FRAGMENTS, RUN-ONS, COMMA SPLICES

Fragments

There are two kinds of clauses--independent and dependent.   An independent clause has a subject and verb and is able to stand alone.   It will express a complete thought or idea, and it will not leave the reader expecting something more.   A dependent clause also has a subject and verb, but it can't stand alone because it begins with a dependent word (see Connecting Words, group 3).   An independent clause becomes a dependent clause by placing a dependent word in front of it.

                We finished the game.                                         (Independent)

                After we finished the game.                                (Dependent)

                Unless we finished the game.                             (Dependent)

The clause can no longer stand alone.   As you read it, you can hear that it doesn't really say anything.   It does not make a complete statement.   It leaves the reader expecting something more.   It is a FRAGMENT and must not be punctuated as a sentence.

We have seen that a dependent clause alone is a fragment.   Any group of words that does not have a subject and verb is also a fragment.

                Paid no attention to his parents                        

 (no subject)

                Joe thinking about all his problems                  

 (no adequate verb)  

Although ing words look like verbs, no ing word alone can ever be a verb of a sentence.   It must have another verb in front of it.)

  Speeding along the highway       

  (no subject and no adequate verb)

                The announcement that we expected     

(no verb for the independent clause)

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

When you join two independent clauses together, it is called coordination, for you are coordinating or joining, two ideas of equal importance.   There are three ways to punctuate these independent clauses:

1.  Write the independent clauses as two separate sentences:

     I was late for class.   I had a good excuse.

 2.  Connect the two independent clauses with a semicolon:

          I was late for class; I had a good excuse.

Connect the two independent clauses with a comma and a

coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet):

        I was late for class, but I had a good excuse.

Failure to punctuate such clauses correctly causes two very common writing errors:

1. Two independent clauses with no punctuation between them is a  Run-On Sentence:  

     I was late for class I had a good excuse.

2.  Two independent clauses joined by a comma but without a coordinating conjunction is a Comma Splice:

     I was late for class, I had a good excuse.