大學(xué)英語寫作 4Common Errors in Composing Setences

Part4

CommonErrorsinWritingSentencesThisiswherewelearntocorrecttheerrors/mistakesofoursentences.CommonErrorsThecommonlyseenerrorsinwritingEnglishsentencesincludes:1)fragments(不完整句);2)run-ons(粘連句);3)misplacedmodifiers(修飾語錯位)；4)danglingmodifiers(懸垂修飾語)。CommonErrors

(Fragments不完整句)Thecommonlyseenfragmentsincludes:1)dependent-wordfragments(從屬詞不完整句);2)-ingandto

fragments(現(xiàn)在分詞和不定式不完整句);3)added-detailfragments(附加細(xì)節(jié)不完整句)；4)missing-subjectfragments(主語缺失不完整句).Somewordgroupsthatbeginwithadependentwordmaybefragments.e.g:1)*AfterIcashedmypaycheck.Itreatedmyselftodinner.Revised:

AfterIcashedmypaycheck,Itreatedmyselftodinner.AfterIcashedmypaycheck

andthentreatedmyselftodinner.HowtoCorrect:usingacomma/attachingittoanothersentencebeforeorafterit:Dependent-wordFragments(從屬詞不完整句)e.g:2)*Iwon'tleavethehouse.UntilIhearfromyou.

*Richfinallypickedupthesocks.Thathehadthrownonthefloordaysago.Revised:

Iwon'tleavethehouseuntilIhearfromyou.Richfinallypickedupthesocksthathehadthrownonthefloordaysago.Dependent-wordFragments(從屬詞不完整句)e.g:3)*Idroveslowlytothebrickhouse.TheplacewhereIgrewupRevised:

Idroveslowlytothebrickhouse,theplacewhereIgrewup.Idroveslowlytothebrickhouse,whereIgrewup.Idroveslowlytothebrickhouse,inwhich

Igrewup.Dependent-wordFragments(從屬詞不完整句)Revised:

Iwillwaittohearfromyou.HowtoCorrect:Deletethedependentwordandrewritethesentence:e.g:4)*Iwon'tleavethehouse.UntilIhearfromyou.Dependent-wordFragments(從屬詞不完整句)Dependent-wordFragments(從屬詞不完整句)Exercises:*Myfather,asalesman,wasontheroadallweek.Wehadagreattimeplayingfootballinthehouse.Untilhecamehomefortheweekend.*AfterIgottoclass.Irealizedmyreportwasstillonthekitchentable.Ihadbeenworkingtherethenightbefore.Answers:

Myfather,asalesman,wasontheroadallweek.Wehadagreattimeplayingfootballinthehouse

untilhecamehomefortheweekend.AfterIgottoclass,IrealizedmyreportwasstillonthekitchentablewhereIhadbeenworkingtherethenightbefore.Whenan-ing/towordappearat/nearthebeginningofawordgroup,afragmentmayresult.Peoplesometimeswrite-ing/tofragmentsbecausetheythinkthatthesubjectofonesentencewillworkforthenextwordgroupaswell.e.g:1)Wesatbacktowatchthemovie.Notexpectinganythingspecial.Tooursurprise,weclapped,cheeredandcriedforthenexttwohours.2)AttheChineserestaurant,Timusedchopsticks.Toimpresshisdate,hespentonehoureatingasmallbowlofrice.-ingandto

Fragments

(現(xiàn)在分詞和不定式不完整句)Howtocorrect-ing/tofragments:e.g:*Wesatbacktowatchthemovie.Notexpectinganythingspecial.Tooursurprise,weclapped,cheeredandcriedforthenexttwohours.1)Attachthefragmenttothesentencebefore/afterit,whichevermakessense.Revised:Wesatbacktowatchthemovie,notexpectinganythingspecial.Tooursurprise,weclapped,cheeredandcriedforthenexttwohours.-ingandto

Fragments

(現(xiàn)在分詞和不定式不完整句)Howtocorrect-ing/tofragments:e.g:*AttheChineserestaurant,Timusedchopsticks.Toimpresshisdate.Hespentonehoureatingasmallbowlofrice.1)Attachthefragmenttothesentencebefore/afterit,whichevermakessense.Revised:

AttheChineserestaurant,Timusedchopsticks.Toimpresshisdate,hespentonehoureatingasmallbowlofrice..-ingandto

