{"id":47,"date":"2021-09-07T19:22:16","date_gmt":"2021-09-07T23:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/chapter\/sentence-writing\/"},"modified":"2022-12-04T01:42:22","modified_gmt":"2022-12-04T06:42:22","slug":"sentence-writing","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/chapter\/sentence-writing\/","title":{"raw":"2.2 Sentence Writing","rendered":"2.2 Sentence Writing"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Identify the components of a basic sentence<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Identify the four most serious writing errors<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nBefore we work more on piecing ideas together to form summaries and paragraphs, we need to look at fundamental sentence construction. Imagine you are reading a book for school. You need to find important details that you can use for an assignment. However, when you begin to read, you notice that the book has very little punctuation. The sentences fail to form complete paragraphs and instead form one block of text without clear organization. Most likely, this book would frustrate and confuse you. Without clear and concise sentences, it is difficult to find the information you need.\r\n\r\nFor both students and professionals, clear communication is important. Whether you are typing an email or writing a report or essay, it is your responsibility as the writer to present your thoughts and ideas clearly and precisely. Writing in complete sentences is one way to ensure that you communicate well. This section covers how to recognize and write basic sentence structures and how to avoid some common writing errors.\r\n<h1>Components of a Sentence<\/h1>\r\nClearly written, complete sentences require key information: a subject, a verb and a complete idea. A sentence needs to make sense on its own. Sometimes, complete sentences are also called independent clauses. A\u00a0<b>clause<\/b>\u00a0is a group of words that may make up a sentence. An\u00a0<b>independent\u00a0clause<\/b> is a group of words that may stand alone as a complete, grammatically correct thought. The following sentences show independent clauses in curly brackets:\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">{We went to the store.} {We bought the ingredients on out list}, and then {we went home.}<\/div>\r\nAll complete sentences have at least one independent clause. You can identify an independent clause by reading it on its own and looking for the subject and the verb.\r\n<h1>Subjects<\/h1>\r\nWhen you read a sentence, you may first look for the\u00a0<b>subject<\/b> or what the sentence is about. The subject usually appears at the beginning of a sentence as a noun\u00a0or a\u00a0pronoun. A <b>noun<\/b> is a word that identifies a person, place, thing, or idea. A <b>pronoun<\/b> is a word that replaces a noun. Common pronouns are\u00a0I,\u00a0he, she,\u00a0it,\u00a0you,\u00a0they, and\u00a0we. In the following sentences, the subject is underlined once.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Malik<\/span> is the project manager for this project. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">He<\/span> will give us our assignments.<\/div>\r\nIn these sentences, the subject is a person:\u00a0Malik. The pronoun\u00a0He\u00a0replaces and refers back to\u00a0Malik.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">The <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">computer lab<\/span> is where we will work. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">It<\/span> will be open twenty-four hours a day.<\/div>\r\nIn the first sentence, the subject is a place:\u00a0computer lab. In the second sentence, the pronoun\u00a0It\u00a0substitutes for\u00a0computer lab\u00a0as the subject.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">The <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">project<\/span> will run for three weeks. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">It<\/span> will have a quick turnaround.<\/div>\r\nIn the first sentence, the subject is a thing:\u00a0project. In the second sentence, the pronoun\u00a0It\u00a0stands in for the\u00a0project.\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\nTip: In this chapter, please refer to the following grammar key:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Subjects<\/span> are underlined once.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Verbs<\/span> are underlined twice.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>LV means linking verb; HV means helping verb; V means action verb.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Compound Subjects<\/h2>\r\nA sentence may have more than one person, place, or thing as the subject. These subjects are called\u00a0<b>compound\u00a0subjects<\/b>. Compound subjects are useful when you want to discuss several subjects at once.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Desmond<\/span> and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Maria<\/span> have been working on that design for almost a year.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Books<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">magazines<\/span>, and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">online articles<\/span> are all good resources.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nIn the first sentence, the subjects are <em>Desmond<\/em> and <em>Maria<\/em>. In the second sentence, <em>books<\/em>, <em>magazines<\/em>, and <em>online articles<\/em> are the subjects.\r\n<h1>Prepositional Phrases<\/h1>\r\nYou will often read a sentence that has more than one noun or pronoun in it. You may encounter a group of words that includes a\u00a0<b>preposition<\/b>\u00a0with a noun or a pronoun. Prepositions connect a noun, pronoun, or verb to another word that describes or modifies that noun, pronoun, or verb. Common prepositions include\u00a0in,\u00a0on,\u00a0under,\u00a0near,\u00a0by,\u00a0with, and\u00a0about. A group of words that begin with a preposition is called a\u00a0<b>prepositional\u00a0phrase<\/b>. A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and modifies or describes a word. It cannot act as the subject of a sentence. The following phrases inside curly brackets are examples of prepositional phrases.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">We went {on a business trip}. That restaurant {with the famous pizza} was on the way. We stopped {for lunch}.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div>The prepositional phrases in this example include <em>on a business trip<\/em>, <em>with the famous pizza<\/em>, and <em>for lunch<\/em>.<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Self-Practice Exercise 3.1<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"28\"]\r\n<div class=\"pdf\">\r\n\r\n<strong>H5P:<\/strong> Circle the subject of the sentence. If the subject is compound, circle all the words relevant to the subject. You can ignore articles and conjunctions. Underline any prepositional phrases in the sentence. Underline words that make up the prepositional phrase. Ignore articles: click only the prepositions and their objects.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>The gym is open until nine o\u2019clock tonight.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The student with the most extra credit will win a homework pass.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Maya and Tia found an abandoned cat by the side of the road.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The driver of that pickup truck skidded on the ice.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Anita won the race with time to spare.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The people who work for that company were surprised about the merger.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Working in haste means that you are more likely to make mistakes.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The soundtrack has over 60 songs in languages from around the world.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>His latest invention does not work, but it has inspired the rest of us.