Chapter 4: Common mistakes in sentences

CHAPTER 4: COMMON MISTAKES IN SENTENCES

Unit 1: Non-parallel Structures

OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit, you will be able to

• identify parallel and non-parallel structures in English;
• correct non-parallel structures; and
• use parallel structures in your writing.

GETTING STARTED
Work in groups of four. Discuss the following questions. You can use any resources
(grammar books, internet, etc.) to help you.
1. What are non-parallel structures?

2. How can you identify them?

3. What should you notice to avoid non-parallel constructions?

GRAMMAR KNOWLEDGE

I. Definition
When you write a series of elements in a sentence, each element must (1) appear in the same
grammatical form and (2) perform the same grammatical function. This is the rule of parallel
construction. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. If any element fails to
satisfy either criterion, you have written a nonparallel construction.

Examples:

- Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling.

- Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle.

OR
Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle.

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II. Rules to avoid non-parallel constructions

− You'll join elements in a series with these coordinating conjunctions: but, or, yet, and.
− You may also use the correlative conjunctions, which come in pairs: either … or, neither
… nor, not … but, both … and,not only … but (also). With the correlative conjunctions,
you must make certain that the element joined by the first word (e.g., not only)
grammatically mirrors the element joined by the second word (e.g., but or but also).
− Do not mix forms.

Consider the following incorrect and correct sentences.

Not parallel Peter is rich, handsome, and many people like him.
Adj. Adj. clause

Parallel Peter is rich, handsome, and popular.

Adj. Adj. Adj.

Not parallel Mr. Henry is a lawyer, a politician, and he teaches.

N N clause

Parallel Mr. Henry is a lawyer, a politician, and a teacher.

N N N

Not parallel The soldiers approached the enemy camp slowly and silent.
Adv. Adj.

Parallel The soldiers approached the enemy camp slowly and silently.
Adv. Adv.

Not parallel She likes to fish, swim, and surfing.

Inf. Inf. V-ing

Parallel She likes to fish, to swim, and to surf.

Inf. Inf. Inf.

Or: She likes to fish, swim, and surf.

Inf. Inf. Inf.

Parallel She likes fishing, swimming, and surfing.

Gerund Gerund Gerund

Not parallel When teenagers finish high school, they have several choices: going to college,
Gerund P
getting a job, or the army.
Gerund P NP

Parallel When teenagers finish high school, they have several choices: going to college,
Gerund P
getting a job, or joining the army.
Gerund P Gerund P

Not parallel The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last
VP
minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner,
VP
and his motivation was low.
Clause

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Parallel The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last
VP
minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner,
VP
and lacked motivation.
VP

Not parallel Not only did Jerome buy flowers for his mother, but also purchased a bouquet
clause phrase
for Yolanda, his wife.

Parallel Not only did Jerome buy flowers for his mother, but he also purchased a
clause clause
bouquet for Yolanda, his wife.

Parallel Jerome bought flowers not only for his mother but also for Yolanda, his wife.
Prep. P Prep.P

Parallel Jerome bought flowers for not only his mother but also Yolanda, his wife.
NP NP

Not parallel Enrique entered the room, sat down, and is opening his book.
past past present progressive

Parallel Enrique entered the room, sat down, and opened his book.
past past past

Note: If the sentence indicates that the different clauses definitely happened or will happen at
different times, then this rule does not need to be followed.
Example: She is a junior, studies every day, and will graduate a semester early.
Pres. Pres. Future

A parallel structure that begins with clauses must keep on with clauses. Changing to another
pattern or changing the voice of the verb (from active to passive or vice versa) will break the
parallelism.
Examples:
Not parallel The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should
clause clause
not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the game.
phrase

Parallel The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should
clause clause
not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises before the
clause

game. OR

The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much,
VP VP

and do some warm-up exercises before the game.

VP

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Not parallel The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting,that
active
there would be time for him to show his slide presentation, and that questions
active passive
would be asked by prospective buyers.

Parallel The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting,that
active
there would be time for him to show his slide presentation, and that
active
prospective buyers would ask him questions.
active

After a colon, all the elements in the list must be in the same form.
Examples:

Not parallel The dictionary can be used to find these: word meanings, pronunciations,
NP NP
correct spellings, and looking up irregular verbs.
NP Gerund P

Parallel The dictionary can be used to find these: word meanings, pronunciations,
NP NP
correct spellings, and irregular verbs.
NP NP

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

Exercise 1: Read each pair of sentences. Circle the letter of the sentence that contains
parallel structure.
1. A. The elevator was slow and made loud noises.
B. The elevator was slow and loud.
2. A. The actor was handsome, muscular, and funny.
B. The actor was handsome, had big muscles, and made me laugh.
3. A. Scott wants a car with air conditioning, an automatic transmission, and the paint
job should be good.
B. Scott wants a car with air conditioning, an automatic transmission, and a good paint
joB.
4. A. The thrill ride made the children laugh, scream, and beg for more!
B. The thrill ride made the children laugh, scream, and they wanted more!
5. A. Jeff is outgoing, but Matt is quiet when he’s around other people.
B. Jeff is outgoing, but Matt is shy.

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6. A. In sports, having fun is as important as winning.

B. In sports, having fun is as important as to win.
7. A. Red hair is more unusual than blonde hair.
B. Red hair is more unusual than being a blonde.
8. A. I’m so tired that climbing the stairs is like I climbed a mountain.
B. I’m so tired that climbing the stairs is like climbing a mountain.
9. A. Personality is as important as beauty.
B. Personality is as important as looking beautiful.
10. A. A night of sleep on my new mattress is like resting on a cloud.
B. Sleeping on my new mattress is like resting on a cloud.

Exercise 2: Write P (parallel) or N (not parallel) on the line.

1. _____ Waiting for a sale may be wiser than buying shoes at full price.

2. _____ Riding my bike to the mall is faster than to walk.

3. _____ To see the film was not as exciting as reading the book.

4. _____ To cross 52nd Street is more dangerous than crossing Lincoln Avenue.

5. _____ Chewing this steak is like gnawing a rubber tire.

6. _____ Health means more to me than being rich.

7. _____ It’s better to use cold to stop swelling than to use heat.

8. _____ Calm discussions are better than arguing angrily.

9. _____ Monica brewed espresso, steamed milk, and told jokes as she prepared Mike’s latte.

10. _____ Natasha tried holding her breath, chewing a piece of gum, and poking her belly, but
she could not quiet her empty stomach, which rumbled during the chemistry exam.

Exercise 3: Write P (parallel) or N (not parallel) on the line.

1. ___ I admire him for his intelligence, cheerful disposition, and he is honest.

2. ___ Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer and a politician.

3. ___ When Anna moved, she had to rent an apartment, make new friends, and find a job.

4. ___ Barb studies each problem carefully and works out a solution.

5. ___ Aluminum is plentiful and relatively inexpensive.

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6. ___ Many visitors to Los Angeles enjoy visiting Disneyland and to tour movie studios.

7. ___ Children are usually interested in but a little frightened by snakes.

8. ___ Either fainting can result from a lack of oxygen or a loss of blood.

9. ___ So far this term, the students in the writing class have learned how to write thesis
statements, organize their material, and summarizing their conclusions.

10. ___ The boat sailed across the lake smoothly and quiet.

11. ___ When I looked more closely, I saw that it was not coffee but chocolate on my necktie.

12. ___ Not only universities support medical research but also many government agencies.

13. ___ Physics explains why water freezes and how the sun produces heat.

14. ___ All plants need light, a suitable climate, and an ample supply of water and minerals
from the soil.

15. ___ With their keen sight, fine hearing, and refined sense of smell, wolves hunt day or
night in quest of elk, deer, moose, or caribou.

