Split Infinitives

Split infinitive is one of the modifier errors which occurs when a modifier is placed between the infinitive (between 'to' and 'verb'). The modifier modifies either a preceding word or the word after it. Split infinitive used to be considered an error, but now it is becoming more acceptable even in formal writing. Cautious writers avoid splitting the infinitives or placing long disruptive modifiers between 'to' and 'verb'. Look at the examples.

• Split infinitive: She asked me to carefully drive home.
• Revised: She asked me to drive home carefully.
• 
  
• Split infinitive: I want to never practice the violin again.
• Revised: I never want to practice the violin again.
• 
  

We fix split infinitives by relocating the modifier which stands between 'to' and 'verb'. See more examples.

• Split infinitive: My mother told me to never lie.
• Revised: My mother told me never to lie.
• 
  
• Split infinitive: She intended to quickly leave a message.
• Revised: She intended to leave a message quickly.
• 
  

Disruptive Modifiers

A disruptive modifier, which is always an adverb or adverbial phrase, is a sentence problem occurs when a modifier disrupts the logical connection between a subject and its verb, an auxiliary and its main verb, or a verb and its object. The disruption causes confusion in meaning. Look at the examples.

• Disruptive modifier: The conductor, after wiping sweat from his brow, began the final movement.
• Revised: After wiping sweat from his brow, the conductor, began the final movement.
• 
  
• Disruptive modifier: Children will, if they get too tired or hungry, become cranky.
• Revised: Children will become cranky if they get too tired or hungry.

We fix disruptive modifiers by positioning the modifier which stands between the subject and verb. See more examples.

• Disruptive modifier: He kicked hard the ball.
• Revised: He kicked the ball hard.
• 
  
• Disruptive modifier: He was instructed to administer every two hours the dosage.
• Revised: He was instructed to administer the dosage every two hours.

Wordy Sentences

A wordy sentence contains too many words than you really need. The extra words do not make your writing sound better and, in fact, they can even interfere with your message. Look at the examples below.

Wordy: Viseth, who is an accountant, has been promoted.
Revised: Viseth, an accountant, has been promoted. [The clause 'who is an accountant' could be simply replaced by an appositive 'an accountant'.]

Wordy: The company is taking applications at this point in time.
Revised: The company is taking applications now. [The phrase 'at this point in time' could be simply replaced by a word 'now'.]

AVOIDING WORDINESS

Avoiding wordiness makes your sentences varied and sound more fluent. To do so, you may use one of the following methods:

[1] Remove unnecessarily repeated ideas or words. 

Wordy: The teacher decided to give extra work to his students. The main reasons of giving extra work to his students  was that students were so dependent on their teachers.
Revised: The teacher decided to give extra work to his students because they were so dependent on their teachers.

[2] Take out words that are already implied by other words in the same sentence.

Wordy: The round yellow sun shone brightly among the clouds in the sky. [The sun is understood to be round; the clouds too is understood to be in the sky.]
Revised: The sun shone brightly among the clouds.

[3] Replace wordy phrases with single words.

Wordy: It is hard to find a good job at the present time.
Revised: It is hard to find a good job now.

Wordy: Mary dropped her school due to the fact that she was poor.
Revised: Mary dropped her school because she was poor.

[4] Simplify your sentence structures.

Wordy: Kra-nhoung, which is a rare wood, is being logged and illegally traded.
Revised: Kra-nhoung, a rare wood, is being logged and illegally traded.

Wordy: He wears a watch which is made of gold.
Revised: He wears a gold watch.

[5] Remove or reword expletives (there is, there are, it is) and similar expressions which refer to nothing in particular.

Wordy: There are many factors causing poverty.
Revised: Many factors cause poverty.

Wordy: It is not known that my boss will decide to choose a new supplier.
Revised: My boss' decision to choose a new supplier is unknown.

[6] Limit or avoid phrases describing your attitudes and writing strategies.

Wordy: It seems to me that teachers should allow students to skip class.
Revised: Teachers should allow students to skip class.

Wordy: The purpose of this paper is to inform you of my opinion that all students need to study harder.
Revised: All students need to study harder.

