GED Language Arts Sentence Structure and Clarity Summary

"The printer is out of toner" and "I ordered more this morning" are both complete sentences. Without punctuation they form a run-on. A period between them fixes it.

Wrong choices

• "The printer is out of toner I ordered, more this morning.": The comma is in the wrong place and changes the meaning.
• "The printer, is out of toner I ordered more this morning.": This comma splits the subject from its verb and leaves the run-on unfixed.
• "The printer is out of toner, I ordered more this morning.": A comma alone between two complete sentences is a comma splice, which is still an error.

A clause that starts with "Because" cannot stand alone; it needs a main idea. Adding "please park on Elm Street" completes the thought.

Wrong choices

• "Because, the parking lot is being repaved.": A comma after "Because" does not complete the sentence.
• "Because the parking lot is being repaved and.": Adding "and" leaves the thought unfinished.
• "Because the parking lot. Is being repaved.": This creates two fragments instead of one.

Each item in the list uses the same verb form: "answers," "schedules," "orders." Matching forms make the sentence parallel.

Wrong choices

• "The assistant answering phones, schedules meetings, and orders supplies.": "The assistant answering" leaves the sentence without a main verb for its first item.
• "The assistant answers phones, scheduling meetings, and to order supplies.": The list mixes three different forms.
• "The assistant answers phones, schedules meetings, and ordering supplies.": "Ordering" does not match "answers" and "schedules."

Closing early and opening at the usual time are a contrast. "However" signals a contrast.

Wrong choices

• "similarly": "Similarly" shows two things are alike, but these two facts differ.
• "for example": "For example" introduces an example, and Saturday hours are not an example of closing early.
• "therefore": "Therefore" shows a result, but opening normally is not a result of closing early.

In the original, the carpet seems to be walking into the office. The revision adds the person who was walking ("I") right after the opening phrase.

Wrong choices

• "The new carpet smelled strongly of glue, walking into the office.": Moving the phrase to the end still makes the carpet the walker.
• "Walking into the office, the smell of the new carpet was strong.": Now the smell seems to be walking, so the modifier still dangles.
• "Walking into the office the new carpet smelled, strongly of glue.": Moving the comma does not say who was walking.

The two ideas contrast: high cost now, savings later. "Although" shows that contrast and joins the clauses correctly.

Wrong choices

• "The new machine is expensive, it will save money over time.": A comma alone joining two complete sentences is a comma splice.
• "The new machine is expensive, so it will save money over time.": "So" also says the price causes the savings.
• "Because the new machine is expensive, it will save money over time.": "Because" says the high price causes the savings, which is not the meaning.

"In my personal opinion" and "I think" say the same thing, and "repeat ... again" repeats itself. The concise version keeps the meaning without the extra words.

Wrong choices

• "I personally think in my opinion we should repeat the training again.": This keeps the repetition and drops "next year."
• "In my opinion I think that we should repeat again the training next year.": This keeps the repetition and makes the word order awkward.
• "In my personal opinion, I think that we should repeat the training next year.": This removes "again" but keeps the repeated "opinion" and "I think."

"Almost fixed all" suggests the manager nearly started but fixed none. "Fixed almost all" says most of the windows were fixed, which is what the writer means.

Wrong choices

• "The manager fixed all of the almost broken windows last week.": "Almost broken windows" means the windows were not quite broken.
• "Almost the manager fixed all of the broken windows last week.": Starting with "Almost the manager" makes no sense.
• "The manager fixed all of the broken windows almost last week.": "Almost last week" changes the meaning to a time.

"Trained" and "licensed" are describing words that follow "are." The third item should match: "insured."

Wrong choices

• "Our drivers are trained, licensing, and insured.": "Licensing" breaks the pattern.
• "Our drivers are training, licensed, and they are insured.": "Training" and the clause "they are insured" break the pattern.
• "Our drivers are trained, licensed, and have insurance.": "Have insurance" is a verb phrase and does not match "trained" and "licensed."

"Otherwise" is not a joining word like "and" or "but," so it cannot connect two complete sentences with just a comma. Use a semicolon before it and a comma after it.

Wrong choices

• "Wear gloves, when handling chemicals otherwise, you could burn your skin.": The commas are misplaced and confuse the meaning.
• "Wear gloves when handling chemicals otherwise you could burn your skin.": No punctuation creates a run-on.
• "Wear gloves when handling chemicals, otherwise; you could burn your skin.": The semicolon is on the wrong side of "otherwise."