Language Structure
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Common errors in writing

Sentence fragments

​A fragment resembles a sentence in two ways. Both groups of words begin with a capital letter and conclude with  a full stop or another end mark; that is an end mark such as an ! or a ? A fragment, however, does not contain a finite clause. 

Run on Sentences

Run-on sentences occur when two or more independent clauses are joined without using a coordinating conjunction (i.e., for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) or correct punctuation (i.e., semicolons or full stops. For example:

It is nearly half past six we cannot reach home before dark

Correction 1
It is nearly half past six; we cannot reach home before dark.
Insert a semicolon or dash:

Correction 2
It is nearly half past six. We cannot reach home before dark.
Write the two clauses as two separate sentences (Note: this may disconnect related independent clauses and cause some of the meaning to be lost):

Correction 3
It is nearly half past six, so we cannot reach home before dark.
Insert a coordinating conjunction with a comma:

Correction 4
Because it is nearly half past six, we cannot reach home before dark.
Make one clause dependent on the other:

Comma Splices

A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are connected with only a comma. A comma is not strong enough to hold together two clauses. As with a run-on sentence, there are a few different ways to correct a comma splice. This is a comma splice:

My flatmates cook together nearly every night, we then eat everything we make together.

Correction 1:
My flatmates cook together nearly every night. We then eat everything we make together.
The comma splice has been corrected by breaking the sentence into two separate sentences.

Correction 2:
My flatmates cook together nearly every night, and we then eat everything we make together.
The comma splice has been corrected by adding a coordinating conjunction and a comma.

Correction 3:
Nearly every night, after my flatmates cook together, we  eat everything we make together.
The comma splice has been corrected by adding a subordinating conjunction and a comma, and by moving (in this case) and adverbial.

After viewing the video below, check your understanding with:  this practice quiz: comma splices, run on & fragments
This website contains all the video tutorials and information directly useful for the various chapters of the course textbook.
  • Home
    • Contact
    • About me
    • How to study grammar
    • Learning method
  • Essentials
    • Abbreviation List
    • Sentences used for study
    • Levels of analysis
    • Finite (non-finite) verbs
    • Head of subject
    • Function & form
    • P at clause level
    • Clausal patterns
    • Sentence vs clause
    • Basic syntax trees
  • Levels of analysis
    • What is grammar?
    • Sentence level
    • Clause level >
      • Adverbial Complement
      • Objective Predicative (Po)
    • Phrase level
    • Word level
    • More syntax trees
  • Noun Phrase
    • Complex Noun Phrases
    • (un) Countable nouns
    • Apostrophe
    • Irregular-foreign plurals
    • Articles and nouns
    • Collective nouns
    • that or which ?
  • Verb Phrase
    • Finite (non-finite) verbs
    • Lexical-Auxiliary verb
    • Modal auxiliares
    • Marginal modals
    • Tense and Aspect
    • Mood
    • Passive-active
    • Progressive-simple
  • Word Class
    • Adjectives
    • Adverbs
    • Adverbial
    • Pronouns
  • Other stuff
    • Numerals
    • Prepositions
    • non Finite Clauses
    • that Clauses
    • Uses of IT
    • Cleft Sentence
    • Conjunctions
    • Ellipted Subject
    • Fixing your writing >
      • Sentence overload
      • Run-on & Comma Splice
  • Send-in Tasks
  • Self-Study Tasks
  • Online seminars
  • Exam(s)
    • Exam questions
    • Exam Preparation
  • Course Info-schedule