4 SENTENCE MISTAKES
Sentence fragments (chưa thành câu)
Sentence fragments are just parts of a sentence which can be a phrase, or a dependent clause.
Examples:
The apple on the table
Because I love you
When coming into his home
Solution: ensure that each sentence has at least a subject going with a verb (phrase), and that a dependent clause has to go with an independent clause to make a complete sentence.
=>The apple on the table is mine
=> Because I love you, I will do everything to make yo happy.
=> When coming into his home, he had no idea about the surprise party his friends celebrated for him.
Run-on sentences and comma splices (câu dùng sai dấu phẩy và trạng từ liên kết)
A run-on sentence is a sentence which has 2 independent clauses but no punctuation to separate them. Meanwhile, a comma splice is a sentence which has 2 independent clauses joined with each other by a comma but without a proper coordinators – FANBOYS.
Examples:
My family moved to Khanh Hoa then they went to South Vietnam.
My family moved to Khanh Hoa, they went to South Vietnam.
Solutions: follow the rules for writing compound and complex sentences with punctuations.
=> My family moved to Khanh Hoa, and then they went to South Vietnam.
=> My family moved to Khanh Hoa; then they went to South Vietnam.
=> My family moved to Khanh Hoa before they went to South Vietnam.
Choppy sentences (câu quá ngắn)
A choppy sentence is a sentence which is too short. If the writer uses many short simple sentences next to each other, it will cause the tedium and monotony for the writing.
Examples: I went to the zoo yesterday. I saw many chimpanzees in the zoo.
Solution: write these simple sentences into compound, complex or compound-complex sentences.
=> Yesterday I went to the zoo where I saw many chimpanzees
Stringy sentences (câu quá dài – câu có hơn 2 mệnh đề độc lập)
A stringy sentence is a sentence that has more than 2 independent clauses.
Example: I want to further my study abroad, but I need to take the IELTS test first; also, I need to graduate from my university, so I am making lots of preparation for my application to study overseas.
Solution: break the sentence into small sentences
=> I want to further my study abroad, so I need to take the IELTS test and graduate from my university. Indeed, I am making lots of preparation for my application to study overseas.
or make some clauses become dependent.
=> Because I want to further my study abroad, I need to graduate from my university and take the IELTS test. I am making lots of preparation for my application to study overseas.
Reference
Oshima, A., Hogue, A., & Lê, H. L. (2006). Writing academic english. Pearson/Longman
