PUR - Grammar Pop Up Lesson: Fragments & Run-On Sentences

Grammar Pop Up Lesson: Fragments and Run-On Sentences

A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence. It may lack a subject, a verb, or both. It might also be a subordinate clause that cannot stand alone. (A subordinate clause is typically introduced by a conjunction, that forms part of and is dependent on a main clause, e.g., 'when it rang' is a subordinate clause in 'she answered the phone when it rang'.)

A run-on sentence is two or more complete sentences written as though they were one sentence.

A comma splice is perhaps the most common kind of run-on sentence. It occurs when two main clauses are separated by a comma rather than a semi-colon or a period. (A main clause is a clause that can form a complete sentence standing alone, having a subject and a predicate.) Another kind of run-on sentence is formed when there is no punctuation between two main clauses.

A third kind of run-on sentence is formed when there is no comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins two main clauses. (A coordinating conjunction is a conjunction placed between words, phrases, clauses, or sentences of equal rank, e.g., and, but, or.)

Examples:

Click the > for each incorrect sentence to see information on how to correct it.