Download Sentence Structure Errors for ENGL 09 Online

The Three Major Sentence Structure Errors
1) Run-On Sentences
2) Comma Splices
3) Sentence Fragments
Run-On Sentences
Run-on sentences occur when we have subject/verb + subject verb combinations, but the conjunction
(coordinating conjunction or subordinating conjunction) is missing.
Here is an example: John sat down on his grandfather’s antique chair he really needed a rest.
Let’s underline the S/V combos:
John sat down on his grandfather’s antique chair he really needed a rest.
S/V 1: John sat
S/V 2: he needed
This is a run-on sentence-- a major grammatical error (!) because there is no conjunction connecting the S/V
units.
You don’t see any representative of the two groups of conjunctions we have studied so far in the sentence. A
conjunction is a connector of clauses. That is their function. We need one virtually any time we have two S/V
units (clauses) in one sentence.
Let’s add one from the first group we studied-- let’s add a coordinating conjunction and remember to
punctuate it properly.
John sat down on his grandfather’s antique chair, for he really needed a rest.
Great! We added “for” because maybe we want to express a effect/cause relationship between the two clauses.
Remember-- the comma goes before this group of words. Your speaking style may be to pause after saying the
conjunction. Don’t put commas where you might pause when you speak unless you are writing dialog for a
play, short story or novel.
We are not done with the possibilities. We have other options. I mean, we have an entire other class of
conjunctions to choose from. (Yes, it’s up to you in your essays if you want to link two clauses in one
particular sentence in one of your essays with a coordinating conjunction, a subordinating conjunction or the
very academic conjunctive adverbs.)
Now let’s fix that run-on sentence by adding a subordinating conjunction-- that 2nd group of words we
practiced.
John sat down on his grandfather’s antique chair because he really needed a rest.
Notice the punctuation-- no comma.
S/V because S/V.
And now let’s add the order variant-- again, in your sentence, you could place because between the clauses or
at the beginning. Just remember where the comma goes.
Because he really needed a rest, John sat down on his grandfather’s antique chair.
Notice the punctuation-- comma here: Because S/V, S/V.
When we added the coordination conjunction “and” and alternatively added the subordinating conjunction
“because,” we repaired the fault with the sentences by adding the missing connector of the two clauses.
To review, we changed the run-on (conjunction-lacking) sentence:
X John sat down on his grandfather’s antique chair he really needed a rest.
to
John sat down on his grandfather’s antique chair, for he really needed a rest.
and
John sat down on his grandfather’s antique chair because he really needed a rest.
Okay, that’s what a run-on sentence is and how to fix it. What is a comma splice? I’ll tell you right now that
it is every bit as bad as a run-on sentence.
Comma Splices
Comma splices are pretty similar to run-on sentences. They lack the conjunction and are just as disastrous. The
difference is only you will find a comma between S/V S/V.
Here’s an example using the run-on we had above. Let’s convert the horrible run-on sentence to an equally
horrible comma splice.
John sat down on his grandfather’s antique chair, he really needed a rest.
The problem is we still need a conjunction if we want to connect S/V + S/V. We need a specialized word. A
comma will not do. That is when you have two clauses that can stand alone as independent sentences, a comma
cannot be used to connect them. That’s why we have been working with conjunctions! They are the solution to
run-on sentence and comma splice woes!!!
The way to repair the comma splice is to add a conjunction exactly as we did for the run-on sentence version
above.
Here’s another comma splice.
Sam ordered a large mocha coffee at Starbuck’s, Samantha decided to have a croissant.
Let’s identify the S/V combinations.
Sam ordered a large mocha coffee at Starbuck’s, Samantha decided to have a croissant.
Clause 1: Sam ordered
Clause 2: Samantha decided
Question: Is there a conjunction in the sentence? Is there one of the seven coordinating conjunctions? How
about the second group-- do you see any subordinating conjunctions. Conjunctive adverbs? No? I don’t
either! Therefore we have S/V + S/V with no conjunction. The comma is what makes it a comma splice.
Without the comma, it’s a run-on sentence, which is surely no improvement.
Okay, we have options. We can add a coordinating conjunction.
How about this one?
Sam ordered a large mocha coffee at Starbuck’s, and Samantha decided to have a croissant.
Yes-- a coordinating conjunction! Here’s the simple meaning of in addition.
And how about this one? (Subordinating conjunction coming!)
Sam ordered a large mocha coffee at Starbuck’s while Samantha decided to have a croissant.
Here, we emphasized the contrast regarding what they ordered. Or it could be another meaning of while, which
is two actions at the same time. Although different, both interpretations work.
Notice there is no comma.
We can also flip that one around, like this.
While Samantha decided to have a croissant, Sam ordered a large mocha coffee at Starbuck’s
Notice the comma.
To sum up where we gone so far, we have had a mini-review of coordinating conjunctions and subordinating
conjunctions by looking at run-on sentence and comma splice errors.