Choppy Sentences

Choppy sentences are too short sentences which come together. Words are repeated. They are tedious and hard to understand.

FIXING CHOPPY SENTENCES

We revise choppy sentences by using coordination, subordination, and embedding to combine them with adjacent sentences.

[1] Use coordination 
Coordination pair similar elements -- words, phrases, or clauses, giving equal weight to each.

[2] Use subordination 
Subordination place the more important idea in independent clause and less important one in dependent clause.

[3] Embedding 
Embedding is the working of additional words and phrases into a sentence.


Look at the examples below:

Choppy: I like dogs. Dogs make good pets. Dogs are friendly. Dogs are loyal.
Revised: I like dogs because they are good pets. They are friendly and loyal.

Choppy: Vegetables taste good. Vegetables are easy to prepare. Vegetables are good for health.
Revised: Vegetables taste good and are easy to prepare, and they are good for health. 

Choppy: Wind is an enduring source of power. Water is also an unlimited energy source. Dams produce hydraulic power. They have existed for a long time. Windmills are relatively new.
Revised: Both wind and water are enduring sources of power. Dams have produced hydraulic power for a long time, but windmills are relatively new.

Stringy Sentences

A stringy sentence is made up of several complete thoughts strung together with words like 'and', 'so', or 'but'. Stringy sentences are so long that the reader forgets the beginning of the sentence before reaching the end.

To fix a stringy sentence, you can

• break the sentence into two or more sentences
• turn some of the complete thoughts into phrases or subordinate clauses

Look at the examples below.

Stringy: My best friend's name is Vutha and he lives next door and so we do many things together.
Revised: My best friend's name is Vutha. He lives next door . We do many things together.
Revised: My best friend's name is Vutha, and he lives next door. We do many things together.

Stringy: I try to teach my friend things and he keeps forgetting and I feel bad because he's always helping me.
Revised: I try to teach my friend things. He keeps forgetting. I feel bad because he's always helping me.
Revised: I try to teach my friend things, and he keeps forgetting. I feel bad because he's always helping me.

Stringy: Many students attend classes all morning, and then they work all afternoon, and they also have to study at night, so they are usually exhausted by the weekend.
Revised: Many students attend classes all morning and then they work all afternoon. They also have to study at night, so they are usually exhausted by the weekend.

Double Negative

Double negative is one of the common problems in writing especially for non-native speakers. It occurs when two negative words are used in a single clause. It is produced by combining a negative word with a negative pronoun, negative adverb, and another negative word.

[1] With a negative pronoun

The negative pronouns are none, nothing, nowhere, nobody, no one, neither, etc. Look at these examples,
- I didn't meet nobody there. (Double negative)
→ I met nobody there.
- He didn't do nothing.  (Double negative)
→ He did nothing.  

[2] With negative words

The negative adverbs are are not, hardly, scarcely, never, barely, seldom, etc. Look at these examples,
- I couldn’t hardly wait to get to the party. (Double negative)
→ I could hardly wait to get to the party.
- I did not barely understand what you were saying. (Double negative)
→ I barely understood what you were saying.

[3] With a negative words 

Look at the examples,
- The city is not unattractive. (Double negative)
→ The city is unattractive. 
- She is not unhappy. (Double negative)
→ She is unhappy.

Why do you need to avoid double negative?

You need to know that when you use two negative words in a sentence, the meaning will be positive. For examples,
- She is not unhappy. = She is happy.
- He didn't do nothing. = He did something.

Squinting Modifiers

Squinting modifier is a sentence error happens when a modifier is placed between two words and could modify either one. This causes confusion in meaning; for examples,

 • Students who miss classes frequently fail the course.

Does this sentence mean 'miss classes frequently' or 'frequently fail the course'?

 • The salesman who convinces the customers successfully get order.

Does this sentence mean 'who convinces the customers successfully' or 'successfully get order'?

Solution: Correct squinting modifer by placing it next to word it modifies.

Look at the revised sentences below.

 • Students who miss classes frequently fail the course.
→ Students who frequently miss classes fail the course.

• The salesman who convinces the customers successfully get order.
→ The salesman who successfully convinces the customers get order.
→ The salesman who convinces the customers get order successfully.

