Today is our topic of discussion – Sentence errors and faulty arrangements

Sentence errors and faulty arrangements

 

 

Fragments

The issues which are responsible for mistakes while making English sentences should be paid more attention by the learners. If the necessary issues can be avoided or noticed properly, it becomes easier to avoid the mistakes. The learners mainly make mistakes in two sectors:

i) mistakes in the usage of word.

ii) structure related mistakes.

Here, some of the issues will be discussed which will help learners make correct sentences. The first mistake learners make is called “fragments”.

sentence fragment is a common type of mistake students make while making sentences. A sentence fragment is a group of words that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. A fragment is often missing a subject, a complete verb, or both.

Fragment: Are baked in an oven.

This fragment or group of words does not tell who or what are baked in an. It lacks a subject.

Fragment: Especially Asif’s convincing capability.

This fragment or group of words has a subject, “convincing capability”, but lacks a verb.

Fragment: To notice a friendly smile.

This fragment or group of words lacks both a subject and a verb. To notice is not a complete verb. It is an infinitive.
A group of words can have both a subject and a verb but still be a fragment because it does not express a complete thought.

Fragment: Because it has been completely done.

This fragment or group of words does not tell what happened as a result of the “completely done”. Its meaning is incomplete.

Note:

• The previous fragment begins with the subordinating conjunction because. A clause that begins with a subordinating conjunction cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. Word groups that begin with a relative pronoun (that, which, who) are also not complete sentences.

Fragment: Which they looked for many years.

The group of words does not tell what they looked for.

• When a word group begins with a transitional word or phrase (for example, also), make sure that it includes both a subject and a verb.

Fragment: For example, the Bay of Bengal.

Run-Ons

Run-Ons are another common type of mistakes learners make while making sentences. A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined without a punctuation mark or a coordinating conjunction. Run-on sentences are also known as fused sentences. As –

I went to school I attended the classes.

In this example, there are two sentences or two clauses. Either the sentences will be separated or the clauses will be added with a coordinating conjunction.

There are three basic kinds of run-on sentences or mistakes:

The most common mistake or run-on sentence is called a comma splice. It happens when two main clauses are punctuated by a comma rather than a semicolon or a period or a proper punctuation mark. To correct a comma splice, add a coordinating conjunction or replace the comma with an end mark of punctuation, such as a period or a question mark, and begin the new sentence with a capital letter.

 

 

 

RUN-ON: I was hungry, I had my meal.

CORRECT: I was hungry; I had my meal.

CORRECT: I was hungry. I had my meal.

The second kind of run-on sentence is created when no punctuation separates two main clauses. Correct this kind of run-on by inserting a semicolon or an end mark of punctuation between the main clauses. You can also correct the error by separating the clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

RUN-ON: I was hungry I had my meal.

CORRECT: I was hungry, so I had my meal.

CORRECT: I was hungry. I had my meal.

CORRECT: I was hungry: I had my meal.

The third kind of run-on sentence is formed when there is no comma before a coordinating conjunction joining two main clauses. Correct the error by inserting the comma before the coordinating conjunction.

RUN-ON: I was hungry so I had my meal.

CORRECT: I was hungry, so I had my meal

Misplaced modifiers

Modifiers that modify the wrong word or seem to modify more than one word in a sentence are called misplaced modifiers. When a modifier is in the wrong place, the reader may not understand just what it is meant to indicate. Misplaced modifiers can lead to misunderstanding – though some of which are unintentionally humorous, most of them are misleading.

Problem 01 – A misplaced modifier

He threw the pen to the girl which is red.

I saw a dog on the way to the class.

In the first sentence the girl is not red; rather the pen is red. In the second sentence the dog is not going to the class. So, here the modifiers are taking wrong places. These mistakes are called misplaced modifiers.

Solution:

Move the misplaced phrase as close as possible to the word or words it modifies.
He threw the pen which is red to the girl. On the way to the class I saw a dog.

Problem 02 – The inaccurate placement of only

I only ate fruits.

The meaning of your sentence may be unclear if the word only is misplaced.

Solution:

Place only immediately before the word or group of words it modifies. Note that each time only is moved in the sentence, the meaning of the sentence changes.

Only I ate fruits.

I only ate fruits.

I ate only fruits.

Problem 03 – A dangling modifier

To improve his writing, every page was checked. Aware of loss, the project was cancelled. Wearing the hat, the sun does not hit my face.

Dangling modifiers do not seem logically to modify any word in the sentence. In most cases the subject or a noun is missing. So, who is doing the work cannot be understood.

 

 

Solution:

Rewrite the sentence, adding a noun to which the dangling phrase clearly refers. Often you will have to add other words, too. To improve his writing, Maruf checked every page.

Aware of loss, we cancelled the project. Wearing the hat, your face is protected from the sun.