Eng Fragments and Run-Ons

Fragments and R.un...ons What do the following two groups of words have in common? Rapa Nui, or Easter· Island, is an isolated island 2,000 miles from the coast of South America, it has captured the attention of historians and anthropologists worldwide. Wondered about those massive statues surrounding the island. ne thing they have in common is that neither is a sentence. Recall that a sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought and that, in English, every sentence has two main parts: a complete subject and a complete predicate. As you can see from the opening examples, groups of words can sometimes look like sentences, but they may not be. Keep in mind that: s a complete subject is a noun, a group of words acting as a noun, or a pronoun, plus any modifiers that describe what or who the sentence is about. 0 a complete predicate is a verb or verb phrase plus any modifiers and words that complete the meaning of the verb or verb phrase. !Fixing fragments When a group of words fails to express a complete thought but is punctuated as a complete sentence, it is called a sentence fragment. Sentence fragments lack subjects, verbs, or both. So, to decide if a group of words is a complete sentence, make sure that it has a subject and a verb, and expresses a complete thought. To fix a fragment: 0 Add a subject or verb to complete the thought. Wondered about those massive statues surrounding the island. Think: This fragment has no subject. Who wondered about those massive stone statues surrounding the island? Early explorers wondered about those massive statues surrounding the island. And perhaps the stafue builders of Peruvian descent. Think: This fragment has no verb. Perhaps the statue builders were of Peruvian descent. ' e Attach the fragment to the sentence before or after it, if it makes sense to do so. And transport them great distances? Think: This fragment has a verb ("transport") but no subject and does not express a complete thought. How did the inhabitants carve the statues and transport them great distances? 0 You also can fix fragments by dropping or replacing words. Thor Heyerdahl, who suggested that the statue builders came to Easter Island from Peru. Think: This fragment has a subject ("Thor Heyerdahl") and a verb ("suggested") but does not express a complete thought. Thor Heyerdahl suggested that the statue builders c;ime to Easter Island from Peru. A run-on sentence is made up of two or more sentences masquerading as a single sentence because of incorrect punctuation. Sometimes no punctuation separates the two sentences; sometimes a comma does. To correct a run-on sentence: o Separate the two sentences using capitalization and end punctuation. Run-on: Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, is an isolated island 2,000 miles from the coast of South America, it has captured the attention of historians and anthropologists worldwide. Fixed: Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, is an isolated island 2,000 miles from the coast of South America It has captured the atten­ tion of historians and anthropologists worldwide. Use a conjunction, preceded by a comma. Run-on: Some have proposed that the island was founded by extra-terrestrials others are convinced that it was once a part of a now-submerged continent. Fixed: Some have proposed that the island was founded by extra-terrestrials, but others are convinced that it was once a part of a now-submerged continent. Insert a semicolon, or a semicolon along with a transitional word or • phrase followed by a comma. Run-on: Archaeological evidence indicates that the island was discovered by Polynesians about 1,500-2,000 years ago, scientists have different views on who found It. Fixed: Archaeological evidence indicates that the island was discovered by Polynesians about 1,500-2,000 years ago; however, scientists have different views on who found it. Rewrite each item to make it a complete sentence. Use the strategies presented so far. If a group of words is a sentence, leave it as is. 1. The islanders having had the only written language in that part of the Pacific. I 2, Because their stonework resembled that of the Incas. People thought the islanders came from South America. 3. Today, there are about 2,000 native people living on Easter Island. And about the same number of Chileans. 4. Easter Island boasts nearly 1,000 statues some are nearly 30 feet tall and weigh up to 80 tons. 5. The island's lush palm forests were destroyed, cleared for farming. 6. Were cleared for transporting the massive stone Moai. 7, Easter Island, an example of ruinous abuse of natural resources. 8. Captain Cook visited the island more than 225 years ago, he speculated on how the statues might have been slowly lifted using scaffolding. 9. The island possesses a rugged beauty, it is a mix of volcanic cones, lava formations, steep cliffs, and r ocky coves. 