Pronoun Antecedents

An antecedent is the word or group of words to which a pronoun refers or stands for. Basically,  every pronoun must agree with its antecedent in 'person', 'number' and 'gender'.


[1] Agreement in person

An antecedent can be the first, second, or third person; therefore, a writer might make mistake if the wrong pronouns are used incorrectly to refer to each person. Look at the examples,

• I don't like playing video games as you don't get any benefits. (Incorrect)
→ I don't like playing video games as I don't get any benefits. (Correct)
('You' is the second person while 'I' is the first person.)

• My friend and I started a company, and they succeeded in its first product. (Incorrect)
→ My friend and I started a company, and we succeeded in our first product. (Correct)
('My friend and I' is the first person, 'they and its' is the third person.)


[2] Agreement in number

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number — singular/plural. Use singular pronouns to refer to singular antecedents and plural pronouns to refer to plural antecedents. Mistakes might be made when:

a) The pronoun is an indefinite pronoun:

The pronouns another, anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, little, much, neither, nobody, nothing, no one, nothing, one, other, somebody, something, someone, etc. are singular and used to replace singular antecedents. For example,

• Everyone should be responsible for their jobs. (Incorrect)
→ Everyone should be responsible for his or her jobs. (Correct)
→ All employees should be responsible for their jobs. (Correct)


The pronouns both, few, others, several, etc. are plural and used to replace plural antecedents. For example,

• Several can't complete his or her homework. (Incorrect)
→ Several can't complete their homework. (Correct)

The pronouns all, any, most, none, some, etc. can be both singular and plural depending on context. For examples,

• All of the money is spent.
• All of the kids have left school.

b) Compound antecedents:

Compound antecedents joined by and are plural, and joined by 'or' are singular. for examples,

• John and Jack have just finished their book.
• John or Jack has just finished his book.

If two antecedents are joined by either/or, neither/nor, the pronoun agrees with the antecedent closest to it; for examples,

• Either Bora or his friends will bring their coursebooks. 
• Neither the dogs or the cat has got its feed today.  

c) Antecedent followed by a prepositional phrase:

The pronoun agrees with the antecedent, not the object of the prepositional phrase; for examples,

• Each of the books has their different cover. (Incorrect)
→ Each of the books has its different cover. (Correct)

d) Collective antecedents:

Collective noun can be either singular or plural, depending on the context; for examples,

• The jury took only two hours to reach its verdict. (Refer to the whole group)
• The jury took only two hours to reach their verdict. (Refer to the members)


[3] Agreement in gender

There could be mistakes when using the antecedent that could refer to a man or a woman. To correct the mistake, just make the antecedent plural. For examples,

• A person should make their own decision. (Incorrect)  
→ A person should make his or her own decision.  (Correct)
→ People should make their own decisions.  (Correct)


[4] Other problems: 

a) Vague pronoun antecedent

Vague pronoun antecedent occurs when a pronoun could refer to two possible antecedents. This causes confusing meaning. For examples,
• Bopha asked Lily if the teacher want to see her. (Incorrect. 'Her' is Bopha or Lily? So, it is not clear.)
→ Bopha asked Lily if the teacher want to see Bopha. (Correct)
→ Bopha asked Lily if the teacher want to see Lily. (Correct)

b) Missing its antecedent


Sometimes the antecedent of the pronoun is missing; for example, 
• He felt sad when he left his house.  (Incorrect. Who left the house? Whose house is it? )
→ John felt sad when he left Mike's house. (Correct)

Parallel Structures

Parallel structure (also called parallelism) is the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence, i.e. by making each compared item or idea in your sentence follow the same grammatical pattern. Parallelism provides clarity, elegance, and symmetry to what you say.

Words or groups of words linked together with a coordinating or  correlative conjunction are often doing the same job and need to be parallel; for examples,

[1] Noun + noun

  • I like volleyball, soccer, and to play basketball. (Not parallel)
  → I like volleyball, soccer, and basketball. (Parallel)
    (or I like to play volleyball, soccer, and basketball.) (Parallel)

[2] Noun phrase + noun phrase

  • I am allergic to the dog’s hair and how it smells. (Not parallel)
  → I am allergic to the dog’s hair and its smells. (Parallel)

[3] Noun clause + noun clause

  • What counts isn't how you look (noun clause) but your behavior (noun phrase). (Not parallel)
  → What counts isn't how you look but how you behave. (Parallel)

[4] Verb + verb

  • He doesn't have enough time to play sports, doing social work,  and socializing with friends.
  → He doesn't have enough time to play sports, does social work,  and socialize with friends.
  

