Sentence Construction Errors (TM)
Sentence Construction Errors
There are three main types of sentence construction errors: fragments, comma splices (comma fault), and fused sentences (run-on).
A fragment occurs when a group of words is not a complete sentence but is punctuated like one. The fragment might be a phrase or a dependent clause. To fix a fragment, an independent clause needs to be created.
Fragment (phrase): The girl in my class who asks a lot of questions.
Correct: The girl in my class who asks a lot of questions sits in the back row.
Fragment (dependent clause): Because of the big storm we had last weekend.
Correct: Because of the big storm we had last weekend, the park will be closed.
A comma splice (comma fault) occurs when two independent clauses are joined together in a paragraph with only a comma to “splice” them together. Fused (run-on) sentences occur when two independent clauses are joined with no punctuation whatsoever. To fix a comma splice or fused sentence, add the correct punctuation and/or conjunction.
Comma splice: My family eats turkey at Thanksgiving, we eat ham at Christmas.
Correct: My family eats turkey at Thanksgiving, and we eat ham at Christmas.
Correct: My family eats turkey at Thanksgiving. We eat ham at Christmas.
Correct: My family eats turkey at Thanksgiving; we eat ham at Christmas.
Fused sentence: I bought a chocolate pie from the bakery it was delicious.
Correct: I bought a chocolate pie from the bakery. It was delicious.
Correct: I bought a chocolate pie from the bakery, and it was delicious.
Correct: I bought a chocolate pie from the bakery; it was delicious.
Another common error that can occur in sentence structure is a dangling modifier, which occurs when a modifying phrase is separated from the word it describes. The sentence itself is still grammatically correct but can be confusing.
Incorrect: Discussing the state of the nation, I listened to the president’s speech.
Here, the president, not the narrator, is discussing the state of the nation; the narrator is simply listening. However, the participial phrase “Discussing the state of the nation” is disconnected from the word it modifies, president. Thus it is dangling in the sentence, creating confusion. The sentence needs to be rewritten to move the phrase next to the word it modifies.
Correct: I listened to the president’s speech discussing the state of the nation.