Fragmen kalimat (sentence fragment) dan kalimat pendek (choppy sentence) secara singkat telah kita bahas dan pelajari. Sesi belajar Bahasa Inggris masih seputar mengenali dan membetulkan beberapa kekeliruan yang umum dalam struktur kalimat, yakni kalimat melantur (run-on sentence) dan kalimat dengan terlalu banyak klausa independen (stringy sentence).

Melantur (Jawa: ngelantur) dalam berbicara dianggap oleh sebagian orang suatu hal yang wajar tetapi dalam kegiatan tulis-menulis dianggap tidak wajar bahkan kurang baik dalam tulisan akademik. Melantur (baca: ngelantur) biasanya memiliki konotasi kurang baik (negatif) maka sebaiknya dihindari.

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices. Kalimat melantur (run-on sentence) adalah kalimat yang di dalamnya dua atau lebih klausa independen ditulis satu setelah lainnya dengan tidak menggunakan tanda baca. Kalimat serupa terjadi ketika dua klausa independen secara salah digabung dengan koma tanpa konjungsi koordinasi. Kekeliruan semacam ini disebut comma splice atau tanda gabung hanya koma. Perhatikan contoh berikut:

Run-on:            My family went to Indonesia then they emigrated to Australia.

Comma splice:  My family went to Indonesia, then they emigrated to Australia.

Cara untuk membetulkan dua kekeliruan kalimat ini sama:

1. Tambahkan titik:  

    My family went to Indonesia. Then they emigrated to Australia.

2. Tambahkan semikolon:

    My family went to Indonesia; then they emigrated to Australia.

3. Tambahkan koordinator:

    My family went to Indonesia, and then they emigrated to Australia.

4. Tambahkan subordinator:

    After my family went to Indonesia, they emigrated to Australia.

                                     OR

    Before my family emigrated to Australia, they went to Indonesia.

PRACTICE: Run-on/Comma Splice Sentences

PERINTAH:

A. Correct the following run-on/comma splice sentences using the method indicated. 

1. A newly arrived international student faces many problems, for example, he has to cope with a new culture.

a. (Add a period.)  __________________________________________________________________

b. (Add a semicolon.)  _______________________________________________________________

2. New York City is very cosmopolitan, there are people from many cultures and ethnic groups living there.

a. (Add a period.)  __________________________________________________________________

b. (Add a semicolon.)  _______________________________________________________________

c. (Add a subordinator.)  _____________________________________________________________

3. Learning a new language is like learning to swim it takes a lot of practice.

    (Add a coordinator.)  ______________________________________________________________

4. Ask for assistance at the reference desk in the library, there is always a librarian on duty.

   (Add a semicolon.)  ________________________________________________________________

5. Skiing is a dangerous sport you can easily break your leg or your neck.

   (Add a subordinator.)  ______________________________________________________________

B. Some of the following sentences are run-ons or comma splices, and some are correct. Check each sentence. If it is incorrect, write RO or CS in the space at the left. If it is correct. leave the space blank. Then, on a separate piece of paper, correct the incorrect sentences.

Example

     RO        Two letters arrived on Monday a third one came on Wednesday.

                   Two letters arrived on Monday; a third one came on Wednesday. 

_____  1. An encyclopedia is a valuable source of information it contains summaries of every area of knowledge.

______  2. Because of the rapid expansion of human knowledge, it is difficult to keep encyclopedia current.

______ 3. A printed encyclopedia become obsolete almost as soon as it is published also it is quite expensive to purchase.

______  4. Encyclopedias on CD-ROMs are inexpensive, convenient to use, and easily updated.

______ 5. Articles on encyclopedias are written by experts in each subject, who are often university professors.

______ 6. An editor of an encyclopedia doesn't write articles he only collect and edits articles written by other experts.

______ 7. To find a book on a certain subject, you used to look in a card catalog, to find a magazine article on a subject, you used to look in a periodical index.

______ 8. Now, most libraries have thrown away their card catalogs, they have computerized catalogs that are much more efficient to use and update.

______ 9. Many periodical indexes, which only list titles of magazine articles and indicate where to find them, have been replaced by computer indexes, some of which display synopses and even entire articles instantly.

______ 10. If you can't find any information on a subject, you can always ask a librarian to help you, they are paid to assist students.

obsolete: out of date; old
synopses: summaries

C. Locate the run-on/comma splice sentences in the following paragraphs. Mark them by writing RO or CS above them. Then, on a separate piece of paper, rewrite both paragraphs, correcting the mistakes that you found.