[5] Adjective + adjective

  • She is smart, beautiful, and care. (Not parallel)
  → She is smart, beautiful, and caring. (Parallel)

[6] Adverb + adverb

  • He made decision slowly and with caution.  (Not parallel)
  → He made decision slowly and cautiously. (Parallel)

[7] Gerund + gerund

  • Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle. (Not parallel)
  → Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle. (Parallel)

[8] Infinitive + infinitive

  • He intended to read the book , do homework, and research. (Not parallel)
  → He intended to read the book, to do homework, and to conduct research.  (Parallel)

[9] Prepositional phrase + prepositional phrase

  • He looked for the keys in the car, under the bed, and  his bag. (Not parallel)
  → He looked for the keys in the car, under the bed, and in his bag. (Parallel)

Comma Splices

What is comma splice?

A comma splice is a sentence problem which occurs when you use a comma to join two complete sentences without placing an appropriate joining word between them. Here are examples of comma splice:
  • They have finished the assignment, they have not submitted it.
  • She was sick, she didn't come to class.
  • He took a rest, he was so tired.

A similar sentence error is the run-on sentence. It occurs when you join two complete sentences without any punctuation mark at all:
  • They have finished the assignment they have not submitted it. 
  • She was sick she didn't come to class.
  • He took a rest he was so tired .

Fixing a run-on sentence is no different from fixing a comma splice.

How to Fix a Comma Splice

Method 1: Use a period.

Separate it into two simple sentences by simply replacing the comma with a full-stop. Look at the correction below:

  • They have finished the assignment. They have not submitted it.  √
  • She was sick. She didn't come to class.  √
  • He took a rest. He was so tired.   √

Method 2: Use a semi-colon. 

If you want to put the two ideas in one sentence, use a semi-colon rather than a full-stop. Look at the correction below:

  • They have finished the assignment; they have not submitted it.  √
  • She was sick; she didn't come to class.  √
  • He took a rest; he was so tired.  √

Method 3: Use a coordinating conjunction. 

Like the semi-colon, a conjunction allows you to combine your two ideas in a single sentence. Besides joining ideas, a coordinating conjunction also indicate the logical relationship between the two ideas. Look at the correction below:

  • They have finished the assignment, but they have not submitted it.  √
  • She was sick, so she didn't come to class.  √
  • He took a rest; for he was so tired.  √

Method 4: Use a subordinating conjunction.

Subordinating conjunctions are similar to coordinating conjunctions in that they allow you to indicate the logical relationship between two independent clauses. A little difference is that one idea will become less important than another (dependent clause). Look at the correction below:

  • Although they have finished the assignment, they have not submitted it.  √
  • Since she was sick, she didn't come to class.  √
  • He took a rest because he was so tired.  √

Subject and Verb Agreements

A Verb must agree with its subject in person and number; i.e,
    i) Singular subjects take singular verbs.
    ii) Plural subjects take plural verbs.

SINGULAR SUBJECTS

Rule 1. Singular pronouns require singular verbs. These pronouns are singular: each, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody, no one, nobody, one, many a, one, another, anything, either, neither.
 •  Someone have spilled the coffee here. (Wrong)
 •  Someone has spilled the coffee here. (Right)
 •  Each of the boys receive a book. (Wrong)
 •  Each of the boys receives a book. (Right)
 •  Everyone are concerned about corruption. (Wrong)
 •  Everyone is concerned about corruption. (Right)
 •  Neither of the students have finished the assignment. (Wrong)
 •  Neither of the students have finished the assignment. (Right)

