From My Dog Bites the English Teacher, Practical Grammar Made Quick and Easy, by Marian Anders
Fragments, comma splices, and run-ons are the
most common mistakes that people make in
their writing.
In this lesson you will learn how to identify these
mistakes and then how to fix them.
•Think of some words that begin with the prefix sub.
Submarine
subway
•All of these things go under. The submarine goes under
the water; the subway goes under the street.
More words that begin with the prefix sub:
Subservient
submissive
•These words describe someone who is less
powerful. A person who is subservient or
submissive willingly obeys someone else.
•The prefix sub means under, less powerful.
A subordinating conjunction is a
word that goes at the beginning of
a clause and makes the clause less
powerful or dependent on another clause.
Common Subordinating Conjunctions
after
before
that
unless
although
if
though
when
as
since
till
where
because
so that
until
while
Independent and Dependent Clauses
As you know, a clause is a group of words that has a
subject and a verb. There are two kinds of clauses—
dependent and independent—and they have different
sounds.
When you put a subordinating conjunction at the
beginning of a clause, the clause will sound different.
I ate dinner.
After I ate dinner……
Say both of these clauses out loud and listen to
how your voice sounds.
I ate dinner.
After I ate dinner……
When you say the first clause, the pitch of your
voice goes down, and you sound like you’re
finished talking.
I ate dinner.
This clause expresses a complete idea.
After I ate dinner
When you say this clause, the pitch of your voice goes
up, and it sounds like you are going to continue speaking
and tell what happened after you ate dinner.
This clause does not express a complete idea.
The listener is waiting for you to finish.
After I ate dinner……what happened?
A subordinating conjunction is a word that goes at the beginning of a
clause and makes the clause sound unfinished.
We will mark subordinating conjunctions with a wavy underline.
A dependent clause is a clause that starts with a subordinating
conjunction. It sounds unfinished and leaves the listener hanging.
We will mark dependent clauses DC.
An independent clause does not have a subordinating conjunction. It
sounds complete. We will mark independent clauses IC.
After I ate dinner, I washed the dishes.
DC
IC
The first clause depends on the second clause to finish the idea.
Sentence Fragments
A sentence must have an independent clause. A
sentence that doesn’t have an independent
clause is called a
fragment.
Remember:
An independent clause has a subject and a verb
and it expresses a complete idea.
Mario hit the winning run.
Mario hit the winning run.
IC
The weather was cold.
The weather was cold.
IC
Remember:
A dependent clause also has a subject and a verb, but
it leaves the reader hanging.
A dependent clause begins with a subordinating
conjunction that changes the sound of the clause.
After Mario hit the winning run
After Mario hit the winning run...what?
DC
Although the weather was cold
Although the weather was cold…what?
DC
Remember:
A phrase is any group of words that does not have
a subject and a verb.
in the morning
in the morning
Ph
wore a blue suit
wore a blue suit
Ph
Phrases and dependent clauses are important to
our writing.
They add details and make a sentence more
interesting.
But they cannot be sentences
by themselves.
FRAGMENTS ARE EVERYWHERE
You will often see fragments in magazines, on
billboards, and on your cereal box. If you are
doing informal writing, go ahead and use
fragments.
For academic or business writing, it is better to
write complete sentences.
Process for Identifying Fragments
Step 1)
Change the time and listen for a verb.
If you find a verb, double underline it and go on to
the next step.
If there is no verb, the sentence is a phrase.
Mark F for fragment.
Early in the morning.
Early in the morning.
F
After Mark drove all night.
After Mark drove all night.
(Go to the next step)
Process for Identifying Fragments
Step 2)
Next, look for a subject by asking “who?”
If you find a subject, underline it and go on to the
next step.
If there is no subject, the sentence is a phrase.
Mark F for fragment.
Drove all night.
Drove all night.
F
After Mark drove all night.
After Mark drove all night.
(Go to the next step.)
Process for Identifying Fragments
Step 3)
If you have a verb and a subject, it is a clause.
Now you must determine what kind of clause.
Look for a subordinating conjunction.
If you find one, underline it with a wavy line.
If the clause has a subordinating conjunction, it is a
dependent clause.
