AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS · FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS • Writing clear and concise sentences takes time and effort. Anyone can write a confusing, unclear sentence! • Both sentence

AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS

Tips for writing complete sentences.

BEGIN


•  Writing clear and concise sentences takes time and effort. Anyone can write a confusing, unclear sentence!

•  Both sentence fragments and run-on sentences confuse the reader.

•  By learning to identify and correct these problems, your writing can improve quickly and easily!


Mark and his friends. (What about them?)

Threw the baseball. (Who threw the baseball?)

FRAGMENTS

Around the corner. (Who is? What happened?)


•  A fragment is an incomplete sentence. It is missing the subject or the predicate.

Fragments make your writing confusing.


A fragment may be missing a SUBJECT… Threw the baseball. (Who threw the baseball?)

A fragment may be missing a PREDICATE… Mark and his friends. (What about them?)

A fragment may be missing BOTH… Around the corner. (Who was? What happened?)


You can correct a fragment by adding the missing part of speech.

Add a subject: Rob threw the baseball.

Add a predicate: Mark and his friends laughed.

Add both: A dog ran around the corner.


•  Now practice on your own. Add SUBJECTS to the following fragments…

–  Went to the grocery store.

–  Loves unicorns and ponies. –  Got an A on last week’s math test.

–  Named his new puppy Ralphie.


•  Now practice on your own. Add PREDICATES to the following fragments…

–  My wild little kitten.

–  The neighbor’s pet boa constrictor. –  My best friend, Louis.

–  The sprinkler in the back yard.


•  Practice identifying fragments on your own… – Read the 20 sentences in your workbook.

– Write (frag) if the sentence is a fragment. – Write (sent) if the sentence is complete.


A run-on is two or more sentences put together without a period, question

mark, or exclamation point.

Example: My two-year-old brother

always picks his nose he wipes green boogers on his pants it is totally disgusting.


A comma splice is a type of run-on where two sentences have been put

together with a comma between them.

Example: My other sister is learning to ride a bike, she hates wearing a helmet though.


Tyler delivered newspapers in the rain he got very wet.

Kevin and his dog went for a walk it was a beautiful day.

On Monday we went outside for recess it was fun.

Here are three examples of run-ons:


There are three ways to correct a run-on:

1. Put an endmark between the complete sentences. Capitalize the first word after the endmark.

Example: My dog digs holes in the backyard. He buries his bones in them.


Practice: Fix this run-on sentence by adding an endmark.

I was late for the bus yesterday my mom forgot to wake me up before she left in the morning.



2. Put a semicolon between the sentences. You do not need to capitalize the word after the semicolon.

Example: Yesterday I found a $20 bill on the ground; nobody claimed it.


Practice: Fix this run-on sentence by adding a semicolon.

I slept with my glasses on last night this morning they were broken.



3. Put a comma and a coordinating conjunction between the sentences to make a compound sentences.

Example: I went to the zoo last week, and the baby elephant was my favorite exhibit.


Coordinating Conjunctions


Practice: Fix this run-on sentence by adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

I ate a whole bag of candy for lunch now my stomach hurts.

For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So


Let’s correct a sentence using a period and a capital letter!

Tyler delivered newspapers in the rain he got very wet. WRONG! RUN-ON!

Tyler delivered newspapers in the rain. He got very wet. RIGHT! SENTENCES!


Let’s correct a sentence using a semicolon!

Kevin and his dog went for a walk it was a beautiful day. WRONG! RUN-ON!

Kevin and his dog went for a walk; it was a beautiful day. RIGHT! SENTENCES!


On Monday we went outside for recess it was fun. WRONG! RUN-ON!

Let’s correct a sentence using a comma and a conjunction!

On Monday we went outside for recess, and it was fun. RIGHT! SENTENCES!


Let’s practice! Is this a sentence or a fragment?

Delivered newspapers in the rain.

Sentence Fragment


Sorry!

It is a fragment. It is missing a subject.

You could correct it by adding a subject:

Tyler delivered newspapers in the rain.

Try another one!


YES! It is a fragment. It is missing a subject.

You could correct it by adding a subject:

Tyler delivered newspapers in the rain.

Try another one!


Let’s practice more! Is this a sentence or a fragment?

Kevin and his dog.

Sentence Fragment


Sorry!

It is a fragment. It is missing a predicate.

You could correct it by adding a predicate:

Kevin and his dog went for a walk.

Try another one!


YES! It is a fragment. It is missing a predicate.

You could correct it by adding a predicate:

Kevin and his dog went for a walk.

Try another one!


Let’s practice more! Is this a sentence or a fragment?

On Monday, we went outside for recess.

Sentence Fragment


Sorry!

It is a sentence. It has both a subject and a predicate.

On Monday, we went outside for recess. subject predicate


Yes!

It is a sentence. It has both a subject and a predicate.

On Monday, we went outside for recess. subject predicate


Let’s practice! Is this a sentence or a run-on?

The kids had a snack they ate too much.

Sentence Run-On


Sorry! It is a run-on.

It has two separate thoughts with no punctuation separating them.

