Sentence structure and punctuation

English (Précis and Composition) · Sentence correction. The idea in plain words, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid and a worked example, written and checked by Mega Lecture.

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The idea

A complete sentence has a subject, a finite verb and a complete thought. A fragment lacks one of these: it is often a clause beginning with because, although or when, or a phrase built on an -ing form, left standing alone.

The opposite fault is to put two complete sentences together with too little between them. With only a comma it is a comma splice; with nothing at all it is a run-on or fused sentence.

Punctuation questions test a small set of marks. For each option, ask what the mark is doing: joining, introducing, showing ownership, or marking the exact words of a speaker.

Rules to remember

A clause that begins with because, although, when or if cannot stand alone, and neither can an -ing phrase.
Comma splice: two sentences joined by a comma only. Run-on: two sentences joined by nothing.
Repair with a full stop, a semicolon, a comma + and / but / so / yet, or a subordinating word such as because or although.
Semicolon before however, therefore, moreover and a comma after; a colon introduces a list or explanation after a complete statement.
A pair of commas encloses extra information that could be removed: Mr Khan, our new director, spoke first.
Apostrophe: the clerk's desk (one clerk); the clerks' desks (many); children's; none in plain plurals, in dates (the 1990s) or in its, hers, theirs.
Direct speech: comma, inverted commas, capital letter, full stop inside. Indirect speech: no inverted commas and no question mark.

Common mistake

Joining two sentences with a comma before 'however', as in 'It was late, however we went on'. 'however' is not a conjunction: put a semicolon before it and a comma after it.

Worked example

Which option is correctly written? (a) The report was late, it reached us on Friday. (b) Its a matter of the peoples' trust. (c) Although the files were ready. (d) The files were ready, but the officer's car had not arrived.

(a) Two complete sentences are joined by a comma only: a comma splice.
(b) 'It is' needs the form 'It's', and 'people' is already plural, so the possessive is 'people's'.
(c) A clause beginning with 'although' cannot stand alone: a fragment.
(d) A comma + 'but' joins the two sentences, and 'officer's' shows one owner.

Answer: (d) The files were ready, but the officer's car had not arrived.

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