Exercise 4: Circle the option that maintains parallel structure in the sentence.
1. When Delores realized that her father had made lima beans and rice for dinner, she
__________, claimed to feel nauseous, and excused herself from the table. The bag of
stale popcorn in her room would tide her over until breakfast.
A. clutched her stomach
B. was clutching her stomach
C. did clutch her stomach

2. Not only did Hank despise the way June chewed with her mouth open, _________ finding
her wet towels all over the bathroom floor.
A. but also disliked
B. but also disliking
C. but he also disliked

3. To protect her delicate hands, Fran will not rake the yard, do the dishes, or __________.
A. refuses to scrub the bathtub
B. won't scrub the bathtub
C. scrub the bathtub

4. When Diane takes her beagle for a walk, Santana enjoys sniffing for edible garbage,
__________, and lunging at squirrels.
A. howls at bicyclists

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B. howling at bicyclists
C. she howls at bicyclists

5. After Amanda cashes her paycheck, the money goes to her savings account, cappuccino
fund, and __________.
A. paying her credit card bill
B. toward her credit card balance
C. credit card balance

6. In preparation for her run, Alicia __________, applied sunscreen, and increased the
volume on her iPod.
A. tightened her shoelaces
B. was tightening her shoelaces
C. did tighten her shoelaces

7. We searched the car trunk, __________, and the top of the refrigerator, but we could not
find the box of cornflakes that we remember buying.
A. looked on the pantry shelves
B. on the pantry shelves
C. the pantry shelves

8. Bonkers, our ninety pound golden retriever, chews on furniture, __________, and snots
up the car windows—inconveniences we didn't anticipate when we adopted him.
A. would drag us around the neighborhood during walks
B. he drags us around the neighborhood during walks
C. drags us around the neighborhood during walks

9. Belinda saw very little of the horror movie, for she shut her eyes __________, when she
heard the monster's footsteps in the dead leaves, and when characters started screaming.
A. when the violins began to play
B. while listening to the violins play
C. during the violin music

10. In Mrs. Curall's office, Ruben feigned the flu. He hoped to be excused from class, get an
extension on his paper, and __________.
A. spend the afternoon playing tennis with his friends
B. to spend the afternoon playing tennis with his friends
C. then to spend the afternoon playing tennis with his friends

11. Carlos not only missed his one-year anniversary with Adrianna __________.
A. but he also forgot his mother's birthday
B. but also forgot his mother's birthday
C. but also forgetting his mother's birthday

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12. Teresa was expecting a visit from her mother, so she spent the day cleaning the shelves of
the refrigerator, scrubbing mold from the bathroom tile grout, and __________.
A. she removed dog hair from the sofa cushions
B. removing dog hair from the sofa cushions
C. removed dog hair from the sofa cushions

13. When Noodle the poodle realized that the leash meant a bath, not a walk to the park, he
growled, pulled, and __________.
A. was leaping like a fish on a line
B. he was leaping like a fish on a line
C. leaped like a fish on a line

14. With the humans out of the house, Skeeter had to decide either to shred a roll of toilet
paper or __________.
A. chew another hole in the sofa arm
B. chewing another hole in the sofa arm
C. if he wanted to chew another hole in the sofa arm

15. Neither __________ nor the ineffective air conditioner rattling in the window will deter
Tiffany from loving the freedom of her first apartment.
A. when the inconsiderate neighbors played loud music
B. the inconsiderate neighbors playing loud music
C. playing loud music by the inconsiderate neighbors

16. We looked everywhere for the car keys—under the sofa cushions, __________, and on
the counters and tabletops. All along, Andrew had them in the front pocket of his jeans!
A. our search included the trash can
B. searching for them in the trash can
C. in the trash can

17. Laura and Diane bang on Boen's door when they need heavy furniture moved, after they
have clogged the garbage disposal, and __________.
A. having discovered a spider in the bathtub
B. upon the discovery of a spider in the bathtub
C. if they find a spider in the bathtub

18. Bathing Noodle, our poodle, requires four arms to hold him in the tub, towels to mop up
the water, and __________.
A. raincoats which will keep us dry
B. raincoats to keep us dry

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C. raincoats as protection against the oncoming deluge

19. We hate having dinner at Aunt Ida's house because she is a vegan health nut. Baked tofu,
__________, and decaffeinated tea do not make a satisfying meal!
A. vegetables steamed with no oil or seasoning
B. steamed vegetables
C. vegetables that are flavorless

20. Tonia kicked the back of Vincent’s desk, __________, and poked his arm with her sharp
pencil, but he would not bend to the side so that she could get a glimpse of his quiz
answers.
A. blew on his neck
B. she blew on his neck
C. blowing on his neck

Exercise 5: Rewrite each sentence, making the structure parallel.

1. The Young, the Bold, and Those Who Dare is Carla’s favorite daytime TV show.

______________________________________________________________________

2. When introducing yourself, tell your name, how old you are, and your occupation.

______________________________________________________________________

3. In the hot weather the babies cried, the children whined, and the people who were older

argued.

______________________________________________________________________

4. Look for the puppy in the basement, under the deck, and he might be at the neighbor’s

house.

______________________________________________________________________

5. On Saturdays I enjoy sleeping late, to eat a big breakfast, and going for a long walk.

______________________________________________________________________

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6. I love sun, the sand and the water.

______________________________________________________________________

7. Writing is easy; to write well is difficult

______________________________________________________________________

8. The teacher explains the problem, the method and how to solve it.

______________________________________________________________________

9. I want a teammate who is skillful, reliable and never gets tired.

______________________________________________________________________

10. Is it our ideas or how we write that matters for our grades?

______________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 4: COMMON MISTAKES IN SENTENCES

Unit 2: Dangling & Misplaced Modifiers

OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit, you will be able to

• identify dangling and misplaced modifiers in English;
• correct sentences containing dangling and misplaced modifiers; and
• avoid dangling and misplaced modifiers in your writing.

GETTING STARTED
Work in groups of four. Discuss the following questions. You can use any resources
(grammar books, internet, etc.) to help you.
4. What are dangling and misplaced modifiers?

5. How can you identify them?

6. How do you avoid dangling and misplaced modifiers?

GRAMMAR KNOWLEDGE

I. Definition
1. Dangling modifiers: A phrase is considered as a dangling one when it modifies a wrong
word.

Situation Example
Wrong Right
Dangling - Driving through the mountain, - Driving through the mountain, we
participial several bears were seen. saw several bears.
phrases - Riding my bicycles, a dog chased - Riding my bicycle, I was chased by
me. a dog.
Dangling - After putting a worm on my hook, - After putting a worm on my hook, I
prepositional the fish began to bite. found that the fish began to bite.
phrases - Before exploring the desert, our - Before exploring the desert, we
water was refilled. refilled our water supply.

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Situation Example
Wrong Right
Dangling - To examine the brakes, the wheel - To examine the brakes, one must
infinitive must be removed. remove the wheel.
phrases - To write effectively, practice is - To write effectively, one must
necessary. practice.
Dangling - When a baby, my father gave me - When a baby, I was given many
elliptical many toys. toys by my father.
clause - While rowing on the lake, our boat - While rowing on the lake, we
overturned. overturned our boat.

2. Dangling structures: A misplaced modifier is a modifier which is placed in a wrong

position, not next to the word that it modifies.

Situation Example
Wrong Right
Misplaced - A young girl sat quietly watching - A young girl in a red bathing suit sat
prepositional the gull flying back and forth over quietly watching the gull flying
phrase a dune in a red bathing suit. back and forth over a dune.
Misplaced - Vicious smelly creatures with huge - Vicious smelly creatures with huge
noun phrase tusks, the ship's crew found it tusks, the male walruses were
difficult to drive the male walruses difficult for the ship's crew to drive
from the beach. from the beach.

II. Tips to correct mistakes of dangling and misplaced modifiers

To fix a dangling modifier, you will need to add a target to the sentence and then tweak the
remaining words to make sense.
Examples:
Wrong: - With a sigh of pleasure, consumption of cucumber sandwiches commenced.
Correct: - With a sigh of pleasure, Roland began to consume cucumber sandwiches.
- After Roland sighed with pleasure, he began to consume cucumber sandwiches.

Rearranging sentence parts will often fix a misplaced modifier. Remember that most modifiers
come as close to their targets as possible.
Examples:
Wrong: - Sucking warm water from a rubber hose, envious looks were shot Roland's
way as the other picnickers quenched their own thirst..
Correct: - Sucking warm water from a rubber hose, the other picnickers quenched their
own thirst as they shot envious looks Roland's way.

