ELL Handbook::Grammar::Sentence Errors (2024)

Sentence Errors

Sentence Fragments

You may have made a fragment error. A fragment is an incomplete sentence. It does not express a complete thought, even though it starts with a capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark. It is missing either a subject or a verb or both.

Here are two examples of fragments:

Fragment: Where there were mice and co*ckroaches.
Fragment: A movie that inspires deep emotions.
Fragment: Analyzing the characters' motives.

These two groups of words cannot stand alone as complete sentences. They can be corrected in two ways. One way is to attach the fragment to a complete sentence:

Corrected sentence: Peter left the apartment where there were mice and co*ckroaches.
Corrected sentence: I went to see "The Silver Star," a movie that inspires deep emotions.
Corrected sentence: Analyzing the characters' motives is central to understanding a novel.

Another way to correct fragments is to add a complete subject, complete verb, or other words that express a complete thought:

Corrected sentence: This is where there were mice and co*ckroaches.
Corrected sentence: A movie that inspires deep emotions is rare.
Corrected sentence: Analyzing the characters' motives is important.

Note: Sometimes, a complete sentence may look like a fragment because it is missing a comma after an introductory word group. When you start a sentence with a dependent clause, be sure to use a comma after the dependent clause.

Here is an example of a sentence that looks like a fragment because it is incorrectly punctuated:

Incorrect: If we have enough time this weekend we'll go to see the cherry trees in bloom.

See Also

Run-On Sentence and Sentence Fragments | Reynolds Community College

In this sentence, "...we'll go to see the cherry trees in bloom" is an independent clause that could stand alone. "If we have enough time this weekend" is a dependent clause that cannot stand alone. Use a comma to separate the introductory dependent clause from the main clause of the sentence:

Correct: If we have enough time this weekend, we'll go to see the cherry trees in bloom.

Run-on Sentences

You may have a run-on sentence. Run-on sentences happen when we join two sentences together without a conjunction or the correct punctuation. Run-on sentences can be very confusing to read. Here is an example: My sister loves to dance she is very good at it.

There are several ways to correct run-on sentences:

1. Divide the run-on sentence into two separate sentences.

   Run-on sentence: My sister loves to dance she is very good at it.
   Corrected sentence: My sister loves to dance. She is very good at it..

   Run-on sentence: Jim showed us his ticket someone gave it to him.
   Corrected sentence: Jim showed us his ticket. Someone gave it to him.

2. Connect the parts of the run-on sentence with a coordinating conjunction and a comma. These are the most common coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet.

   Run-on sentence: My sister loves to dance she is very good at it.
   Corrected sentence: My sister loves to dance, and she is very good at it.

   Run-on sentence: She agreed to chair the meeting she didn't come.
   Corrected sentence: She agreed to chair the meeting, but she didn't come.

3. Connect the parts of the run-on sentence with a subordinating conjunction. These are the most common subordinating conjunctions: after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, whereas, while.

   Run-on sentence: My sister loves to dance she is very good at it.
   Corrected sentence: My sister loves to dance because she is very good at it.

   Run-on sentence: Maria and John like skiing Karen does not.
   Corrected sentence: Although Maria and John like skiing, Karen does not.

4. Connect the parts of the run-on sentence with a semicolon.

   Run-on sentence: Gordon laughed at Sandy's joke it was funny.
   Corrected sentence: Gordon laughed at Sandy's joke; it was funny.

   Run-on sentence: I thought he was here I was wrong.
   Corrected sentence: I thought he was here; I was wrong.