GRAMMAR: FAULTY PARALLELISMCOMPLETE SENTENCE

SENTENCE FRAGMENTS

Components to cover:

• PARALLELISM: FAULTY PARALLELISM

• COMPLETE SENTENCE

• SENTENCE FRAGMENTS

DEFINITION OF PARALLELISM

Parallelism is a similarity of form in words, phrases, or clauses that have similar functions in a sentence or a paragraph.

It also refers to writing equivalent ideas in similar grammatical form. Parallelism helps achieve balance in a sentence and tends to equalize the importance given to each of the items mentioned.

Example

1. Erin likes surfing the net, working out, and visiting her family.

2. Chocolate and peanut butter taste great together.

WHEN TO USE PARALLELISM?

1. Items in Lists: Words, phrases, or clauses in a list or

series should all have the same grammatical structure.

2. Items Joined by Coordinating Conjunctions: Words or phrases

joined by coordinating conjunctions should have the

same structure.

Example

3. We could go fishing or go bicycling.

4. I like blue cars as opposed to red cars.

WHEN TO USE PARALLELISM?

3. Elements joined by correlative conjunctions, such

as "either . . . or" and not "only . . .but also," should be

parallel.

4. Two elements that are compared or contrasted should

be expressed in parallel structures.

WHAT IS FAULTY PARALLELISM?

When similar parts of a sentence do not follow the same structure, you have created Faulty Parallelism.

Example

a) Faulty (F): I enjoy basketball more than playing video games.Correct (C): I enjoy basketball more than video games.

b) F: On our anniversary, we ate, danced, and were singing.C: On our anniversary, we ate, danced, and sang.

c) My history class was both interesting and a challenge.C: My history class was both interesting and challenging.

UNDERSTANDING PARALLELISM

Use similar structures to express similar ideas.

a)Put nouns with nouns

b)Put verbs with verbs

c)Put adjectives with adjectives

Example

Faulty: I am doing well in my English class, in my math class, and my history class.

Correct: I am doing well in my English class, in my math class, and in my history class.

.

PARALLELISM IN PAIRS AND LISTS

Parallelism in pairs and list is used when you present two or more

items in a series joined by and or or, use similar

form for each item.

Example

F: Driving to Austin is as fast as to fly.C: Driving to Austin is as fast as flying.

F: Buying textbooks is almost as expensive as tuition.C: Buying textbooks is almost as expensive as paying tuition.C: Textbooks are almost as expensive as tuition.

PARALLELISM IN

COMPARISON

In comparisons, the items being compared

must have parallel structure.

Example

The anthropologist traveled into heated jungles, along insect-infested rivers, and up steep mountain trails.

My neighbor is a novelist, a gardener, and a horseman.

FAULTY PARALLELISM

Remember that items in series should be in continuation and in parallel structure.

Example

Faulty: The president of the club wondered whether he should pay the bills or to resign.

Correct: The president of the club wondered whether he should pay the bills or resign.

FAULTY PARALLELISM

Alternatives joined by “and,” “or,” “but,” or

“nor” should be parallel.

ACTIVITY 1

Read the sentence carefully and choose the right option:Question1:

A. Barking dogs, kittens that were meowing, and squawking parakeets greet the pet shop visitors.

B. Barking dogs, meowing kittens, and squawking parakeets greet the pet shop visitors.

C. Dogs that bark, kittens that meow, and parakeets squawking greet the pet shop visitors.

ACTIVITY 1

Read the sentence carefully and choose the right option:Question2:A. During class, Samuel spent his time flirting with

Brittney, eating candy, and doodling on the assignment sheet.

B. During class, Samuel spent his time flirting with Brittney, he ate candy, and doodling on the assignment sheet.

C. During class, Samuel spent his time to flirt with Brittney, to eat candy, and doodling on the assignment sheet.

ACTIVITY 1

Read the sentence carefully and choose the right option:Question 3:A. Alex looked everywhere for his math book—under

the bed, on his desk, and he searched inside the refrigerator.

B. Alex looked everywhere for his math book—viewing under the bed, searching on his desk, and inside the refrigerator.

C. Alex looked everywhere for his math book—under the bed, on his desk, and inside the refrigerator.

ACTIVITY 1

Read the sentence carefully and choose the right option:Question 4:A. The manager wanted staff who arrived on time,

smiled at the customers, and didn’t snack on the chicken nuggets.

B. The manager wanted staff who arrived on time, would be smiling at the customers, and would not be snacking on the chicken nuggets.

C. The manager wanted staff who arrived on time, smiled at the customers, and no snacking on the chicken nuggets.

ACTIVITY 1Read the sentence carefully and choose the right option:Question 5:A. After giving Jeremy her phone number, Felicia had to

tolerate his late night calls, stupid conversations, and requests for her math homework.

B. After giving Jeremy her phone number, Felicia had to tolerate his late night calls, the fact that he carried on stupid conversations, and requests for her math homework.

C. After giving Jeremy her phone number, Felicia had to tolerate being woken up late at night, having stupid conversations, and he constantly requested her math homework.

ANSWERS TO ACTIVITY 1

Question 1: B

Question 2: A

Question 3: C

Question 4: A

Question 5: A

ACTIVITY 2

Fill in the blanks with the correct option:

1. Pasta boiling in water, __________, and garlic bread baking in the oven welcomed Francisco as he opened the door.

A. simmered tomato sauce in the panB. tomato sauce simmering in the panC. tomato sauce that simmered in the panD. saucy tomatoes that were simmering in the pan

ACTIVITY 2

Fill in the blanks with the correct option:

2. During our vacation in the Bahamas, we hope __________, to enjoy beautiful sunsets, and to dance ourselves dizzy at reggae clubs.