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GRAMMAR EXERCISES

DANGLING SENTENCES
Exercise 1: Put a check mark (√) next to the sentence with a dangling modifier.

1. _____ Watching the Super Bowl, I ate a whole bag of chips and a carton of dip.
2. _____ Looking through a telescope, the moon clearly was not made of cheese!
3. _____ Grasping the paw firmly, the veterinarian cut the dog’s toenails.
4. _____ With a victory shout, the soccer ball went into the goal.
5. _____ Wearing tuxedoes and long gowns, the party was an elegant affair.
6. _____ Scrubbing the tile grout with bleach and an old toothbrush, the mildew stains began
to fade.
7. _____ To finish by the 3 p.m. deadline, the computer keyboard sang with Sylvia's flying
fingers.
8. _____ Sheila watched Desmond stuff his mouth with a cupcake frosted with vanilla icing.
9. _____ Rapping the pencil on the edge of the desk, the fourth cause of the French Revolution
would not come to mind.
10. ____ Slathering the popcorn with melted butter, the calorie count skyrocketed.

Exercise 2: Put a check mark (✓) next to each sentence with a misplaced modifier.
1. ___ Smothered with cheese and tomato sauce, I greedily gobbled the pizza.
2. ___ I greedily gobbled the pizza smothered with cheese and tomato sauce.
3. ___ Swimming underwater, the divers saw buried treasure.
4. ___ The divers saw buried treasure swimming underwater.
5. ___ I usually travel on a plane with a good book.
6. ___ On a plane, I usually travel with a good book.
7. ___ Emma Sue was delighted when Mr. Nguyen returned her perfect calculus test with an
ear-to-ear grin.
8. ___ Perched on the curtain rod, the parakeet watched Rocky the cat slink behind the living
room sofa.
9. ___ Attached to the email, Charlotte sent her boyfriend Byron another photographic self-
portrait with eerie red eyes.
10. ___ Hungry for dinner, the surface is where Gert the goldfish waited in anticipation of
food flakes.

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Exercise 3: Write ‘I’ if the sentence is incorrect. Write ‘C’ if the sentence is correct.
1. ____ While taking a trip across Europe this summer, Jane’s camera suddenly quit
working.

2. ____ When using a microwave oven for the first time, read the instructions carefully
about the kind of dish you can use.

3. ____ Having been given their instructions, the tacher told her students to begin working
on the test.

4. ____ After receiveing the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, Mother Teresa returned to
Calcutta, India, to work and live among the ppor, the sick, and the dying.

5. ____ Having studied Greek for several years, Sarah’s pronunciation was easy to
understand.

6. ____ Since returning to her country after graduation, Maria’s parents have enjoyed
having all their children home again.

7. ____ While bicycling across the United States, the wheels on my bike had to be replaced
several times.

8. ____ Not wanting to interrupt the conversation, I stood quietly and listened until I could
have a chance to talk.

9. ____ Being too young to understand death, my mother gave me a simple explanation of
where my grandfather had gone.

10. ____ When asked to explain his mistake, the new employee cleared his throat nervously.

11. ____ While working in my office late last night, someone suddenly knocked loudly at
my door and nearly scared me to death!

12. ____ After hurrying to get everything ready for the picnic, it began to rain just as we
were leaving.

13. ____ When told he would have to have surgery, the doctor reassured Bob that he
wouldn’t have to miss more than a week of work.

14. ____ While walking across the street at a busy intersection, a truck nearly ran over my
foot.

15. ____ Before driving across a desert, be sure that your car has good tires as well as
enough oil, water, and gas to last the trip.

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Exercise 4: In this exercise you will be presented with a number of sentences, some of
which contain dangling participles. Put a tick by the sentences that contain dangling
participles.
1. A. Sizzling on the barbecue, I waited to eat the sausages.
B. Sizzling on the barbecue, the sausages looked delicious.
C. Sizzling on the barbecue, we watched the sausages cooking.
D. Sizzling on the barbecue, my uncle smelled the delicious sausages.

2. A. Giving an important speech, the chairman made a number of grammatical errors.

B. Giving an important speech, we couldn't help laughing at the chairman's grammatical
errors.
C. Giving an important speech, the building was full of the chairman's supporters.
D. Giving an important speech, the chairman began to shake uncontrollably.

3. A. Exploding in bright colours, the crowd loved the fireworks.

B. Exploding in bright colours, the rockets looked beautiful.
C. Exploding in bright colours, eveyone cheered as the fireworks went off.
D. Exploding in bright colours, the fireworks lit up the night.

4. A. Fumbling dò dẫm, lần mò over his words, we laughed at Tim's mistakes.

B. Fumbling over his words, Tim looked riduculous.
C. Fumbling over his words, Tim's supporters both looked shocked.
D. Fumbling over his words, Tim's speech was a disaster.

5. A. With every limb aching, the runner crossed the line.

B. With every limb aching, he finished the race just ahead of his rival.
C. With every limb aching, the crowd roared him towards the finish line.
D. With every limb aching, the spectators cheered as he crossed the line.

Exercise 5: Circle the option that has no misplaced or dangling modifier.

1. A. Drooling in anticipation of the treat, Gizmo waited for Sylvia to reward him with a dog
cookie.
B. Drooling in anticipation of the treat, Sylvia rewarded Gizmo with a dog cookie.
C. Drooling in anticipation of the treat, a dog cookie was given to Gizmo.

2. A. Digging fingernails into his palms, Jerry’s speech caused sweatiness and nervousness.
B. Digging fingernails into his palms, sweatiness and nervousness about the speech were
what Jerry experienced.
C. Digging fingernails into his palms, Jerry got sweaty and nervous during the speech.

3. A. Gasping after the five-mile run in the summer sun, the bottle of cool water quenched
Donovan's thirst.
B. Gasping after the five-mile run in the summer sun, Donovan quenched his thirst with a
bottle of cool water.
C. Gasping after the five-mile run in the summer sun, Donovan's thirst was quenched with
a bottle of cool water.

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4. A. Seated around the dining room table, the Thanksgiving turkey made everyone's mouth
water.
B. Seated around the dining room table, everyone salivated at the sight of the
Thanksgiving turkey.
C. Seated around the dining room table, the sight of the Thanksgiving turkey made
everyone salivate.

5. A. Sipping slowly at the diner counter, the hot soup was enjoyed by Timothy.
B. Sipping slowly, the diner counter was where Timothy enjoyed the hot soup.
C. Sipping slowly, Timothy enjoyed the hot soup at the diner counter.

6. A. Tucked into a secret purse pocket, Larissa used her last five-dollar bill to buy a slice of
pepperoni pizza and large iced tea.
B. To buy a slice of pepperoni pizza and large iced tea, Larissa used her last five-dollar
bill, which was tucked into a secret purse pocket.
C. Tucked into a secret purse pocket, a slice of pepperoni pizza and large iced tea were
purchased with Larissa's last five-dollar bill.

7. A. Eric broke the lamp while he was bouncing on the bed.

B. Bouncing on the bed, the lamp was broken by Eric.
C. Breaking the lamp, Eric’s bed should not have been bounced on.

8. A. The repairman fixed the kitchen faucet, which leaked in a wasteful manner.
B. Leaking in a wasteful manner, we called a repairman to fix the kitchen faucet.
C. Leaking wastefully, the repairman arrived to fix the kitchen faucet.

9. A. Whining in a pitiful manner, Rodney waited for a commercial break to let the dog in
from the rain.
B. During a commercial break, Rodney let the dog in from the rain, which was whining in
a pitiful manner.
C. During a commercial break, Rodney let in the dog, who had been whining pitifully out
in the rain.

10. A. Abdullah gasped as the badly wrapped burrito squirted its contents onto his shirt,
which was spicy hot and full of lettuce.
B. The badly wrapped burrito squirted its contents onto Abdullah’s shirt, which was spicy
hot and full of lettuce.
C. The badly wrapped burrito, which was spicy hot and full of lettuce, squirted its
contents onto Abdullah’s shirt.

11. A. Sneezing and coughing, Emily soon covered the computer keyboard with germs.
B. Sneezing and coughing, the computer keyboard was soon covered with germs from
Emily.
C. Sneezing and coughing, Emily's germs soon covered the computer keyboard.