Fragments

(現(xiàn)在分詞和不定式不完整句)-ingandto

Fragments

(現(xiàn)在分詞和不定式不完整句)Howtocorrect-ingfragments:e.g:*Wesatbacktowatchthemovie.Notexpectinganythingspecial.Tooursurprise,weclapped,cheeredandcriedforthenexttwohours.2)Addasubject

andchangethe-ingverbparttothecorrectformoftheverb.Revised:Wesatbacktowatchthemovie.And

we

didnotexpectanythingspecial.Tooursurprise,weclapped,cheeredandcriedforthenexttwohours.-ingandto

Fragments

(現(xiàn)在分詞和不定式不完整句)Howtocorrect-ingfragments:e.g:*Icalledtheballoon.Itbeingthedaybeforeourweddinganniversary.Iknewmywifewouldbesurprisedtoreceivetheheart-shapedballoon.3)Changebeingtothecorrectformoftheverbbe(am,is,are,was,are,etc,).Revised:Icalledtheballoon.Itwas

thedaybeforeourweddinganniversary.Iknewmywifewouldbesurprisedtoreceivetheheart-shapedballoon.Added-DetailFragments(附加細(xì)節(jié)不完整句)

Added-detailfragmentslackasubjectandaverb.Theyoftenbeginwiththewordlike:also,especially,except,forexample,like,including,suchas,etc,.e.g:1)*Beforearace,Ieatstarchy(含淀粉的)food.Suchasbreadandfriedchips.Theyprovidequickenergy.2)*Mysonkeepsseveralpetsinhisroom.Includingrabbitsandmice.3)*Bobistakinganightcourseinautomechanics.Also,oneinplumbing(水暖設(shè)備).Hewantstosavemoneyonhouseholdrepairs.Howtocorrectadded-detailfragments:e.g:*Beforearace,Ieatstarchy(含淀粉的)food.Suchasbreadandfriedchips.Theyprovidequickenergy.1)Attachthefragmenttotheprecedingsentence.Revised:Beforearace,Ieatstarchyfoodsuchasbreadandfriedchips.Theyprovidequickenergy.Added-DetailFragments(附加細(xì)節(jié)不完整句)Howtocorrectadded-detailfragments:e.g:*Bobistakinganightcourseinautomechanics.Also,oneinplumbing(水暖設(shè)備).Hewantstosavemoneyonhouseholdrepairs.2)Addasubjectandaverbtothefragmenttomakeitacompletesentence.Revised:Bobistakinganightcourseinautomechanics.Also,heistakingoneinplumbing(水暖設(shè)備).Hewantstosavemoneyonhouseholdrepairs.Added-DetailFragments(附加細(xì)節(jié)不完整句)Howtocorrectadded-detailfragments:e.g:*Mysonkeepsseveralpetsinhisroom.Includingrabbitsandmice.3)Insertthefragmentwithintheprecedingsentence.Revised:Mysonkeepsseveralpets,includingrabbitsandmice,

inhisroom.Added-DetailFragments(附加細(xì)節(jié)不完整句)Missing-SubjectFragments(主語缺失不完整句)

Amissing-subjectfragmentisagroupofwordwhichlacksasubject.

e.g:1)*Marylovedgettingweddingpresent.Buthatedwritingthank-younote.2)*Mickeyhassodaandchipsforbreakfast.Theneatsmorejunkfood,likerootbeer(根汁啤酒)andcookiesforlunch.3)*Lastterm,Itooksixcourses.Andworkedpart-timeinasupermarket.Nowthatthetermisover,Idon'knowhowIdidit.Howtocorrectmissing-Subjectfragments:e.g:*Marylovedgettingweddingpresent.Buthatedwritingthank-younote.1)Attachthefragmenttotheprecedingsentence.Revised:Marylovedgettingweddingpresentbuthatedwritingthank-younote.

Missing-SubjectFragments(附加細(xì)節(jié)不完整句)Howtocorrectmissing-Subjectfragments:e.g:*Mickeyhassodaandchipsforbreakfast.Theneatsmorejunkfood,likerootbeer(根汁啤酒)andcookiesforlunch.2)Addasubject[whichoftenisapronoun(代詞)standingforthesubjectintheprecedingsentence].Revised:Mickeyhassodaandchipsforbreakfast.Thenhe

