Unit 2 - Grammar Pronunciation and Usage

Unit 2 Active Reader

Grammar Punctuation Usage Lens

Page 1

Until four years ago, when cancer took my grandma, the Chinese side of my family, my dad’s side, spent every Thanksgiving at her house.

A comma splice is a type of run-on sentence that occurs when two independent clauses are joined with just a comma. There are multiple ways to fix comma splices, the easiest of which is adding one of the seven coordinating conjunctions in the English language: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

Although there are many commas in this sentence, none are comma splices. Each comma sets off a phrase that gives more information about a specific part of the sentence. None of these phrases could stand alone without a complete subject and predicate.

Let’s take a look at the individual phrases:

Until four years ago, (introductory prepositional phrase)

when cancer took my grandma, (phrase describing the events of four years ago)

the Chinese side of my family, (the subject of the sentence)

my dad’s side, (phrase describing which side of the family is Chinese)

spent every Thanksgiving at her house (predicate)

This is an independent clause with a subject and predicate: The Chinese side of my family spent every Thanksgiving at her house.

And that’s what comes to mind when I think about Thanksgiving—not pilgrims or gratitude, or pumpkin pie.

Fragments are incomplete sentences missing either a subject or a predicate. Even though some writers occasionally use a sentence fragment to accentuate an important detail, they should be avoided in college-level writing.

This sentence might seem like a fragment because it starts with the conjunction “and.” Even though it has a subject and a predicate, starting it with “and” makes it seem as if it is part of another sentence. In this case, the author uses “and” as a transitional word to carry the reader along, so the sentence is not considered a fragment.

Typically, it is wise to avoid starting sentences with conjunctions like “and” and “but” even though doing so sparingly has become somewhat acceptable.

Page 2

It seemed like everyone expected me to fit inside that box and I sometimes worried that I wasn’t Asian enough, like I was pretending.

A run-on sentence has two or more independent clauses joined together incorrectly. A sentence does not need to be long in order to be a run-on; it just needs to have two complete sentences fused together in a confusing way. Like comma splices, there are multiple ways to fix run-on sentences, and the most common solution is to join them with a comma and one of the seven coordinating conjunctions (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).

Although this sentence actually contains two independent clauses, it avoids being a run-on sentence with the use of the conjunction, and.

Let's take a look at the individual clauses:

It seemed like everyone expected me to fit inside that box (independent clause)

and (conjunction)

I sometimes worried that I wasn't Asian enough (independent clause)

like I was pretending. (dependent clause modifying I wasn't Asian enough)

This sentence does show an exception to the rule about using a comma with a coordinating conjunction between two independent clauses; sometimes, when it doesn’t cause confusion for the reader, a writer will omit the comma. Keep in mind, it's always correct to use a comma with a coordinating conjunction, so it’s best to stick to the rule rather than the exception.

Page 3

Grandma never taught my dad to speak Cantonese; our holidays were the American ones; and we ate our family dinners with forks.

This sentence is actually three independent clauses joined by semicolons (;), which keeps it from becoming a run-on sentence.

Let's take a look at the individual clauses:

Grandma never taught my dad to speak Cantonese; (independent clause)

our holidays were the American ones; (independent clause)

and (conjunction)

we ate our family dinners with forks. (independent clause)

Normally, you wouldn't use a conjunction (and) when joining two sentences with a semicolon. The author did so here to break up the choppiness of linking three shorter sentences.

Discriminatory laws turned them into illegal immigrants

This sentence may seem like a fragment, but it’s actually a sentence with a complete subject and predicate.

Let's break the sentence down to demonstrate:

Discriminatory laws (subject)

turned (verb) + them (object) + into illegal immigrants. (phrase) = predicate

Page 4

Which is why I’ve come to be proud of my mixed identity.

This sentence is a fragment because it is missing a subject and a predicate. If the pronoun, which, became a subject (example: My grandmother’s struggle), the sentence would be complete.

It would then read: "My grandmother's struggle is why I've come to be proud of my mixed identity."

In this case, the author purposefully fragments this sentence to emphasize the idea it conveys.

My very existence is a mark of progress and a symbol of my country — a collage of people with roots all over the planet, who, though not without strife, form something new and strong together.

This sentence uses a dash (—) to attach the dependent clause that is modifying the sentence, keeping it from becoming a fragment.

Let's break the sentence down to demonstrate:

My very existence is a mark of progress and a symbol of my country (independent clause)

— (dash)

a collage of people with roots all over the planet, who, though not without strife, form something new and strong together. (dependent clause modifying my country)