 Assalamu alaikum, welcome to virtual university. In earlier lessons, we have been exploring ways of writing more effective sentences. In the last lesson, we did sentence errors and in today's lesson, we will continue to look at sentence errors and look at ways of revising or correcting these errors. In the last lesson, if you remember, we looked at the most common type of sentence error, which was the sentence fragment. Today we shall examine the next two most common types of sentence errors, which are the run on sentence and the dangling modifier. First we will look at a run on sentences. A run on sentence, as the word run on tells you, is a sentence that is made up of two complete thoughts that have no clear break between them. There are two kinds of run on sentences, fuse sentences and comma splice sentences. Now the first one, the fuse sentence. When two or more sentences that run together with no mark of punctuation between them, they are said to be fused. The two sentences or two complete statements or two complete thoughts are simply stuck together into one sentence. The right of such a sentence is either extremely careless or is ignorant of the most elementary facts about sentence structure. Now, I shall read out a few examples and you yourself will notice what I meant by saying that they are fused sentences. Example, computer skills are useful in college. They will help you in getting a job as well. Second example, our club raised money for the Red Crescent. An organization like this is a wonderful thing. The third example, he left early, he said he had a toothache. Now a good way to prevent fused sentences is to read aloud what you have written. There is another hint. You should look within the sentence for words like I, you, he, she, it, we, they, there, this, that, now, then and next. All these words that I have just read aloud, they are words that signal the beginning of a complete thought. The second type of sentence error results from an attempt to use a comma to join two complete thoughts. In other words, two complete thoughts are incorrectly joined or spliced together with only a comma. Example, I will give you three examples. The first example, listen to this sentence, Saad is always nervous about tests, his grades are usually the best in the class. That is an example of a comma splice, a sentence that is a comma splice. Number two, she saved money by stitching her own clothes, moreover she enjoyed designing them. Number three, four of us were in the taxi. I was looking out the rear window when the cyclist whizzed past us. Now we will do, we will quickly go through an exercise which is a practice exercise so that you learn to recognize fused and comma, fused sentences and comma splice sentences. You look at the sentence and mark the place between the two complete thoughts with a slash. Look at the sentence and you will notice that each sentence is made up of two complete thoughts where one thought ends and the second thought begins, just mark the place. You can mark it with a slash or with a bracket or with a dash and then say what type of sentence it is. Is it a sentence that is fused or is it a sentence that is a comma splice? Choose the letter f for fused and the initial CS for comma splice. The first two sentences I will give you examples and these sentences have been done for you. Example, the room is locked, no one has a key. Notice that there are two complete thoughts. The first is the room is locked. The second thought is no one has a key and you know where to put the mark. The mark is between the word locked and the word no and it is a fused sentence. The second example, the wall is covered with ivy, a stone path leads to the wall and you notice there is a comma over there and it is an example of a comma splice sentence. Now the next five sentences have not been done for you. Look at the sentences and just identify the place where the first thought and the second thought, the first thought ends and the second thought begins. The first one, Raheel likes to cook, his wife taught him how. Now that is what kind of a sentence is it? Is it a run on sentence or is it a comma splice sentence? If you look carefully, it is a run on sentence, Raheel likes to cook, his wife taught him how? The second sentence, the bell rang, the wrestlers returned to the ring. If you notice carefully two complete thoughts, the bell rang, one thought, the other one, the wrestlers returned to the ring and that is an example of a comma splice. Sentence number three, the trunk is in the basement, it has a handle missing. The first thought is, the first complete thought is the trunk is in the basement and you should put the mark after the word basement. That is, that sentence is an example of a comma splice. Sentence number four, the waiters served soft drinks to the children, they offered coffee to the adults, that is a run on sentence and the break is between the words children and they. The first complete thought is the waiters served soft drinks to the children, they offered coffee to the adults is the second complete thought and they have been just put together without any mark, punctuation mark. Sentence number five, it rained during our trip to Murray, we played cards and told stories. That sentence again is an example of a comma splice. Now how would you correct sentences that are fused? There are three ways of correcting a fused sentence. First is, the first rule is that you divide the fused sentence into two sentences. Divide the one sentence that you have and you think it is a fused sentence. The best thing is, divide it into two. Example, the