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">\r\n<h1>Verbs<\/h1>\r\nOnce you locate the subject of a sentence, you can move on to the next part of a complete sentence: the\u00a0<b>verb<\/b>. A verb is often an action word that shows what the subject is doing. A verb can also link the subject to a describing word. There are three types of verbs that you can use in a sentence: action verbs, linking verbs, or helping verbs.\r\n<h2>Action Verbs<\/h2>\r\nA verb that connects the subject to an action is called an\u00a0<b>action\u00a0verb<\/b>. An action verb answers the question\u00a0what is the subject doing?\u00a0In the following sentences, the words underlined twice are action verbs.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\nThe dog <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">barked<\/span> at the jogger.\r\n\r\nHe <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">gave<\/span> a short speech before we ate.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<em>Barked<\/em> and <em>gave<\/em> are action verbs.\r\n<h2>Linking Verbs<\/h2>\r\nA verb can often connect the subject of the sentence to a describing word. This type of verb is called a\u00a0<b>linking\u00a0verb<\/b>\u00a0because it links the subject to a describing word. In the following sentences, the words underlined twice are linking verbs.\r\n<div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\nThe coat <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">was<\/span> old and dirty.\r\n\r\nThe clock <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">seemed<\/span> broken.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<em>Was<\/em> and <em>seemed<\/em> are linking verbs.\r\n\r\nIf you have trouble telling the difference between action verbs and linking verbs, remember:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>An action verb shows that the subject is doing something.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>A linking verb simply connects the subject to another word that describes or modifies the subject.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nA few verbs can be used as either action verbs or linking verbs.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\nAction verb: The boy <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">looked<\/span> for his glove.\r\n\r\nLinking verb: The boy <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">looked<\/span> tired.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nAlthough both sentences use the same verb, the two sentences have completely different meanings. In the first sentence, the verb describes the boy\u2019s action. In the second sentence, the verb describes the boy\u2019s appearance.\r\n<h2>Helping Verbs<\/h2>\r\nA third type of verb you may use as you write is a\u00a0<b>helping\u00a0verb<\/b>. Helping verbs are verbs that are used with the main verb to describe a mood or tense. Helping verbs are usually a form of\u00a0be,\u00a0do, or\u00a0have. The word\u00a0can\u00a0is also used as a helping verb.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">The restaurant <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">is known<\/span> for its variety of dishes.<\/div>\r\n<em>Is <\/em> is the helping verb. <em>Known<\/em> is the main verb.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">She <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">does speak up<\/span> when prompted in class.<\/div>\r\n<em>Does<\/em> is the helping verb. <em>Speak up <\/em>is the main verb.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">We <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">have seen<\/span> that movie three times.<\/div>\r\n<em>Have<\/em> is the helping verb. <em>Seen <\/em>is the main verb.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">They <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">can tell<\/span> when someone walks on their lawn.<\/div>\r\n<em>Can <\/em>is the helping verb. <em>Tell<\/em> is the main verb.\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\nTip: Whenever you write or edit sentences, keep the subject and verb in mind. As you write, ask yourself these questions to keep yourself on track:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Subject:\u00a0Who or what is the sentence about?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Verb: Which word shows an action or links the subject to a description?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Self-Practice Exercise 3.2<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"29\"]\r\n<div class=\"pdf\">\r\n\r\n<strong>H5P:\u00a0<\/strong>Please circle on all the verbs in the sentences below. If the very uses two words, circle on both.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>The cat sounds ready to come back inside.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>We have not eaten dinner yet.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>It took four people to move the broken down car.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The book was filled with notes from class.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>We walked from room to room, inspecting for damages.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Harold was expecting a package in the mail.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The clothes still felt damp even though they had been through the dryer twice.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The teacher who runs the studio is often praised for his restoration work on old masterpieces.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nName the type of verb used in each sentence. Use V for action verbs, LV for linking verbs, and HV for helping verbs. The blank comes after each verb.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>The cat sounds ready to come back inside.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>We have not eaten dinner yet.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>It took four people to move the broken down car.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The book was filled with notes from class.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>We walked from room to room, inspecting for damages.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Harold was expecting a package in the mail.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The clothes still felt damp even though they had been through the dryer twice.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The teacher who runs the studio is often praised for his restoration work on old masterpieces.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h1>Sentence Structure (Including Fragments)<\/h1>\r\nNow that you know what makes a complete sentence\u2014a subject and a verb\u2014you can use other parts of speech to build on this basic structure. Good writers use a variety of sentence structures to make their work more interesting. This section covers different sentence structures that you can use to make longer, more complex sentences.\r\n<h2>Sentence Patterns<\/h2>\r\nSix basic subject-verb patterns can enhance your writing. A sample sentence is provided for each pattern. As you read each sentence, take note of where each part of the sentence falls. Notice that some sentence patterns use action verbs and others use linking verbs.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">\r\n<div id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s01\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Subject \u2013 Verb<\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Computers<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">hum<\/span>.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s02\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Subject \u2013 Linking Verb \u2013 Noun<\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Computers<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">are<\/span> tools.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s03\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Subject \u2013 Linking Verb \u2013 Adjective<\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Computers<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">are<\/span> expensive.