CHAPTER 1

PREFACE

1.1            Background

Sentence fragments are incomplete sentence or parts of sentences. Remember that a complete sentence must contain at least one main or independent clause. Choppy sentences are sentences that are too short. Althought short sentences can be effective, overuse of them is considered poor style in acedemic writing. A run-on is a sentences in which two or more independent clauses are written one after another with no punctuation.

A similar error happens when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction. This kind of error is called a comma splice. A stringy sentence is a sentence with to many independent clauses, usually connected with and, but, so, and because. It often results from writing the way you speak, going on and on like a string without an end.

1.2  Formula of problem

1.              What is the sentence fragments and choppy sentense?

2.              What is the run-on and comma splices?

3.              What is the stringly sentences?

1.3       Purpose of the Compilation

1.              To know about sentence fragments and choppy sentense.

2.              To know about run-on and comma splices.

3.              To know about stringly sentences.

CHAPTER II

A.   Sentence Fragments

Sentence fragments are incomplete sentence or parts of sentences. Remember that a complete sentence must contain at least one main or independent clause. Study the following four examples of sentence fragments and the suggested methods for correcting them.

1.      Because some students work part-time while taking a full load of courses.

Problem: this is a dependent clause.

To correct: Attach it to an independent clause.

Because some students work part-time while taking a full load of courses,     they have very little free time. 

2.      For example, the increase in the cost of renting an apartment.

Problem: there is no verb.

To correct: Rewrite the sentence so that it has a verb.

                   For examples, the cost of renting an apartment increased.

3.      Feeling lonely and failing most of his classes.

Problem: this is a participial phrase.

To correct: add a subject and change the participles to verbs, or attach the phrase to an   independent clause.

                  He felt lonely and was failing most of his classes.

Feeling lonely and failing most of his classes, the student wisely decided to make an appointment with his counselor.

4.      Many young people who leave home at an early age.

Problem: This is a noun phrase plus a relative clause. The independent clause is unfinished.

To correct: Change the relative clause into an independent clause, or complete the unfinished independent clause.

                   Many young people leave home at an early age.

    Many young people who leave home at an early age do not manage their  money  well.

B.   Choppy Sentences

            Choppy sentences are sentences that are too short. Althought short sentences can be effective, overuse of them is considered poor style in acedemic writing. Choppy sentences are easy to correct. Just combine two or three short sentences to make one compound or complex sentence. Your decision to make a compound or a complex sentence should be based on whether the ideas in the short sentences are equal or whether one ideas is dependent on the other.

1.      If the sentences express equal ideas, use coordination to combine them

Choppy sentences: Wind is an enduring source of power. Water is also an unlimited energy source. Dams produce hydraulic power. They have existed for a long time. Windmills are relatively new.

Corrected: Both wind and water are enduring sources of power. Dams have produced hydraulic power for a long time, but windmills are relatively new.

2.      If the sentences express unequal ideas, that is, if one sentence expresses a less important idea than the other, use subordination to combine them. For the example, Choppy sentences: We must find new sources of energy are dwindling. Solar energy is a  source of energy. Solar energy is energy from the sun.

Corrected: We must find new sources of energy because natural sources of energy are dwindling. Solar energy, energy from the sun. Solar energy is, is a promising new source.

C.   Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices

A run-on is a sentences in which two or more independent clauses are written one after another with no punctuation. A similar error happens when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction. This kind of error is called a comma splice. The ways to correct these two sentence errors are the same:

1.      Add a period: My family went to Australia. Then they emigrated to Canada.

2.      Add a semicolon:  My family went to Australia; then they emigrated to Canada.

3.      Add a coordinator: My family went to Australia, and then they emigrated to Canada.

4.      Add a subordinator: My family went to Australia before they emigrated to Canada. After my family went to Australia, they emigrated to Canada.

For the examples:

a.       Run-on: My family went to Australia then they emigrated to Canada.

b.      Comma splice: My family went to Australia, then they emigrated to Canada.

D.   Stringy Sentence

A stringy sentence is a sentence with to many independent clauses, usually connected with and, but, so, and because. It often results from writing the way you speak, going on and on like a string without an end.

There is no rule limiting the number of independent clauses allowed in one sentence, but two is a good maximum. To correct a stringy sentence, devide it and or recombine the clauses, remembering to subordinate when appropriate.

For the examples, Stringy sentence: Many students attend classes all morning, and then they work all afternoon, and they also have to study at night, so they are usually exhausted by the weekend.  Corrected: Many students attend classes all morning and work all afternoon. Since they also have to study at night, they are usually exhausted by the weekend. Because many students attend classes all morning, work all afternoon, and study at night, they are usually exhausted by the weekend

CHAPTER III

CLOSING

A.    Conclusion

From the whole discussion above, it can be concluded Sentence fragments are incomplete sentence or parts of sentences. Choppy sentences are sentences that are too short. A run-on is a sentences in which two or more independent clauses are written one after another with no punctuation.  A similar error happens when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction is called a comma splice. A stringy sentence is a sentence with to many independent clauses, usually connected with and, but, so, and