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12. A. When Kareem walked into the tree, he ripped his shirt and banged his forehead, which
was old and holey.
B. When Kareem walked into the tree, he ripped his old, holey shirt and banged his
forehead.
C. Walking into a tree, Kareem’s old, holey shirt was ripped, and his forehead got
banged.

13. A. Peeling the banana, this snack satisfied Jackie's hunger.

B. Peeling the banana, Jackie's hunger was satisfied with this snack.
C. Peeling the banana, Jackie satisfied her hunger with this snack.

14. A. Joshua used his strong hands to massage Kara's shoulders, which were tight with
stress.
B. Joshua used his strong hands, which were tight with stress, to massage Kara's
shoulders.
C. Tight with stress, Joshua used his strong hands to massage Kara's shoulders.

15. A. Dotted with clouds, Grandma Ruth watched the birthday balloons escape her fingers
and float into the sky.
B. Floating into the sky dotted with clouds, Grandma Ruth watched the birthday balloons
escape her fingers.
C. Grandma Ruth watched the birthday balloons escape her fingers and float into a sky
dotted with clouds.

16. A. A dangerous stunt, Franklin flew over the steep staircase, his skateboard landing with a
loud clack-clack on the concrete below.
B. On a skateboard, Franklin flew over the steep staircase and landed with a loud clack-
clack on the concrete below. His dangerous stunt amazed the onlookers.
C. Landing with a loud clack-clack on the concrete below, the staircase was jumped by
Franklin on a skateboard, which was a dangerous stunt.

17. A. Swinging at the tennis ball, contact with the racket sent a stab of pain through Paul's
elbow.
B. Swinging at the tennis ball, Paul felt a stab of pain in his elbow as the racket made
contact.
C. Swinging at the tennis ball, pain shot through Paul's elbow as the racket made contact.

18. A. Madeline admired her nails, which were painted pink with gold sparkles.
B. Painted pink with gold sparkles, Madeline admired her nails.
C. The nails were admired by Madeline painted pink with gold sparkles.

19. A. Poking his head through the unzipped top, Freddy the Chihuahua rode inside Jodi’s
book bag.
B. Poking his head through the unzipped top, Jodi’s book bag was Freddy the

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Chihuahua’s taxi.
C. Poking his head through the unzipped top, store after store was visited by Freddy the
Chihuahua as he rode in Jodi’s book bag.

20. A. Spewing from the open oven door, the kitchen filled with the thick smoke of
LaTanya’s burnt cookies.
B. Spewing from the open oven door, LaTanya filled the kitchen with the thick smoke of
burnt cookies.
C. Spewing from the open oven door, the thick smoke of burnt cookies filled LaTanya’s
kitchen.

Exercise 6: Rewrite each sentence so that it makes better sense. Ask yourself what word
the “-ing ” phrase describes.
1. Hoping to mow the grass quickly, a power mower was used.

________________________________________________________________________

2. Sitting on the roof, the city lights were in clear view.

________________________________________________________________________

3. After pushing button number 15, the elevator began to rise.

________________________________________________________________________

4. Hoping for a better life, the covered wagons moved westward.

________________________________________________________________________

5. Having cooked all day, the dinner took just twenty minutes to eat.

________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 7: Rewrite each sentence to make it more sensible. Place each misplaced
modifier closer to the word it describes.
Example: The swimmer approached the diving board wearing swim fins.

- The swimmer wearing swim fins approached the diving board.

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1. Stuck firmly in a solid rock, King Arthur saw a sword.

_____________________________________________________________________

2. I found a candlestick made by an ancient craftsman in an upstairs closet.

_____________________________________________________________________

3. I like to listen to soothing music doing my homework.

_____________________________________________________________________

4. With a loud pop I watched my balloon break.

_____________________________________________________________________

5. The dog was chasing the boy with the spiked collar.

_____________________________________________________________________

Exercise 8: Rewrite the sentences that contain a dangling phrase.

1. To be sure of a good seat, your tickets should be bought in advance.

_____________________________________________________________________

2. At age of ten, my father took me up for my first airplane ride.

_____________________________________________________________________

3. While working for a jeweler, a watch disappeared, and Mike was accused of taking it.

_____________________________________________________________________

4. Being in a hurry to get to the basket ball game, my Harold completely forgot to take his

raincoat.

_____________________________________________________________________

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5. Having spent all afternoon at the football game, my throat was sore.

_____________________________________________________________________

6. Before reaching Crown Point, Mount Hood could be seen towering in the distance.

_____________________________________________________________________

7. Last June, after graduating from high school, my uncle gave me a job in his factory.

_____________________________________________________________________

8. Running to my first-period class, my jacket caught on a nail and ripped.

_____________________________________________________________________

9. To play golf well, a combination of mental concentration and physical relaxation is

essential.

_____________________________________________________________________

10. If left alone with nothing to do, parents can’t expect children to keep out of mischief.

_____________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 4: COMMON MISTAKES IN SENTENCES

Unit 3: Sentence Fragments

OBJECTIVES: By the end of this part, you will be able to

• identify fragmented sentences in English;
• correct mistakes of sentence fragments; and
• avoid mistakes of sentence fragments in writing.

GETTING STARTED
Work in groups of four. Discuss the following questions. You can use any resources
(grammar books, internet, etc.) to help you.

7. What are sentence fragments?

8. How do you avoid and correct mistakes of sentence fragments?

GRAMMAR KNOWLEDGE

I. Definition
A sentence fragment is a group of words that is not a complete sentence but is
punctuated as one.
In other words, a sentence fragment is a sentence that

Features Examples
Does not express a complete thought. Joe is.
=> This sentence is lacking a complete thought -
Joe is "something" - but we don't know what Joe
is.
Is lacking a subject. Eating chicken.
=> This sentence is lacking a subject - who or what
is eating chicken?
Is lacking an action. A book without a cover.
=> What about a book without a cover? Is the book
doing something? Is someone doing something to
the book? We don't know, because there is no
subject.

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Features Examples
Is a dependent clause, standing alone. And I went to the store.
=> The conjunction "and" makes this clause
dependent. A dependent clause can't stand alone, it
needs to be attached to an independent clause.

In writing, a sentence fragment is an error. In casual conversation, a fragment may be

acceptable.

Examples:
In conversation: “Which car gets the best gas mileage?” - “The black sedan.”
In writing: Which car gets the best gas mileage? - The black sedan does.

II. Tips to avoid and correct fragmented sentences

Tip 1: When you write a sentence, you must make sure that

a. your sentence has a finite verb.

Examples:

Fragmented - The happy calculus students shouting in the cafeteria.

Correct - The happy calculus students shouted in the cafeteria.

Fragmented - Dr Ribley having curved the grades on their midterm exam.

Correct - Dr. Ribley had curved the grades on their difficult midterm exam.

Fragmented - Other students being upset at all of the noise.

Correct - Other students were upset at the noise.

b. your sentence has a subject.

Correct - The refrigerator hummed in the kitchen.

- The coffee maker was annoyed.

Fragmented - And the next morning hissed more vehemently than usual.

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c. your sentence expresses a complete thought.

Fragmented - Because it was raining.

Correct - We canceled the picnic because it was raining.

Fragmented - Such as drama, music and dance.

Correct - I like the arts, such as drama, music and dance.

Fragmented - To explain why that happened.

Correct - He neglected to explain why that happened.

Fragmented - Worrying that she would be robbed.

Correct - She locked the car, worrying that she would be robbed.

Tip 2: You must be able to recognize the type of fragment you have found.

Examples:

Types of fragments Examples

Subordinate clause fragment - After the football flew over the fence.
- Since Harold has not done laundry.
- Which gave Gabriella indigestion.
- Where the cookies are hidden.

Participle phrase fragment - Agonizing over an ice cream flavor.

- Tickled silly with an ostrich plume.
- Found under the backseat of his truck.

Infinitive phrase fragment - To sleep without anxiety.

- To dance until he was out of breath.
- To slither out of its cage and across the bedroom floor.

