Selama ini masalah kalimat yang sering kita hadapi dan jumpai adalah fragmen kalimat (sentence fragments), kalimat melantur (run-on sentences), dan tanda gabung hanya dengan koma (comma splice) dan yang lainnya belum begitu kita kenal.

Pada kesempatan belajar Bahasa Inggris kali ini dan berikutnya kita akan belajar itu semua dan ditambah dengan masalah kalimat yang disebut choppy dan stringy sentences. Choppy sentence adalah kalimat yang terlalu pendek sedangkan stringy sentence adalah kalimat dengan terlalu banyak klausa independen.

Pada kesempatan belajar Bahasa Inggris kali ini kita akan belajar mengenali dan membetulkan beberapa kekeliruan yang umum dalam struktur kalimat di antaranya adalah fragmen kalimat (sentence fragments).

Sehubungan dengan penyusunan kalimat kita harus hati-hati dengan kata-kata yang tergolong berbahaya. Semua kata yang termasuk dalam A WHITE BUS subordinator tergolong kata-kata berbahaya. Yang dimaksud dengan A WHITE BUS  di sini adalah:

A: after, although, as
WH: when, whereas, while, whenever, wherever, whether or not
I: in case, if
T: though
E: even though, even if
B: before, because
U: until, unless
S: since, so (that)

Oleh karena itu berilah perhatian khusus pada kalimat Anda yang mulai dengan subordinator tersebut. Bila kita tidak hati-hati dengan kata-kata tersebut, kita bisa saja menciptakan fragmen kalimat.

Sentence Fragments. Fragmen kalimat adalah kalimat yang TIDAK lengkap atau bagian dari kalimat. Ingat bahwa kalimat yang lengkap harus mengandung sedikitnya satu klausa utama atau independen. 

Pelajari 4 contoh fragmen kalimat berikut ini dan metode yang disarankan untuk membetulkannya.

1. Because some students work part-time while taking a full load of courses

    Problem:         This is a dependent clause.

    To correct:      Attach it to an independent clause.

    Because some students work part-time while taking a full load of courses, they have very little free time.

2. For example, the increase in the cost of renting an apartment

    Problem:        There is no verb.

    To correct:     Rewrite the sentence so that it has a verb.

    For example, the cost of renting an apartment increased.

3. Feeling lonely and failing most of his classes

    Problem:        This is a participial phrase.

    To correct: (a) Add a subject and change the participial to verbs, or

                      (b) Attach the phrase to an independent clause.

   (a) He felt lonely and was failing most of his classes.

   (b) Feeling lonely and failing most of his classes, the student wisely decided to make an appointment with his counselor.

4. Many young people who leave home at an early age

    Problem:        This is a noun phrase + a relative clause. The independent clause is unfinished.

    To correct: (a) Change the relative clause into an independent clause, or

                      (b) Complete the unfinished independent clause. 

   (a) Many young people leave home at an early age.

   (b) Many young people who leave home at an early age do not manage their money well.

Selalu periksa tulisan Anda sendiri apakah ada fragmen kalimat. Berilah perhatian khusus kepada kalimat Anda yang mulai dengan konjungsi subordinasi (although, because, before, if, dsb.). Ini semua KATA BERBAHAYA! Yakinkan bahwa setiap klausa subordinasi yang mulai dengan kata-kata ini ditempelkan kepada klausa independen agar tidak menimbulkan fragmen kalimat.

PRACTICE: Rewriting Sentence Fragments

PERINTAH:

A. Read the following sentences. Mark them FRAG if they are sentence fragments, or COMP if they are complete sentences. On a separate piece of paper, rewrite each fragment to make a complete sentence.

_____  1. The desire of all humankind to live in peace and freedom, for example.

_____  2. Second, the fact that men are physically stronger than women.

_____  3. The best movie that I saw last year.

_____  4. Titanic was the most financially successful movie ever made.

_____  5. For example, many students have part-time jobs.

_____  6. Although people want to believe that all men are created equal.

_____  7. Finding a suitable marriage partner is a challenging task.

_____  8. Many of my friends who didn't have the opportunity to go to college.

_____  9. Working during the morning and attending classes during the afternoon.

_____  10. Because I don't feel that grades in college have any value.

_____  11. The nuclear accident that occurred in Russia in 1986, the worst nuclear accident in history.

_____  12. The first hint of the tragedy came two days after the accident occurred.

_____  13. When radiation monitors in Sweden indicated an increase in radiation levels over Scandinavia.

_____  14. Radiation escaping into the atmosphere, drifting west over other countries, and causing crops and dairy products to become contaminated.

