Complete Sentences- Yes! Fragments Run-ons Sentence Structure

What do we already know? A sentence is… A fragment is… A run-on sentence is… Write down your own definition for each term. Do your best to be as exact as possible with your definition.

How did you do? A sentence is able to stand alone. It contains a subject and predicate, and it is a complete thought. A fragment is an incomplete sentence. It may lack a subject, predicate, complete thought, or all of these. A run-on contains two or more complete sentences that are incorrectly written as one.

Sentence, Fragment, or Run-on Molly Watkins loves to read a variety of texts. She loves to read novels one of her favorite book series is Harry Potter. Although she loves the book.

Complete the Grammar Pre-test 1-10 Please raise your hand if you are having difficulty. I can help you at your desk. I promise that I am not too scary! -MW

THE SENTENCE… You’ve Got to Love it! A sentence is an independent clause (or main clause). It can stand alone. It contains a subject and a predicate. It conveys a complete thought.

Subject Review: What it is all about!! Simple Subject- Tells what the sentence is about or who is performing an action. (Compound subject is two or more simple subjects.) My father snores. My mother and I cannot sleep. Complete subject- the simple subject and all of the words that modify it. The bright lights of the city burned intensely.

Predicate Review: What is it doing? Simple predicate- the verb or verb phrase that expresses the action or the essential thought about the subject. (A compound predicate is made up of two or more verbs/verb phrases and have the same subject). The night was cold. The guests sang and danced in the garden. Complete predicate- consists of the simple predicate and all the words that modify it or complete its meaning. The sun provides heat for the earth. Dinosaurs died out many years ago.

Order of Subject and Predicates In most sentences the subject comes before the predicate. The hawk /soared high overhead. For variety or to show emphasis, a writer may invert the order. High overhead soared /the hawk. ** The subject also follows the verb in any sentence that begins with there or here. Here is/ your present. There sit/ the tired students.

Dependent needs an Independent. A dependent clause (or subordinate clause) contains both a predicate and a subject, but it CANNOT stand alone. SUB- Unless you have a driver’s license. (What? It needs a main clause to make sense.) You cannot legally drive your car unless you have a driver’s license.

So tell me…. Which part of the following sentence is the main (independent clause), and which part is the subordinate (dependent clause)? Starter: After the storm cleared, the flight took off. We can go to the mall unless you are too busy. I peeled the potatoes while mother shredded the carrots. Because the subject was so complicated, Brad studied very hard.

NOW…The Fragments!! We know that a fragment is an incomplete sentence. It lacks one of the major parts that all sentences need. Fragments cannot stand alone. Subordinate clauses cannot stand alone; therefore, a subordinate clause without a main clause is a fragment. After the storm cleared up, the flight took off. After the storm cleared up without the flight took off is a fragment. It needs the main clause to be a sentence.

Tips for identifying fragments. Fragments often start with a… subordinating conjunction relative pronoun relative adverb After, although, as, as if, because, if, since, so that, than, unless, until, when, where, while Who, whose, whom, which, that, what When, where, why

Some fragments… If you practice. Where few people speak English. What she wants. Where we used to eat dinner. Who sings in chorus.

Look how easy it is to fix a fragment. Simply add a main clause. You will learn to speak Spanish if you practice. Madeline is from a part of France where few people speak English. Maggie has already decided what she wants. The restaurant where we used to eat dinner went out of business. I know a girl who sings in the chorus.

Add your own main clause to correct the following fragments. Since the last time I was there. Where the burglary happened. Before he sat down. When the teacher is speaking. During the trombone solo.

RUN-ONS…RUN-ONS…RUN-ONS …RUN-ONS! The number 1 error that I find in most student writing! The sad thing is that in many cases a run-on can be fixed by simply adding a comma or making another simple change. INCORRECT: There was a mistake on our bill, the server took care or it. CORRECT: There was a mistake on our bill. The server took care of it. See the difference? A PERIOD AND A CAPITAL LETTER

More Run-ons

Still More Run-ons INCORRECT: I lost my keys I called AAA to help. CORRECT: I lost my keys; therefore, I called AAA to help. See the difference? A semicolon, conjunctive adverb, and a comma.

Yep, still more. INCORRECT: I lost my favorite earrings I bought a new pair on sale at Macy’s. CORRECT: I lost my favorite earrings, but I bought a new pair on sale at Macy’s. See the difference? A COMMA AND A CONJUNCTION

Four simple ways to fix a run-on. Separate the clauses with a period. Separate the clauses with a semicolon. Separate with a comma and a conjunction. Separate the clauses with a semicolon, conjunctive adverb, and a comma.

RUN-ON TYPES: Comma Splice and Fused A comma splice is when two main clauses are incorrectly joined ONLY by a comma. I don’t know where the oil paints are, they were over by the easel. A fused sentence is when two main clauses are joined incorrectly with NO punctuation. I don’t know where the oil paints are they were by the easel.

FUSED OR COMMA SPLICE Jazzmen won the silver medal she was a runner. She lives in the basement, her only friends are mice, birds, and dust bunnies. Anyone can submit an essay, the submission must be made in person. I will never give up on my dreams, I would rather lose house.

Sentence, Fragment, or Run-on (CS or FS) _____1. Movies entertain millions of people every day they are popular all over the world. _____2. Take years to make and often require the skills of hundreds of workers. _____3. The director of a movie has an important job the cast and crew all answer to the directors instructions. _____4. The director makes many decisions, but the producers take care of the business end of moviemaking. _____ 5. The first movie theaters opened in the early 1900s they were called nickelodeons.

Complete the individual practice sections for day 4! This is the time to ask questions.