Afterthought fragment - For example, coffee stained shirts and scuffed shoes.
- Such as the old man who yelled at dog walkers and
Some afterthought transitions:
skateboarders.
- especially, except, excluding
- for example, for instance - Like this brand-new twenty-dollar bill that I found.
- including, like, such as

Lonely verb fragment - And burped with satisfaction.

(often begin with a coordinating - But turned down the job.
conjunction: and, but, for, or, nor,
so, or yet.) - Or will accept the bad grade.

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Types of fragments Examples

Appositive fragment - The student slurping the hot soup.

- A young woman whose hair reaches her waist.
- The brother with a reputation for trouble.

Tip 3: You must know the punctuation rules for fixing fragments.
Punctuation rules Examples
1. - Maria has no patience for the spilled soda or
Main Clause + Ø + Subordinate Clause . explosion of potato chips Ø when Frank leaps off
the sofa to scream at the umpire on the
television.
- Tom ate the slice of pizza Ø even though
everyone had seen Bernard sneeze all over it.
2. - Whenever Francisco applies styling products,
Subordinate Clause + , + Main Clause . his hair acquires a crunchy shell.
- Since everyone was socializing in the living
room, our dog Barney stole the roasted chicken
off the kitchen counter.
3. - William collapsed on the sofa, dreading the
Main Clause + , + Participle Phrase . moment when he would have to open his credit
card statement.
- Finally, Violet ripped open the plastic, startled by
the eruption of color that burst from the bag of
candy.
4. - Celebrating the grade of A on her essay,
Participle Phrase + , + Main Clause . Cristina skipped down the hall.
- Knocked to the ground by the puppy’s
exuberant leaping, Jason greeted Goliath, his
Great Dane.
5. - Nick wants to visit Paris Ø to bungee jump off
Main Clause + Ø + Infinitive Phrase . the Eiffel Tower.
- Soon we hope Ø to find Squeeze, our seven-foot
python who escaped his cage.
6. - To eat his bacon cheeseburger in peace, Leonard
Infinitive Phrase + , + Main Clause . locked himself in the laundry room where
Penelope, his poodle, wouldn’t wet him with
drool.
- To see if her writing had improved, Leslie
peeked at the grade on the last page of her essay.

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Punctuation rules Examples

7. - Emily screams at the sight of many things, such as
Main Clause + , + Afterthought Ø mice, spiders, and lima beans.
Transition + Ø + Details .
- Sam loves all flavors of ice cream, especially Ø
chocolate-broccoli.
8. - Grandmother Essie took a deep breath Ø and blew
Main Clause + Ø + Lonely Verb Phrase . out all ninety-seven candles on her birthday
*If the coordinating conjunction (and, cake.
but, or, etc.) beginning the lonely verb
phrase connects more than two verbs,
you will need to use a comma.
9. - Yvonne flirted with Joseph, the cutest young man
When you are connecting an appositive at the food court.
[noun phrase] to a main clause, use a
comma [or commas] to separate the - A powerful swimmer, Stephen jumped into the
appositive from the rest of the sentence. pool to save Cassandra’s calculus book before it
Main clause + , + Appositive . sank.
Appositive + , + Main Clause .
- Freddie pounded her computer, a bargain bought
Start of Main Clause + , + Appositive + ,
at a garage sale, and lamented the loss of another
+ End of Main Clause .
document.

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

Exercise 1: If the following is a sentence, underline the independent clause and label it S
(sentence). If the following is missing a subject or predicate or is a dependent clause,
label it F (fragment).

1. ___ The individual who owns this backpack.

2. ___ The owner of the backpack who has a runny nose needs a tissue.

3. ___ Students carry backpacks with too much junck in them.

4. ___ Whoever carries a loaded backpack will have back spasms.

5. ___ Whenever he overloads his backpack with homework.

6. ___ This load of books will destroy whoever has to carry it.

7. ___ Old candy bar wrappers and half-eaten lunches in the bottom.

8. ___ Without any thought of student health, teachers who assign loads of homework.

9. ___ Because the students need to develop better posture, they should not carry backpacks
over one shoulder.

10. ___ Homework is the root of all evil, and teachers should not assign it.

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Exercise 2: Circle the letter of the part which is fragmented in each following passage.

1. (A) Maria wasn't watching her plate of barbecue very carefully. (B) So Santana, the
family beagle, snatched a chicken leg hanging over the edge. (C) As baked beans and
potato salad slid onto Maria's new sandals.

2. (A) Ever since Andre peeked at Melissa's paper during the biology exam. (B) Guilt has
consumed him. (C) Even the blueberries floating in his cereal bowl seem like the accusing
eyes of Dr. Gregory, his microbiology instructor.

3. (A) James opened the door of his cluttered refrigerator. (B) Which caused a pint of
blueberries to fall to the floor. (C) The fruit bounced and rolled everywhere in an
explosion of indigo.

4. (A) Richie loves to walk his friends' dogs at Lake Eola Park. (B) For example, Kim's
Labrador retriever Murphy or Gary's bulldog Kembo. (C) Beautiful women, Richie has
learned, gravitate toward guys with cute dogs.

5. (A) Head down, Lela stared at the textbook on her desk. (B) She understood the fragment
practice that Mrs. Markham was going over in class. (C) But was too shy to raise her hand
and volunteer an answer.

6. (A) Joshua found the pressure from the gas in his stomach unbearable. (B) Although he
didn't want to be rude in the middle of geology class. (C) An explosive belch erupted
from his mouth.

7. (A) Phillip left work early. (B) To memorize the vocabulary that his Spanish midterm
would test the next day. (C) But all that he could think about was Beatrice, the cute new
sales associate who worked in the camera department.

8. (A) Chewing the dry, tough, whole-grain bread bought from the health food store. (B)
Lorena tried to enjoy her lunch. (C) Fantasizing about a juicy cheeseburger on a soft
white bun didn't improve the taste of the soy product sandwiched between leaves of
organic lettuce.

9. (A) My cat Fuzz loves to sleep in inconvenient places. (B) Lately she prefers the
computer table. (C) Where her long hair sticks to the mouse pad, covers the keyboard,
and clings to the screen of the monitor.

10. (A) Rocking and thrashing like a wild horse that cowboys had lassoed. (B) The washer
complained about its overloaded tub. (C) At the other end of the laundromat, Bobby
quietly read an old magazine, pretending that it was not his machine.

11. (A) Day after day, thunderclouds rolled in during the early afternoon. (B) Making
Madison's grass thrive from all of the water. (C) Her neighbors, however, prayed for a
sunny afternoon so that Madison could finally mow the jungle that was the front yard.

12. (A) While cleaning under his bed, Glen heard the vacuum cleaner suck up something hard
and metallic. (B) Glen wanted to know what the object was. (C) But had no intention of
digging through a bag of dust, dead bugs, cat litter, and bathroom hair to find out.

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13. (A) Farah woke Kirby, the family's ancient German shepherd. (B) To see if he had fallen
asleep on the remote control. (C) The growl that Kirby rumbled in protest convinced
Farah to use the channel buttons on the front of the television instead.

14. (A) Raja knew that his roommate Tina had cupcakes hidden in the apartment. (B) He
looked everywhere. (C) Including in the clothes hamper, on top of the bookcases, behind
the sofa—even under his own bed!—all to no avail.

15. (A) Peering around the other students in line, Sylvia tried to see the lunch choices. (B)
The cafeteria selections were disappointing. (C) For example, greasy fried chicken, soupy
sweet-n-sour pork, and a gray mystery meat floating in translucent, lumpy gravy.

16. (A) Struggling up three flights of stairs, her arms filled with the heavy texts for four
classes, her backpack loaded with notebooks and other supplies. (B) Jamala huffed and
puffed. (C) Never again would she register for all of her classes back-to-back on the same
days of the week.

17. (A) As quietly as possible, Sherri tried to open the one-pound bag of candy on her lap. (B)
Finally, the tough plastic split open. (C) Causing an explosion of chocolate balls that
bounced and rolled down the aisles of Dr. Wilson's chemistry class.

18. (A) Each morning when Helene is fixing her hair in the bathroom. (B) She applies many
sticky hair products. (C) During a typical day, she catches more bugs in her coif than
most spiders manage to land in their webs in a week.

