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The 1986 Study
Record Number: W7N19A
Transcript of the Student's Text
Coded for Statistical Analysis
Statistics: Table of Contents

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My Tradgedy

       \-\My name is Samuel Barton \C\and {by now} {of course} I am {over my tradgedy} \C\but [LAVFwhen I was four years#NuA02 old] I was the victim {of a boating accedent.} \-\[LINJYou see] I was out {in the water} {with my aunt} \C\and I was holding on {to a ski rope,} \C\and stupidly I had the rope wrapped#ADO11 {around my right fingers} {except for my thumb} \R\RO#46I was swimming a pretty far distance#NuA07 {from the boat} \C\and all#NuA04 {of the sudden} a boat came {in between our boat and me,} \,\CS#28then the rope got caught=PV {in the prop} {of the boat} \C\and the rope pulled my fingers almost all#NuA06 {of the way} off. \-\They were still barely hanging on \C\and I hadn't lost them, \C\but the doctors said [RNDOthat all {of my veins & legaments} were too small and stretched=PV=CV out to sew*INFAV04 back together.] \-\Now all [MAJFI have left*GiveR01#PPA01]  is {upto [RNOPwhere my fingers used to be]} \C\and there is just a nub. \-\The doctors put a skin graph {over the top} {of my hand} {from my lower stomach.} \-\Really I haven't had many problems {with people making#AOP05 fun {of me.}} \-\I am hoping [RNDOthat one day#NuA02 there will be a way [RAJFthat I can eventually find a scientist [RAJFwho can find a way to put*INFAJ07 one persons skin {onto another}]]] \C\But really {for now} It's O.K. \-\Really I don't have many problems {with it.} \F\Frag#08{Besides being*GerOP06 carefull not to hurt*INFAV04 it.} \-\Most people find it confusing#ADO12 to find*INFDS10 out [RNDOI even write {with my right hand.}] \-\Sometimes my friends forget {about it} \C\and I guess [RNDOthey're all [RAJFthat really matters!]]
 
 
Analysis of Fragments, Comma-Splices and Run-ons

Frag #08 -- Other (or amplification):  The fragment could have been an afterthought.  The fragment, however, does further define "many problems," and could be preceded by a dash: "Really I don't have many problems with it, besides being carefull not to hurt it." or : "Really I don't have many problems with it -- besides being carefull not to hurt it."

CS #28 -- Subordination?: This single comma-splice comes in the middle of a massive sentence composed of compounds and a run-on. I may be mistaken, but the splice appears between the only two main clauses that have a cause/effect relationship: "\-\You see I was out in the water with my aunt \C\and I was holding on to a ski rope, \C\and stupidly I had the rope wrapped around my right fingers except for my thumb \R\I was swimming a pretty far distance {from the boat} \C\and all of the sudden a boat came in between our boat and me, sothen the rope got caught in the prop of the boat \C\and the rope pulled my fingers almost all of the way off."

RO #46 -- Other (possibly careless): It is interesting to note that this writer has the second highest rate of compounded main clauses. (46% of the main clauses are compounds, compared to the group average of 14%.) It would have been very interesting to see the result of a class statisctical analysis project on this student. Once the student saw his high number of compounds, would he have paid more attention to punctuating main clause boundaries?
     Note, by the way, this writer's excellent use of subordinate clauses, two of which are embedded at level two, and one at level three. The one with the third level embedding is a perfectly correct (except for "person's") 30-word-long main clause.