Unit Three: Common Sentence Errors

Objectives
At the end of this unit, you will be able to:
 identify the common sentence errors;
 correct common sentence errors;
 Write error free sentences.
 3.1 Fragment
• A fragment is a phrase or a dependent clause standing as if it were
a sentence. It is a collection of words which does not express a
complete thought. Examples follow.
1. When Osman graduated from Defense Engineering College. He
joined METEC. DC Frag
2. The American drone which fell in Somaliland. The drone was
retrieved by Ethiopian army. DC Frag
3. Some Engineering students at AASTU buy very expensive gadgets.
To impress their classmates. Phrase frag
4. Ethiopia is striving hard to attract foreign investors too. But could
not achieve as desired. Frag lacking subj
5. The mechanic wearing jeans overalls. He is the owner of the
garage. Gerund frag
 Exercise 3. 1: Identify the types of fragment and
Correct them in the following pairs of sentences.

1. The contemporary generation is adept at using complicated

gadgets. Such as X BOX and Play Station. They can easily
adapt themselves with the latest innovations.
2. Sofia is the most intelligent student in Hydraulic
Department. So recruited to be a graduate assistant.
3. Although many universities graduate engineers every year.
Graduates from ASTU will be more privileged in the near
future.
4. The Ministry of Education has summoned all the university
presidents. To brief them on the planned Engineering
Education overhaul.
 3.2 Run-on Sentence
• Run-on refers to the error of two independent clauses mistakenly put together
without any separating punctuation or linking device between them. Here is an
example.
• Run-on: The new lab technician instituted several procedures some were
impractical.
• Revised:
 The new lab technician instituted several procedures. Some were impractical.
(separation)
 The new lab technician instituted several procedures, but some were impractical.
Coordination 1
 The new lab technician instituted several procedures; however, some were
impractical. Coordination 2
 The new lab technician instituted several procedures although some were
impractical. Subordination
 Although the new lab technician instituted several procedures, some were
impractical. Subordination
 Activity
Revise the following run-ons.
1. Lensa was well prepared for the examination she
scored every low grade.
2. Learning a new language is similar to learning to
swim it takes a lot of practice.

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 3.3 Comma Splice
• Comma splice is a form of run-on sentence in
which two independent clauses are separated
with a comma alone.
• The office engineer refused to sign on the
delivery document, some of the aluminum
frames were not up to standard.
• Computerized grammar checkers do not catch
every error, however, they may be useful as a
first check before an editor reads the material.
 3.4 Misplaced Modifier
Q 1. What are the modifiers in each sentence below?
2. Which position is appropriate for the modifier in the
following sentences?
a) The slab in the first floor nearly was broken.
b) A national stadium has been built by a Chinese contractor
with sixty thousand seats.
c) Almost all Architecture Department students have bought
laptop computers that learn at Adama Science and
Technology University.
e) The two engineers talked quietly in the lobby room drinking
wine.
 Exercise 3: Rewrite the following sentences by
placing the modifiers at the appropriate position.

1. The labourers at the construction site nearly

worked for ten hours a day.
2. The slab was reinforced before it broke down
by the site engineers.
3. The engineers built a prefabricated house
near the site that had two bed rooms.
4. The site engineer was supervising the
buildings wearing yellow helmet.
 3.5 Dangling Modifiers
Brainstorming questions
• Take a closer look at the following sentences which
have dangling modifiers. Then define dangling
modifier in your own words. Can you revise them?
1. At the age of ten my family moved to Bale.
2. While watching television, the cake was burnt.
3. Scoring an "A" the test was successfully passed.
4. Escaping from prison, the Adama police captured
the two prisoners.
5. At the age of five, my mother used to tell me
bedtime stories.
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 Definition of dangling modifier

• A phrase or a clause is described as dangling,

hanging or misrelated
– when it is inappropriately attached to a word or
– when it is not related structurally to any part of
the sentence.

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 EXERCISE :Identify the errors in the sentences
below and correct them
1. Mr. Yassin Arafat was born in Jerusalem who was
the first president of Palestine.
2. Having prepared thoroughly, the exam was easy for
me.
3. Sofia is the most intelligent student in Hydraulic
Department. So recruited to be a graduate
assistant.
4. Samri is a hard working student, his parents do not
commend his diligence.
5. Do not buy Chinese made vehicles their
maintenance cost is expensive
 3.6 Faulty Parallelism (FP)
Examples:
1. FP: Designing a product is more demanding
than to develop the prototype of a product.
Parallel: Designing a product is more demanding
than developing the prototype of a product.
2. Faulty: This product is sturdy, light and costs very
little. FP
Parallel: This product is sturdy, light and inexpensive.
 Correcting Faulty Parallelism

A. Sentence elements coordinated in rank should

be parallel in structure. Noun should be
matched with noun, verb with verb, phrase
with phrase, and clause with clause.
e.g. Hailu likes to swim and singing. (unparallel)
Revised: Hailu likes swimming and singing.
Revised: Hailu likes to swim and to sing.

