Notes for Basic Writing skills Set by Dr.

Daniel Eressa.
I. SENTENCE TYPES
Sentences can be classified in different ways depending upon their function
and structure. This section discusses types of sentences according to their
structure.

1. Simple Sentences
Simple sentences contain one independent clause and any number of
phrases and single-word modifiers.
 An independent clause contains a subject and a verb and can
stand alone as a subject.
a) Simple Subject & Simple Predicate
 My brother has come.
 Hana is a clever nurse.
b) Compound Subject & Simple Predicate
 Dogs, wolves and foxes belong to the Canidae family.
 Neither Abebe nor his friends have come to the party.
c) Simple Subject & Compound Predicate
 Girmay came home and had his dinner with me.
 Hellen will wash the dishes, clean the room, and cook dinner.
d) Compound Subject & Compound Predicate
 Abdi and Kemal came home and ate lunch.
 The boys and the girls stood and cheered.
2. Compound Sentences
A compound sentence consists of two (sometimes more) independent clauses
connected with a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, yet, so)
or a conjunctive adverb such as moreover, thus, therefore, consequently,
indeed, moreover, furthermore.
 A comma (,) comes before the conjunction in a compound sentence.
 The coordinating conjunction shows the relationship between the
two independent clauses of the sentence.
Here are examples of compound sentences with different coordinating
conjunctions.
 I’m heading for Addis tonight, and I won’t be back for a
month.
 I’m heading for Addis tonight, so I won’t be seeing you
for a month.
 I’m heading for Addis tonight, but I’ll come right back.
 Roba is a clever student, yet he could be doing even
better.
 Roba is a clever student, so we expect him to score ‘A’
in all subjects.

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  Roba is a clever student, for he studies hard and grasps
concepts well.
 We could call a taxi to get us, or we could walk sixteen
blocks to the restaurant.
3. Complex Sentences
A complex sentence consists of an independent clause and one or more
dependent clauses. Dependent clauses usually begin with subordinating
conjunctions or relative pronouns (who, whose, which, that, whom). Common
subordinating conjunctions are:

after till although since unless

as as if because before if

so as so far as so that though

until
when whenever whereas while
#The dependent clause (beginning with the subordinating conjunction) may
either begin the sentence or end it, depending on what clause the writer
wants to emphasize. When the dependent clause begins a sentence, a
comma is placed after it.
Examples:
 While you were out running around town, I was home taking care of
your chores. (Comma after dependent clause)
 I was home taking care of your chores while you were out running
around town. (No comma – dependent clause ends sentence)
4. Compound-Complex Sentences
Compound - complex sentences contain at least one dependent clause and
more than one independent clause. The clauses are connected by both
conjunctions (i.e., but, so, and, etc.) and subordinators (i.e., who, because,
although, etc.)
Examples
 John, who briefly visited last month, won the prize, and he took a short
vacation.
 Jack forgot his friend's birthday, so he sent him a card when he finally
remembered.
 The report which Tom complied was presented to the board, but it was
rejected because it was too complex.

II. IDENTIFYING & CORRECTING FAULTY SENTENCES

1. SENTENCE FRAGMENTS

The minimum sentence in written English consists of a subject and a verb.

Strings of words that either do not have a subject or do not have a verb are

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called fragments and must be corrected. Another kind of fragment is a
dependent clause that is not connected to an independent clause. Look at
these fragments:
1. Because I needed to buy milk.
2. John singing in the shower.
3. Dancing and laughing on our way home from the party.
4. For example, a computer.
Fragments should never be used in academic writing. Here are some ways to
correct the preceding fragments.
1.“Because I needed to buy milk” is a dependent clause. A dependent clause
must be connected to an independent clause. You, the writer, must decide
whether it should be connected to the sentence in front of it or the sentence
after it, possible corrections are:

By Daniel E
Because I needed to buy milk, I went to the store.
OR
I went to the store because I needed to buy milk.

2.In “John singing in the shower,” ‘singing’ is a form of a verb, but it does not
have a tense. There are three forms of a verb in English that do not have
tense: the present participle, the past participle, and the infinitive. ‘Singing’ is
the present participle of the verb ‘sing’. To make this fragment into a
sentence, you need to change the present participle to a verb with a tense.
Possible corrections are
John was singing in the shower.
OR
John sings in the shower.
3.“Dancing and laughing on our way home from the party” is a fragment
because it does not have a subject. In addition, the verbs are present
participles. Possible corrections are:
We were dancing and laughing on our way home from the party.
OR

We danced and laughed on our way home from the party.