Let’s correct it with a period and capital letter:

The kids had a snack they ate too much. The kids had a snack. They ate too much.

Try another one!


Yes! It is a run-on!


Let’s correct it with a period and capital letter:

The kids had a snack they ate too much. The kids had a snack. They ate too much.

Try another one!


Let’s practice more! Is this a sentence or a run-on?

The couple danced they fell in love.

Sentence Run-On




Let’s correct it with a comma and conjunction:

The couple danced they fell in love. The couple danced, and they fell in love.

Try another one!




Let’s correct it with a comma and conjunction:

The couple danced they fell in love. The couple danced, and they fell in love.

Try another one!


Let’s practice more! Is this a sentence or a run-on?

The pizza was hot it smelled so good.

Sentence Run-On




Let’s correct it with a semicolon:

The pizza was hot it smelled so good. The pizza was hot; it smelled so good.




Let’s correct it with a semicolon:

The pizza was hot it smelled so good. The pizza was hot; it smelled so good.


Now that you’ve mastered identifying fragments and run-ons, let’s practice correcting them! Here is a quick reminder:

Fragments need either a subject, a verb, or both.

Run-ons need a period and capital letter, a semicolon, or a comma and conjunction.

Let’s practice!


Which answer could you add to correct this fragment?

Quickly ducked behind the door.

and waited. (at end)

with the money. (at end)

Thomas (at beginning)


Sorry! This fragment needs a subject.

Quickly ducked behind the door. (Who did?)

Go back and try again!


Right! This fragment needs a subject!

Quickly ducked behind the door. (Who did?)

Thomas did!

Let’s try another one!


Which answer could you add to correct this fragment?

Susan and Connie quietly.

waited for lunch. (at end)

and quickly. (at end)

On Monday, (at beginning)


Sorry! This fragment needs a verb.

Susan and Connie quietly. (Did what?)



Right! This fragment needs a verb!

Susan and Connie quietly. (Did what?)

Waited for lunch!


Let’s fix some run-ons now!

First, you’ll be given a run-on. Then you’ll see three choices.

Only one choice is a correct way to fix the run-on.

Let’s get started!


The sunset was beautiful we sat and watched.

The sunset was beautiful we sat, and watched it.

The sunset was beautiful. We sat and watched it.

The sunset was beautiful, we sat and watched it.


Sorry! This run-on needs to be separated

BETWEEN the two complete thoughts.

Where does one thought end and another begin?

The sunset was beautiful we sat and watched.



Right! This run-on needs to be separated

BETWEEN the two complete thoughts.

The sunset was beautiful we sat and watched it.


ß---one complete thought-----à ß--one complete thought--à

The sunset was beautiful. We sat and watched it.


Sorry! A comma alone cannot fix a run-on.

TO FIX A RUN-ON: 1. A comma and conjunction 2. A semicolon 3. A period and a capital letter



The students took a test it was very hard.

The students took a test, but it was very hard.

The students took a test but it was very hard.

The students took a test, it was very hard.


Right! This run-on needs to be separated with a comma AND a conjunction.

The students took a test, but it was very hard.



Sorry! A conjunction alone cannot fix a run-on.




Sorry! A comma alone cannot fix a run-on.




The boys ordered a pizza they didn’t want olives on it.

The boys ordered a pizza but they didn’t want olives on it.

The boys ordered a large pizza they didn’t want olives on it.

The boys ordered a pizza; they didn’t want olives on it.


Sorry! A run-on needs to be separated between

the two complete thoughts with punctuation.




Sorry! A run-on needs to be separated between

the two complete thoughts with punctuation.




Right! A run-on can be corrected with a semicolon.

The boys ordered a pizza; they didn’t want olives on it.


Independent Practice Read the twelve sentences about bats in your workbook. Label them as run-ons (RO), comma splices (CS), or complete sentences (sent.)


You’ve done a great job identifying and correcting

fragments and run-ons! But the real test of your

knowledge is in your own writing. You now have to

remember what you’ve learned and apply it to your

own writing. A great place to do this is in the editing

stage of the writing process. When you check your

work, keep an eye out for fragments and run-ons and

AVOID THEM!!! Fragments Run-Ons


•  Take out a sheet of paper and get ready to correct a series of run-on sentences.

•  You will rewrite the sentences with the correct punctuation.

•  Keep your eyes on your own paper.

•  Keep the answers to yourself.


1. My sister was taller than me when we were younger now I am the tallest.


2. I love school, I love learning, my teacher is nice.


3. I don’t want much for my birthday this year I just want some chocolates and a tiny little toy car would be fine.


4. Blue is my favorite color it is the color of the sky and the sea and it reminds me of my favorite insect which is the butterfly.


5. When I get older I want to have a big family I like big families.


6. We usually leave at 11:00 but today is different we are leaving at 10:30.


7. We usually leave at 11:00 but today is different we are leaving at 10:30.


8. I like late-start Wednesdays I get an extra hour of sleep in the morning.


9. We should get moving there’s no time to waste.

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AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS · FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS • Writing clear and concise sentences takes time and effort. Anyone can write a confusing, unclear sentence! • Both sentence