SENTENCE STRUCTURE MISTAKES

SENTENCE FRAGMENT
This occurs when the sentence is incomplete.

-It is missing a subject or a verb.

-It is a dependent clause.

You can eliminate this mistake by adding the missing parts (subject or verb) or connecting it
to an existing sentence.

RUN-ON SENTENCE
A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses (complete sentences) are

joined together without appropriate punctuation or conjunctions. There are two main types of

run-on sentences:

1) Comma Splice: This occurs when two independent clauses are joined by a comma
without a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor, so, yet) or without proper
punctuation.

● The sun was setting, it was time to start the campfire.

2) Fused Sentence (or Run-On Sentence): when two independent clauses are joined
without any punctuation or conjunction.
Example of a fused sentence:
● She woke up early she didn't want to miss the bus.

To correct run-on sentences, you can use one of the following methods:

1. Use a semicolon: The semicolon can be used to separate two closely related
independent clauses.
 ● The sun was setting; it was time to start the campfire.

2. Use a conjunction: Join the two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction.
● The sun was setting, so it was time to start the campfire.

3. Use a period: Split the run-on sentence into two separate sentences.
● The sun was setting. It was time to start the campfire

SUBORDINATION AND COORDINATION

● Faulty subordination:
Takes place when two different ideas are coordinated as though they deserve equal
emphasis or when the wrong subordinating conjunction is used.

You can correct this mistake by subordinating clauses that are incorrectly coordinated or
putting the right subordinating conjuction.

FAULTY COORDINATION:
Coordinate only those ideas that are of equal importance and that go together
logically.
Faulty coordination refers to a grammatical error that occurs when the conjunctions or
connectors used to link two or more elements within a sentence are incorrect, or do not
convey the intended relationship between those elements.

Coordination involves joining similar or equal elements in a sentence, typically using

coordinating conjunctions such as "and," "but," "or," "nor," "for," "so," and "yet."

Example:

● She likes playing basketball and her brother reading books.

In this example, the use of "and" suggests that "playing basketball" and "her brother reading
books" are similar or equal elements, but they are not parallel. To correct this, you could use
parallel structures:
Corrected Coordination:

● She likes playing basketball, and her brother likes reading books.

This correction makes the elements parallel and maintains proper coordination.

MODIFIERS

Misplaced modifier: when the modifier is wrongly placed. You can correct it by
putting the modifier close to the element that modifies.

Dangling modifier: occurs with participial clauses without subject, you can correct
this by adding the subject.

Squinting modifier: when the modifier used to be in the middle, and you don´t know
if it´s modifying one element or the other, here u have to put the modifier close to the
element.

PRONOUNS:

AMBIGUOUS: occurs when you don´t know if the pronoun is reffering to one
element or the other. You correct this by clarifying this.

GENERAL: This occurs when demonstrative pronouns reffer confusingly about

previous antecedents. You can correct that by clarifying adding a noun instead the
dem. Or rel. Pronouns.

WEAK: occurs when you don´t know what the pronoun is talking about, it is only in
speaker´s mind. You can correct it adding a noun.
PARALLELISM:

In order to have a parallel structure in a sentence, you have to balance noun with
nouns, verbs with verbs, etc.

FAULTY PARALLELISM occurs when there is no balance in the sentence. With

parallel structures, or correlative cordinators: either….or, neither….nor , not
only… but also.