The Fragments, Run-Ons, and Comma Splices in Selected Types of Paragraph Writing

Abstract

Writing is a challenge for non-native English writers since the process of transferring the message includes the writers’ writing competence and it is recorded permanently. As a result, the English learners make errors when they lack the writing skill and knowledge. This study aims to reveal the fragments, run-ons, and comma splices in selected types of paragraphs, namely descriptive paragraph, paragraph of logical division of ideas, process paragraph, and comparison-contrast paragraph. The empirical, quantitative approach is used to identify the frequency of each kind of error in the paragraphs written by students of English Department in University of Widya Dharma Pontianak in academic year 2021/2022. To conclude, the errors occur mostly in comparison-contrast paragraphs (37.96%) as there are different ways of organization. Furthermore, the most frequent kind of error is fragment (66.67%), which is missing an independent clause (41.67%). This is due to the students’ experiencing incomplete thought or their having an afterthought following their previous finished sentence. Lastly, the paragraph of logical divisions of ideas has the least errors (13.89%) and the kind of error that rarely occurs is run-on (9.26%).