FRAGMENTS, COMMA

SPLICES, AND RUN-ONS

Fragments, Comma Splices, and
Run-ons
Sentence: a group of words that
has a subject and a verb
(independent clause) and
communicates a complete
thought. It begins with a capital
letter and ends with an
appropriate punctuation mark.
Fragments, comma splices, and
run-ons are the most common
mistakes that people make in their
writing.
 Sentence Fragments
Fragment: A sentence that doesn’t have an
independent clause (could be simply a phrase
or dependent clause)
•a group of words that lack a complete
thought and therefore an incomplete
sentence.

Sentence fragments frustrate people

because fragments do not finish the thoughts
they start.
•Suppose someone comes up to you and
says, “Tonight after school.”
•If that is all the person says, you will
probably be frustrated. You might find
yourself thinking, “Tonight after school,
 Sentence Fragments
A sentence must have an independent clause

•An independent clause has a subject and a verb, and it

expresses a complete idea.

Ex: Mario hit the winning run. IC

•A dependent clause also has a subject and a verb, but it

leaves the reader hanging.

Ex: After Mario hit the winning run…what? DC

•A dependent clause begins with a subordinating

conjunction that changes the sound of the clause
 Sentence Fragments
A phrase is any group of words that does not have a
subject and a verb.

Ex: in the morning Ph

Phrases and dependent clauses add details and

make a sentence more interesting, but they
cannot be sentences by themselves.
Common Types of Fragments
● Prepositional phrase
fragment:
◦ Victor was very tired. After his
sixteen-mile race.

● Participle phrase fragment:

◦ The children were very happy.
Walking to school on the first day
of class this year.
Common Types of Fragments
● Infinitive phrase fragment:
◦ To win the first prize in the sand castle
building contest. That was my brother’s goal.
● Appositive phrase fragment:
◦ Our team visited Yankee Stadium. The
baseball field located in New York City.
● DependentClause fragment:
◦ You would be very surprised. If you saw
how much your little cousin has grown this
year.
Process For Identifying Fragments

Step 1
1. Change the time and listen for a verb.
2. If you find a verb, double underline it and go on to the
next step.
3. If there is no verb, the sentence is a phrase.
4. Mark F for fragment and you are done.
5. If there is a verb, go to the next step.

Ex: Early in the morning. F

Ex: After Mark drove all night.

(Go to the next step)
Process For Identifying Fragments

Step 2
1. Next, look for a subject by asking “who?”
2. If you find a subject, underline it and go on to the
next step.
3. If there is no subject, the sentence is a phrase.
4. Mark F for fragment and you are done.
5. If there is a subject, go to the next step.

Ex: Drove all night. F

Ex: After Mark drove all night.

(Go to the next step.)
Process For Identifying Fragments

Step 3
1. If you have a verb and a subject, it is a clause.
2. Now you must determine what kind of clause.
3. Look for a subordinating conjunction.
4. If you find one, underline it with a wavy
line.
5. If the clause has a subordinating
conjunction, it is a dependent clause.
6. Mark F for fragment and you are done.
7. If there is a subject, go to the next step.

After Mark drove all night. F

Process For Identifying Fragments

Step 4
1. If the clause does not have a
subordinating conjunction, it is an
independent clause.
2. Mark OK for a correct sentence.

Mark drove all night. OK

 Review: Process For Identifying
Fragments
Follow the steps:
1. Double underline the verbs.
2. Underline the subjects.
3. Draw a wavy line under the subordinating
conjunctions.
4. Mark phrases and dependent clauses F.
5. Mark independent clauses OK.

EXAMPLE:
The capybara is the world’s largest rodent. F – OK
Identifying Sentence Fragments
● Three of the following are fragments or portions of a
complete sentence. Underline the fragments.
◦ After the meal was finished.
◦ Because he was so tall, Izzy always sat in the last seat
in the row.
◦ Mr. Thompson, a great French teacher, passed away
several years ago.
◦ Once the couple had inspected at least sixty homes in
that town.
◦ Have you ever visited Connecticut? The Nutmeg State.
◦ Roy and Estella will be married at the end of the
month.
 Fixing Fragments

There are two ways to fix a

fragment, and they both
involve erasing something.

First Method: You can erase a period and

attach the fragment to a sentence that has
an independent clause.
 Fixing Fragments
EXAMPLE:
In the morning. Sherry jogs three miles.
Ph – fragment IC

Erase the period to attach the fragment to a complete

sentence:

In the morning Sherry jogs three miles.

Ph IC

By joining the fragment to a complete sentence,

you created one longer sentence. One
independent clause is enough even for a very long
sentence.
 Fixing Fragments
Second method: If the
fragment is a dependent
clause, you can erase the
subordinating conjunction and
turn the dependent clause into
an independent clause.
When the dog chews the newspaper.
E DC – fragment
X
A Erase the subordinating conjunction:
M
P
L The dog chews the newspaper.
IC
E
 Practice Fixing Fragments
Follow the steps: Double underline the
verbs. Underline the subjects. Draw a wavy
line under the subordinating conjunctions.

✓Any sentence that does not have an

independent clause is a fragment.

✓Fix the fragments by crossing out a period

or by crossing out a subordinating
conjunction.
Group Practice Fixing Fragments
1. Alex, an African gray parrot, was thirty-one when
he died. For thirty out of his thirty-one years he
lived in a research lab. At Brandeis University.

2. Scientist Irene Pepperberg taught him to speak.

Pepperberg believed. That animals had higher
–order thinking capabilities.

