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SENTENCE ERRORS 2

COMMA SPLICES AND RUN- O NS

The comma splice consists of two independent clauses with only a

comma between them: The weather was disappointing, we cancelled the picnic. (A comma

cannot join two independent clauses.)

To correct this error, you can:

Separate the two sentences with a period: The weather was disappointing.

We cancelled the picnic.

Separate the two sentences with a semicolon: The weather was

disappointing; we cancelled the picnic.

Insert a coordinating conjunction (for, but, and, or, nor, so, yet) after the

comma: The weather was disappointing, so we cancelled the picnic.

Subordinate one clause:As the weather was disappointing, we cancelledthe picnic.

The runon di!ers from the comma splice in only one respect: it has no

comma between the independent clauses. Therefore, the runon is twoindependent clauses with nothing between them:

The weather was disappointing we cancelled the picnic.

"unons can be corrected in the same way as comma splices (period,

semicolon, coordinating conjunction and subordination).

#o not try to correct a runon by inserting a comma between the two

sentences$ doing so will produce a comma splice.

Exercise:

Identify %S and "& and correct the errors:

'. e did the assignment, his boss gae him a bonus.*. +orers in the -S tae an aerage of ' days of acation a year in Italy

they tae /*.. 0eople hae practiced yoga for 1222 years, it must be useful./. 3ostradamus made many predictions some thin he could really foretell

the future.1. +e are looing forward to summer brea, school is hard wor.

CONSISTENCY

+hen we write, our sentences should be consistent in person, number,

tense, subject, oice and the use of pronouns.

Consistency in person and number:

I you do your homewor! thoughtully, a student should ha"e no problem

with this class.

'

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The shift in person from 4you5 to 4student5 maes a sentence open to

confusion.

%orrected ersions:

I you do your homewor! thoughtully, you should ha"e no problem with

this class.

I he does his homewor! thoughtully, a student should ha"e no problemwith this class.

When a student #nally graduates, they eel proud.

The use of singular and plural is not consistent, which is why this

sentence is not clear.

%orrected ersion:

When students #nally graduate, they eel proud.

Consistency in tense:

If you are writing in the present tense, don5t shift to the past tense (and

ice ersa) unless you hae a good reason to do so.

%ompare: The in"entor experimented or three years, but he #nally o"ercomes the

di$culties and is ready to mar!et his new camera. %inconsistent&

The in"entor experimented or three years, but he #nally o"ercame the

di$culties and was ready to mar!et his new camera. %consistent&

The in"entor experiments or three years, but he #nally o"ercomes thedi$culties and is ready to mar!et his new camera. %consistent&

Consistency in "oice and sub'ect

A shift in subject or from actie to passie oice can be confusing, e.g.

I ranto the car "ery (uic!ly, but soon found out that the car !ey was

leftin the house by me. +hy is it confusing6

7ecause the subject shifts from 4I5 to 4ey5.

7ecause the oice shifts from actie to passie.

%orrected ersion: I ranto the car "ery (uic!ly, but soon found out thatI leftthe car !ey in the house.

Consistency o pronoun reerence:

The use of pronouns should be consistent in your essay:

The climate o )ew *ealand can be a pleasure or you i we don+t mind alittle rain.

%orrected ersion: The climate o )ew *ealand can be a pleasure or youi you don+t mind a little rain.

Exercise:

8ae the following sentences consistent:

'. %arefully, he paced the tobacco deeper into the bowl of his pipe and amatch was struc.

*. I now why he5s home, she thought, but you5d better not spoil his fun.

*

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8odi

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ints on how to achiee it:

#o not use short sentences all the time.

+hen writing longer sentences, allow the sentence to deelop after the

erb, not before it ; mae the SC connection