2. Sentences must have
Subject
Verb
And it needs to make sense
Too often when we write a sentence, it is
either a run-on sentence or a fragment. So
what do we do???
3. A run-on sentence is made up of
two or more sentences that are
incorrectly run together as a single
sentence.
4. T h e r e a r e f iv e s t r a t e g ie s t h a t
e f f e c t iv e w r it e r s u s e t o a v o id
o r c o r r e c t r u n -o n s e n t e n c e s .
S e p a r a t e t h e m . Add end
punctuation and a capital to separate the
sentences.
U s e a c o n j u n c t i o n . Use a
conjunction (like and) preceded by a comma.
I n s e r t a s e m i - c o l o n . Use a semi-
colon to separate the two
5. T h e r e a r e f iv e s t r a t e g ie s t h a t
e f f e c t iv e w r it e r s u s e t o t o a v o id
o r c o r r e c t r u n -o n s e n t e n c e s .
A d d a c o n j u n c t i v e a d v e r b . Use
a semicolon together with either a conjunctive
adverb or a transitional expression. Be sure to
put a comma after conjunctive adverbs.
Conjunctive adverbs are words like-
accordingly, consequently, in addition.
C r e a t e a c l a u s e . Turn one of the
sentences into a subordinate
6. How Would You Fix the Following?
• John and Ed are brothers, they are
related to Susan.
• Rosa talks about her relationship with
her parents ,how she grew up following
her family’s values.
• Matilda and Gertrude waited for the bus.
Just wanted to get to work on time.
• The essay won a prize was so well
researched.
7. Every sentence must have a subject
and a verb and must make sense by
expressing a complete idea. The most
common types of fragments are
Dependent word fragments.
-ing and to fragments.
Missing subject fragments.
8. Some words or word groups that begin with
a dependent word are fragments. Here is a
list of dependent words:
After, if, even if, when, whenever, although, though.
in order that. where, wherever, as. since, whether,
because that, so that, which, whichever, before, unless,
while, even though, until, who, whoever, how, what, whatever,
whose
Whenever you start a sentence with one of these words,
you must be careful that a fragment does not result.
9. Your Turn
Now it’s your turn. How might you
correct these dependent clause
fragments?
2.George talks about his career. How he
grew up wanting to be a fire fighter.
3.Ralph always wanted to be a stand-up
comic. Because he liked to make
people laugh.
4.The family set out for a new country.
A country in which they could
practice their culture and religion.
10. Correct the following:
2. After I learned the price of the horse. I
decided I needed to wait.
3. My best friend refused to stop smoking.
Unless I quit also.
4. Tom made an appointment. Which he
did not intend to keep.
11. When an -ing or to word
appears at or near the start of
a word group, a fragment may
result. Such fragments often
lack a subject and a verb.
12. • To get this job done. I plan on working overtime.
• Sweating under his heavy load. Brian staggered up the
steps to his apartment.
• He works ten hours a day. Then going to class for 3
hours.
• I spent almost two hours on the phone yesterday.
Trying to find a garage to repair my car.
• Looking tired and drawn. The little girl’s parents sat in
the waiting room.
13. People write missing subject
fragments because they
think the subject in one
sentence will apply to the
next word group as well. But
the subject, as well as the
verb, must be in EACH word
group to make a sentence.
14. 1. The truck skidded on the rain-
slick highway. But missed the
telephone pole on the side of the
rode.
2. Michelle tried each of the desserts
on the table. And then found that,
when the dinner arrived, her
appetite was gone.
3. The students were in class on
time. Just hoping to finish the
semester.
