Fragments, Run-ons, and Those Scary Commas! Brought to you by the Advocacy Center NVC JH, 308

Every Complete Sentence Must Contain: A subject A verb A complete thought or meaning

What is a Fragment? You will know it is a fragment if there is a missing part: No Subject No Action No Message or No Complete Thought

Some Examples of Fragments: The brown dog with the fluffy fur. What did the dog do? (complete the thought.) So happy today. Who is happy? (missing subject.) The job of my dreams. What about the job? (complete the thought.) Dancing wildly in the streets. Who is dancing wildly in the streets? (missing subject.)

How do I Fix a Fragment? Connect it to another sentence. Add the missing part.

Corrected Fragments I am so happy today. The brown dog with the fluffy fur. I bought the brown dog with the fluffy fur. So happy today. I am so happy today. I slept well last night, so I am happy today. The job of my dreams. The job of my dreams pays well. Dancing wildly in the streets. The crowd was out of control and dancing wildly in the streets.

What is a Run-On? 2 or more sentences Joined together Without proper punctuation Other types of run-on sentences: Comma splice Fused Sentence Run-on sentences will generally read as if the person who wrote it just didn’t take time to breathe in between their thoughts.

Some Examples of Run-Ons I went shopping on Saturday the mall was packed. How many messages does this sentence have? I spent more money than I anticipated I should have budgeted better. What kind of run-on sentence is this? (comma splice.) By the time I got home I was tired, hungry, and broke, I didn’t have enough money left to even go by myself a hamburger I had to make myself a sandwich instead. How many sentences can we get from this one?

How Do I Fix a Run-On? for and nor but or yet so . ? ! ; Join with a comma and a FANBOY for and nor but or yet so Make separate sentences or clauses by using proper punctuation: . ? ! ;

Corrected Run-Ons I went shopping on Saturday. The mall was packed. I spent more money than I anticipated I should have budgeted better. I spent more money than I had anticipated; I should have budgeted better.

Another Corrected Run-On By the time I got home I was tired, hungry, and broke, I didn’t have enough money left to go by myself a hamburger I had to make myself a sandwich instead. By the time I got home, I was tired, hungry, and broke. I didn’t have enough money left to go by myself a hamburger, so I had to make myself a sandwich instead.

Why Commas are Important Commas are the most misused punctuation mark in written English. We must use them correctly to avoid confusion. When lightning struck, James Harvey fainted. When lightning struck James, Harvey fainted. Using commas incorrectly makes a BIG difference in the overall meaning of a sentence!

Learn How to Use Commas Properly… These are some of the Major Rules… http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm

#1: Commas with Conjunctions Use a comma with a coordinating conjunction (One of the FANBOYS): For And Nor But Or Yet So Comma comes before the conjunction Make sure the word is functioning as a conjunction before adding the comma.

Examples of Conjunction Use I enjoy watching movies, and I like reading too. I would have gone with Sam, but I was tired. I don’t like frogs, nor do I like snakes. We could go to the lake, or we could go to the zoo. She was feeling sick, so she took a long nap.

#2: Introductory Word/Phrase: Introductory words or phrases Always at the beginning of a sentence Extra Information Added to complete sentences Added for emphasis Always followed by a comma Examples: Moreover, However, When I was five,

Examples of Introductory Phrases: By the time I got home, my friends had already left. In addition to her class, Sara had to go to work every day. During the summer, the heat is unbearable.

Series: any list with 3 or more items in a row. #3: Commas in a Series Series: any list with 3 or more items in a row. Use commas between each item except for the final two items. Include the word and or or between the last two items.

Examples of Commas in a Series: I went to the store and bought eggs, milk and bread. When I graduate, I want to be a teacher, a lawyer or an artist. Matt likes skating, running and taking pictures.

#4: Non-Essential Elements Where there is extra information Where there is information added to complete a sentence. Commas may be added for emphasis Use a comma before and after the additional information.

Examples of Non-Essential Elements I drove my car, the red one, to the park. I saw his dog, the terrier, at PetSmart. We went to the bank, the one on 410, late on Wednesday. She took her favorite toy, a stuffed bear, with her.

#5: Commas in Quotations Use commas with quotes. Use with all dialogue. Use before and after a quote. First comma goes before the quotation marks. Last comma goes INSIDE of the quotation marks.* The starting word of the quote is capitalized.

Examples of Quotes: Rick said, “That’s a cute dog,” as he reached to pet Fluffy. John said, “I want you to call me,” as he walked away. Lisa told her sister, “You’ll never guess what I just did.”

#6-7: Other Comma Uses Geographical names/Addresses Dates We live in San Antonio, Texas. I’ve always wanted to go to Sydney, Australia. Dates He was born October 7, 1996. We left on June 6, 2006.

#8: Phrases that Contrast Phrases that contrast each other When you have two parts of a single sentence that contrast each other, you should separate them with a comma. For example . . . My son is cute, but he can be very messy. The cake was good, but it was also dry.

#9: Multiple Adjectives When using several words (adjectives) to describe a noun, separate them with commas so that you do not confuse the reader. For example . . . Confusing: She wore a light brown jacket. Is it a lightweight jacket that is brown in color? Or light-brown, as in a beige color? Clear: She wore a light, brown jacket. Oh, I get it! She is wearing a thin jacket that is brown.

A Little More Practice . . .

Indentifying Fragments Which of these sentences are fragments? Before I make any major decisions. In the cabinet above the bookshelf. When you go to the party. His first appointment at the dentist. Hoping for a new car. How do you know they are fragments? How can you fix them? (What is missing in each sentence? (subject, verb, or complete meaning.)

Identifying Run-Ons Can you identify which are run-ons? Most people who drink coffee don’t know where it comes from it is actually the fruit of an evergreen tree. She walked towards the park he ran down the alley. He fell on the sidewalk and skinned his knee he hurt his knee so badly that it began to bleed. How do you know it is a run-on? How can you fix these sentences?

Some Final Hints to Help Break sentences down. Examine all of the commas. Examine or add FANBOYs.