lake is calm today, it looks like a blue mirror. Now that is a fused sentence. You can use the first rule, divide it into two, make two sentences out of that one sentence. The lake is calm today, full stop, that is one complete thought. The second sentence is, it looks like a blue mirror. This is a very common error with students, they just forget to put the punctuation mark. That was the first rule. The second rule is that you put a comma and an appropriate joining word between the two complete thoughts. Rule number two is that you put a comma and an appropriate joining word between the two complete sentences. And these joining words are words like and but or so. Rule number two is that you put a comma between the two complete thoughts and you put an appropriate joining word between the two thoughts. Example and you had this before, computer skills are useful in college, they will help you in getting a job as well. Now that is not a good sentence and you can correct it by breaking it into two, use a comma and a joining word. So you write computer skills are useful in college, comma and they will help you in getting a good job as well. So you used the joining word and take another example, Yuhanna and you know who I am referring to, use of Yuhanna, the Pakistan's ace batsman, Yuhanna has a pulled muscle, he won't play any cricket this season, God forbid, Yuhanna has a pulled muscle, he won't play any cricket this season. Now that is not a well constructed sentence, you can use rule number two, put a comma between the two complete thoughts and use an appropriate joining word. You can construct the sentence in this way, Yuhanna has a pulled muscle comma so he won't play any cricket this season, right? Now you have learned two rules, the third rule is that you use a subordination clause to make one of the complete thoughts dependent on the other one. Now to subordinate a complete thought, you change it from a statement that can stand alone to one that cannot stand by itself. And to do such a thing, you begin the thought with an appropriate word, you can convert a statement into a subordinate statement by using one of the words that I am going to read out for you. And these words are because when, if, before, since, until, unless, while, as, though and after. For example, if you had this sentence, it's a badly constructed sentence, Yuhanna has a pulled muscle, he won't do any batting this tournament, now you can convert the first complete part, Yuhanna has a pulled muscle, you can convert this into a subordinate clause by adding one of the words that I have just read out to you. You can use the word because and right because Yuhanna has a pulled muscle comma, he won't do any batting in this tournament. Now you must make a note that you put a comma at the end of a dependent word group, right? You have to put a comma at the end of a dependent word group or a subordinate clause that begins a sentence. Now we will have another short practice. You have a number of few sentences that follow a number of few sentences which use one of the methods that I have just described to you. Now you correct each of these sentences using one of the methods that I have described to you. I describe three methods for you and you use one method, use a different method for each sentence, take the first sentence. It wasn't his idea, he should have known better than to do it. It wasn't his idea, he should have known better than to do it. So how can you correct this sentence? Use one of the methods that I have just described to you. You can do it by breaking it into two complete thoughts. It wasn't his idea, full stop and the other one, the other part you can begin with the word he. He should have known better than to do it. Number two, it's easy to begin smoking, it's much harder to quit. Now notice that's a few sentence, one thought runs into the other. And you can improve this sentence by using one of the three methods that I have just pointed out to you. You can say, it's easy to begin smoking, comma, but it's hard, but it's much harder to quit. And you used the appropriate word joining, the appropriate joining word but, but is appropriate over here. You can't use and, you can't use so, because it contrasts what you said earlier. The first part is, it's easy to begin smoking, but it's much harder to quit. That is a better sentence, a better construction. This number three, some workers at the factory have been laid off, the others are nervous. Two thoughts running one into the other. Now over here, the best way is to use, to convert one of the independent statesmen, statement into a subordinate one. Take the first statement and convert it into a subordinate clause or subordinate statement or a subordinate thought by using the word because. Because some workers at the factory have been laid off, comma, the others are nervous. Remember to put a comma after off. Because some workers of the factory have been laid off, now if you look carefully, you have just added the word because and you have made the first statement a subordinate statement, right? Because some workers at the factory have been laid off, comma, the others are nervous. Sentence number four, the room looked wonderful, the carpets had just been vacuumed. The room looked wonderful, the carpets had just been vacuumed. And the best way is to break this sentence into two independent sentences. Your thoughts, your thoughts will be very clear. The first part, the room looked wonderful, full stop. The carpets had just been vacuumed, right? Break it into another sentence. Sentence number five, the fish was served with its