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 Correcting Parallelism error

• Make sure that each element in a series is similar in

form and structure to all others in the same series.
1. He has worked as a camp counselor, tennis coach, and
has served as a bank teller.
Revised: He has worked as a camp counselor, tennis
coach, and bank teller.
2. That TV play was dramatic, exciting, and had an
involved plot.
Revised: That TV play was dramatic, exciting, and
involved in plot.
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 Correcting Faulty Parallelism

• C. The same structural form should not be used for

sentence elements of unequal value.
Ineffective parallelism:
a) They left quickly, and they had a good automobile
b) For your sake, for $25 I will assist you.
Improved forms:
a) They left quickly in a good automobile.
b) For your sake, I will assist you to the extent of $25.

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 Correcting Faulty Parallelism

D. Sentence elements following correlative conjunctions should

be parallel in form
Faulty:
a) Either you can read the story at the library or in your own
room.
b) Not only when I am tire but also sick, I like to watch TV.
Improved form:
a) You can read the story either at the library or in your own
room.
b) I like to watch TV not only when I am tired but also when I am
sick.
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 Practice Activity
Revise the following sentences, rewording as necessary
to express coordinate ideas in parallel grammatical
form.
1. He is either visiting the buildings or work in his office.
2. Studying a little each day is more effective than to cram.
3. Many old people fear loneliness, becoming ill, and
poverty.
4. The principal often pestered students, yelled at
teachers, and was interrupting classes.

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 Session 3
• Presentation
 Session 3
3. 7 Faulty Reference of Pronoun (FRP)
3.8 shift
3.9 faulty SVA
 3. 7 Faulty Reference of Pronoun (FRP)
• Faulty pronoun reference error occurs in two situations:
i. when you have two or more ambiguous antecedent references
ii. When you use a pronoun for an implied but not clearly stated
antecedent noun.
1. When Chaltu kept her cell phone on the LED TV set, it broke.
(What(antecedent ) is broken, cellphone or LED TV set? ) it is ambigous.
 So it is better to revise it as follows:
When Chaltu kept her cell phone on the LED TV set, the phone
broke.
 When Chaltu kept her cell phone on the LED TV set, the LED TV
set broke.
 Exercise 6:
Correct the following faulty references of pronouns.

1. Take the toner out of the printer, and fix it.

2. When Adem Baidoa met an Ethiopian
astronaut, Dr. Abiy Salehu at NASA Center he
was so delighted.
 3.8 Shift
Guiding questions
1. What does shift mean?
2. How does shift error occur in sentences.
3. What are types of shift?
 Shift cont’d
Key terms:
• A shift refers to unnecessary change in pronouns or
verbs within a sentence or a paragraph.
• Point of view expresses the perspective from which
something is written.
• a writer should establish a point of view (first, second,
or third person) in the opening clause or sentence and
maintain that point of view consistently throughout his
or her work.
 point of view
• We do have these POV
• whether the pronoun represents or includes the
person or persons actually speaking or writing (“first
person”, e.g. I, we)
• whether the pronoun represents the person or
persons being addressed (“second person”, e.g. you)
• whether the pronoun represents someone or
something other than the speaker/writer or the
listener/reader (“third person”, e.g. he, she, it, they).
• In the following example, an inconsistent point
of view is used because the writer shifts from
referring to teachers impersonally (using
“teachers” and “they”) to referring to them
personally (using “you”).
– Teachers should always prepare carefully for
lessons. They should never walk into class without
knowing what they are going to teach, and you
should never arrive late for class.
 shift in point of view--- the unnecessary change of pronouns
within a sentence or in a paragraph. Here are example
* One of the fringe benefits of my designing job is that you can use
the company’s credit card for accommodation in three star hotels.
S.P.V
 Correct: One of the fringe benefits of my designing job is that I can
use company credit card for accommodation in three star hotels.
* When we enter into the hydraulic lab, you can see a big river
simulator in front of the entrance. S.P.V
 Correct: When we enter into the hydraulic lab, we can see a big
river simulator in front of the entrance.
 Shift cont’d
• Shift in verbs --- unnecessary changes in
tense, voice and mood of verbs within a
sentence or in a paragraph.
• Shift in tense error occurs when you
unnecessarily change the tense of verbs
within a sentence or in a paragraph.
e.g. The site engineer entered into the building, and
she visits the finishing workers on duty
 Shift in Voice

