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3. Original example: In the 1840s the potato famine decimated Ireland. It being a country with poor soil and antiquated methods of agriculture.

Problem: The second sentence is actually a fragment, a subject plus a long participial phrase.

Possible correction: In the 1840s the potato famine decimated Ireland, a country with poor and antiquated methods of agriculture.

Comment: The cause of this kind of fragment is usually that the writer mistakenly believes that being is a verb rather than a participle that introduces a long phrase (modifying “Ireland” in this case). It would also be correct simply to change the period to a comma in the original sentence.

Test Yourself 19.2: Comma Splices

1. Original example: “Virtual reality” is a new buzzword, so is “hyperspace.”

Problem: This is a comma splice—both clauses are independent, yet they are joined with a comma.

Possible correction: “Virtual reality” is a new buzzword; so is “hyperspace.”

Comment: Because the clauses are linked by association—both naming buzzwords—a semicolon would show that association. A writer could also condense the clauses into a simple sentence with a compound subject, for example, “Both ‘virtual reality’ and ‘hyperspace’ are new buzzwords.”

2. Original example: Many popular cures for cancer have been discredited, nevertheless, many people continue to buy them.

Problem: A comma splice results from the incorrectly punctuated conjunctive adverb nevertheless.

Possible correction: Many popular cures for cancer have been discredited; nevertheless, many people continue to buy them.

Comment: Without the semicolon to separate the independent clauses, the conjunctive adverb could conceivably modify either the preceding or the following clause. This problem is usually worse with however.

3. Original example: Elvis Presley’s home, Graceland, attracts many musicians as a kind of shrine, even Paul Simon has been there.

Problem: This is a comma splice—the two independent clauses are linked by a comma without a conjunction. The problem is exacerbated by the number of commas in the sentence; the reader cannot easily tell which one is used to separate the clauses.

Possible correction: Elvis Presley’s home, Graceland, attracts many musicians as a kind of shrine—even Paul Simon has been there.

Comment: Although one could justly use a semicolon here, the dash conveys the impromptu effect of an afterthought.

4. Original example: She didn’t play well with others, she sat on the bench and watched.

Problem: Because the second clause develops the first one, a writer might think that it is dependent on the first; conceptually, yes, but grammatically, no.

Possible correction: She didn’t play well with others; she sat on the bench and watched.

Comment: If the writer wanted to link the two clauses more tightly, a colon would be appropriate instead of the semicolon.

Test Yourself 19.3: Subject–Verb Agreement

Original example: The controversies surrounding the placement of Arthur Ashe’s statue in Richmond was difficult for the various factions to resolve.

Problem: The grammatical subject of the main clause (controversies) is plural; the verb (was) is singular.

Possible corrections: The controversies surrounding the placement of Arthur Ashe’s statue in Richmond were difficult for the various factions to resolve (or, The controversy … was).

Comment: An error of this kind is encouraged by two factors: the distance of the verb from the subject and the presence of intervening prepositional phrases that use singular objects, either of which a writer might mistake for the grammatical subject of the main clause.

Test Yourself 19.4: Faulty Predication

Original example: The subject of learning disabilities is difficult to identify accurately.

Problem: The predicate matches the object of the preposition (learning disabilities) rather than the subject of the main clause (subject).

Possible corrections: Learning disabilities are difficult to identify accurately.

Comment: Omitting the abstract opening (The subject of) enables the predicate (are) to fit