WRITING:

COMMON ERRORS

Sentence fragment, Run-on,

Parallelism, Subject-verb agreement
The Basics
What is a complete sentence?
A complete sentence has three components:
1. a subject (the actor in the sentence)

2. a predicate (the verb or action), and

3. a complete thought (it can stand alone and make sense—it's independent).

For example:
 John waited for the bus all morning.
 John waited for the bus all morning in the rain last Tuesday.
 Wishing he'd brought his umbrella, John waited for the bus all morning in the
rain last Tuesday.
 Wishing he'd brought his umbrella and dreaming of his nice warm bed, John
waited for the bus all morning in the rain last Tuesday because his car was in
the shop.
 Sentence Fragments
What is sentence fragments?
 Incomplete sentences
 Some fragments are incomplete because they lack either a subject or a verb, or
both.
 The fragments are dependent clauses - they have a subject and a verb - they look
like complete sentences, but they don't express a complete thought.
 For example:
1 Because his car was in the shop. (What did he do?)
2 After the rain stops. (What then?)
3 When you finallySubordinators/
take the test. (What will happen?)
4 Since you asked.subordinating
(Will you get the answer?)
5 If you want to goconjunctions
with me. (What should you do?)
 Special class of words –
Subordinating conjunction
Subordinating conjunctions do three things:
 join two sentences together
 make one of the sentences dependent on the other for a complete thought
(make one a dependent clause)
 indicate a logical relationship

You need to recognise the subordinators when you see them:

 Cause / Effect: because, since, so that
 Comparison / Contrast: although, even though, though, whereas, while
 Place & Manner: how, however, where, wherever
 Possibility / Conditions: if, whether, unless
 Relation: that, which, who
 Time: after, as, before, since, when, whenever, while, until
You need to know that the subordinator (and the whole dependent
clause)
doesn't have to be at the beginning of the sentence. The dependent clause
and the independent clause can switch places, but the whole clause moves
as one big chunk.

For example:
 Because his car was in the shop, John took the bus.

 John took the bus because his car was in the shop.
How do you find and fix your fragments?
 Remember the basics: subject, verb, and complete thought.

 John took the bus. (independent clause) Because his car was
in the shop. (Dependent clause all by itself. Uh oh! Fragment!)

 John took the bus because his car was in the shop. (Hooray! It's
fixed!)
You try!
1. Despite the common commodities such as rice, flour
and sugar.
2. There are around 1.3 billion people staying in China
and if 30% of them have their own cars.
3. Even though he had the better arguments and was
by far the more powerful speaker.
4. Spending hours every day after school and even on
weekends.
5. Some of the students working in Professor
Espinoza's laboratory last semester.
 Run-ons
 Fused sentences
 This happens when two complete sentences (a
subject and its predicate and another subject and its
predicate) are put together in one sentence without
separating them properly.
 For example:

My favourite Mediterranean spread

is hummus it is very garlicky.
How to correct the run-on sentence?
 You could use a semicolon:

My favourite Mediterranean spread is hummus; it is very garlicky.

 You could use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (for, and,

nor, but, or, yet, so):

My favourite Mediterranean spread is hummus, for it is very

garlicky. –
OR-
My favourite Mediterranean spread is hummus, and it is very
garlicky.
 You could use a subordinating conjunction:

My favourite Mediterranean spread is hummus because it is very

garlicky. -OR-

Because it is so garlicky, my favourite Mediterranean spread is

hummus.

 You could make it into two separate sentences with a period in

between:

My favourite Mediterranean spread is hummus. It is very garlicky.

 You could use an em-dash (a long dash) for emphasis:

My favourite Mediterranean spread is hummus

— it is very garlicky.

 You CANNOT simply add a comma between the two

sentences, or you'll end up with what's called a
"comma splice.”

My favourite Mediterranean spread is hummus, it is

very garlicky.
 You try!
1. Judy leads a charmed life she never seems to have a serious accident.

2. The airport is about to shut down because of the snow and if the plane doesn't land
soon it will have to go on to Boston.

3. The show begins at 7:30 make sure you're there before 7:15.

4. Marcello always knew his way around the woods this is something he could
always depend on.

5. Having prepared himself well for the realtor exams and having exhausted everyone
in the family with his requests that someone help him with the true-and-false drills,
Jeffrey, who had never been a particularly good student in high school, knew he
was ready to take on the greatest challenge of his life.
Parallelism
 Using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same
level of importance.
 This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level.

1. Do not mix forms.

Not parallel:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.

The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in
a detailed manner.

The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute
to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his
motivation was low.
 Parallel:

 Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.

 The production manager was asked to write his report

quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.