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s04\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Subject \u2013 Verb \u2013 Adverb<\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Computers<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">calculate<\/span> quickly.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s05\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Subject \u2013 Verb \u2013 Direct Object<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s05_p01\" class=\"para editable block\">When you write a sentence with a direct object (DO), make sure that the DO receives the action of the verb.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Sally<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">rides<\/span> a motorcycle.<\/div>\r\n<div><em>Sally<\/em> is the subject. <em>Rides <\/em>is the verb. <em>A motorcycle<\/em> is the direct object.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Subject \u2013 Verb \u2013 Indirect Object \u2013 Direct Object<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s06_p01\" class=\"para editable block\">In this sentence structure, an <span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">indirect object<\/a> <\/span>explains <em class=\"emphasis\">to whom<\/em> or <em class=\"emphasis\">to what<\/em> the action is being done. The indirect object is a noun or pronoun, and it comes before the direct object in a sentence.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">My coworker<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">gave<\/span> me the reports.<\/div>\r\n<em>My coworker <\/em>is the subject. <em>Gave<\/em> is the verb. <em>Me<\/em> is the indirect object. <em>Reports<\/em> is the direct object.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Self-Practice Exercise 3.3<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"30\"]\r\n<div class=\"pdf\">\r\n\r\n<strong>H5P:\u00a0<\/strong>Fill in the blanks to the right of each word to indicate its part of speech. Use <strong>S<\/strong> for subject, <strong>V<\/strong> for verb, N for noun, <strong>LV<\/strong> for linking verb, <strong>ADJ<\/strong> for adjective, <strong>ADV<\/strong> for adverb, <strong>DO<\/strong> for direct object, <strong>IO<\/strong> for indirect object.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>John ____ runs ____ .<\/li>\r\n \t<li>John ____ is ____ an athlete ____ .<\/li>\r\n \t<li>John ____ is ____ hurt ____ .<\/li>\r\n \t<li>John ____ heals ____ quickly ____ .<\/li>\r\n \t<li>John ____ buys ____ a bicycle ____ .<\/li>\r\n \t<li>John ____ gives ____ me ____ his running shoes ____ .<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2 class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">Fragments<\/h2>\r\n<div class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">The sentences you have encountered so far have been independent clauses. As you look more closely at your past writing assignments, you may notice that some of your sentences are not complete. A sentence that is missing a subject or a verb is called a\u00a0<b>fragment<\/b>. A fragment may include a description or may express part of an idea, but it does not express a complete thought.<\/div>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">Fragment:\u00a0Children helping in the kitchen.<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">Complete sentence:\u00a0Children helping in the kitchen\u00a0often make a mess.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nYou can easily fix a fragment by adding the missing subject or verb. In the example, the sentence was missing a verb. Adding\u00a0often make a mess\u00a0creates an S-V-N sentence structure. Figure 3.1 illustrates how you can edit a fragment to become a complete sentence.<a id=\"retfig3.1\" class=\"internal\"><\/a>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_46\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"600\"]<a class=\"internal\" href=\"http:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/writingforsuccess\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/107\/2015\/07\/editing-fragments.png\"><img class=\"wp-image-44 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2021\/09\/editing-fragments-e1437588482642.png\" alt=\"editing fragments\" width=\"600\" height=\"757\" \/><\/a> Figure 3.1 Editing Fragments That Are Missing a Subject or a Verb <a class=\"internal\" href=\"#fig3.1\">[Figure 3.1 Image description]<\/a>[\/caption]See whether you can identify what is missing in the following fragments.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Fragment: Told her about the broken vase.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Complete sentence: I told her about the broken vase.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Complete sentence:\u00a0The store down on Main Street\u00a0sells music.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h1>Common Sentence Errors<\/h1>\r\nFragments often occur because of some common errors, such as starting a sentence with a preposition, a dependent word, an\u00a0infinitive, or a\u00a0gerund. If you use the six basic sentence patterns when you write, you should be able to avoid these errors and thus avoid writing fragments.\r\n\r\nWhen you see a preposition, check to see that it is part of a sentence containing a subject and a verb. If it is not connected to a complete sentence, it is a fragment, and you will need to fix this type of fragment by combining it with another sentence. You can add the prepositional phrase to the end of the sentence. If you add it to the beginning of the other sentence, insert a comma after the prepositional phrase. Look at the examples. Figure 3.2 illustrates how you can edit a fragment that begins with a preposition.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\nExample A:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> After walking over two miles. John remembered his wallet.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> After walking over two miles, John remembered his wallet.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> John remembered his wallet <del><\/del>after walking over two miles.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<p class=\"simpara\">Example B<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> The dog growled at the vacuum cleaner. When it was switched on.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> When the vacuum cleaner was switched on, the dog growled.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> The dog growled at the vacuum cleaner when it was switched on.<a id=\"retfig3.2\"><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_46\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"600\"]<a class=\"internal\" href=\"http:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/writingforsuccess\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/107\/2015\/07\/editing-fragments2.png\"><img class=\"wp-image-45 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-fragments2-e1437588869832.png\" alt=\"editing fragments2\" width=\"600\" height=\"806\" \/><\/a> Figure 3.2 Editing Fragments That Begin with a Preposition <a class=\"internal\" href=\"#fig3.2\">[Figure 3.2 Image Description]<\/a>[\/caption]Clauses that start with a\u00a0<b>dependent<\/b>\u00a0word\u2014such as\u00a0since,\u00a0because,\u00a0without, or unless\u2014are similar to prepositional phrases. Like prepositional phrases, these clauses can be fragments if they are not connected to an independent clause containing a subject and a verb. To fix the problem, you can add such\r\n\r\na fragment to the beginning or end of a sentence. If the fragment is added at the beginning of a sentence, add a comma after it before the independent clause.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> Because we lost power. The entire family overslept.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> Because we lost power, the entire family overslept.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> The entire family overslept because we lost power.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> He has been seeing a physical therapist. Since his accident.