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The 1986 Study
Record Number: W7N31A
Transcript of the Student's Text
Coded for Statistical Analysis
Statistics: Table of Contents

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Dale Dawson

      \-\There is a boy [RAJFI like very much.] \-\He's {in the tenth grade,} very intelegent,=CC \,\CS#45he has blue eyes and blonde hair.=CC \-\Every time#NuA05 [LAJFI see him] he is always smiling. \-\He's got little dimples. \F\Frag#19No bumps {on his face} Thank God!#Inj02 \-\He's tall \R\RO#81he's not fat. \-\I would say [RNDOthat he is skinny.] \-\He's not skinny {like other boys} {like Sam Willis.} \-\He looks {like a stick.} \-\Dale is about fiften years#NuA03 old \C\and he works {at Hardees.} \-\Today I'm going to see him there. \F\Frag#20GOSH!#Inj01 \-\I hope me and him=CS do go*INFDO06 together, [RAVFcause I've been waiting {for a long time} to go*INFAV04 {with him.}] \-\Dale and I=CS met {at a dance} [RAJFthat we had here {at RWJH School.}] \-\This is the way [RAJFwe met.] \-\Every time#NuA09 [LAJFI passed Dale and his friend=CC Bill#App01] they would be looking {at me.} \-\I got tired=PV {of it} and asked=CV both {of them} [RNDOwhat were they looking at.] \-\All [MAJFthey did] was laugh.*INFPN01 \-\I felt {like hitting*GerOP04 both} {of them,} \C\But I didn't \-\Now you see [RNDOhow we met.] \F\Frag#21A wierd way uh!#Inj01 \-\Now me and Bill=CS are {like birds.} \C\and I flipped or flip=CV out every time#NuA05 [RAJFI see Dale.] \-\Dale is a total hunk. \-\[LINJBelieve me] he is. \-\The other night#NuA03 I asked him to go*INFDO06 out {with me.} \-\He hasn't told me his answer. \F\Frag#22Yet! \-\Hopefully he says yes. \-\Well#Inj01 that's the end {of my story.}
 
 
Analysis of Fragments, Comma-Splices and Run-ons

Frag #19 -- Afterthought (or Amplification, or Contrast): This might be a case where the writer's sense of amplification caused the fragment. These are the only two clauses that describe Dale's face. There is, however, a definite contrast involved -- dimples are good; pimples are bad. For a seventh grader, this would be an important, easily sensed, contrast. Thus the writer may have been aiming for "He's got little dimples; no bumps on his face." Syntactically, this is two main clauses with the subject and verb in the second ellipsed because they are identical to those in the first. I'm counting this as an afterthought because, if the writer did have the contrast in mind, she would probably have been more likely to write  "He's got little dimples, but no bumps on his face."
Frag #20 -- Acceptable: In KISS statistical analysis, interjections set off as separate sentences are counted as fragments, but they are perfectly acceptable.
Frag #21 -- Acceptable: I don't think any reader would have any problem processing this fragment. Adding "This is" would only add meaningless words.
Frag #22 -- Acceptable: See Frag #20, above.

CS #45 -- Other (or Contrast): The writer may have sensed a mind/body contrast, or, more likely, the writer may have sensed the second clause as adding to the first. This could have been written as "He's in the tenth grade, very intelegent, and has blue eyes and blonde hair." The spelling of "intelligent," however, clearly presented the writer with a problem. By the time "intelegent" was on paper, the rest of the sentence was thus no longer in STM, so the writer put in the comma, repeated the subject, and finished the sentence.

RO #81 -- Contrast:  This is clearly a good/bad contrast -- "He's tall; he's not fat."