10. A once-thriving social order began to decline into bloody civil war. ll. Contacts with outsiders further decimating the island's declining population. 12. All of the Moai were knocked down. By the islanders themselves. 13. Many of the statues are now standing again. Recently re-erected by archaeologists. 14, Easter Island was named by a Dutch explorer, he first spotted it on Easter of 1722. 15. The tiny spit of an island is, even today, the most remote, inhabited place on Earth. 16. The first outsiders to see the Moai could not understand how the islanders had managed such engineering and artistry, they were perplexed. 17. Easter Island is just 14 miles long, 7 miles wide, and about 1,100 miles from Pitcairn Island, its nearest Polynesian neighbor. 18. In 2000, there was a showing of Easter Islanders' crafts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City it was the first exhibition of the islanders' artwork in North America. 19. Visitors to Rapa Nui encountering one of the most unique places on Earth. 20. To get more data about this unique place. Pick up a copy of the Uncommon Guide to Easter Island. One of the underlined words or phrases may contain a grammatical error. If there is one, choose the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct, and fill in the corresponding oval. If the sentence has no error, fill in answer choice @. Several guesthouses on the island greeting visitors. No error A B C D E Choice © is correct because the group of words needs a verb to be a complete sentence. l. Visitors g)'. that the locals are friendly, they say that the scenery is spectacular. A C B D No error E 2. The people who we met were particularly welcoming. No error A B C D E ®@©®@ 3, There are several ways to get to the island; few are inexpensive. No error A B C D E ®@©@@ 4. Inhabitants celebrate their heritage with feasts, song, and B A by doing traditional dances. No error C D E 5. Although the island used to be covered with forests and vegetation. No error A B C D E ®®©®® In each of the following items, all or part of the sentence is underlined. Beneath each sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined part. Choice (A) is the same as the original; the other four are different. Select the answer choice that best expresses the meaning of the original sentence. Your goal is to produce the most effective sentence, one that is clear and not wordy. Choose (A) if the original sentence is better than any of the other answer choices. Easter Island. one of the most isolated places on the planet (A) Easter Island, one of the most isolated places on the planet. (B) Easter Island is one of the most isolated places on the planet. (C) Easter Island, the most isolated place on the planet. (D) Easter Island, one of the most isolated places on the planet, far away. (E) Easter Island becoming one of the most isolated places on the planet. ®®©®® ® is the correct choice because now, with the addition of the verb is, the group of words becomes a complete sentence. 1. The island boasts a number of rock carvings. the locals produce carved creations using wood, too. (A) rock carvings, the locals (B) rock carvings, also the locals (C) rock carvings, The locals (D) rock carvings. The locals (E) rock carvings, because the locals 2. Easter Island's forests were destroyed, felled for transporting statues and making canoes. (A) were destroyed, felled for transporting (B) were destroyed. Felled for transporting (C) had not been destroyed, felled for transporting (D) were destroyed; felled for transporting (E) were destroyed felled for transporting 3. After hundreds of years of peace, the island falling into' a period of extensive warfare, and, eventually, cultural collapse. (A) island falling into a period of extensive warfare (B) island falling into a period of violent warfare (C) island fell into a period of extensive warfare (D) island fell into a period of extensive warfare; (E) island had been falling into a period of extensive warfare ®@©@® 4. Contacts with outsiders brought disease and slavery, the island's population sank precipitously as a result. (A) bronght disease and slavery, the island's population sank (B) brought disease and slavery; the island's population sank (C) brought disease and slavery therefore the island's population sank (D) was bringing disease and slavery, the island's population (E) brought disease and slavery, the island's population was sinking ®@©@® 5, Once Easter Island became a part of Chile, its declining population began to rise again. (A) Once Easter Island became a part of Chile, its declining population (B) Once Easter Island became a part of Chile, its quickly declining population (C) Once Easter Island became a part of Chile; its declining population (D) Once Easter Island became a part of Chile, its now declined population (E) Because Easter Island became a part of Chile, its quickly declining population Read the following: All across the mining and cattle towns of the