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Grammar Review Handout 1

The document defines and provides examples of different types of sentence fragments and run-on sentences, as well as ways to fix them. It also discusses misplaced modifiers, dangling modifiers, squinting modifiers, and the four basic sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.

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Wemart Salandron
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40 views3 pages

Grammar Review Handout 1

The document defines and provides examples of different types of sentence fragments and run-on sentences, as well as ways to fix them. It also discusses misplaced modifiers, dangling modifiers, squinting modifiers, and the four basic sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.

Uploaded by

Wemart Salandron
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A fragment is a word or group of words without a subject or a verb.

E.g. Is going to town.


going to town
When she came. (dependent clause only)
Waiting there for some help. (phrase only)
Went to the library.
She being the only person there.

Note: Sometimes fragments are used intentionally. Like the following:

Interjections: Great! Hooray!


Exclamations: What a day! How terrible! What a bother!
Greetings: Hello. Good morning. Good afternoon. Good night. Good evening.
Questions: What for? Why not? Where to?
Informal conversation: (What time is it?) Eight o’clock. Really.

Fix: While the ship was sinking.


Possible answers: They continued to dance while the ship was sinking.
While the ship was sinking, they continued to dance.
The ship was sinking. They continued to dance.
The ship was sinking; they continued to dance.
*Subordinating Conjunctions can be used to fix dependent clauses.

Fix: Which is lying on the floor.


The new red sweater, which is lying on the floor, is mine.
*Relative Pronouns that, which, and who can function as relative pronouns.
*Relative pronouns are words that relate a clause back to a noun or a pronoun in the sentence.
*Relative clauses are dependent.

A comma splice consists of two independent clauses with only a comma between them.
Fix: The weather was disappointing, we canceled the picnic.

A run-on sentence differs from a comma splice in one way: it has no comma between independent
clauses.
Fix: The weather was disappointing we canceled the picnic.

Ways to fix a run-on and comma splice:


Fix: I will go indoors, it is raining.
I will go indoors it is raining.

● Separate them with a period.


● Join them with a comma and a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).
● Join them with a semicolon.
● Join them using subordinating conjunctions.
E.g. after even though when
although if whenever
as since where
as if so that whereas
as though though wherever
because unless whether
before until while
*If your sentence begins with a subordinating conjunction, there must be a comma between two
clauses.
*There is no comma if your subordinating conjunction is placed between the two clauses.

● Join them with a conjunctive adverb (a.k.a. transitional devices)


E.g. consequently moreover
furthermore nevertheless
however otherwise
instead therefore
meanwhile

A dangling modifier is missing the word or phrase it is modifying. In other words, the word or phrase it’s
supposed to modify (describe) is not included in the sentence.
Fix: Walking home at night, the trees looked like spooky aliens.
Walking down the street, a snake startled him.
At the age of six, my uncle died.

A misplaced modifier is a modifier placed too far away from the word it’s supposed to modify. It is a
modifier that’s placed in the wrong place.
*Can be adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, or clauses
Fix: purple women’s shoes
Maria napped with her dog, tired after a long day at school. (adjectival phrase)
The students were interviewed right after the incident happened by the school’s prefect of
discipline.
John was praised for his accomplishments by his teacher.
The student walked her pet in blue sweatpants.

A squinting modifier is a modifier which makes the meaning of a sentence ambiguous.


Fix: He told her eventually he'd have to stop teaching.
*It is unclear what the modifier eventually is modifying.

Correct: He told her he'd eventually have to stop working.

Fix: I told the teachers this morning I would visit.


*It is unclear what the modifier this morning is modifying.

Correct: I told the teachers this morning that I would visit.

Sentence Structure

1. Simple Sentence one independent clause


Ex. The teacher plays the guitar.
Mary had a little lamb.
The students are overwhelmed.
2. Compound Sentence two independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction
Ex. The teacher plays the guitar, so the students sing with glee.
Mary had a little lamb, and she brought it to school.
The students are overwhelmed, yet they still manage to submit
on time.
I really need a holiday, but I don’t have the money.

3. Complex Sentence one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses
Ex. While the teacher plays the guitar, the students sing with glee.
They brought musical instruments while on vacation.
On our way to school, our bus broke down.
Although teaching is challenging, I am lucky to have good
students and great coworkers.

4. Compound-Complex two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses


Sentence

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