eatsmorejunkfood,likerootbeer(根汁啤酒)andcookiesforlunch.Added-DetailFragments(附加細(xì)節(jié)不完整句)Howtocorrectmissing-Subjectfragments:e.g:*Lastterm,Itooksixcourses.Andworkedpart-timeinasupermarket.Nowthatthetermisover,Idon'knowhowIdidit.2)Addasubject[whichoftenisapronoun(代詞)standingforthesubjectintheprecedingsentence].Revised:Lastterm,Itooksixcourses.AndIworkedpart-timeinasupermarket.Nowthatthetermisover,Idon'knowhowIdidit.Added-DetailFragments(附加細(xì)節(jié)不完整句)HowtoCheckforSentenceFragments?1)Readaloudfromthelastsentencetothefirst,Youwillbebetterabletoseeandhearwhetheritiscompleteornot.2)Ifyouthinkawordgroupmaybeafragment,askyourself:Doesitcontainasubjectandaverbandexpressacompletethought?3)Morespecifically,checkthemostcommonlyseenfragmenttypes:a)dependent-wordfragments,b)-ingandto

fragments,c)added-detailfragments,ord)missing-subjectfragments.Rub-ons(粘連句)

Arun-onistwocompletethoughtsthatareputtogetherwithnoadequatesigngiventomarkthebreakbetweenthem.Fusedsentences:somerun-onshavenopunctuationatalltomarkthebreakbetweenthethoughts.e.g:

*ThebusstoppedsuddenlyIspilledcoffeeallovermyshirt.*Marytoldeveryoneintheroomtobequietherfavoriteshowwason.Rub-ons(粘連句)

Arun-onistwocompletethoughtsthatareputtogetherwithnoadequatesigngiventomarkthebreakbetweenthem.CommaSplices:acomma(逗號)isusedtoconnect,orsplice,thetwocompletethoughtstogether.e.g:

*Thebusstoppedsuddenly,Ispilledcoffeeallovermyshirt.*Marytoldeveryoneintheroomtobequiet,herfavoriteshowwason.HowtoCorrectRun-ons?1)Useaperiodandacapitallettertobreakthetwocompletethoughtsintoseparatesentences.e.g:

*Thebusstoppedsuddenly.Ispilledcoffeeallovermyshirt.*Marytoldeveryoneintheroomtobequiet.Herfavoriteshowwason.HowtoCorrectRun-ons?2)Useacommaplusajoiningword

(and,but,for,or,nor,so,yet)toconnectthetwocompletethoughts.e.g:

*Thebusstoppedsuddenly,andIspilledcoffeeallovermyshirt.*Marytoldeveryoneintheroomtobequiet,forherfavoriteshowwason.HowtoCorrectRun-ons?3)Useasemicolontoconnectthetwocompletethoughts.e.g:

*Thebusstoppedsuddenly;Ispilledcoffeeallovermyshirt.*Marytoldeveryoneintheroomtobequiet;herfavoriteshowwason.HowtoCorrectRun-ons?4)Usesubordination(從屬句).e.g:

*Becausethebusstoppedsuddenly,Ispilledcoffeeallovermyshirt.*Marytoldeveryoneintheroomtobequietfor/becauseherfavoriteshowwason.MisplacedModifiers(修飾語錯位)

Misplacedmodifiersarewordsthatdonotdescribewhatthewriterwantedthemtodescribebecauseofincorrectplacement.Amisplacedmodifiercanmakeasentenceconfusingorfunny.e.g:

*Georgecouldn'tdrivetoworkinhissmallcarbecauseofabrokenleg.(Thecarhadabrokenleg?)*Thespeakerdiscussedtheproblemofcrowdedprisonatthecollege.(Theprisonwasatthecollege?)*Thepatienttalkedabouthischildhoodonthecouch.(Hespenthischildhoodonthecouch?)HowtoCorrectMisplacedModifiers?Placemodifiersascloseaspossibletowhattheydescribe.e.g:*Georgecouldn'tdrivetoworkinhissmallcarbecauseofabrokenleg.Revised:Withabrokenleg,Georgecouldn'tdrivetoworkinhissmallcarbecauseofabrokenleg.HowtoCorrectMisplacedModifiers?Placemodifiersascloseaspossibletowhattheydescribe.e.g:*Thespeakerdiscussedtheproblemofcrowdedprisonatthecollege.*Thepatienttalkedabouthischildhoodonthecouch.Revised:*AttheCollege,thespeakerdiscussedtheproblemofcrowdedprisonatthecollege.*Onthecouch,thepatienttalkedabouthischildhoodonthecouch.DanglingModifiers(懸垂修飾語/懸垂結(jié)構(gòu))

Amodifierthatopensasentencesmustbefollowedimmediatelybetheworditismeanttodescribe.Otherwise,themodifierissaidtobedangling,andthesentencetakesonanunwantedmeaning.e.g:

*Whilereadingthenewspaper,mydogsatwithmeonthefrontsteps.(Thedogisreading...