19. (A) Ralph spent all of his savings on a diamond ring to give to his girlfriend Melanie. (B)
A greedy young woman who had a box full of expensive trinkets from ex-boyfriends. (C)
Melanie was always looking for the man with the fattest wallet.

20. (A) Emily pounded on the bedroom door, demanding a little quiet so that she could study
for her physics midterm. (B) Her sister Amy ignored the request. (C) And continued
banging on the drum set that she bought at a garage sale.

Exercise 3: Find the fragments in the passage below.

(1) Marina, the beautiful mermaid, wanted some tuna salad. (2) But had a small problem since
she was allergic to celery. (3) At Sammy’s Sub Shop, Marina hoped to find tuna salad free of
this dangerous vegetable. (4) Flopping across the tiled floor to the counter. (5) Marina placed
her order and then checked her sandwich for celery. (6) Not noticing, however, the spoiled
mayonnaise. (7) At five o'clock that evening, Marina became violently ill with food
poisoning. (8) When a lifeguard at the beach discovered the problem, he called 911. (9) Even
though the mermaid had fishy breath. (10) A handsome paramedic gave her mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation. (11) Wailing like a sick dog, the ambulance sped off to the hospital. (12) Where
the doctor on call refused to treat a sea creature with a scaly tail. (13) A kind nurse, however,
had more sympathy. (14) After she found some Pepto-Bismol. (15) Marina drank the entire

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bottle of pink liquid, feeling an immediate improvement. (16) The mermaid told the rude
doctor never to swim in the ocean. (17) For she would order hungry sharks to bite off the
doctor's legs. (18) While sharp-clawed crabs plucked out his eyes. (19) Tossing her long hair,
Marina thanked the nurse for the Pepto-Bismol. (20) And took a mint from David, the
handsome paramedic.

Exercise 4: Circle the letter of the option that correctly identifies each word group.

1. Assaulted with green peas catapulted across the table from her brother's spoon.
A. Participle phrase fragment
B. Lonely verb fragment
C. Appositive fragment

2. Because he refused to touch the serving of lima beans on his plate.

A. Main clause
B. Subordinate clause fragment
C. Lonely verb fragment

3. The man whom Brenda refuses to marry even if someone paid her a million dollars.
A. Lonely verb fragment
B. Subordinate clause fragment
C. Appositive fragment

4. But saw too late that the cream had expired three weeks ago.
A. Participle phrase fragment
B. Lonely verb fragment
C. Subordinate clause fragment

5. Including the frying pan with encrusted egg and the greasy silverware full of fingerprints.
A. Afterthought fragment
B. Participle phrase fragment
C. Subordinate clause fragment

6. To enjoy the warm sunshine that he could see spilling through the blinds.
A. Participle phrase fragment
B. Main clause
C. Infinitive phrase fragment

7. Kissing the wet frog in hopes of getting a cool prize.

A. Afterthought fragment
B. Participle phrase fragment
C. Lonely verb fragment

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Chapter 4: Common mistakes in sentences

8. Such as stacks of tottering books, crumpled paper, empty soda cans, and greasy pizza
boxes.
A. Lonely verb fragment
B. Subordinate clause fragment
C. Afterthought fragment

9. Because Loraine had to clean up the kitchen mess left by her roommate Bob.
A. Subordinate clause fragment
B. Main clause
C. Lonely verb fragment

10. And grabbed the last glazed doughnut while Frederick was pouring her a cup of coffee.
A. Main clause
B. Lonely verb fragment
C. Appositive fragment

11. Roger regrets eating the mushy radishes.

A. Main clause
B. Participle phrase fragment
C. Subordinate clause fragment

12. To see her favorite part of the parade, the majorettes with their twirling batons.
A. Appositive fragment
B. Participle phrase fragment
C. Infinitive phrase fragment

13. The neighborhood cat whom even the biggest dogs fear.
A. Subordinate clause fragment
B. Main clause
C. Appositive fragment

14. Hissing and spitting like an angry alligator caught by its tail.
A. Participle phrase fragment
B. Lonely verb fragment
C. Appositive fragment

15. One day Andrew aspires to eat asparagus.

A. Main clause
B. Subordinate clause fragment
C. Lonely verb fragment

16. Scooting the dead cockroach under the refrigerator with the toe of his shoe.
A. Lonely verb fragment
B. Participle phrase fragment
C. Subordinate clause fragment

17. For example, sand-encrusted feet or a cold drink in a sweating bottle.

A. Participle phrase fragment
B. Lonely verb fragment
C. Afterthought fragment

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Chapter 4: Common mistakes in sentences

18. To reach the countertop where Sara had momentarily left the tuna salad.
A. Subordinate clause fragment
B. Lonely verb fragment
C. Infinitive phrase fragment

19. But found only a cookie bag full of crumbs and a tablespoon of milk.
A. Main clause
B. Lonely verb fragment
C. Subordinate clause fragment

20. Whenever Rosita makes microwave popcorn.

A. Subordinate clause fragment
B. Main clause
C. Lonely verb fragment

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Chapter 4: Common mistakes in sentences

CHAPTER 4: COMMON MISTAKES IN SENTENCES

Unit 4: Run-on Sentences

OBJECTIVES: By the end of this part, you will be able to

• recognize mistakes of run-on sentences in English;
• correct mistakes of run-on sentences; and
• avoid run-on sentences in writing.

GETTING STARTED
Work in groups of four. Discuss the following questions. You can use any resources
(grammar books, internet, etc.) to help you.

9. What are run-on sentences?

10. How do you avoid and correct mistakes of run-on sentences?

GRAMMAR KNOWLEDGE

I. Definition

A run on sentence is two or more independent sentences improperly strung together. A run-
on sentence often uses a comma (comma splice) or a conjunctive adverb by mistake.

Examples: - It is nearly half past five we cannot reach town before dark.
- The band rehearses during the week, it performs on weekends.

II. Tips to correct run-on sentences

Run-on sentences can be corrected using three different techniques.

- The easiest way is to insert a period or a semicolon between the independent clauses.

- Another method is to use a coordinating conjunction between the independent clauses.

- Finally, one of the independent clauses can be changed to a dependent clause.

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Chapter 4: Common mistakes in sentences

Examples:

Incorrect: - The band rehearses during the week, it performs on weekends.

Correct: - The band rehearses during the week. It performs on weekends.
Correct: - The band rehearses during the week, and it performs on weekends.
Correct: - The band which performs on weekends rehearses during the week.

Incorrect: - It is nearly half past five we cannot reach town before dark.
Correct: - It is nearly half past five. We cannot reach town before dark.
Correct: - It is nearly half past five; we cannot reach town before dark.
Correct: - It is nearly half past five, so we cannot reach town before dark.
Correct: - It is nearly half past five, and we cannot reach town before dark.
Correct: - Because it is nearly half past five, we cannot reach town before dark.
Correct: - It is nearly half past five, which means we cannot reach town before dark.

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

Exercise 1: Label the run-on sentences (r-o) and the correct sentences (ok).

1. ___ I washed my car yesterday hence it will rain today.

2. ___ I think, therefore I am.

3. ___ Although I don’t believe in destiny, I am convinced that we were meant to be

together.

4. ___ Karma means that what you do comes back to you, for example, if you are cruel to
others, others will be cruel to you.

5. ___ I am a fatalist, thus I believe that what I do makes no difference.

6. ___ Unless I was an evil person in my last life, I don’t deserve the predicament I am in
now.

7. ___ The pirate’s parrot is pecking painfully at my proboscis.

8. ___ My nose hurts, moreover I have feathers in my eyes.

9. ___ This computer doesn't make sense to me, it came without a manual.

10. ___ The sun is high, so put on some sunscreen.

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Chapter 4: Common mistakes in sentences

Exercise 2: Correct each of the following run-ons.