 The teacher said that he was a poor student because he

waited until the last minute to study for the exam,
completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and
lacked motivation.
2. A parallel structure that begins with clauses must keep on
with clauses.

Not parallel:

The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that
they should not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises
before the game.

The salesman expected that he would present his product at the

meeting, that there would be time for him to show his slide
presentation, and that questions would be asked by prospective
buyers. (passive)
 Parallel:
 The coach told the players that they should get a
lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and
that they should do some warm-up exercises before
the game. — OR —

 The coach told the players that they should get a

lot of sleep, not eat too much, and do some warm-
up exercises before the game.
3. Be sure to keep all the elements in a list in the same form.

Not Parallel:

The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word

meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and looking up
irregular verbs.

Parallel:
 The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word
meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and irregular
verbs.
 You try!
1. In English class, Tisha learned to read poems critically and she appreciated good prose.

2. He wanted three things out of college: to learn a skill, to make good friends, and learning about life.

3. Working on tall bridges requires tremendous balance, amazing agility, and will create an eventual lack
of fear.

4. I have been to Paris and saw the Eiffel Tower.

5. Is she coming to the party or go to a movie?

6. Golf requires hand-eye coordination, flexibility, and to be able to concentrate.

Subject-verb agreement
 The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a
singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural
verb.

 Rule 1. Two singular subjects connected by or or

nor require a singular verb.
Example: My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train
today.
 Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by
either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb as in
Rule 1.  

Examples: Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.

Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage
decorations.
 Rule 3. When I is one of the two subjects
connected by either/or or neither/nor, put it second
and follow it with the singular verb am.  

Example: Neither she nor I am going to the

festival.
 Rule 4. When a singular subject is connected by or
or nor to a plural subject, put the plural subject last
and use a plural verb.  

Example: The serving bowl or the plates go on that

shelf.
 Rule 5. When a singular and plural subject are
connected by either/or or neither/nor, put the plural
subject last and use a plural verb.  

Example: Neither Jenny nor the others are

available.
 Rule 6. As a general rule, use a plural verb with
two or more subjects when they are connected by
and.  

Example: A car and a bike are my means of

transportation.
 Rule 7. Sometimes the subject is separated from the
verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides,
or not. Ignore these expressions when determining
whether to use a singular or plural verb.  

Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected
shortly.

Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause

of her shaking.
 Rule 8. The pronouns each, everyone, every one,
everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody
are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be
misled by what follows of.  

Examples:
Each of the girls sings well. Every one of the cakes is
gone.

NOTE: Everyone is one word when it means

everybody. Every one is two words when the meaning
is each one.
 Rule 9. With words that indicate portions—percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none,
remainder, and so forth —look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine
whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular
verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.
Examples:

 Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared.

Pie is the object of the preposition of.

 Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared.

Pies is the object of the preposition.

 One-third of the city is unemployed.

 One-third of the people are unemployed.

 NOTE: Hyphenate all spelled-out fractions.

 All of the pie is gone.
 All of the pies are gone.
 Some of the pie is missing.
 Some of the pies are missing.    
 None of the garbage was picked up.  
 None of the sentences were punctuated
correctly.    
 Of all her books, none have sold as well as the first
one.
 Rule 10. The expression the number is followed by
a singular verb while the expression a number is
followed by a plural verb.

Examples:
The number of people we need to hire is thirteen.
A number of people have written in about this
subject.
 Rule 11. When either and neither are subjects, they
always take singular verbs.  

Examples:
Neither of them is available to speak right now.
Either of us is capable of doing the job.
 Rule 12. The words here and there have generally
been labelled as adverbs even though they indicate
place. In sentences beginning with here or there,
the subject follows the verb.  

Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
 Rule 13. Use a singular verb with sums of money
or periods of time.  

Examples:
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that
offense.
 Rule 14. Sometimes the pronoun who, that, or which is the subject
of a verb in the middle of the sentence. The pronouns who, that, and
which become singular or plural according to the noun directly in
front of them. So, if that noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is
plural, use a plural verb.  

Examples:
Salma is the scientist who writes/write the reports.
The word in front of who is scientist, which is singular. Therefore,
use the singular verb writes.

He is one of the men who does/do the work.

The word in front of who is men, which is plural. Therefore, use the
plural verb do.
 Rule 15. Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either
singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence.  

Examples:
The staff is in a meeting.
(Staff is acting as a unit here.)

The staff are in disagreement about the findings.

(The staff are acting as separate individuals in this example.)

The sentence would read even better as:

The staff members are in disagreement about the findings.
You try!
 Handout on SVA