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> Since his accident, he has been seeing a physical therapist.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> He has been seeing a physical therapist since his accident.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\nWhen you encounter a word ending in\u00a0-ing\u00a0in a sentence, identify whether it is being used as a verb in the sentence. You may also look for a helping verb. If the word is not used as a verb or if no helping verb is used with the\u00a0-ing\u00a0verb form, the verb is being used as a noun. An\u00a0-ing\u00a0verb form used as a noun is called a <b>gerund<\/b>.\r\n<div id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s02_s01_if05\" class=\"informalfigure large block\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Verb: I <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">was working<\/span> on homework until midnight.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Noun: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Working<\/span> until midnight makes me tired the next morning.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nOnce you know whether the\u00a0-ing\u00a0word is acting as a noun or a verb, look at the rest of the sentence. Does the entire sentence make sense on its own? If not, what you are looking at is a fragment. You will need to either add the parts of speech that are missing or combine the fragment with a nearby sentence. Figure 3.3 illustrates how to edit fragments that begin with a gerund.<a id=\"retfig3.3\" class=\"internal\"><\/a>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_46\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"600\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-46\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-e1437594317295.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"873\" \/> Figure 3.3 Editing Fragments That Begin with Gerunds <a class=\"internal\" href=\"#fig3.3\">[Figure 3.3 Image Description]<\/a>[\/caption]\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Incorrect: Congratulating the entire team. Sarah raised her glass to toast their success.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Correct: She was congratulating the entire team. Sarah raised her glass to toast their success.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Correct:\u00a0Congratulating the entire team,\u00a0Sarah raised her glass to toast their success.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\nAnother error in sentence construction is a fragment that begins with an infinitive. An<b> infinitive<\/b> is a verb paired with the word\u00a0to; for example,\u00a0to run,\u00a0to write, or\u00a0to reach. Although infinitives are verbs, they can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. You can correct a fragment that begins with an infinitive by either combining it with another sentence or adding the parts of speech that are missing.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Incorrect:\u00a0We needed to make 300 more paper cranes. To reach the one thousand mark.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Correct:\u00a0We needed to make 300 more paper cranes\u00a0to\u00a0reach the one thousand mark.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Correct:\u00a0We needed to make 300 more paper cranes.\u00a0We wanted to\u00a0reach the one thousand mark.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Self-Practice Exercise 3.4<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"31\"]\r\n<div class=\"pdf\">\r\n\r\n<strong>H5P:<\/strong> Mark all of the fragments in the list of sentences below.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Unless the ground thaws before spring break.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>You\u2019ll find what you need if you look.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>On the shelf next to the potted plant.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Working without taking a break.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>We try to get as much work done as we can in an hour.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>I needed to bring work home.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>We won\u2019t be planting any tulips this year.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>In order to meet the deadline.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Deidre scoured the classifieds each day.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>To find the perfect apartment.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h3>Image Descriptions<\/h3>\r\n<strong><a id=\"fig3.1\" class=\"internal\"><\/a>A decision tree for editing sentence fragments that are missing a subject or a verb:<\/strong>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Does the sentence contain a subject?\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>If yes, go to #2.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If no, the sentence is a fragment. Add a subject to make it a complete sentence. Then go to #2.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Does the sentence contain a verb?\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>If yes, the sentence is a complete sentence.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If no, the sentence is a fragment. Add a verb to make it a complete sentence.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<a class=\"internal\" href=\"#retfig3.1\">[Return to Figure 3.1]<\/a>\r\n\r\n<strong><a id=\"fig3.2\" class=\"internal\"><\/a>A decision tree for editing fragments that begin with a preposition:<\/strong>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Can you find a preposition or prepositional phrase?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Can you find a subject?\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>If yes, go to #3.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If no, go to #4.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Can you find a verb?\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>If yes, the sentence is a complete sentence.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If no, go to #4.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"li1\">The phrase is a fragment. Combine the prepositional phrase with another sentence. Add the prepositional phrase to the end of the combined sentence or add the prepositional phrase to the beginning of the combined sentence and add a comma after the prepositional phrase.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<a class=\"internal\" href=\"#retfig3.2\">[Return to Figure 3.2]<\/a>\r\n\r\n<strong><a id=\"fig3.3\" class=\"internal\"><\/a>A decision tree for editing fragments that begin with a gerund:<\/strong>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Does the phrase contain a word that ends in -ing?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Does the -ing word have a helping verb?\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>If yes, the -ing word is a verb. Go to<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If no, the -ing word is a gerund, a noun.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Does the phrase make sense on its own?\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>If yes, the sentence is a complete sentence.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If no, go to #4.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The phrase is a fragment. Correct by adding the missing part of speech or correct by combining with a nearby sentence.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<a class=\"internal\" href=\"#retfig3.3\">[Return to Figure 3.3]<\/a>","rendered":"<div class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ul>\n<li>Identify the components of a basic sentence<\/li>\n<li>Identify the four most serious writing errors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Before we work more on piecing ideas together to form summaries and paragraphs, we need to look at fundamental sentence construction. Imagine you are reading a book for school. You need to find important details that you can use for an assignment. However, when you begin to read, you notice that the book has very little punctuation. The sentences fail to form complete paragraphs and instead form one block of text without clear organization. Most likely, this book would frustrate and confuse you. Without clear and concise sentences, it is difficult to find the information you need.