Wild West, theaters that held performances of Shakespearean plays was nearly as common as saloons and gambling halls. I t is true. Shakespearean playd won the hearts· and minds of the American West. But Shakespeare would not have looked kindly upon this problematic opening sentence. It is incorrect because the singular verb, was, does not agree with the plural subject, theaters. Matkillilg Sll.llbject:s al!ild Verbs Agree W hen you write, make sure that your verbs agree with your subjects in number. There are two basic rules of subject and verb agreement: • A singular subject must have a singular verb. 0 A plural subject must have a plural verb. Although you are unlikely to make the error you see in the opening sentence, you may run into other cases in which choosing the correct form of a verb is not as simple. Study the key rules and examples below. RULES EXAMPLES Compound Subjects Compound subjects joined by and are generally plural. They require a plural verb, whereas compound. subjects acting as a singular unit require singular verbs. Cowboys and miners sit side-by-side at the performances. Two or more singular subjects joined by or or .nor require a singular verb. Either Hamlet or Macbeth is being performed tonight. Two or more plural subjects joined by or or nor require a plural verb. Tents or hotel hallways take the place of theaters from time to time. If singular subjects are joined by or or nor to plural subjects, the subject closest to the verb determines agreement. but Fish and chips is served in the hotel restaurant. Neither drought nor storms keep audiences from the performances. Circle the verb in parentheses that agrees with the subject of the sentence. 1. An opera house, like those in Tombstone, Leadville, and other towns, still (stands, stand) today. 2. Pool tables or even tree stumps (makes, make) serviceable stages. 3. Several factors (plays, play) a, role in determining where to stage a play. 4. Anyone on stage (is, are) a target for fruit-throwing patrons. 5. (Do, Does) the arrival of the troupe cause excitement in the town? 6. Neither Denver nor Boulder (gets, get) as cold as Aspen. 7. The director is someone who (knows, know) how to get the most from actors. 8. Five years (is, are) a long time to be on the road. 9. Both of the buildings (was, were) built in the same year. 10. Twenty dollars (is, are) how much it costs to ride the stage to Carson City. One of the underlined words or phrases may contain a grammatical error. If there is one, choose the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct, and fill in the corresponding oval. If the sentence has no error, fill in answer choice ®. Al ofthe members ofthe cast has tq !2!ii ciri thefr A B C .D l o\Vll .c:ostumes. No error E ®®©@® is ihe.correct choice because. the indefinite, prqnom;iA/1.isreferring to the :t?h:iraJ noun members, so the sentence requiresthepluralverb have. 1. Actors often had to dodge flying fruit while onstage. No error E D C A B ®®©@® 2. Neither the rain nor the strong winds dampens the participants' spirits. No error A B C D E ®@©@® 3. Everybody in the theater laugh each time the actor says that line. No error C D E A B ®@©@® 4. A strip of mountains cross the state from north to south. No error A B C D E ®@©@® 5. Forty miles, the distance from Deadmarsh to Lone Mountain, were a long A B C distance to travel then. No error D E ® Exer�!�e 3: Improve the SeU1lte1r11ce In each of the following items, all or part of the sentence is underlined. Beneath each sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined part. Choice (A) is the same as the original; the other four are different. Select the answer choice that best expresses the meaning of the original sentence. Your goal is to produce the most effective sentence, one that is clear and not wordy. Choose (A) if the original sentence is better than any of the other answer choices. The town council have decided to build a school house in town: (A) The town council.have decided to build a school house in town. (B) The town council has decided to build a school house in town. ( C) The town council have not decided to build a school house in town. (D) The town councils has decided to build a school housei n town. (E) The town's council have decided to build a school house in town. ®@©@® @ is the correct choice because the subject, The town c�unci� is singular and requires the singular verb, has. I. Elfrida, like other mining towns such as McNeal. Cochise, and Pearce. have had a short, wild life. (A) Elfrida, like other mining towns such as McNeal, Cochise, and Pearce, have had a short, wild life. (B) Elfrida, like other mining towns such as McNeal, Cochise, and Pearce, are having a short, wild life. (C) Elfrida, like other mining towns such as McNeal, Cochise, and Pearce, have a short, wild life. (D) Elfrida, like other mining towns such as McNeal, Cochise, and Pearce, has had a short, wild life. (E) Elfrida, like other mining towns such as McNeal, Cochise, and Pearce, having had a short, wild life. 2. According to newspaper reports, either Elfrida's citizens or its mayor were to blame for the misunderstanding. (A) According to newspaper reports, either Elfrida's citizens or its mayor were to blame for the misunderstanding. (B) According to newspaper reports, either Elfrida's citizens or its mayor was to blame for the misunderstanding. (C) Either Elfrida's citizens or its mayor were blamed for the misunderstanding, according to newspaper reports. (D) According to newspaper reports, either Elfrida's citizens were to blame or its mayor was to blame for the misunderstanding.