your writing. Sentence fragments, run-on sentences and comma splices, the passive voice, lack of subject-verb agreement, shifts in pronoun usage and tense, and lack of parallelism are all writing problems that need to be understood so that you can avoid them in your own writing. / Sentence fragments A sentence fragment is a group of words that is incorrectly punctuated as a complete sentence. For example, "Because it was important to me." would be a sentence fragment. "Because it was important to me." is called a dependent clause - it is "dependent" on more information in order to be a complete thought. However, "I studied for the test for hours, because it was important to me." would be a complete sentence. The dependent clause has been hooked on to an independent clause (a group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence) in order to make a complete thought. Another type of sentence fragment is a phrase, which consists of a subject (who or what the sentence is about) without a predicate (a verb that shows tense and includes what the verb accomplishes, a word or group of words that describes or renames what the verb accomplishes , or a word modifying the verb in some way). A phrase can also consist of a predicate without a subject. For example, "To understand her point." would be a phrase, because it lacks a subject. However, "I tried very hard to understand her point." would be a complete sentence, because it includes both the subject (I) and the predicate (tried very hard to understand). An easy way to think about sentence fragments is to do the following: Try imagining yourself saying the sentence to a complete stranger who just walked into the room. If the stranger would be confused by the sentence you wrote, and would need more information to understand your point, you probably have a sentence fragment. There are several easy ways to fix sentence fragments. The first is to connect your sentence fragment to the preceding complete sentence with a comma, if the meaning that is then created is what you are looking for. Incorrect: I studied for the test for hours. Because it was important to me. Correct: I studied for the test for hours, because it was important to me.

Another way to fix a sentence fragment is to add more information to the fragment to make it a complete thought. Incorrect: Because it was important to me. Correct: Because it was important to me, I studied for the test for hours. A third way to fix sentence fragments is to add a predicate or a subject, if either one is missing. Incorrect (missing a predicate): Snow on the road. Correct: Snow was drifting on the road. Incorrect (missing a subject): Wanted to get to class on time. Correct: The students wanted to get to class on time. / Run-on sentences and comma splices A run-on sentence combines two complete sentences (or independent clauses) without any punctuation. If two independent clauses are connected by a comma, then a comma splice has occurred. There are several ways to correct run-on sentences and comma splices: Run-on sentence: I felt awful about hitting this man today he didn't even seem to notice. Comma splice: I felt awful about hitting this man today, he didn't even seem to notice. How to fix comma splices and run-on sentences: Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet, either...or, neither...nor, both...and, not only...but also). Ex: I felt awful about hitting this man today, but he didn't even seem to notice. Use a semicolon. Ex: I felt awful about hitting this man today; he didn't even seem to notice. Make the clauses into separate sentences. Ex: I felt awful about hitting this man today. He didn't even seem to notice. Restructure the sentence, perhaps by subordinating one of the clauses. Ex: Even though he didn't seem to notice, I felt awful about hitting this man today. /Passive voice The passive voice occurs when the sentence explains what is done to the subject, instead of what the subject did. Using the passive voice de-emphasizes the actor in a sentence and usually makes the sentence vague. Therefore, try to use the active voice instead as much as possible. Ex: Weak passive:

The exam was thought by us to be unfair because we were tested on material that was not covered in the course. Strong active: We thought the exam unfair because it tested us on material the course did not cover. Ex: Weak passive: The paper was written by a freshman. Strong active: A freshman wrote the paper. All of these nouns act instead of someone/something acting upon them. The passive voice is normally used only when the writer wants to emphasize the receiver of the action or doesn't know the identity of the subject, or when the subject doesn't provide important information. /Shifts in pronoun usage When you are writing a paper, be consistent in your use of pronouns, and be sure to use the appropriate pronoun to match your noun. Incorrect: A person should be careful so that he or she doesn't fall behind in their classes. Correct: People should be careful so that they don't fall behind in their classes. "A person" is a singular noun and "their" is a plural pronoun, so the writer needs to use the plural noun "people" with the plural pronoun "their." Incorrect: One often doesn't know what will happen to them next. Correct: One often doesn't know what will happen to one next. Don't switch from "one" to "them;" if you begin by using one kind of pronoun, you must be consistent with the use of that pronoun to represent the noun in the rest of your sentence. /Subject-verb agreement Within your sentences your subject (who or what the sentence is about) must agree with your verb (the action word in the sentence). Example: Incorrect: The pattern of the stars in the Milky Way are analyzed by scientists around the world. Correct: The pattern of the stars in the Milky Way is analyzed by scientists around the world. "The pattern" represents one subject, so the verb needs to be singular (is), not plural (are). Shifts in tense When you are writing a paper, use either the past tense or the present tense, but use whichever tense you