Rule 2. Compound subjects (joined by "and") that is preceded by "many a", "every", or "each" are singular and take singular verbs.
 •  Many a boy and girl have great ambitions. (Wrong)
 •  Many a boy and girl has great ambitions. (Right)
 •  Each father and mother have certain responsibilities.  (Wrong)
 •  Each father and mother has certain responsibilities.  (Right)
 •  Every boy and girl welcome the teacher. (Wrong)
 •  Every boy and girl welcomes the teacher. (Right)

Rule 3. For nouns which are plural in form but singular in meaning, use a singular verb. These nouns are:
a. Academic subjects: mathematics, physics, economics, statistics...
 •  Mathematics are a difficult subject. (Wrong)
 •  Mathematics is a difficult subject. (Right)
b. Names of diseases: measles, mumps, herpes ...
 •  Measles are sometimes serious. (Wrong)
 •  Measles is sometimes serious. (Right)
c. Title of a book, song, play, film, painting, or other such work.
 •  Romeo and Juliet are an interesting novel. (Wrong)
 •  Romeo and Juliet is an interesting novel. (Right)
 •  Star Wars were very famous. (Wrong)
 •  Star Wars was very famous. (Right)
d. Expression of amount
 •  Fifty dollars seem high for that radio. (Wrong)
 •  Fifty dollars seems high for that radio. (Right)
 •  Two weeks is not enough time for this project. (Wrong)
 •  Two weeks are not enough time for this project. (Right)
 •  Three meters of cloth make a dress for my size. (Wrong)
 •  Three meters of cloth makes a dress for my size. (Right)

Rule 4. Impersonal pronoun "it" at the beginning of a sentence is followed by a singular verb.
 • It is his suggestions that finally take precedence.
 • It is so hot.

Rule 5. A gerunds functioning as subject is singular and takes a singular verb. 
 • Swimming is my favorite sport.
 • Eating fast foods is not good for health.


PLURAL SUBJECTS

Rule 6. A compound subject that is joined by "and" is plural and takes a plural verb.
 •  A man and his son is talking. (Wrong)
 •  A man and his son are talking. (Right)
 •  Thinking and practicing helps students to learn more. (Wrong)
 •  Thinking and practicing help students to learn more. (Right)

Rule 7. The plural indefinite pronouns such as all, both, several, few, many... take plural verbs.
 •  Few has come and attended however. (Wrong)
 •  Few have come and attended however. (Right)
 •  Both of us is students. (Wrong)
 •  Both of us are students. (Right)
 •  Many is afraid to take all annual leave. (Wrong)
 •  Many are afraid to take all annual leave. (Right)

Rule 8. Nouns such as scissors, refreshments, clothes, pliers, etc. are always plural and take plural verbs.
 •  Refreshments is now served at the canteen. (Wrong)
 •  Refreshments are now served at the canteen. (Right)
 •  The pliers is on the table. (Wrong)
 •  The pliers are on the table. (Right)

Rule 9. Adjectives used as a nouns are considered plural.
*The old need some recognition to feel that they are belong.
 •  The intelligent is not arrogant. (Wrong)
 •  The intelligent are not arrogant. (Right)
 •  The old was evacuated from the building. (Wrong)
 •  The old were evacuated from the building. (Right)
 •  The rich is privileged. (Wrong)
 •  The rich are privileged. (Right)


EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL SUBJECTS 

Rule 10. "Here" and "there" that begin the sentence are not subjects; verb must agree with a noun standing after the verb.
 •  Here is the books you want. (Wrong)
 •  Here are the books you want. (Right)
 •  There is trees in your backyard. (Wrong)
 •  There are trees in your backyard. (Right)
 •  There are a bird next to the tree. (Wrong)
 •  There is a bird next to the tree. (Right)

Rule 11. A prepositional phrase that follows the subject does not affect the number of the verb.
 •  A combination of factors were the cause of the plane crash. (Wrong)
 •  A combination of factors were the cause of the plane crash. (Right)
 •  Tom as well as his brother are invited to the party. (Wrong)
 •  Tom as well as his brother are invited to the party. (Wrong)
 •  The boys as well as his classmates is going to visit the museum. (Wrong)
 •  The boys as well as his classmates are going to visit the museum. (Right)
 •  The colors of the rainbow is beautiful. (Wrong)
 •  The colors of the rainbow are beautiful. (Right)

