Sentence Faults
The Unholy Trinity
Grade School Definition of a Sentence
A sentence is a group of words expressing
...
a
complete thought.
The English Sentence
The typical sentence is composed of a subject,
a verb, and an object. We often speak of
subject-verb-object word order, which is
represented SVO.
Michael kicked the ball.
S
V
O
Since some sentences don’t, in fact, require an object, some
grammarians prefer to say that the English sentence consists
of a subject and a predicate—a predicate being the verb and
its object, or the verb and its modifiers:
Subject |
Predicate
Michael |
kicked the ball.
Michael |
slept.
Michael |
slept fitfully.
Michael |
almost never sleeps.
Writing Sentences
A group of words that expresses a complete
thought is always a sentence:
Maria bought a kettle.
Tara bought a fan.
Two complete thoughts linked by a conjunction
are also a sentence:
Maria bought a kettle, but Tara bought a fan.
The Concept
The concept, then, is very simple:
A sentence contains one complete thought.
Compound sentences are made up of two or
more complete thoughts linked by conjunctions.
Anything else is not a sentence.
Sentence Faults
Many people fail to recognize errors in sentence
structure.
This failure creates serious problems in
communication and leaves readers feeling
confused, frustrated, and unwilling to read any
further.
Sentence faults are major errors and should
never occur in college-level writing.
The Three Sentence Faults
Sentence errors are of three kinds:
1.
Fragments
2.
Run-ons
3.
Comma Splices
If any of these errors occur in your writing, you
must strive to eliminate them.
Fragment Sentences
The fragment sentence is essentially an incomplete thought. Some
element of the typical sentence is missing—it is lacking a subject, or
some vital part of its predicate.
John and Michael and their friend Rory.
She recently said.
And then when the grass was almost knee-high.
Perhaps we are to.
The above “sentences” fail to express a complete thought and are
therefore fragments, or pieces, of an intended whole.
Run-on Sentences
The run-on sentence consists of several thoughts that merge into each
other without the use of proper punctuation. They are sentences which
require commas or semi-colons to function correctly.
I went to Paris it was beautiful especially in the spring that’s when we
were there I want to go again next year the point is will I have the money.
I got an “A” on my last exam I really don’t know how since I didn’t study for
it at all I think maybe I was just lucky it was not a grade I actually
deserved.
The policeman pulled me over he said I was speeding.
If I won the lottery I’d buy my mother a house wouldn’t you?
The above “sentences” run several complete thoughts together and are
confusing to a reader.
Comma Splice Sentences
The comma splice sentence is a variation of the run-on sentence. It consists of
several complete thoughts linked together with commas where periods should be.
I went to Paris, it was beautiful, especially in the spring, that’s when we were
there, I want to go again next year, the point is will I have the money.
I got an “A” on my last exam, I really don’t know how since I didn’t study for it at
all, I think maybe I was just lucky, it was not a grade I actually deserved.
The policeman pulled me over, he said I was speeding.
If I won the lottery, I’d buy my mother a house, wouldn’t you?
The above “sentences” splice several complete thoughts together and are confusing
to a reader.
Eliminate Sentence Faults
Recognizing that sentence faults exist is a good first step
towards eliminating them from your writing.
During the Editing stage of the Writing Process, examine each
sentence individually and ask yourself if you have written a
complete thought.
If there are several complete thoughts, they must be linked with
conjunctions.
If the thought is incomplete, then it must be completed. If you
have trouble recognizing sentence faults, make an appointment
to see me or to visit the Writing Center. Sentence faults should
not appear in essays presented for a grade.
Painting by Magritte
PowerPoint Presentation by Mark A. Spalding, BA, MEd, MA, 2007
The End