choose consistently. Shift tenses only to signal a time before or after the tense you have chosen to use. Example of shifting tense to signal a time change: I felt silly for not understanding the plot of the novel, but I feel better after talking to some other students in the class about it. I feel badly for not doing the reading assignment, but I was sick all last week. When you are referring to a work of fiction, a poem, a play, or a film, use the present tense consistently, even though the work was written in the past, and even if the author is no longer alive. When you write your own narrative, use the past tense to describe actions that already happened. /Lack of parallelism Parallelism is just a fancy way of saying that each part of your sentence needs to match the other parts when you are listing items or actions, or when you are comparing or clarifying relationships between ideas. For example: Incorrect: I went to the store, bus stop, and to the train station. I like to walk, swimming, and read novels. Correct: I went to the store, to the bus stop, and to the train station. I went to the store, bus stop, and train station. I like to walk, swim, and read novels. I like to walk, to swim, and to read novels. I like walking, swimming, and reading novels. Incorrect: Many students try to take classes that interest them making their semester more enjoyable. Correct: Many students try to take classes that interest them to make their semester more enjoyable. /http://www.simpson.edu/hawley/writing/sentence.html SENTENCE FAULTS: Comma Splices, Fused Sentences, and Sentence Fragments Clause: group of words with a subject and verb. Ex: students attend college Independent clause: a clause that can stand alone as a full sentence. Ex: Students attend college. Dependent clause: a clause that cannot stand alone because it contains a subordinating conjunction. Ex: While students attend college Phrase: group of words lacking a subject and/or verb. Ex: attending college

Comma splice: two sentences/independent clauses joined ONLY by a comma. Ex: Its not just a job, its an adventure. Fused sentence: two sentences/independent clauses joined by nothing. Ex: Its not just a job its an adventure. Five ways to correct a comma splice or fused sentence: 1. Separate the two independent clauses with a period and capital letter: Its not just a job. Its an adventure. 2. Link the clauses with a comma AND a coordinating conjunction: Its not just a job, because its also an adventure. 3. Link the clauses with a semicolon: Its not just a job; its an adventure. 4. Make the two clauses into ONE independent clause: Its both a job and an adventure. 5. Make one clause DEPENDENT by using a subordinating conjunction: Its not just a job, since its also an adventure.

2. Phrase fragments Exs: He wanted to make a point. To prove to everyone that he was capable. (infinitive phrase) She worked hard every day. Trying to keep up with her bosss demands. (-ing participle phrase) Steve talked for hours. Elated by the companys success. (past participle phrase) They kept dialing the bosss phone number. With no luck. (prepositional phrase) The prize was awarded to Sheila. The best worker in the company. (appositive phrase) Joan Didion has written on many subjects. Such as the Hoover Dam. (frags beginning with a transitional phrase, or added detail fragments) Methods of correcting a phrase fragment: 1. Attach the phrase to a nearby independent clause. 2. Change the phrase to an independent clause. 3. Rewrite the whole passage.

Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet (exactly 7) Subordinating conjunctions: [include] after, although, as, because, before, if, since, so that, that, unless, until, what, when, where, whether, which, while, who Sentence fragment: an incomplete sentence that is punctuated like a sentence Common types of sentence fragments: 1. Dependent clause fragment Ex: When he decided to work part-time. He gave up some earning potential. Methods of correcting a dependent clause fragment: 1. Attach the dependent clause to a nearby independent clause. 2. Delete the subordinating conjunction. 3. Rewrite the whole passage.

3. Phrases missing a subject Ex: They sold their house. And moved into an apartment.