These lessons will help you achieve a better sentence style--greater clarity, concision, and correctness. Learning this material and applying it to your writing, will ensure that you don't lose points on the sentence structure part of the language use section in my grading scale.
Sentence fragments come in different types: 1. Dependent clause fragments--you can spot these by the subordinating conjunction (words like: "when" "if" "before" "after" "during" "while" "because" "until") at the start of the clause. These words make a clause dependent--in need of an independent clause to complete the meaning. For example:
Orwell and Baldwin's discriminations shared common stages. Although the men lived in different environments.
The dependent clause can't stand on its own. Incorporate it into the independent clause either before or after it. If before, use a comma to introduce the clause.
2. Modification structures (noun clauses, infinitive phrases, participial phrases, gerund phrases, adverbial clauses etc.) punctuated as sentences--English sentence structure allows for an incredible array of phrase and clause modification.
Contrast these three sentences (two without modification structures, one with):
1--Cows chew. (Simple subject-verb pattern)
2--Cows chew grass. (Subject-verb-object pattern)
3--In the peaceful pastures before the light of dawn breaks over the horizon, the hungry cows, pacing up and down the field, slowly chew grass while the farmer prepares a list of the day's tasks.
Modification structures:
Prepositional phrase used as an adverb--where do the cows chew? in the peaceful pastures
Dependent clause used as an adverb--when do the cows chew? before the light of dawn breaks
Participial phrase used as an adjective--who is doing the pacing? the cows.
To avoid fragments, be sure that when you use phrasal and clausal modification structures, you attach these structures with the correct punctuation (a comma, a dash) to the independent clause. For example:
Find the fragment in this paragraph and fix it using punctuation.
When faced with the actions we have committed, actions we normally wouldn't have considered but for the pressures put upon us to comply with social norms, we tend to reflect upon the events leading up to and including our decisions. With that reflection comes understanding. The understanding of how we became something we normally wouldn't have.
Find the fragment in this paragraph and fix it using punctuation.
I often marvel at the magic of fall colors. How the leaves change from bright green to all shades of yellow and orange, to finally fall to the ground. To me, this is amazing.
Find the fragment in this paragraph and fix it using punctuation.
In his daze of anger, Baldwin wandered the streets hypnotized by pain, looking for a way out. A way to teach all white people the hatred they blindly gave to him.
3. Failure to ensure that each independent clause has a subject and verb--When you strip away the adjectival and adverbial modification structures of English, you must be left with an independent clause which contains a subject and verb.
For example: In the first phase starts with Orwell and Baldwin being confused, being victimized.
Modification structure #1--in the first phase (prepositional phrase). Structure #2--being confused, being victimized (participial phrase)
When you strip these out, you get: starts with Orwell and Baldwin. There is no subject here. There is a two word verb (to start with) and a direct object (Orwell and Baldwin).
Rewrite this sentence to eliminate the problem of the missing subject.
Know how to identify where one independent clause ends and the next begins. Know how to use coordination and subordination to join clauses (coordination joins two independent clauses; subordination joins an independent and dependent clause). Know how to use the correct punctuation (not a comma) to join two indpendent clauses
For example, how many independent clauses (sentences) are here:
Orwell felt no self-gratification in killing the elephant he only did it to "save face."
As written, this is an example of a run-on--two IC's not joined properly. Two independent clauses can be joined with either the correct punctuation or the correct coordination structure. A run on can be corrected by using the proper coordination or subordination structure. A comma splice can be corrected by using the proper punctuation to join two independent clauses
1--Orwell felt no self-gratification in killing the elephant; he only did it to "save face."--the semicolon joins two IC.
2--Orwell felt no self-gratification in killing the elephant, for he only did it...--coordination structure using comma and coordinating conjunction (there are seven of them--FANBOYS).
3--Orwell felt no self-gratification...since he only did it...--subordination structure using subordinating conjunction. If the dependent or subordinate clause comes after the IC, no punctuation. If it comes before, use a comma to introduce it (Since he only did it to "save face", Orwell...)
4--Orwell felt no self-gratification in killing the elephant; therefore, he only did it...--coordination structure called the "Major Transition" using conjuctive adverb ("however" "nevertheless" "consequently" "therefore"). Notice the punctuation and pattern is IC; special word, IC. Use this pattern when you want to emphasize the information in the second IC.
5--Orwell felt no self-gratification in killing the elephant, he only did it...--comma splice. Replace comma with semicolon or use coordination or subordination structure.
Use sentence combining to your advantage. Once you've identified where one IC ends and another begins, ask yourself whether those clauses would be better off combined using coordination or subordination to show the relationship between them. Two many separate IC's creates a "choppy" style. Combining clauses creates a fluid style which aids the reader to comprehend meaning. It will also help you to avoid senseless, annoying repetition.
Combine these two IC's into one sentence using coordination and subordination:
It got to the point that Baldwin was accustomed to horrible treatment. It happened whenever he went out in public.
Combine these two IC's such that the second is incorporated into the first. To do this, reduce the second IC to an absolute phrase (another adjectival modification structure). Use proper punctuation to attach that modification structure to the first IC.
The Burmese constantly laught at Orwell for who he is. He is an alien in a foreign land.
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updated 9/99