Combining Sentences And Addressing Sentence Construction Iss

Combining Sentences and Addressing Sentence Construction Issues in English

Combine the following sentences into coherent, correctly structured sentences. Focus on proper sentence combination techniques, parallel sentence constructions, avoiding dangling modifiers, and eliminating weak passive voice verbs.

1. Melinda reluctantly volunteered to keep her sister’s children all day.

2. George changed the spark plug and cleaned the air filter, but the lawnmower still would not start.

3. Although Mike had a fever and a headache, he stayed up and finished his math homework.

4. Landon wanted to find the game on television, but quickly switched from channel to channel.

5. During her English class, Holly completed her chemistry worksheet.

6. To please his mother, the child picked up his toys and put them in the closet.

7. Leaving the party early, Jeremy went home and worked on his research paper.

8. Linda baked a birthday cake for her boyfriend by borrowing a recipe from her grandmother.

9. Abby is allergic to strawberries, does not like blueberries, but enjoys anything made with raspberries.

10. A large crowd attended the basketball game that did determine the district championship.

Rewrite the following sentences to demonstrate correct parallel structure:

1. The novel is creative, humorous, but predictable.

2. Janet’s new car is not only very comfortable, but also fuel-efficient.

3. The girls wanted to go to a movie, to the mall, or to eat at a nice restaurant.

4. On Sunday, Melisa went to her church, wrote her paper for her sociology class, finished her laundry, and then called her grandparents.

5. A local business not only buys uniforms for the children, but also provides equipment, for the children.

Correct the following sentences to fix dangling modifiers:

1. Shaving in front of the steamy mirror, Edward nicked his chin with the razor.

2. While cooking breakfast, Sally splashed hot bacon grease on her arm.

3. The classroom was so stuffy that Kay almost fainted while taking the final exam.

4. While pitching his tent, a snake bit Tom’s ankle.

5. As the elephants danced on their hind legs, the audience cheered widely.

6. The police spokesperson said the suspect was last seen wearing dark glasses and a blond wig.

7. While pouring the cereal, a coupon fell into Melissa’s bowl of milk.

8. Mike knew that the limousine carried someone important as it was escorted by dozens of police motorcycles.

9. The flight was inevitable, even though the couple was tired.

10. Maggie had difficulty removing the anchovies as they were packed tightly in a tiny can.

Identify and correct the weak passive voice in these sentences:

1. Torture should be used as a last resort to save lives, even if it may be seen as unconstitutional.

2. Inappropriate television shows that are viewed as violent can corrupt children.

3. Protestors against smoking send the message that tobacco companies are responsible and should be held accountable.

4. Programs have started in order to educate parents about what should be done to manage their children’s behavior.

5. The price of gasoline is a valid indicator of the state of the economy.

6. Parents have allowed their children to learn poor eating habits, leading to obesity in children.

Rephrase these sentences to avoid passive voice:

1. Teenagers consider alcohol to be an attraction.

2. Children are affected by divorce within the family.

3. Student safety has become an issue.

4. A method of reducing stress is often physical activity.

5. "Hippies" and "Losers" are considered drug users of marijuana.

6. Communication techniques are learned by children by talking to different people and at many levels.

7. Many countries that depend on foreign aid should be required to help themselves.

8. The school system developed the rules and regulations required on standardized tests.

Paper For Above instruction

Effective sentence combination and correction are vital components of proficient English writing. Properly combining sentences enhances readability, clarity, and flow while avoiding common grammatical pitfalls such as dangling modifiers, passive voice, and improper parallel structure. This paper explores strategies for combining sentences, rectifying dangling modifiers, strengthening parallel sentence structures, and eliminating weak passive constructions, illustrating their importance through specific examples and practical applications.

Combining Sentences Effectively

Combining sentences involves merging two or more related simple sentences into a single, coherent sentence using conjunctions, punctuation, or subordinating phrases. For example, the sentence “Melinda reluctantly volunteered to keep her sister’s children all day” remains unchanged, but when combining it with additional information, care must be taken to avoid redundancies or awkward constructions. An example is: “Melinda reluctantly volunteered to keep her sister’s children all day, but she was exhausted by evening.”

Another common technique is using coordinating conjunctions like "and," "but," or "or" to connect ideas. For example, “George changed the spark plug and cleaned the air filter, but the lawnmower still would not start” correctly combines two actions with contrast. Proper sentence combination improves coherence and prevents choppy writing.

Rectifying Dangling Modifiers

Dangling modifiers occur when the introductory phrase or dependent clause does not clearly modify the grammatical subject. For instance, “Shaving in front of the steamy mirror, Edward nicked his chin with the razor” clearly indicates that Edward was shaving, thus correcting the dangling modifier. Conversely, a sentence like “While cooking breakfast, Sally splashed hot bacon grease on her arm” correctly attributes the action to Sally, avoiding ambiguity.

Incorrect sentences, such as “While pitching his tent, a snake bit Tom’s ankle,” can be corrected by clarifying the subject: “While Tom was pitching his tent, a snake bit his ankle.” Effective revision removes ambiguity and clarifies who performs each action, enhancing sentence clarity.

Ensuring Proper Parallel Structure

Parallelism emphasizes balance and rhythm in sentence construction, especially in lists and comparisons. For example, the sentence “The novel is creative, humorous, but predictable” should be corrected to “The novel is creative, humorous, and predictable,” ensuring all items in the list are in the same grammatical form.

Similarly, “Janet’s new car is not only very comfortable, but also fuel-efficient” should be revised to “Janet’s new car is not only very comfortable but also fuel-efficient,” removing unnecessary commas. Improved parallel structure creates smoother, more professional writing and emphasizes equivalence among related ideas.

Eliminating Weak Passive Voice

Passive voice often obscures the actor, leading to vague or weak sentences. For example, “Torture should be used as a last resort to save lives” is clearer and more direct than “Torture should be used as a last resort to save lives, even if it may be seen as unconstitutional,” which rephrases to active voice as: “Use torture as a last resort to save lives, despite ethical concerns.” Similarly, expressions like “Inappropriate television shows that are viewed as violent can corrupt children” are active and precise, avoiding unnecessary passive constructions.

Improving Sentences by Avoiding Columned or Wordy Structures

Rephrasing sentences like “The school system developed the rules and regulations required on standardized tests” to “The school system developed the rules and regulations required for standardized tests” creates more concise and clearer sentences, which are crucial for effective communication.

Conclusion

Mastering the art of combining sentences, correcting dangling modifiers, establishing parallel structure, and eliminating weak passive voice is essential for clear and effective writing. These techniques support the clarity of ideas and professionalism in academic and professional contexts. Continuous practice and attention to grammatical detail ensure writers produce polished, impactful sentences that communicate ideas with precision and fluency.

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