TO DOWNLOAD - 75 Pages (928kb - PDF format) - ESL Teachers ...

GERUND:Eating too much salt can cause a person toretain water. (Noun)INFINITIVE:The employees wanted to buy their owncompany. (Noun)VERB PHRASE:By the first of the year, all of the remodeling willhave been completed. (Verb)20G Sentence fragmentsA sentence fragment is a part of a sentence that has beenpunctuated as if it were a complete sentence. It does notexpress a complete thought but depends upon a nearbyindependent clause for its full meaning. It should bemade a part of that complete sentence.INCORRECT:I was not able to pick up my child at her school.Having been caught in heavy traffic. (Participialphrase)REVISED:ORHaving been caught in heavy traffic, I was notable to pick up my child at her school.I was not able to pick up my child at her school. Ihad been caught in heavy traffic.INCORRECT:The cat sat on the water heater. Unable to getwarm. {Adjective phrase)REVISED:Unable to get warm, the cat sat on the waterheater.INCORRECT:The salesman tightened the wire around the burlapfeed bag with a spinner. Which twists wire loopsuntil they are secure.(Adjective clause)REVISED:The salesman tightened the wire around the burlapfeed bag with a spinner, which twists wire loopsuntil they are secure.INCORRECT:We will probably try to find another insurancecompany. When our policy expires. (Adverbclause)REVISED:When our policy expires, we will probably try tofind another insurance company.20H Run-on sentencesProbably the most common error in writing occurs whentwo sentences are run together as one. There are twotypes of run-on sentences: the fused sentence, which hasno punctuation mark between its two independent clauses,and the comma splice, which substitutes a commawhere either a period or a semicolon is needed.FUSED:Jean had no luck at the store they were out ofumbrellas.COMMA SPLICE:She surprised us all with her visit, she was on herway to New York.To correct a run-on sentence, use a period, a semicolon,or a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for) toseparate independent clauses.Note the following examples of run-on sentences and thesuggested revisions.FUSED:Eric is a bodybuilder he eats only large amountsof meat.REVISED:Eric is a bodybuilder; he eats only large amountsof meat.COMMA SPLICE:He had never seen Alex so prepared, he even hadbackup copies of his study sheets!REVISED:He had never seen Alex so prepared. He evenhad backup copies of his study sheets!COMMA SPLICE:His father was an artist, his mother was anaccountant.REVISED:His father was an artist and his mother was anaccountant.201 Faulty coordination or subordinationFAULTY COORDINATION:The real power in the company lies with Mr. Stark,and he currently owns 55 percent of the stock; inaddition to that, his mother is semirefired aspresident of the firm.REVISED:The real power in the company lies with Mr. Stark,who currently owns 55 percent of the stock andwhose mother is semiretired as president of thefirm.Notice that subordinating two of the independent clausestightens the sentence and adds focus.33