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Use this checklist as a list of reminders while you are editing your paper.

  1. Sentence fragments current page arrow
  2. Sentence sprawl
  3. Misplaced and dangling modifiers
  4. Faulty parallelism
  5. Unclear pronoun reference
  6. Incorrect pronoun case
  1. Omitted commas
  2. Superfluous commas
  3. Comma splices
  4. Apostrophe errors
  5. Words easily confused
  6. Misspellings

1. Sentence fragments

 

Make sure each word group you have punctuated as a sentence contains a grammatically complete and independent thought that can stand alone as an acceptable sentence.
Sentence Fragment
How to fix it

Tests of the Shroud of Turin have produced some curious findings. For example, the pollen of forty-eight plants native to Europe and the Middle East.

[2nd sentence = fragment]

Tests of the Shroud of Turin have produced some curious findings. For example, the cloth contains the pollen of forty-eight plants native to Europe and the Middle East.

Scientists report no human deaths due to excessive caffeine consumption. Although caffeine does cause convulsions and death in certain animals.

[2nd sentence = fragment]

 Scientists report no human deaths due to excessive caffeine consumption, although caffeine does cause convulsions and death in certain animals.

 

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