<\/p>\n<p>For both students and professionals, clear communication is important. Whether you are typing an email or writing a report or essay, it is your responsibility as the writer to present your thoughts and ideas clearly and precisely. Writing in complete sentences is one way to ensure that you communicate well. This section covers how to recognize and write basic sentence structures and how to avoid some common writing errors.<\/p>\n<h1>Components of a Sentence<\/h1>\n<p>Clearly written, complete sentences require key information: a subject, a verb and a complete idea. A sentence needs to make sense on its own. Sometimes, complete sentences are also called independent clauses. A\u00a0<b>clause<\/b>\u00a0is a group of words that may make up a sentence. An\u00a0<b>independent\u00a0clause<\/b> is a group of words that may stand alone as a complete, grammatically correct thought. The following sentences show independent clauses in curly brackets:<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">{We went to the store.} {We bought the ingredients on out list}, and then {we went home.}<\/div>\n<p>All complete sentences have at least one independent clause. You can identify an independent clause by reading it on its own and looking for the subject and the verb.<\/p>\n<h1>Subjects<\/h1>\n<p>When you read a sentence, you may first look for the\u00a0<b>subject<\/b> or what the sentence is about. The subject usually appears at the beginning of a sentence as a noun\u00a0or a\u00a0pronoun. A <b>noun<\/b> is a word that identifies a person, place, thing, or idea. A <b>pronoun<\/b> is a word that replaces a noun. Common pronouns are\u00a0I,\u00a0he, she,\u00a0it,\u00a0you,\u00a0they, and\u00a0we. In the following sentences, the subject is underlined once.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Malik<\/span> is the project manager for this project. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">He<\/span> will give us our assignments.<\/div>\n<p>In these sentences, the subject is a person:\u00a0Malik. The pronoun\u00a0He\u00a0replaces and refers back to\u00a0Malik.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">The <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">computer lab<\/span> is where we will work. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">It<\/span> will be open twenty-four hours a day.<\/div>\n<p>In the first sentence, the subject is a place:\u00a0computer lab. In the second sentence, the pronoun\u00a0It\u00a0substitutes for\u00a0computer lab\u00a0as the subject.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">The <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">project<\/span> will run for three weeks. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">It<\/span> will have a quick turnaround.<\/div>\n<p>In the first sentence, the subject is a thing:\u00a0project. In the second sentence, the pronoun\u00a0It\u00a0stands in for the\u00a0project.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p>Tip: In this chapter, please refer to the following grammar key:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Subjects<\/span> are underlined once.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Verbs<\/span> are underlined twice.<\/li>\n<li>LV means linking verb; HV means helping verb; V means action verb.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Compound Subjects<\/h2>\n<p>A sentence may have more than one person, place, or thing as the subject. These subjects are called\u00a0<b>compound\u00a0subjects<\/b>. Compound subjects are useful when you want to discuss several subjects at once.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Desmond<\/span> and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Maria<\/span> have been working on that design for almost a year.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Books<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">magazines<\/span>, and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">online articles<\/span> are all good resources.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>In the first sentence, the subjects are <em>Desmond<\/em> and <em>Maria<\/em>. In the second sentence, <em>books<\/em>, <em>magazines<\/em>, and <em>online articles<\/em> are the subjects.<\/p>\n<h1>Prepositional Phrases<\/h1>\n<p>You will often read a sentence that has more than one noun or pronoun in it. You may encounter a group of words that includes a\u00a0<b>preposition<\/b>\u00a0with a noun or a pronoun. Prepositions connect a noun, pronoun, or verb to another word that describes or modifies that noun, pronoun, or verb. Common prepositions include\u00a0in,\u00a0on,\u00a0under,\u00a0near,\u00a0by,\u00a0with, and\u00a0about. A group of words that begin with a preposition is called a\u00a0<b>prepositional\u00a0phrase<\/b>. A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and modifies or describes a word. It cannot act as the subject of a sentence. The following phrases inside curly brackets are examples of prepositional phrases.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">We went {on a business trip}. That restaurant {with the famous pizza} was on the way. We stopped {for lunch}.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>The prepositional phrases in this example include <em>on a business trip<\/em>, <em>with the famous pizza<\/em>, and <em>for lunch<\/em>.<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Self-Practice Exercise 3.1<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<div id=\"h5p-28\">\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-28\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"28\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"3.1 Subjects and Prepositional Phrases\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pdf\">\n<p><strong>H5P:<\/strong> Circle the subject of the sentence. If the subject is compound, circle all the words relevant to the subject. You can ignore articles and conjunctions. Underline any prepositional phrases in the sentence. Underline words that make up the prepositional phrase. Ignore articles: click only the prepositions and their objects.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The gym is open until nine o\u2019clock tonight.<\/li>\n<li>The student with the most extra credit will win a homework pass.<\/li>\n<li>Maya and Tia found an abandoned cat by the side of the road.<\/li>\n<li>The driver of that pickup truck skidded on the ice.<\/li>\n<li>Anita won the race with time to spare.<\/li>\n<li>The people who work for that company were surprised about the merger.<\/li>\n<li>Working in haste means that you are more likely to make mistakes.<\/li>\n<li>The soundtrack has over 60 songs in languages from around the world.<\/li>\n<li>His latest invention does not work, but it has inspired the rest of us.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">\n<h1>Verbs<\/h1>\n<p>Once you locate the subject of a sentence, you can move on to the next part of a complete sentence: the\u00a0<b>verb<\/b>. A verb is often an action word that shows what the subject is doing. A verb can also link the subject to a describing word. There are three types of verbs that you can use in a sentence: action verbs, linking verbs, or helping verbs.<\/p>\n<h2>Action Verbs<\/h2>\n<p>A verb that connects the subject to an action is called an\u00a0<b>action\u00a0verb<\/b>. An action verb answers the question\u00a0what is the subject doing?\u00a0In the following sentences, the words underlined twice are action verbs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p>The dog <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">barked<\/span> at the jogger.<\/p>\n<p>He <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">gave<\/span> a short speech before we ate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Barked<\/em> and <em>gave<\/em> are action verbs.