1. I came, I saw, I conquered.

________________________________________________________________

2. My heart pounded, still I waited patiently.

________________________________________________________________

3. I fear the future, I don’t know how I will support myself.

________________________________________________________________

4. After I graduate from high school, I will start a software company, hence I will become
an instant millionaire.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

5. I am very good at dealing with financial matters except balancing my checkbook, my

totals never seem to add up.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

6. Unlike many high school students, I am very responsible financially, I spend within my
budget.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

7. I wouldn’t like to have to pay for all my own expenses, however, living on my salary
wouldn’t be much fun.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

8. Mr. Nguyen has sent his four children to ivy-league colleges, however, he has sacrificed
his health working day and night in that dusty bakery.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

9. Judy leads a charmed life she never seems to have a serious accident.
________________________________________________________________

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Chapter 4: Common mistakes in sentences

10. The show begins at 7:30 make sure you're there before 7:15.
________________________________________________________________

Exercise 3: Correct the run-on sentences by writing two complete sentences.

1. The spaceship landed an oddly shaped alien stepped out.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Brace yourself we are about to crash!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Fill the cup at the water cooler cold water tastes better.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Five pizzas won’t be enough, you’d better buy six.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Gracie stood in line for six hours, she was determined to get tickets.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 4: Correct the run-on sentences. Use the conjunctions or, and, so, or but to
connect the two sentences. (Note: Put a comma before the conjunction that joins two
sentences.)
1. You could sleep late, you could rise early.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Ellis took the quick route, Clay went the long way.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

3. The cookie holds a paper fortune, I don’t believe it will come true.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

4. A camper was careless, many acres of forestland burned.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

5. The snow is falling heavily now, get out that shovel!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

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Chapter 4: Common mistakes in sentences

MISCELLANEOUS EXERCISES OF CHAPTER 4

Exercise 1: Correct the punctuation in the following sentences.

1. After the ball game we’ll stop for burgers and fries.
________________________________________________________________

2. We’ll pick up some pizza after the ball game.

________________________________________________________________

3. Because we stuff ourselves with junck food at the game we rarely are hungry when we
get home.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

4. Going to the game and stuffing myself with junk food are my favorite activities.
________________________________________________________________

5. When we get home we often have work to do but we don’t have the energy to do it.
________________________________________________________________

6. We lie down we watch television and nap.

________________________________________________________________

7. Whatever is most fattening is always most delicious.

________________________________________________________________

8. If you consider all the pain involved in losing weight it probably is better to eat
vegetables fruits and whole grain products instead of cotton candy hot dogs and ice cream
but it certainly isn’t as much fun.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

9. The airport is about to shut down because of the snow and if the plane doesn't land soon it
will have to go on to Boston.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

10. Marcellino always knew his way around the woods this is something he could always
depend on. _________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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Chapter 4: Common mistakes in sentences

Exercise 2: Punctuate the following sentences by adding periods (.) or commas (,) as
necessary. Do not add any words. Capitalize letters where necessary. Some sentences
may require no changes.

Examples: I like French cooking my wife prefers Italian cooking.

- I like French cooking. My wife prefers Italian cooking.

I like French cooking but my wife prefers Italian cooking.

- I like French cooking, but my wife prefers Italian cooking.

1. I’ve read that book it’s very good.

- _________________________________________________________________

2. I’ve read that book but I didn’t like it.

- _________________________________________________________________

3. I opened the door and asked my friend to come in.

- _________________________________________________________________

4. I opened the door my sister answered the phone.

- _________________________________________________________________

5. I opened the door and my sister answered the phone.

- _________________________________________________________________

6. Minerals are common materials they are found in rocks and soil.
- _________________________________________________________________

7. The most common solid materials on earth are minerals they are found in rocks soil and
water.
- _________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

8. You can travel to England by plane or you can go by ship if you prefer.
- _________________________________________________________________

9. You can travel to England by plane or by ship.

- _________________________________________________________________

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10. Jason was going to study all night so he declined our invitation to dinner.
- _________________________________________________________________

11. Jason declined our invitation to dinner he needed to stay home and study.
- _________________________________________________________________

12. The wind howling outside yet it was warm and comfortable indoors.
- _________________________________________________________________

13. I hurried to answer the phone for I didn’t want the children to wake up.
- _________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

14. Last weekend we went camping it rained the entire time.

- _________________________________________________________________

15. The highway was under construction so we had to take a different route to work.
- _________________________________________________________________

16. No one thought we would win the championship yet our team won by a large margin.
- _________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

17. We arrived at the theatre late but the play had not yet begun we were quite surprised.
- _________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

18. A central heating system provides heat for an entire building from one central place most
central heating systems service only one building but some systems heat a group of
buildings, such as those at a military base a campus or an apartment complex.
- _________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

19. Having prepared himself well for the realtor exams and having exhausted everyone in the
family with his requests that someone help him with the true-and-false drills Jeffrey who
had never been a particularly good student in high school, knew he was ready to take on

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the greatest challenge of his life.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

20. The head of state and the religious leader were often the same person all power rested in
one ruler.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Exercise 3: Identify each of the following as a run-on (r-o), a fragment (F), or a correct
sentence (C).
1. ___ The roller coaster dipped and turned ceaselessly, but most of the white-knuckled
riders refused to open their eyes.

2. ___ The parents down below worried, they hoped the ride would end soon.

3. ___ Some happy screeches filled the air, therefore some of the children were enjoying the
ride.

4. ___ Because the track with its excellent safety record was known throughout the world.

5. ___ Most carnival rides have the occasional accident for example the brakes on a car
might not work.

Exercise 4: Karla wrote the following report for science class. She included valuable
information, but she made sentence errors. On the back of this sheet, rewrite Karla’s
report. Correct all fragments and run-together sentences.

THE PYTHON
“Step right up, Ladies and gentlemen! See the monster snake. This giant python can squeeze
the life out of you!”

Snakes called pythons or constrictors are huge reptiles they were once commonly displayed in
circuses and carnivals. While pythons do squeeze their prey to death, their usual victims are
small mammals. Not human beings.

The anaconda, one type of python, is the largest of all snakes. It lives in southeastern Asia, it
grows to be more than 30 feet long. The python spends most of its time in trees, there it suns
itself and waits for its food. When an unlucky mammal happens along. The python strikes. Its

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prey usually weighs between 15 and 30 pounds. The python coils around the animal, stopping
its breathing.

Pythons are primitive snakes. Closely related to lizards. They have plump, muscular bodies
they are very strong. Usually found near water. They hide in foliage or hang from tree
branches. The royal python that lives in equatorial Africa. Can curl into a ball and be rolled on
the ground.

The name “python” comes from a Greek myth. It was the name of a serpent that lived in dark
flood waters. It attacked people and animals. The Greek god Apollo killed Python.With his
arrows.

Exercise 5: Proofread this beginning of a student essay. As you read, look for faulty
grammar that needs repairing. When you finish reading this section of the essay, answer
the multiple-choice questions.

PART 1 - Jim Abbott Meets the Challenge

I respect people who face a challenge and overcome it. That’s why I admire Jim Abbott. Jim
Abbott he not only faced his physical disability but became a great athlete.

Jim was born without a right hand. As he grew up, other childrens teased him. Jim ignored
they’re taunts. He got in shape, quarterbacked a football team, and was playing baseball. It
soon became clear that Jim Abbott pitched really good!

Each following item presents a sentence from the essay above. If you think the sentence is
correct as written, circle choice a. If you think choice a is faulty, circle b or c to show the
correct choice.

1. a. I respect people who face a challenge and overcome it.

b. I respect people, who face a challenge, and overcome it.
c. I respect people who faced a challenge and overcome it.

2. a. Jim Abbott he not only faced his disability but became a great athlete.
b. Jim Abbott, he faced his disability and became a great athlete.
c. Jim Abbott not only faced his disability but became a great athlete.

3. a. As he grew up, other childrens teased him.

b. As he grew up, other children teased him.
c. As he grew up other childrens teased him.

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4. a. Jim ignored they’re taunts.

b. Jim ignored there taunts.
c. Jim ignored their taunts.

5. a. He got in shape, quarterbacked a football team, and was playing baseball.

b. He got in shape quarterbacked a football team and was playing baseball.
c. He got in shape, quarterbacked a football team, and played baseball.

6. a. It soon became clear that Jim Abbott pitched really good!

b. It soon became clear that Jim Abbott pitched really well!
c. It soon became clear that Jim Abbott pitched good?