• Shift in voice occurs when you unnecessarily change the voice

of verbs within a sentence or in a paragraph.
• i.e. If you begin a sentence in active voice, you are expected
to use active voice consistently, and if you unnecessarily shift
to passive voice you may confuse your readers.
e.g. The construction workers will drill a succession of holes in
this floor and thin pipes will be extended through the holes.
 Shift in Mood
• mood a set of contrasts which are often shown by the form of the verb and
which express the speaker’s or writer’s attitude to what is said or written. Three
moods have often been distinguished:
1 indicative mood: the form of the verb used in DECLARATIVE SENTENCEs or
QUESTIONs. For example: She sat down. Are you coming?
2 imperative mood: the form of the verb in IMPERATIVE SENTENCEs. For example:
Be quiet! Put it on the table!
In English, imperatives do not have tense or perfect aspect (see ASPECT) but they
may be used in the progressive aspect. For example: Be waiting for me at five.
3 subjunctive mood: the form of the verb often used to express uncertainty, wishes,
desires, etc.
 Shift in mood
• In contrast to the indicative mood, the subjunctive usually refers
to non-factual or hypothetical situations. In English, little use of
the subjunctive forms remains. The only remaining forms are:
– be (present subjunctive), were (past subjunctive) of be
– the stem form, e.g. have, come, sing of other verbs (present
subjunctive only)
• The use of the subjunctive form is still sometimes found in:
– that clauses after certain verbs. For example: It is required that she be
present. I demand that he come at once.
– past subjunctive of be in if clauses. For example: If I were you, I’d go
there.
– in some fixed expressions. For example: So be it.
• Shift in mood error occurs when you unnecessarily
switch from one mood to another in a sentence
which contains more than one verb.
SIM: Stop the car at the lay by, and you will check the
front light.
From what mood to what ?
• Correct: Stop the car at the lay by, and check the
front light.
 Exercise 7: identify and Correct the shifts in the
following sentences. 10’’

1. A student should submit their assignment on time.

2. When we complained about the grading system in
ASTU, you could feel the president’s angry reaction.
3. The electricians fixed all the power transmission
problems in the building, but the leaking pipes were
repaired by the project manager.
4. Read the manual carefully, and you must assemble the
equipment correctly.
5. The engineer explains the design to the owners who
asked questions after the explanation.
 3.9 Faulty agreement
• Brainstorming activity
• Write at least five Subject verb agreement
rules and give examples.
 SVA rules
• Stick to the following conventions to minimize errors in
sentence agreement.
Rule 1. Use the verb ending- s or –es with all third-person
singular subjects in simple present tense.
• Examples:
1. The boy eats.
2. The bird soars.
( Singular subjects and singular verbs.)
3. The boys eat.
4. The birds soar.
( Plural subjects and plural verbs).
 SVA rules
Rule 2: Don’t allow intervening expression to
affect the agreement between subject and verb.
Examples
1. The profits earned by the cosmetic industry
are high. (The subject is ‘profits’ so the verb is
‘are’).
 SVA rules
• Rule 3: phrases like as well as, together with, along
with, in addition to, accompanied by and other
similar expressions do not change the number of the
subject. i.e. the verb agree with first subject.
• Examples:
a) The general manager, together with his assistants,
has visited the new site of the company.
b) The children along with their father were captured.
 SVA rules
Rule 4: When parts of a subject are joined by
‘or’ or ‘nor’, ‘neither’ and ‘nor’, the verb agrees
with the nearest part.
• Examples:
1. Neither the teacher nor the student knows the answer.
2. Neither the coach nor the players were on time.
4. Either she or you are late.
Rule 5: Collective nouns such as army, audience,
committee, crowd, family, group, team, etc. take
singular or plural .
• Example:
1. The group agrees that action is necessary.
2. Any band sounds good in that concert
hall.
 SVA rules
Rule 6: two or more subjects joined by ‘and’ take
a plural verb whether one or all of the subjects
are singular.
• Examples: a) Bealu Girma and Hadis
Alemayehu are my favorite writers.
Exception: when items are considered as a unit.
• Rule 7: Any, anybody,everyone,everybody,and
any other such indefinite pronoun (indefinite
because it isn’t definite whether it’s
singular/plural, masculine/ feminine) is an
antecedent that requires a singular pronoun and
singular verb.
• Will everybody please take his/her seat.
NOT
• Will everybody please take their seats?
• Rule 8: Two or more subjects joined by ‘and’
take a plural verb whether one or all of the
subjects are singular.
Examples:
a. Bealu Girma and Hadis Alemayehu are my
favorite writers.
b. The dog, the monkey, the children, and the
tent were in the car.
• Rule 9: Collective nouns such as army,
audience, committee, crowd, family, group,
team, etc. take singular or plural .
• Example:
1. The group agrees that action is necessary.
2. Any band sounds good in that concert
hall.
 Summary Exercise: Identify the types of faulty
sentences and revise them. 20’’

1. The advantages of Intranets are clear the challenge

is persuading employees to share information.
2. You should not buy the car for its look, you should
consider the availability of spare parts
3. The man who set his foot on moon for the first time.
He is a Russian astronaut.
4. The labourers at the construction site nearly worked
for ten hours a day.
5. When only seven years old, my parents took me to
school.
6. The salary of a civil engineer is larger than a university
lecturer.
7. When we complained about the grading system in
ASTU, you could feel the president’s angry reaction.
8. Brikti told Nigisti that she had won scholarship at
ASTU.
9. Neither the project manager nor the site engineers was
responsible for the delay of the finishing.
10. A number of engineers are graduating from
universities all over the country every year.