Fragments, Run-On Sentences, and Narrative Writing

ELACC5L3, ELACC5W3,

Fragments A group of words that is missing either a subject or a predicate. It

doesn’t express a complete thought (just like a dependent clause!).

To Avoid these, be sure that each sentence has a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought!

Fragment: Takes a walk every day. (no subject) Sentence: Sandy takes a walk every day.

Fragment: A walk everyday after lunch (No subject and no verb)

Sentence: Sandy takes a walk every day at lunch.

Fragment: Since the line was so long.(Not a complete thought)

Sentence: We went to a different restaurant since the line was so long.

Run-On Sentences Sentences that run on and on!To avoid these, be sure you join the two simple sentences with a comma andconjunction (compound sentence) or write them as two separate sentences.

Run-On Sentence:Painted turtles get their name from the red and yellow patterns

on their shells they also have yellow lines on their heads.

Two simple sentences:Painted turtles get their name from the red and yellow patterns

on their shells. They also have yellow lines on their heads.

One compound sentence:Painted turtles get their name from the red and yellow patterns

on their shells, but they also have yellow lines on their heads.

Let’s fix these fragments and run-on sentences in the paragraph together!

A box turtle is a reptile that lives in the woods and fields. The box turtle has a hinged lower shell. Can pull it’s legs, head, and tail inside its shell and get “boxed in.” Many kinds of turtles on land and water. Belong to the same family as lizards. Box turtles will eat earthworms, insects, and berries. Painted turtles can eat meal worms, earthworms, minnows , and insects the musk turtle finds food along the bottoms of ponds or streams.

Narrative WritingTells a story.It has a B-M-E Beginning, Middle (Problem), and

End (Resolution).Characters, Setting, Problem, SolutionDirect Dialogue- Use quotation marks with

characters speaking together. Drop down to the next line and indent when the speaker changes!

“Clean your room!” said my mom.“ Why? It’s Saturday!” I grumbled. Then I remembered what happened the last time I complained and quickly stopped.

Remember to use: transition words/phrases, vocabulary words, adjectives and adverbs, and figurative language.

Flashbacks Reveal events that happened in the past.

In the story:

I passed the ball to Jeff and then he took a shot. It bounced quickly off the backboard and rebounded into my hands. As quick as a rabbit, I repositioned the ball and scored yet another basket. The crowd went wild! Suddenly, I remembered the same play from last year’s game. I had missed that shot. This time, I made it! What a difference a year’s worth of practice makes!

(It is a flashback because he remembers something from before. It is important to understand that flashbacks are not happening now. They are meant to give us a better understanding of the story.)

ForeshadowingGives audience clues of what will happen next.

In the story: I was eating all the cookies out of the cookie jar before dinner when all of a sudden, someone unexpectantly appeared in the kitchen doorway.

(What will happen next? “Something bad?” “Getting caught and in trouble.”Foreshadowing is using clues or hints to suggest events that happen later on in the story. It helps build suspense and makes the reader want to continue with the story to learn what happens next!)