Sentences, Fragments, and Run-ons Saraland Elementary 4th Grade Language Arts Classes

Sentences A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. A sentence has a subject and a predicate. A sentence stands alone and makes sense. A sentence starts with a capital letter, and it ends with an end mark.

Sentences Examples: My mom’s boss is strange! The blue car has new tires. Our house flooded last year. Is that horse too skinny?

Fragments A fragment is a part of something. In grammar, a fragment is a part of a sentence. A fragment does not stand alone, and it does not make sense.

Fragments Examples: A blue purse tiny pink slippers Christmas cards Chirping crickets

Fragments To fix a fragment, just add more information to the beginning or end of it so that it expresses a complete thought and makes sense! My mom bought a blue purse. The doll wore tiny pink slippers. Christmas cards are on sale now. Chirping crickets kept us up.

Run-ons A run-on occurs when two or more complete sentences are joined together without any punctuation between them.

Run-ons Examples: The soup is hot it is steaming. Jan was late she missed the bus. My dog is dirty he stinks.

Run-ons There are different ways to fix a run-on. First, you can just add punctuation to the end of the first sentence and a capital letter to the beginning of the second so they will make sense! The soup is hot. It is steaming. Jan was late. She missed the bus. My dog is dirty. He stinks.

(This is called a compound sentence.) Run-ons Second, you can just add a comma to the end of the first sentence and then a conjunction (and, or, but, so etc.) so it will make sense! (This is called a compound sentence.) The soup is hot, and it is steaming. Jan was late, so she missed the bus. My dog is dirty, and he stinks.

Tricky, Tricky! We know that sentences must have a subject and a predicate. Why, then, are each of these complete sentences, despite the absence of a subject? Get out of here! Put it down! Stop!

Understood You When a sentence begins with a predicate (verb) that is a COMMAND, it is understood that the command is directed at YOU! So, oddly enough, the subject of those sentence is called an “understood you” and it’s written like this: (you) .

POP Quiz Fix fragments and run-ons (leave sentences alone). The low-hanging clouds. Mom lost her purse she just got paid. The cow ate, the horses slept. Get a bowl for soup. My cup was really heavy. Mr. Jacobs has a wife, she is a teacher. That silly turtle. I need some.

POP Quiz Fix fragments and run-ons (leave sentences alone). The low-hanging clouds. (F) Mom lost her purse she just got paid. (RO) The cow ate, the horses slept. (RO) Get a bowl for soup. (S) My cup was really heavy. (S) Mr. Jacobs has a wife, she is a teacher. (RO) That silly turtle. (F) I need some. (S)