Fragments and Run-ons

Front

What is a fragment?

Back

A fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought. It is often missing a subject or a verb.

Front

What is a complete sentence?

Back

A complete sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. It must have a subject and a verb.

Front

What is a run-on sentence?

Back

A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions.

Front

What is a comma splice?

Back

A comma splice is a type of run-on sentence where two independent clauses are joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction.

Front

Example of a fragment:

Back

"Before you go to Sue's house." This does not express a complete thought.

Front

Example of a complete sentence:

Back

"Cindy planted tulips in her garden." This expresses a complete thought.

Front

Example of a run-on sentence:

Back

"Tom played a game he ate supper and went to bed." This combines multiple independent clauses without proper punctuation.

Front

Example of a comma splice:

Back

"I love to read, I go to the library often." This incorrectly joins two independent clauses with just a comma.

Front

How can you fix a run-on sentence?

Back

You can fix a run-on sentence by adding a period, a semicolon, or a conjunction to separate the independent clauses.

Front

What punctuation can be used to correct a comma splice?

Back

You can replace the comma with a semicolon or add a coordinating conjunction after the comma.