COMMON

SENTENCE
ERRORS
FRAGMENTS, RUN -ONS & COMMA SPLICE
CAN YOU MAKE SENSE OF
THE FOLLOWING
PARAGRAPH?
The lawyer is pregnant and her last day of work is on
Friday she is really going to miss us because she loves
her job a lot. Although she is leaving us. She plans to come
back and visit after the baby is born, she may even take
the baby with her. We might miss her too. But our
replacement is a fun-loving, energetic lawyer who is
bound to keep our office organized and orderly
OBSERVATIONS?
COMMON MISTAKE #1:
THE FRAGMENT
WHAT IS A SENTENCE
FRAGMENT?
• Fragments are incomplete sentences
• Sometimes they are missing a subject, a verb or both
• A sentence fragment is an incomplete thought
• Usually, fragments are pieces of sentences that have been
disconnected from the main clause.

Examples
• I need to find a new roommate. Because the one I have isn’t
working out too well.

• Whenever I can’t fall asleep at night.

• The beautiful, calm, elegant girl who sits next to me.

WAYS TO CORRECT
A FRAGMENT:
1. Add the needed
information to the
sentence.

2. Combine the fragment

to the main clause.
REPAIR THE FOLLOWING
FRAGMENTS:
1. Even though Jill was a wonderful person.

2. The current gym rules are incomplete.

Which is why we are currently updating
them.

3. Through the door and around the building.

4. I am going to bed early. So I can get some

much needed beauty sleep.

5. When the day was finally over.

COMMON MISTAKE #2:
THE RUN-ON
WHAT IS A
RUN-ON SENTENCE?
• When two or more sentences are joined as one,
without using proper punctuation.
• These are the sentences that seem to drag on forever
and can really affect readability.

Examples
• The boy went over to the hardware store he bought
some nails he then thanked the man and left.

• It was a cold day the children should have had

mittens on.
 WAYS TO CORRECT
RUN-ON SENTENCES:
1. Divide the sentences and insert
proper punctuation.

2. Combine sentences properly by

using a conjunction or a
semicolon

Hint: If a clause has a subject, a verb and makes

a complete thought, then it is a sentence and
should be written as such.
REPAIR THE
FOLLOWING RUN-ONS:
1. Today is a really boring day the teacher would not stop
talking.

2. The snow kept falling it landed on the rooftop and

covered the driveway.

3. There ware only nine more school days until Spring

break we should work harder in our classes until then.

4. Swimming is such good exercise that is why many

swimmers are good athletes.
COMMON MISTAKE #3:
THE COMMA SPLICE
WHAT IS A COMMA
SPLICE?
• A run-on sentence that is punctuated with a comma.

• It is called that because the comma is trying to join

two sentences where it shouldn’t. (When you splice
cable wires, you try to get 2 TV's running off of one
service line – which is bad (and illegal).

Examples
• We got a new TV for Christmas, it was a widescreen
with HD capabilities.

• School is almost over, my friends and I are going to a

movie to celebrate.
WAYS TO FIX A COMMA
SPLICE:
1. The easiest way would be to
trade the comma for a period.

2. You may also choose to join the

sentences by adding either a
conjunction or a semicolon(keep
in mind, using a semicolon has
rules as well).
REPAIR THE
COMMA SPLICE:
1. Jenny is a good friend of mine, she is becoming a fashion
designer.

2. I love chocolate, it is my absolute favorite snack even

though too much of it can be a bad thing.

3. When I came home, my dog met me at the door, I gave

her a treat for being so sweet.

4. We have lots of oranges at our place, you can come and

take all you want, we are giving them away for free.