Avoiding Fragments and Run-Ons - wcv.k12.ia.us · SENTENCES! AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS ... AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Yes! It is a run-on! It has two separate thoughts with

AVOIDINGFRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS

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


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!


Kevin and his dog.

Sentence Fragment


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!




On Monday, we went outside for recess.

Sentence Fragment


Yes!

It is a sentence.

It has both a subject and a verb.

On Monday, we went outside for recess.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


Yes!

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!




The couple danced they fell in love.

Sentence Run-On


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!




The pizza was hot it smelled so good.

Sentence Run-On


Sorry!

It is a run-on.


Let’s correct it with a semicolon:


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.


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.


Right!

This run-on needs to be separated

BETWEEN

the two complete thoughts.

The sunset was beautiful we sat and watched it.

Let’s try another one!

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

The sunset was beautiful. We sat and watched it.


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.

Let’s try another one!


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

Go back and try again!


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.


Right!

A run-on can be corrected with a semicolon.

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

Avoiding Fragments and Run-Ons - wcv.k12.ia.us · SENTENCES! AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS ... AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Yes! It is a run-on! It has two separate thoughts with

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