1. Sentence Fragments 2. Run-Ons 3. Subject Verb Agreement 4. Pronoun Reference & Agreement 5. Faulty Parallelism 6.

. Misplaced & Dangling Modifiers

Sentence Fragments

Not a complete sentence. Lack one of the following: Subject: Was exciting to watch the game at the stadium. It was exciting to watch the game at the stadium.

Verb: They the best students in our class. They are the best students in our class. Subject & Verb: Listening to music in his own room. Jeff is listening to music in his own room. Object: Liz and Sue were frightened when they heard in the middle of the

night. Liz and Sue were frightened when they heard footsteps in the middle of the night.
Complement: Some people believe that taking the subway is pretty. Some people believe that taking the subway is pretty convenient.

Sentence Fragments
A subordinate (dependent) clause or a participial

phrase standing alone and not expressing a complete thought. Even though there are a million pigeons in the city. You never see a baby pigeon. Even though there are a million pigeons in the city, you never see a baby pigeon.
Wearing huge, bright-blue sunglasses with gold wires. The

new instructor strolled into class. Wearing huge, bright-blue sunglasses with gold wires, the new instructor strolled into class.

Run-Ons
A Run-On is 2 complete thoughts (independent clauses) that

are run together with no adequate sign given to mark the break between them.

Types of Run-Ons: Fused Sentences: Rita decided to stop smoking she didnt want to die of lung cancer. Rita decided to stop smoking. She didnt want to die of lung

cancer. (a period & a capital letter) Rita decided to stop smoking, for she didnt want to die of lung cancer. (a comma & a coordinating conjunction) Because Rita didnt want to die of lung cancer, she decided to stop smoking. (a subordinating conjunction) Rita decided to stop smoking; she didnt want to die of lung cancer. (a semicolon)

Run-Ons
Comma Splices: The exam was postponed, the class was canceled as well. The exam was postponed. The class was canceled as well. The exam was postponed, and the class was canceled as

well. When the exam was postponed, the class was canceled as well. The exam was postponed; the class was canceled as well.

Subject Verb Agreement

The price of the stereo speakers are too high for my
is

wallet. are Inside the storage shed is the garden tools. was Everybody were dancing when I came to the ball. Jeremy together with his friends are on the way to is Susans party. deserve Either the restaurant manager or his assistants deserves to be fired for this serious mistake. keeps One of my friends keep a pet iguana in her dorm room. The canyon tour isnt for people who fears heights.
fear

Pronoun Reference
Happens if a pronoun appears to refer to more than 1

word, or if the pronoun does not refer to any specific word.

We never buy fresh vegetables at that store because they

charge too much. We never buy fresh vegetables at that store because the owners charge too much.

Norah dropped the heavy ashtray on her foot and broke it. Norah broke the heavy ashtray because she dropped it on

her foot. Norah dropped the heavy ashtray on her foot and hurt herself.

Pronoun Agreement
A pronoun must agree in number with the word or

words it replaces.

None of the nominees for Best Actress showed their

anxiety as the names were being read. None of the nominees for Best Actress showed her anxiety as the names were being read.
The gravediggers sipped coffee during his break. The gravediggers sipped coffee during their break.

Faulty Parallelism
Chris spends her free time reading, listening to music, and

she works in the garden. Chris spends her free time reading, listening to music, and working in the garden.
After the camping trip, I was exhausted, irritable, and

wanted to eat. After the camping trip, I was exhausted, irritable, and hungry.
My hope for retirement is to be healthy, to live in a

comfortable house, and having plenty of money. My hope for retirement is to be healthy, to live in a comfortable house, and to have plenty of money.

Faulty Parallelism
Nightly, Fred puts out the trash, checks the locks on the doors,

and the burglar alarm is turned on. Nightly, Fred puts out the trash, checks the locks on the doors, and turns on the burglar alarm.
The climate in Dalat is a lot more pleasant than in Ho Chi

Minh City. The climate in Dalat is a lot more pleasant than that in Ho Chi Minh City.
The birthday presents I receive this year are less boring than

last year. The birthday presents I receive this year are less boring than those of last year.

Misplaced Modifiers
A modifier can be an adjective, an adverb, or

a phrase or clause acting as an adjective or adverb. In every case, the basic principle is the same: the modifier adds information to another element in the sentence.

Misplaced modifiers modifiers not located

next to, or as close as possible to, whatever they are modifying. Sentences with this error often sound awkward, ridiculous, or confusing.

Misplaced Modifiers
On her way home, Jan found a gold mans watch. On her way home, Jan found a mans gold watch.

I only contributed $10 to the fund for orphaned children. I contributed only $10 to the fund for orphaned children. I contributed $10 only to the fund for orphaned children.

Misplaced Modifiers
The dealer sold the Cadillac to a rich man with leather seats. The dealer sold the Cadillac with leather seats to a rich

man.

The teacher said on Monday she would return our essays. The teacher said she would return our essays on Monday. On Monday the teacher said she would return our essays.

Dangling Modifiers
A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that

is not clearly and logically related to the word or words it modifies. Unlike a misplaced modifier, a dangling modifier cannot be corrected by simply moving it to a different place in a sentence. In most cases, the dangling modifier appears at the beginning of the sentence, although it can also come at the end.

Dangling Modifiers
When nine years old, my mother enrolled in a medical school. When I was nine years old, my mother enrolled in a medical

school.

Having been fixed the night before, Christine could use the

car. Since the car had been fixed the night before, Christine could use it.

When purchasing a cellular phone, the wide variety of calling

plans and features overwhelms many people. When purchasing a cellular phone, many people become overwhelmed by the wide variety of calling plans and features.

Practice
_______ Leaping out of the patrol car was two police

officers with their guns drawn. _______ My brother eats spaghetti without sauce, cereal without milk, and doesnt put mustard on hot dogs. _______ Our apartment gets really cold at night the landlord refuses to turn up the heating. _______ Robin went to the stores personnel office, where they are interviewing for sales positions. _______ When is your sister and her four children coming for a visit? _______ If any student wants to apply for the scholarship offered by the womens college, they will need two recommendations.

Practice
_______ Not only Jonathan but also his roommates

plans to look for a job this summer. _______ We stayed at a country inn and dined on tender steak, baked Idaho potatoes, and vegetables that were homegrown. _______ Every player on the Rangers bench pulled on their helmet and jumped onto the ice as soon as the fight broke out. _______ I applied for the job, I never got called in for an interview. _______ Harold refuses to take his children to amusement parks because he doesnt like them. _______ The mayor, along with the council members, are helping carry sandbags for flood control.

Practice
_______ The children ignored the sign. That the

lifeguard had posted. They raced around on the slick cement bordering the pool. _______ Kerry uses his roller skates to get to school, to go to the store, and for going to football practice. _______ The lilies that we planted last year has grown to over six feet tall. _______ We quickly switched from one news program to another each one had the same story. _______ The perfect shell glittered on the ocean bottom. The diver lifted it off the sand. And placed it in the bag hanging from his shoulder. _______ Either of the apartments has their drawbacks.