Speakers
Description
This study investigates the syntactic nature of sentence fragments in the academic
writing of English-major undergraduates in the Philippines. Although fragments are
commonly treated as surface-level errors, emerging research in second language writing
and generative approaches to L2 syntax suggests that they may index deeper patterns
of interlanguage development. Using a corpus of 50 undergraduate essays, the study
employed the UAM CorpusTool annotation system to identify and classify fragments
according to a typology that captures dependent-clause fragments, phrase-level units,
and incomplete projections. A total of 212 fragments were annotated and analyzed.
Findings indicate that fragments are pervasive across the dataset, with dependent-clause
fragments constituting the majority, followed by NP and PP fragments functioning as
discourse-based afterthoughts. Structural analysis reveals recurrent syntactic fault lines,
including incomplete CP/TP projections, unresolved operator–antecedent dependencies,
and non-finite verbal structures. Interpretive analysis attributes these patterns to
interacting interlanguage mechanisms: partial acquisition of functional categories,
working-memory constraints during complex clause construction, and discourse–syntax
misalignment influenced by multilingual rhetorical practices in Philippine English. The
study contributes to L2 syntactic theory by demonstrating how fragment production
reflects learners’ evolving control of clause architecture and functional features.
Pedagogical implications emphasize the need for explicit instruction in subordination,
projection, and discourse integration within academic writing courses.
Keywords: sentence fragments; L2 syntax; interlanguage development; academic writing;
Philippine English
Biography
Fernan B. Lehao is currently the Chairperson of the English Department of Mindanao State University-General Santos. He is pursuing his PHD in English Language at Bukidnon State University. A teacher for 18 years, teaching English language and literature, and also a coach in public speaking, debate, and smart talking. A loving husband and a father.
Mary Ann Charmaine O. Tapulayan-Dumana, MAEd, is a Filipino linguistics researcher and language educator currently serving as Instructor I at Northern Bukidnon State College. With a decade of teaching experience across secondary and tertiary education, she specializes in linguistics, academic writing, and language education research. She holds a Master of Arts in Education major in Teaching English Communication Arts and is currently pursuing a PhD in English Language at Bukidnon State University. Her research interests include discourse analysis, forensic linguistics, psycholinguistics, World Englishes, and computer-assisted language learning. Her current study examines syntactic fragmentation in college students’ writing through descriptive-syntactic profiling and interlanguage analysis. As a teacher educator and researcher, she advocates human-centered and research-informed language instruction that strengthens multilingual learners’ communicative competence, critical thinking, and academic writing development.
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