<\/p>\n<h2>Linking Verbs<\/h2>\n<p>A verb can often connect the subject of the sentence to a describing word. This type of verb is called a\u00a0<b>linking\u00a0verb<\/b>\u00a0because it links the subject to a describing word. In the following sentences, the words underlined twice are linking verbs.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p>The coat <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">was<\/span> old and dirty.<\/p>\n<p>The clock <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">seemed<\/span> broken.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Was<\/em> and <em>seemed<\/em> are linking verbs.<\/p>\n<p>If you have trouble telling the difference between action verbs and linking verbs, remember:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An action verb shows that the subject is doing something.<\/li>\n<li>A linking verb simply connects the subject to another word that describes or modifies the subject.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A few verbs can be used as either action verbs or linking verbs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p>Action verb: The boy <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">looked<\/span> for his glove.<\/p>\n<p>Linking verb: The boy <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">looked<\/span> tired.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Although both sentences use the same verb, the two sentences have completely different meanings. In the first sentence, the verb describes the boy\u2019s action. In the second sentence, the verb describes the boy\u2019s appearance.<\/p>\n<h2>Helping Verbs<\/h2>\n<p>A third type of verb you may use as you write is a\u00a0<b>helping\u00a0verb<\/b>. Helping verbs are verbs that are used with the main verb to describe a mood or tense. Helping verbs are usually a form of\u00a0be,\u00a0do, or\u00a0have. The word\u00a0can\u00a0is also used as a helping verb.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">The restaurant <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">is known<\/span> for its variety of dishes.<\/div>\n<p><em>Is <\/em> is the helping verb. <em>Known<\/em> is the main verb.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">She <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">does speak up<\/span> when prompted in class.<\/div>\n<p><em>Does<\/em> is the helping verb. <em>Speak up <\/em>is the main verb.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">We <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">have seen<\/span> that movie three times.<\/div>\n<p><em>Have<\/em> is the helping verb. <em>Seen <\/em>is the main verb.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">They <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">can tell<\/span> when someone walks on their lawn.<\/div>\n<p><em>Can <\/em>is the helping verb. <em>Tell<\/em> is the main verb.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p>Tip: Whenever you write or edit sentences, keep the subject and verb in mind. As you write, ask yourself these questions to keep yourself on track:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Subject:\u00a0Who or what is the sentence about?<\/li>\n<li>Verb: Which word shows an action or links the subject to a description?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Self-Practice Exercise 3.2<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<div id=\"h5p-29\">\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-29\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"29\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"3.2 Verbs\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pdf\">\n<p><strong>H5P:\u00a0<\/strong>Please circle on all the verbs in the sentences below. If the very uses two words, circle on both.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The cat sounds ready to come back inside.<\/li>\n<li>We have not eaten dinner yet.<\/li>\n<li>It took four people to move the broken down car.<\/li>\n<li>The book was filled with notes from class.<\/li>\n<li>We walked from room to room, inspecting for damages.<\/li>\n<li>Harold was expecting a package in the mail.<\/li>\n<li>The clothes still felt damp even though they had been through the dryer twice.<\/li>\n<li>The teacher who runs the studio is often praised for his restoration work on old masterpieces.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Name the type of verb used in each sentence. Use V for action verbs, LV for linking verbs, and HV for helping verbs. The blank comes after each verb.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The cat sounds ready to come back inside.<\/li>\n<li>We have not eaten dinner yet.<\/li>\n<li>It took four people to move the broken down car.<\/li>\n<li>The book was filled with notes from class.<\/li>\n<li>We walked from room to room, inspecting for damages.<\/li>\n<li>Harold was expecting a package in the mail.<\/li>\n<li>The clothes still felt damp even though they had been through the dryer twice.<\/li>\n<li>The teacher who runs the studio is often praised for his restoration work on old masterpieces.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>Sentence Structure (Including Fragments)<\/h1>\n<p>Now that you know what makes a complete sentence\u2014a subject and a verb\u2014you can use other parts of speech to build on this basic structure. Good writers use a variety of sentence structures to make their work more interesting. This section covers different sentence structures that you can use to make longer, more complex sentences.<\/p>\n<h2>Sentence Patterns<\/h2>\n<p>Six basic subject-verb patterns can enhance your writing. A sample sentence is provided for each pattern. As you read each sentence, take note of where each part of the sentence falls. Notice that some sentence patterns use action verbs and others use linking verbs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">\n<div id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s01\" class=\"section\">\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Subject \u2013 Verb<\/h3>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Computers<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">hum<\/span>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s02\" class=\"section\">\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Subject \u2013 Linking Verb \u2013 Noun<\/h3>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Computers<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">are<\/span> tools.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s03\" class=\"section\">\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Subject \u2013 Linking Verb \u2013 Adjective<\/h3>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Computers<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">are<\/span> expensive.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s04\" class=\"section\">\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Subject \u2013 Verb \u2013 Adverb<\/h3>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Computers<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">calculate<\/span> quickly.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s05\" class=\"section\">\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Subject \u2013 Verb \u2013 Direct Object<\/h3>\n<p id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s05_p01\" class=\"para editable block\">When you write a sentence with a direct object (DO), make sure that the DO receives the action of the verb.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Sally<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">rides<\/span> a motorcycle.<\/div>\n<div><em>Sally<\/em> is the subject. <em>Rides <\/em>is the verb. <em>A motorcycle<\/em> is the direct object.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Subject \u2013 Verb \u2013 Indirect Object \u2013 Direct Object<\/h3>\n<p id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s01_s06_p01\" class=\"para editable block\">In this sentence structure, an <span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">indirect object<\/a> <\/span>explains <em class=\"emphasis\">to whom<\/em> or <em class=\"emphasis\">to what<\/em> the action is being done. The indirect object is a noun or pronoun, and it comes before the direct object in a sentence.