Rule 12. A collective noun as the subject is singular if the whole group is referred to, but it is plural if the individuals of the group are considered.
 •  The team fights for victory. (Singular)
 •  The team play cooperatively. (Plural)
 •  The committee disagrees on a chairperson. (Singular)
 •  The committee disagree on some challenging problems. (Plural)

Rule 13.  If two subjects are joined by "or", "either ... or", "neither . . . nor", "not only... but also", the verb agrees with the subject that is close to the verb.
 •  Either a dog or a cat makes a good pet.
 •  Either Jim or his friends are bringing the cake. 
 •  Neither the class monitor nor his friends have finished homework.
 •  Neither Tom nor the twins like to travel.
 •  Not only the manager and salesman is busy at the moment.
 •  Not only the manager and salesmen are presenting a new products.

Rule 14. Some indefinite pronouns may be to singular or plural depending on the following nouns. These pronouns are:  all, any, more, most, none, some.
 •  Some of the students were absent.
 •  Some of money is spent.  •  All of the people are happy.
 •  All of the effort has been made.

Rule 15. Fractions are singular or plural depending upon nouns in the of phrase.
• Three-fourths of the roof is painted.
• Three-fourths of the members are here.
• All the girls were eager to have a beach party.
• All the food was gone.
• One half of the class misses out the first period.

Rule 16. When the word number is used in the sense of "many" it is plural; when it refers to an arithmetical number, it is singular.
 •  A number of people are waiting outside.
 •  The number of people who have subscribed is surprisingly small.

Rule 17. Be careful of the plurals of foreign nouns. Some nouns retain the plural forms of the foreign language from which they have been taken. Though they may look like singular nouns, they are plural and require plural verbs.These word are: crisis (crises), phenomenon (phenomena), alumnus (alumni), datum (data), criterion (criteria), fungus (fungi)...
 •  The fungus has been identified.
 •  The selection criteria have been publicly announced.
 •  The financial crisis is not over yet.
 •  Crises are common in a war-torn country.

Rule 18. Verb agrees with a subject that follows the verb.
 •  At the bottom of the stairs stands a statue.
 •  Here comes the newest members of football squad.

Rule 19.  If one subject is used affirmatively and the other negatively, the verb agrees with the subject that is used affirmatively.
 •  He, not I, is responsible.
 •  You, not I, are accountable for the loss of the book.

Rule 20. A relative pronoun {who, which, that) may be singular or plural depending upon the word to which the pronoun refers.
  •  He is the man who writes/write the reports.
  •  The students who come from provinces might have lots of difficulties..

Run-on Sentences

A run-on sentence is a sentence in which two independent clauses are not joined properly.  You may notice a run-on sentence when:

i)  two main clauses are separated only by  a comma; as,
  •  Thida passed the exam she had studies hard.
  •  He got a flat tire, he could not come to class on time.

ii) no punctuation between two main clauses; as,
  •  Bora missed the test he failed the subject.
  •  She has won a scholarship she is so happy.

iii) two main clauses joined without a comma before the coordinating conjunction.
  •  Thida missed her mum so she went to visit her.
  •  They have saved money for long and they can buy a house now.


FIXING RUN-ON SENTENCES

You may fix the run-on sentences by using the methods below:

i) Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction to join the independent clauses.

  •  Thida passed the exam, for she had studied hard.
  •  He got a flat tire, so he could not come to class on time.
  •  Bora missed the test, so he failed the subject.
  •  She has won a scholarship, and she is so happy.
  •  Thida missed her mum, so she went to visit her.
  •  They have saved money for long, and they can buy a house now.

ii) Use a semi-colon to join the independent clauses.

  •  Thida passed the exam; she had studied hard.
  •  He got a flat tire; he could not come to class on time.
  •  Bora missed the test; he failed the subject.
  •  She has won a scholarship; she is so happy.
  •  Thida missed her mum; she went to visit her.
  •  They have saved money for long; they can buy a house now.

iii) Use a semi-colon and a transitional expression to join the independent clauses.

