Lesson 1.06 Grammar Spotlight: Run-ons and Fragments

Sentence Fragments

Every sentence must contain three elements for it to be a complete sentence:

1. a subject,

2. a predicate, and

3. a complete thought.

If a sentence is lacking in one or more of those areas, then the sentence is a fragment. A fragment is missing an important part of a sentence; therefore, it can't function properly. You may never know that it is a fragment. Especially when it seems like a sentence This is a fragment. .

To ensure that your sentence has a subject and isn't a fragment in disguise, ask what or whom is the sentence discussing. The predicate tells the reader what the subject is doing.

Examples

Read the sentences below. For each sentence, check the button that applies.

1. After the baseball game.

Sentence   Fragment

2. Parker ran home and went swimming.

Sentence   Fragment

3. He played outside all day.

Sentence   Fragment

How To Correct Sentence Fragments

A fragment can be any length. Your sentence may ramble for several lines, but that doesn't mean that you have written a complete sentence. Look at the example below. Do you think it is a fragment or a sentence?

While I was in the waiting room in the ER looking like a cat that stuck his paw in the socket with hair standing straight up because I didn't have any time to brush it at home.

This is a fragment. There is no complete thought on why the person was in the ER for so long.

You can easily correct fragments by adding the missing information back into the sentence.

Let's combine the fragment from #1 with the complete sentence in #2. Look at the sentence below.

After the baseball game, Parker ran home and went swimming.

This sentence has a subject, predicate, and a complete thought.

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Run On Sentences

Sometimes people add too much into their sentences. This may cause a run-on sentence. A run-on sentence is a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses that aren't joined together properly. There are two types of run-on sentences:

1. fused sentences and

2. comma splices.

Examples

A fused sentence occurs when two sentences are joined without any punctuation. Look at the sentence below.

First main clause	Second main clause
I want to go to the movies tonight	I'm not sure what I want to watch.

A comma splice occurs when two main clauses are joined with only a comma. Look at the sentence below.

First main clause	Second main clause
I want to go to the movies tonight,	I'm not sure what I want to watch.

How To Correct Run On Sentences

There are four ways to correct run-on sentences.

1. Insert a period after the first main clause and capitalize the letter of the next word.
   
   Example: I want to go to the movies tonight. I'm not sure what I want to watch.

2. Insert a semicolon between the two main clauses.
   
   Example: I want to go to the movies tonight; I'm not sure what I want to watch.

3. Insert a comma and a coordinating conjunction between the two main clauses.
   
   Example: I want to go to the movies tonight, but I'm not sure what I want to watch.

4. Insert semicolon, a conjunctive adverb, and then a comma between the two main clauses.
   
   Example: I want to go to the movies tonight; however, I'm not sure what I want to watch.

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