Fragments & run ons

Major Sentence
Errors
Fragments and Fused
Sentences
By
Ronald Speener

FRAGMENTS
Incomplete Sentences
Rev 3/2016 Grammar - Fragments and Run-ons 2

Objectives
• Identify and correct fragment sentences
• Identify and correct comma splices and
run-on sentence

Fragment Definition
Since the sentence is the basic unit in writing, a
fragment is considered a major error.
• A fragment is an incomplete sentence
• A fragment is missing
– A subject
– A verb
– Or both
• A fragment may be a dependent clause by itself

Fragment Correction – Subject
Identify the missing subject and supply it.
• When the power went out, was stuck in the shower with
no lights.
• Because the rain, the streets were flooded and
impassable.
When the power went out, I was stuck in the shower with no
lights. (missing subject in main clause)
Because the rain was very heavy, the streets were flooded
and impassable (missing verb in dependent clause)

Fragment Correction – Verb
Identify the missing verb and supply it
• Hilda driving the SUV to work today.
• Samuel to Paris to see his aging aunt.
.
Hilda is driving the SUV to work today. (-ing verbs requires a
helping.
Samuel went to Paris to see his aging aunt. (no verb.

Fragment Correction – Both
Identify the missing subject or verb and supply them.
• Driving to work one day.
• Lying through her teeth after I caught her with the stolen
phone in her purse.
Driving to work one day, I saw a deer in the road (Driving to
work one day is a participle phrase. It needs an independent
clause)
She lied through her teeth even after I caught her with the
stolen phone in her purse. (The participle phrase “lying
through her teeth needs a subject. After starts a dependent
clause.

Fragment Correction –
Dependent Clause
Add an independent clause.
• Although she was a big fan of basketball.
• After the movie while walking home.
Although she was a big fan of basketball, she never attended
a professional game. (The dependent clause needs an
independent clause
After the movie and while walking home, we saw a shooting
star. (Dependent clause needs an independent clause.

Fragment Correction – Dependent Clause
Make sure the dependent clause has a subject and
verb.
• Before sends an e-mail to a friend, the
boss writes it out on paper.
• Since Monday is a holiday, going to the
beach.
Before she sends an e-mail to a friend, the boss writes it out
on paper. (Missing a subject in the dependent clause
Since Monday is a holiday, the family is going to the
beach.(The independent clause needs a subject

Fragment Correction – 1
• Although it was a
perfect gift selected
with much thought,
she returning it
immediately.
• Although it was a
perfect gift selected
with much thought,
she was returning it
immediately.
Adding a helping verb (was) to the sentence.

• A University of
Manchester
astronomer, who
thrilled sky watchers
when he reported
the discovery of a
planet around a
neutron star.
• A University of
Manchester
astronomer thrilled
sky watchers when
he reported the
discovery of a planet
around a neutron
star.
The original is a series of dependent clauses. Need to supply
a subject by eliminating who and making the astronomer the
subject

• Eating Hershey
Kisses. Alexander
satisfied his
chocolate craving.
• Eating Hershey
Kisses, Alexander
satisfied his
chocolate craving.
Replace the period with a comma.

• When the moon
rose over the
mountain. The
valley was filled with
soft white light.
• When the moon
rose over the
mountain, the valley
was filled with soft
white light.
Replace the period with a comma

• When the moon
rose over the
mountain. The
valley was filled with
soft white light.
• The moon rose over
the mountain. And
the valley was filled
with soft white light.
This is the same error as in 4. The correction here is to make
the dependent clause independent by eliminating the word
When.

FUSED SENTENCES
Run-on Sentences
Comma Splices

Run-on Definition
• A run-on is connecting two or more
independent clauses with no separation
between them.
Jack liked Mary but Mary did not like Jack.

Comma Splice Definition
• A comma splice is connecting two
independent clauses with only a
comma.
Jack liked Mary, Mary did not like Jack.

Types
• Since both a run-on sentence and a
comma splice are caused by faulty
joining of two independent clause, we
shall consider both problems as
coordination errors
• There are three variations
• There are four ways to correct

Three variations
Sentences can have three variations of
coordination errors
• No punctuation
– She went to the store he stayed home.
• Joined by only a conjunction
– She went to the store and he stayed home.
• Joined by only a comma
– She went to the store, he stayed home.

Correction 1
Separate the independent clauses into two individual
sentences.
• She went to work he
stayed home.
• She went to work and he
stayed home.
• She went to work, he
stayed home.
• She went to work. He
stayed home.
Use when the ideas are not
closely related and of
equal importance.

Correction 2
Separate the independent clauses with a comma and a
conjunction
stayed home.
stayed home.
stayed home.
• She went to work, and he
stayed home.
Use when the ideas are of
equal importance.

Correction 3
Separate the independent clauses with a semi-colon.
stayed home.
stayed home.
stayed home.
• She went to work; he
stayed home.
• She went to work;
therefore, he stayed
home.
Use to emphasize the
contrast of the ideas

Correction 4
Make one of the independent clauses a dependent
clause.
stayed home.
stayed home.
stayed home.
• Although she went to
work, he stayed home.
• She went to work while
he stayed home.
Use when one idea is less important
than the other—the less important
idea must be in the dependent
clause.

Practice
It was a lazy day by the river people
moved as slowly in the heat as the
brown, muddy water of the Mississippi.
Sleepy children with cane poles fished
along the banks. With fringed parasols
and baskets on their arms, ladies went
in and out of the general store, men
leaned slovenly against carriages
awaiting their women folk to finish in the
store before a leisurely ride back to their
farms.

Practice
It was a lazy day by the river run-on people
moved as slowly in the heat as the
brown, muddy water of the Mississippi.
Sleepy children with cane poles fished
along the banks. Sentence is correct. With
fringed parasols and baskets on their
arms, ladies went in and out of the
general store, comma splice men leaned
slovenly against carriages awaiting their
women folk to finish in the store before
a leisurely ride back to their farms.

More Practice
Suddenly, Tommy Smudge ran jubilantly
down the street yelling, “It is coming it’s just
around the bend.” The lackadaisical men
raised their heads, the women in the store set
aside bolts of calico to rush to the door. The
children dropped their fishing poles and ran
up and down the bank, their arms raised and
waving like pinwheels. Soon the whole town
moved with rare alacrity to the small dock
protruding into the turbid water a riverboat
was coming!

More Practice
Suddenly, Tommy Smudge ran jubilantly down
the street yelling, “It is coming Run-on it’s just
around the bend.” The lackadaisical men raised
their heads, comma splice the women in the store
set aside bolts of calico to rush to the door. The
children dropped their fishing poles and ran up
and down the bank, their arms raised and
waving like pinwheels. Sentence is correct. Soon the
whole town moved with rare alacrity to the small
dock protruding into the turbid water run-on a
riverboat was coming!

Summary
• Fragments are a major grammar error
because it is an incomplete sentence.
– Subject or verb is missing
• Fused sentences join independent
clause incorrectly
– Run-on sentence has no punctuation
between independent clauses
– Comma splices use weak punctuation
between independent clauses

Fragments & run ons

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