Exercise 6: Proofread Part 2 of this student essay. Continue looking for faulty grammar
that needs repairing. When you finish the passage, answer the multiple-choice questions.

PART 2 - Jim Abbott Meets the Challenge

One-handed Jim Abbott was best than most two-handed pitchers! He attended college on a
baseball scholarship and was pitching in the 1988 Olympics. Yes Jim Abbott became a gold
medalist!

There is very few players who skip minor-league play. Jim, however, went straight to the
majors. He pitched for the California Angels and the New York Yankees. Jim pitched with his
left hand and balanced his glove on his right arm. Once the pitch flew, he’d flip the glove onto
his hand.

Abbott did not see his disability as a barrier to success. He saw it as a challenge to be met.
“The only thing that could stop me Jim said was myself.”

Each item presents a sentence from the essay above. If you think the sentence is correct as
written, circle choice a. If you think choice a is faulty, circle b or c to show the correct
choice.

1. a. One-handed Jim Abbott was best than most two-handed pitchers!

b. One-handed Jim Abbott was better than most two-handed pitchers!
c. One-handed Jim Abbott was more better than most two-handed pitchers!

2. a. He attended college on a baseball scholarship and was pitching in the 1988 Olympics.
b. He attended college on a baseball scholarship and pitched in the 1988 Olympics.
c. He attended college on a baseball scholarship, and was pitching in the 1988 Olympics.

3. a. Yes Jim Abbott became a gold medalist!

b. Yes Jim Abbott, became a gold medalist!
c. Yes, Jim Abbott became a gold medalist!

4. a. There is very few players who skip minor-league play.

b. There are very few players who skip minor-league play.
c. Their are very few players who skip minor-league play.

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5. a. Jim, however, went straight to the majors.

b. Jim however, went straight to the majors.
c. Jim; however, went straight to the majors.

6. a. “The only thing that could stop me Jim said was myself.”
b. “The only thing that could stop me, Jim said, was myself.”
c. “The only thing that could stop me,” Jim said, “was myself.”

Exercise 7: Proofread the following student essay. Look for faulty grammar that needs
repairing. When you finish reading the essay, answer the multiple-choice questions.

Call the BBB

Have you ever felt cheated after paying for a product or a service? What can you do when a
business won’t stand behind its work. You can call the Better Business Bureau (BBB)! The
BBB helps a consumer get the value they deserve.

Suppose you pay a cycle shop to tune your bike. A week later your on the road. Your wheel
falls off. Your seat is loose, your handlebars squeak. You return to the shop and ask for
repairs or a refund.

“Sorry!” they say. “We can’t help you.”

That’s when you contact the Better Business Bureau and lodge a complaint.

Next time you need service, call the BBB first! You can listen to a businesss’ complaint
background. You’ll get help choosing a company with a good record.

The BBB also helps business owners. Their BBB membership lets consumers know that they
value good service and a good reputation.

Each item presents a sentence from the essay above. If you think the sentence is correct as
written, circle choice a. If you think choice a is faulty, circle b or c to show the correct
choice.

1. a. What can you do when a business won’t stand behind its work.
b. What can you do when a business won’t stand behind its work?
c. What can you do when a business won’t stand behind it’s work?

2. a. The BBB helps a consumer get the value they deserve.

b. The BBB helps a consumer get the value they deserves.
c. The BBB helps consumers get the value they deserve.

3. a. A week later your on the road.

b. A week later, your on the road.
c. A week later you’re on the road.

4. a. Your seat is loose, your handlebars squeak.

b. You’re seat is loose, you’re handlebars squeak.
c. Your seat is loose. Your handlebars squeak.

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5. a. “Sorry!” they say. “We can’t help you.”

b. “Sorry, they say, we can’t help you.”
c. Sorry they say.We can’t help you.”

6. a. You can listen to a businesss’ complaint background.

b. You can listen to a business’s complaint background.
c. You can listen to a business’es complaint background.

Exercise 8: Proofread the following paragraph. Look for faulty grammar that needs
repairing. When you finish reading the paragraph, answer the multiple-choice
questions.

A Call to Arms

Most history students they learn about Paul Revere. They know about his midnight ride. They
recognize his warning, “The british are coming!” A lesser-known patriot made a similar ride.
Sybil Ludington was the sixteen-year-old daughter of colonel Henry Ludington. On the night
of April 26, 1777, Sybil gathered her courage and mounted her horse. She rode 40 mi. through
the N.Y. countryside. Like Revere Ludington woke the militia. Her father’s soldiers were
called by her to battle. Thanks to Ludington, the revolutionaries won a clash with the British
at Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Each item presents a sentence from the essay above. If you think the sentence is correct as
written, circle choice a. If you think choice a is faulty, circle b or c to show the correct
choice.

1. a. Most history students they learn about Paul Revere.

b. Most history students, he or she learns about Paul Revere.
c. Most history students learn about Paul Revere.

2. a. They recognize his warning, “The british are coming!”

b. They recognize his warning the British are coming!
c. They recognize his warning, “The British are coming!”

3. a. A lesser-known patriot made a similar ride.

b. A least-known patriot made a similar ride.
c. A lesser-known Patriot made a similar ride.

4. a. Sybil Ludington was the sixteen-year-old daughter of colonel Henry Ludington.

b. Sybil Ludington was the sixteen-year-old daughter of colonel, Henry Ludington.
c. Sybil Ludington was the sixteen-year-old daughter of Colonel Henry Ludington.

5. a. On the night of April 26, 1777, Sybil gathered her courage and mounted her horse.
b. On the night of April 26, 1777 Sybil gathered her courage and mounted her horse.
c. On the night of April 26, 1777, Sybil gathered her courage, and mounted her horse.

6. a. She rode 40 mi. through the N.Y. countryside.

b. She rode 40 miles through the New York countryside.
c. She rode 40 mi.—through the N.Y countryside.

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7. a. Like Revere Ludington woke the militia.

b. Like Revere Ludington, woke the militia.
c. Like Revere, Ludington woke the militia.

8. a. Her father’s soldiers were called by her to battle.

b. She called her father’s soldiers to battle.
c. Her fathers. soldiers were called by her to battle.

Exercise 9: Correct the mistakes in the sentences below. There are five mistakes.
Pranks that require great engineering skill but cause no damage are legendary at

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). One of the most famous occurred during a

Harvard-Yale football game in 1982. Since MIT is located right down the street from

Harvard. The rivalry between the two schools is fierce, thus Harvard’s big game was the

perfect site for an MIT caper. The night before the big game, students smuggled a weather

balloon into the stadium and burried it on the 46-yard line. A device to inflate the balloon was

attached and wires were run out to undergraduate who the students had chosen to trigger the

spectacle. In the middle of the game a black weather balloon with ‘MIT’ emblazoned on it

emerged in a puff of smoke, inflates to full size, and floated away. The actual weather balloon

now resides in a museum dedicated entirely to MIT’s technological pranks.

Exercise 10: Correct the mistakes in the sentences below. There are eight mistakes.

‘Children should be seen but not heard’ is an old saying propounded by an earlier generation.

In victorian england, mothers used opium to make their offspring behave like mannerly

children should. Opium solutions like ‘Mother’s Helper,’ ‘Soothing Syrup,’ and ‘Infant’s

Quietness’ were sold in large jugs. Children drank it greedy. Because it was often mixed with

sweet syrup. Since opium is not readily water soluble, it tended to become concentrated in the

bottom of the jug. Thus the child who got the last dose became totally Intoxicated. Women of

the upper classes as well as the poor sought the relief from their fractious offspring by

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sedating them. If a child was inconvenient to her social life. If she couldn’t afford to come

home from her sweatshop job to nurse her baby. Mom could quiet him with a dollop of syrup.

Imagine the long-term effects of drug dependency on a whole generation of children who

were ‘seen but not heard.

GRAMMAR IN USE

Now, look at the essay you have written in chapter 3. Check you sentences and correct
any mistake of non-parallelism, dangling structures, sentence fragments, and run-on
sentences. After you finish, exchange the paper with your partner to have a double
check.

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