Academic Writing Skills

Sentence Fragment, and Run-on sentence

Lecturer: Mr. Abdifatah Nur

Sentence Fragment
A sentence fragment is a group of
words that doesn’t state a complete
thought. Sometimes a fragment is
missing a subject, or a predicate. Other
times, a fragment has a subject and a
verb, but the thought still isn’t
complete.
These are fragments:

1. Took the books.

2. My mom and dad.
3. A puppy crying in Matt’s garden.
How can we fix it?
 Just add a subject or a predicate
Completing the fragments
1. Carlos took the books.
Now we know who took the books.
2. My mom and dad bought a new car.
Now we know what my mom and dad
bought.
3. A puppy is crying in Matt’s garden.
Now the sentence has a complete
verb and makes a complete thought.
Quiz
Make these fragments into sentences
1. Wrote a long letter to Granddad.
2. To the store on the corner.
3. Forgot his sister ’s birthday.
 Run-on Sentence
• A run-on is two or more sentences put
together without the correct punctuation
or capitalization. A reader cannot tell
where one sentence ends and the next
one begins.
• For example: Rafael is watching television his
sister is going swimming.
 How can we fix it?
1. Separate the two sentences with a full stop.
Rafael is watching television. His sister is
going swimming.
2. Use a coordinating or subordinating
conjunction.
Rafael is watching television, but his sister is
going swimming.
3. Use a semicolon.
Rafael is watching television; his sister is
going swimming.
Quiz
• Which of these are run-on sentences?
1. My cousin works at the mall she sells
jewelry.
2. Frankie went to the movies on Saturday.
3. My friend Caleb has a pet snake its
name is Emerald.
4. Leo can’t play outside today it is raining.
END