3. When Pepperberg showed him two objects such

as a green key and a green cup. Alex could identify
the similarity by saying “color.” To show the
difference between the two items. He spoke the
word “shape.”
Group Practice Fixing Fragments

4. Alex also counted and did simple arithmetic.

When Alex died in 2007. He finally mastered
saying the number seven.

5. Alex’s accomplishments seem incredible.

Because a parrot’s brain is approximately the size of
a walnut. Irene Pepperberg’s demonstrated that
animals are capable of higher-level thinking.
Group Practice Fixing Fragments

4. Alex also counted and did simple arithmetic.

When Alex died in 2007. He finally mastered
saying the number seven.

5. Alex’s accomplishments seem incredible.

Because a parrot’s brain is approximately the size of
a walnut. Irene Pepperberg’s demonstrated that
animals are capable of higher-level thinking.
Comma Splices and Run-Ons
Comma splices/run-ons:
•two or more sentences incorrectly written
as a single sentence

•sentences that are jammed together

without proper punctuation

•both have two independent clauses

 Comma Splices and
Run-Ons

Comma splice has a comma between the two

independent clauses

Run-on Does Not have a comma.

 Comma Splices and Run-Ons
Examples
Ex: “Ursula walked down the street, she carried
her purse.”

Comma splice
❑This is a _____________since two complete
sentences are spliced or joined by a comma.

Ex: “Ursula walked down the street she carried

her purse.”

❑This is a _______________because
Run-on sentence one
complete sentence runs into another complete
sentence.
 Four Methods for Fixing Comma
Splices and Run-Ons

First Method: Add a period at the spot where

the two clauses meet to separate the two
clauses into two sentences.

Examples:
Sue cooked dinner, Joe washed the dishes. CS
IC IC

Sue cooked dinner. Joe washed the dishes. OK

IC IC
Four Methods for Fixing Comma
Splices and Run-Ons
Second Method: Add a comma and a
coordinating conjunction between the two
independent clauses. (FANBOYS)

For And Nor But Or Yet So

They are the ONLY words that

can be used with a comma to
separate two independent
clauses.
 Four Methods for Fixing Comma
Splices and Run-Ons

EXAMPLE:

Sue cooked dinner, and Joe washed the dishes. OK

IC IC

A comma with any other

word gives you a comma
splice.
 Coordinating vs. Subordinating
SUB CO

the prefix sub •The prefix co

means below or means together
less powerful. or equal.

Makes a clause less Joins things that are

powerful – equal, such as two
(dependent) independent clauses.
because the clause
sounds unfinished
Four Methods for Fixing Comma
Splices and Run-Ons

Third Method: Add a subordinating conjunction

at the beginning of one of the clauses to make
the clause dependent (so now you don’t have two
independent clause together).

•Use whichever subordinating conjunction suits

the meaning of your sentence.
Four Methods for Fixing Comma
Splices and Run-Ons

EXAMPLES:

Sue cooked dinner, Joe washed the dishes. CS

IC IC

After Sue cooked dinner, Joe washed the dishes. OK

DC IC

Sue cooked dinner before Joe washed the dishes.OK

IC DC
Four Methods for Fixing Comma
Splices and Run-Ons
Fourth Method: You can add a semi-colon ( ;
) between the two clauses.

•A semi-colon is big enough to separate the two

independent clauses, but it is small enough that
the two clauses are still one sentence.

EXAMPLE:
Sue cooked dinner; Joe washed the dishes. OK
IC IC
 Four Methods for Fixing Comma
Splices and Run-Ons
For a variation on the semi-colon method,
you can also add a conjunctive adverb and a
comma.

however therefore
Common Conjunctive
consequently furthermore
Adverbs
nevertheless hence
accordingly moreover
EXAMPLE:
Sue cooked dinner; therefore, Joe washed the dishes.
IC IC
Four Methods for Fixing Comma
Splices and Run-Ons

HOWEVER & BUT

•The word however and the word but have

essentially the same meaning. But when it
comes to punctuation, they are totally different.
Four Methods for Fixing Comma
Splices and Run-Ons
•But is a coordinating conjunction, one of
those seven special little words that can be
used with a comma to separate two
independent clauses.

•However is a conjunctive adverb.

Conjunctive adverbs can’t do anything in
your sentence except sound impressive.
 Conjunctive Adverb
•Unlike coordinating conjunctions, they can’t join
independent clauses, and unlike subordinating
conjunctions, they don’t make a clause dependent; they
are purely decorative.

•If you want to put a conjunctive adverb between two

independent clauses, go ahead, but be sure that you
also use a semi-colon to separate the two clauses.
however therefore

consequently furthermore

nevertheless hence

accordingly moreover
 Practice
● In the space below the comma splice or run-on problem,
write a correct version of the same idea, or correct it right
on the sentence. There may be more than one correct
version.
● My parents bought new furniture, all the pieces
fit well together.

● She loved to have her fingernails done the cost

of doing so never bothered her.
 Practice
● In the space below the comma splice or run-on problem,
write a correct version of the same idea, or correct it right
on the sentence. There may be more than one correct
version.

● This watch is waterproof my father even wears it

when he goes for a swim.

● Your company had the workers sign an

agreement if would bind all parties to a code of
silence.
 Practice
● In the space below the comma splice or run-on problem,
write a correct version of the same idea, or correct it right
on the sentence. There may be more than one correct
version.

● Four lifeguards sprinted across the beach all of

them were trying to get to the helpless
swimmer.