Chapter 4
Constructing a Complete Sentence
IN THIS CHAPTER
Identifying the elements of a complete sentence
Eliminating sentence fragments and run-ons
Uniting two or more complete sentences properly
Joining ideas of unequal importance
Gluing sentences together with pronouns
Avoiding the danglers
Everyone knows the most important rule of English grammar: All sentences must be complete. But everyone breaks the rule. I just did! But everyone breaks the rule is not a complete sentence; it’s a sentence fragment. At times, fragments are acceptable, and in this chapter I explain when you can get away with writing one. The other extreme — more than one complete sentence improperly glued together — is a run-on sentence. Run-on sentences and their variation, comma splices, are never okay. In fact, they’re grammatical felonies.
Never fear: In this chapter I explain all the ins and outs of joining ...
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