Download Fragments, Comma Splices and Run-ons

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Fragments, Comma Splices and Run-ons
Fragmented sentences are sentences that are incomplete.
• It doesn’t have a subject
Reasons a sentence may be fragmented include:
• It doesn’t have a verb
• It isn’t an independent clause
Every sentence must have at least one main clause. A main clause contains an independent subject and verb and
expresses a complete thought.
Fragments result if you punctuate certain word groups as though they were complete sentences. The most common of
these word groups are the following: subordinate clauses, participle phrases, infinitive phrases, afterthoughts, verb
phrases, and appositives.
You have a number of different options when fixing a fragment. Frequently you can attach the fragment either to the
front or to the end of a nearby main clause. Another option is to add whatever words will give the fragment its own
mandatory main clause.
Subordinate Clause Fragments
A subordinate clause contains a subordinate conjunction like as, if, because, when, a subject, and a verb. Because this
type of clause does not express a complete thought, it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
Flooring the accelerator, Juan dangerously wove through the heavy traffic. As his ex-girlfriend Gigi chased him down the
interstate.
Possible revisions:
 Flooring the accelerator, Juan dangerously wove through the heavy traffic as his ex-girlfriend Gigi chased him down
the interstate.

As his ex-girlfriend Gigi chased him down the interstate, Juan floored the accelerator, dangerously weaving through
the heavy traffic.
Participle Phrase Fragments
A participle phrase usually begins with an –ing or –ed word. In the case of irregular verbs, an irregular past participle,
like burnt or spoken, will begin the phrase. Italicized below is a participle phrase pretending to be a complete sentence:
Aunt Olivia always wears a motorcycle helmet. Worrying that a meteor or chunk of space debris will land on her head.
Possible revisions:
 Worrying that a meteor or chunk of space debris will land on her head, Aunt Olivia always wears a motorcycle
helmet.
 Aunt Olivia always wears a motorcycle helmet because she worries that a meteor or chunk of space debris will land
on her head.
Infinitive Phrase Fragments
An infinitive phrase will begin with an infinitive [to + base verb].
Jiggling her foot nervously, Maria sat in the provost’s office. To explain why she had brought Squeeze, her seven-foot pet
python, to Mr. Parker’s English class.
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Possible revisions:
 Jiggling her foot nervously, Maria sat in the provost’s office to explain why she had brought Squeeze, her seven-foot
pet python, to Mr. Parker’s English class.
 To explain why she had brought Squeeze, her seven-foot pet python, to Mr. Parker’s English class, Maria sat in the
provost’s office, jiggling her foot nervously.
Afterthought Fragments
Afterthought fragments begin with transitions like for example, for instance, like, such as, including, and except. These
transitions frequently introduce good details that the writer is providing as an afterthought for previous information.
Jacob has several ways to annoy his instructors. Such as rolling his eyes, smirking, and falling asleep during lecture.
Possible revisions:
 Jacob has several ways to annoy his instructors, such as rolling his eyes, smirking, and falling asleep during lecture.
 Rolling his eyes, smirking, and falling asleep during lecture are some of the way Jacob annoys his instructors.
 Jacob has several ways to annoy his instructors. For example, he rolls his eyes, smirks, and falls asleep during
lecture.
Lonely Verb Fragments
Lonely verb fragments occur when you have a verb phrase without a subject. Typically, the subject is understood, but
because it does not occur within the word group, the necessary main clause is missing.
After dinner, Mike and Pat leave their dirty dishes on the back patio. And let the raccoons that visit the yard eat the
leftovers.
Possible revisions:
 After dinner, Mike and Pat leave their dirty dishes on the back patio and let the raccoons that visit the yard eat the
leftovers.
 After dinner, Mike and Pat leave their dirty dishes on the back patio so that the raccoons that visit the yard eat the
leftovers.
 After dinner, Mike and Pat leave their dirty dishes on the back patio. They enjoy letting the raccoons that visit the
yard eat the leftovers.
Appositive Fragments
An appositive is a noun phrase that renames and clarifies anther noun. Because an appositive can be long, writers
sometimes mistake one as a complete sentence. By itself, however, an appositive is not a sentence.
An appositive fragment will begin with a noun and usually include one or more clarifying phrases or subordinate clauses
after it. Here are some examples:
 The unprepared student who was always begging for an extra pencil and a couple sheets of blank paper.
 A slacker wasting his afternoon in front of the television.
 A dog around whom people need to guard their fingers and food.
You have two options when fixing an appositive fragment. Since an appositive contains a noun which can conveniently
become a subject, adding a verb will often fix the problem. Look at this example:
The unprepared student who was always begging for an extra pencil and a couple sheets of blank paper.
We know who we are talking about; now we need to know what this student did.
The unprepared student who was always begging for an extra pencil and a couple sheets of blank paper screamed.
[or cried, sang, protested the accusations, bit his lip, crossed his fingers, flirted with Jasmine, etc.]
Another good option is to connect the appositive to a main clause. No matter where you attach the appositive—at the
beginning, in the middle, or at the end—always use comma(s) to separate it. Here are some samples:
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


A slacker wasting his afternoon in front of the television, Brian opened a bag of potato chips instead of his
chemistry textbook.
Brian, a slacker wasting his afternoon in front of the television, opened a bag of potato chips instead of his
chemistry textbook.
On the lawn chair lay Rocket, a dog around whom people need to guard their fingers and food.
A comma splice occurs when a writer has connected two main clauses with a comma alone.
The problem looks like this:
main clause
,
main clause.
Here is an example:
 Fanning the slice of pizza with a napkin, Jolene waited for it to cool, she had already burned the roof of her mouth
with the fried cheese sticks.
The first main clause is Jolene waited for it to cool, and the second is she had already burned the roof of her mouth with
the fried cheese sticks. Notice that the two clauses have only a comma connecting them.
Know how to fix a comma splice.
Fixing a comma splice is easy. All you have to do is pick one of the four available strategies.
1. You can break the error into two separate sentences with a period, like this:
Fanning the slice of pizza with a napkin, Jolene waited for it to cool. She had already burned the roof of her mouth with
the fried cheese sticks.
2. Another good option is to connect the two main clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction:
Fanning the slice of pizza with a napkin, Jolene waited for it to cool, for she had already burned the roof of her mouth
with the fried cheese sticks.
3. You can also use a semicolon:
Fanning the slice of pizza with a napkin, Jolene waited for it to cool; she had already burned the roof of her mouth with
the fried cheese sticks.
4. Your last option is to use a subordinate conjunction. This method reduces one of the two clauses to an
incomplete thought:
Fanning the slice of pizza with a napkin, Jolene waited for it to cool since she had already burned the roof of her mouth
with the fried cheese sticks.
Run-ons and fused sentences are terms describing two independent clauses which are joined together with no
connecting word or punctuation to separate the clauses.
INCORRECT: They weren't dangerous criminals they were detectives in disguise.
CORRECT: They weren't dangerous criminals; they were detectives in disguise.
INCORRECT: I didn't know which job I wanted I was too confused to decide.
CORRECT: I didn't know which job I wanted, and I was too confused to decide.
See Grammar Bytes at <http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/> for more information on fragments, comma splices and
run-ons
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