Too Long Too Short
Identify the run-on or fragment:
"To the people in the crowd who were watching the fight. The competitors showed no signs of stopping."
Fragment:
"To the people in the crowd who were watching the fight."
Dangling or misplaced modifier?
"After staying up all night, the student's exhaustion was clear to see."
Dangling modifier.
Is this sentence considered too "wordy"?
"For all intents and purposes, the reason Mr. Henderson arrived late for work was due to the fact that he stopped at very many traffic lights that were red in colour."
Yes. Can be shortened to:
"Mr. Henderson arrived late for work because he stopped at many red lights."
Fix this sentence:
"They was eating dinner by the time I got home."
Where should there be a comma?
"Although he had class at 8am he still stayed up all night."
"Although he had class at 8am, he still stayed up all night."
Identify the run-on or fragment:
"He couldn't concentrate on his test at all. Since he only got two hours of sleep the night before. By the time the time limit was reached, he had completed less than half of the exam."
Fragment:
"Since he only got two hours of sleep the night before."
Dangling or misplaced modifier?
"He saw a puppy on the way to work."
Misplaced modifier.
"Honestly, there is an observable increase of guys playing basketball on weeknights."
Honestly and guys
clapped
Where should there be a comma?
"One day the man asked the boy to deliver a message."
"One day, the man asked the boy to deliver a message."
Identify the run-on or fragment:
"Their jobs were divided in order to ensure efficiency and organization. Sarah handles the cash register, John makes sure the fries are always in stock."
Run-on:
"Sarah handles the cash register, John makes sure the fries are always in stock."
Dangling or misplaced modifier?
"Drinks are only served by the staff if they are hot."
Misplaced modifier.
Is this slang or wordiness?
"It goes without saying that most students would prefer to stay home instead of attend class."
Slang. "It goes without saying" is an English idiom that is used to mean "obviously."
What is the name of this type of sentence error?
"The weather were extra cold tonight"
Subject-verb agreement
Where should there be a comma?
"Based on the evidence provided there was no way to tell whether they were telling the truth or not."
"Based on the evidence provided, there was no way to tell whether they were telling the truth or not."
Identify the run-on or fragment:
"Early on Saturday morning, they arrived to the school campus. The place where they would take their exam. For many of the students who failed their exams last year."
Fragments:
"The place where they would take their exam.
For many of the students who failed their exams last year."
Dangling or misplaced modifier?
"By switching to better bait, the fish are more likely to get caught on the hook."
Dangling modifier
What does "slang" mean?
Words or phrases that are too casual or informal to use for writing.
Fix this sentence:
"My friend have two jobs right now."
friends or has
Where should there be a comma?
"In some cases the bus will be too full to handle more passengers. It is during these cases that commuters end up late for work school and other commitments."
"In some cases, the bus will be too full to handle more passengers. It is during these cases that commuters end up late for work, school and other commitments."
How do you correct a dependent-word fragment, like the one below?
"As CNY is next week. There is not going to be any class."
1. Combine it with the sentence that comes before or after it.
"As CNY is next week, there is not going to be any class."
2. Remove the dependent word and rewrite the sentence.
"CNY is next week. There is not going to be any class."
What is the difference between a misplaced modifier and a dangling modifier?
A sentence with a dangling modifier is missing the subject that the modifier intends to describe. Also, you cannot fix a dangling modifier by simply moving it to a different location in the sentence.
What does "wordiness" mean?
There are too many words in a sentence. If you can remove words while keeping the meaning of a sentence, then the sentence is wordy.
Fix this sentence:
"Everybody want to read her book now that she is a famous author."
wants
Where should there be a comma?
"Peter never thought he could become Spiderman swinging from building to building dangling from skyscrapers and sticking to ceilings. Instead he thought he would live an ordinary life."
"Peter never thought he could become Spiderman, swinging from building to building, dangling from skyscrapers and sticking to ceilings. Instead, he thought he would live an ordinary life."