Mark F for fragment.
After Mark drove all night.
After Mark drove all night.
F
Process for Identifying Fragments
Step 4)
If the clause does not have a subordinating
conjunction, it is an independent clause.
Mark OK for a correct sentence.
Mark drove all night. OK
TIME TO PRACTICE!!!
From My Dog Bites the English Teacher, Practical Grammar Made Quick and Easy, by Marian Anders
Now we need to learn how to FIX fragments.
There are two ways to fix a fragment, and they
both involve erasing something.
First Method: You can erase a period
and attach the fragment to a sentence
that has an independent clause.
In the morning. Sherry jogs three miles.
Ph-fragment
IC
Erase the period to attach the fragment to a
complete sentence:
In the morning Sherry jogs three miles.
Ph
IC
By joining the fragment to a complete sentence, you created one
longer sentence. One independent clause is enough even for a
very long sentence.
Here's another example:
She goes to the gym. After she finishes work.
IC
DC – fragment
Erase the period to attach the fragment to the complete sentence.
She goes to the gym after she finishes work.
IC
DC – fragment
By joining the fragment and a complete sentence,
you created one longer sentence.
Second method: If the fragment is a dependent clause, you
can erase the subordinating conjunction and turn the
dependent clause into an independent clause.
When the dog chews the newspaper.
DC -- fragment
Erase the subordinating conjunction:
The dog chews the newspaper.
IC
Now the sentence has an independent clause, so it is correct.
Here's another example:
After the dog dug up the flower bed.
DC -- fragment
Erase the subordinating conjunction:
The dog dug up the flower bed.
IC
Now the sentence has an independent clause, so it
is correct.
Common Subordinating Conjunctions
after
before
that
unless
although
if
though
when
as
since
till
where
because
so that
until
while
From My Dog Bites the English Teacher, Practical Grammar Made Quick and Easy, by Marian Anders
Comma Splices and Run-ons
Unlike fragments, which don't have an
independent clause, a comma splice and a runon both have two independent clauses.
The only difference between a comma splice
and a run-on is that a comma splice has a
comma between the two independent clauses
and a run-on does not have a comma.
Quick Review: Sentence Fragments
A sentence must have an independent clause. A
sentence that doesn’t have an independent
clause is called a
fragment.
Remember:
An independent clause has a subject and a verb
and it expresses a complete idea.
Mario hit the winning run.
Mario hit the winning run.
IC
The weather was cold.
The weather was cold.
IC
Remember:
A dependent clause also has a subject and a verb, but
it leaves the reader hanging.
A dependent clause begins with a subordinating
conjunction that changes the sound of the clause.
After Mario hit the winning run
After Mario hit the winning run...what?
DC
Although the weather was cold
Although the weather was cold…what?
DC
Remember:
A phrase is any group of words that does not have
a subject and a verb.
in the morning
in the morning
Ph
wore a blue suit
wore a blue suit
Ph
Comma Splices and Run-ons
Again, unlike fragments, which don't have an
independent clause, a comma splice and a runon both have two independent clauses.
The only difference between a comma splice
and a run-on is that a comma splice has a
comma between the two independent clauses
and a run-on does not have a comma.
Comma Splices and Run-ons
Mark comma splices CS and run-ons RO.
She cooked dinner, Joe washed the dishes.
IC
IC
Sue cooked dinner Joe washed the dishes.
IC
IC
CS
RO
Comma splices and run-ons are easy to fix.
Instead of erasing something as you did to fix
fragments, you add something.
Here are four things you can do to fix a Comma
Splice or Run-Ons.
First Method:
Add a period at the spot where the two clauses
meet to separate the two clauses into two
sentences.
She cooked dinner, Joe washed the dishes. CS
IC
IC
She cooked dinner. Joe washed the dishes. OK
IC
IC
Second Method:
Add a comma and a coordinating conjunction
between the two independent clauses.
Coordinating Conjunctions
For And Nor But Or Yet So
Coordinating Conjunctions
The seven coordinating conjunctions are very
special words. They are all short words--only
two or three letters long.
They are the ONLY words that can be used with a
comma to separate two independent clauses.
You can use the acronym FANBOYS to
remember them.
