I"m having difficulty correctly addressing the below sentences. The assignment is to fix, if needed, sentence fragments. At first and second glance, I feel these are correct:
With machetes, the explorers cut their way through the tall grasses to the edge of the canyon. Then they began to lay out the tapes for the survey.
However, I've been tricked before and now I think I may need to change it as follows:
With machetes, the explorers cut their way through the tall grasses to the edge of the canyon, and then they began to lay out the tapes for the survey.
Suggestions would be appreciated! :)
They are both correct. I prefer the first one, though.
Thank you, Ms. Sue!
Both versions of the sentences are grammatically correct. The first version, where the second sentence is presented as a fragment, is appropriate for a more casual or stylistic writing style. The second version, where the second sentence is connected to the first with a coordinating conjunction, is more formal and aligns with standard written English.
If your assignment is specifically to fix sentence fragments, then it would be more appropriate to go with the second version by connecting the two sentences with a coordinating conjunction like "and." This way, both sentences are complete and well-formed.
So, in conclusion, if the assignment is to fix sentence fragments, it is suggested to use the second version where you connect the two sentences with a coordinating conjunction.