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">My coworker<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">gave<\/span> me the reports.<\/div>\n<p><em>My coworker <\/em>is the subject. <em>Gave<\/em> is the verb. <em>Me<\/em> is the indirect object. <em>Reports<\/em> is the direct object.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Self-Practice Exercise 3.3<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<div id=\"h5p-30\">\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-30\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"30\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"3.3 Parts of Speech\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pdf\">\n<p><strong>H5P:\u00a0<\/strong>Fill in the blanks to the right of each word to indicate its part of speech. Use <strong>S<\/strong> for subject, <strong>V<\/strong> for verb, N for noun, <strong>LV<\/strong> for linking verb, <strong>ADJ<\/strong> for adjective, <strong>ADV<\/strong> for adverb, <strong>DO<\/strong> for direct object, <strong>IO<\/strong> for indirect object.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>John ____ runs ____ .<\/li>\n<li>John ____ is ____ an athlete ____ .<\/li>\n<li>John ____ is ____ hurt ____ .<\/li>\n<li>John ____ heals ____ quickly ____ .<\/li>\n<li>John ____ buys ____ a bicycle ____ .<\/li>\n<li>John ____ gives ____ me ____ his running shoes ____ .<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">Fragments<\/h2>\n<div class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">The sentences you have encountered so far have been independent clauses. As you look more closely at your past writing assignments, you may notice that some of your sentences are not complete. A sentence that is missing a subject or a verb is called a\u00a0<b>fragment<\/b>. A fragment may include a description or may express part of an idea, but it does not express a complete thought.<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">Fragment:\u00a0Children helping in the kitchen.<\/li>\n<li class=\"putting-ideas-into-your-own-words-and-paragraphs\">Complete sentence:\u00a0Children helping in the kitchen\u00a0often make a mess.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can easily fix a fragment by adding the missing subject or verb. In the example, the sentence was missing a verb. Adding\u00a0often make a mess\u00a0creates an S-V-N sentence structure. Figure 3.1 illustrates how you can edit a fragment to become a complete sentence.<a id=\"retfig3.1\" class=\"internal\"><\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_46\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a class=\"internal\" href=\"http:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/writingforsuccess\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/107\/2015\/07\/editing-fragments.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-44 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2021\/09\/editing-fragments-e1437588482642.png\" alt=\"editing fragments\" width=\"600\" height=\"757\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2021\/09\/editing-fragments-e1437588482642.png 600w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2021\/09\/editing-fragments-e1437588482642-238x300.png 238w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2021\/09\/editing-fragments-e1437588482642-65x82.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2021\/09\/editing-fragments-e1437588482642-225x284.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2021\/09\/editing-fragments-e1437588482642-350x442.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-46\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 3.1 Editing Fragments That Are Missing a Subject or a Verb <a class=\"internal\" href=\"#fig3.1\">[Figure 3.1 Image description]<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>See whether you can identify what is missing in the following fragments.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fragment: Told her about the broken vase.<\/li>\n<li>Complete sentence: I told her about the broken vase.<\/li>\n<li>Complete sentence:\u00a0The store down on Main Street\u00a0sells music.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Common Sentence Errors<\/h1>\n<p>Fragments often occur because of some common errors, such as starting a sentence with a preposition, a dependent word, an\u00a0infinitive, or a\u00a0gerund. If you use the six basic sentence patterns when you write, you should be able to avoid these errors and thus avoid writing fragments.<\/p>\n<p>When you see a preposition, check to see that it is part of a sentence containing a subject and a verb. If it is not connected to a complete sentence, it is a fragment, and you will need to fix this type of fragment by combining it with another sentence. You can add the prepositional phrase to the end of the sentence. If you add it to the beginning of the other sentence, insert a comma after the prepositional phrase. Look at the examples. Figure 3.2 illustrates how you can edit a fragment that begins with a preposition.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p>Example A:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> After walking over two miles. John remembered his wallet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> After walking over two miles, John remembered his wallet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> John remembered his wallet <del><\/del>after walking over two miles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p class=\"simpara\">Example B<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> The dog growled at the vacuum cleaner. When it was switched on.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> When the vacuum cleaner was switched on, the dog growled.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> The dog growled at the vacuum cleaner when it was switched on.<a id=\"retfig3.2\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_46\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a class=\"internal\" href=\"http:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/writingforsuccess\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/107\/2015\/07\/editing-fragments2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-45 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-fragments2-e1437588869832.png\" alt=\"editing fragments2\" width=\"600\" height=\"806\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-fragments2-e1437588869832.png 600w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-fragments2-e1437588869832-223x300.png 223w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-fragments2-e1437588869832-65x87.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-fragments2-e1437588869832-225x302.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-fragments2-e1437588869832-350x470.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-46\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 3.2 Editing Fragments That Begin with a Preposition <a class=\"internal\" href=\"#fig3.2\">[Figure 3.2 Image Description]<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Clauses that start with a\u00a0<b>dependent<\/b>\u00a0word\u2014such as\u00a0since,\u00a0because,\u00a0without, or unless\u2014are similar to prepositional phrases. Like prepositional phrases, these clauses can be fragments if they are not connected to an independent clause containing a subject and a verb. To fix the problem, you can add such<\/p>\n<p>a fragment to the beginning or end of a sentence. If the fragment is added at the beginning of a sentence, add a comma after it before the independent clause.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> Because we lost power. The entire family overslept.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> Because we lost power, the entire family overslept.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> The entire family overslept because we lost power.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Incorrect:<\/strong> He has been seeing a physical therapist. Since his accident.