head still on, I lost my appetite. Now what do you do in such a situation? You convert the first statement, the first complete thought into a subordinate statement and you use the word because. Because the fish was served with its head still on, comma, I lost my appetite. Sentence number six, first you should clean the floor, then you should vacuum the carpet. To you it might look a correct sentence, but it is not. Use one of the rules and the rule that you can apply over here is that you use a joining word. First you should clean the floor, comma and then you should vacuum the carpet. Use the word, the joining word and, right? Now we look at ways of correcting comma splice sentences. The practice that you had earlier was with fused sentences. The second type of common mistake is writing sentences that are known as comma splice sentences. How do you correct a comma splice sentence? A comma splice can be connected by using one of the same three methods suggested for correcting a fused sentence. The three methods, the three rules that you learnt for correcting a run on or a fused sentence can be applied for correcting a comma splice sentence. The same three rules apply. Rule number one, divide the comma splice into two sentences. Example, Saad is always nervous about tests. His grades are usually the best in the class. Now the best way is that divide this into two sentences. The first complete thought put a full stop at the end of it and begin the next sentence with a capital letter and you have got two complete sentences. Saad is always nervous about tests full stop. Second part, his grades are usually the best in the class. That was the first rule. Rule number two, connect the two complete thoughts by placing a joining word after the comma and the joining words are and, but and so. Saad is always nervous about tests comma that is one thought. Use a joining word and the joining word that would be appropriate over here would be but. Saad is always nervous about his tests comma, but his grades are usually the best in the class right. Now number three, the third rule, the rule of using subordination where you add a dependent word to one of the complete thoughts, the same sentence, the same example, take this one. Saad is always nervous about tests although his grades are usually the best in the class. Now over here you did not put a comma, you did not use a comma, you converted the second, the second independent statement. You converted the independent statement into a dependent statement by using the word although right and you joined them together. Saad is always nervous about tests although his grades are usually the best in the class right. Now we will have another practice and over here you will correct each of the comma splices sentences using one of the methods that are that have been suggested and remember use a different method for each sentence. Now I hope that by the end of the lesson you will have had enough practice so that when it comes to actually writing you will not make such mistakes. Take the first sentence, Fahad was talking on the phone, he was switching TV channels with his remote control at the same time. Now that is an example of a sentence that is a comma splice, the writer has used a comma to splice the two sentences and he has joined them incorrectly. You joined them correctly, apply the first rule, Fahad was talking on the phone comma and he was switching TV channels with his remote control at the same time and you have used the joining word and made it into a better sentence. Sentence number two, mules are very sure footed, they are used for climbing steep mountains. You know what mules are, well you know what a horse is and what a donkey is and mules are, they are you know like horses and like donkeys, they do all the hard work. Mules are very sure footed, they are used for climbing steep mountains. Use a different rule this time and make this sentence into a better sentence. Mules are very sure footed comma, so they are used for climbing steep mountains, right? Let us look at sentence number three, the electricity at the shopping center went out, all the shops had to close early, now how would you correct this sentence? Use the third rule which was to make one of the independent thoughts subordinate, you can use the word since, since the electricity at the shopping center went out comma, all the shops had to close, had to close early. Number four, bicycles are the world's most best method, are the world's best method of transportation, they do not pollute the atmosphere, quite right. So how would you correct this one? Again I would suggest that you use rule number three, subordinate the second part of the sentence. Principles are the world's best method of transportation because they do not pollute the atmosphere, look at the last sentence. I do not like the principles way of expressing herself, I agree with many of our ideas and the writer has used a comma and joined two thoughts together, joined them incorrectly and this can be corrected by following the third rule, make the first half of this sentence subordinate by using the word although, although I do not like the principles way of expressing herself comma, I agree with many of her ideas. Now we will review fused and comma spliced constructions and you fill in the missing word in each space, look at the first sentence is made up of two complete thoughts that are complete incorrectly joined together with nothing between them. What would you use over there? What word would you use over there to complete the sentence? A run on is made up of two complete thoughts that