Grade Inflation

Teachers at Stone Mountain State College give higher grades than teachers at twelve of the nineteen other colleges in the state college system, according to a recent report from the State Institutional Research Committee. This report showed that more than one-third of the undergraduate grades awarded in the spring semester, 1997, were A's, only 1.1 percent were F's. The percentage of A's awarded to graduate students was even higher, almost two-third were A's.

While students may be happy to receive high grades, there is evidence that this trend is having negative consequences. Investigation of the admissions criteria of some graduate and professional schools indicates that the admissions offices of these schools are discounting high grades on the transcripts of SMSC students, this means that an A from SMSC is not equal to an A from other universities. Grade inflation may, therefore, hurt a student from Stone Mountain State College who intends to apply to a graduate or professional school, he or she may not be accepted despite a high grade point average.




Part C. Model answer:

Paragraph 1

Comma splice:

This report showed that more than one-third of the undergraduate grades awarded in the spring semester, 1997, were A's, only 1.1 percent were F's.

Corrected:

This report showed that more than one-third of the undergraduate grades awarded in the spring semester, 1997, were A's, and only 1.1 percent were F's. 

Comma splice:

The percentage of A's awarded to graduate students was even higher, almost two-third were A's.

Corrected:

The percentage of A's awarded to graduate students was even higher, and almost two-third were A's. 

Paragraph 2

Comma splice:

Investigation of the admissions criteria of some graduate and professional schools indicates that the admissions offices of these schools are discounting high grades on the transcripts of SMSC students, this means that an A from SMSC is not equal to an A from other universities. 

Corrected:

Investigation of the admissions criteria of some graduate and professional schools indicates that the admissions offices of these schools are discounting high grades on the transcripts of SMSC students. This means that an A from SMSC is not equal to an A from other universities.

Comma splice:

Grade inflation may, therefore, hurt a student from Stone Mountain State College who intends to apply to a graduate or professional school, he or she may not be accepted despite a high grade point average.

Corrected:

Grade inflation may, therefore, hurt a student from Stone Mountain State College who intends to apply to a graduate or professional school. He or she may not be accepted despite a high grade point average.

Paragraphs that have been corrected:

Teachers at Stone Mountain State College give higher grades than teachers at twelve of the nineteen other colleges in the state college system, according to a recent report from the State Institutional Research Committee. This report showed that more than one-third of the undergraduate grades awarded in the spring semester, 1997, were A's, and only 1.1 percent were F's. The percentage of A's awarded to graduate students was even higher, and almost two-third were A's.

While students may be happy to receive high grades, there is evidence that this trend is having negative consequences. Investigation of the admissions criteria of some graduate and professional schools indicates that the admissions offices of these schools are discounting high grades on the transcripts of SMSC students. This means that an A from SMSC is not equal to an A from other universities. Grade inflation may, therefore, hurt a student from Stone Mountain State College who intends to apply to a graduate or professional school. He or she may not be accepted despite a high grade point average.

Belajar Bahasa Inggris tentang Kalimat dengan Terlalu Banyak Klausa Independen:

Belajar Bahasa Inggris tentang Latihan:

PRACTICE: Stringy Sentences
PERINTAH:
Improve these stringy sentences.

1. He enrolled in an advanced calculus class, but he found it too difficult, so he dropped it. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. The tidal wave ruined the crops and it destroyed several villages, and it caused many deaths, so it was a real disaster. _________________________________________________________________
3. The analysts worked many hours on the computer program, but they couldn't find the cause of the problem, so they finally gave up, and they went home. ____________________________________________________________________________
4. Junk food is bad for your health, and it also contains no vitamins, and it damages your stomach, so people shouldn't eat it. ___________________________________________________________
5. The lack of rainfall has caused a severe water shortage, so people have to conserve water every day, and they also have to think of new ways to reuse water, but the situation is improving. ____________________________________________________________________________

Model answer

1. He enrolled in an advanced calculus class. Since he found an advanced calculus class too difficult, he dropped it.
2. The tidal wave ruined the crops, destroyed several villages, and caused many deaths, so that it was a real disaster. 
3. Even though the analysts worked many hours on the computer program, they couldn't find the cause of the problem, and they finally gave up and went home.
4. Because junk food is bad for your health, also contains no vitamins, and damages your stomach, people shouldn't eat it.
5. The lack of rainfall has caused a severe water shortage. After people have to conserve water every day and also have to think of new ways to reuse water, the situation is improving.

Belajar Bahasa Inggris yang simpel, mudah dimengerti dan dipraktikkan. Ulasan grammar Bahasa Inggris yang lengkap, mendalam, dan lugas. Artikel Bahasa Inggris yang enak dibaca dan perlu. Tetap semangat! Keep moving on!

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