  •  Thida had studied hard; as a result, she passed the exam.
  •  He got a flat tire; therefore, he could not come to class on time.
  •  Bora missed the test; hence, he failed the subject.
  •  She has won a scholarship; moreover, she is so happy.
  •  Thida missed her mum; thus, she went to visit her.
  •  They have saved money for long; furthermore, they can buy a house now.

iv) Make one of the independent clauses dependent.

  •  Thida passed the exam because she had studied hard.
  •  As he got a flat tire, he could not come to class on time.
  •  Since Bora missed the test, he failed the subject.
  •  After she has won a scholarship, she is so happy.
  •  When Thida missed her mum, she went to visit her.
  •  Because they have saved money for long, they can buy a house now.

v) Separate the independent clauses into sentences.

  •  Thida passed the exam. She had studied hard.
  •  He got a flat tire. He could not come to class on time.
  •  Bora missed the test. He failed the subject.
  •  She has won a scholarship. She is so happy.
  •  Thida missed her mum. She went to visit her.
  •  They have saved money for long. They can buy a house now.

Misplaced and Dangling Modifier

Sam An Teng

A modifier is word or a group of words which adds information or describes other word, phrase, or clause in a sentence. The basic modifier is an adjective or adverb. Modifier can also be  a phrase or clause acting as an adjective or adverb.


[1]  MISPLACED MODIFIER

A misplaced modifier appears to modify the wrong word or group of words.

Solution: Place the modifying phrase as close as possible to the word or group of words it modifies.

For examples,

• The man with the red cover chose the book.

Explanation: "with red cover" is a prepositional phrase functioning as adjective. When placing after "the man", it tells that the man has the red cover; it is the book which has red cover. We correct it by placing the modifying phrase next to the noun it modifies.
 
Correction: The man chose the book with red cover. Or The man chose the book which has red cover.

• The policeman who has no driving license fines a driver.

Explanation: "who has no driving license" is an adjective clause; here it tells that the "policeman" has no driving license, which is wrong in meaning. We correct it by placing the modifying clause next to the noun it modifies, "a man".

Correction: The policeman fines a man who has no driving license.
 


[2]  DANGLING MODIFIER

A dangling modifier does not clearly and sensibly modify any word or word group in a sentence. 

Solution: Add or replace words to make the meaning of the sentence clear.

For examples,

• Having robbed a bank, the police arrested him.

Explanation: It is the suspect or robber who robbed the bank, not the police. But when we place the the phrase "having robbed a bank" next to the "the police", it tells that the police had robbed a bank -- causing the wrong meaning. We correct it by adding more words, especially subject, to the modifying phrase.

Correction: After the man had robbed a bank, the police arrested him.

• Been stolen, the man is looking for his car.

Explanation: It is the car which has been stolen,  not the man. But when we place the the phrase "been stolen" next to the "the man", it tells that the man has been stolen-- causing the wrong meaning . We correct it by adding more words, especially subject, to the modifying phrase and replace some words.

Correction: After the car has been stolen, the man is looking for it.

• Overspending, his wife complaints him.

Explanation: It is the husband who has overspent,  not his wife. But when we place the the phrase "overspending" next to the "his wife", it tells that his wife has been overspending-- causing the wrong meaning . We correct it by adding more words, especially subject, to the modifying phrase and replace some words.

Correction: As he has overspent, his wife complaints him.

• Found copying from others, the teacher disqualified him.

Explanation: It is the student's work which had been found copying from others, not the teacher. But when we place the the phrase "found copying from others" next to the "the teacher", it tells that the teacher had been found copying from others-- causing the wrong meaning . We correct it by adding more words, especially subject, to the modifying phrase and replace some words.

Correction: After his research paper had been found copying from others, the teacher disqualified him.
 


[3]  PRACTICE

A) Correct the sentences with misplaced modifier below. 

1. The entrepreneur is lecturing students who has experienced running few businesses.
2. I sent a book to my friend which was a bestselling.
3. The audience listened to speaker with open mouth.
4. The invitation was sent to me by post on the table.
5. My friend bought a phone from a shop with hardware deffects. 

B) Correct the sentences with dangling modifiers below: 

6. Having problem with spyware, my friend formatted his computer.
7. Written for one year, he published his book.
8. Eating breakfast, his cat broke a glass.
9. Upon finishing the course, her father asked her to work in his company.
10. While playing card, the police arrived.

