The ACT requires you to locate and fix runon and fragments.
Here is what you need to know to correct
this:
1.) Independent vs. Dependent clauses
2.)Fragments
3.) Run-on Sentences
4.) Practice questions
IND
•Another name for a
sentence
•Group of words that
has a subject and a
predicate (verb) and
expresses a complete
thought.
•Can stand alone in a
sentence.
•It can be a sentence
itself, or it can work
with other clauses.
DCW
•Group of words that has
a subject and a predicate
(verb)
•Cannot stand alone in a
sentence
•Does not express a
complete thought
Make the following DCWs complete sentences.
Using you own ideas, complete the sentences
on your sheet of paper.
1) Because I left school.
2) When organizing a party
3) When Ms. Murphy annotates.
4) Since I love reading
5) After I woke up
If a sentence lacks a complete subject, complete
predicate, or parts of both, it is called a fragment.
•Fragment: a group of words that does not express a
complete thought.
Examples:
•While ducks were swimming
•If Sam would put his phone away
•Wanting to get an A
 Make writing feel choppy
 Confusing
 Grammatically incorrect
1. Please be seated.
2. Went to see Santa.
3. I like to bake cookies.
4. She is coming over for dinner.
5. Is snowing a lot.
7. I love clown music.
8. Over the river.
9. A teacher of great devotion to her students.
10. My birthday is April 17.
11. Which is on Tuesday.
12. We are going out for dinner.
13. Studying for finals.
14. Ate a lot of cookies.
15. He made sure to bundle up.
To fix a fragment:
•Add a clause that will make the fragment a complete
thought
•How could we change these fragments to make them
sentences (complete thoughts)?
 A teacher of great devotion to her students
 Which is on Tuesday
 Ate a lot of cookies
Run-on sentence: occurs when two sentences are
run together without proper punctuation and/or
connecting words
Examples:
•Brad Pitt’s beard is really scraggly and it is
turning gray.
•Andrew always eats snacks in class one time
he had goldfish and I wanted one.
5 ways to fix a run-on sentence:
1.) Put a period between the sentence
•Incorrect: Joey was happy about the pizza he
felt like celebrating.
•Correct: Joey was happy about the pizza. He felt
like celebrating.
2.) Connect two related sentences with a
comma followed by a FANBOYS conjunction.
•Incorrect: Joey was happy about the pizza he
felt like celebrating.
•Correct: Joey was happy about the pizza, so
he felt like celebrating.
3.) Connect two related sentences w/a semicolon
•Incorrect: Joey was happy about the pizza he felt
like celebrating.
•Correct: Joey was happy about the pizza; he felt
like celebrating.
5 ways to fix a run-on sentence:
4.) Connect two related sentences w/a semicolon and a transition word or phrase such as
however, therefore, thus, then, also, on the
other hand, etc.
•Incorrect: Joey was happy about the pizza he felt
like celebrating.
•Correct: Joey was happy about the pizza;
consequently, he felt like celebrating.
5.) Add a dependent clause and signal word.
Common signal words include because, if,
although, when, who, which, etc.
•Correct: Because Joey was happy about the pizza,
he felt like celebrating.
•Correct: Joey, who was happy about the pizza,
felt like celebrating.
Fix the Run-on:
•I could hardly wait to jump in the water looked
so nice.
•They expected me to babysit again, I wouldn’t do
it for any price.
List the 5 ways a run-on can be fixed:
1.Separate the sentences to form 2 sentences
2.Add a comma and a FANBOYS conjunction
3.Add a semi-colon
4.Add a semi-colon and transition word
5.Add a dependent clause & signal word