OR
Dancing and laughing on our way home from the party, we woke
up all the neighbors.
4.“For example, a computer” has only a noun phrase (a computer) and no
verb. You need to add a verb and decide if the noun phrase is the subject or
object of the sentence. Possible corrections are:
For example, a computer is useful for writing papers.
OR
For example, I think having a computer is useful.

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Activity 1 Identifying Fragments
This paragraph has five fragments. Find them and correct them.

The History of Baseball

Modern baseball has an interesting history. Actually started out in England as
a game called rounders’. It made its way to North America and was largely
played in rural areas. By 1830, most urban and rural area teams that played
together, but there were still no official rules or even a standard plying area.
When a group in New York City published a book in 1845. It gave baseball
twenty rules, two teams of nine players each and defined the playing field.
Simply called the New York game. Its popularity continued to grow, and
during the Civil War in the 1860s, the Yankee soldiers spread the game
throughout the country. By the end of the 1860s. The name had changed to
baseball and it looked very much like the game we know today. By Daniel E
2. RUN-ON SENTENCES
Another common punctuation problem is a run-on sentence. In run-on
sentences, two or more independent clauses follow each other without any
punctuation. Look at this example of a run-on sentence:
Cutting down the rain forests leads to the extinction of plants and
animals their habitats are destroyed.
There are three common ways to correct run-on sentences:
1. Make two separate sentences.
Cutting down the rain forests leads to the extinction of plants and
animals. Their habitats are destroyed.
2. Add extra works.
When their habitats are destroyed due to cutting down the rain
forests, many plants and animals become extinct.
3. Add a subordinating conjunction.
Cutting down the rain forests leads to the extinction of plants and
animals because their habitats are destroyed.
Activity 2 Adding Necessary punctuation
The following paragraph has no punctuation. Correct it by adding capital
letters, commas, semicolons, and periods. (Hint: There are six complete
sentences in the paragraph.)
Cities can grow in an organic way or in a planned way organic cities are
usually older cities they are called organic because they have spread in
different directions with no precise plan except to accommodate the
growing population on the other hand the modern planned cities are
sometimes designed before they are even really established in a such a
plan careful attention is paid to the amount of residential and commercial
spaces in short there are two types of city growth.
3. COMMA SPLICES
A common punctuation problem is a comma splice. A comma splice is an
error that occurs when a comma by itself is used between two independent

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clauses. A comma is correct between two independent clauses, but only
when it is followed by a coordinating conjunction. Look at this example
sentence with a comma splice:
My dad hung a bird feeder in the backyard, he loves to watch the birds eat
from it.
There are four common ways to correct comma splices:
1. Put a period in the place of the comma and capitalize the first word of
the next sentence.
My dad hung a bird feeder in the backyard. He loves to watch the birds eat
from it.
2. Put a semicolon in the place of the comma.
My dad hung a bird feeder in the backyard; he loves to watch the birds eat
from it.
3. Insert a coordinating conjunction.
My dad hung a bird feeder in the backyard, and he loves to watch the birds
eat from it.
4. Change one of the clauses into a dependent clause by starting it with a
subordinating conjunction. By Daniel E.
Since my dad hung a bird feeder in the backyard, he loves to watch the birds
eat from it.
Activity 3 Correcting Comma Splices
This paragraph has four comma splices. Find them and correct them. Try to
use each of the four ways explained above.
Planting Roses
Planting roses is easy if you follow these steps. First you need to measure
the diameter of the roots, next you must dig a hole twice as big as that
diameter. This hole should be so deep that the roots have plenty of room
to grow. Mix some rose fertilizer with the soil at the bottom of the hole, this
is to help the rose to flower later. The next step is to form a little hill in the
middle of the hole, you are going to spread out the roots over the top of
this hill. Hold the rose firmly with one hand and spread out the roots with
your other hand. Be careful not to break the roots, they are quite delicate.
While you are holding the plant with one hand, pat the soil down gently
around the roots. Continue putting soil over the roots until the area around
the plant is filled up to a level a little lower than the soil level around it.
Finally, water your plant thoroughly. With enough water and some
sunshine, you should see your rose plant begin to grow leaves in a few
weeks.
4. MISPLACED MODIFIERS
When words or phrases modify the wrong word or seem to modify more than
one word in a sentence, they are called misplaced modifiers. To correct a
sentence with a misplaced modifier, move the modifier as close as possible to
the word it modifies.
Examples:

