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Sentences and Sensibility:
Using intuitive linguistic knowledge to recognize sentence fragments, run-ons, and comma splices
Based on the work of Rei R. Noguchi:Grammar and the Teaching of WritingNCTE
Three mental prompts that bring unconscious knowledge of clausal boundaries to the surface, so that we may create correctly punctuated complete sentences.
But first:
What’s wrong with “complete thought” as a definition of a sentence?
What’s wrong with “subject + predicate” as a definition of a sentence?
It is true that…
It is true that… Children like Girl Scout cookies.
Like Thin Mints, Tagalogs, Do-Si-Dos, and, mostof all, those ones with the hole in the middle, coconut,and chocolate stripes.
Let’s Start With Fragments:
Which of these fragments would your students probably write?:
1. a. Tyler ended up cleaning up his room. Which he doesn’t like. b. Tyler ended up cleaning up his room which he. Doesn’t like.
2. a. The soldiers marched straight ahead. Into an ambush. b. The soldiers marched straight ahead into. An ambush.
3. a. Arthur missed an easy surprise quiz. Because he skipped class. b. Arthur missed an easy surprise quiz because. He skipped class.
4. a. It soon became very obvious. That the train wasn’t going to Chicago. b. It soon became very obvious that the train. Wasn’t going to Chicago.
The kind of fragments that students write do have syntactic integrity…
Which he doesn’t like. (adjective clause)
Into an ambush. (prepositional phrase)
Because he skipped class. (subordinate clause)
That the train wasn’t going to Chicago. (noun clause)
Your students already know about clausal boundaries.
But they don’t know that they know that.
(Declarative) Sentence Completeness
Frogs catch flies.
With their sticky tongues.
Frogs are amphibeans.
That’s an interesting fact.
I like frogs.
I have never, to my knowledge, eaten a fly.
Don’t they?
Aren’t they?
This frog started life in the water as a tadpole. Didn’t it?
Isn’t it?
Don’t I? Have I?
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
Your next-door neighbor is going to sell his car for $10,000.
Isn’t he?
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
Didn’t she?
Claudia ripped the cellophane wrapper off the package.
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
For the past six months, Lily and Sam have run five miles everyday.
Haven’t they?
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
a. Ed and his cousin will buy two tickets each.
Haven’t they?
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Part One: Treating Run-ons and Comma Splices
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
Example 5: You weren’t in class for a whole month.
a. You weren’t in class for a whole month, were you?
b. Were you not in class for a whole month? Weren’t you in class for a whole month?
(Declarative) Sentence Completeness
Frogs catch flies.
With their sticky tongues.
Frogs are amphibeans.
That’s an interesting fact.
I like frogs.
I have never, to my knowledge, eaten a fly.
Do frogs catch flies?
Are frogsamphibeans?
This frog started life in the water as a tadpole. Did this frog
start life asa tadpole?
Is that an interestingfact?
Do I likefrogs? Have I ever,
to my knowledge,eaten a fly?
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
Your next-door neighbor is going to sell his car for $10,00.
Is your next-door neighbor going to sell his car for $10,000?
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
Claudia ripped the cellophane wrapping right off the package.
Did Claudia, who couldn’t wait, rip the cellophane wrappingright off the package?
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
For the past six months, Lily and Sam have run five miles everyday.
For the past six months, have Lily and Sam run five miles every day.
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
Ed and his cousin will buy two tickets each.
Will Ed and his cousin buy two tickets each?
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
Your next-door neighbor is going to sell his car for $10,00.
Is your next-door neighbor going to sell his car for $10,000?
Let’s apply the three tests to these fragments:
Which he doesn’t like. (adjective clause)
Into an ambush. (prepositional phrase)
Because he skipped class. (subordinate clause)
That the train wasn’t going to Chicago. (noun clause)
But they will not pass all three tests: “it is true that…” Tag question Yes/No Question conversion
Which he doesn’t like. (adjective clause)
Into an ambush. (prepositional phrase)
Because he skipped class. (subordinate clause)
That the train wasn’t going to Chicago. (noun clause)
…Usually, these structures need to be attached to an adjacent clause.
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
Claudia ripped the cellophane wrapping right off the package the vanilla icing came off with it.
Didn’t it?
Run-ons will pass the “It is true that…” test, but…
Did Claudia,who couldn’twait, rip offthe package?
Did the vanillaicing come offwith it?
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
For the past six months, Lily and Sam have run five miles everyday they are determined to win the championship.
Aren’t they?
For the pastsix months, have Lily andSam run fivemiles every day?
Are they determined towin thechampionship?
Declarative Sentences Only Beyond This Point
Native speakers do possess a tacit knowledge of what a sentence is.
Claudia ripped the cellophane wrapping right off the package the vanilla icing came off with it.
Run-on: twoclauses thatare not properly joined.
,Comma splice: A type ofrun-on in which a commaalone is used to join twoclauses.
How to fix: 1. Separate the two clauses into two
sentences. or2. See “Common Hitching Devices” Chart
Common Hitching Devices
CoordinatingConjunctiions
AndButSoOr/nor
Can join twoindependentclauses to makea compoundsentence.Warning: Youmust use a commawith these when they join independent clauses.
SubordinatingConjunctions
As, although, afterWhile, whenUntilBecause, beforeIf
AAAWWUBBI
Can hitch up to anindependent clause, creating a subordinate(dependent) clause, formingcomplex sentence.Can appear after main clause (no comma)or before main clause(needs a comma)
Conjunctive Adverbs
HoweverMoreoverThereforeFurthermore
Can move withinown clause;Requires commason both sides
Warning: If youwish to use theseto join clauses, youmust use a semicolon.
Relative Pronouns
ThatWhichWho, whomWhatWhereWhyHowWhicheverWhatever, etc.
Can join clauses
Warning: Manysentence fragmentsbegin with thesewords. Usually, youmust hitch thesewords and the clausesthat they introduce to your previous sentence.
Jane and Bob bought a book during the trip to San Francisco . (she)
He and she live in New York City. (they)
It was the Beatles who first made British rock music popular.(they or them)
That Mary studied hard was very clear to her teacher. (it)
Most people believe that the world is round (it)