_____  15. Opponents of nuclear power plants pointing to the Chernobyl disaster and the near-disaster at a U.S. plant in Pennsylvania.

B. Read the following short essay. Put brackets [  ] around any sentence fragments that you find and mark them FRAG. Then correct all fragments on a separate piece of paper.

Women Drivers

Male chauvinism extends even into the area of automobile driving. It seems. Believing that they are far better drivers than women. Men consider women drivers incompetent, inattentive, and even dangerous behind the wheel.

However, statistics prove that women are, in fact, safer drivers than men. For example, insurance rates. Insurance rates for women are 20 percent lower than they are for men. Another proof is that more accidents are caused by male drivers between the ages of 18 and 25 than by any other group. Also, the greater percentage of accidents involving deaths caused by men. Although women are criticized for being too cautious. They are really just being safe drivers.

The reasons for women drivers' safer driving habits can perhaps be found in the differing attitudes of the sexes towards automobiles. On the other hand, women drivers who regard the automobile as a convenience. Like a washing machine. On the other hand, men regard the automobile as an extension of their egos. Using it as a weapon when they feel particularly aggressive. Or using it as a status symbol.

All in all, women are safer drivers. Because of their attitude. Men can learn to become safe drivers. If they adopt the attitude that an automobile is merely a convenience.

male chauvinism: men's belief in male superiority

egos: self-importance

Model answer

Women Drivers

Male chauvinism extends even into the area of automobile driving. It seems. [Believing that they are far better drivers than women.] Men consider women drivers incompetent, inattentive, and even dangerous behind the wheel.

However, statistics prove that women are, in fact, safer drivers than men. [For example, insurance rates.] Insurance rates for women are 20 percent lower than they are for men. Another proof is that more accidents are caused by male drivers between the ages of 18 and 25 than by any other group. [Also, the greater percentage of accidents involving deaths caused by men.] [Although women are criticized for being too cautious.] They are really just being safe drivers.

The reasons for women drivers' safer driving habits can perhaps be found in the differing attitudes of the sexes towards automobiles. [On the other hand, women drivers who regard the automobile as a convenience.] [Like a washing machine.] On the other hand, men regard the automobile as an extension of their egos. [Using it as a weapon when they feel particularly aggressive.] [Or using it as a status symbol.]

Corrected:

Although women are criticized for being too cautious, they are really just being safe drivers.

Fragment sentence:

[On the other hand, women drivers who regard the automobile as a convenience.]

[Like a washing machine.]

Corrected:

On the other hand, women drivers regard the automobile as a convenience like a washing machine.

Fragment sentence:

[Using it as a weapon when they feel particularly aggressive.]

[Or using it as a status symbol.]

Corrected:

They use it as a weapon when they feel particularly aggressive or use it as a status symbol.

Fragment sentence:

All in all, women are safer drivers.

[Because of their attitude.]

Corrected:

All in all, women are safer drivers because of their attitude.

Fragment sentence:

Men can learn to become safe drivers.

[If they adopt the attitude that an automobile is merely a convenience.]

Corrected:

Men can learn to become safe drivers if they adopt the attitude that an automobile is merely a convenience.

Women Drivers

Male chauvinism extends even into the area of automobile driving. It seems. They believe that they are far better drivers than women. Men consider women drivers incompetent, inattentive, and even dangerous behind the wheel.

However, statistics prove that women are, in fact, safer drivers than men. For example, insurance rates for women are 20 percent lower than they are for men. Another proof is that more accidents are caused by male drivers between the ages of 18 and 25 than by any other group. Also, the greater percentage of accidents involving deaths is caused by men. Although women are criticized for being too cautious, they are really just being safe drivers.

The reasons for women drivers' safer driving habits can perhaps be found in the differing attitudes of the sexes towards automobiles. On the other hand, women drivers regard the automobile as a convenience like a washing machine. On the other hand, men regard the automobile as an extension of their egos. They use it as a weapon when they feel particularly aggressive or use it as a status symbol.