Run-on and Fragments

Run-ons
• A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses
are joined without punctuation or conjunctions.
• RUN-ON: I was never very good at cooking I bought a gas grill to learn.
• This sentence is a run-on because it can be separated into two
complete sentences.
 Correcting Run-ons
• Adding a period
• Separate the two independent clauses with a period and make two
sentences.
• EXAMPLE: Lazy Lou heard that a particular machine would do half his
work. He ordered two.
• Adding a coordinating conjunction
• Use a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) after a
comma and between two independent clauses.
• EXAMPLE: I was never very good at cooking, so I bought a gas grill to
learn.
• Adding a subordinating conjunction
• Add a subordinating conjunction (after, before, if, once, since, so that, though,
where, while, unless, until, etc.) to the beginning of one independent clause to
make it dependent.
EXAMPLES: When Lazy Lou heard that a particular machine would do half his
work, he ordered two!
• I was never very good at cooking until I bought a gas grill to learn.
• Adding a semicolon
• Connect the two independent clauses with a semicolon.
EXAMPLES: Lazy Lou heard that a particular machine would do half his work; he
ordered two.
• • Adding a semicolon and an adverb
• Use a semicolon plus a conjunctive adverb (accordingly, however, meanwhile,
therefore, furthermore, nevertheless, etc.) and a comma to separate independent
clauses.
EXAMPLES: Lazy Lou heard that a particular machine would do half his work;
accordingly, he ordered two.
 Sentence Fragments
• A sentence needs to form a complete thought and have both a
complete subject and a complete verb. Sentence fragments are
usually missing one or more of these elements.
• EXAMPLES: Have been going to school regularly. (no subject)
The teacher who said that grades don’t matter. (no complete verb)
Helping Jackie decorate her car for the festival. (no subject or complete
verb)
Because I love to read and write. (not a complete thought)
 Correcting Sentence Fragments
• Correct a sentence fragment with one of the following options:
• Adding a subject
• Sentences that lack subjects do not say who is acting or whose state is
being described.
• Fragment: Have been going to school regularly.
• Correct: Sanjay and Alisha have been going to school regularly.
• Adding a complete verb
• Sentences that lack complete verbs do not say what the subject is doing,
thinking, feeling, being, etc.
• Fragment: The teacher who said that grades don’t matter.
• Correct: The teacher, who said that grades don’t matter, was only trying to
comfort me.
• The teacher said that grades don’t matter.
• Adding a subject and a complete verb
• Sentences that lack subjects and complete verbs do not say what is
going on or who is acting.
• Fragment: Helping Jackie decorate her car for the festival.
• Correct: Michelle helped Jackie decorate her car for the festival.
• Helping Jackie decorate her car for the festival wasted Michelle’s
Saturday afternoon.
• Completing an incomplete thought
• Some phrases have a subject and a verb, but they still don’t make
sense on their own. These phrases are often dependent clauses and
start with a subordinating conjunction (after, when, unless, while,
even though, until, since, etc.).
• Fragment: Because I love to read and write.
• In this fragment, the reader is confused about what happens because
you love to read and write. To make this complete, either remove the
subordinating conjunction that makes it a dependent clause
(because), or add an independent clause (a phrase with a subject and
verb that makes sense on its own). You can add the independent
clause either before or after the dependent clause. If the
independent clause is added after the dependent clause, you will
need to include a comma as well.
• Correct: I love to read and write. (remove subordinating conjunction)
• Because I love to read and write, I became an English major. (add
independent clause)
 Exercise
• Please attempt the following exercises either by yourself or with a
tutor. Identify whether or not the sentence is a run-on. If it is, rewrite
the correct way using one of the methods given above.
1. I can’t wait I have to get to school now I’m going to be late.
2. Let’s go to the park after the movie, and then we can watch the
sunset.
3. I’m going to make spaghetti, but I’m all out of pasta.
4. Please stop bothering me you are really getting on my nerves.
5. Ashley worked for more than eight hours she didn’t receive the
overtime pay she deserved.
6. Sarah asked the teacher if she could bring her pet frog to school, but
the teacher said no.
7. You can go to the park, after you put on your shoes.
8. I didn’t want her at the party, so we asked her to leave.
9. Alex needed to finish a paper he stayed at the library all night.
10. The professor reminded her students of the importance of studying
for the final she did not want her students to fail.
 Exercise
• Please try the following exercises on your own or with the help of a tutor. If
the sentence is a fragment, circle it. Then rewrite the fragment as a
complete sentence.
1. Sarah likes to play cards.
2. Playing cards at night.
3. Fairy princesses from the sky.
4. Pecan pie is my favorite kind of pie.
5. Nothing makes sense anymore.
7. Please tell the teacher to go away.
8. If I go to the florist.
9. Teachers who don’t like to read.
10. Tell me why you feel this way.