4. Sentence
May be an
independent clause
Group of words with
a subject and
predicate (verb)
Can be independent
(stands alone) or
dependent (does not
make sense by
itself)
Group of words = complete
thought Clause
5. Clauses
I know how to clean
silver, I never
learned how to
clean copper.
The author won the
Pulitzer prize on
account his book
was timely and
artistic.
independent dependent
6. Sentence Correction
„A subordinate
clause must be
joined to the rest of
the sentence with a
subordinate
conjunction.‟
The author won the
Pulitzer prize on
account his book
was timely and
artistic.
Illogical Subordination Sample
7. Sentence Correction
„If we combine 2
sentences with different
subjects into 1
sentence with an
independent clause and
an adverb phrase, we
create an incorrect
sentence becuase the
phrase “dangles”,
having nothing in the
sentece to modify.‟
To make sure his
research was
accurate, all
secondary sources
were checked twice.
Dangling Modifiers Sample
8. Sentence Correction
„Elements within a
sentence of equal
importance should
have parallel
structure or similar
form.‟
Sue anticipates
hearing from her
friends and to have
the opportunity to
see them again at
her home.
Faulty Parallelism Sample
9. Sentence Correction
„When two events
take place
simultaneously, their
tenses should
match.‟
When I saw Joanne
at the class reunion,
I realized that I
forgot how much I‟d
loved her.
Arbitrary Tense Shifts Sample
10. Sentence Correction
„Parts of sentences
that are incorrectly
written with capitals
and punctuation of a
sentence.‟
„Remember that
sentences must have
at least a subject and
a verb.‟
The enrollment for
Theather 101 is
down this semester.
All suggesting that
the course is either
too hard or that the
instructor is
incompetent.
Sentence Fragments Sample
11. Sentence Correction
„These are
sentences that are
linked incorrectly.‟
Many reasons have
been suggested for
the decline in
literacy, the main
reason is the way
students are taught
history.
Run-on sentences Sample
12. Sentence Correction
„Some nouns are
singular (everyone,
someone, sombody,
each, anyone, and
one). They must
always take a
singular pronoun.
The libertarian
maintains that
everyone is an
individual in their
own right.
Noun-pronoun Agreement Sample
13. Sentence Correction
„Verbs must agree in
number and person
with their subjects.
Singular verbs take
singular subjects;
plural verbs match
plural subjects.
The group insists
that they have a
right to police the
airwaves.
Subject-verb Agreement Sample
14. Sentence Correction
„Only like things
should be
compared.‟
Your temper is as
bad as Bob.
Illogical Comparisons Sample
15. Sentence Correction
Avoid Ambiguous Pronoun
Reference
Avoid Clichés
Avoid Redundancy
Avoid Wordiness
Avoid Vague words or
phrases
Be articulate = use the
appropriate word or phrase
Burt is a nice man. I don‟t know
why they insulted him.
The math exam was as easy as
pie.
Harry is a man who loves to
gamble.
I am crying due to the fact that my
wife left me.
The reality of the situation
necessitated action.
Realizing how difficult it is to adopt
to the new ways, I chose among
two alternatives.
Idiomatic Usage Samples
16. Remember
„Sentence Correction is a test of correctness
and effectiveness of expression. In choosing
answers, follow the requirements of standard
written English; that is, pay attention to:
1. Grammar;
2. Choice of words and
3. Sentence construction.‟