· (E) Either Elfrida's citizens or its mayor, according to newspaper reports, were to blame for the misunderstanding. ®®©@® 3. Mayor Smith, along with the members of the town's safety committee, urge citizens to leave their firearms home. (A) urge citizens to leave their firearms home. (B) urge citizens to have. left their firearms home. ( C) have urged citizens to leave their firearms home. (D) urges citizens to leave their firearms home. (E) urge citizens to leave his or her firearms home. ®®©@® A verb tense expresses the time an action is performed. Read and compare the following two sentences. Which is correct? The Athabasca Glacier, which runs down from the Columbia Ice Field, gives us a look back to a time when the world is dominated by ice. T The Athabasca Glacier, which runs down from the Columbia Ice Field, gives us a look back to a time when the world was dominated by ice. he second version is correct because of the correct shift in verb tense. The glacier runs down from the ice field now, in the present, whereas ice covered much of the planet in the past. idleii11tn1fynl!'ilg Sax Dnfferellilt Veirb Tellil$e:s In English, every verb has three simple tenses and three perfect tenses. Study the table below for more information about verb tenses. TENSE Present ! existing or happening now; i action that happens repeatedly I always start my hike onto the glacier in the mornings. Past Future I started my hike onto the glacier this morning. completed in the past action that will happen; _ formed with the helping verbs j will or shall I will start my hike onto the glacier after a good night's sleep. --•-----•-----+-•---------••••,-�--••·•�••••---,.-• I have started a hike onto Present Perfect I action completed recently or i in the indefinite past; always the glacier many times during includes the helping verbs this trip. i have or has ----- ----------------------! i action that happened before I had started my hike onto the Past Perfect j another action in the past; glacier by the_ time the sun I' always includes the helping came up. 1 verb had i -------------------------Future Perfect I action th�t will happen before I will have started my hike onto l a future action or time; always I the glacier by the time the sun f includes the helping verbs will i comes up. / have or shall have When events occur at the same time, use verbs in the same tense. Incorrect: I climbed onto the tour bus but have no idea of what was ahead. Correct: I climbed onto the tour bus but had no idea of what was ahead. When events do not occur at the same time (as in the opening example), shift verb tenses as needed. ' Incorrect: I collected my gear before today's excursion; my friend collects hers later. Correct: I collected my gear before today's excursion; my friend will collect hers later. Express true statements in the present tense regardless of what tense you use for other verbs in the sentence. Incorrect: I have read that glaciers were in constant motion. Correct: I have read that glaciers are in constant motion. Recognizill"llg Verb forms Every verb has four principal parts, or basic forms, that are used to create different verb tenses. The principal parts are the present (base form), the past, the present participle, and the past participle. Study the examples below. PRINCIPAL PART . EXAMPLE Present (base form) I shiver when I think of how dangerous a glacier is. Present Participle I am shivering as I stand on this glacier. Past I shivered the whole time we were there. ____ I have shivered on every visit to that freezing site. ,. Past Participle Think: Although in this case the past participle form of the verb is the same as the past form, many times the two forms are different. On a standardized test, you are very likely to encounter sentences with verb form errgrs. The kinds of mistakes you will find will most likely involve one of the following issues: 9 an incorrectly formed irregular verb (irregular verbs form past tenses, past participles, or both in a different way than by adding d or ell to the present tense form of the verb) Incorrect: She winned the bike race to the top of the peak. Correct: She won the bike race to the top of the peak. o confusion between the past and past participle form of a verb Incorrect: Many visitors to the park have drove along the Ice Fields Parkway. Correct: Many visitors to the park have driven along the Ice Fields Parkway. 