Sentences: Common Errors
Remember...
Every sentence has two main parts, a complete subject and a complete predicate.

Complete subject-includes all the words that tell who or what the sentence is
about.
EXAMPLE: The Narrator/ believes her husband still loves his first wife.

Complete predicate-includes all the words that state the action or condition of
the subject.
EXAMPLE: The Narrator/ believes her husband still loves his first wife.
Underline the complete subject and separate it from the complete predicate. The first
two examples have been done for you.
EXAMPLES: The Narrator/ is not treated very well by Mrs. Danvers.
Rebecca/ manipulated Maxim and laughed at how she controlled him.
Although she didn’t say it, Rebecca wanted Maxim to kill her.
Maxim and the Narrator wanted to be free from Rebecca, and to live a
beautiful life at Manderley.
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Common Errors: Sentence Fragments
A sentence fragment is a phrase that looks like a sentence, but does not express a
complete thought. A fragment may be missing an important element, such as a subject
or verb, and is an incomplete sentence.
EXAMPLES: Incorrect: She wanted to be shot. Because she didn’t want to die slowly.
Correct: She wanted to be shot because she didn’t want to die slowly.
Incorrect: A theme that expressed the power of loyalty and jealousy.
Correct: The theme expressed the power of loyalty and jealousy.
Incorrect: Her husband a respectable man, and she a selfish, mean woman.
Correct: Her husband was a respectable man, and she was a selfish, mean
woman.
Fragments: What is Missing?
Fragment Examples
1. Although Ben was handicapped.
2. Haunted by her memory.
3. In the Happy Valley.
What's Missing?
Rewrite the fragments above to form correct sentences that express complete thoughts.
1. ____________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________
Common Errors: Run-on Sentences
A run-on sentence has two or more complete thoughts which run together without
correct punctuation. The two types of run-on sentences are comma splices and fused
sentences. A comma splice is the joining of two complete sentences with a comma, and
a fused sentence is the joining of two complete sentences without any punctuation at
all. Run-on sentences contain too many ideas or too many sentences that seem to "run
together."
EXAMPLES:
Comma Splice
Incorrect: Friendship relieves loneliness, it can reduce anger.
Fused Sentence
Incorrect: Jealousy causes conflict it can destroy love.
Correct: Jealousy causes conflict. It can destroy love.
Jealousy causes conflict, and it can destroy love.
Jealousy causes conflict; it can destroy love.
Student Practice
EXAMPLES:
Comma Splice
Incorrect: The narrator believed Maxim loved Rebecca, she later realized
he
hated her.
Fused Sentence
Incorrect: The narrator believed Maxim loved Rebecca, she later realized
he
hated her.
Correct: ________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_
_______________________________________________________________________
_
Editing Tips for Run-on Sentences (Grammar Lessons and Strategies, Scholastic Books)
1.
When a sentence in your writing covers three or more lines on your
paper,
test it for a run-on.
2. A sentence that contains several unrelated ideas is a run-on.
3.
A sentence that contains too many ideas and rambles on is a run-on.
4. Two independent sentences without a semicolon, conjunction, or
period
create a run-on.
5. A sentence that switches from one place or one time to another can be
a
run-on.