Effective SentencesFragments and Run-On Sentences

Sentence Fragment

a group of words that is incorrectly punctuated as a complete sentence

may be missing a subject, a verb, or bothexpress incomplete thoughts

Strategies to Correct Fragments

Add the missing subject, verb, or other words necessary to make the group of words into a grammatically complete sentenceFRAGMENT At the end of the race, a checkered flag [the verb is missing]

SENTENCE At the end of the race a checkered flag was flying.

Strategies to Correct Fragments

Attach the fragment to a complete sentence before or after itFRAGMENT Race officials wave a red and yellow striped flag. In cases of danger, such as spilled oil. [the second word group has no subject of verb]

SENTENCE Race officials wave a red and yellow striped flag in cases of danger, such as spilled oil.

Strategies to Correct Fragments

eliminate the word that makes the fragment sound incompleteFRAGMENT When race officials wave a black flag to signal drivers to stop. [the word WHEN is a subordinating conjunction that makes the word group a subordinate clause.]

SENTENCE Race officials wave a black flag to signal drivers to stop.

Run-On Sentences

Occurs when two or more sentences are incorrectly written as a single sentence.

Examples of Run-On Sentences

RUN-ON Glaciers are large masses of moving snow and ice they created many of the lakes in the United States. [There is no punctuation between the two sentences]

RUN-ON Glaciers are large masses of moving snow and ice, they created many of the lakes in the United States. [Only a comma joins the two sentences]

CORRECT Glaciers are large masses of moving snow and ice. They created many of the lakes in the United States.

Strategies to Correct Fragments

Create two separate sentences by adding end punctuation and a capital letter.RUN-ON Some glaciers form in the polar regions these ice caps may cover millions of square miles.

CORRECT Some glaciers form in the polar regions. These ice caps may cover millions of square miles.

Strategies to Correct Fragments

Use a coordinating conjunction preceded by a comma to join the sentences.RUN-ON Some glaciers form in the polar regions these ice caps may cover millions of square miles.

CORRECT Some glaciers form in the polar regions and these ice caps may cover millions of square miles.

Strategies to Correct Fragments

Use a semicolon to join two closely related sentencesRUN-ON Some glaciers form in the polar regions these ice caps may cover millions of square miles.

CORRECT Some glaciers form in the polar regions; these ice caps may cover millions of square miles.

Strategies to Correct Fragments

Change one sentence into a subordinate clause.RUN-ON Crevasses are cracks in a glacier they can make mountain climbing dangerous.

CORRECT Crevasses, which are cracks in a glacier, can make mountain climbing dangerous.