Fragments and Run-ons

AVOIDINGAVOIDINGFRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONSFRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS

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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 a group of words

that does not express a complete thought. Something important is

missing, and you are left wondering What is this about? or What

happened?


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

A fragment may be missing a VERB…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 verb: Mark and his friends laughed.

Add both: A dog ran around the corner.


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 verb.

You could correct it by adding a verb:

Kevin and his dog went for a walk.

Try another one!


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

You could correct it by adding a verb:

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 verb.


subject verb


Yes!It is a sentence.

It has both a subject and a verb.


subject verb


A run-on is two thoughts put together in the same sentence. The

two ideas may or may not be related. A run-on can be fixed by adding

proper punctuation to separate the two complete thoughts.


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.Add a period and a capital letter.

2.Add a semicolon.

3.Add a comma and a conjunction.


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 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.

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.

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!


Yes!It is a 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 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.


Yes!It is a 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.


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

BETWEENthe 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

BETWEENthe two complete thoughts.

The sunset was beautiful we sat and watched it.


---one complete thought----- --one complete thought--

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 conjunction2. A semicolon3. 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.


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!!!FragmentsRun-Ons


I (state your name) promise to look for fragments and run-ons in my own writing, and correct them

when I find them.

I WILL AVOID FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS!

Documents

Fragments and Run-ons