0 an imp roper shift in verb tense Incorrect: When a hiker fell into the millwell, a team of rangers rescues him from the icy hole. Correct: When a hiker fell into the millwell, a team of rangers rescued him from the icy hole. 0 use of the preposition of rather than the helping verb have Incorrect: I would of walked further, but the signs warning about bears stopped me. Correct: I would have walked further, but the signs warning about bears stopped me. Replace the underlined verb with the correct form or tense of that verb. Write "no error" if the sentence is correct as is. 1. We already started on our hike when it began to rain. _____ 2. Our guide told us that the Athabasca Glacier was about six square kilometers in size. _____ 3. I have spoke to the ranger, who told me that the trail was muddy. _____ 4. When I finally got home, dinner has been on the table for an hour. _____ 5. If the ski patrol had not come, we would have been stranded. _____ 6. Neither New York's Central Park nor Vancouver's Stanle y Park was nearly as large as the Athabasca Glacier is. _____ 7. I have put on my backpack and will began the trek to the lake. _____ 8. The helicopter pilot reported that he had spotted the lost hikers. _____ 9. We catched several salm'?n during the afternoon. _____ 10. My hiking companion was pleased when she saw that I had brung chocolate along. _____ �!Exercffise 2: Identify the SeH"lltence IEl"11"1rn· One of the underlined words or phrases may contain a grammatical error. If there is one, choose the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct, and fill in the corresponding oval. If the sentence has no error, fill in answer choice ®. By the time we arrived at thecall\psite,l had,tore .B A the trail. No error E my sleeve on our way down C D ®®©®® ® is correct be�ause tear is an irregular verb. the past participle of tear is torn. I. I would have been more careful, had I knew that I could have been stung by a C B A bee so late in the season. No error E D 2. You've saw the site of the plane crash and also the plaque that marks the spot. A B C D No error E 3. I filmed the goats that are walking along a ridge about 100 yards away, not A B C mindful of us at all. No error E D 4. The park ranger bade us to avoid the lake trail on which bears C B A had been spotted that morning. No error E D 5. Because the night was so cold, the car windows are covered B C A with ice when we awoke the next morning. No error D E ®®©@® Exeircm:15e 3: Improve tlhie Sell1lte1111ce In each of the following items, all or part of the sentence is underlined. Beneath each sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined part. Choice (A) is the same as the original; the other four are different. Select the answer choice that best expresses the meaning of the original sentence. Your goal is to produce the most effective sentence, one that is clear and not wordy. Choose (A) if the original sentence is better than any of the other answer choices. From where we sitted, the entire avalanche came into view. (A) .From where we sitted, (B) .Fro!Il where we were sitte� ( C) From where we sit, (D) From where we sat, (E) From where we will be sitting, For consistency oftense, sat,the past tense pf sit (aI! irregular verb), should be used. Choice @ is correct be.cause it describes two events happening at the same time. 1. We would of returned sooner, but our car got a flat tire. (A) We would of returned sooner, (B) We would have returned sooner, (C) We returned sooner, (D) We would have retwn sooner, (E) We would have returned sooner; 2. We emerged from our tent once the sun had rose. (A) once the sun had rose (B) after the sun had rose (C) once the sun had rised (D) once the sun rose (E) once the su� had risen 3. I learned that a crevasse was a crack or fissure in glacjal ice. (A) a crevasse was a crack or fissure (B) a crevasse was cracks or fissures (C) a crevasse is a crack or fissure (D) a crevasse will be a crack or fissure (E) a crevasse has been a crack or fissure 4. Geologists have predicted that the Athabasca Glacier will continue to retreat. (A) the Athabasca Glacier will continue to retreat (B) the Athabasca Glacier continued to retreat (C) the Athabasca Glacier has continued to retreat (D) the Athabasca Glacier will have continued to retreat (E) the Athabasca Glacier will be continuing retreat ®@©®@ 5. Many animal residents of the mountains migrate away or hibernate to have survived the frigid Canadian winters. (A) migrate away or hibernate to have survived the frigid Canadian winters (B) migrate away or hibernate to survive the frigid Canadian winters (C) have migrated away or hibernate to have survived the frigid Canadian winters (D) will migrate away or hibernate to have survived the frigid Canadian winters (E) had migrated away or hibernated to survive the frigid Canadian winters ®@©®@