A. that we eat delicious seafoodB. that eating delicious seafood occursC. to eat delicious seafoodD. eating delicious seafood

ACTIVITY 2

Fill in the blanks with the correct option:

3. Karen wished Ray chewed with his mouth closed, for otherwise he was everything she wanted in a date; he was tall, intelligent, and __________.

A. he looked goodB. being good lookingC. one handsome man to look atD. handsome

ACTIVITY 2

Fill in the blanks with the correct option:

4. To win Laurie’s love, Albert visited the florist for roses, the drugstore for a box of chocolates, and __________.

A. bought an expensive gold necklace at the jewelry store

B. the jeweler for an expensive gold necklaceC. the jeweler where he bought an expensive gold

necklaceD. to buy an expensive gold necklace

ACTIVITY 2

Fill in the blanks with the correct option:

5. Kimberly won’t date Terry because he is too short, too noisy, and _________.

A. because he picks his teeth with his fingersB. too impoliteC. is the most impolite man she has ever metD. Picking his teeth with his fingers

ANSWERS TO ACTIVITY 2

Question 1: B

Question 2: C

Question 3: D

Question 4: B

Question 5: B

WHAT IS A SENTENCE FRAGMENT?

Sentences are in fragments only when they do not have a clause attached to them. There are some punctuations needed for new sentences.

A sentence tells a complete idea. A fragment tells and incomplete idea.

Example

My homework is taking every waking hour.

INCLUDES • Subject (My homework)• Verb (is taking )• Expresses a complete idea (I’m

tired!)

WHAT IS A COMPLETE SENTENCE?

A complete sentence must have:

• A subject• A verb• Must express a complete

idea.

It must start with a capital letter in the beginning and end with a full stop.

Example

My math homework. No VERB: Doesn’t express the

action

Taking every waking hour.No SUBJECT: Doesn’t explain who or

what

Because my math homework is taking every waking hour.

No COMPLETED IDEA. Because of this, what?

FRAGMENTED SENTENCE

A sentence that does not have either a verb, a subject

or a complete idea.

Example

FRAGMENTED SENTENCE: I tried everything I could think of to get an A. Such as bribing the professor.

COMPLETE SENTENCE:I tried everything I could think of to get an A, such as bribing the professor.

COMMON FRAGMENT

TYPES

APPOSITIVE PHRASE:

An appositive phrase is a word that explains or adds

extra information.

Example

FRAGMENTED SENTENCE:I hope to complete the requirements for my major. By the end of next semester.

COMPLETE SENTENCE:I hope to complete the requirements for my major by the end of next semester.

COMMON FRAGMENT

TYPES

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE:

A prepositional phrase is a group of words containing a preposition, a noun or

pronoun object of the preposition, and any modifiers of the object.

Example

FRAGMENTED SENTENCE: The student sleeping in the back row.

COMPLETE SENTENCE: The student was sleeping in the back row.

COMMON FRAGMENT

TYPES

INCOMPLETE VERBS:

Incomplete verbs are the past or present participles without the helping verb

Example

FRAGMENTED SENTENCE: I kept working on my essay. Although I was tired.

COMPLETE SENTENCE: I kept working on my essay, although I was tired.

COMMON FRAGMENT

TYPES

DEPENDENT CLAUSE:

They are group of words that contains a subject and verb

but doesn’t express a complete thought because of

the beginning word.

ACTIVITY 1

For each of the following, write S on the line if it is a complete sentence. Write F if it is a sentence fragment.

1. ___Long, long ago, in a faraway land. 2. ___ There lived a princess named Gretchen. 3. ___ The most beautiful girl in the land. 4. ___ She was still very unhappy. 5. ___ Her 21st birthday was approaching.

ACTIVITY 1

For each of the following, write S on the line if it is a complete sentence. Write F if it is a sentence fragment.

6. ___ Her twin brother, Prince Reginald, would become king. 7. ___ She would have to marry King Jomen of Far Land. 8. ___ A very cruel and unkind man. 9. ___ She decided to run away and formed an excellent plan. 10. ___ The plan required the help of her friends, Grumpy and Happy.

ACTIVITY 1For each of the following, write S on the line if it is a complete sentence. Write F if it is a sentence fragment.

11. ___ They were eager to help, as they did not like the idea of their friend being unhappy for the rest of her life. 12. ___ She disguised herself as a maid and left the palace. 13. ___ Unfortunately, her brother saw her and thought she was being kidnapped. 14. ___ Set out to rescue her. 15. ___ She ran until she reached Near Land.

ACTIVITY 1

For each of the following, write S on the line if it is a complete sentence. Write F if it is a sentence fragment.

16. ___ A happy and somewhat silly place full of very silly people.

17. ___ When Prince Reginald reached Near Land.

18. ___ She agreed to go home when he promised that when he became king, he would not make her marry anybody.

ANSWER TO ACTIVITY 1

Answers: Complete Sentences and Sentence Fragments 1. F 2. S 3. F 4. S 5. S 6. S 7. S 8. F 9. S 10. S

ANSWER TO ACTIVITY 1

Answers: Complete Sentences and Sentence Fragments

11. S 12. S 13. S 14. F 15. S 16. F 17. F 18. S

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