ENG101 Highlights 25 Chapters by Asra

ENG101 · LESSON 25 · A run-on sentence

is a sentence that is made up of two complete thoughts that have no clear break between them.

There are two kinds of run-on sentences:

(i) Fused sentences ii) Comma splice sentences.

(i) Fused sentences

Two or more sentences that run together with no marks of punctuation between them are said to be fused. The two sentences or two complete statements / thoughts are simply stuck together into one sentence. The writer of such a sentence is either extremely careless or is ignorant of the most elementary facts about sentence structure.

EXAMPLE

(a) Computer skills are useful in college. They will help you in getting a job as well. (b) Our club raised money for the Red Crescent an organization like this is a wonderful thing (c) He left early he said he had a toothache A good way to prevent fused sentences is to read aloud what you have written. Also look within the sentence for words like I, you, he, she, it, we, they, there, this, that, now, then and next. Such words often signal the beginning of a complete thought.

Correcting Fused Sentences:

There are 3 ways of correcting a fused sentence.

1. Divide the fused sentence into two sentences.

• The lake is calm today it looks like a blue mirror. (Wrong Version) (Corrected Version) - The lake is calm today. It looks like a blue mirror. (Corrected Version)

2. Put a comma and an appropriate joining word (such as and, but or so) between the two complete

thoughts E.g. (I) Computer skills are useful in college they will help you in getting a job as well.(Erroneous version) -Computer skills are useful in college, and they will help you in getting a job as well.( Correct version)

The comma always goes before the joining word - not after it

3. Use subordination to make one of the complete thoughts dependent on the other one. To

subordinate a complete thought, change it from a statement that can stand alone as a sentence to one that cannot stand by itself. To do so, begin the thought with an appropriate word, such as because, when, if, before, since, until, unless, while, as, though and after. Example

• Youhanna has a pulled muscle he won’t do any batting in this tournament. -Because Youhanna has a pulled muscle, he won’t do any batting in this tourname

Put a comma at the end of a dependent word-group that begins a sentence.

Correcting Comma Splice:

A comma splice can be connected by using one of the same three methods suggested for correcting a

fused sentence:

1. Divide the comma splice into two sentences:

-Saad is always nervous about tests. His grades are usually the best in the class.

2. Connect the two complete thoughts by placing a joining word (such as and, but or so) after the comma:

-Saad is always nervous about tests, but his grades are usually the best in the class.

3. Use subordination (add a dependent word to one of the complete thoughts):

-Saad is always nervous about tests although his grades are usually the best in the class. Modifier is one or more words that describe another word or group of words. In the following examples the modifier is bold face (i)The woman with gold-rimmed spectacles is my boss. The modifier with gold-rimmed spectacles describes woman. (ii) My neighbour has a spaniel with one ear missing (iii) I have nearly a thousand stamps. Misplaced modifier is a modifier that is incorrectly separated from the word or words that it describes. -My brother bought a used car from a local dealer with a leaking pipe. -The sparrow built a nest at the back of our house of grass and twigs. -Anjum Nisar almost sneezed twenty times last night. -My brother bought a used car (with a leaking pipe) from a local dealer . -The sparrow built a nest (of grass and twigs) at the back of our house.

• Anjum Nisar sneezed (almost) twenty times last night.

Single Word Modifiers

Pay special attention to single word modifiers, such as only, almost and nearly. For their meaning to be correctly understood, they should be placed directly in front of the word they describe. e.g. (i) I only asked my boss for one day’s leave, but he refused. (ii) I must have almost answered a hundred ads before I found this job (iii) After returning from college my niece nearly spends all evening on the telephone. I asked my boss for only one day’s leave, but he refused. I must have answered almost a hundred ads before I found this job. After returning from college my niece spends nearly all evening on the telephone

Dangling Modifiers

Staring dreamily into space, the instructor’s loud voice startled me. -Staring dreamily into space, I was started by the instructor’s loud voice.