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> Since his accident, he has been seeing a physical therapist.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Correct:<\/strong> He has been seeing a physical therapist since his accident.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>When you encounter a word ending in\u00a0-ing\u00a0in a sentence, identify whether it is being used as a verb in the sentence. You may also look for a helping verb. If the word is not used as a verb or if no helping verb is used with the\u00a0-ing\u00a0verb form, the verb is being used as a noun. An\u00a0-ing\u00a0verb form used as a noun is called a <b>gerund<\/b>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"mcleanbuseng-ch01_s01_s02_s02_s01_if05\" class=\"informalfigure large block\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<ul>\n<li>Verb: I <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">was working<\/span> on homework until midnight.<\/li>\n<li>Noun: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Working<\/span> until midnight makes me tired the next morning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Once you know whether the\u00a0-ing\u00a0word is acting as a noun or a verb, look at the rest of the sentence. Does the entire sentence make sense on its own? If not, what you are looking at is a fragment. You will need to either add the parts of speech that are missing or combine the fragment with a nearby sentence. Figure 3.3 illustrates how to edit fragments that begin with a gerund.<a id=\"retfig3.3\" class=\"internal\"><\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_46\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-46\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-e1437594317295.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"873\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-e1437594317295.png 600w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-e1437594317295-206x300.png 206w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-e1437594317295-65x95.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-e1437594317295-225x327.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1819\/2022\/11\/editing-e1437594317295-350x509.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-46\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 3.3 Editing Fragments That Begin with Gerunds <a class=\"internal\" href=\"#fig3.3\">[Figure 3.3 Image Description]<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<ul>\n<li>Incorrect: Congratulating the entire team. Sarah raised her glass to toast their success.<\/li>\n<li>Correct: She was congratulating the entire team. Sarah raised her glass to toast their success.<\/li>\n<li>Correct:\u00a0Congratulating the entire team,\u00a0Sarah raised her glass to toast their success.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Another error in sentence construction is a fragment that begins with an infinitive. An<b> infinitive<\/b> is a verb paired with the word\u00a0to; for example,\u00a0to run,\u00a0to write, or\u00a0to reach. Although infinitives are verbs, they can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. You can correct a fragment that begins with an infinitive by either combining it with another sentence or adding the parts of speech that are missing.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Incorrect:\u00a0We needed to make 300 more paper cranes. To reach the one thousand mark.<\/li>\n<li>Correct:\u00a0We needed to make 300 more paper cranes\u00a0to\u00a0reach the one thousand mark.<\/li>\n<li>Correct:\u00a0We needed to make 300 more paper cranes.\u00a0We wanted to\u00a0reach the one thousand mark.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Self-Practice Exercise 3.4<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<div id=\"h5p-31\">\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-31\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"31\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"3.4 Fragments\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pdf\">\n<p><strong>H5P:<\/strong> Mark all of the fragments in the list of sentences below.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Unless the ground thaws before spring break.<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019ll find what you need if you look.<\/li>\n<li>On the shelf next to the potted plant.<\/li>\n<li>Working without taking a break.<\/li>\n<li>We try to get as much work done as we can in an hour.<\/li>\n<li>I needed to bring work home.<\/li>\n<li>We won\u2019t be planting any tulips this year.<\/li>\n<li>In order to meet the deadline.<\/li>\n<li>Deidre scoured the classifieds each day.<\/li>\n<li>To find the perfect apartment.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Image Descriptions<\/h3>\n<p><strong><a id=\"fig3.1\" class=\"internal\"><\/a>A decision tree for editing sentence fragments that are missing a subject or a verb:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Does the sentence contain a subject?\n<ul>\n<li>If yes, go to #2.<\/li>\n<li>If no, the sentence is a fragment. Add a subject to make it a complete sentence. Then go to #2.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Does the sentence contain a verb?\n<ul>\n<li>If yes, the sentence is a complete sentence.<\/li>\n<li>If no, the sentence is a fragment. Add a verb to make it a complete sentence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a class=\"internal\" href=\"#retfig3.1\">[Return to Figure 3.1]<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><a id=\"fig3.2\" class=\"internal\"><\/a>A decision tree for editing fragments that begin with a preposition:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Can you find a preposition or prepositional phrase?<\/li>\n<li>Can you find a subject?\n<ul>\n<li>If yes, go to #3.<\/li>\n<li>If no, go to #4.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Can you find a verb?\n<ul>\n<li>If yes, the sentence is a complete sentence.<\/li>\n<li>If no, go to #4.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">The phrase is a fragment. Combine the prepositional phrase with another sentence. Add the prepositional phrase to the end of the combined sentence or add the prepositional phrase to the beginning of the combined sentence and add a comma after the prepositional phrase.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a class=\"internal\" href=\"#retfig3.2\">[Return to Figure 3.2]<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><a id=\"fig3.3\" class=\"internal\"><\/a>A decision tree for editing fragments that begin with a gerund:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Does the phrase contain a word that ends in -ing?<\/li>\n<li>Does the -ing word have a helping verb?\n<ul>\n<li>If yes, the -ing word is a verb. Go to<\/li>\n<li>If no, the -ing word is a gerund, a noun.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Does the phrase make sense on its own?\n<ul>\n<li>If yes, the sentence is a complete sentence.<\/li>\n<li>If no, go to #4.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The phrase is a fragment. Correct by adding the missing part of speech or correct by combining with a nearby sentence.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a class=\"internal\" href=\"#retfig3.3\">[Return to Figure 3.3]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1762,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-47","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":167,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/47","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1762"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/47\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":169,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/47\/revisions\/169"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/167"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/47\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=47"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=47"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalwriting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=47"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}