are incorrectly joined together with nothing between them. Number two, a space dash is made up of two complete thoughts that are incorrectly joined together with only a comma between them and the hint is given you over there. What would you use to fill the blank? A comma splice is made up of two complete thoughts that are incorrectly joined together with only a comma between them and the third one, one way to correct few sentences and comma splices is to add and a capital letter, there is a hint for you capital letter where and when do you add, when do you add, when do you use a capital letter? So you will fill the blank with the word add a full stop or if you do not use the word full stop the other word is period. So you can complete that sentence by writing one way to correct few sentences and comma splices is to add a full stop oblique period and a capital letter and the fourth one two complete thoughts can be joined together in a sentence by a comma and a blank word such as and but or so and if you are careful and if you look carefully the hint is given you and but so what kind of words are those? They are joining words. So you will complete that sentence by using the word joining two complete thoughts can be joined together in a sentence by a comma and a joining word such as and but or so. Number five two complete thoughts can be joined together in one sentence by adding by adding a and there is the blank a word such as when or because. Now what are words like when because although what kind of words are they? They are dependent words. So you can say that two complete thoughts can be joined together in one sentence by adding a dependent word such as when or because and number six the fuse sentence and the comma splice are also known are also known as blank sentences and what word would you use over there and the word that you can use to fill the blank is run on. The fuse sentence and the comma splice are also known as run on sentences. Now this was I have gone over the lesson with you we have had you have had practice in recognizing fuse and comma splice sentences now let us test if you have understood today's lesson there are a couple of sentences and you rewrite them using the methods that you have learned today the first sentence a plane flew very low overhead comma the houses rattled loudly a plane flew very low overhead comma the houses rattled loudly correct that sentence rewrite it use one of the methods that you have learned very simple. I hope you used the joining word a plane flew very low overhead comma and the houses rattled loudly number two garlic may smell bad it tastes delicious it has other good qualities as well garlic can help lower cholesterol it is also supposed to keep away disease now notice in that sentence there it is not a single sentence it is made up of two three sentences look at that sentence again one two three sentences and you correct it make it into three sentences it should be constructed in the way that you have learnt use the method or methods that you have learnt in today's lesson garlic may smell comma but it tastes delicious that sentence number one it has other good qualities as well full stop there is no need to change anything over there take the next one garlic can help lower cholesterol comma and it is also supposed to keep away disease now if you look back at the given sentence notice the first part garlic may smell bad it tastes delicious that is the part that needs improvement garlic may smell bad but it tastes delicious the second one is correct it has other good qualities as well there is no need to change anything look at the last part garlic can help lower cholesterol and it is also used supposed to keep away disease look at the third example read it carefully it is composed of one two three sentences fairly long sentences you must have noticed that the first one was the first was one sentence now we are moving into longer passages students find it easy to correct single sentences but when they come to longer passages of three or four sentences they get stuck and this is practice for you my psychology final exam is next week comma I am very worried about passing it full stop because I was sick at the start of the term comma I never completed the prescribed reading full stop for the past month I have been working in the evening comma it is hard to find time to study comma I will ask the teacher for extra help it may be too late now notice that there are the sentence is not clear one thought runs into the other they just merge and the reader has difficulty in following the train of thought use the methods that you have learned to correct it you can correct it by in this way my psychology final exam is next week full stop that is one complete sentence I am very worried about passing it you broke that sentence into two and you started sentence number two with the capital I I am very worried about passing it full stop sentence number two the second part is correct because I was sick at the start of the term I never complete you do not have to make any changes over there and it is the next one the next part for the past month I have been working in the evening comma so it is hard to find time to study use the word so and in the last one convert it into a dependent clause use the word although although I will ask the teacher for extra help comma it may be too late now we have looked at fused sentences and comma splice sentences these are very common errors in writing we will look at another type of sentence error and that is known as the dangling or the misplaced modifier now what is the modifier