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Run-Ons/ Fragments

Ms. McLean

English I

2012-2013

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General Notes

*For those of you who feel pretty comfortable with run-ons/ fragments, think about ways that you can use clauses to create more complex, advanced sentence structures.

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Step 1 to identifying fragments and run-ons is understanding clauses

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What IS a clause?

a subject (person/thing DOING something)

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a predicate (the verb or action being performed)

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Ex) Every morning I drink coffee.

Ex) While she ran home

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Two Types of Clauses

  • Independent/Main clause - a clause as a complete, stand-alone thought
      • We went to the store.

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  • Dependent/Subordinate clause - an incomplete thought that needs something else in the sentence to complete it
      • While we went to the store

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Dependent clauses MUST be accompanied by an independent clause.

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  • Ex) While headed to the store, we crashed the car.

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Ok...so what does this have to do with sentence fragments?

A fragment is just a dependent clause stranded alone as a sentence (even though it isn't a complete thought)

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Common examples of fragments

  • dangling modifiers (dependent clauses)
    • While I went shopping.
    • As the forward too the shot.
    • Before the bell rang.
  • "if"s without "then"s (dependent clauses)
    • If I get an A.
    • If she doesn't follow the dress code.

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EVEN MORE Common examples of fragments

  • missing subjects
    • Was very sleepy after the long drive.
  • missing predicates (verbs)
    • The most exquisite silk tapestries.

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How do I get rid of fragments?

You may need to tie the dependent clause to another, independent clause

Ex) While I went shopping, I bought all of the shoes.

Ex) If I get an A, Ms. McLean will give me a high five.

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OR

Add the missing subject

Ex) The soccer team was very sleepy after the long drive.

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Add the missing predicate (verb)

Ex) The most exquisite silk tapestries in the world come from along the Silk Road.

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Let's practice!

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Ok...so what about run-ons?

A run-on sentence is when you have two or more independent clauses which are linked into one sentence without a conjunction (usually with a comma).

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Ex) Teachers never stop talking, students try very hard to pay attention.

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**What are the clauses in this sentence? What TYPE of clause are they? Why does this make it a run-on?

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So what do I do if I have a run-on

Option 1: Make two separate sentences with periods.

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Teachers never stop talking, students try very hard to pay attention.

BECOMES

Teachers never stop talking. Students try very hard to pay attention.

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OR

Option 2: make a compound sentence (two connected independent clauses)

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independent clause + a comma

+ conjunction (and but or etc.)

+ another independent clause

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Compound Sentence examples

Teachers never stop talking, students try very hard to pay attention.

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BECOMES

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Teachers never stop talking, but students try very hard to pay attention.

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OR

Option 3: divide two independent clauses or complete sentences with a semi-colon.

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Ex) Teachers never stop talking; students try very hard to pay attention.

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*Use this option sparingly. You should not have a semi-colon between every other sentence in your writing!