Grammar and Sentence-Structure

RUN-ON, May 18, 2020, 3:45-4:15

The most prominent errors that students tend to make are run-ons, and ENG 259 are no exception, as far as I can tell. Avoiding run-ons involves an understanding of the "architecture" of sentence-structure so that you can "engineer" a sentence that will not fall down.

The Purdue OWL website has a fine explanation section and an exercise section that you can access if you google "Purdue OWL" "run-on" and "Purdue OWL" "run-on" exercises.  The YouTube powerpoint on "Sentence Structure" given by the Writing Center below is probably also excellent.

We will move to the comments section next, but I just want to indicate a few key points about run-ons that expand on the information in the Technical Writing Textbook:

A short sentence can be a run-on; a very long one can be correct. You don’t learn how to overcome or avoid run-ons through how a sentence “feels” or "looks" or "sounds."

A period [ . ] does not equal a comma  [ , ] . 
A comma cannot separate two structures that can be complete sentences. Therefore, do NOT use a comma alone to connect two clauses that could be sentences. If a conjunction comes directly after the comma, then it's fine.

But what IS a sentence?
Some people say that a sentence is a complete thought.
What the hell is a "complete" thought? I don't know. So forget about that.
The most basic unit of a sentence is a clause called an called an independent clause: it has a subject and a verb. So it can stand alone. A clause that cannot stand alone is called a dependent or subordinate clause.   

Here is an example from the philosopher Descartes:

I think.
Therefore, I am.

These are sentences. Each has a subject and a verb. The word "therefore" is not a conjunction. It's a word like "however" that does not count in the "architecture" of a sentence; it's just an ornament, like an adverb modifying the verb "am."

Here are two examples of run-ons:

I think therefore I am.
I think, therefore I am.    [Some people call this a comma-splice. I prefer just to call both run-ons for simplicity's sake.]

Here are 2 more points to remember: 
A period equals a semi-colon [ ; ] .   
A comma does not equal a semi-colon.

Just as a period marks the end of one independent clause and the beginning of another, so does the semi-colon.

Here are three ways to fix the 2 run-ons above: 

                 I think. Therefore, I am.  [2 correct sentences]
                 I think; therefore, I am. [1 correct sentence]
                 I think, and therefore, I am. [1 correct sentence]

You can fix a run-on with: 
  • a period 
  • a semi-colon 
  • a comma before “and” or “but” or sometimes “or,”
  • a dependent conjunction like “when,” “although,” “since,” etc. at the place where the run-on is.
There may be one problem with my example from Descartes. It tells you what to do with very short sentences and clauses but not what to do with big structures. At 3:45 I will start by giving an example of a run-on that is much more complex.








Dear Colleagues:

Greetings from The Writing Center Hub!  I opted to produce Powerpoint tutorials for students as an alternative to the in person workshops initially promised. This may be more useful since students can view at their leisure. Please share the links listed below with students.


Integrating Sources:

Subject Verb Agreement

Sentence Structure

Thanks,

Rochell Isaac, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English, E 103
Co-Director of the Writing Center



Several times this term, including at the end of our first online class, we will have an opportunity to go over grammar and sentence-structure issues.  You will be suggesting what you want to work on in the comments section, and I will provide instruction mostly here (in this post) but sometimes I will use the reply function.

Here is a partial list of grammar and sentence-structure issues for your convenience:

subject/verb agreement

verb endings (i.e. -ed -ing and base form)

word endings (noun, adjective, adverb)

irregular verb form (i.e. go, went, have gone)

verb tense (past, present, future, and several variations within these 3)

singular/plural

run-on (including comma-splice)

fragment

sentence-structure (imperfect translation of structure from another language to English)

apostrophes

articles




Comments

  1. Tom FinkMay 18, 2020 at 12:54 PM

    Here is an extremely long sentence with run-ons, so that I can illustrate the principles that I discussed in the main section of the blog:

    Although The intensity of the direct sound should not be too weak, at the same time, it must not become extremely loud, this difficulty will be overcome with by limiting the length of the room, and by designing the surfaces above and around the stage to project the sound evenly throughout the c hall another problem arises with the seats placed under a balcony.

    Let's see if some of you can find ways to fix the run-ons.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tom FinkMay 18, 2020 at 1:13 PM

    OK, I guess you are all busy with other things right now. I'm only going to interpret this a little, because some of you may work on it asynchronously before the next class on Friday:

    The opening clause is a dependent clause due to the word "although." The next (independent clause) begins with a prepositional phrase, "at the same time," so it's a little tricky, but the subject "it" and the verb "must... become" make it an independent clause that can stand alone as a sentence, whereas the "although" clause cannot. The comma after "loud" is the beginning of where the sentence, as written, becomes problematic.

    ReplyDelete

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