Coordinating Conjunctions
• Coordinating conjunctions are the ONLY words that can
be used with a comma to separate two independent
clauses.
She cooked dinner, and Joe washed the dishes.
OK
IC
IC
She cooked dinner, so Joe washed the dishes.
OK
IC
IC
• A comma with any other word gives you a comma
splice.
She cooked dinner, hence Joe washed the dishes. CS
IC
IC
The Difference between Subordinating Conjunctions and
Coordinating Conjunctions...
When we first learned about subordinating
conjunctions, we looked at some words that
begin with the prefix sub: submarine, subway,
submissive.
We saw how the prefix sub means below or less
powerful. A subordinating conjunction makes a
clause less powerful--dependent--because the
clause sounds unfinished.
After we watched the movie......what happened?
Common Subordinating Conjunctions
after
before
that
unless
although
if
though
when
as
since
till
where
because
so that
until
while
The Difference between Subordinating Conjunctions and
Coordinating Conjunctions...
Now think of some words that begin
with the prefix co: cooperate,
coworker, coexist.
The prefix co means together or equal.
When you cooperate with someone, you
work together. Your coworker is not your
boss or your employee; you are equals.
This is a very different meaning than sub.
A coordinating conjunction joins things
that are equal, such as two
independent clauses.
Remember.....
Coordinating Conjunctions
For And Nor But Or Yet So
The seven coordinating
conjunctions are very special
words.
They are all short words--only two
or three letters long. They are the
ONLY words that can be used with a
comma to separate two
independent clauses.
You can use the acronym FANBOYS
to remember them.
Common Subordinating Conjunctions
after
before
that
unless
although
if
though
when
as
since
till
where
because
so that
until
while
Third Method:
You can add a subordinating conjunction at the
beginning of one of the clauses to make the
clause dependent.
A comma splice or run-on occurs when you
have two independent clauses.
Make one of the clauses dependent, and you
have solved the problem.
Use whichever subordinating conjunction suits
the meaning of your sentence.
She cooked dinner, Joe washed the dishes.
CS
IC
IC
Notice that in this sentence the dependent clause comes first and a
comma follows it.
After she cooked dinner, Joe washed the dishes.
IC
IC
OK
In this sentence, the independent clause comes first, and there is
no comma. That is the correct way to punctuate this type of
sentence.
She cooked dinner before Joe washed the dishes.
IC
IC
OK
Fourth Method:
You can add a semi-colon (;) between the two
clauses.
A semi-colon looks like exactly what it is. It is a
half-way between a period and a comma.
A semi-colon is big enough to separate the two
independent clauses, but it is small enough that
the two clauses are still one sentence.
She cooked dinner; Joe washed the dishes.
IC
IC
OK
For a variation on the semi-colon method, you
can also add a conjunctive adverb and a
comma. Use whichever word suits the meaning
of the sentence.
Common Conjunctive Adverbs
however
consequently
nevertheless
accordingly
therefore
furthermore
hence
moreover
She cooked dinner; therefore, Joe washed the dishes.
IC
IC
OK
She cooked dinner; consequently, Joe washed the dishes. OK
IC
IC
Look carefully at the punctuation of these sentences.
A semi-colon has been placed after the first independent clause.
Then a conjunctive adverb has been added, followed by a
comma, and then the second independent clause has been
included.
Getting tricky.....
The word however and the word but have
essentially the same meaning. But when it
comes to punctuation, they are totally different.
But is a coordinating conjunction, one of those
special little words that can be used with a
comma to separate two independent clauses.
I went to the store; however, I forgot my list.
I went to the store, but I forgot my list.
Conjunctive Adverbs
However is a conjunctive adverb. Conjunctive
adverbs can't do anything in your sentence
except sound impressive.
Unlike coordinating conjunctions, they can't join
independent clauses, and unlike subordinating
conjunctions, they don't make a clause
dependent. They are purely decorative.
I went to the store; however, I forgot my list.
I went to the store, but I forgot my list.
If you want to put a conjunctive adverb
between two independent clauses, go ahead,
but be sure that you also use a semi-colon to
separate the two clauses.
I went to the store; however, I forgot my list.