CHAPTER THREE Fragments , Comma Splices, and Run- Ons

1. CHAPTER THREE Fragments, Comma Splices, and Run-Ons From My Dog Bites the English Teacher, Practical Grammar Made Quick and Easy, by Marian Anders

2. 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.

3. Remember…. • SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS • 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.

4. 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.

5. A subordinating conjunction is aword that goes at the beginning ofa clause and makes the clause lesspowerful or dependent on another clause. Common Subordinating Conjunctions after although as because before if since so that that though till until unless when where while

6. 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……

7. 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.

8. 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?

9. 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. • AfterIate dinner, Iwashed the dishes. DCIC The first clause depends on the second clause to finish the idea.

10. Sentence Fragments A sentence must have an independent clause. A sentence that doesn’t have an independent clause is called a fragment.

11. Remember: An independent clause has a subject and a verb and it expresses a complete idea. Mario hit the winning run. Mariohit the winning run. IC The weather was cold. The weatherwas cold. IC

12. 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 AfterMariohit the winning run...what? DC Although the weather was cold Althoughthe weatherwas cold…what? DC

13. 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

14. Phrases and dependent clauses are important to our writing. They add details and make a sentence more interesting. Butthey cannot be sentencesby themselves.

15. 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.

16. 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)

17. 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. Droveall night. F After Mark drove all night. After Mark drove all night. (Go to the next step.)

18. 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. AfterMarkdrove all night. F

19. 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. Markdrove all night. OK

20. TIME TO PRACTICE!!!

21. CHAPTER THREE Fragments, Comma Splices, and Run-Ons From My Dog Bites the English Teacher, Practical Grammar Made Quick and Easy, by Marian Anders

22. FIXING FRAGMENTS • Now we need to learn how to FIX fragments. • There are two ways to fix a fragment, and they both involve erasing something.

23. FIXING FRAGMENTS First Method: You can erase a periodand attach the fragment to a sentence that has an independent clause. In the morning. Sherryjogs three miles. Ph-fragment IC Erase the period to attach the fragment to a complete sentence: In the morning Sherryjogs three miles. Ph IC

24. FIXING FRAGMENTS 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: Shegoes to the gym. Aftershefinishes work. IC DC – fragment Erase the period to attach the fragment to the complete sentence. Shegoes to the gym aftershefinishes work. IC DC – fragment By joining the fragment and a complete sentence, you created one longer sentence.

25. FIXING FRAGMENTS 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 dogchews the newspaper. DC -- fragment Erase the subordinating conjunction: The dogchews the newspaper. IC Now the sentence has an independent clause, so it is correct.

26. FIXING FRAGMENTS Here's another example: After the dogdug up the flower bed. DC -- fragment Erase the subordinating conjunction: The dogdug up the flower bed. IC Now the sentence has an independent clause, so it is correct.

27. Remember…. Common Subordinating Conjunctions after although as because before if since so that that though till until unless when where while

28. LET’S PRACTICE….

29. CHAPTER THREE Fragments, Comma Splices, and Run-Ons From My Dog Bites the English Teacher, Practical Grammar Made Quick and Easy, by Marian Anders

30. Comma Splices and Run-ons • Unlike fragments, which don't have an independent clause, a comma splice and a run-on 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.

32. Quick Review: Sentence Fragments A sentence must have an independent clause. A sentence that doesn’t have an independent clause is called a fragment.

33. Remember: An independent clause has a subject and a verb and it expresses a complete idea. Mario hit the winning run. Mariohit the winning run. IC The weather was cold. The weatherwas cold. IC

34. 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 AfterMariohit the winning run...what? DC Although the weather was cold Althoughthe weatherwas cold…what? DC

35. 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

36. Comma Splices and Run-ons • Again, unlike fragments, which don't have an independent clause, a comma splice and a run-on 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.

37. Comma Splices and Run-ons • Mark comma splices CS and run-ons RO. Shecooked dinner, Joewashed the dishes. CSIC IC Suecooked dinner Joewashed the dishes. ROIC IC

39. Four Methods for Fixing Comma Splices and Run-ons • 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.

40. First Method: Add a period at the spot where the two clauses meet to separate the two clauses into two sentences. • Shecooked dinner, Joewashed the dishes. CSIC IC • Shecooked dinner. Joewashed the dishes. OKIC IC

41. Second Method: Add a comma and a coordinating conjunction between the two independent clauses. Coordinating Conjunctions For And Nor But Or Yet So

42. 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.

44. Coordinating Conjunctions • Coordinating conjunctions are the ONLY words that can be used with a comma to separate two independent clauses. Shecooked dinner, andJoewashed the dishes. OKIC IC Shecooked dinner, so Joewashed the dishes. OKIC IC • A comma with any other word gives you a comma splice. Shecooked dinner, henceJoewashed the dishes. CSIC IC

46. 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. Afterwewatched the movie......what happened?

47. Remember…. Common Subordinating Conjunctions after although as because before if since so that that though till until unless when where while

48. 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.

49. 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.

50. And remember...... Common Subordinating Conjunctions after although as because before if since so that that though till until unless when where while