Fragment, Comma Splice, or Sentence
Is the following a fragment, comma splice, or a sentence? Explain.
Going to the store.
Fragment. This example does not have a subject and a verb, which makes it a fragment of a sentence, not a full sentence.
Put these two sentences into a compound sentence using AND.
I went to the store. I bought some eggs.
I went to the store, and I bought some eggs.
**This is INCORRECT if the punctuation is not correct.
What is the difference between a biography and an interview?
A biography describes a person's life.
An interview gives a brief description of the person, but then reports on their responses to questions about a specific topic.
In a biography, there does not necessarily ever have to be a conversation with the person it is about, where as in an interview that is imperative.
What are three strategies that we can use to infer the meaning of a word from context?
(Answers will vary)
What are headings?
Headings are the titles at the beginning of a section.
Is the following a fragment, comma splice, or a sentence? Explain.
I went to the cinema yesterday, I had a great time.
This is a comma splice. These are two sentences connected only by a comma, which is incorrect.
I really like mathematics. My grades in that class are not so high.
I really like mathematics; however, my grades in that class are not so high.
**This is incorrect if the punctuation is not exactly right.
What is the difference between an opinion essay and an informational article (News article)?
News article: An article that reports on something that has happened recently, giving the facts (who, what, where, when, how). It is usually shorter and has shorter paragraphs. It mostly sticks to the facts without offering the author's opinion or trying to persuade the reader.
Essay: Usually offers a perspective on many sides of an issue and backs them up with facts from several places. It is longer and usually offers the author's opinion and at times tries to persuade the reader.
How is the technique of inferring through context helpful?
(Answers will vary)
What is a caption?
A caption is the description of an image.
Is the following a fragment, comma splice, or a sentence? Explain.
I went to the bank and needed to get money out; however, the line was so long that it did not make sense to wait around.
This is a sentence (bonus: this is a compound sentence). It may be long, but it is punctuated correctly and the two sentences that are now placed into one are connected properly.
Make the following a correct compound sentence:
I went to the store to get some eggs, they were all sold out.
Example responses:
I went to the store to get some eggs, but they were all sold out.
I went to the store to get some eggs; however, they were all sold out.
I went to the store to get some eggs; they were all sold out.
What is the difference between a How To article and an Advice Column?
Bonus: They have in common that they both at times tell readers how they can do something.
What does the word "undergo" mean in the following paragraph?
He said that drug-resistant or "superbug" infections meant some soldiers had problems for years after their initial life-altering injuries. When common antibiotics failed, higher doses of antibiotics, new drug combinations or alternative drugs with severe side effects were tried, but many had repeat and prolonged infections. Others had to undergo extra surgeries or amputations to stop the bacteria from spreading further.
To experience or be subjected to something.
What is the byline in an article?
It is the line where the author is stated.
Identify whether the following is a fragment or a comma splice and then correct it:
A great day in the market.
It is a fragment.
Corrections will vary, but here are two example corrections:
I had a great day in the market.
It was a great day in the market.
Correct the following to make it a proper compound sentence:
I knew the math exam was going to be difficult for me, therefore I studied a lot beforehand.
I knew the math exam was going to be difficult for me; therefore, I studied a lot beforehand.
What type of magazine text does the following describe?
An article that gives the author’s opinion of a book, movie, or place. It critiques the place and ends in a recommendation for the reader.
A review
What does the word "scourge" mean in the following paragraph?
Bawar compares superbugs to another scourge, the Islamic State or Daesh, because it will disrupt the country and kill many citizens: "This is going to be another Daesh, I can say."
A thing that causes great suffering or trouble
How does the layout of a news article and an Editor's letter differ?
A news article is in short paragraphs and probably has headings. An Editor's letter is in the form of a letter, and usually does not use headings.
Identify whether the following is a fragment or a comma splice and then correct it:
My mother took me to the doctor, I had a cold that wouldn't go away, the doctor told us it was a virus and I had to rest and drink liquids.
This is a comma splice.
Example ways to correct it:
My mother took me to the doctor because I had a cold that wouldn't go away. The doctor told us it was a virus and I had to rest and drink liquids.
My mother took me, the one with the cold that wouldn't go away, to the doctor who told us it was a virus and that I had to rest and drink liquids.
Amanda really likes to go to the movies on Fridays but today she can't go because her family has other plans.
Amanda really likes to go to the movies on Fridays, but today she can't go because her family has other plans.
What is the difference between: a Letter to the Editor, an Editor's Letter, and an Advice Column?
Letter to the editor: Readers write in to the magazine to let the editor know what they think about the articles and focus. Some of these letters are published in the magazine in the next issue.
Editor's letter: a letter the Editor writes and publishes in the magazine telling the readers about this issue and telling them why certain articles were chosen.
Advice column: A piece where readers write in asking for advice, and the author of the advice column writes back to them and publishes the questions and responses in the magazine.
What does the word "grappling" mean in the following context?
As the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq evolved, military doctors grappling to treat soldiers maimed by roadside bombs began facing another challenge: Their patients were developing almost incurable, multidrug-resistant infections in their wounds. They couldn't be treated with the usual antibiotics the doctors had on hand.
Struggling to fix.
What are three identifying characteristics of a review?
There is a description of the product, a critique of the product, and a recommendation for whether to consume the product or not.