Fragments & run-ons

Recognizing Fragments Note: A fragment fails to be a sentence in the sense that it cannot stand by itself. 1) Since 1600, telescopes have used lenses or mirrors to gather and focus light? 2) Going outside the earth’s atmosphere to see more clearly. 3) The surface temperature of the sun is 8,700 degrees Fahrenheit. 4) Estimated 100 billion galaxies in our universe. 5) The stars in the Milky Way, including our sun. 6) To study the night sky throughout the year. 7) Many stargazers use telescopes on their roof porches. 8) When people thought the sky was an upside-down blue bowl over the earth. Pg. 85

Revising fragments

1) I’m outside looking for the constellation Orion. 2) The first sign of the zodiac is Aquarius, the Water Bearer. 3) To find the Big Dipper on a clear night is not difficult. 4) Astronomers enjoy studying the heavens for information about the stars. 5) If you go outside with a telescope on an August night, you many become enthusiastic about stargazing too. 6) The telescope will enable you to observe stars that are too far away to be seen with the naked eye. 7) Astronomers observe stars such as white dwarfs, novae, supernovae, quasars, and pulsars. pg. 86 B

3) Dinosaur bones tell tales about life on earth 65 million years ago. 1) Facts about the earth are impressive, if you take the time to think about them. 2) Did you know that all magnets point north? This is because the earth itself is a giant magnet? 3) Dinosaur bones tell tales about life on earth 65 million years ago. 4)Higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere raise global temperatures and produce the greenhouse effect. 5) Studies of the ocean also reveal surprises: undersea mountain ranges, hot veins, and spreading of the sea floor. Pg. 87 A

Revising Run-ons

Recognizing Run-ons 1) Can you name three kinds of music, most people at least know classical music. 2) Rock music once had half of all music sales since the mid-80s its popularity has dropped. 3) Jazz sales have remained steady, they have consistently held to about 3.5 percent of recorded music sales. 4) Taking only 3.8 percent of music sales in 1987, rap grew to 9 percent of sales by 1999. 5) Cassettes were the best-selling music format in the 1980s, today CDs are preferred by most consumers. Pg. 89 A

Correct a Run-on by simply adding punctuation Why have compact discs become so popular? They cost almost twice as much as albums and cassettes. It is because discs hold a large amount of music; furthermore, CD players can be programmed to selective choice. The CD revolution has revived the music industry. Teenagers are still the largest consumers of recorded music, but adult buying is up. Pg. 89 B

The world is gaining more people, and its population is projected to pass six billion by 2025. Some think it will surpass eight billion in mid-century. Most of the growth is likely to take place in developing countries. Europe, it is thought, will reduce its numbers from 500 million to 486 million by the first quarter of the century. Africa’s population will continue to be the fastest growing; it tripled between 1950 and 1990. Some think it will reach two-and-one-quarter billion in 2050, showing a 1,000 percent increase. It will then contain almost one-fourth of the world’s inhabitants. Pg. 90 B