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Misplaced- Leaves floated gently down onto the lawn with dazzling
autumn colors. (Prepositional phrase incorrectly modifying lawn)
CLEAR-Leaves with dazzling autumn colors floated gently down onto the
lawn. (Prepositional phrase correctly modifying leaves)
MISPLACED -The big truck just missed a cat roaring down the road.
(Participial phrase incorrectly modifying cat)
CLEAR -Roaring down the road, the big truck just missed a cat. (Participial
phrase correctly modifying truck)
Activity 4- Rewrite each sentence correctly by moving the underlined
modifier to an appropriate position in the sentence.
1. The swimmers on deck with black and white bathing suits are all on the
same swim team.
2. Officials must dress in white uniforms judging the performance of the
swimmers.
3. The champion backstroker stormed out of the complex being disqualified.
4. Spectators crowded into the stands carrying lunch bags and portable
seats.
5. The authorities requested additional timers making an unusual
announcement.
6. The swim team had practiced hard and long for the meet with the best
record.
7. Swimmers congregated around the pool with a tense of excitement.
By Daniel E
8. Standing on the blocks, the first racers waited for the sound of the starting
pistol with intensity on their faces.
9. Medals were given to the winners with the race and time written on the
back.
10.One swimmer accidentally pushed an official into the pool paying no
attention to where he was going.

5. DANGLING MODIFIERS
A dangling modifier does not logically modify any word in the sentence in
which it appears. Correct a dangling modifier by supplying a word that can be
modified by the dangling phrase.

Dangling Correct
Shaving in front of a steamy( Shaving in front of the steamy
እንፊሎት) mirror, the razor nicked mirror, Ali nicked his chin with the
Ali's chin. razor.
(Who was shaving in front of the Or: When Ali was shaving in front of
mirror? The answer is not razor but the steamy mirror, he nicked his
Ali. The subject Ali must be added.) chin with the razor.

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While turning over the bacon, hot While I was turning over the bacon,
grease splashed my arm. hot grease splashed my arm.
(Who is turning over the bacon? Or: While turning over the bacon, I
The answer is not hot grease, as it was splashed on the arm by hot
unintentionally seems to be, but I. grease.
The subject I must be added.)

Taking the exam, the room was so Taking the exam, Ketti found the
stuffy that Ketti almost fainted. room so stuffy that she almost
(Who took the exam? The answer fainted.
is not room but Ketti. The subject Or: When Ketti took the exam, the
Ketti must be added.) room was so stuffy that she almost
fainted.

To impress the interviewer, To impress the interviewer, you

punctuality is essential. must be punctual.
(Who is to impress the interviewer? Or: For you to impress the
The answer is not punctuality but interviewer, punctuality is essential.
you. The subject you must be
added.)

Activity 5
Underline the misplaced or dangling modifier in each sentence. Then rewrite
the sentence, placing related words together or adding a logical subject, to
make the meaning clear.

1. Kicked carelessly under the bed, Almaz finally found her sneakers.
2. Tired and exasperated, the fight we had was inevitable.
3. The newscaster spoke softly into a microphone wearing a bulletproof vest.
4. Sitting at a sidewalk café, all sorts of interesting people passed by.
5. Packed tightly in a tiny can, Hagos had difficulty removing the anchovies.
6. The woman picked up a heavy frying pan with a great difficulty.
6. FAULTY PARALLELISM
Parallelism refers to the repetition of grammatical structure. Parallel
constructions are rhythmic and memorable. In the following examples, notice
how parallelism creates a pleasing rhythm when you say the sentence aloud.

WORDS: We saw the frogs swimming, jumping, and splashing.

PHRASES: Of the people, for the people
CLAUSES: Do as I say, not as I do
Elements joined by and, or, nor, for, but, yet, or so should be grammatically
parallel.
Incorrect: They spent their time praying and work with the poor.
Correct: They spent their time praying and working with the poor.

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Incorrect:-There is a great difference between dining out and to have a snack
at home.
Correct: There is a great difference between dining out and having a
snack at home.

By Daniel E. (PhD)