a modifier is one or more words that describe another word or group of words and in the following examples the modifier you will find is in bold letters is in bold type and the word that is being modified is underlined the woman with gold rimmed spectacles is my boss the phrase with gold rimmed spectacles is the modifier it is modifying or describing or telling you something more about woman the word woman is being modified right the word woman is modified by the phrase with gold spectacles right number 2 my neighbor has a spaniel with one ear missing a spaniel is a dog my neighbor has a spaniel with one ear missing now the with one ear missing is the modifier what is it modifying what is it describing is it describing the neighbor or the spaniel and it is the word spaniel the spaniel is has one ear missing right number 3 I have nearly a thousand stamps I have nearly a thousand stamps and the word nearly is modified by the phrase a thousand now I hope you understood what a modifier is now we are going to talk about a misplaced modifier a modifier that is incorrectly separated from the word or words that it describes and this is a very common mistake students when they are writing they put the modifier away from the word it is modified the misplaced modifier seems to describe words that the writer did not intend it to describe when modifies are misplaced the reader may misunderstand the sentence look at this example my brother bought a used car from a local dealer with a leaking pipe another example the sparrow built a nest at the back of our house of grass and twigs number 3 Anjum Nisar almost sneezed 20 times last night now all these examples in all these examples the modifier is placed in the wrong position generally the solution is to place the modifier as close as possible to the word or words it describes now in the first sentence the modifier with a leaking pipe is misplaced it unintentionally conveys the meaning that the local car dealer has a leaking pipe now it is not the car dealer that has a leaking pipe but it is the car not the dealer it gives a totally different meaning to the sentence now to avoid such a meaning place the modifier next to the word that it is describing example look at that example again in that example it is the word car so the phrase with a leaking pipe should be placed next to the word car and in the second sentence the words of grass and twigs are misplaced because they are near the word house one would think that it was our house that was made of grass and twigs while actually it is the nest that was made of grass and twigs the reader must think that the house is made of grass now to avoid this meaning place the modifier next to the word that it describes that is the word nest look at sentence number three because the word almost is misplaced the readers might think Anjum almost sneezed 20 times but in fact he did not sneeze at all and that is not what is intended to prevent this confusion put almost in front of the word 15 or 20 the word that it is modifying now look at the corrected versions of these sentences my brother bought a used car with a leaking pipe from a local dealer the sparrow built a nest of grass and twigs at the back of our house and the third one Anjum Nisar sneezed almost 20 times last night now we will have another practice where you identify the misplaced words and you rewrite these sentences placing the modifier where it will make the meaning clear number one I am returning the jacket to the store that is too small now that sentence conveys the idea that it is the store that is too small so you rewrite the sentence by putting the modifier next to the word jacket sentence number two the couple looked at 30 sofas shopping on Saturday that sentence conveys the idea that it is it was the sofas that was shopping so correct it by writing shopping on Saturday the couple looked at 30 sofas same number three the woman tore open the parcel she had just received with the fingernails now correct that the woman tore tore with her fingernails the parcel she had received number four the bracelet on Aisha's arm made of silver belongs to her mother it means the sentence conveys the idea that it is Aisha's arm that is made of silver that it is actually the bracelet that is made of silver the bracelet made of silver on Aisha's arm belongs to her mother and number five take this jar to uncle Aman's home which he lent to me take this jar in which uncle Aman lent to me to his home to his house you looked at misplaced modifiers now we are going to look at dangling modifiers look at this example staring dreamily into space the instructor's loud voice startled me now the modifier over here staring dreamily into space is followed by the instructor's loud voice which gives the impression that the instructor's voice was staring into space so here the modifier is dangling so you can correct this by saying staring dreamily into space comma I was startled by the instructor's loud voice or you can write as I was as I was staring dreamily into space the instructor's loud voice startled me now you can correct a dangling modifier in two ways either you place the subject directly after the opening word group staring dreamily into space or you can add a subject and a verb to the opening word example as I was staring dreamily into space now in today's lesson we looked at common errors that students make in writing sentences and these were the fused comma splice sentences and the misplaced and the dangling modifier I hope you will not fall into these bad habits you will try to write good sentences Allah Hafiz see you next time.