Sentence Fragment

Sam An Teng



Fragment is just part of a sentence, or an incomplete sentence. It does not express complete thoughts and is considered to be wrong by grammar rules. There are three main reasons why sentences become fragments: Lack of subject, lack of main verb, or lack of main clause.

 

CORRECTING  SENTENCE FRAGMENT

 

[1] Lack of subject (or wrong or improper subject): 

Solution: Add a subject to a fragment.

Some sentences do not have subjects. For examples,

• Wrote the story in 1990.

Explanation: There is no subject in this sentence, so it is a fragment.  

Correction: He wrote the story in 1990.

• Read the news every day. 

Explanation: It is not a sentence as there is no subject.
 

Correction: Sophea read the news everyday.

 

Some other sentences have improper subjects. For examples, The subject is not correct; usually those who learn English as a second language make this common mistake. For examples,

• In Cambodia has 14 millions people.

Explanation: There is no subject in the example above; "in Cambodia" is a prepositional phrase functioning as adverb telling place. Thus, it is not the subject. We can use "Cambodia" as subject, or add expletive "there is".

Correction: Cambodia has 14 millions people. or There is 14 millions people in Cambodia.

• Play football is fun.

Explanation: It looks like a sentence, but not. "Play" here is a verb; thus, it can't be subject. We correct it by changing "play" to a verbal, i.e. "playing" or "to play".  

Correction: Plying football is fun. or To play football is fun.

Note: Do not be confused with imperative sentences which the subjects are hidden and understood as "you". For examples,

• Close the book.
• Follow him.

Explanation: The subject of these two sentences is "you": (You) Close the book. and (You) follow him.

[2] Lack of main verb:

Solution: Add a main verb to a fragment.
 

Sentences are incomplete without main verbs. For examples,

• The book interesting.

Explanation: There is no main verb in this sentence; thus add one main verb will correct the mistake, i.e. 

Correction: The book is/seems/looks interesting.

• She can English. 

Explanation: The verb "can" is just an auxiliary verb, so the sentence is incomplete. To correct it, we add one main verb.

Correction: She can speak English.

• The car (that) he bought expensive.

Explanation: You may see "bought" as the main verb, but it is not. It is just the main verb in the clause "that he bought" modifying the "the car"; thus, there is no main verb. To correct it, we add one main verb.

Correction: The car that I bought was expensive.

[3] Lack of main clause

Solution: Attach a main clause to a fragment.

Subordinate clauses can't be sentences unless they are attached to a main clause. For examples,

• Because I was sick.

Explanation: "Because I was sick" is an adverb clause telling reason. The meaning is incomplete; thus, it needs attaching to a main clause.

Correction: I didn't go to work because I was sick.

• When I arrive home.

Explanation: "when I arrive home" is an adverb clause telling time. The meaning is incomplete; thus, it needs attaching to a main clause.

Correction: I will call you when I arrive home.

• If I were rich.

Explanation: "If I were rich" is an adverb clause telling condition. The meaning is incomplete; thus, it needs attaching to a main clause.

Correction: I would buy that phone if I were rich.

• After having breakfast.

Explanation: "After having breakfast" is a reduced adverb clause telling reason. The meaning is incomplete; thus, it needs attaching to a main clause.

Correction: I leave for school after having breakfast.

• That is interesting.

Explanation: "That is interesting" is an describing something,  so it is an adjective clause. The meaning is incomplete; thus, it needs attaching to a main clause.

Correction: I've read a book that is interesting.

• Whom we met.

Explanation: "Whom we met" is an describing someone,  so it is an adjective clause. The meaning is incomplete; thus, it needs attaching to a main clause.

 Correction: The lady whom we met is a CEO.

•   How to do it.

Explanation: "How to do it"  is something, so it is a noun clause. The meaning is incomplete; thus, it needs attaching to a main clause.

Correction: Can you tell me how to do it?

• What you like.

Explanation:  "What you like"  is something, so it is a noun clause. The meaning is incomplete; thus, it needs attaching to a main clause.

Correction: Nobody knows what you like.