... If you do all this, you might just wind up with a sentence fragment! Effective internet proofreading always occurs after the message has been sent. 

Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2015 09:30:43 -0600
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Question
To: [log in to unmask]




John, 

The fact that it feels ungrammatical might stem from the fact that it violates the the "known/new" rule.  The piece of "known" information that controls the narrative is the date. So, if you put the "when" information first in a dependent clause (the first date), then create the "new information" (the effect = the embarrassment) followed by the cause (desire to be in control). 

When you're on your first date, it can be really embarrassing to be so emotional because you feel you should be in control. 

While other solutions you propose are certainly more than acceptable, teaching students to start a sentence with "When" (or "known") information seems to produce pretty good results (NOTE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS SENTENCE: DEPENDENT OR "KNOWN" INFORMATION FIRST, FOLLOWED BY THE NEW). 

Geoff Layton

Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2015 08:37:29 -0500
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Question
To: [log in to unmask]

I saw the following item on an exercise from Purdue's OWL:

____ 6. It can be really embarrassing to be so emotional. Especially 
when you    are on your first date, you feel that you should be in 
control.
Grammatically there is no fragment here.  But the 2nd sentence FEELS ungrammatical.  Is it just awkward or does it violate some rule?  The following permutations are fine:
6a.  It can be really embarrassing to be so emotional, especially when you are on your first date.  You feel that you should be in control.
6b.  It can be really embarrassing to be so emotional.  You feel that you should be in control, especially when you are on your first date.
Thanks!
John


To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"

Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
 		 	   		  
To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"

Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
 		 	   		  
To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"

Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/