FRAGMENTS & RUN-ONSReview

FRAGMENTSAll complete sentences (known as independent clauses) must have a subject and a predicate (verb phrase). These tell who or what is doing an action.

Fragments are missing either a subject or a verb. Don’t overthink this—usually you know when a sentence just “doesn’t make sense” because it is missing some key information.

Look at the following examples of FRAGMENTS:

FRAGMENTS1. A colorful rainbow in the sky

after it rains. (What about the rainbow? Noun phrase only.)

2. The person who wrote that letter to the editor. (What about him? Noun phrase only.)

3. Asked whether I could have another helping of the rice and beans. (Who asked? Verb phrase only.)

FRAGMENTS1. The man wearing the blue jacket and

standing on the front steps of the building. (What about him? Noun phrase only.)

2. Because Kevin, Heather, and Jimmy worked hard on that presentation. (Subordinate clause—must be attached to an independent clause)

3. After the hot-air balloon rose up into the morning sky and sailed across the prairie (What happened after? Another subordinate clause).

RUN-ONSRun-on sentences join together two independent clauses WITHOUT the proper links. Sentences can be properly joined by:A. Using a FANBOYS (coordinating conjunction):B. Using a semicolon (takes the place of a

FANBOYS):C. Making one sentence SUBORDINATE to the

other and linking with:A. a subordinating conjunction (because, since…)B. a relative pronoun (that, which, who, whose…)C. a pronoun that introduces a noun clause

(whomever, whether, how…)

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?Go through the following 20 sentences, which are similar to those you had on the quiz.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?In all of American literature, no other figure is quite like Jack London.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?SENTENCEDelete all of the prepositional phrases first to help you identify the subject and verb phrase so you know it has both. This sentence is complete and can stand by itself.

In all of American literature, no other figure is quite like Jack London.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?Jack London epitomizes the spirit of rugged youth and manly adventure, along with the will to succeed in the face of terrific adversity.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?SENTENCEThe subject and verb appear at the start of the sentence: Jack “London + epitomizes” two things: the spirit and the will. “Along with” is just a fancy “and.” Notice that when the prepositional phrases are eliminated, the key elements are exposed. The phrase “to succeed” is an infinitive—the word “to” followed by a verb. Infinitives will never be the verb phrase of a sentence and can be eliminated with the prepositional phrases.

Jack London epitomizes the spirit of rugged youth and manly adventure, along with the will to succeed in the face of terrific adversity.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?The era of Horatio Alger and the self-made man, of Andrew Carnegie and the captains of industry, of Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?FRAGMENT This fragment simply lists a noun phrase, without a verb. The noun phrase includes a series of prepositional phrases.

The era of Horatio Alger and the self-made man, of Andrew Carnegie and the captains of industry, of Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?Jack London never knew his true father, William Henry Chancey hightailed it out of Oakland before Jack was born.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?RUN-ON Two complete clauses are joined here with just a comma. This is called a comma splice. The only way to join independent clauses are with FANBOYS or semicolons; you can also just separate them into two sentences. The clause “before Jack was born” is a subordinate clause that tells “when” Chancey hightailed it.

Jack London never knew his true father, William Henry Chancey hightailed it out of Oakland before Jack was born.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?His mother, Flora Wellman, a self-proclaimed psychic, married to a Civil War veteran, John London.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?FRAGMENT This sentence is missing a verb. The words that follow “mother” are all appositives, which tell more information about the noun. The mother is never given an action. “Married to a Civil War veteran” is a participial phrase and is NOT the verb of the sentence. It could become the main verb if it is changed to “His mother…married a Civil War veteran.”

His mother, Flora Wellman, a self-proclaimed psychic, married to a Civil War veteran, John London.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?During his early years, London’s family moved several times; his mother and stepfather were constantly struggling to make ends meet.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?SENTENCEDeleting the prepositional phrase and the infinitive phrase, you are left with two simple sentences linked with a semi-colon (in other words, a compound sentence).

During his early years, London’s family moved several times; his mother and stepfather were constantly struggling to make ends meet.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?London was a voracious reader, he found a world of books that gave him his education.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?RUN-ONHere is a comma splice—two sentences being linked with just a comma. You would need to add a FANBOYS after the comma, use a semicolon, or make two sentences. The second independent clause (he found…) also contains a subordinate clause (that gave him…).

