Fragments and Run-ons

1. Fragments and Run-ons “Keep sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow-perhaps it all will.” Ecclesiasties

2. By now youshould be able to identify isolated fragments or run-ons. • Now, let’s try identifying and correcting fragments and run-ons in paragraphs. This is a more realistic grammar exercise.

3. Identify and correct the fragments • Knowing that tonight was the biggest game of his life. Sergio began to practice his jumps and cheers early in the morning. By 8:30AM he had gotten in a good hour and a half of practice. Which was much more than what he really needed. But he then felt that he was truly ready. He ate a light breakfast and just munched on energy bars for the rest of the day. Because he wanted to feel light and energetic that night. All his hard work and careful preparation. Were not wasted since he cheered with great spontaneity and verve for the whole game.

4. Corrected version: • Knowing that tonight was the biggest game of his life,Sergio began to practice his jumps and cheers early in the morning. By 8:30AM, he had gotten in a good hour and a half of practicewhichwas much more than what he really needed. But he then felt that he was truly ready. He ate a light breakfast and just munched onenergy bars for the rest of the daybecause he wanted to feel light and energetic that night. Allhis hard work and careful preparation were not wasted since he cheered with great spontaneity and verve for the whole game.

5. Correct the fragments. The FBI agent, a tall slender man with a shotgun in his hands, hid behind the mesquite tree. While his partners surrounded the evil convict. A man who had escaped from jail several times and knew his way around the law. However, today would be the last day of his life. Because a military SWAT team and a helicopter were on their way. There was no way that this convict would escape today. He had three options: commit suicide, surrender or die fighting. Options one and two were out of the question. Option three was the only way he knew how to go. A battle to the death!

6. Corrected paragraph. The FBI agent, a tall slender man with a shotgun in his hands, hid behind the mesquite treewhile his partners surrounded the evil convict,a man who had escaped from jail several times and knew his way around the law. However, today would be the last day of his lifebecausea military SWAT team and a helicopter were on their way. There was no way that this convict would escape today. He had three options: commit suicide, surrender or die fighting. Options one and two were out of the question. Option three was the only way he knewhow to go, a battle to the death!

7. Let’s try a paragraphs with run-on problems. Writing is not an easy task sometimes you think you have the perfect phrase, but when you read it the next day it seem perfectly awful. The sad thing about writing is that you usually have to write alone. . You can get some help from time to time, but essentially you have to come up with everything yourself. Then there is dreaded writers block some type of mental problem that attacks writers unexpectedly. All of a sudden you can’t think of one decent sentence all your sentences and thoughts seem nonsensical, without meaning.

8. Corrected paragraph Writing is not an easy task. Sometimesyou think you have the perfect phrase, but when you read it the next day it seem perfectly awful. The sad thing about writing is that you usually have to write alone. . You can get some help from time to time, but essentially you have to come up with everything yourself. Then there is dreadedwriters block. Sometype of mental problem that attacks writers unexpectedly. All of a sudden you can’t think of one decentsentence. Allyour sentences and thoughts seem nonsensical, without meaning.

9. Correct , both fragments and run-ons • As Marisol wrote her letter. She decided that it would be a good idea to send some money to her husband. Her husband was at war in Afghanistan and she thought that maybe he could use a couple of extra dollars. She had heard that Afghanistan was very cold in the winter and perhaps he needed to buy some extra warm mittens or cap so she jumped into her car and drove off to the nearby bank where she kept all her money. She withdrew one hundred dollars and went to purchase a money order at the closest circle K. When she was getting into her car. She noticed a couple of suspicious teenagers at the stop sign they were all wearing bandanas and red and black garments. They appeared to be members of some sinister gang. When she stopped, they forced her out of her car.

10. Corrected version: As Marisol wrote her letter, she decided that it would be a good idea to send some money to her husband. Her husband was at war in Afghanistan, and she thought that maybe he could use a couple of extra dollars. She had heard that Afghanistan was very cold in the winter, and perhaps he needed to buy some extra warm mittens or cap; so she jumped into her car and drove off to the nearby bank where she kept all her money. She withdrew one hundred dollars and went to purchase a money order at the closest circle K. When she was getting into her car, she noticed a couple of suspicious teenagers at the stop sign. They were all wearing bandanas and red and black garments. They appeared to be members of some sinister gang. When she stopped, they forced her out of her car.

11. Assignment: This passage contains both fragment and run-ons • But what these young thugs did not know is that Marisol had recently earned a black belt in karate and was itching for a good fight. Plus, she was angry that her husband was away at war. They thought that Marisol would just cry and give them all her money at first they thought that Marisol was joking when she warned them that she had a black belt. But when the fight began. They soon realized that Marisol was a genuine martial artist. They were three gang members. The first she put down with a wicked karate chop to the throat. Which stopped him from breathing for a good while and paralyzed him. The second youth went down when Marisol bashed his head into the hood of the car. He suffered a broken nose. And a concussion as well. The third youth decided that he was better off running than facing the wrath of the karate master, Marisol there was no way that Marisol was going to let these scumbags take her money!