2. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Eighth Grade Language Arts Sara Wohltjen BEGIN

3. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Writing clear and concise sentences takes time and effort. Anyone can write a confusing, unclear sentence! Both sentence fragments and run-on sentences confuse the reader. By learning to identify and correct these problems, your writing can improve quickly and easily!

4. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Mark and his friends. (What about them?) Threw the baseball. (Who threw the baseball?) FRAGMENTS Around the corner. (Who is? What happened?)

5. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS A fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought. Something important is missing, and you are left wondering What is this about? or What happened?

6. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS A fragment may be missing a SUBJECT… Threw the baseball. (Who threw the baseball?) A fragment may be missing a VERB… Mark and his friends. (What about them?) A fragment may be missing BOTH… Around the corner. (Who was? What happened?)

7. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS You can correct a fragment by adding the missing part of speech. Add a subject: Rob threw the baseball. Add a verb: Mark and his friends laughed. Add both: A dog ran around the corner.

8. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Let’s practice! Is this a sentence or a fragment? Delivered newspapers in the rain. SentenceFragment

9. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! It is a fragment. It is missing a subject. You could correct it by adding a subject: Tyler delivered newspapers in the rain. Try another one!

10. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS YES! It is a fragment. It is missing a subject. You could correct it by adding a subject: Tyler delivered newspapers in the rain. Try another one!

11. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Let’s practice more! Is this a sentence or a fragment? Kevin and his dog. SentenceFragment

12. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! It is a fragment. It is missing a verb. You could correct it by adding a verb: Kevin and his dog went for a walk. Try another one!

13. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS YES! It is a fragment. It is missing a verb. You could correct it by adding a verb: Kevin and his dog went for a walk. Try another one!

14. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Let’s practice more! Is this a sentence or a fragment? On Monday, we went outside for recess. SentenceFragment

15. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! It is a sentence. It has both a subject and a verb. On Monday, we went outside for recess. subject verb

16. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Yes! It is a sentence. It has both a subject and a verb. On Monday, we went outside for recess. subject verb

17. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS A run-on is two thoughts put together in the same sentence. The two ideas may or may not be related. A run-on can be fixed by adding proper punctuation to separate the two complete thoughts.

18. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Tyler delivered newspapers in the rain he got very wet. Kevin and his dog went for a walk it was a beautiful day. On Monday we went outside for recess it was fun. Here are three examples of run-ons:

19. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS There are three ways to correct a run-on: 1. 1.Add a period and a capital letter. 2. 2.Add a semicolon. 3. 3.Add a comma and a conjunction.

20. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Let’s correct a sentence using a period and a capital letter! Tyler delivered newspapers in the rain he got very wet. WRONG! RUN-ON! Tyler delivered newspapers in the rain. He got very wet. RIGHT! SENTENCES!

21. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Let’s correct a sentence using a semicolon! Kevin and his dog went for a walk it was a beautiful day. WRONG! RUN-ON! Kevin and his dog went for a walk; it was a beautiful day. RIGHT! SENTENCES!

22. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS On Monday we went outside for recess it was fun. WRONG! RUN-ON! Let’s correct a sentence using a comma and a conjunction! On Monday we went outside for recess, and it was fun. RIGHT! SENTENCES!

23. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Let’s practice! Is this a sentence or a run-on? The kids had a snack they ate too much. SentenceRun-On

24. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! It is a run-on. It has two separate thoughts with no punctuation separating them. Let’s correct it with a period and capital letter: The kids had a snack they ate too much. The kids had a snack. They ate too much. Try another one!

25. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Yes! It is a run-on! It has two separate thoughts with no punctuation separating them. Let’s correct it with a period and capital letter: The kids had a snack they ate too much. The kids had a snack. They ate too much. Try another one!

26. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Let’s practice more! Is this a sentence or a run-on? The couple danced they fell in love. SentenceRun-On

27. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! It is a run-on. It has two separate thoughts with no punctuation separating them. Let’s correct it with a comma and conjunction: The couple danced they fell in love. The couple danced, and they fell in love. Try another one!

28. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Yes! It is a run-on! It has two separate thoughts with no punctuation separating them. Let’s correct it with a comma and conjunction: The couple danced they fell in love. The couple danced, and they fell in love. Try another one!

29. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Let’s practice more! Is this a sentence or a run-on? The pizza was hot it smelled so good. SentenceRun-On

30. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! It is a run-on. It has two separate thoughts with no punctuation separating them. Let’s correct it with a semicolon: The pizza was hot it smelled so good. The pizza was hot; it smelled so good.

31. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Yes! It is a run-on! It has two separate thoughts with no punctuation separating them. Let’s correct it with a semicolon: The pizza was hot it smelled so good. The pizza was hot; it smelled so good.

32. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Now that you’ve mastered identifying fragments and run-ons, let’s practice correcting them! Here is a quick reminder: Fragments need either a subject, a verb, or both. Run-ons need a period and capital letter, a semicolon, or a comma and conjunction. Let’s practice!

33. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Which answer could you add to correct this fragment? Quickly ducked behind the door. and waited. (at end) with the money. (at end) Thomas (at beginning)

34. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! This fragment needs a subject. Quickly ducked behind the door. (Who did?) Go back and try again!

35. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Right! This fragment needs a subject! Quickly ducked behind the door. (Who did?) Thomas did! Let’s try another one!

36. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Which answer could you add to correct this fragment? Susan and Connie quietly. waited for lunch. (at end) and quickly. (at end) On Monday, (at beginning)

37. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! This fragment needs a verb. Susan and Connie quietly. (Did what?) Go back and try again!

38. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Right! This fragment needs a verb! Susan and Connie quietly. (Did what?) Waited for lunch!

39. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Let’s fix some run-ons now! First, you’ll be given a run-on. Then you’ll see three choices. Only one choice is a correct way to fix the run-on. Let’s get started!

40. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS The sunset was beautiful we sat and watched. The sunset was beautiful we sat, and watched it. The sunset was beautiful. We sat and watched it. The sunset was beautiful, we sat and watched it.

41. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! This run-on needs to be separated BETWEEN the two complete thoughts. Where does one thought end and another begin? The sunset was beautiful we sat and watched. Go back and try again!

42. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Right! This run-on needs to be separated BETWEEN the two complete thoughts. The sunset was beautiful we sat and watched it. Let’s try another one!  ---one complete thought-----   --one complete thought--  The sunset was beautiful. We sat and watched it.

43. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! A comma alone cannot fix a run-on. TO FIX A RUN-ON: 1. 1.A comma and conjunction 2. 2.A semicolon 3. 3.A period and a capital letter Go back and try again!

44. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS The students took a test it was very hard. The students took a test, but it was very hard. The students took a test but it was very hard. The students took a test, it was very hard.

45. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Right! This run-on needs to be separated with a comma AND a conjunction. The students took a test, but it was very hard. Let’s try another one!

46. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! A conjunction alone cannot fix a run-on. TO FIX A RUN-ON: 1. 1.A comma and conjunction 2. 2.A semicolon 3. 3.A period and a capital letter Go back and try again!

47. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! A comma alone cannot fix a run-on. TO FIX A RUN-ON: 1. 1.A comma and conjunction 2. 2.A semicolon 3. 3.A period and a capital letter Go back and try again!

48. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS The boys ordered a pizza they didn’t want olives on it. The boys ordered a pizza but they didn’t want olives on it. The boys ordered a large pizza they didn’t want olives on it. The boys ordered a pizza; they didn’t want olives on it.

49. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! A run-on needs to be separated between the two complete thoughts with punctuation. TO FIX A RUN-ON: 1. 1.A comma and conjunction 2. 2.A semicolon 3. 3.A period and a capital letter Go back and try again!

50. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Sorry! A run-on needs to be separated between the two complete thoughts with punctuation. TO FIX A RUN-ON: 1. 1.A comma and conjunction 2. 2.A semicolon 3. 3.A period and a capital letter Go back and try again!

51. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS Right! A run-on can be corrected with a semicolon. The boys ordered a pizza; they didn’t want olives on it.

52. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS You’ve done a great job identifying and correcting fragments and run-ons! But the real test of your knowledge is in your own writing. You now have to remember what you’ve learned and apply it to your own writing. A great place to do this is in the editing stage of the writing process. When you check your work, keep an eye out for fragments and run-ons and AVOID THEM!!! Fragments Run-Ons

53. AVOIDING FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS I (state your name) promise to look for fragments and run-ons in my own writing, and correct them when I find them. I WILL AVOID FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ONS!