London was a voracious reader, he found a world of books that gave him his education.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?By age eleven, had a regular newspaper route and was the helper on an ice cream wagon.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?FRAGMENTThis sentence is missing a subject (who had a newspaper route and was a helper?)

By age eleven, had a regular newspaper route and was the helper on an ice cream wagon.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?After school he found time to set up pins at the local bowling alley, and he swept out saloons to earn money.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?SENTENCEYou can eliminate the prepositional phrases (“after school” and “at the local bowling alley) and the infinitive phrases (“to set up pins” and “to earn money”). What is left is a compound sentence: “he found” and “he swept.”

After school he found time to set up pins at the local bowling alley, and he swept out saloons to earn money.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?When he finished grammar school at age fourteen, started working eighteen hours a day in a cannery stuffing pickles into jars for ten cents an hour.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?FRAGMENTThis fragment starts with a subordinate clause that cannot stand on its own, so we are looking for a subject-verb pair that can stand alone. Once we take out the participial phrases (“working eighteen hours a day in a cannery” and “stuffing pickles into jars for ten cents an hour”) and their related prepositional phrases, we are left with only a verb “started.” This sentence needs a subject.

When he finished grammar school at age fourteen, started working eighteen hours a day in a cannery stuffing pickles into jars for ten cents an hour.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?Storing away memories that he would use later in his books.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?FRAGMENTThe participial phrase (“storing…”) can be eliminated, which leaves only a subordinate clause (“that he…”). This sentence is missing both a subject and a verb in an independent clause.

Storing away memories that he would use later in his books.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?In 1893, at seventeen, London signed on with a sailing vessel, the Sophia Sutherland, bound for the Bering Sea off the coast of Japan.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?SENTENCEAfter deleting the prepositional phrases and the appositive (“bound for…” that gives more information about the Sophia Sutherland), you are left with a simple sentence “London signed on.”

In 1893, at seventeen, London signed on with a sailing vessel, the Sophia Sutherland, bound for the Bering Sea off the coast of Japan.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?The seven-month voyage resulted in his first literary success, a story he wrote while working ten-hour days in a jute mill.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?SENTENCEThe subject-verb pair has an appositive (“a story he wrote….mill”) that renames and describes the “success.” Appositives cannot stand on their own; they are noun phrases and clauses that give more information about the nouns that precede them.

The seven-month voyage resulted in his first literary success, a story he wrote while working ten-hour days in a jute mill.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?Because London heard that gold had been discovered in Canada in 1897, like thousands of young men.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?FRAGMENTAll you have here are two subordinate clauses (“because London… “ and “that gold…”) followed by two prepositional phrases. You need both a subject and a verb in an independent clause.

Because London heard that gold had been discovered in Canada in 1897, like thousands of young men.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?London’s brother-in-law mortgaged his house to buy needed provisions for both of them to travel to the Klondike they arrived in Juneau, Alaska in August.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?RUN-ONThe first independent clause (“brother-in-law mortgaged”) is followed by two infinitive clauses (“to buy…” and “to travel…”). A separate independent clause (“they arrived”) follows, but no linking words are used to tie these two sentences together.

London’s brother-in-law mortgaged his house to buy needed provisions for both of them to travel to the Klondike they arrived in Juneau, Alaska in August.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?Crossing the Chilkoot Pass, spending months in the town of Dawson where London had time to debate the great issues of his day—socialism and Darwinism.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?FRAGMENTTwo participial phrases (“crossing…” and “spending…”) are followed by a subordinate clause (“where…”) and an infinitive phrase (“to debate…”). No subject or verb!

Crossing the Chilkoot Pass, spending months in the town of Dawson where London had time to debate the great issues of his day—socialism and Darwinism.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?During his winter on the Yukon, London came down with scurvy, a disease caused by lack of vitamin C.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?SENTENCEThe main idea is that London came down with scurvy. An appositive follows “scurvy” to rename it.

During his winter on the Yukon, London came down with scurvy, a disease caused by lack of vitamin C.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?Came home to Oakland and began publishing stories for the Overland Monthly, writing over a thousand words a day.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?FRAGMENTSentence has two verb phrases, but no subject.

Came home to Oakland and began publishing stories for the Overland Monthly, writing over a thousand words a day.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?In years to come, the stories that London composed about the Yukon would bring him more money than any of the promised gold.

FRAGMENT? RUN-ON? SENTENCE?SENTENCEThe independent clause is “stories would bring him money.”

In years to come, the stories that London composed about the Yukon would bring him more money than any of the promised gold.