Let’s get a sneak preview of the third way to connect S/V + S/V.
The third and last group of conjunctions is called Conjunctive Adverbs. (Finally!)
These are the ones you definitely want to work into each and every essay you write. Yes, they serve the same
basic utilitarian function of connecting S/V + S/V, but they do something extra which is very important as a
college or university student.
They words add the extra important dimension of shooting your writing style into academic tone at light
speed!
Let’s take the two example sentences above that had problems, but this time fix the errors with a conjunctive
adverb.
We’ve got two sorry “sentences”:
1. John sat down on his grandfather’s antique chair he really needed a rest.
2. Sam ordered a large mocha coffee at Starbuck’s, Samantha decided to have a croissant.
This time, let’s do the run-on sentence repair (#1) and comma splice repair (#2) with conjunctive adverbs.
1. John sat down on his grandfather’s antique chair; indeed, he really needed a rest.
2. Sam ordered a large mocha coffee at Starbuck’s; in contrast, Samantha decided to have a croissant.
We could have chosen other conjunctive adverbs to accentuate a different meaning relationship between the
S/V’s, but right now the point is to introduce this third group of words that connect S/V + S/V and to see how
they take us across the galaxy into the Tone of Academia.
This may certainly be because when we speak informally with friends and relatives, text and email most of us
normally don’t toss in indeed, in contrast, consequently, moreover, nevertheless, subsequently, and in addition
(or other conjunctive adverbs). It is almost as if these words are reserved for college essays and erudite speech!
So for every essay you write, yes, feel free to use coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions,
but absolutely work in at least a few conjunctive adverbs to elevate your tone, launching it well into
academia.
Sentence Fragments
Sentence fragments are the third and final sentence structure error for which big points are typically
deducted when seen in college essays.
As your writing gets more complex, and as you focus on the complexity of the meaning of your sentences, a
single word which is necessary for the foundational structure of your sentence may go missing.
This was in a student essay:
I also enjoy eating sugared churros as they are freshly made and still warm makes them so much tastier.
The first clause is fine: I also enjoy eating sugared churros
S/V = I enjoy
O = eating sugared churros
(The O = the object, which is a noun that receives the action of the verb. The subject performs the action of the verb. Here, eating
is a noun/gerund. Maybe now you are thinking back to the passive voice section. When we switched from active voice to passive
voice, the subjects and objects switched positions. Feel free to look back at that section with this new insight later. But for now let’s
get deeper into sentence fragments.)
The second clause looks okay: they are = SV
But this student does not seem at all to have a solid grasp of sentence structure, so when we get to trying
three flips in a row at the Olympics while spinning down off the rings-- I mean when she tries to get a third
clause in there, things really fall apart.
Look at the second verb-- “makes”-- and try to find the subject of it.
I also enjoy eating sugared churros as they are freshly made and still warm makes them so much tastier.
It’s not there.
Who makes? The person “I” makes the churros? That doesn’t seem to be the case at all. Surely, the churros
don’t create themselves. Anyway, is it important here who is making the churros? So we truly have a verb, in
this case an action verb, but no agent, no subject, is assigned to that action. This violates the basic rules of
sentence structure which is we need to have at least the basic SV clause. So what we have is not a sentence,
but a piece of one. We indeed have a sentence fragment.
When a sentence is missing an essential element-- usually a subject or a verb, it is a sentence fragment. This
is considered to be a major error in writing!
A sentence fragment is like a red flag to your writing instructor with huge letters saying, “I have no idea what
a sentence is!” (The same is true of run-ons and comma splices.)
Here’s one way to fix the sentence fragment shown above-I also enjoy eating sugared churros when they are freshly made and still warm. They are so much tastier then.
With repairing a sentence fragment there is often more than one way. Just make sure the basic subject/verb
elements are there, and don’t forget to check for S/V after a conjunction.
Here is another sentence fragment.
Maria’s house was the site for the party because is convenient for all of her friends.
We see the conjunction “because.” In that sentence position, there needs to be SV on the left of because and
SV on the right.
SV on the left is “house was.” SV on the right? We only have the verb “is.” There is no subject, so we need to
add one.
Maria’s house was the site for the party because it is convenient for all of her friends.
Okay, we added the subject “it.”
That is a common sentence fragment. Missing the subject “it” after a conjunction happens a lot.
Using all the techniques to find nouns, nouns as subjects, and verbs are the keys to making sure you have all
the structural elements you need in your sentences.
Before handing in your essays, always do a disciplined scan for your subjects and verbs. It’s hard to check for
every type of mistake all at the same time. So check just for these errors by examining your sentence
structure (SV’s!).
And when you see SV + SV, check to see what is connecting them. Usually, you will want to have some kind of
conjunction there connecting SV + SV.
If you have SV + SV + SV, you will need not one but two conjunctions.